By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2007 – Terrorists know they can't defeat the United States militarily, so they seek instead to break the nation's will, Vice President Dick Cheney told the crew of the USS Kitty Hawk today. Cheney spoke aboard the aircraft carrier in Japan, one stop on a swing through the Pacific. "The only way (terrorists) can win is if we lose our nerve and abandon our mission," Cheney said. "So they continue committing acts of random horror, believing they can intimidate the civilized world and break the will of the American people."
Terrorists have made Iraq the central front of the struggle, Cheney told the Kitty Hawk's crew, and are well aware of the stakes there.
"If the terrorists were to succeed, they would return Iraq to the rule of tyrants, make it a source of instability in the Middle East, and use it as a staging area for even more attacks," he said. "The terrorists also know that as freedom takes hold, the ideologies of hatred and resentment will lose their appeal, and the advance of liberty and self government in the broader Middle East will lead to a much safer world for our children and our grandchildren.
"This nation has learned the lessons of history," Cheney continued. "We know that terrorist attacks are not caused by the use of strength; they are invited by the perception of weakness."
The war on terror, the vice president said, is unlike any war the nation had fought previously.
"This war is not a matter of finding an opposing army and engaging it, or finding a navy and sinking it," he said. "The terrorist enemies are hidden and dispersed, and they view the entire world as a battlefield. They are determined to commit indiscriminate murder against innocent, unsuspecting men, women, and children. They serve an ideology that rejects tolerance and demands total obedience.
"It's an extreme and a hateful ideology -- and it's what drove 19 men to get on airplanes and come kill 3,000 Americans," he continued. "These enemies want to seize control of a country in the Middle East so they can acquire a base for launching attacks, and oil wealth to finance their ambitions. They want to target and overthrow other governments in the region, and eventually to establish a totalitarian empire that encompasses the region from Spain, across North Africa, through the Middle East and South Asia, all the way to Indonesia. And it would not stop there."
Cheney cited terrorists' stated goals and their history of attacking U.S. interests whenever possible as reasons to keep taking the fight to them in Iraq.
"We know that if we leave Iraq before the mission is completed, the enemy is going to come after us," he said. "Having seen our interests attacked repeatedly over the years, and knowing the ambitions of the terrorists, this nation has made a decision: We will engage these enemies. We will face them far from home, so we do not have to face them on the streets of our own cities.
"Every member of our military can be certain that America will stay on the offensive in the war on terror," he continued. "The president of the United States and his national security team understand the threat -- the enemy's changing tactics and its unchanging nature. We are not dealing with adversaries that will ever surrender or come to their senses."
Under the leadership of Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, Cheney said, U.S. forces are helping Iraqis to clear and secure Baghdad to protect the local population, and are ensuring that Iraqi forces will be capable of providing the security necessary in their capital city on their own. But it won't happen overnight or without a price, the vice president noted.
Petraeus, he said, is aware of the challenge of engaging what the general called "a determined, adaptable, barbaric enemy" in a battle of wills that holds no guarantees. But he said U.S. strategy in Iraq recognizes that the enemy won't stand pat.
"We will be flexible. We'll do all we can to adapt to conditions on the ground. We'll make every change necessary to do the job," he said. "And I want you to know that the American people will not support a policy of retreat. We want to complete the mission, we want to get it done right, and then we want to return with honor."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become writers.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Officials Offer No Excuses, Only Changes at Walter Reed
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2007 – Senior defense officials today said they take full responsibility for the recently reported poor-quality outpatient housing and bureaucratic hassles some servicemembers have experienced at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and offered up a "no excuses" approach to fixing the problems. "Several matters reported ... are serious matters. They deserve immediate attention, and they are getting immediate attention," Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant defense secretary for health affairs, said at a Pentagon briefing.
"They are problems that need (to be) fixed and fixed immediately," he said.
Officials are putting together an independent review group that will report back with recommendations to the offices of the secretaries of the Army and Navy, as well as Winkenwerder's office, he said. Meanwhile necessary repairs and leadership changes are being made.
Winkenwerder emphasized that none of the reported complaints cited the medical care of the wounded servicemembers or the treatment of their families by the medical staff at Walter Reed. The concerns lay solely with caring for the "whole person" as the servicemembers and their families worked through the outpatient care process, Winkenwerder said.
Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey and Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody yesterday visited Building 18, a former hotel near the medical center that houses some Walter Reed outpatients and their families.
Cody said they were "absolutely disappointed" in the living conditions there and that there had been a breakdown in leadership. He called the delays in the repairs to the building "inexcusable."
Cody said he is a frequent visitor to the medical center facilities and has regular conversations with the staff, servicemembers and families there. Even so, he said, he was caught off guard by the reports.
"I am disappointed that I had to learn about the conditions of that building through media reports," Cody said.
Winkenwerder and Cody both said they had received no complaints about Building 18.
"That is not an excuse. ... Clearly, we've had a breakdown in leadership, and a bureaucratic medical and contractual process bogged down a speedy solution to these problems," Cody said. "I can assure you the appropriate vigor and leadership is being applied to this issue, and we will correct any problems immediately."
Cody said he personally will oversee the plan to upgrade Building 18.
"I'll take responsibility. I am the vice chief of staff of the Army," Cody said. "I'll take responsibility for this, and I'll make sure it's fixed."
Building 18 is located on Georgia Avenue. It has 54 double rooms, with 76 servicemembers living there. Each room has a private bath, a sink and a refrigerator.
Cody said he found that the conditions at the building ranged from good to "not very good." But, said he said, the conditions at the home are not indicative of the facilities most wounded servicemembers enjoy at the medical facility.
"This is an anomaly that is going to be fixed," Cody said.
Cody also addressed reported complaints of patients unable to make or meet appointments and of other scheduling problems. He said officials will open a one-stop family assistance center at Walter Reed.
"The Army leadership is committed and dedicated to ensuring that (servicemembers') quality of life and the quality of their medical care is equal to their quality of service and sacrifice," Cody said.
Winkenwerder acknowledged that because of the problems, officials will have to work to rebuild the trust that has been lost.
"The trust has clearly taken a hit here," he said. "I think it's our job to repair that trust, to re-earn that trust, and that's what we intend to do."
Both Winkenwerder and Cody said funds are available for all needed repairs.
The Walter Reed Health Care system includes 10 major treatment facilities in three states. The system boasts a staff of 6,000 that includes more than 600 Army physicians. It provides care for more than 150,000 soldiers, other servicemembers, family members and retirees in the National Capital Area.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become writers.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2007 – Senior defense officials today said they take full responsibility for the recently reported poor-quality outpatient housing and bureaucratic hassles some servicemembers have experienced at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and offered up a "no excuses" approach to fixing the problems. "Several matters reported ... are serious matters. They deserve immediate attention, and they are getting immediate attention," Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant defense secretary for health affairs, said at a Pentagon briefing.
"They are problems that need (to be) fixed and fixed immediately," he said.
Officials are putting together an independent review group that will report back with recommendations to the offices of the secretaries of the Army and Navy, as well as Winkenwerder's office, he said. Meanwhile necessary repairs and leadership changes are being made.
Winkenwerder emphasized that none of the reported complaints cited the medical care of the wounded servicemembers or the treatment of their families by the medical staff at Walter Reed. The concerns lay solely with caring for the "whole person" as the servicemembers and their families worked through the outpatient care process, Winkenwerder said.
Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey and Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody yesterday visited Building 18, a former hotel near the medical center that houses some Walter Reed outpatients and their families.
Cody said they were "absolutely disappointed" in the living conditions there and that there had been a breakdown in leadership. He called the delays in the repairs to the building "inexcusable."
Cody said he is a frequent visitor to the medical center facilities and has regular conversations with the staff, servicemembers and families there. Even so, he said, he was caught off guard by the reports.
"I am disappointed that I had to learn about the conditions of that building through media reports," Cody said.
Winkenwerder and Cody both said they had received no complaints about Building 18.
"That is not an excuse. ... Clearly, we've had a breakdown in leadership, and a bureaucratic medical and contractual process bogged down a speedy solution to these problems," Cody said. "I can assure you the appropriate vigor and leadership is being applied to this issue, and we will correct any problems immediately."
Cody said he personally will oversee the plan to upgrade Building 18.
"I'll take responsibility. I am the vice chief of staff of the Army," Cody said. "I'll take responsibility for this, and I'll make sure it's fixed."
Building 18 is located on Georgia Avenue. It has 54 double rooms, with 76 servicemembers living there. Each room has a private bath, a sink and a refrigerator.
Cody said he found that the conditions at the building ranged from good to "not very good." But, said he said, the conditions at the home are not indicative of the facilities most wounded servicemembers enjoy at the medical facility.
"This is an anomaly that is going to be fixed," Cody said.
Cody also addressed reported complaints of patients unable to make or meet appointments and of other scheduling problems. He said officials will open a one-stop family assistance center at Walter Reed.
"The Army leadership is committed and dedicated to ensuring that (servicemembers') quality of life and the quality of their medical care is equal to their quality of service and sacrifice," Cody said.
Winkenwerder acknowledged that because of the problems, officials will have to work to rebuild the trust that has been lost.
"The trust has clearly taken a hit here," he said. "I think it's our job to repair that trust, to re-earn that trust, and that's what we intend to do."
Both Winkenwerder and Cody said funds are available for all needed repairs.
The Walter Reed Health Care system includes 10 major treatment facilities in three states. The system boasts a staff of 6,000 that includes more than 600 Army physicians. It provides care for more than 150,000 soldiers, other servicemembers, family members and retirees in the National Capital Area.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become writers.
By Looking Back, African-American NFL Players Help Army See Future
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2007 – Past and present members of the National Football League joined the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command's observance of African-American History Month here today. In a panel discussion, former professional players Bill Willis, Brig Owens, Darrell Green, Rick "Doc" Walker and current Washington Redskins player Kedric Golston talked about how early African-American players paved the way for today's African-American athletes.
"It's about living the American dream," said Maj. Gen. James Myles, ATEC commanding general, as he opened the program. "In our (regular ethnic observances) we have to remember it wasn't always the way it is now. If we don't remember the past, there's a good chance to slide backwards."
The panel members represented each decade in which the NFL has allowed African-American players.
Willis was the first African-American player who signed on to play professional football, a full year before Jackie Robinson broke the racial barriers in professional baseball. When Willis began playing for the Cleveland Browns in the 1940s, he said, he was subject to discrimination both on and off the field.
Walker, who served as the event's moderator, pointed out that Willis didn't succumb to discrimination, and opened the door for other athletes.
"Because he didn't fight back, become belligerent or quit, the rest of us had an opportunity to follow him," Walker said.
Willis attributed his successes, both on the football field and in life, to mentors he had along the way.
"When one gets ahead in anything, it means that someone has helped them," Willis said. He shared that the person who encouraged him was Ohio State football coach Paul Brown who looked past his ethnicity to see that he was a talented player who deserved to play college ball.
"It took someone to give me the opportunity," he said. "There were times things were pretty rough. All players didn't accept that I should play on the same field, but I made the best out of the situation."
As a former Redskins player and assistant executive director of the NFL Players Association, Owens shared that his successes in life have come from being prepared for the unanticipated.
"I know you have dreams and aspirations," he told a handful of local high school football players in the audience. "All those dreams can come true if you believe enough and base everything on a strong foundation of education - the end of your football career is only one play away."
Repeatedly, the panelists emphasized that by making the best of a situation and following the footsteps of others one can succeed in life.
"We all come to a fork in the road where we have to make important decisions," said Golston, who represented the youngest generation of NFL players, "but we should seek out those who can help us and who we can learn from."
"I'm only 23," he said. "But I'm going to take advantage of my situation so I can make an impact on others."
These players are really trailblazers, said Brig. Gen. Belinda Pinckney, following the event. She said they are making a difference for others by making the most of life's opportunities.
Pinckney, commanding general for the Army's Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command, is also making the most of her opportunities - she and her sister are the first two African-American women to become general officers in the Army.
"I think everyone is put in places for a reason," she said. "The military has offered a wonderful opportunity for me to also make a difference."
Concluding the observance, Myles thanked the participants. "You have paved the way for these men to go forward and live their dreams," he told the panelists. "You have broken the path for others."
"This is about opportunity, but the journey is not over. Ours is the same journey," Myles said. "This is another demonstration that we are the most powerful country in the world because we give people the opportunity."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become writers.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2007 – Past and present members of the National Football League joined the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command's observance of African-American History Month here today. In a panel discussion, former professional players Bill Willis, Brig Owens, Darrell Green, Rick "Doc" Walker and current Washington Redskins player Kedric Golston talked about how early African-American players paved the way for today's African-American athletes.
"It's about living the American dream," said Maj. Gen. James Myles, ATEC commanding general, as he opened the program. "In our (regular ethnic observances) we have to remember it wasn't always the way it is now. If we don't remember the past, there's a good chance to slide backwards."
The panel members represented each decade in which the NFL has allowed African-American players.
Willis was the first African-American player who signed on to play professional football, a full year before Jackie Robinson broke the racial barriers in professional baseball. When Willis began playing for the Cleveland Browns in the 1940s, he said, he was subject to discrimination both on and off the field.
Walker, who served as the event's moderator, pointed out that Willis didn't succumb to discrimination, and opened the door for other athletes.
"Because he didn't fight back, become belligerent or quit, the rest of us had an opportunity to follow him," Walker said.
Willis attributed his successes, both on the football field and in life, to mentors he had along the way.
"When one gets ahead in anything, it means that someone has helped them," Willis said. He shared that the person who encouraged him was Ohio State football coach Paul Brown who looked past his ethnicity to see that he was a talented player who deserved to play college ball.
"It took someone to give me the opportunity," he said. "There were times things were pretty rough. All players didn't accept that I should play on the same field, but I made the best out of the situation."
As a former Redskins player and assistant executive director of the NFL Players Association, Owens shared that his successes in life have come from being prepared for the unanticipated.
"I know you have dreams and aspirations," he told a handful of local high school football players in the audience. "All those dreams can come true if you believe enough and base everything on a strong foundation of education - the end of your football career is only one play away."
Repeatedly, the panelists emphasized that by making the best of a situation and following the footsteps of others one can succeed in life.
"We all come to a fork in the road where we have to make important decisions," said Golston, who represented the youngest generation of NFL players, "but we should seek out those who can help us and who we can learn from."
"I'm only 23," he said. "But I'm going to take advantage of my situation so I can make an impact on others."
These players are really trailblazers, said Brig. Gen. Belinda Pinckney, following the event. She said they are making a difference for others by making the most of life's opportunities.
Pinckney, commanding general for the Army's Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command, is also making the most of her opportunities - she and her sister are the first two African-American women to become general officers in the Army.
"I think everyone is put in places for a reason," she said. "The military has offered a wonderful opportunity for me to also make a difference."
Concluding the observance, Myles thanked the participants. "You have paved the way for these men to go forward and live their dreams," he told the panelists. "You have broken the path for others."
"This is about opportunity, but the journey is not over. Ours is the same journey," Myles said. "This is another demonstration that we are the most powerful country in the world because we give people the opportunity."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become writers.
'Quad-A' Offers Families Assistance
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2007 – An organization that has distributed more than $3 million in scholarships and interest-free education loans has entered its second half-century of service to the extended Army Aviation family. The Army Aviation Association of America, or "Quad A," was organized 50 years ago at Fort Rucker, Ala., to support U.S. Army aviation soldiers and their families, the group's national president said.
The group's AAAA Scholarship Foundation, Inc., a member of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, furthers that purpose by offering financial assistance for educational pursuits. America Supports You highlights the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers.
Retired Army Brig. Gen. Tom Konitzer, Quad A's national president, said the organization received 148 scholarship applications in 2006 and awarded $239,000.
Some 1,788 qualified applicants have received more than $3 million in scholarships and interest-free loans since the program began in 1963, according to the scholarship foundation's Web site. Only members of the Army Aviation Association of America and their families are eligible to apply, but membership is easy enough to attain, Konitzer said.
"Anybody can join," Konitzer said, adding that the children of a member, their spouses, and the individuals themselves are eligible for the financial assistance.
Full guidelines and application procedures are available on the scholarship foundation's Web site.
The foundation's membership in the America Supports You program has provided great networking opportunities that have allowed his group to understand what other organizations are doing for the servicemen and women, Konitzer said.
Through that association, he said, he became aware of an event that Operation Gratitude's Carolyn Blashek was planning in California.
"So I asked our (California) chapter president to go over and represent us at the event to demonstrate the support for her initiative," Konitzer said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become writers.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2007 – An organization that has distributed more than $3 million in scholarships and interest-free education loans has entered its second half-century of service to the extended Army Aviation family. The Army Aviation Association of America, or "Quad A," was organized 50 years ago at Fort Rucker, Ala., to support U.S. Army aviation soldiers and their families, the group's national president said.
The group's AAAA Scholarship Foundation, Inc., a member of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, furthers that purpose by offering financial assistance for educational pursuits. America Supports You highlights the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers.
Retired Army Brig. Gen. Tom Konitzer, Quad A's national president, said the organization received 148 scholarship applications in 2006 and awarded $239,000.
Some 1,788 qualified applicants have received more than $3 million in scholarships and interest-free loans since the program began in 1963, according to the scholarship foundation's Web site. Only members of the Army Aviation Association of America and their families are eligible to apply, but membership is easy enough to attain, Konitzer said.
"Anybody can join," Konitzer said, adding that the children of a member, their spouses, and the individuals themselves are eligible for the financial assistance.
Full guidelines and application procedures are available on the scholarship foundation's Web site.
The foundation's membership in the America Supports You program has provided great networking opportunities that have allowed his group to understand what other organizations are doing for the servicemen and women, Konitzer said.
Through that association, he said, he became aware of an event that Operation Gratitude's Carolyn Blashek was planning in California.
"So I asked our (California) chapter president to go over and represent us at the event to demonstrate the support for her initiative," Konitzer said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become writers.
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