By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 11, 2007 – All service branches met or exceeded their active-duty recruiting goals in March, but three of the six reserve components missed their targets, Defense Department officials announced yesterday. "For the month, the armed forces have done extraordinarily well," Bill Carr, the deputy undersecretary for Military Personnel Policy, said in an interview.
In March, the two ground services exceeded their recruiting goals. The Army had a goal of 5,500 recruits and actually enlisted 5,545 new soldiers, for 101 percent. The Marine Corps had a target of 1,787 and enlisted 1,936 recruits, for 108 percent of its goal.
The Navy and Air Force met their goals of 2,749 and 2,172, respectively.
DoD officials said retention in the services remains solid. The Army, Marine Corps and Air Force are meeting or exceeding overall retention missions. The Navy missed its first-term target, but achieved 99 percent overall.
On the reserve-component side, three of the six components made their recruiting goals in March.
"The reserves are over 100 percent except the Army Reserve and the Navy Reserve," Carr said. "But the National Guard for the Army is above 100 percent, so ... the ground forces are doing well."
The Army National Guard hit 105 percent of its goal, recruiting 6,953 soldiers out of 6,645 needed. The Air Force Reserve also exceeded its recruiting goal, recruiting 741 on a goal of 622, for 119 percent.
Also finishing March on the plus side was the Marine Corps Reserve, which attained 116 percent of its goal, recruiting 430 Marines on a goal of 371.
Falling short in March was the Army Reserve, which hit 80 percent of its goal, with 2,055 recruited out of 2,567 needed, and the Air National Guard, recruiting 90 percent of its goal, with 844 out of 933 needed.
The Navy Reserve missed its goal for the fifth consecutive month. The component hit 99 percent of its goal, recruiting 851 sailors out of 856 needed.
"(Navy Reserve recruits) are coming up, and they are starting to close the gap. So they're on the right azimuth now," Carr said. "I expect the Navy Reserve is going to be on the mend from this point to the end of the year."
Navy Reserve recruiters are putting in place the right incentives and best practices to help build momentum, he said.
For the year to date, the Army's active-duty recruitment is at 107 percent, and the Defense Department is at 104 percent in total enlisted accessions, Carr said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Use 'R-Triple-A' to Lead, Enlisted Leader Urges NCOs
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
April 11, 2007 – The Air Force Noncommissioned Officers Academy here gives students the tools to lead, but they need to use these tools in a way that works for them individually, the Defense Department's top NCO told graduates here today. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told 75 Air Force noncommissioned officers that an "R-triple-A" approach is what up-and-coming servicemembers expect and need from their leaders.
The "R" means leaders should respect their subordinates by giving them responsibility, Gainey told the graduates.
"They crave to ... be 'Responsible' for something," he said. "Give it to them. They're not going to let you down. Give them all the responsibility they can hold."
But giving people responsibility isn't enough, Gainey warned.
"The hard thing for us as leaders is the first 'A' -- to give them the 'Authority' to be responsible," he said.
Gesturing to the flags adorning the stage, Gainey explained that a leader who gives people responsibility for the flags, but tells them not to do anything without first asking for his or her approval isn't being an effective leader. "What have you given them?" he asked. "Nothing."
If authority is properly granted, Gainey said, the second "A" then comes into play.
"Hold them 'Accountable' for their actions, as they're going to hold you accountable for your actions," he told the graduates, adding that it's necessary not only for when subordinates fall short, but also when they succeed.
When they do fall short, he said, it's time for the third "A" - "Assist" them when they stumble.
"Everyone stumbles," he said. "It depends on who's there to help you."
When the inevitable stumbles occur, Gainey told the graduates, a good leader will help the person recover, but then must coach, teach, mentor and train so the individual learns from the experience and can succeed.
At that point, he said, it's important to express pride in the person's accomplishment and show confidence. "They need you to look them in the eye and ... (let them know you) care about them," he said.
Exhorting the graduates to move forward with their ambitions, Gainey advised them not to let anyone get in their way as long as they can answer "no" to five questions about their ambitions.
"The first thing (to ask yourself) is, 'Is it going to hurt somebody else?' No? Go for it," he said. "Is it going to hurt you? No. Go for it. Is it illegal? No. Go for it. Is it immoral? No. Go for it. Is it going to bring disgrace to your name or the unit or your country? No. Then you go for it, and don't let anybody tell you that you can't do it."
But if the answer to any of the five questions is "yes," he said, that has to be resolved.
Gainey used the desire to climb a mountain as an example. While the person might be able to say "no" in answer to four of the questions, the answer would have to be "yes" to the second question if the person lacked the proper training or equipment.
"Stop, take a step back, reassess what you want to do, get the proper training, get the proper equipment, and make it a 'no,'" he said.
The graduation culminated a day in which Gainey met with servicemembers all over the largest U.S. installation in the Pacific theater. He'll remain on Okinawa for the rest of the week, visiting servicemembers at other bases on the island and meeting more people at Kadena.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 11, 2007 – The Air Force Noncommissioned Officers Academy here gives students the tools to lead, but they need to use these tools in a way that works for them individually, the Defense Department's top NCO told graduates here today. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told 75 Air Force noncommissioned officers that an "R-triple-A" approach is what up-and-coming servicemembers expect and need from their leaders.
The "R" means leaders should respect their subordinates by giving them responsibility, Gainey told the graduates.
"They crave to ... be 'Responsible' for something," he said. "Give it to them. They're not going to let you down. Give them all the responsibility they can hold."
But giving people responsibility isn't enough, Gainey warned.
"The hard thing for us as leaders is the first 'A' -- to give them the 'Authority' to be responsible," he said.
Gesturing to the flags adorning the stage, Gainey explained that a leader who gives people responsibility for the flags, but tells them not to do anything without first asking for his or her approval isn't being an effective leader. "What have you given them?" he asked. "Nothing."
If authority is properly granted, Gainey said, the second "A" then comes into play.
"Hold them 'Accountable' for their actions, as they're going to hold you accountable for your actions," he told the graduates, adding that it's necessary not only for when subordinates fall short, but also when they succeed.
When they do fall short, he said, it's time for the third "A" - "Assist" them when they stumble.
"Everyone stumbles," he said. "It depends on who's there to help you."
When the inevitable stumbles occur, Gainey told the graduates, a good leader will help the person recover, but then must coach, teach, mentor and train so the individual learns from the experience and can succeed.
At that point, he said, it's important to express pride in the person's accomplishment and show confidence. "They need you to look them in the eye and ... (let them know you) care about them," he said.
Exhorting the graduates to move forward with their ambitions, Gainey advised them not to let anyone get in their way as long as they can answer "no" to five questions about their ambitions.
"The first thing (to ask yourself) is, 'Is it going to hurt somebody else?' No? Go for it," he said. "Is it going to hurt you? No. Go for it. Is it illegal? No. Go for it. Is it immoral? No. Go for it. Is it going to bring disgrace to your name or the unit or your country? No. Then you go for it, and don't let anybody tell you that you can't do it."
But if the answer to any of the five questions is "yes," he said, that has to be resolved.
Gainey used the desire to climb a mountain as an example. While the person might be able to say "no" in answer to four of the questions, the answer would have to be "yes" to the second question if the person lacked the proper training or equipment.
"Stop, take a step back, reassess what you want to do, get the proper training, get the proper equipment, and make it a 'no,'" he said.
The graduation culminated a day in which Gainey met with servicemembers all over the largest U.S. installation in the Pacific theater. He'll remain on Okinawa for the rest of the week, visiting servicemembers at other bases on the island and meeting more people at Kadena.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Guard Leaders Urge Solid Funding to Close Equipment, Training Gaps
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 11, 2007 – The National Guard force is second to none in terms of the quality of its people, but severe equipment shortfalls are keeping it from being fully ready, the chief of the National Guard Bureau told Congress today. Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum urged the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee to support the fiscal 2008 National Guard budget requests to ensure the Guard can continue serving as the country's "21st century Minutemen and -women."
Guard forces deployed overseas are "superbly equipped and superbly trained, ... and we want for nothing," Blum told the subcommittee.
But he said the situation at home isn't nearly as rosy. "It's a much different story, and it's not a good story," he said.
"The National Guard today, I am sad to say, is not a fully ready force," the general said. "Unresourced shortfalls still exist that approach $40 billion to provide the equipment and the training that I personally feel your Army and Air National Guard are expected to have to be able to respond to the citizens of the United States."
Blum introduced two Guard members who exemplify this gap.
One, an Oregon Air Guard staff sergeant who just completed a third combat tour in Iraq, returned home to his unit to train on equipment built in 1953. "Now imagine being a combat controller in a critical mission like that and operating with unreliable old equipment built in 1953," Blum told the subcommittee. "I think that says it all. So while we have the best people, we have some significant equipment challenges."
A Kansas Army Guardsman who accompanied Blum to the hearing faces an even more serious issue, he said. Returned from Iraq in November, the soldier "doesn't have a problem of old equipment," the general said. "He has a problem of no equipment."
His unit, after leaving its own equipment in Iraq for the unit that replaced them, returned home to just two Humvees, both deemed "not good enough to go to war," Blum said. "And that's the equipment he has in his unit today."
Should a tornado or other stateside disaster require a Guard mobilization, the unit's ability to respond would be minimized, "not because of the great people in it, but because of the lack of equipment that is in that unit right now," he said.
Blum said the problem has reached epidemic levels, particularly in the Army. Most of the units in the Army and Air National Guard are underequipped for the jobs and the missions they have to perform with no notice here at home," he said. "Can we do the job? Yes, we can. But the lack of equipment makes it take longer to do that job, and lost time translates into lost lives, and those lost lives are American lives."
He urged Congress to address these shortfalls, noting the defense bargain the National Guard represents. The Army Guard makes up almost 40 percent of the Army's combat, combat support and combat service support structure, but costs just 11 percent of the Army's budget, he said. Similarly, the Air Guard provides more than one-third of the Air Force capability, at just 6 percent of the Air Force's budget.
"Plus, your Army and Air National Guard are the only Department of Defense forces that can be called upon by the governors with no notice to do what is necessary right here in the zip codes where your constituents reside," he said.
Blum said these statistics demonstrate the importance of the National Guard, not only in the global war on terror, but as an on-call force ready to respond to stateside emergencies.
"This nation cannot afford the consequences of an unready Army and Air National Guard," Blum said. "A strong and properly resourced National Guard, I think, is the best credible deterrent for any of our adversaries overseas that might miscalculate and think that we are unable to respond."
Army Lt. Gen. Clyde Vaughn, vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, reported that recruiting and retention in the Army Guard is on the upswing since last year. "We have averaged, at a net, over 1,000 a month to our end strength," he said.
He urged Congress to provide the resources these troops need to be mission-ready, citing the newly retired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker's mantra, "Don't confuse enthusiasm with capability."
"I can tell you that we have the enthusiasm," Vaughn told the senators. "The capabilities, you buy. You buy it in terms of training dollars, and you buy it in terms of equipment."
Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley, the Air National Guard's vice chief, joined Blum and Vaughn in urging congressional support for the National Guard budget requests. In the midst of tremendous "churn" within the force -- much of it due to the Base Realignment and Closure process -- the Air Guard continues to operate as a highly effective force, he said.
"Your Air National Guard is ready to fight today," he said. "They are totally integrated in the United States Air Force in the global war on terror; they are fighting the away game very professionally in all theaters of the globe, and we are also providing great support here at home."
Maintaining this capability requires solid funding so the force can modernize, McKinley said. "It is extremely important to the Air National Guard that our Air Force continues to recapitalize so we can transition the 20th century Air National Guard into a highly effective combat capable 21st century Air National Guard," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 11, 2007 – The National Guard force is second to none in terms of the quality of its people, but severe equipment shortfalls are keeping it from being fully ready, the chief of the National Guard Bureau told Congress today. Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum urged the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee to support the fiscal 2008 National Guard budget requests to ensure the Guard can continue serving as the country's "21st century Minutemen and -women."
Guard forces deployed overseas are "superbly equipped and superbly trained, ... and we want for nothing," Blum told the subcommittee.
But he said the situation at home isn't nearly as rosy. "It's a much different story, and it's not a good story," he said.
"The National Guard today, I am sad to say, is not a fully ready force," the general said. "Unresourced shortfalls still exist that approach $40 billion to provide the equipment and the training that I personally feel your Army and Air National Guard are expected to have to be able to respond to the citizens of the United States."
Blum introduced two Guard members who exemplify this gap.
One, an Oregon Air Guard staff sergeant who just completed a third combat tour in Iraq, returned home to his unit to train on equipment built in 1953. "Now imagine being a combat controller in a critical mission like that and operating with unreliable old equipment built in 1953," Blum told the subcommittee. "I think that says it all. So while we have the best people, we have some significant equipment challenges."
A Kansas Army Guardsman who accompanied Blum to the hearing faces an even more serious issue, he said. Returned from Iraq in November, the soldier "doesn't have a problem of old equipment," the general said. "He has a problem of no equipment."
His unit, after leaving its own equipment in Iraq for the unit that replaced them, returned home to just two Humvees, both deemed "not good enough to go to war," Blum said. "And that's the equipment he has in his unit today."
Should a tornado or other stateside disaster require a Guard mobilization, the unit's ability to respond would be minimized, "not because of the great people in it, but because of the lack of equipment that is in that unit right now," he said.
Blum said the problem has reached epidemic levels, particularly in the Army. Most of the units in the Army and Air National Guard are underequipped for the jobs and the missions they have to perform with no notice here at home," he said. "Can we do the job? Yes, we can. But the lack of equipment makes it take longer to do that job, and lost time translates into lost lives, and those lost lives are American lives."
He urged Congress to address these shortfalls, noting the defense bargain the National Guard represents. The Army Guard makes up almost 40 percent of the Army's combat, combat support and combat service support structure, but costs just 11 percent of the Army's budget, he said. Similarly, the Air Guard provides more than one-third of the Air Force capability, at just 6 percent of the Air Force's budget.
"Plus, your Army and Air National Guard are the only Department of Defense forces that can be called upon by the governors with no notice to do what is necessary right here in the zip codes where your constituents reside," he said.
Blum said these statistics demonstrate the importance of the National Guard, not only in the global war on terror, but as an on-call force ready to respond to stateside emergencies.
"This nation cannot afford the consequences of an unready Army and Air National Guard," Blum said. "A strong and properly resourced National Guard, I think, is the best credible deterrent for any of our adversaries overseas that might miscalculate and think that we are unable to respond."
Army Lt. Gen. Clyde Vaughn, vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, reported that recruiting and retention in the Army Guard is on the upswing since last year. "We have averaged, at a net, over 1,000 a month to our end strength," he said.
He urged Congress to provide the resources these troops need to be mission-ready, citing the newly retired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker's mantra, "Don't confuse enthusiasm with capability."
"I can tell you that we have the enthusiasm," Vaughn told the senators. "The capabilities, you buy. You buy it in terms of training dollars, and you buy it in terms of equipment."
Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley, the Air National Guard's vice chief, joined Blum and Vaughn in urging congressional support for the National Guard budget requests. In the midst of tremendous "churn" within the force -- much of it due to the Base Realignment and Closure process -- the Air Guard continues to operate as a highly effective force, he said.
"Your Air National Guard is ready to fight today," he said. "They are totally integrated in the United States Air Force in the global war on terror; they are fighting the away game very professionally in all theaters of the globe, and we are also providing great support here at home."
Maintaining this capability requires solid funding so the force can modernize, McKinley said. "It is extremely important to the Air National Guard that our Air Force continues to recapitalize so we can transition the 20th century Air National Guard into a highly effective combat capable 21st century Air National Guard," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Asia Crucial Front in Long War on Terror
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
April 11, 2007 – South Asia and Southeast Asia are crucial fronts in the long war, and U.S. policies in the region are paying off, a top Defense Department expert on Asia said today. U.S. national interests and "our national health" lie squarely in Asia, Marine Brig. Gen. John Toolan, the principal director for South and Southeast Asia for DoD, said here during a briefing at the Pentagon. This is true economically, but also from a security standpoint.
The U.S. military uses an "indirect approach" to combating terrorism in the region, Toolan said. A key to success is building the security capacity of allies in the region. Building this capacity crosses U.S. military and government lines, he said. DoD agencies; the State, Justice and Commerce departments; and the U.S. Agency for International Development are all players in building a country's economic and security capacities.
Toolan said the indirect approach reduces the U.S. footprint in the region and encourages a more multilateral approach to security issues in the area.
"We've learned from experience that having large footprints is problematic," Toolan said. "And so our effort is ... using the experience and the talents that are available to the U.S., to then impart those capabilities upon our friends and allies in South and Southeast Asia and allow them to do the job.
"And by the indirect approach," he added, "I also mean being able to use some of our key allies in Asia, and working with them and through them to then help build capacity and capability within South and Southeast Asia."
The United States works closely with treaty allies in the region, including Japan, Korea, Thailand and Australia, to improve the capabilities of neighboring countries. This has worked in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and other nations.
"So this indirect approach is not only just training and emphasizing the capabilities of our friends in South and Southeast Asia, but also working indirectly through some of our key allies in Asia," he said.
China and India are the two largest nations on Earth and two nations that are playing increasing parts on the world stage. He said no one can talk about South Asia and Southeast Asia without considering China. The United States is involved in engaging China and capitalizing on China's desire for stability and security in Asia.
India is the largest democracy in the world, and the U.S. relationship with the nation continues to grow, Toolan said. A U.S.-Indian naval exercise is under way in the Indian Ocean.
"There is a natural relationship between India and the U.S," Toolan said. "And so as we look at that wide-open sea in the area that's particularly around ... what we call the terrorist triangle in and around the Sulawesi Sea, having India's ... naval capability to help address the security in those oceans is of great importance."
South and Southeast Asian nations see the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as drawing too much U.S. attention, Toolan said. Leaders in the region believe that the United States isn't spending "the quality time that's necessary to build those interests and build those relationships" with the region.
The general referenced the concept often called "whack-a-mole" after the arcade game. "You take care of a problem in one part of the world, and a problem will pop up some place else," he said. "What we have really established ... is a concept of attacking the war on terrorism from a global perspective."
This concept calls for a unified government plan, Toolan said. Promoting economic development, shaping the conditions for the rule of law, encouraging good governance are all part of promoting stability and security in the region. And these require expertise from all areas of the U.S. government, he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 11, 2007 – South Asia and Southeast Asia are crucial fronts in the long war, and U.S. policies in the region are paying off, a top Defense Department expert on Asia said today. U.S. national interests and "our national health" lie squarely in Asia, Marine Brig. Gen. John Toolan, the principal director for South and Southeast Asia for DoD, said here during a briefing at the Pentagon. This is true economically, but also from a security standpoint.
The U.S. military uses an "indirect approach" to combating terrorism in the region, Toolan said. A key to success is building the security capacity of allies in the region. Building this capacity crosses U.S. military and government lines, he said. DoD agencies; the State, Justice and Commerce departments; and the U.S. Agency for International Development are all players in building a country's economic and security capacities.
Toolan said the indirect approach reduces the U.S. footprint in the region and encourages a more multilateral approach to security issues in the area.
"We've learned from experience that having large footprints is problematic," Toolan said. "And so our effort is ... using the experience and the talents that are available to the U.S., to then impart those capabilities upon our friends and allies in South and Southeast Asia and allow them to do the job.
"And by the indirect approach," he added, "I also mean being able to use some of our key allies in Asia, and working with them and through them to then help build capacity and capability within South and Southeast Asia."
The United States works closely with treaty allies in the region, including Japan, Korea, Thailand and Australia, to improve the capabilities of neighboring countries. This has worked in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and other nations.
"So this indirect approach is not only just training and emphasizing the capabilities of our friends in South and Southeast Asia, but also working indirectly through some of our key allies in Asia," he said.
China and India are the two largest nations on Earth and two nations that are playing increasing parts on the world stage. He said no one can talk about South Asia and Southeast Asia without considering China. The United States is involved in engaging China and capitalizing on China's desire for stability and security in Asia.
India is the largest democracy in the world, and the U.S. relationship with the nation continues to grow, Toolan said. A U.S.-Indian naval exercise is under way in the Indian Ocean.
"There is a natural relationship between India and the U.S," Toolan said. "And so as we look at that wide-open sea in the area that's particularly around ... what we call the terrorist triangle in and around the Sulawesi Sea, having India's ... naval capability to help address the security in those oceans is of great importance."
South and Southeast Asian nations see the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as drawing too much U.S. attention, Toolan said. Leaders in the region believe that the United States isn't spending "the quality time that's necessary to build those interests and build those relationships" with the region.
The general referenced the concept often called "whack-a-mole" after the arcade game. "You take care of a problem in one part of the world, and a problem will pop up some place else," he said. "What we have really established ... is a concept of attacking the war on terrorism from a global perspective."
This concept calls for a unified government plan, Toolan said. Promoting economic development, shaping the conditions for the rule of law, encouraging good governance are all part of promoting stability and security in the region. And these require expertise from all areas of the U.S. government, he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Gates Extends Army Tours in Iraq to 15 Months
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
April 11, 2007 – All soldiers in the U.S. Central Command area of operations will serve 15-month tours in the region beginning immediately, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced today. "Effective immediately, active Army units now in the Central Command area of responsibility and those headed there will deploy for not more than 15 months and return home for not less than 12 months," Gates said, during a Pentagon news conference.
This policy applies to all active duty Army units with the exception of two brigades currently in Iraq that have already been extended to 16 months. The policy does not apply to Marine Corps, Navy or Air Force units serving in Central Command. It also does not apply to Army National Guard or Army Reserve units deployed to the region.
The 15-month tour applies to active duty soldiers serving in Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and all the countries in the region. U.S. Central Command stretches from Kenya to Kazakhstan and Egypt to Pakistan.
Soldiers will receive an extra $1,000 a month for each month or portion of the month that they serve longer than 12 months, Gates said.
Gates called this policy an "interim change." The goal for active duty units is 12 months deployed followed by 12 months at home station. Ultimately, the Army would like to see soldiers deployed for 12 months and home for 24 months.
"My objective was to set clear guidelines that our commanders troops and their families could use in determining how future rotations in support of the global war on terror would effect them," Gates said.
Upon taking office in December 2006, Gates learned that even the sustaining the level of deployed Army forces needed before surging five brigades into Iraq would require active duty units to flow into Iraq before they had spent a full 12 months at home. He said this reality was a significant factor in his decision to recommend to President Bush that defense officials increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps over the next five years by 62,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines.
The deployment change is intended to provide better clarity, predictability and sustainability in how the Defense Department deploys active duty Army forces, Gates said.
He said the changes produce clear, realistic, executable, and long-term policy goals to guide the deployment of active duty forces. The change will also allow the Army to support the 20 brigade goal of the surge as long as it is needed, he said.
"Without this action we would have had to deploy five Army active duty brigades sooner than the 12-month at home goal," Gates said. "I believe it is fairer to all soldiers that all share the burden equally."
The secretary said he realizes his decision will ask a lot of Army troops and their families.
"We are deeply grateful for the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and their commitment to accomplishing our mission," he said. "In the end, this new approach will better allow the Army to better support the war effort while providing a more predictable and dependable deployment schedule for our soldiers and their families."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
April 11, 2007 – All soldiers in the U.S. Central Command area of operations will serve 15-month tours in the region beginning immediately, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced today. "Effective immediately, active Army units now in the Central Command area of responsibility and those headed there will deploy for not more than 15 months and return home for not less than 12 months," Gates said, during a Pentagon news conference.
This policy applies to all active duty Army units with the exception of two brigades currently in Iraq that have already been extended to 16 months. The policy does not apply to Marine Corps, Navy or Air Force units serving in Central Command. It also does not apply to Army National Guard or Army Reserve units deployed to the region.
The 15-month tour applies to active duty soldiers serving in Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and all the countries in the region. U.S. Central Command stretches from Kenya to Kazakhstan and Egypt to Pakistan.
Soldiers will receive an extra $1,000 a month for each month or portion of the month that they serve longer than 12 months, Gates said.
Gates called this policy an "interim change." The goal for active duty units is 12 months deployed followed by 12 months at home station. Ultimately, the Army would like to see soldiers deployed for 12 months and home for 24 months.
"My objective was to set clear guidelines that our commanders troops and their families could use in determining how future rotations in support of the global war on terror would effect them," Gates said.
Upon taking office in December 2006, Gates learned that even the sustaining the level of deployed Army forces needed before surging five brigades into Iraq would require active duty units to flow into Iraq before they had spent a full 12 months at home. He said this reality was a significant factor in his decision to recommend to President Bush that defense officials increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps over the next five years by 62,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines.
The deployment change is intended to provide better clarity, predictability and sustainability in how the Defense Department deploys active duty Army forces, Gates said.
He said the changes produce clear, realistic, executable, and long-term policy goals to guide the deployment of active duty forces. The change will also allow the Army to support the 20 brigade goal of the surge as long as it is needed, he said.
"Without this action we would have had to deploy five Army active duty brigades sooner than the 12-month at home goal," Gates said. "I believe it is fairer to all soldiers that all share the burden equally."
The secretary said he realizes his decision will ask a lot of Army troops and their families.
"We are deeply grateful for the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and their commitment to accomplishing our mission," he said. "In the end, this new approach will better allow the Army to better support the war effort while providing a more predictable and dependable deployment schedule for our soldiers and their families."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Why We Serve: Army Captain Embraces Life, Military Service
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 11, 2007 – Much to her parent's chagrin, when Jessica Murphy was in fourth grade she joined the boy's flag football team. "I was a little 4-foot, 50-pound string bean," she said. "I loved playing, but once I got to the age where the team started tackling, my mom made me quit."
The Milwaukee native said her can-do attitude and tendency to buck stereotypes carried through to her college years when, unbeknownst to her parents, she applied for and was awarded an ROTC scholarship.
After earning a degree in political science from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, in 2001, Murphy was commissioned into the Army's military police corps.
She said her parents weren't exactly thrilled, but once they saw her successes and experiences within the military they were more than supportive of her decisions.
"I've done things that others don't normally get to do," Murphy said, as she listed her experiences in meeting the secretary of defense, working on military assignments associated with presidential visits, and touring the White House.
Murphy is one of eight servicemembers selected by the Defense Department to join the "Why We Serve" outreach program. Members representing each military branch travel to communities across the nation to relate their personal military experiences through speaking engagements ranging from veterans organizations to schools to business groups.
"I've been able to do so many things in six short years," Murphy said. "It's awesome, and I love it!"
Although meeting such dignitaries has been an honor for her, Murphy said that her most fulfilling assignment has been serving as a platoon leader in the 300th Military Police Company at Fort Riley, Kan.
"Honestly there is no better job on this earth," the captain said.
Within a few months of her arrival to the unit at the end of 2002, the 300th MP Company deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Murphy served as a platoon leader for seven months before moving up to become the company's executive officer for the remainder of the year-long combat tour.
Being in charge of every aspect of her soldiers' lives from training and morale, to job evaluations and personal finances, Murphy said that her soldiers became her family.
"It was almost like I was their parent," she said. "I actually call them my kids and stay in touch with them to this day."
The 27-year-old said that other aspects of military life have fit her very well.
Sports have always played an important part in her life from cross-country running and track when in high school to rock climbing and snow boarding while in college.
"The teamwork found among sports teams came naturally to me," Murphy said. "It's very similar to the military too."
Murphy's enthusiasm and zeal for life is apparent when she begins talking about all the things still on her list of things to try.
"My life is all about experiencing 'things,'" she said with a smile. "Life is too short; there are so many things out there to do, and I don't want to be limited by anything."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 11, 2007 – Much to her parent's chagrin, when Jessica Murphy was in fourth grade she joined the boy's flag football team. "I was a little 4-foot, 50-pound string bean," she said. "I loved playing, but once I got to the age where the team started tackling, my mom made me quit."
The Milwaukee native said her can-do attitude and tendency to buck stereotypes carried through to her college years when, unbeknownst to her parents, she applied for and was awarded an ROTC scholarship.
After earning a degree in political science from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, in 2001, Murphy was commissioned into the Army's military police corps.
She said her parents weren't exactly thrilled, but once they saw her successes and experiences within the military they were more than supportive of her decisions.
"I've done things that others don't normally get to do," Murphy said, as she listed her experiences in meeting the secretary of defense, working on military assignments associated with presidential visits, and touring the White House.
Murphy is one of eight servicemembers selected by the Defense Department to join the "Why We Serve" outreach program. Members representing each military branch travel to communities across the nation to relate their personal military experiences through speaking engagements ranging from veterans organizations to schools to business groups.
"I've been able to do so many things in six short years," Murphy said. "It's awesome, and I love it!"
Although meeting such dignitaries has been an honor for her, Murphy said that her most fulfilling assignment has been serving as a platoon leader in the 300th Military Police Company at Fort Riley, Kan.
"Honestly there is no better job on this earth," the captain said.
Within a few months of her arrival to the unit at the end of 2002, the 300th MP Company deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Murphy served as a platoon leader for seven months before moving up to become the company's executive officer for the remainder of the year-long combat tour.
Being in charge of every aspect of her soldiers' lives from training and morale, to job evaluations and personal finances, Murphy said that her soldiers became her family.
"It was almost like I was their parent," she said. "I actually call them my kids and stay in touch with them to this day."
The 27-year-old said that other aspects of military life have fit her very well.
Sports have always played an important part in her life from cross-country running and track when in high school to rock climbing and snow boarding while in college.
"The teamwork found among sports teams came naturally to me," Murphy said. "It's very similar to the military too."
Murphy's enthusiasm and zeal for life is apparent when she begins talking about all the things still on her list of things to try.
"My life is all about experiencing 'things,'" she said with a smile. "Life is too short; there are so many things out there to do, and I don't want to be limited by anything."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
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