By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
March 29, 2007 – Before a U.S. aircraft broke the sound barrier, the Tuskegee Airmen overcame a daunting social hurdle: breaking the Air Force's color barrier. In the Capitol Rotunda here today, President Bush and Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen, more than 60 years after the 332nd Fighter Group's World War II achievements that were made bittersweet by the racial discrimination they endured after returning home.
"I thank you for the honor you have brought to our country, and the medal you are about to receive means that our country honors you," Bush said to the roughly 300-member audience of surviving airmen, Tuskegee Airmen widows and other relatives, before presenting the congressional award.
Bush said he has a strong interest in World War II airmen because one raised him.
"(My father) flew with a group of brave young men who endured difficult times in the defense of our country. Yet for all they sacrificed and all they lost, in a way they were very fortunate," he said. "They never had the burden of having their every mission, their every success, their every failure viewed through the color of their skin; ... nobody refused their salutes."
The Tuskegee Airmen fought two wars -- one in the European theater and another in the hearts and minds of the nation's citizens, he said.
Saying he wanted to "offer a gesture to help atone for all the unreturned salutes and unforgivable indignities," Bush held his straightened right hand to his brow and saluted the airmen. After returning his salute, the airmen remained standing and applauded.
Speaking on behalf of the Tuskegee Airmen, Dr. Roscoe Brown, a former commander of the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, thanked Bush and the House and Senate for "voting unanimously to award this medal collectively to the pilots, bombardiers, the navigators, the mechanics, the ground officers, the enlisted men and women who served with the Tuskegee Airmen."
"Over 60 years ago we were flying in the skies over Europe defending our country, and at the same time fighting the battle against racial segregation," he said. "Because of our great record and our persistence, we inspired revolutionary reform which led to integration in the armed forces in 1948. As the president said, (this) provided a symbol for America that all people can contribute to this country and be treated fairly."
Brown, a Distinguished Flying Cross recipient and the first U.S. pilot to down a German Messerschmitt jet, said that the Tuskegee Airmen are very pleased to have been in the forefront of the struggle for freedom and justice in this country.
Sen. Carl Levin and Rep. Charles Rangel were the chief congressional champions in the House and Senate to get the medal awarded to the airmen.
"Nobody, white or black, in this country can understand how God has given you so much courage," Rangel said, addressing the airmen. "From a nation that had rejected you because of your color, said you couldn't fly, said you just weren't worthy, you had to go out there and prove to them just how wrong they were.
"And how tragic was it to see, ... after you came back to this great country, how German prisoners of war were treated better than you were on your return?" he said. "But somehow, whatever God had given you, it didn't cause you to stop. Every one of you in the different towns that I've been to are still continuing to protect this great country, though perhaps not in the skies, but in the battles on the streets, talking to the kids, giving them self-esteem."
Levis listed some of the airmen's feats: 15,000 combat sorties flown, 260 enemy aircraft destroyed, 1,000 black pilots flew missions, 150 Flying Crosses and Legions of Merit earned, and more than 700 Air Medals and clusters earned.
Recognizing other African-American groundbreakers, former U.S. Secretary of State and retired Gen. Colin L. Powell named the Golden 13, the Montford Point Marines and the 555th Paratroopers -- the Tuskegee Airmen's naval, Marine, and Army counterparts, respectively.
"I benefited from what you and so many others did. It is a rich history," he said. "I stand so proudly before you today but I know in the depth of my heart that the only reason I'm able to stand proudly before you today is because you stood proudly for America 60 years ago."
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
'Salute Our Services' Supports GIs, Families
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – A northern-Virginia-based nonprofit organization has provided worldwide assistance to families of deployed U.S. servicemembers for the past six years. Founded in mid-2001, Salute Our Services augments existing military family support programs by providing information and services for spouses and children of deployed military members, Patricia Johnson, the group's chief executive officer, said from her office in Reston, Va., during a phone interview with American Forces Press Service.
Sharing information and concerns with other military spouses who've experienced times when their spouses were deployed "provides you with perspective and makes you better prepared and equipped to handle it in a good way," Johnson, a military spouse herself, explained.
Johnson recalled feeling isolated years ago when her husband was away on deployments. Family members belonging to his Maryland-based Army reserve unit were dispersed across several states, she noted.
Johnson's unease was made worse, she said, because, "I wasn't part of a crowd that had military experience."
An SOS-sponsored virtual family readiness group Internet site was established in 2002, Johnson said. It provided spouses of deployed servicemembers who may live hundreds of miles apart the ability to share information of mutual interest.
Today, those secure sites are managed by U.S. Army Community and Family Services, she said, and they service at least 1,000 Army units across the United States.
SOS is proud to partner with America Supports You, a Defense-Department sponsored program highlighting the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers, Johnson said.
"America Supports You has been great," Johnson said. Association with the DoD program has helped her organization obtain assistance from high-profile celebrities such as National Basketball Association superstar Shaquille O'Neal, she said.
The SOS group manages a mentorship program that connects military family members experiencing a spouse's deployment for the first time with someone who's already been through that experience, Johnson said.
SOS-provided assistance for military families also includes grants and other programs, Johnson said. For example, one initiative provides military families with deployed spouses living in Fairfax County, Va., with free admission to county-provided recreational activities.
Other programs offer family outings to local professional sporting events, Johnson said. And O'Neal is participating in the SOS-sponsored "A Thousand Thanks to Military Children" program. The Miami Heat player is helping to send out thank you letters to children of deployed servicemembers.
Each letter is personalized "so that the child realizes that Dad or Mom, whoever is deployed, is thinking about them," Johnson said.
Studies show military members perform better during deployments if they're not distracted by family issues from back home, she said.
"If they don't have to worry about us back home, then they are better able to do their jobs," Johnson pointed out.
Karen McCoy, 42, the wife of a Virginia Army National Guard staff sergeant, obtained SOS grants for her son and daughter after her husband deployed in December 2005 for more than a year of duty in Kosovo.
McCoy used one grant for ballet lessons for her then-11-year-old daughter, she said. The other grant, she added, paid for her then-10-year-old actor son's voice lessons. These after-school activities, McCoy explained, helped to keep her children engaged in positive activities while their father was away.
SOS offers much-appreciated assistance for military families, McCoy, a Herndon, Va., resident, said. Organization representatives "were always asking if there was anything more that they could provide," she recalled.
"Salute Our Services was very responsive," McCoy said. "They are full of energy and very helpful."
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – A northern-Virginia-based nonprofit organization has provided worldwide assistance to families of deployed U.S. servicemembers for the past six years. Founded in mid-2001, Salute Our Services augments existing military family support programs by providing information and services for spouses and children of deployed military members, Patricia Johnson, the group's chief executive officer, said from her office in Reston, Va., during a phone interview with American Forces Press Service.
Sharing information and concerns with other military spouses who've experienced times when their spouses were deployed "provides you with perspective and makes you better prepared and equipped to handle it in a good way," Johnson, a military spouse herself, explained.
Johnson recalled feeling isolated years ago when her husband was away on deployments. Family members belonging to his Maryland-based Army reserve unit were dispersed across several states, she noted.
Johnson's unease was made worse, she said, because, "I wasn't part of a crowd that had military experience."
An SOS-sponsored virtual family readiness group Internet site was established in 2002, Johnson said. It provided spouses of deployed servicemembers who may live hundreds of miles apart the ability to share information of mutual interest.
Today, those secure sites are managed by U.S. Army Community and Family Services, she said, and they service at least 1,000 Army units across the United States.
SOS is proud to partner with America Supports You, a Defense-Department sponsored program highlighting the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers, Johnson said.
"America Supports You has been great," Johnson said. Association with the DoD program has helped her organization obtain assistance from high-profile celebrities such as National Basketball Association superstar Shaquille O'Neal, she said.
The SOS group manages a mentorship program that connects military family members experiencing a spouse's deployment for the first time with someone who's already been through that experience, Johnson said.
SOS-provided assistance for military families also includes grants and other programs, Johnson said. For example, one initiative provides military families with deployed spouses living in Fairfax County, Va., with free admission to county-provided recreational activities.
Other programs offer family outings to local professional sporting events, Johnson said. And O'Neal is participating in the SOS-sponsored "A Thousand Thanks to Military Children" program. The Miami Heat player is helping to send out thank you letters to children of deployed servicemembers.
Each letter is personalized "so that the child realizes that Dad or Mom, whoever is deployed, is thinking about them," Johnson said.
Studies show military members perform better during deployments if they're not distracted by family issues from back home, she said.
"If they don't have to worry about us back home, then they are better able to do their jobs," Johnson pointed out.
Karen McCoy, 42, the wife of a Virginia Army National Guard staff sergeant, obtained SOS grants for her son and daughter after her husband deployed in December 2005 for more than a year of duty in Kosovo.
McCoy used one grant for ballet lessons for her then-11-year-old daughter, she said. The other grant, she added, paid for her then-10-year-old actor son's voice lessons. These after-school activities, McCoy explained, helped to keep her children engaged in positive activities while their father was away.
SOS offers much-appreciated assistance for military families, McCoy, a Herndon, Va., resident, said. Organization representatives "were always asking if there was anything more that they could provide," she recalled.
"Salute Our Services was very responsive," McCoy said. "They are full of energy and very helpful."
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
Inspector General Nominee Finds Inspiration in Deployed Troops
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – Retired Army Lt. Gen. Claude M. "Mick" Kicklighter was in Afghanistan leading an assessment team for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in December when he was asked to consider being nominated by President Bush to be the Defense Department's inspector general. Kicklighter, who was a sergeant in the Army Reserve when he graduated from college and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, said past and present servicemembers have inspired him to continue a life of public service since he retired from the Army in 1991.
"I spent almost 36 years on active duty," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday at his confirmation hearing. "And as I was retiring, I was asked to plan and lead and oversee the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of World War II and assist our nation in thanking and honoring the men and women in the greatest generation, who saved not only this nation but literally saved the world."
This led to other jobs in the State, Defense and Veterans Affairs departments over the next 15 years, he said, and the opportunity to see today's military in action made him readily accept the challenge of becoming DoD's new IG.
"Having been on the ground a number of times in Iraq and Afghanistan with these magnificent men and women fighting this global war against terrorism," he said, "it is impossible for me not to want to do all I can to support this, another great generation of Americans."
Kicklighter promised to bring "leadership, management skills and a broad-gauge approach" to the position.
"There's no doubt there's much that I have to learn and relearn," he acknowledged. "But if confirmed, I look forward to joining the IG family, and together we'll continue to build the IG team that our troops, their families, the Department of Defense and this Congress and the American people have a right to expect."
He pledged that the IG's office would remain independent and objective and would keep keep Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the Congress "fully and currently informed."
Kicklighter currently serves as director of the Iraq-Afghanistan Transition Planning Group. Prior to this, he served as chief of staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Earlier in his career, he served as special advisor for stabilization and security operations in Iraq and Afghanistan at the State Department.
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – Retired Army Lt. Gen. Claude M. "Mick" Kicklighter was in Afghanistan leading an assessment team for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in December when he was asked to consider being nominated by President Bush to be the Defense Department's inspector general. Kicklighter, who was a sergeant in the Army Reserve when he graduated from college and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, said past and present servicemembers have inspired him to continue a life of public service since he retired from the Army in 1991.
"I spent almost 36 years on active duty," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday at his confirmation hearing. "And as I was retiring, I was asked to plan and lead and oversee the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of World War II and assist our nation in thanking and honoring the men and women in the greatest generation, who saved not only this nation but literally saved the world."
This led to other jobs in the State, Defense and Veterans Affairs departments over the next 15 years, he said, and the opportunity to see today's military in action made him readily accept the challenge of becoming DoD's new IG.
"Having been on the ground a number of times in Iraq and Afghanistan with these magnificent men and women fighting this global war against terrorism," he said, "it is impossible for me not to want to do all I can to support this, another great generation of Americans."
Kicklighter promised to bring "leadership, management skills and a broad-gauge approach" to the position.
"There's no doubt there's much that I have to learn and relearn," he acknowledged. "But if confirmed, I look forward to joining the IG family, and together we'll continue to build the IG team that our troops, their families, the Department of Defense and this Congress and the American people have a right to expect."
He pledged that the IG's office would remain independent and objective and would keep keep Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the Congress "fully and currently informed."
Kicklighter currently serves as director of the Iraq-Afghanistan Transition Planning Group. Prior to this, he served as chief of staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Earlier in his career, he served as special advisor for stabilization and security operations in Iraq and Afghanistan at the State Department.
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
Missile Defense System Protects United States, Allies
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – The United States has been fielding a missile defense system aimed toward defending itself, its deployed forces and its allies against emerging threats, a top military official said today. “We initially turned our attention to North Korea, because we felt that that had the higher sense of urgency, and we believe that that was somewhat justified by the activities last summer," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry A. "Trey" Obering III, director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, referring to North Korea's July 2006 missile tests.
"We have since begun to turn our attention to Iran, as well," he told reporters at a State Department foreign press briefing here on missile defense and Europe.
Obering said he's briefed the NATO-Russia Council and has opened discussions with German, French and Ukrainian officials in their respective European capitals. Talks with the Czech Republic and Poland are ongoing, and visits to Spain, Turkey, Greece and Hungary to discuss missile defense issues will take place in coming weeks, he said.
During these discussions, Obering said has been asked several recurring questions.
"I get asked, 'Well, first of all, doesn't this upset the balance that we've achieved in the past between deterrence? And what about arms control? Doesn't this contradict arms control measures?'" he said.
Obering said he reminds European officials that missile defense is part of a spectrum.
"It's part of an entire toolbox that we try to use to address the ballistic missile threat," he said. "At one end of that spectrum you have deterrence, and we believe that that is still a very viable concept.
"We also believe, though, that we may come into contact with nation-states or non-state actors that are not deterrable, that are not affected by arms control measures," he continued. "And when you have warheads flying in the air, it is a moral obligation to do something about that for the population (rather) than turning around and just saying, 'Sorry, we can't do anything about that.'"
Obering said ballistic missiles, which have proliferated for many years around the world, would be made less valuable by a global missile defense system.
"If you begin to deploy defensive capabilities to where you can negate these missiles, it begins to devalue them ... to the nations or to the organizations (that have them), because we believe we can render them ineffective," he said.
Obering emphasized that missile defense weapons are "defensive assets."
"These are not offensive missiles. They do not even carry warheads. There are no explosives on these missiles," he said. "We operate on a hit-to-kill technology, which is we actually drive a very small kill vehicle into an enemy warhead to destroy it."
This method is effective, Obering said, because the missiles used are so small and fast, they destroy enemy warheads with kinetic energy. "In fact, the kill vehicles that we're talking about that would be placed on the interceptors in Poland are no more than about 70 to 75 kilograms," he said.
Listing the system's recent benchmarks, Obering said that since 2001, the United States has had 24 successful hit-to-kill intercepts in about 32 attempts, including about 15 consecutive successful intercepts, over roughly the past two and a half years.
"We have had very good success in the past two and a half years with respect to testing of this system," he said. "It is a capability that does work, and that we will rely on as we move into this 21st century."
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – The United States has been fielding a missile defense system aimed toward defending itself, its deployed forces and its allies against emerging threats, a top military official said today. “We initially turned our attention to North Korea, because we felt that that had the higher sense of urgency, and we believe that that was somewhat justified by the activities last summer," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry A. "Trey" Obering III, director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, referring to North Korea's July 2006 missile tests.
"We have since begun to turn our attention to Iran, as well," he told reporters at a State Department foreign press briefing here on missile defense and Europe.
Obering said he's briefed the NATO-Russia Council and has opened discussions with German, French and Ukrainian officials in their respective European capitals. Talks with the Czech Republic and Poland are ongoing, and visits to Spain, Turkey, Greece and Hungary to discuss missile defense issues will take place in coming weeks, he said.
During these discussions, Obering said has been asked several recurring questions.
"I get asked, 'Well, first of all, doesn't this upset the balance that we've achieved in the past between deterrence? And what about arms control? Doesn't this contradict arms control measures?'" he said.
Obering said he reminds European officials that missile defense is part of a spectrum.
"It's part of an entire toolbox that we try to use to address the ballistic missile threat," he said. "At one end of that spectrum you have deterrence, and we believe that that is still a very viable concept.
"We also believe, though, that we may come into contact with nation-states or non-state actors that are not deterrable, that are not affected by arms control measures," he continued. "And when you have warheads flying in the air, it is a moral obligation to do something about that for the population (rather) than turning around and just saying, 'Sorry, we can't do anything about that.'"
Obering said ballistic missiles, which have proliferated for many years around the world, would be made less valuable by a global missile defense system.
"If you begin to deploy defensive capabilities to where you can negate these missiles, it begins to devalue them ... to the nations or to the organizations (that have them), because we believe we can render them ineffective," he said.
Obering emphasized that missile defense weapons are "defensive assets."
"These are not offensive missiles. They do not even carry warheads. There are no explosives on these missiles," he said. "We operate on a hit-to-kill technology, which is we actually drive a very small kill vehicle into an enemy warhead to destroy it."
This method is effective, Obering said, because the missiles used are so small and fast, they destroy enemy warheads with kinetic energy. "In fact, the kill vehicles that we're talking about that would be placed on the interceptors in Poland are no more than about 70 to 75 kilograms," he said.
Listing the system's recent benchmarks, Obering said that since 2001, the United States has had 24 successful hit-to-kill intercepts in about 32 attempts, including about 15 consecutive successful intercepts, over roughly the past two and a half years.
"We have had very good success in the past two and a half years with respect to testing of this system," he said. "It is a capability that does work, and that we will rely on as we move into this 21st century."
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
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