By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 14, 2007 – North Korea has agreed to shut down nuclear operations and allow international inspectors into the country, President Bush announced today, hailing it as an important step toward a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. At six-party talks in Beijing, North Korea said that within 60 days it will shut down and seal all operations at the primary nuclear facilities it has used to produce weapons-grade plutonium. North Korea also agreed to allow international inspectors to verify and monitor this progress and to disclose all of its nuclear programs as an initial step toward abandoning them.
In exchange for North Korea's commitments, the five other parties at the table -- China, Russia, Japan, South Korea and the United States -- made commitments to provide economic, humanitarian and energy assistance to the people of North Korea.
"This is a unique deal. First of all, unlike any other agreement, it brings together all of North Korea's neighbors in the region, as well as the United States," Bush said today at a White House news conference.
Bush noted that the agreement is backed by a United Nations Security Council resolution.
The breakthrough came at the six-party talks because other countries joined the U.S. in condemning North Korea's nuclear programs, Bush said. The North Koreans have to prove themselves by actually following through on the deal, he said, but if they do, the people will benefit greatly.
The first aid that will arrive in North Korea will be 50,000 tons of fuel from South Korea as soon as the main weapons manufacturing facility is shut down and all the nuclear programs are declared, Bush said. If the North Koreans disable and abandon all their nuclear facilities, other countries will step in with additional fuel, food and economic assistance, he said. "That's not going to happen until there's some verifiable measures that have been taken," he added.
"This is good progress; it is a good first step," Bush said. "There's a lot of work to be done to make sure that the commitment is made and this agreement becomes a reality. But I believe it's an important step in the right direction."
Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have become authors by writing books; and the criminal justice online leadership location.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Navy, Marines Request Funding to Repair, Replace Equipment
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 14, 2007 – The Navy and Marine Corps are requesting $4.4 billion to fix or replace worn out or damaged military equipment that has seen hard use in the war against global terrorism, senior military leaders testified before a joint U.S. House committee on Capitol Hill yesterday. Congress deserves thanks for already providing about $10.2 billion for repair or replacement of Navy and Marine equipment as part of fiscal 2006 and 2007 supplemental funding, Lt. Gen. Emerson Gardner, the Marines' deputy commandant for programs and resources, said before members of the Sea Power and Expeditionary Forces subcommittees.
"For over five years, the Marine Corps has been involved in combat and combat support operations around the globe," Gardner said. "Your deployed Marines are better trained, better equipped and better protected than ever before."
In fact, about $2.8 billion in funding is earmarked for obtaining 2,700 roadside-bomb-resistant trucks, known as mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles, for Marines and sailors deployed to Iraq, Gardner said. About 65 of these robust vehicles are being used in Iraq, he said.
"Our experience is that Marines in these vehicles have been four to five times safer than a Marine in an armored Humvee," Gardner said. "Based on this experience, we recently decided to replace our armored Humvees in theater on a one-for-one basis with MRAPs."
The Marine Corps also will plus-up its ranks, Gardner noted, by adding around 5,000 new Marines each year until the Corps' new end strength of about 202,000 Marines is reached by 2011.
"We are initially funding this effort through a mix of baseline and supplemental appropriations," Gardner explained. "But, we are eager to get these costs into our baseline budget as soon as possible."
About 42,000 U.S. sailors are deployed worldwide, said Vice Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources, who also testified at the hearing. More than 12,000 sailors are serving on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Greenert said.
High-demand naval combat engineers, known as Seabees; Sea, Air and Land special operations forces; and explosive ordnance disposal teams deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq are experiencing rapid wearing out of their equipment, Greenert said. Some equipment is wearing out on average 14 times faster than during peacetime usage, he noted.
Other equipment, such as field generators, are wearing out 40 times faster, Greenert said.
In addition, Navy aircraft like the F/A-18 Hornet are aging rapidly due to excessive amounts of mission flight time, the admiral said.
The Hornet is consuming flight hours at a rate 30 percent greater than originally planned, Greenert said. "This increase in flight hours is accelerating the expected service life of these aircraft, reducing anticipated years of service."
Other Naval aircraft being used in Iraq and Afghanistan are experiencing similar stresses, he added.
Such wear and tear on equipment produces higher operational costs, Greenert said.
Past wartime supplemental funding provided by Congress was used to support overseas operational costs and not for resetting, or fixing or replacing, worn out equipment, the admiral said.
"Our reset requirements for our equipment will continue to grow more extensively than originally anticipated, as long as our high op tempo continues," Greenert said.
Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have become authors by writing books; and the criminal justice online leadership location.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 14, 2007 – The Navy and Marine Corps are requesting $4.4 billion to fix or replace worn out or damaged military equipment that has seen hard use in the war against global terrorism, senior military leaders testified before a joint U.S. House committee on Capitol Hill yesterday. Congress deserves thanks for already providing about $10.2 billion for repair or replacement of Navy and Marine equipment as part of fiscal 2006 and 2007 supplemental funding, Lt. Gen. Emerson Gardner, the Marines' deputy commandant for programs and resources, said before members of the Sea Power and Expeditionary Forces subcommittees.
"For over five years, the Marine Corps has been involved in combat and combat support operations around the globe," Gardner said. "Your deployed Marines are better trained, better equipped and better protected than ever before."
In fact, about $2.8 billion in funding is earmarked for obtaining 2,700 roadside-bomb-resistant trucks, known as mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles, for Marines and sailors deployed to Iraq, Gardner said. About 65 of these robust vehicles are being used in Iraq, he said.
"Our experience is that Marines in these vehicles have been four to five times safer than a Marine in an armored Humvee," Gardner said. "Based on this experience, we recently decided to replace our armored Humvees in theater on a one-for-one basis with MRAPs."
The Marine Corps also will plus-up its ranks, Gardner noted, by adding around 5,000 new Marines each year until the Corps' new end strength of about 202,000 Marines is reached by 2011.
"We are initially funding this effort through a mix of baseline and supplemental appropriations," Gardner explained. "But, we are eager to get these costs into our baseline budget as soon as possible."
About 42,000 U.S. sailors are deployed worldwide, said Vice Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources, who also testified at the hearing. More than 12,000 sailors are serving on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Greenert said.
High-demand naval combat engineers, known as Seabees; Sea, Air and Land special operations forces; and explosive ordnance disposal teams deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq are experiencing rapid wearing out of their equipment, Greenert said. Some equipment is wearing out on average 14 times faster than during peacetime usage, he noted.
Other equipment, such as field generators, are wearing out 40 times faster, Greenert said.
In addition, Navy aircraft like the F/A-18 Hornet are aging rapidly due to excessive amounts of mission flight time, the admiral said.
The Hornet is consuming flight hours at a rate 30 percent greater than originally planned, Greenert said. "This increase in flight hours is accelerating the expected service life of these aircraft, reducing anticipated years of service."
Other Naval aircraft being used in Iraq and Afghanistan are experiencing similar stresses, he added.
Such wear and tear on equipment produces higher operational costs, Greenert said.
Past wartime supplemental funding provided by Congress was used to support overseas operational costs and not for resetting, or fixing or replacing, worn out equipment, the admiral said.
"Our reset requirements for our equipment will continue to grow more extensively than originally anticipated, as long as our high op tempo continues," Greenert said.
Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have become authors by writing books; and the criminal justice online leadership location.
Program Helps Vets Own Franchises
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 14, 2007 – When he returned home from an 11-month deployment to Iraq in October 2005, Army Staff Sgt. John Reid realized he'd stashed away a sizeable sum of cash and wanted to put it to work for himself. "I didn't want to waste it on a new car or something like that," said the New York National Guardsman, who spent five years on active duty before joining the Guard in 1989.
Instead, Reid decided to invest in his own business. He attended a franchise expo, ultimately buying a Glass Doctor franchise in Somerset, N.J. Only when the company flew him to Waco, Texas, for an orientation did Reid learn about one of the best-kept secrets for veterans who dream of opening their own business: the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative.
Known as "VetFran," the program offers financial incentives to veterans interested in owning their own franchise. By purchasing his franchise through VetFran, Reid said, he saved about 10 percent of the franchise cost. "That gave me a little more start-up money," he said.
In addition to financial help, Reid said the program gave him another whole network of advisors to help him make his new business a success. "It's really helpful that I can call on them any time with any problems," he said. "That's an added benefit."
Reid is among more than 600 veterans who have taken advantage of VetFran to buy franchised small businesses since Don Dwyer Sr. of the Dwyer Group founded the program in 1991. VetFran lost momentum after Dwyer's death in 1994, but his daughter, Dina Dwyer-Owens, revived it after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Today, some 200 companies in the International Franchise Association participate in the program.
"VetFran was created to honor America's veterans for their service to the nation," said IFA President Matthew Shay. "We ... do it in a way that helps them continue to contribute to the nation's well-being by becoming small-business owners and operators."
Cmdr. Gary Martin-Ranft, a Coast Guard Reservist, recently took advantage of VetFran to buy a HomeVestors of America franchise in Chicago. The company, best known for its "We Buy Ugly Houses" advertising signs, specializes in buying, rehabbing and selling houses.
Martin-Ranft said he was always interested in real estate, and welcomed the opportunity to buy a real-estate franchise through a program that recognizes veterans. "I like to be loyal to people who are good to veterans," he said.
Former National Guardsman Alina Gutierrez, who bought a Glass Doctor franchise in Hamilton, N.J., said she, too, was happy to participate in a program that honors veterans. "I like that we are recognized for what we've done for our country," she said.
While honoring veterans for their service, VetFrank also attracts top-notch candidates as potential franchise owners, Shay said. "Veterans are highly desirable franchisee candidates, because their military training instills in them a strong sense of discipline, an ability to lead within a structured system and an unwavering belief in core values, which carries over well to the franchise business," he said.
Veteran Dan Windler, who bought a Rainbow International Restoration and Cleaning franchise in Imperial, Calif., through VetFran in 2003, said his service in the Marine Corps helped set him up to be a successful businessman. "We were taught from day one in the U.S Marine Corps that veterans make good leaders and business owners," he said.
Gutierrez, too, credited her military training, particularly experience she gained during her deployment in Iraq, for helping her succeed in business and in life. "My goal for the business is to give 100 percent and be the best that I can," she said. "It's not just about making money. It's about leading a better life."
VetFran is among a huge array of programs and services offered through corporations, grassroots organizations and private citizens in support of the men and women in uniform and veterans of the U.S. military. These initiatives are highlighted in the Defense Department's America Supports You program.
Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have become authors by writing books; and the criminal justice online leadership location.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 14, 2007 – When he returned home from an 11-month deployment to Iraq in October 2005, Army Staff Sgt. John Reid realized he'd stashed away a sizeable sum of cash and wanted to put it to work for himself. "I didn't want to waste it on a new car or something like that," said the New York National Guardsman, who spent five years on active duty before joining the Guard in 1989.
Instead, Reid decided to invest in his own business. He attended a franchise expo, ultimately buying a Glass Doctor franchise in Somerset, N.J. Only when the company flew him to Waco, Texas, for an orientation did Reid learn about one of the best-kept secrets for veterans who dream of opening their own business: the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative.
Known as "VetFran," the program offers financial incentives to veterans interested in owning their own franchise. By purchasing his franchise through VetFran, Reid said, he saved about 10 percent of the franchise cost. "That gave me a little more start-up money," he said.
In addition to financial help, Reid said the program gave him another whole network of advisors to help him make his new business a success. "It's really helpful that I can call on them any time with any problems," he said. "That's an added benefit."
Reid is among more than 600 veterans who have taken advantage of VetFran to buy franchised small businesses since Don Dwyer Sr. of the Dwyer Group founded the program in 1991. VetFran lost momentum after Dwyer's death in 1994, but his daughter, Dina Dwyer-Owens, revived it after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Today, some 200 companies in the International Franchise Association participate in the program.
"VetFran was created to honor America's veterans for their service to the nation," said IFA President Matthew Shay. "We ... do it in a way that helps them continue to contribute to the nation's well-being by becoming small-business owners and operators."
Cmdr. Gary Martin-Ranft, a Coast Guard Reservist, recently took advantage of VetFran to buy a HomeVestors of America franchise in Chicago. The company, best known for its "We Buy Ugly Houses" advertising signs, specializes in buying, rehabbing and selling houses.
Martin-Ranft said he was always interested in real estate, and welcomed the opportunity to buy a real-estate franchise through a program that recognizes veterans. "I like to be loyal to people who are good to veterans," he said.
Former National Guardsman Alina Gutierrez, who bought a Glass Doctor franchise in Hamilton, N.J., said she, too, was happy to participate in a program that honors veterans. "I like that we are recognized for what we've done for our country," she said.
While honoring veterans for their service, VetFrank also attracts top-notch candidates as potential franchise owners, Shay said. "Veterans are highly desirable franchisee candidates, because their military training instills in them a strong sense of discipline, an ability to lead within a structured system and an unwavering belief in core values, which carries over well to the franchise business," he said.
Veteran Dan Windler, who bought a Rainbow International Restoration and Cleaning franchise in Imperial, Calif., through VetFran in 2003, said his service in the Marine Corps helped set him up to be a successful businessman. "We were taught from day one in the U.S Marine Corps that veterans make good leaders and business owners," he said.
Gutierrez, too, credited her military training, particularly experience she gained during her deployment in Iraq, for helping her succeed in business and in life. "My goal for the business is to give 100 percent and be the best that I can," she said. "It's not just about making money. It's about leading a better life."
VetFran is among a huge array of programs and services offered through corporations, grassroots organizations and private citizens in support of the men and women in uniform and veterans of the U.S. military. These initiatives are highlighted in the Defense Department's America Supports You program.
Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have become authors by writing books; and the criminal justice online leadership location.
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