By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2007 – More Marines in the ranks will mean a less stressed Corps, which translates to a higher state of readiness, officials said today at the Pentagon. The president's budget proposal that includes a 27,000-Marine increase is expected to be released Feb. 5. The Corps hopes to add the Marines incrementally beginning this fiscal year and continuing through fiscal 2011.
A Marine official speaking on background was quick to add that the increase is not related to the president's proposed surge of troops in Iraq. The prolonged war has caused a strain on the Corps' members and units, the official said. The proposed increase to 202,000 Marines will help alleviate that strain and give Marines and units more time at home and more time to train.
The current level of operations with a Marine Corps of 180,000 strains the individuals and the institution, the official explained. Those strains can be accommodated in the short term, but cannot be effectively sustained in the long term, he said.
To help ease the strain on Marines and units, leaders developed a 1-to-2 deployment-to-dwell ratio goal. Ideally, for every seven months Marines are deployed, they will spend 14 months at their home station.
"Anything less than a 1-to-2 ratio creates a strain on the individual and on their family. It creates a strain on the units, and it also affects our ability to have Marine air-ground task forces that are prepared to support various contingencies around the world," said Marine Col. Dave Lapan, deputy director of Marine Corps public affairs.
Most of the additional Marines will go toward building operating forces such as such as infantry, military police, combat service support, aviation and intelligence. These Marines deploy most often. Officials did not say where the new forces will be stationed.
Marine recruiting is hoping to enlist an additional 1,200 non-prior-service, active-duty recruits this fiscal year. Last year's active-duty recruiting requirement was 32,301. This year, the goal is 33,551 Marines added to the active-duty force.
Officials have added 200 recruiters to the field this month and hope to add another 400 by fiscal 2009. The fiscal 2006 budget for recruiting, including congressional supplements, was $176 million. The fiscal 2007 budget, including congressional supplements, is $228 million, the official said.
Officials also said they hope to appeal to prior-service Marines to return to the Corps. About 20,000 Marines annually leave the Corps who would be eligible to return. Officials hope to approach those Marines now, with the additional force structure, and try to win them back.
"There are a number of Marines who leave the Marine Corps every year who would actually probably prefer to stay. But, for a variety of reasons, they aren't able to," Lapan said.
"We do believe there's a population of Marines ... who will come back if asked."
Bonuses and incentives are increasing, the official said. The bonus program was expanded this year for recruiting prior-service Marines. The service will not adjust enlistment standards to meet recruiting goals, the official said, and there are currently no plans for forcing Marines to remain in uniform involuntarily when their terms of service expire, he said.
Still, with an increased recruiting mission and the war continuing in Iraq, officials admit that recruiting additional force structure could be difficult.
However, Lapan said, officials are "confident" they can reach their recruiting and retention goals.
"Our recruiting command believes that they will be able to increase their numbers sufficiently to bring in those additional new recruits," he said. "At the same time, we have confidence that either prior-service Marines or active-duty Marines will be able to be retained or brought back into service.
"Even with operational tempo -- even with the demands of the long war -- our reenlistment rates are great ... while recruiting remains challenging and it's tough duty, we are making mission," he continued. "So we find that Marines and prospective Marines want to be a part of this organization and part of the fight."
Numbers aside, though, Lapan said the number one goal of the Marine Corps is to provide relief for the force.
"It is the priority of the commandant of the Marine Corps that we get to a 1-to-2 deployment-to-dwell ratio," Lapan said.
The plan is to increase the Corps strength to 184,000 by the end of this fiscal year; to 189,000 in fiscal 2008; 194,000 in fiscal 2009; 199,000 in fiscal 2010 and 202,000 in fiscal 2010. No end-strength changes were announced for the Marine Corps Reserves.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, personnel from the police and military service who have authored books.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Five New Authors
Editors Note: One of the writers is retired colonel, USMC
Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books five additional authors: Robert Almonte, Tom Avery, William Cavenaugh, Dave Toma and Anthony D’Augustine.
Robert Almonte retired in 2003 after nearly 25 years with the El Paso Police Department. He spent the majority of his career in narcotics as a detective, sergeant, and commander, until his promotion to Captain, in May of 2000. Ultimately, Robert Almonte retired as a Deputy Chief. Robert’s book, “Covert Operations Management” “is designed to provide students with a basic theoretical and practical understanding of the management, legal and ethical issues regarding covert operations that are applicable within multiple levels of government agencies. Management issues covered include; selection and rotation of personnel, ethics, use of informants, intelligence vs. operations, compare and contrast civilian law enforcement and government activities, basic and advanced investigative techniques, and applied practical skills. This textbook is appropriate for criminal justice, criminal investigation, and homeland security programs.”
Robert Almonte’s second book, “Evolution of Narcotics Investigations,” “is designed to provide the student with an understanding of the evolution of the methods for conducting narcotics investigations. Interaction among law enforcement agencies as well as contemporary factors regarding investigative complexity will be examined. Students will also be exposed to alternative solutions to the narcotics problem.”
Tom Avery has been an investigator with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, CA, for over 10 years. Tom is currently assigned to the Technology Crimes Unit. He is a Technology Crime trainer for the California Department of Justice. He is also a co-author for a book entitled “Homeland Security Principles, Planning and Procedures.” According to the description, the “text introduces a broad, in-depth look at security planning and procedures. Students will learn to develop skills in interviewing and interrogation techniques, intelligence gathering, surveillances, perimeter and crime scene security, criminal evidence preservation and collection, and principles of crowd and riot control. Additional topics include threat assessment and response, and facility security and vulnerabilities. This text also helps students develop skills in substance abuse recognition, theft, sabotage and espionage. It also covers techniques for dealing with computer security, electronic criminal investigations, firewalls and security software as well as crime prevention techniques. Additional topics include crime prevention, security access control, and security force management.”
William Cavenaugh retired as a Captain form the Laguna Beach Police Department after 30 years of service. The majority of his career was spent in uniform, assigned to traffic enforcement as a motorcycle officer during which time he made thousands of arrests for DUI. Since 1986 he has conducted a one-week long POST approved course on DUI enforcement. The course has regularly been one of the highest rated courses in California POST training. Bill also recently retired as a Colonel form the Marine Corps Reserve after thirty-six years of service.
Bill is the recipient of MADD, USA’s Lifetime Achievement award for his contribution to DUI enforcement. In 2004, Bill received the Governor’s Award for Life Time Achievement in California law enforcement training, primarily for his efforts in DUI enforcement education. William Cavenaugh authored “Drunk Driving Enforcement : The Street Cop's Guide.”
According to IMBD, "Toma" was based on the real-life exploits of Newark, New Jersey narcotics detective Dave Toma, who in the late 1960's and early 70's, made a name for himself by using unorthodox techniques to get the goods on criminals. He would often dress up as a nun, rabbi, homeless person or any other average citizen in order to blend in and get the drop on pushers.
This TV series started off with good intentions and was a hard-hitting, realistic urban police drama. But star Tony Musante was worried it was going to go the route of every other cop show and just become formulaic. When he pushed for creative changes, producers pushed back and the show ended after just one season. The concept re-emerged the following year as "Beretta" starring Robert Blake.” Toma authored two books, “Toma: The Compassionate Cop” and “Airport Affair.”
Anthony D’Augustine is a former detective lieutenant and firearms training supervisor with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey. He and his wife, Patricia, have four children and one grandson. According to the book description of “Best Enemies,” “After retiring under questionable circumstances, Mac searches to find his daughter and to square up with two of his best enemies. The search takes him to a recreational park in the Catskill Mountains known as Mongaup Pond. When a murder and kidnapping occur at the upstate New York campground, Mac takes it personally.” Anthony is currently working on his second novel, “Just Vengeance,” which chronicles the continued exploits of Mac Taylor.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 292 police officers (representing 122 police departments) and their 710 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors and international police officers who have written books.
Deadline Nears for Commissary Scholarship Program
By Carrie Williams
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2007 – Military families have an opportunity to apply for scholarships for their children at certain commissaries, but they better do it soon -- the deadline is Feb. 21. The "Scholarships for Military Children" program will be making at least one $1,500 scholarship available at each commisary location with qualified applicants, Defense Commissary Agency officials here said.
Scholarships are available to unmarried children under 21 -- under 23 if enrolled in school -- of military active-duty, reserve, Guard and retired personnel.
Program officials use the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System database to determine eligibility. Applicants and sponsors must be enrolled in DEERS and have a current ID card.
"Scholarships for Military Children is a wonderful military community program," said Patrick Nixon, DeCA director and chief executive officer. "Nearly 3,000 scholarships totaling more than $4 million have been awarded since the first awards were given in 2001."
The scholarship program has also made inroads to increasing support from the nonmilitary community. California high school students sponsoring golf tournaments in 2006 raised thousands of dollars to donate to the program, and already for 2007, a private foundation has made a substantial donation.
Most of the program's funds are donated by manufacturers, brokers and suppliers who sell groceries in commissaries, and every dollar donated to the program by industry or the general public goes to fund the scholarships.
The Fisher House Foundation administers the program.
"We're excited to see this worthwhile program gaining recognition and funding from the community at large," said Jim Weiskopf, the foundation's vice president of communications. "Commissary industry support has been amazing, and increased public support can only help ensure that the Scholarships for Military Children program continues to benefit the military community for many years to come."
Donations for the program are accepted at the foundation's Web site, www.militaryscholar.org. About 10 percent of the scholarships go to high school students at DoD schools overseas.
"Every cent that community organizations can mobilize to support college-bound students is an investment in the future," said Joseph Tafoya, director of the DoD Education Activity. "With college costs soaring, our DoD students and their parents appreciate every available scholarship to help defray the cost, and the scholarships enable many of our families to better afford the tuition and provide an incentive for students to work hard. They also demonstrate that military communities are committed to education and increased opportunities for all students."
Applicants must be planning to attend an accredited college or university full-time in the fall term of 2007, or be enrolled in a program designed to transfer directly into a four-year program, officials said. Along with their application, they must submit an essay on how and why they would change a historical event.
Scholarship applications are available at 263 commissaries worldwide, or can be downloaded through links at the Scolarships for Military Children, DecA and DoD Education Activity's Web sites.
(Carie Williams works at the Defense Commissary Agency.)
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2007 – Military families have an opportunity to apply for scholarships for their children at certain commissaries, but they better do it soon -- the deadline is Feb. 21. The "Scholarships for Military Children" program will be making at least one $1,500 scholarship available at each commisary location with qualified applicants, Defense Commissary Agency officials here said.
Scholarships are available to unmarried children under 21 -- under 23 if enrolled in school -- of military active-duty, reserve, Guard and retired personnel.
Program officials use the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System database to determine eligibility. Applicants and sponsors must be enrolled in DEERS and have a current ID card.
"Scholarships for Military Children is a wonderful military community program," said Patrick Nixon, DeCA director and chief executive officer. "Nearly 3,000 scholarships totaling more than $4 million have been awarded since the first awards were given in 2001."
The scholarship program has also made inroads to increasing support from the nonmilitary community. California high school students sponsoring golf tournaments in 2006 raised thousands of dollars to donate to the program, and already for 2007, a private foundation has made a substantial donation.
Most of the program's funds are donated by manufacturers, brokers and suppliers who sell groceries in commissaries, and every dollar donated to the program by industry or the general public goes to fund the scholarships.
The Fisher House Foundation administers the program.
"We're excited to see this worthwhile program gaining recognition and funding from the community at large," said Jim Weiskopf, the foundation's vice president of communications. "Commissary industry support has been amazing, and increased public support can only help ensure that the Scholarships for Military Children program continues to benefit the military community for many years to come."
Donations for the program are accepted at the foundation's Web site, www.militaryscholar.org. About 10 percent of the scholarships go to high school students at DoD schools overseas.
"Every cent that community organizations can mobilize to support college-bound students is an investment in the future," said Joseph Tafoya, director of the DoD Education Activity. "With college costs soaring, our DoD students and their parents appreciate every available scholarship to help defray the cost, and the scholarships enable many of our families to better afford the tuition and provide an incentive for students to work hard. They also demonstrate that military communities are committed to education and increased opportunities for all students."
Applicants must be planning to attend an accredited college or university full-time in the fall term of 2007, or be enrolled in a program designed to transfer directly into a four-year program, officials said. Along with their application, they must submit an essay on how and why they would change a historical event.
Scholarship applications are available at 263 commissaries worldwide, or can be downloaded through links at the Scolarships for Military Children, DecA and DoD Education Activity's Web sites.
(Carie Williams works at the Defense Commissary Agency.)
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
California School Honored for Public Service
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – The Defense Department recognized a California high school at the Pentagon today for supporting one of its students and a program she undertook for the nation's servicemembers. Shauna Fleming, 17, a student at Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, Calif., is the founder of "A Million Thanks," a member organization of DoD's America Supports You program that highlights and facilitates support for the nation's men and women in uniform.
Dorrance Smith, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, presented the Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award to the high school's principal, Gregg Pinick, who accepted the award on the school's behalf.
"We're here to thank the students and the faculty and the staff of the Orange Lutheran High School for their dedication and support of our military men and women," Smith said. "Your high school has been a dedicated supporter of America Supports You.
"Thank you ... a million thanks - 2.6 million thanks - for all that you have done," he added.
A Million Thanks began as Fleming's effort to have a million messages of gratitude from Americans deliverd to deployed servicemembers. The program's success enabled her to raise the bar and strive for 2.6 million messages - one for every man and woman in the nation's active and reserve component forces.
Pinick has worked with Fleming and her school schedule so she could participate in special events involving A Million Thanks. Additionally, he has allowed her to use the school's mailroom to collect the letters, and even let the students participate in sorting, packing and delivering the letters she receives.
But he's modest about the attention the school has received for its support of Fleming's efforts.
"(The recognition) is very humbling ... just because of the fact that we're not laying our lives down every day," Pinick said. "To be able to say thank you to somebody is a pretty simple thing. We learn it when we're young. We tend to forget it a little bit when we're older.
"(Fleming) has provided an opportunity for so many people around the country to just to be able to say thank you," he added.
Pinick took home an official award citation and a medal acknowledging the school's honor.
Fleming, on hand for the award ceremony, said the school's participation was crucial in helping her reach her goal of collecting 2.6 million letters of support for the troops.
"I definitely could not have done it without my school," Fleming said. "They have been so helpful from the very beginning."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – The Defense Department recognized a California high school at the Pentagon today for supporting one of its students and a program she undertook for the nation's servicemembers. Shauna Fleming, 17, a student at Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, Calif., is the founder of "A Million Thanks," a member organization of DoD's America Supports You program that highlights and facilitates support for the nation's men and women in uniform.
Dorrance Smith, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, presented the Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award to the high school's principal, Gregg Pinick, who accepted the award on the school's behalf.
"We're here to thank the students and the faculty and the staff of the Orange Lutheran High School for their dedication and support of our military men and women," Smith said. "Your high school has been a dedicated supporter of America Supports You.
"Thank you ... a million thanks - 2.6 million thanks - for all that you have done," he added.
A Million Thanks began as Fleming's effort to have a million messages of gratitude from Americans deliverd to deployed servicemembers. The program's success enabled her to raise the bar and strive for 2.6 million messages - one for every man and woman in the nation's active and reserve component forces.
Pinick has worked with Fleming and her school schedule so she could participate in special events involving A Million Thanks. Additionally, he has allowed her to use the school's mailroom to collect the letters, and even let the students participate in sorting, packing and delivering the letters she receives.
But he's modest about the attention the school has received for its support of Fleming's efforts.
"(The recognition) is very humbling ... just because of the fact that we're not laying our lives down every day," Pinick said. "To be able to say thank you to somebody is a pretty simple thing. We learn it when we're young. We tend to forget it a little bit when we're older.
"(Fleming) has provided an opportunity for so many people around the country to just to be able to say thank you," he added.
Pinick took home an official award citation and a medal acknowledging the school's honor.
Fleming, on hand for the award ceremony, said the school's participation was crucial in helping her reach her goal of collecting 2.6 million letters of support for the troops.
"I definitely could not have done it without my school," Fleming said. "They have been so helpful from the very beginning."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Illinois Soldiers Follow 'Da Bears' to Big Game in Miami
By Staff Sgt. Glenn Chrisman, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – Many soldiers from the 1744th Transportation Company weren't alive the last time the Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl, in 1986. But about half of the unit's nearly 170 Illinois Army National Guard soldiers still follow the Bears from year to year in hopes of seeing another Super Bowl title come to the Windy City.
The unit, based near Chicago in Streator, supports logistics missions for the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) near Balad.
For one soldier, the annual big game brings a lifetime of memories. One could say Spc. Kyle Hollingsworth, of Marseilles, Ill., was destined to be a Bears fan from birth. Hollingsworth was born Jan. 26, 1986, just hours before the kick-off of Super Bowl XX.
"I guess you could say it was the first game I ever watched," Hollingsworth said with a smile. "I have always liked the Bears. It might be because my family are Bears' fans, or maybe it was because I was born on Super Bowl Sunday."
Hollingsworth said he has been looking forward to seeing the Bears going back to the Super Bowl, but never thought it would happen while he was deployed to Iraq. "I always envisioned a great 21st birthday present, but never thought it would be the Bears headed back to the Super Bowl for the first time since I was born," he said.
Many soldiers in the unit stayed up late Jan. 21 to watch the conference championship game, which didn't start until 11 p.m. here. "It was bittersweet," Hollingsworth said. "I only got about two hours of sleep before having to get up for the day."
Although he wasn't watching the game in the comfort of his own home, Hollingsworth said he was just glad to get to see the National Football Conference championship game. "I wish I was at home with my family and friends, but I feel fortunate that we have access to TVs and were able to see the game," he said. "It's a big morale booster, that's for sure."
While the Bears go into Super Bowl Sunday as the underdogs, the burning question remains whether quarterback Rex Grossman will help led Chicago to its first championship in 21 years or help Indianapolis and Peyton Manning to get the monkey off their back.
"I'm glad Chicago stuck with Grossman," Hollingsworth said. "He's a young quarterback and just needs some fine-tuning to take him to the next level."
Hollingsworth was optimistic of the outcome. "They're both good teams, but I like Chicago's chances to come out on top," he said.
The 1744th Transportation Company mobilized in June for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit includes soldiers from all parts of Illinois, including many from the Chicago area. The soldiers are expected to be home sometime early this fall.
(Army Staff Sgt. Glenn Chrisman is assigned to 1744th Transportation Company.)
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – Many soldiers from the 1744th Transportation Company weren't alive the last time the Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl, in 1986. But about half of the unit's nearly 170 Illinois Army National Guard soldiers still follow the Bears from year to year in hopes of seeing another Super Bowl title come to the Windy City.
The unit, based near Chicago in Streator, supports logistics missions for the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) near Balad.
For one soldier, the annual big game brings a lifetime of memories. One could say Spc. Kyle Hollingsworth, of Marseilles, Ill., was destined to be a Bears fan from birth. Hollingsworth was born Jan. 26, 1986, just hours before the kick-off of Super Bowl XX.
"I guess you could say it was the first game I ever watched," Hollingsworth said with a smile. "I have always liked the Bears. It might be because my family are Bears' fans, or maybe it was because I was born on Super Bowl Sunday."
Hollingsworth said he has been looking forward to seeing the Bears going back to the Super Bowl, but never thought it would happen while he was deployed to Iraq. "I always envisioned a great 21st birthday present, but never thought it would be the Bears headed back to the Super Bowl for the first time since I was born," he said.
Many soldiers in the unit stayed up late Jan. 21 to watch the conference championship game, which didn't start until 11 p.m. here. "It was bittersweet," Hollingsworth said. "I only got about two hours of sleep before having to get up for the day."
Although he wasn't watching the game in the comfort of his own home, Hollingsworth said he was just glad to get to see the National Football Conference championship game. "I wish I was at home with my family and friends, but I feel fortunate that we have access to TVs and were able to see the game," he said. "It's a big morale booster, that's for sure."
While the Bears go into Super Bowl Sunday as the underdogs, the burning question remains whether quarterback Rex Grossman will help led Chicago to its first championship in 21 years or help Indianapolis and Peyton Manning to get the monkey off their back.
"I'm glad Chicago stuck with Grossman," Hollingsworth said. "He's a young quarterback and just needs some fine-tuning to take him to the next level."
Hollingsworth was optimistic of the outcome. "They're both good teams, but I like Chicago's chances to come out on top," he said.
The 1744th Transportation Company mobilized in June for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit includes soldiers from all parts of Illinois, including many from the Chicago area. The soldiers are expected to be home sometime early this fall.
(Army Staff Sgt. Glenn Chrisman is assigned to 1744th Transportation Company.)
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
'Red Ball Express' Supplied Patton's Drive Toward Germany
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – Gen. George S. Patton, famed commander of the U.S. 3rd Army during World War II, was indebted to the courageous efforts of African-American truck drivers who kept tankers and infantry supplied during Patton's push toward Germany in the fall of 1944. In July 1944, a month after the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, American, British and other allied troops were still battling entrenched German units that were trying to contain them. Then, in August, Patton's tank units broke through enemy lines and began streaking across France toward the border with Germany. Patton's forces, as well as other U.S. units, soon outran their supply lines. A method had to be found to provide food, fuel, ammunition and other supplies to the fast-moving U.S. Army as it pushed the Germans eastward.
The solution, the "Red Ball Express," was formed on Aug. 25, 1944. The express was a truck convoy supply operation that ran 24 hours a day from the Normandy beaches to the front lines. The majority of the drivers who drove for the express were African-Americans.
"Redball" is an old railroad term meaning priority freight. In the first month, the express delivered 290,000 tons of supplies to the front. At its peak, the operation used almost 6,000 vehicles and transported a total of 412,193 tons of supplies.
The "Red Ball Express" was ended in November 1944, as German resistance stiffened and winter began to set in.
The German military suffered irreplaceable losses in manpower and materiel during its retreat from France, which hastened the end of the war in Europe. The Germans launched one last offensive in December 1944, known as "the Battle of the Bulge," but it failed. The war in Europe would end the next spring; after Soviet troops entered Berlin, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler committed suicide. The German government unconditionally surrendered to allied forces on May 7, 1945.
African-Americans made up 75 percent of the truck drivers who kept the "Red Ball" rolling. They also served as vehicle mechanics. The drivers and mechanics often tinkered with the trucks' carburetors to enable them to exceed the vehicles' factory-set speed limit.
"When General Patton said for you to be there, you were there if you had to drive all day and all night. If those trucks broke down, we'd fix them and they'd run again," U.S. Army veteran Tech. Sgt. James D. Rookard once recalled.
Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower complimented "Red Ball Express" drivers in an October 1944 message to the troops.
"The 'Red Ball' line is the lifeline between combat and supply," Eisenhower wrote. "To it falls the tremendous task of getting vital supplies from ports and depots to the combat troops, when and where such supplies are needed, material without which the armies might fail.
"To you drivers and mechanics and your officers, who keep the 'Red Ball' vehicles constantly moving, I wish to express my deep appreciation. You are doing an excellent job."
Years after World War II ended, Eisenhower's son, John S.D. Eisenhower, also paid tribute to the "Red Ball Express" and the African-Americans who had made it possible.
"Without it, the advance across France could not have been made," John Eisenhower observed in his history of the Battle of the Bulge titled, "The Bitter Woods."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – Gen. George S. Patton, famed commander of the U.S. 3rd Army during World War II, was indebted to the courageous efforts of African-American truck drivers who kept tankers and infantry supplied during Patton's push toward Germany in the fall of 1944. In July 1944, a month after the D-Day landings in Normandy, France, American, British and other allied troops were still battling entrenched German units that were trying to contain them. Then, in August, Patton's tank units broke through enemy lines and began streaking across France toward the border with Germany. Patton's forces, as well as other U.S. units, soon outran their supply lines. A method had to be found to provide food, fuel, ammunition and other supplies to the fast-moving U.S. Army as it pushed the Germans eastward.
The solution, the "Red Ball Express," was formed on Aug. 25, 1944. The express was a truck convoy supply operation that ran 24 hours a day from the Normandy beaches to the front lines. The majority of the drivers who drove for the express were African-Americans.
"Redball" is an old railroad term meaning priority freight. In the first month, the express delivered 290,000 tons of supplies to the front. At its peak, the operation used almost 6,000 vehicles and transported a total of 412,193 tons of supplies.
The "Red Ball Express" was ended in November 1944, as German resistance stiffened and winter began to set in.
The German military suffered irreplaceable losses in manpower and materiel during its retreat from France, which hastened the end of the war in Europe. The Germans launched one last offensive in December 1944, known as "the Battle of the Bulge," but it failed. The war in Europe would end the next spring; after Soviet troops entered Berlin, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler committed suicide. The German government unconditionally surrendered to allied forces on May 7, 1945.
African-Americans made up 75 percent of the truck drivers who kept the "Red Ball" rolling. They also served as vehicle mechanics. The drivers and mechanics often tinkered with the trucks' carburetors to enable them to exceed the vehicles' factory-set speed limit.
"When General Patton said for you to be there, you were there if you had to drive all day and all night. If those trucks broke down, we'd fix them and they'd run again," U.S. Army veteran Tech. Sgt. James D. Rookard once recalled.
Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower complimented "Red Ball Express" drivers in an October 1944 message to the troops.
"The 'Red Ball' line is the lifeline between combat and supply," Eisenhower wrote. "To it falls the tremendous task of getting vital supplies from ports and depots to the combat troops, when and where such supplies are needed, material without which the armies might fail.
"To you drivers and mechanics and your officers, who keep the 'Red Ball' vehicles constantly moving, I wish to express my deep appreciation. You are doing an excellent job."
Years after World War II ended, Eisenhower's son, John S.D. Eisenhower, also paid tribute to the "Red Ball Express" and the African-Americans who had made it possible.
"Without it, the advance across France could not have been made," John Eisenhower observed in his history of the Battle of the Bulge titled, "The Bitter Woods."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
African-American Airmen Proved Mettle in World War II
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – African Americans were grounded in the U.S. military until the establishment in Alabama of a unique combat flight training program that began on the eve of America's entry into World War II. America was drawing nearer to fighting a global war with Axis powers Germany, Italy and Japan, and the U.S. Army Air Corps needed more pilots, bombardiers and navigators, as well as maintenance and other support personnel. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the Air Corps to create an all-African American military flying unit.
Roosevelt's wife, Eleanor, is said to have been instrumental in her husband's decision that provided African Americans the opportunity to become military pilots.
The "Tuskegee Experiment" commenced in the spring of 1941 at the then-Tuskegee Institute at Tuskegee, Ala. Capt. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. became the first African American to fly a military aircraft solo as a U.S. Army Air Corps' officer.
On March 7, 1942, the first group of African Americans to graduate from military flight school was inducted into the Air Corps. Promoted to lieutenant colonel, Davis assumed command of 99th Fighter Squadron on August 24, 1942
Almost 1,000 African American pilots were trained at Tuskegee until 1946. About 450 deployed overseas to Europe, and 150 airmen lost their lives in training or in combat.
While serving with the 332nd Fighter Group and its subordinate 99th, 100th, 301st and 302nd Fighter Squadrons, Tuskegee graduates flew more than 15,000 combat sorties during World War II, destroying about 500 enemy aircraft and a destroyer. And, the Tuskegee airmen never lost a bomber to the enemy during allied B-17 and B-24 bomber formation escort duties.
Tuskegee fliers also earned 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 744 Air Medals, 8 Purple Heart Medals and 14 Bronze Star Medals.
The U.S. Army Air Corps became the U.S. Air Force in 1947. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. would continue his military career after the war ended in 1945. In 1954, Davis was promoted to brigadier general, becoming the first African-American general officer in the U.S. Air Force.
Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. was another Tuskegee graduate who would achieve high rank in the Air Force. In September 1975, James became the first African-American officer in the history of the U.S. military to attain four stars, signifying full general rank.
The "Tuskegee Experiment" proved that African-American pilots could fly and fight as well as their white counterparts. And, the Tuskegee pilots' wartime exploits played a key role in President Harry S. Truman's 1948 decision to desegregate the U.S. military, which in turn opened up opportunities for all African Americans.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – African Americans were grounded in the U.S. military until the establishment in Alabama of a unique combat flight training program that began on the eve of America's entry into World War II. America was drawing nearer to fighting a global war with Axis powers Germany, Italy and Japan, and the U.S. Army Air Corps needed more pilots, bombardiers and navigators, as well as maintenance and other support personnel. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the Air Corps to create an all-African American military flying unit.
Roosevelt's wife, Eleanor, is said to have been instrumental in her husband's decision that provided African Americans the opportunity to become military pilots.
The "Tuskegee Experiment" commenced in the spring of 1941 at the then-Tuskegee Institute at Tuskegee, Ala. Capt. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. became the first African American to fly a military aircraft solo as a U.S. Army Air Corps' officer.
On March 7, 1942, the first group of African Americans to graduate from military flight school was inducted into the Air Corps. Promoted to lieutenant colonel, Davis assumed command of 99th Fighter Squadron on August 24, 1942
Almost 1,000 African American pilots were trained at Tuskegee until 1946. About 450 deployed overseas to Europe, and 150 airmen lost their lives in training or in combat.
While serving with the 332nd Fighter Group and its subordinate 99th, 100th, 301st and 302nd Fighter Squadrons, Tuskegee graduates flew more than 15,000 combat sorties during World War II, destroying about 500 enemy aircraft and a destroyer. And, the Tuskegee airmen never lost a bomber to the enemy during allied B-17 and B-24 bomber formation escort duties.
Tuskegee fliers also earned 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 744 Air Medals, 8 Purple Heart Medals and 14 Bronze Star Medals.
The U.S. Army Air Corps became the U.S. Air Force in 1947. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. would continue his military career after the war ended in 1945. In 1954, Davis was promoted to brigadier general, becoming the first African-American general officer in the U.S. Air Force.
Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. was another Tuskegee graduate who would achieve high rank in the Air Force. In September 1975, James became the first African-American officer in the history of the U.S. military to attain four stars, signifying full general rank.
The "Tuskegee Experiment" proved that African-American pilots could fly and fight as well as their white counterparts. And, the Tuskegee pilots' wartime exploits played a key role in President Harry S. Truman's 1948 decision to desegregate the U.S. military, which in turn opened up opportunities for all African Americans.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
African-Americans Continue Tradition of Distinguished Service
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – African-Americans have a long tradition of honorable and distinguished service in America's armed forces, going back 231 years to the nation's birth -- and even before. For example, Crispus Attucks was among a group of outraged colonists protesting English rule who died from British soldiers' bullets during the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770. Two other people also were immediately killed, and two others died of their wounds as a result of the encounter.
Attucks' name is the only one Americans commonly remember as among the victims of the shooting. A monument honoring him was placed on Boston Common in 1888.
Five years after the Boston Massacre, Peter Salem was among many African-Americans who fought with other American colonists against the British over possession of Breed's Hill outside Boston. Commonly and mistakenly known as the "Battle of Bunker Hill," the engagement was fought on June 17, 1775. It was one of the first military engagements of the Revolution.
Salem survived that battle and mortally wounded the British commander who led the fourth and last charge that secured the hill. Salem was commended for his enterprise and courage at Breed's Hill and during subsequent engagements. On a citation signed by 14 senior officers, he was described as "a brave and gallant soldier" who "behaved like an experienced officer."
It's estimated that 5,000 African-Americans fought on the patriot side during the American Revolutionary War that spanned from 1775 to 1783.
About 180,000 African-Americans wore Union blue and earned praise for their military skill during the American Civil War, fought 1861-1865.
Early in the war, U.S. government skepticism over African-Americans' fighting abilities had kept them mostly off the battlefield. That would change later in the war, when emerging manpower shortages coerced the Union to enlist thousands of African-American troops for front-line duty.
Union soldiers of the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Regiment achieved military respect on July 17, 1863, by routing a Confederate force after two hours of hard fighting at Honey Springs, in present-day Oklahoma.
"I never saw such fighting as was done by the Negro regiment," Union Commander Gen. James G. Blunt wrote after the Honey Springs battle. "The question that Negroes will fight is settled. Besides, they make better soldiers in every respect than any troops I have ever had under my command."
African-American troops fighting for the Union distinguished themselves again at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Va., which was fought on Sept. 29, 1864. After being pinned down by Confederate artillery fire for 30 minutes, the African-American division of the U.S. 18th Corps charged the enemy's earthworks and rushed up the surrounding slopes. The division suffered massive casualties during the hour-long engagement. Of the 25 African-Americans who received the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, 14 were so honored as the result of their service at Chaffin's Farm.
America expanded westward after the Civil War ended, and soldiers were needed to protect settlers and the railroads from Indian attacks. Although Lt. Col. George A. Custer's 7th Cavalry Regiment is known for its fights against the plains Indians, the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry Regiments also gained fame for their exploits against the Indians, both on the plains and in the southwest.
Established in 1866, the 9th and 10th regiments were made up of African-American enlisted soldiers who were usually commanded by white commissioned officers. The Indians respected the African-American cavalrymen and called them "Buffalo Soldiers" for their fighting prowess.
Army Lt. Henry O. Flipper graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on June 14, 1877, the first African-American to do so and the U.S. military's first African-American commissioned officer. Flipper was assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment, where he earned praise for his selfless, capable service. Yet later, Flipper was accused of embezzling government funds. He was tried and judged not guilty of embezzlement, but was dismissed from the service for misconduct in December 1881. After an inquiry, the Department of the Army cleared Flipper of all charges on Dec. 13, 1976, and he was honorably discharged.
During the course of the Indian Wars fought from 1866 to the early 1890s, 13 enlisted men and six officers from the 9th and 10th regiments and two African-American infantry units earned the Medal of Honor.
During the Spanish-American War, African-American soldiers with the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments and the 24th and 25th Infantry Regiments fought alongside Lt. Col. Teddy Roosevelt and his volunteer unit of "Rough Riders," and defeated Spanish troops at the Battles of Kettle Hill and San Juan Heights, Cuba, on July 1, 1898.
Five African-American soldiers earned Medals of Honor for their heroism during the Spanish-American War. Many African-American households proudly acquired prints featuring resolute, African-American troops charging up San Juan Hill with Roosevelt and his volunteers.
African-American troops again served with distinction during World War I, fought between 1914 and 1918. Although U.S. military units remained segregated by race, African-Americans eagerly volunteered for military service following America's entry into the conflict in April 1917. By the war's end in November 1918, more than 350,000 African-Americans had served with the American Expeditionary Force on the western front in Europe.
Soldiers with the U.S. 369th Infantry Regiment were known as the "Harlem Hellfighters" and served on the front lines for six months, longer than any other African-American regiment in the war. They fought and won alongside the French against the Germans during the pitched battles at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood. The 369th's documented exploits on the western front earned it world respect; 171 of its officers and men received the Legion of Merit. And members of the unit were the first Americans to be awarded the French Croix de Guerre for valor.
African-American soldier Cpl. Freddie Stowers also heroically served with the U.S. 371st Infantry Regiment in France during World War I. Despite two wounds, Stowers continued to lead his men during an attack on German trenches on Sept. 28, 1918. The enemy positions were ultimately taken by the Americans. Stowers died from his wounds. He was recommended to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions, but the nomination paperwork was allegedly misplaced.
In 1991, President George H.W. Bush presented the Medal of Honor to Stowers' relatives in recognition of the corporal's exploits in France 73 years before. Stowers became the only African-American who served during World War I to be awarded the nation's highest military honor.
America was again engaged in a global war after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. African-American serviceman Navy Ship's Cook 3rd Class Dorie Miller distinguished himself during the Pearl Harbor attack and won the Navy Cross. Miller voluntarily manned an anti-aircraft gun and shot down four Japanese planes, despite his lack of gunnery training.
During World War II, more than 1 million African-Americans answered the nation's call, despite the continuance of segregated units and discrimination. Civil rights leaders of that time saw military service as a way for African-Americans to achieve long-denied rights and respect.
African-Americans served with distinction in units such as the 761st Tank Battalion, the 555th Infantry Parachute Battalion, the 99th Pursuit Squadron, and the 332nd Fighter Group. The 3rd Army's march across Europe under Gen. George S. Patton after D-Day was facilitated by African-American quartermaster troops who drove supply trucks for the "Red Ball Express."
Benjamin O. Davis Sr. became the first African-American general officer in the regular Army and the U.S. armed forces when he was promoted to brigadier general on Aug. 1, 1941. Davis was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his work as inspector of African-American troop units during the war. In 1954, Davis's son, Benjamin O. Davis Jr., would become the first African-American general in the U.S. Air Force.
Yet, at first, there were no African-American Medal of Honor recipients from World War II. After an Army study, that oversight was rectified on Jan. 13, 1997, when President Bill Clinton presented Medals of Honor to families of seven World War II-era African-American servicemen. One, Army 1st Lt. Vernon Baker, was the only recipient still living and present to receive his award. The other six soldiers received their medals posthumously.
Near the end of World War II, an Army survey conducted in May and June of 1945 asked white officers and noncommissioned officers about the performance of about 2,500 African-American troops who had volunteered for combat duty in the European theater of operations. More than 80 percent of leaders interviewed said that African-American soldiers had performed very well in combat. And, 69 percent of officers and 83 percent of the NCOs queried said they saw no reason why African-American infantrymen should not perform as well as white soldiers if both had had the same training and experience.
A majority of officers in the survey also approved of integrating African-American platoons within white company units. However, many senior military leaders at that time remained reluctant to move toward total integration.
Other surveys conducted by the U.S. government after the war cited the unfairness and inefficiency of having segregated military units. President Harry S. Truman's Committee on Civil Rights' landmark report, titled, "To Secure These Rights," condemned racial segregation wherever it existed and specifically criticized the practice of segregation in the U.S. armed forces. The report, issued on Oct. 29, 1947, recommended legislation and administrative action "to end immediately all discrimination and segregation based on race, color, creed or national origin" in all branches of the U.S. military.
Truman decided to end segregation in the armed forces and the civil service by administrative action through an executive order, rather than by legislation. On July 26, 1948, he signed Executive Order 9981. It states: "It is hereby declared to be the policy of the president that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin." The order also established a presidential committee on equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed services.
The Korean War erupted in June 1950 and somewhat slowed the implementation of Truman's order. However, more than 600,000 African-Americans served in the armed forces during the war. Two African-American Army sergeants, Cornelius H. Charlton and William Thompson, earned the Medal of Honor during the conflict, which ended in 1953.
"Project Clear" conducted by Johns Hopkins University and released in 1954, studied the effects of segregation and integration in the Army both in the United States and in Korea. The report concluded that racially segregated units negatively affected Army efficiency, while integration enhanced military readiness. By the end of 1954, the last all-African-American unit had been disbanded, while African-American enlistment in the military grew.
In June 1961, the Defense Department issued a directive designed to eliminate off-post discrimination. By 1963, commanders were made responsible to ensure that their troops were treated fairly by off-post landlords.
During the Vietnam War (1962-75) African-Americans continued to join the armed forces in large numbers. Many volunteered to join the prestigious and high-risk airborne and air mobile helicopter combat units.
Future Air Force Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James Jr., a graduate of the African-American pilot training program conducted at then-Tuskegee College, later Tuskegee University, Ala., during World War II, flew 78 combat missions into North Vietnam. James later became the first four-star African-American general in the U.S. armed forces. There were 20 African-American Medal of Honor recipients during the Vietnam War.
African-American enlistment into the U.S. military jumped with the advent of the all-volunteer force in 1973. African-Americans made up about 17 percent of the military's enlisted force when the draft ended in 1973. By the early 1980s, African-Americans made up nearly 24 percent of the enlisted force.
And when the United States and its allies pushed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's forces out of Kuwait in 1991, the most-senior officer in the U.S. military was an African-American, Army Gen. Colin L. Powell, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell later served as Secretary of State in President George W. Bush's administration.
And today, African-Americans continue to answer duty's call as members of the U.S. armed forces during the war against global terrorism. During a recent Army commemoration of the work and birthday of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., guest speaker Andrew J. Young Jr. remarked that the U.S. military fulfills King's dream of equality and social justice for all by its practice of promoting people based on individual merit, rather than by ethnic makeup.
Servicemembers "appreciate the diversity of this nation, and you fight to defend the freedoms and opportunities of all of our citizens," Young said at the observance. "And that is what makes the military a leader in our society."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – African-Americans have a long tradition of honorable and distinguished service in America's armed forces, going back 231 years to the nation's birth -- and even before. For example, Crispus Attucks was among a group of outraged colonists protesting English rule who died from British soldiers' bullets during the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770. Two other people also were immediately killed, and two others died of their wounds as a result of the encounter.
Attucks' name is the only one Americans commonly remember as among the victims of the shooting. A monument honoring him was placed on Boston Common in 1888.
Five years after the Boston Massacre, Peter Salem was among many African-Americans who fought with other American colonists against the British over possession of Breed's Hill outside Boston. Commonly and mistakenly known as the "Battle of Bunker Hill," the engagement was fought on June 17, 1775. It was one of the first military engagements of the Revolution.
Salem survived that battle and mortally wounded the British commander who led the fourth and last charge that secured the hill. Salem was commended for his enterprise and courage at Breed's Hill and during subsequent engagements. On a citation signed by 14 senior officers, he was described as "a brave and gallant soldier" who "behaved like an experienced officer."
It's estimated that 5,000 African-Americans fought on the patriot side during the American Revolutionary War that spanned from 1775 to 1783.
About 180,000 African-Americans wore Union blue and earned praise for their military skill during the American Civil War, fought 1861-1865.
Early in the war, U.S. government skepticism over African-Americans' fighting abilities had kept them mostly off the battlefield. That would change later in the war, when emerging manpower shortages coerced the Union to enlist thousands of African-American troops for front-line duty.
Union soldiers of the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Regiment achieved military respect on July 17, 1863, by routing a Confederate force after two hours of hard fighting at Honey Springs, in present-day Oklahoma.
"I never saw such fighting as was done by the Negro regiment," Union Commander Gen. James G. Blunt wrote after the Honey Springs battle. "The question that Negroes will fight is settled. Besides, they make better soldiers in every respect than any troops I have ever had under my command."
African-American troops fighting for the Union distinguished themselves again at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Va., which was fought on Sept. 29, 1864. After being pinned down by Confederate artillery fire for 30 minutes, the African-American division of the U.S. 18th Corps charged the enemy's earthworks and rushed up the surrounding slopes. The division suffered massive casualties during the hour-long engagement. Of the 25 African-Americans who received the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, 14 were so honored as the result of their service at Chaffin's Farm.
America expanded westward after the Civil War ended, and soldiers were needed to protect settlers and the railroads from Indian attacks. Although Lt. Col. George A. Custer's 7th Cavalry Regiment is known for its fights against the plains Indians, the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry Regiments also gained fame for their exploits against the Indians, both on the plains and in the southwest.
Established in 1866, the 9th and 10th regiments were made up of African-American enlisted soldiers who were usually commanded by white commissioned officers. The Indians respected the African-American cavalrymen and called them "Buffalo Soldiers" for their fighting prowess.
Army Lt. Henry O. Flipper graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on June 14, 1877, the first African-American to do so and the U.S. military's first African-American commissioned officer. Flipper was assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment, where he earned praise for his selfless, capable service. Yet later, Flipper was accused of embezzling government funds. He was tried and judged not guilty of embezzlement, but was dismissed from the service for misconduct in December 1881. After an inquiry, the Department of the Army cleared Flipper of all charges on Dec. 13, 1976, and he was honorably discharged.
During the course of the Indian Wars fought from 1866 to the early 1890s, 13 enlisted men and six officers from the 9th and 10th regiments and two African-American infantry units earned the Medal of Honor.
During the Spanish-American War, African-American soldiers with the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments and the 24th and 25th Infantry Regiments fought alongside Lt. Col. Teddy Roosevelt and his volunteer unit of "Rough Riders," and defeated Spanish troops at the Battles of Kettle Hill and San Juan Heights, Cuba, on July 1, 1898.
Five African-American soldiers earned Medals of Honor for their heroism during the Spanish-American War. Many African-American households proudly acquired prints featuring resolute, African-American troops charging up San Juan Hill with Roosevelt and his volunteers.
African-American troops again served with distinction during World War I, fought between 1914 and 1918. Although U.S. military units remained segregated by race, African-Americans eagerly volunteered for military service following America's entry into the conflict in April 1917. By the war's end in November 1918, more than 350,000 African-Americans had served with the American Expeditionary Force on the western front in Europe.
Soldiers with the U.S. 369th Infantry Regiment were known as the "Harlem Hellfighters" and served on the front lines for six months, longer than any other African-American regiment in the war. They fought and won alongside the French against the Germans during the pitched battles at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood. The 369th's documented exploits on the western front earned it world respect; 171 of its officers and men received the Legion of Merit. And members of the unit were the first Americans to be awarded the French Croix de Guerre for valor.
African-American soldier Cpl. Freddie Stowers also heroically served with the U.S. 371st Infantry Regiment in France during World War I. Despite two wounds, Stowers continued to lead his men during an attack on German trenches on Sept. 28, 1918. The enemy positions were ultimately taken by the Americans. Stowers died from his wounds. He was recommended to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions, but the nomination paperwork was allegedly misplaced.
In 1991, President George H.W. Bush presented the Medal of Honor to Stowers' relatives in recognition of the corporal's exploits in France 73 years before. Stowers became the only African-American who served during World War I to be awarded the nation's highest military honor.
America was again engaged in a global war after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. African-American serviceman Navy Ship's Cook 3rd Class Dorie Miller distinguished himself during the Pearl Harbor attack and won the Navy Cross. Miller voluntarily manned an anti-aircraft gun and shot down four Japanese planes, despite his lack of gunnery training.
During World War II, more than 1 million African-Americans answered the nation's call, despite the continuance of segregated units and discrimination. Civil rights leaders of that time saw military service as a way for African-Americans to achieve long-denied rights and respect.
African-Americans served with distinction in units such as the 761st Tank Battalion, the 555th Infantry Parachute Battalion, the 99th Pursuit Squadron, and the 332nd Fighter Group. The 3rd Army's march across Europe under Gen. George S. Patton after D-Day was facilitated by African-American quartermaster troops who drove supply trucks for the "Red Ball Express."
Benjamin O. Davis Sr. became the first African-American general officer in the regular Army and the U.S. armed forces when he was promoted to brigadier general on Aug. 1, 1941. Davis was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his work as inspector of African-American troop units during the war. In 1954, Davis's son, Benjamin O. Davis Jr., would become the first African-American general in the U.S. Air Force.
Yet, at first, there were no African-American Medal of Honor recipients from World War II. After an Army study, that oversight was rectified on Jan. 13, 1997, when President Bill Clinton presented Medals of Honor to families of seven World War II-era African-American servicemen. One, Army 1st Lt. Vernon Baker, was the only recipient still living and present to receive his award. The other six soldiers received their medals posthumously.
Near the end of World War II, an Army survey conducted in May and June of 1945 asked white officers and noncommissioned officers about the performance of about 2,500 African-American troops who had volunteered for combat duty in the European theater of operations. More than 80 percent of leaders interviewed said that African-American soldiers had performed very well in combat. And, 69 percent of officers and 83 percent of the NCOs queried said they saw no reason why African-American infantrymen should not perform as well as white soldiers if both had had the same training and experience.
A majority of officers in the survey also approved of integrating African-American platoons within white company units. However, many senior military leaders at that time remained reluctant to move toward total integration.
Other surveys conducted by the U.S. government after the war cited the unfairness and inefficiency of having segregated military units. President Harry S. Truman's Committee on Civil Rights' landmark report, titled, "To Secure These Rights," condemned racial segregation wherever it existed and specifically criticized the practice of segregation in the U.S. armed forces. The report, issued on Oct. 29, 1947, recommended legislation and administrative action "to end immediately all discrimination and segregation based on race, color, creed or national origin" in all branches of the U.S. military.
Truman decided to end segregation in the armed forces and the civil service by administrative action through an executive order, rather than by legislation. On July 26, 1948, he signed Executive Order 9981. It states: "It is hereby declared to be the policy of the president that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin." The order also established a presidential committee on equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed services.
The Korean War erupted in June 1950 and somewhat slowed the implementation of Truman's order. However, more than 600,000 African-Americans served in the armed forces during the war. Two African-American Army sergeants, Cornelius H. Charlton and William Thompson, earned the Medal of Honor during the conflict, which ended in 1953.
"Project Clear" conducted by Johns Hopkins University and released in 1954, studied the effects of segregation and integration in the Army both in the United States and in Korea. The report concluded that racially segregated units negatively affected Army efficiency, while integration enhanced military readiness. By the end of 1954, the last all-African-American unit had been disbanded, while African-American enlistment in the military grew.
In June 1961, the Defense Department issued a directive designed to eliminate off-post discrimination. By 1963, commanders were made responsible to ensure that their troops were treated fairly by off-post landlords.
During the Vietnam War (1962-75) African-Americans continued to join the armed forces in large numbers. Many volunteered to join the prestigious and high-risk airborne and air mobile helicopter combat units.
Future Air Force Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James Jr., a graduate of the African-American pilot training program conducted at then-Tuskegee College, later Tuskegee University, Ala., during World War II, flew 78 combat missions into North Vietnam. James later became the first four-star African-American general in the U.S. armed forces. There were 20 African-American Medal of Honor recipients during the Vietnam War.
African-American enlistment into the U.S. military jumped with the advent of the all-volunteer force in 1973. African-Americans made up about 17 percent of the military's enlisted force when the draft ended in 1973. By the early 1980s, African-Americans made up nearly 24 percent of the enlisted force.
And when the United States and its allies pushed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's forces out of Kuwait in 1991, the most-senior officer in the U.S. military was an African-American, Army Gen. Colin L. Powell, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell later served as Secretary of State in President George W. Bush's administration.
And today, African-Americans continue to answer duty's call as members of the U.S. armed forces during the war against global terrorism. During a recent Army commemoration of the work and birthday of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., guest speaker Andrew J. Young Jr. remarked that the U.S. military fulfills King's dream of equality and social justice for all by its practice of promoting people based on individual merit, rather than by ethnic makeup.
Servicemembers "appreciate the diversity of this nation, and you fight to defend the freedoms and opportunities of all of our citizens," Young said at the observance. "And that is what makes the military a leader in our society."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Flag Officer Assignment
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen announced the following flag officer assignment:
Rear Adm. Carlton B. Jewett is being assigned as commander, Navy Warfare Development Command, Norfolk, Va. Jewett is currently serving as deputy assistant chief of staff for defense planning, Supreme Allied Command for Transformation, Shape, Belgium.
Rear Adm. Carlton B. Jewett is being assigned as commander, Navy Warfare Development Command, Norfolk, Va. Jewett is currently serving as deputy assistant chief of staff for defense planning, Supreme Allied Command for Transformation, Shape, Belgium.
Army's Equipment 'Reset' Program Ahead of 2006 Pace
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – The combination of available money and around-the-clock work is enabling the Army to increase the pace of refurbishment of equipment that's damaged or worn out from service in Afghanistan and Iraq, senior military leaders testified before a joint U.S. House committee on Capitol Hill yesterday. The Army received $17.1 billion from Congress for fixing war-ravaged military equipment for fiscal 2007 and has obligated $11.2 billion of those funds, Brig. Gen. Charles Anderson, the Army's director of force development, said before members of the Readiness and Air and Land Forces subcommittees.
Another $6.5 billion has been obligated for procurement of new equipment, Anderson said, noting that $4.7 billion more has been made available for operational and maintenance needs.
Anderson thanked Congress for providing the funding. Those refit and maintenance dollars are very important to the Army in a time of war when trucks, tanks and helicopters are racking up excessive mileage or flight time and otherwise experiencing hard service during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, he said.
"Tanks today are running at five times the program's rate; trucks, five to six times their program usage, and they are running, as you well know, with heavy armor; helicopters, five to six times their program usage," Anderson said.
However, current refurbishment efforts "will reverse the effects of stress on all our equipment," Anderson said.
About 20,000 pieces of war-ravaged equipment like Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Abrams tanks, artillery pieces and wheeled vehicles were repaired and made ready for continued service in 2005, said Army Brig. Gen. Robert Radin, who also testified at the hearing. Radin is U.S. Army Materiel Command's deputy chief of staff for logistics and operations.
About 33,000 pieces of Army equipment were repaired in 2006, Radin said, adding that about 47,000 pieces of equipment are slated for refurbishment in 2007. "We've seen a steady build (in the pace of equipment refurbishments) over the years," he said.
Stateside maintenance depots are humming with activity, Radin said. An additional 1,300 employees are being hired to accommodate the increased work, he noted.
The Army term for the equipment refurbishment process is called reset, Anderson said. "Reset is a series of actions to restore a unit to a desired level of combat capability commensurate with future missions," he explained. Reset consists of three components: repair, replace and recapitalize, he said.
Repair starts with an inspection followed by maintenance and possible replacement of some parts to bring equipment to original technical specifications, Anderson said. Replacement "is to buy new," he said, to replace equipment destroyed in battle or otherwise too damaged to fix. Also listed under replacement is reserve-component equipment that's been left overseas for other units to use, he said.
Recapitalizing involves overhauling or restoring equipment to improve performance or make it like new from the factory, Anderson said.
"Reset, in simplest terms, will reverse the effects of stress on all our equipment," Anderson said.
Funding from Congress will be used to reset 24 brigade combat teams involving about 4,000 soldiers and about 40,000 pieces of equipment returning from duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, he said.
Funding provided by Congress "has allowed us to synchronize resources and to increase the velocity and the effectiveness of reset," Anderson told committee members. "For instance, timely funding has allowed the depots to order repair parts in advance of equipment arrival."
Maintenance depots have increased "in workload and capacity," Radin said. And, when required, depot maintenance crews can perform rapid shifting of work from, say, conducting repairs on trucks to tanks, he said.
"In my personal estimate, I think we're about six months ahead of where we were last year in our program and being able to see it, execute, order the repair parts (and) get the repair parts so that they're on hand as the equipment comes in," Radin said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – The combination of available money and around-the-clock work is enabling the Army to increase the pace of refurbishment of equipment that's damaged or worn out from service in Afghanistan and Iraq, senior military leaders testified before a joint U.S. House committee on Capitol Hill yesterday. The Army received $17.1 billion from Congress for fixing war-ravaged military equipment for fiscal 2007 and has obligated $11.2 billion of those funds, Brig. Gen. Charles Anderson, the Army's director of force development, said before members of the Readiness and Air and Land Forces subcommittees.
Another $6.5 billion has been obligated for procurement of new equipment, Anderson said, noting that $4.7 billion more has been made available for operational and maintenance needs.
Anderson thanked Congress for providing the funding. Those refit and maintenance dollars are very important to the Army in a time of war when trucks, tanks and helicopters are racking up excessive mileage or flight time and otherwise experiencing hard service during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, he said.
"Tanks today are running at five times the program's rate; trucks, five to six times their program usage, and they are running, as you well know, with heavy armor; helicopters, five to six times their program usage," Anderson said.
However, current refurbishment efforts "will reverse the effects of stress on all our equipment," Anderson said.
About 20,000 pieces of war-ravaged equipment like Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Abrams tanks, artillery pieces and wheeled vehicles were repaired and made ready for continued service in 2005, said Army Brig. Gen. Robert Radin, who also testified at the hearing. Radin is U.S. Army Materiel Command's deputy chief of staff for logistics and operations.
About 33,000 pieces of Army equipment were repaired in 2006, Radin said, adding that about 47,000 pieces of equipment are slated for refurbishment in 2007. "We've seen a steady build (in the pace of equipment refurbishments) over the years," he said.
Stateside maintenance depots are humming with activity, Radin said. An additional 1,300 employees are being hired to accommodate the increased work, he noted.
The Army term for the equipment refurbishment process is called reset, Anderson said. "Reset is a series of actions to restore a unit to a desired level of combat capability commensurate with future missions," he explained. Reset consists of three components: repair, replace and recapitalize, he said.
Repair starts with an inspection followed by maintenance and possible replacement of some parts to bring equipment to original technical specifications, Anderson said. Replacement "is to buy new," he said, to replace equipment destroyed in battle or otherwise too damaged to fix. Also listed under replacement is reserve-component equipment that's been left overseas for other units to use, he said.
Recapitalizing involves overhauling or restoring equipment to improve performance or make it like new from the factory, Anderson said.
"Reset, in simplest terms, will reverse the effects of stress on all our equipment," Anderson said.
Funding from Congress will be used to reset 24 brigade combat teams involving about 4,000 soldiers and about 40,000 pieces of equipment returning from duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, he said.
Funding provided by Congress "has allowed us to synchronize resources and to increase the velocity and the effectiveness of reset," Anderson told committee members. "For instance, timely funding has allowed the depots to order repair parts in advance of equipment arrival."
Maintenance depots have increased "in workload and capacity," Radin said. And, when required, depot maintenance crews can perform rapid shifting of work from, say, conducting repairs on trucks to tanks, he said.
"In my personal estimate, I think we're about six months ahead of where we were last year in our program and being able to see it, execute, order the repair parts (and) get the repair parts so that they're on hand as the equipment comes in," Radin said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Lessons Learned Should Fix National Guard Resource Woes
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – The Defense Department has learned from its mistakes in resourcing the National Guard and now has systems in place to prevent those mistakes from happening again, the nation's top military officer said here yesterday. Despite problems in the past, Joint Chiefs Chairman Marine Gen. Peter Pace told the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves that he is confident defense leaders are considering the Guard's unique resourcing needs.
"I think the performance of the Guard and reserve has clearly indicated to all of us that we would ignore their needs to the national defense's peril and to the disrespect of the great Americans and their families who serve in the Guard and reserve," Pace said. "We need to do this right. I am comfortable that we have recognized what we have done wrong in the past and that we have systems in place now to make that work."
Much of the National Guard's resourcing woes came to light in recent years as the force was moved from a strategic reserve to an operational reserve. Officials agreed, though, that deployed Guard units are equipped and trained to the level of their active-component counterparts. Primarily at issue are the equipment and funding the Guard needs to handle its many other missions in the United States.
National Guard Bureau Chief Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum told the commission that 88 percent of the National Guard units in the U.S. are "poorly equipped."
Pace said three things are now happening to prevent reserve-component forces' needs from being overlooked in resourcing talks.
First, the Department of Homeland Security is identifying gaps in resources needed to respond to homeland emergencies. Once gaps are identified, the department will determine which agency is best suited to respond and what resources are needed, Pace said.
Second, a new force generation model will ensure National Guard units are resourced similar to their active-duty counterparts on a cyclical basis. The model ensures that a specific number of brigade combat teams are available to deploy within a specific timeframe.
Under the plan, four to five brigade combat teams will be available to deploy each year in a six-year cycle. At the same time, other units will be undergoing training and working through equipment and personnel issues.
As both active-component and Guard units near their deployment window, training and resources become critical, Pace said.
"Then we will be able to look at the unit and its equipment and personnel status and training status and do all the things that you need to do, ... just like we do on the active-duty side," Pace said.
The model will "force us to look at the resources ... to ensure that the Guard and the reserve are properly getting resourced," Pace said.
Finally, lessons learned in the budgeting process were applied in developing the 2008 defense budget to ensure Guard and reserve input, Pace said.
"We did not do a good enough job getting the Guard and reserve into the process early enough (in 2006) so that not only were they properly resourced but they knew they were going to be properly resourced," Pace said.
The departments of the Army and Air Force learned those lessons in the 2007 budgeting process and applied them well in the 2008 process, Pace said.
"This year, to the best of my knowledge, ... everyone is saying, 'We did learn our lessons, and we are paying attention to that,'" Pace said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – The Defense Department has learned from its mistakes in resourcing the National Guard and now has systems in place to prevent those mistakes from happening again, the nation's top military officer said here yesterday. Despite problems in the past, Joint Chiefs Chairman Marine Gen. Peter Pace told the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves that he is confident defense leaders are considering the Guard's unique resourcing needs.
"I think the performance of the Guard and reserve has clearly indicated to all of us that we would ignore their needs to the national defense's peril and to the disrespect of the great Americans and their families who serve in the Guard and reserve," Pace said. "We need to do this right. I am comfortable that we have recognized what we have done wrong in the past and that we have systems in place now to make that work."
Much of the National Guard's resourcing woes came to light in recent years as the force was moved from a strategic reserve to an operational reserve. Officials agreed, though, that deployed Guard units are equipped and trained to the level of their active-component counterparts. Primarily at issue are the equipment and funding the Guard needs to handle its many other missions in the United States.
National Guard Bureau Chief Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum told the commission that 88 percent of the National Guard units in the U.S. are "poorly equipped."
Pace said three things are now happening to prevent reserve-component forces' needs from being overlooked in resourcing talks.
First, the Department of Homeland Security is identifying gaps in resources needed to respond to homeland emergencies. Once gaps are identified, the department will determine which agency is best suited to respond and what resources are needed, Pace said.
Second, a new force generation model will ensure National Guard units are resourced similar to their active-duty counterparts on a cyclical basis. The model ensures that a specific number of brigade combat teams are available to deploy within a specific timeframe.
Under the plan, four to five brigade combat teams will be available to deploy each year in a six-year cycle. At the same time, other units will be undergoing training and working through equipment and personnel issues.
As both active-component and Guard units near their deployment window, training and resources become critical, Pace said.
"Then we will be able to look at the unit and its equipment and personnel status and training status and do all the things that you need to do, ... just like we do on the active-duty side," Pace said.
The model will "force us to look at the resources ... to ensure that the Guard and the reserve are properly getting resourced," Pace said.
Finally, lessons learned in the budgeting process were applied in developing the 2008 defense budget to ensure Guard and reserve input, Pace said.
"We did not do a good enough job getting the Guard and reserve into the process early enough (in 2006) so that not only were they properly resourced but they knew they were going to be properly resourced," Pace said.
The departments of the Army and Air Force learned those lessons in the 2007 budgeting process and applied them well in the 2008 process, Pace said.
"This year, to the best of my knowledge, ... everyone is saying, 'We did learn our lessons, and we are paying attention to that,'" Pace said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Gates Hosts Colombian Defense Minister at Pentagon
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates hosted his first Latin-American defense minister visit in his new post today when he and Colombian National Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos met to discuss ways the two countries can step up their cooperation to confront drug trafficking and terrorism. Gates and Santos met for breakfast at the Pentagon this morning as Santos began a two-day swing through Washington to reaffirm a strong relationship between the two countries and discuss Colombia's progress in establishing territorial control and strengthening democracy, said Juan Pablo Cardenas, an official in the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Western Hemisphere Affairs Office.
The Colombian government, with help from the U.S., is making strides in confronting narcoterrorists, primarily the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC; the National Liberation Army, or ELN; and the remnants of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC, officials said.
Almost 500 U.S. troops in Colombia are serving as advisors and trainers for the Colombian military, helping improve the Colombians' skills and professionalism so they are better able to deal with narcoterrorism and other threats.
"It is important that we continue to work with our Colombian counterparts in fighting narcoterrorism, disrupting the flow of illicit drugs and developing alternatives to illicit cultivation, strengthening of institutions, protecting human rights and providing humanitarian assistance," Cardenas said.
In an effort to further the two countries' cooperation, Santos also will visit with Deputy National Security Advisor J.D. Crouch II, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, senior officials with the Drug Enforcement Agency and Senate and House members.
He is slated to hold a news conference and give a presentation on Colombia's new democratic security consolidation policy tomorrow morning at the National Defense University at Fort McNair here, after which he will speak with students at the joint-service school.
Santos' visit here builds on progress made in January when Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spent two days in Colombia meeting with Santos and other Colombian political and military leaders.
The success of the relationship between the United States and Colombia is having a direct positive impact on the security and stability of the entire region and hemisphere, Pace told reporters in Bogota.
Speaking at a Jan. 19 joint news conference with Santos and Gen. Freddy Padilla, commander of the Colombian armed forces, Pace said the close relationship between the two countries benefits both. "This is a two-way street," Pace said. "The fact that the United States is able to help Colombia inside Colombia is a good thing for Colombia, but it is also a good thing for my country. And the fact that your country is fighting against drugs -- a great deal of which come to the streets of the United States -- is your country helping out to help my country."
U.S. military support for Colombia, previously focused on combating drugs, has expanded to helping the Colombian military confront the country's rebel insurgency, officials said. U.S. Special Forces troops in Colombia provide Colombian forces military training ranging from refresher training in skills such as reconnaissance, life-saving and air-assault operations, to human-rights training, Alberto Rodriguez, an embassy spokesman, told American Forces Press Service.
Meanwhile, other U.S. troops in Colombia are training their Colombian counterparts to conduct critical support missions that keep the operational troops in the fight, including logistics and helicopter repair and maintenance, he said. At the same time, U.S. forces are helping the Colombians professionalize their noncommissioned officer corps and establish an equivalent to the U.S. warrant officer system, Rodriguez said. "The ultimate goal is that Colombia will have a more professional military that is able to conduct operations and sustain itself," he said.
The United States provides the Colombians other assistance, including providing military equipment to the Colombian military and police through the military assistance program, foreign military sales and the international narcotics control program.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates hosted his first Latin-American defense minister visit in his new post today when he and Colombian National Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos met to discuss ways the two countries can step up their cooperation to confront drug trafficking and terrorism. Gates and Santos met for breakfast at the Pentagon this morning as Santos began a two-day swing through Washington to reaffirm a strong relationship between the two countries and discuss Colombia's progress in establishing territorial control and strengthening democracy, said Juan Pablo Cardenas, an official in the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Western Hemisphere Affairs Office.
The Colombian government, with help from the U.S., is making strides in confronting narcoterrorists, primarily the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC; the National Liberation Army, or ELN; and the remnants of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC, officials said.
Almost 500 U.S. troops in Colombia are serving as advisors and trainers for the Colombian military, helping improve the Colombians' skills and professionalism so they are better able to deal with narcoterrorism and other threats.
"It is important that we continue to work with our Colombian counterparts in fighting narcoterrorism, disrupting the flow of illicit drugs and developing alternatives to illicit cultivation, strengthening of institutions, protecting human rights and providing humanitarian assistance," Cardenas said.
In an effort to further the two countries' cooperation, Santos also will visit with Deputy National Security Advisor J.D. Crouch II, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, senior officials with the Drug Enforcement Agency and Senate and House members.
He is slated to hold a news conference and give a presentation on Colombia's new democratic security consolidation policy tomorrow morning at the National Defense University at Fort McNair here, after which he will speak with students at the joint-service school.
Santos' visit here builds on progress made in January when Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spent two days in Colombia meeting with Santos and other Colombian political and military leaders.
The success of the relationship between the United States and Colombia is having a direct positive impact on the security and stability of the entire region and hemisphere, Pace told reporters in Bogota.
Speaking at a Jan. 19 joint news conference with Santos and Gen. Freddy Padilla, commander of the Colombian armed forces, Pace said the close relationship between the two countries benefits both. "This is a two-way street," Pace said. "The fact that the United States is able to help Colombia inside Colombia is a good thing for Colombia, but it is also a good thing for my country. And the fact that your country is fighting against drugs -- a great deal of which come to the streets of the United States -- is your country helping out to help my country."
U.S. military support for Colombia, previously focused on combating drugs, has expanded to helping the Colombian military confront the country's rebel insurgency, officials said. U.S. Special Forces troops in Colombia provide Colombian forces military training ranging from refresher training in skills such as reconnaissance, life-saving and air-assault operations, to human-rights training, Alberto Rodriguez, an embassy spokesman, told American Forces Press Service.
Meanwhile, other U.S. troops in Colombia are training their Colombian counterparts to conduct critical support missions that keep the operational troops in the fight, including logistics and helicopter repair and maintenance, he said. At the same time, U.S. forces are helping the Colombians professionalize their noncommissioned officer corps and establish an equivalent to the U.S. warrant officer system, Rodriguez said. "The ultimate goal is that Colombia will have a more professional military that is able to conduct operations and sustain itself," he said.
The United States provides the Colombians other assistance, including providing military equipment to the Colombian military and police through the military assistance program, foreign military sales and the international narcotics control program.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Florida Guard Team to Support Super Bowl Security
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – Tens of thousands of football fans will flock to Florida this weekend, passionate about their pigskin picks, but a handful of Florida Guardsmen are hoping that the game is anything but exciting for them. The 44th Civil Support Team, based at the Camp Blanding Joint Training Center near Starke, Fla., has been tapped to be at the game working with the Miami-Dade Police Department bomb squad, the FBI and other local, state and federal agencies.
The joint 22-person team has the equipment and expertise to identify chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive agents or substances, and they are trained to help incident commanders on site figure out what to do in the event of such an attack or disaster.
But fans shouldn't expect to see soldiers and airmen walking around the venues in chemical suits collecting samples, said Air Force Lt. Col. Ron Tittle, Florida National Guard public affairs officer.
"For the most part, fans won't even know they are there. But they will be there ready to respond in direct support of our emergency responders," he said.
The team is equipped with state-of-the-art substance identification and detection equipment, a mobile laboratory system, and a secure digital satellite communications system designed to connect with any agency around the world. The team and its equipment are completely self-contained and can be airlifted to disaster areas if needed.
This isn't the team's first trip to a Super Bowl, Tittle said. It provided support during Super Bowl XXXIX at Jacksonville, Fla., on Feb. 6, 2005. The team also has supported international conferences and other events within Florida, Tittle said.
The team regularly trains with other agencies throughout the state, and cooperative exercises hone the team members' highly specialized skills. This also helps establish working relationships with the agencies and personnel they would support in the event of an emergency.
"That's one thing that our team has been working to do, ... to reach out and work with those other agencies so you already have a good sense of teamwork established," Tittle said. "They continue to have exercises ... to maintain those ongoing relationships. Our team is constantly attending functions in ongoing support roles throughout the state. Our team has worked with pretty much every county in Florida."
The team has responded to two real-life situations: an Anthrax scare in Boca Raton in 2001 and a joint investigation with the Coast Guard responding to suspicious cargo on a ship.
To prepare for the Super Bowl, the team has been plugged into the planning process for the past eight months and is now fully integrated into the multi-agency response plans, said Army Lt. Col. Russ Spengler, the team's commander.
He said his team welcomes the opportunity to work on an event of this scale.
"This is a great opportunity for our soldiers and airmen to work with other talented experts from various agencies. The level of cooperation is outstanding. It really makes you proud to see the efforts of so many to protect this event," Spengler said.
The 44th Civil Support Team was fielded in August 2000. The National Guard's civil support team program has 55 teams located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. Florida and California are the only two states with two civil support teams.
Team members acquire as much as 800 hours of initial training above their military occupational skill qualification or professional military education requirements.
Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4 promises to bring in thousands of fans. Grammy award winner Billy Joel will sing the national anthem, and Prince will perform at halftime. Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens will seat 70,000 for the game, and thousands more are expected for the pre-game activities.
The Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region is stepping up its air patrols in the Miami-Dade area to increase security during Super Bowl XLI activities, officials said. NORAD has provided air defense support for every Super Bowl since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Spectators will see Air Force fighter jets flying over Dolphin Stadium during pre-game events and in the local area during the game.
The Super Bowl is annually the nation's highest-rated TV program. More than 141 million viewers watched the 2006 game in the United States. Super Bowl XLI will be broadcast to a potential worldwide audience of 1 billion in more than 230 countries and territories, according to the official Super Bowl Web site.
The Chicago Bears are back in the Super Bowl for first time since winning Super Bowl XX in January 1986. The Indianapolis Colts will make a Super Bowl appearance for the first time for the franchise since the Baltimore Colts won Super Bowl V in January 1971.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – Tens of thousands of football fans will flock to Florida this weekend, passionate about their pigskin picks, but a handful of Florida Guardsmen are hoping that the game is anything but exciting for them. The 44th Civil Support Team, based at the Camp Blanding Joint Training Center near Starke, Fla., has been tapped to be at the game working with the Miami-Dade Police Department bomb squad, the FBI and other local, state and federal agencies.
The joint 22-person team has the equipment and expertise to identify chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive agents or substances, and they are trained to help incident commanders on site figure out what to do in the event of such an attack or disaster.
But fans shouldn't expect to see soldiers and airmen walking around the venues in chemical suits collecting samples, said Air Force Lt. Col. Ron Tittle, Florida National Guard public affairs officer.
"For the most part, fans won't even know they are there. But they will be there ready to respond in direct support of our emergency responders," he said.
The team is equipped with state-of-the-art substance identification and detection equipment, a mobile laboratory system, and a secure digital satellite communications system designed to connect with any agency around the world. The team and its equipment are completely self-contained and can be airlifted to disaster areas if needed.
This isn't the team's first trip to a Super Bowl, Tittle said. It provided support during Super Bowl XXXIX at Jacksonville, Fla., on Feb. 6, 2005. The team also has supported international conferences and other events within Florida, Tittle said.
The team regularly trains with other agencies throughout the state, and cooperative exercises hone the team members' highly specialized skills. This also helps establish working relationships with the agencies and personnel they would support in the event of an emergency.
"That's one thing that our team has been working to do, ... to reach out and work with those other agencies so you already have a good sense of teamwork established," Tittle said. "They continue to have exercises ... to maintain those ongoing relationships. Our team is constantly attending functions in ongoing support roles throughout the state. Our team has worked with pretty much every county in Florida."
The team has responded to two real-life situations: an Anthrax scare in Boca Raton in 2001 and a joint investigation with the Coast Guard responding to suspicious cargo on a ship.
To prepare for the Super Bowl, the team has been plugged into the planning process for the past eight months and is now fully integrated into the multi-agency response plans, said Army Lt. Col. Russ Spengler, the team's commander.
He said his team welcomes the opportunity to work on an event of this scale.
"This is a great opportunity for our soldiers and airmen to work with other talented experts from various agencies. The level of cooperation is outstanding. It really makes you proud to see the efforts of so many to protect this event," Spengler said.
The 44th Civil Support Team was fielded in August 2000. The National Guard's civil support team program has 55 teams located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. Florida and California are the only two states with two civil support teams.
Team members acquire as much as 800 hours of initial training above their military occupational skill qualification or professional military education requirements.
Super Bowl XLI on Feb. 4 promises to bring in thousands of fans. Grammy award winner Billy Joel will sing the national anthem, and Prince will perform at halftime. Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens will seat 70,000 for the game, and thousands more are expected for the pre-game activities.
The Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region is stepping up its air patrols in the Miami-Dade area to increase security during Super Bowl XLI activities, officials said. NORAD has provided air defense support for every Super Bowl since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Spectators will see Air Force fighter jets flying over Dolphin Stadium during pre-game events and in the local area during the game.
The Super Bowl is annually the nation's highest-rated TV program. More than 141 million viewers watched the 2006 game in the United States. Super Bowl XLI will be broadcast to a potential worldwide audience of 1 billion in more than 230 countries and territories, according to the official Super Bowl Web site.
The Chicago Bears are back in the Super Bowl for first time since winning Super Bowl XX in January 1986. The Indianapolis Colts will make a Super Bowl appearance for the first time for the franchise since the Baltimore Colts won Super Bowl V in January 1971.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Casey: Army is Not Broken
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – The Army faces significant challenges in the years ahead, but it is still the world's preeminent land power and has not been overly strained by the war on terror, Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commander of Multinational Force Iraq, said here today. Casey, who has commanded in Iraq since July 2004, is President Bush's pick to be the next Army chief of staff. Speaking at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Service Committee, Casey expressed confidence in U.S. soldiers.
"I see in Iraq every day a splendid Army," Casey said. "I know that (current Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker) has problems with the forces yet to deploy and with some of the strategic elements that will deploy later, but from what I see in Iraq, the Army is far from broken."
Casey said he believes in the Army vision and transformation, and that his position in Iraq has given him an opportunity to see the Army at work in the war on terror. Today's soldiers are the best he has seen in his entire career and make a difference in Iraq every day, he said. He pledged that U.S. soldiers and their families, who make tremendous sacrifices, will be his top priority if confirmed.
The Army's transformation to a lighter, modular-based force has been successful in Iraq, Casey said. The smaller units are able to handle the complexities of the war in Iraq, he said, and transformation will continue to be important in the Army's future.
Casey also noted the importance of the Army National Guard and Reserve to the service's mission. The United States is approaching a point where half of Guard and reserve troops are combat veterans, and these troops will be essential to future operations, he said.
The proposed increase in Army end strength of 65,000 troops over five years is adequate, Casey said, and the new strategy to secure Iraq can work. He noted that Iraqi security forces have assumed control of security in several provinces. The main challenge remains in Baghdad, where sectarian violence has surged, he said.
"For the Iraqis to successfully assume and sustain security responsibility, their security forces must emerge as the dominant security forces in the country," Casey said. "To do this, political and militia influence over the security forces must be eliminated and levels of sectarian violence, particularly in the capital, must be brought down substantially - brought down to the point where the people in Baghdad can be safe in their neighborhoods. This is what we are working toward in Baghdad. It will take time, and the Iraqis do need our help."
Casey said he recognizes the tremendous responsibilities associated with the chief of staff position. He is willing to take it on because he views it as his duty, and he is committed to the future of the Army, he said.
"I'm a soldier. My roots are in the Army, and I know the pride of wearing this uniform," Casey said. "Service as Army chief of staff is not a reward. It's a duty. It's about service, and it's about personal commitment to the men and women of the United States Army."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 1, 2007 – The Army faces significant challenges in the years ahead, but it is still the world's preeminent land power and has not been overly strained by the war on terror, Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commander of Multinational Force Iraq, said here today. Casey, who has commanded in Iraq since July 2004, is President Bush's pick to be the next Army chief of staff. Speaking at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Service Committee, Casey expressed confidence in U.S. soldiers.
"I see in Iraq every day a splendid Army," Casey said. "I know that (current Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker) has problems with the forces yet to deploy and with some of the strategic elements that will deploy later, but from what I see in Iraq, the Army is far from broken."
Casey said he believes in the Army vision and transformation, and that his position in Iraq has given him an opportunity to see the Army at work in the war on terror. Today's soldiers are the best he has seen in his entire career and make a difference in Iraq every day, he said. He pledged that U.S. soldiers and their families, who make tremendous sacrifices, will be his top priority if confirmed.
The Army's transformation to a lighter, modular-based force has been successful in Iraq, Casey said. The smaller units are able to handle the complexities of the war in Iraq, he said, and transformation will continue to be important in the Army's future.
Casey also noted the importance of the Army National Guard and Reserve to the service's mission. The United States is approaching a point where half of Guard and reserve troops are combat veterans, and these troops will be essential to future operations, he said.
The proposed increase in Army end strength of 65,000 troops over five years is adequate, Casey said, and the new strategy to secure Iraq can work. He noted that Iraqi security forces have assumed control of security in several provinces. The main challenge remains in Baghdad, where sectarian violence has surged, he said.
"For the Iraqis to successfully assume and sustain security responsibility, their security forces must emerge as the dominant security forces in the country," Casey said. "To do this, political and militia influence over the security forces must be eliminated and levels of sectarian violence, particularly in the capital, must be brought down substantially - brought down to the point where the people in Baghdad can be safe in their neighborhoods. This is what we are working toward in Baghdad. It will take time, and the Iraqis do need our help."
Casey said he recognizes the tremendous responsibilities associated with the chief of staff position. He is willing to take it on because he views it as his duty, and he is committed to the future of the Army, he said.
"I'm a soldier. My roots are in the Army, and I know the pride of wearing this uniform," Casey said. "Service as Army chief of staff is not a reward. It's a duty. It's about service, and it's about personal commitment to the men and women of the United States Army."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Military OneSource Offers Free Online Tax Filing
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2007 – The Defense Department's Military OneSource family support program is once again offering free, online tax preparation and filing for servicemembers and their families, officials said. The service began Jan. 15. It's available to active duty servicemembers, National Guardsmen and reservists and their families.
This is the second year of the program. Last year, more than 327,000 tax claims were filed using a similar program, said Jane Burke, principal director in the Office of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy.
Burke added that servicemembers can put their tax refunds to good use as a deposit in a savings or retirement account or to pay off debts.
"How to use the refund may be the first financial decision of the year" for servicemembers in improving their financial readiness, Burke noted. DoD is launching a campaign called "Military Saves" to encourage servicemembers to save money and eliminate or reduce their personal debt.
Filers who use Military OneSource's online system can expect to receive their refund within 10 days, Burke said. And Military OneSource tax consultants, she said, are trained to answer questions on preparing and filing taxes and provide other financial management information.
Additionally, through the Military OneSource Web site at www.militaryonesource.com, servicemembers and their families can get guidance and answers to questions, Burke said.
The Military OneSource service augments the long-standing voluntary income tax assistance program offered through legal centers at most military installations, Burke said. Volunteers at the centers provide free tax preparation and filing services, she said.
The service available through Military OneSource's Web site "is a new option where people can do their taxes online for free," said Army Maj. John Johnson, executive director, Armed Forces Tax Council. Tax-filing assistance also is available through the Internal Revenue Service's electronic filing program.
Military OneSource's online tax preparation and filing was very popular with servicemembers and their families last year, Burke said.
"It is just one more way we can help improve the quality of life for our troops and their families," she said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 2, 2007 – The Defense Department's Military OneSource family support program is once again offering free, online tax preparation and filing for servicemembers and their families, officials said. The service began Jan. 15. It's available to active duty servicemembers, National Guardsmen and reservists and their families.
This is the second year of the program. Last year, more than 327,000 tax claims were filed using a similar program, said Jane Burke, principal director in the Office of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy.
Burke added that servicemembers can put their tax refunds to good use as a deposit in a savings or retirement account or to pay off debts.
"How to use the refund may be the first financial decision of the year" for servicemembers in improving their financial readiness, Burke noted. DoD is launching a campaign called "Military Saves" to encourage servicemembers to save money and eliminate or reduce their personal debt.
Filers who use Military OneSource's online system can expect to receive their refund within 10 days, Burke said. And Military OneSource tax consultants, she said, are trained to answer questions on preparing and filing taxes and provide other financial management information.
Additionally, through the Military OneSource Web site at www.militaryonesource.com, servicemembers and their families can get guidance and answers to questions, Burke said.
The Military OneSource service augments the long-standing voluntary income tax assistance program offered through legal centers at most military installations, Burke said. Volunteers at the centers provide free tax preparation and filing services, she said.
The service available through Military OneSource's Web site "is a new option where people can do their taxes online for free," said Army Maj. John Johnson, executive director, Armed Forces Tax Council. Tax-filing assistance also is available through the Internal Revenue Service's electronic filing program.
Military OneSource's online tax preparation and filing was very popular with servicemembers and their families last year, Burke said.
"It is just one more way we can help improve the quality of life for our troops and their families," she said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
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