By Elaine Wilson
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – An Army Medical Department Center and School program was ranked second in the nation by U.S. News and World Report magazine in this year's edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools," which hit the stands in early April. The U.S. Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing missed top spot in the nursing-anesthesia category by only a tenth of a point, with a score of 4.0 out of 5.0. Virginia Commonwealth University earned a score of 4.1.
"We're inching our way up to a top ranking," Army Lt. Col. Thomas Ceremuga, anesthesia nursing program director, said in referring to the increase in the program's score. The program was last ranked in 2003, when it earned second place with a score of 3.8.
U.S. News and World Report bases its nurse specialty rankings on ratings by educators and deans at peer schools, according to the magazine. With 106 nursing anesthesia schools in the nation, Ceremuga said, the high regard is a valuable compliment, although he is quick to attribute the program's success to the quality and dedication of the faculty and students. "I'm very appreciative for all the hard work within the school and the esteem our peers have for us in the nursing community," he said.
The Army program at Fort Sam Houston produces more than 90 percent of the Army's certified registered nurse anesthetists, as well as Air Force and Veterans Affairs CRNAs. With the CRNA career field in high demand, Ceremuga said, he works to ensure the competitive program fully equips the nurses for peacetime and war.
"Most of our CRNAs will deploy soon after they graduate, so we need to ensure they receive the training they need for a deployment as we teach them the basic skills they need to be a certified registered nurse anesthetist," Ceremuga said.
The anesthesia nursing program comprises a year of classroom training and another 18 months of clinical training at one of several Phase 2 sites, located in military hospitals and medical centers throughout the nation. Classes average about 40 people and are open to Army, Air Force and VA registered nurses. The students are required to have a bachelor's degree in nursing science and a year or two of nursing experience under their belts to compete for a seat in the class.
"It's competitive," Ceremuga said. "We have some students with five to 10 years of experience here earning their second master's degree. The students are very accomplished overall."
With an average attrition rate of 25 percent, the experience level and maturity of a slightly older student body comes in handy, although "the attrition rate due to academics is not as high as the number reflects," Ceremuga explained. "About half of the students in that percentage leave for personal reasons as opposed to academic."
During a rigorous training schedule, students learn to administer anesthesia in a variety of settings, from an operating room in a stateside hospital to a forward surgical team downrange. Training encompasses a variety of anesthesia agents and the administration of local, regional and general anesthesia.
Additionally, during a short break from classroom sessions, students take on a scientific research project while in Phase 1, then write up and present findings at local and national conferences during Phase 2. A recent research study examined the effectiveness of the blankets the Army uses to prevent hypothermia, and another looked at the effect herbs have on emergence from anesthesia.
The positive exposure from public appearances only helps to improve the school's reputation, Dr. Don Johnson, research program director, said. "Our students are at the forefront. They represent the school very well," he said.
Like the students, instructors also are experienced, with Army, Air Force and VA backgrounds. One of the instructors, Dr. Doug Christi, was recently named the Army Medical Department Center and School's instructor of the year.
Program leaders and instructors strive to keep the training current, particularly when applying lessons learned from the field. A recent data call helped tailor the course to today's needs.
"We queried Army and Air Force nurse anesthetists who have deployed and have shifted our focus so our training reflects current events," Ceremuga said. He added that more of the training emphasis is on trauma rotations, central line placement, pediatric care, emergency airway management, regional anesthesia, and pain management.
At the completion of training, students receive a master's degree from a partnering university, which offers administrative support and issues the degrees. Up until now, students received the degree from the University of Texas at Houston Health and Science Center. However, starting with the next class in June, a new contract has partnered the Army with Northeastern University in Boston.
Upon graduation, students become mostly autonomous, an aspect of the career field that is attractive to many of the nurses, who would otherwise be required to have oversight from a doctor in many other settings.
"A nurse anesthetist is the culmination of critical care and independence," said Army Capt. Thurayya Gillis, head nurse of same-day surgery and pre-op at Fort Jackson, S.C. "You can provide the care rather than just deliver it."
Air Force Capt. Daniel Moore, an intensive care unit nurse from Wilford Hall Medical Center, said he has always been interested in the CRNA career field. "I've wanted to do this since I started as a nurse. I like the idea of the autonomy, absolute control.
"It suits my Type A personality," he joked.
With its highly reputable program, the Army has no problem attracting trainees. In fact, notable graduates include the acting Army Surgeon General Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock and retired Brig. Gen. William Bester, acting dean of nursing at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
But with salaries running into six figures for nurse anesthetists outside the military, the Army does have trouble retaining trained CRNAs.
"It's hard to compete with the salaries in the civilian sector," Ceremuga said. "All we have is our name, our reputation and a promise of a high-quality education.
"The students who apply and come to this program know they can make more elsewhere. They know they will have to deploy," he said. "That tells me something about their character and their patriotism."
The new class in June will have 52 students, a record number for the program and a testament to the program's high-quality education. However, Maj. Jeffrey Conroy, Ceremuga's right hand and the director of the simulation program, said the appeal of the Army program is not based on rankings alone.
"We may not have been ranked No. 1, but we've always had the No. 1 mission -- taking care of soldiers," he said.
(Elaine Wilson is assigned to the Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
DoD Honors Arizona City for Troop Support
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – The Defense Department recognized the city of Peoria, Ariz., yesterday for its stalwart support of the military. Peoria Mayor Bob Barrett accepted the Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award on behalf of his city in a ceremony here.
"(The servicemembers) are the people that we are honoring here today. These are the people we are asking the supreme sacrifice of," Barrett, a Vietnam veteran, said in accepting the award. "By golly, when they come back and while they're over there, they deserve our support.
"The city of Peoria will give them that support, and I call on all of you to join us," he challenged.
He received a medal and a citation describing the city's accomplishments from Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public liaison and internal communications. She lauded the city's efforts to support the nation's servicemembers.
"I'd like to thank the city of Peoria for understanding ... the importance of communicating America's support for our troops," Barber said, going on to thank all of the leaders gathered. "Thank you for understanding that the morale of the men and women in the military rests on your soldiers.
She also took the opportunity to speak about the America Supports You program and show a message "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek recorded regarding the program. America Supports You is a DoD program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
Barber also presented Arizona State Rep. John Nelson with a DoD parka in recognition for his support of the military.
Peoria, located northwest of Phoenix, was recognized for many efforts in support of the troops. One of those includes encouraging its chamber of commerce to become the first chamber in the country to join the America Supports You program in 2005.
Peoria also was the first city in Arizona to broadcast the Pentagon Channel live, ensuring servicemembers living in the area have access to news that affects them. The city is currently leading an effort to make the channel available statewide. This is just one of the initiatives Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano vowed to pursue two years ago when she declared her state would join the America Supports You team, Barber said.
"I'm so proud that Peoria, hopefully, will be the flashpoint for taking (the Pentagon Channel) statewide; for taking this, hopefully, nationwide," Barrett said. "It's absolutely critical for people that are serving."
Army Maj. Matthew Gardner, of Fort Huachuca, Ariz., said support like the city of Peoria has shown the troops is just as critical as receiving the Pentagon Channel.
"Having support from the American people, which is who we serve, is critical," he said. "It keeps our morale up. It keeps us knowing that we are doing the right thing and keeping the American people free to do what they want to do."
Servicemembers' sacrifices, both at home and overseas, are not lost on U.S. Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona. He had a message for the men and women in uniform.
"We are proud of them beyond measure," Franks said, adding that the nobility of no profession out paces that of being a soldier of freedom. "Because soldiers don't fight because they hate what's in front of them.
"They fight because they love what's behind them," 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 13, 2007 – The Defense Department recognized the city of Peoria, Ariz., yesterday for its stalwart support of the military. Peoria Mayor Bob Barrett accepted the Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award on behalf of his city in a ceremony here.
"(The servicemembers) are the people that we are honoring here today. These are the people we are asking the supreme sacrifice of," Barrett, a Vietnam veteran, said in accepting the award. "By golly, when they come back and while they're over there, they deserve our support.
"The city of Peoria will give them that support, and I call on all of you to join us," he challenged.
He received a medal and a citation describing the city's accomplishments from Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public liaison and internal communications. She lauded the city's efforts to support the nation's servicemembers.
"I'd like to thank the city of Peoria for understanding ... the importance of communicating America's support for our troops," Barber said, going on to thank all of the leaders gathered. "Thank you for understanding that the morale of the men and women in the military rests on your soldiers.
She also took the opportunity to speak about the America Supports You program and show a message "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek recorded regarding the program. America Supports You is a DoD program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
Barber also presented Arizona State Rep. John Nelson with a DoD parka in recognition for his support of the military.
Peoria, located northwest of Phoenix, was recognized for many efforts in support of the troops. One of those includes encouraging its chamber of commerce to become the first chamber in the country to join the America Supports You program in 2005.
Peoria also was the first city in Arizona to broadcast the Pentagon Channel live, ensuring servicemembers living in the area have access to news that affects them. The city is currently leading an effort to make the channel available statewide. This is just one of the initiatives Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano vowed to pursue two years ago when she declared her state would join the America Supports You team, Barber said.
"I'm so proud that Peoria, hopefully, will be the flashpoint for taking (the Pentagon Channel) statewide; for taking this, hopefully, nationwide," Barrett said. "It's absolutely critical for people that are serving."
Army Maj. Matthew Gardner, of Fort Huachuca, Ariz., said support like the city of Peoria has shown the troops is just as critical as receiving the Pentagon Channel.
"Having support from the American people, which is who we serve, is critical," he said. "It keeps our morale up. It keeps us knowing that we are doing the right thing and keeping the American people free to do what they want to do."
Servicemembers' sacrifices, both at home and overseas, are not lost on U.S. Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona. He had a message for the men and women in uniform.
"We are proud of them beyond measure," Franks said, adding that the nobility of no profession out paces that of being a soldier of freedom. "Because soldiers don't fight because they hate what's in front of them.
"They fight because they love what's behind them," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Group Takes Entertainment to Troops
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – Armed Forces Entertainment makes it a mission to bring a piece of home to servicemembers stationed far away. With the priority of reaching remote and isolated locations, Armed Forces Entertainment, has been entertaining troops since 1951. The Defense Department agency hosts more than 1,200 shows each year and reaches more than 500,000 servicemembers stationed at more than 300 military installations around the world, according to the group's Web site.
Armed Forces Entertainment is a member of America Supports You, a DoD program connecting troop-support groups, individual citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
"Armed Forces Entertainment is the single point of contact for the Department of Defense in sending entertainment to our troops overseas," Melissa Welch, a spokesperson for the organization, said. "The two most requested (music genres) are rock and country."
There has been a shift in that trend in regard to the Middle East, she said. There's a younger demographic fighting on those front lines and they're asking for more rap and hip-hop.
Filling those requests can be a bit challenging, Welch said.
"The reason why it's challenging is because those rap artists would have to clean up their act a little bit," she said, adding that there are rules that apply to all of the entertainers Armed Forces Entertainment hosts. "You can't have expletives within your music, or they must be limited and very, very, very soft.
"Beyond that, we can't have any kind of commentary about race, religion or ethnicity," she said.
She noted that artists often are willing to modify language to participate in an Armed Forces Entertainment tour.
That may be because the organization, though it often works with the United Service Organizations to facilitate celebrity tours, works largely with up-and-coming artists for its shows. Often the up-and-comers develop a fan base in the servicemembers they entertain.
"The military personnel are so grateful, and they become fans of this artist for a lifetime," Welch said.
What an Armed Forces Entertainment tour can do for new artists' careers is on par with what their performances does for the morale of the servicemembers in the audience, Air Force Lt. Col. Tamara Moes, chief of Armed Forces Entertainment, said. During a tour in the Middle East, she was on the other side of the equation and, instead of helping get the shows to the troops, got to enjoy several that were jointly sponsored by Armed Forces Entertainment and the USO.
"One time I was stationed for just 120 days in Baghdad," she said. "I did receive probably six shows ... during those 120 days."
While the majority of shows may be musical in nature, comedians, actors and sports celebrities all have been part of Armed Forces Entertainment tours. Comics Drew Carey and Kathy Griffith, rapper and singer Kid Rock, and World Wrestling Entertainment personalities are among them.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – Armed Forces Entertainment makes it a mission to bring a piece of home to servicemembers stationed far away. With the priority of reaching remote and isolated locations, Armed Forces Entertainment, has been entertaining troops since 1951. The Defense Department agency hosts more than 1,200 shows each year and reaches more than 500,000 servicemembers stationed at more than 300 military installations around the world, according to the group's Web site.
Armed Forces Entertainment is a member of America Supports You, a DoD program connecting troop-support groups, individual citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
"Armed Forces Entertainment is the single point of contact for the Department of Defense in sending entertainment to our troops overseas," Melissa Welch, a spokesperson for the organization, said. "The two most requested (music genres) are rock and country."
There has been a shift in that trend in regard to the Middle East, she said. There's a younger demographic fighting on those front lines and they're asking for more rap and hip-hop.
Filling those requests can be a bit challenging, Welch said.
"The reason why it's challenging is because those rap artists would have to clean up their act a little bit," she said, adding that there are rules that apply to all of the entertainers Armed Forces Entertainment hosts. "You can't have expletives within your music, or they must be limited and very, very, very soft.
"Beyond that, we can't have any kind of commentary about race, religion or ethnicity," she said.
She noted that artists often are willing to modify language to participate in an Armed Forces Entertainment tour.
That may be because the organization, though it often works with the United Service Organizations to facilitate celebrity tours, works largely with up-and-coming artists for its shows. Often the up-and-comers develop a fan base in the servicemembers they entertain.
"The military personnel are so grateful, and they become fans of this artist for a lifetime," Welch said.
What an Armed Forces Entertainment tour can do for new artists' careers is on par with what their performances does for the morale of the servicemembers in the audience, Air Force Lt. Col. Tamara Moes, chief of Armed Forces Entertainment, said. During a tour in the Middle East, she was on the other side of the equation and, instead of helping get the shows to the troops, got to enjoy several that were jointly sponsored by Armed Forces Entertainment and the USO.
"One time I was stationed for just 120 days in Baghdad," she said. "I did receive probably six shows ... during those 120 days."
While the majority of shows may be musical in nature, comedians, actors and sports celebrities all have been part of Armed Forces Entertainment tours. Comics Drew Carey and Kathy Griffith, rapper and singer Kid Rock, and World Wrestling Entertainment personalities are among them.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Commander in Iraq Apologizes for Extensions With No Notice to Families
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – Leaks to the media forced Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to speed up releasing his decision to increase tour lengths for soldiers assigned to U.S. Central Command from a year to 15 months. The notification of the decision to soldiers and their families was made simultaneous with the news briefing. Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, today apologized to the families -- many of whom heard about the decision on television.
"I know the announcement the other day was probably one that surprised them," Odierno told Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Baghdad. "I just want to comment to them that we appreciate everything that they're sacrificing, everything that they're doing. They are the strength behind all these great soldiers that are over here today."
Odierno said 15-month deployments are needed to ensure that the Army retains the capacity to sustain the deployed force. The force will rise to 20 brigades by the end of May.
The program also gives predictability for soldiers and their families, Odierno said. "This policy will ensure 12 months at home station between rotations," he said. "There's no doubt that this decision was a difficult one, and I am very aware that it will be hard on soldiers and their families.
"However, all who serve understand the importance of what we are trying to accomplish here and that the mission will always come first," 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 13, 2007 – Leaks to the media forced Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to speed up releasing his decision to increase tour lengths for soldiers assigned to U.S. Central Command from a year to 15 months. The notification of the decision to soldiers and their families was made simultaneous with the news briefing. Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, today apologized to the families -- many of whom heard about the decision on television.
"I know the announcement the other day was probably one that surprised them," Odierno told Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Baghdad. "I just want to comment to them that we appreciate everything that they're sacrificing, everything that they're doing. They are the strength behind all these great soldiers that are over here today."
Odierno said 15-month deployments are needed to ensure that the Army retains the capacity to sustain the deployed force. The force will rise to 20 brigades by the end of May.
The program also gives predictability for soldiers and their families, Odierno said. "This policy will ensure 12 months at home station between rotations," he said. "There's no doubt that this decision was a difficult one, and I am very aware that it will be hard on soldiers and their families.
"However, all who serve understand the importance of what we are trying to accomplish here and that the mission will always come first," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Top Official Describes Reserve-Component Mobilization Policy
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers will mobilize and deploy for only one year, despite a new policy that active soldiers will deploy for 15-month tours, a top defense official stressed today. Thomas F. Hall, assistant defense secretary for reserve affairs, reaffirmed that reserve-component soldiers are not affected by the 15-month tour policy that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced April 11.
Four National Guard brigades have been alerted for possible mobilization for duty in Iraq beginning in December 2007. If needed, those brigades will mobilize, deploy and redeploy within one year.
"We have been experiencing 18- to 21-month mobilizations for our Guard and reserves," Hall said. "Families and employers told me that they simply could not sustain that."
On Jan. 19, soon after taking office, Gates mandated reserve components would mobilize for one year and then have five years before another mobilization.
A second portion of Gates' decision was that reserve-component units would train and deploy as units. Hall said the "cross-leveling" that cobbled together units would end.
Finally, Gates said that a compensation package would be developed if units broke their dwell time at home -- in other words, were mobilized before the five-year home-station period was finished. Hall said such a package is in development, and the details may be released soon.
About 13,000 Guardsmen from the four units -- the 37th Brigade Combat Team, from Ohio; the 76th BCT, from Indiana; the 45th BCT, from Oklahoma; and the 39th BCT, from Arkansas -- will mobilize under the new rules. While all these units have been in U.S. Central Command before, for fully two-thirds of the Guardsmen, this will be their first deployment.
Under the program, nine to 10 months before a potential mobilization, DoD officials will alert the Guardsmen.
"We're going to get you that time for training; we're going to get you the equipment ahead of time," Hall said. The 45th Brigade Combat Team, for example, has already scheduled a 28-day training period instead of its normal two-week rotation, he said.
This will also help reduce stress on the force. There are 75,771 reservists deployed worldwide to support the global war on terrorism, Hall said. This is 120,000 fewer than in 2005. "We have reduced the number of Guardsmen and reservists on active duty the equivalent of six Army divisions," Hall said. "Now we want to make this more predictable."
All of these changes are aimed at preserving the all-volunteer force, Hall said. The force is working magnificently. Recruiting standards remain high, he said. And, through March, overall reserve components are at 101 percent of their recruiting goals. The Naval Reserve and the Army Reserve are down from their goals, he said, but Hall said he expects those numbers to climb in the coming months. The National Guard is at more than 106 percent of its recruiting goal.
"But, most important in my view is retention," the secretary said. "It is almost at all-time highs. It's the best it's been since 1991. You just don't stay with an organization or company that you don't like.
"So, we must be doing something right," he added, "because (servicemembers) are staying at near record numbers."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers will mobilize and deploy for only one year, despite a new policy that active soldiers will deploy for 15-month tours, a top defense official stressed today. Thomas F. Hall, assistant defense secretary for reserve affairs, reaffirmed that reserve-component soldiers are not affected by the 15-month tour policy that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced April 11.
Four National Guard brigades have been alerted for possible mobilization for duty in Iraq beginning in December 2007. If needed, those brigades will mobilize, deploy and redeploy within one year.
"We have been experiencing 18- to 21-month mobilizations for our Guard and reserves," Hall said. "Families and employers told me that they simply could not sustain that."
On Jan. 19, soon after taking office, Gates mandated reserve components would mobilize for one year and then have five years before another mobilization.
A second portion of Gates' decision was that reserve-component units would train and deploy as units. Hall said the "cross-leveling" that cobbled together units would end.
Finally, Gates said that a compensation package would be developed if units broke their dwell time at home -- in other words, were mobilized before the five-year home-station period was finished. Hall said such a package is in development, and the details may be released soon.
About 13,000 Guardsmen from the four units -- the 37th Brigade Combat Team, from Ohio; the 76th BCT, from Indiana; the 45th BCT, from Oklahoma; and the 39th BCT, from Arkansas -- will mobilize under the new rules. While all these units have been in U.S. Central Command before, for fully two-thirds of the Guardsmen, this will be their first deployment.
Under the program, nine to 10 months before a potential mobilization, DoD officials will alert the Guardsmen.
"We're going to get you that time for training; we're going to get you the equipment ahead of time," Hall said. The 45th Brigade Combat Team, for example, has already scheduled a 28-day training period instead of its normal two-week rotation, he said.
This will also help reduce stress on the force. There are 75,771 reservists deployed worldwide to support the global war on terrorism, Hall said. This is 120,000 fewer than in 2005. "We have reduced the number of Guardsmen and reservists on active duty the equivalent of six Army divisions," Hall said. "Now we want to make this more predictable."
All of these changes are aimed at preserving the all-volunteer force, Hall said. The force is working magnificently. Recruiting standards remain high, he said. And, through March, overall reserve components are at 101 percent of their recruiting goals. The Naval Reserve and the Army Reserve are down from their goals, he said, but Hall said he expects those numbers to climb in the coming months. The National Guard is at more than 106 percent of its recruiting goal.
"But, most important in my view is retention," the secretary said. "It is almost at all-time highs. It's the best it's been since 1991. You just don't stay with an organization or company that you don't like.
"So, we must be doing something right," he added, "because (servicemembers) are staying at near record numbers."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Osprey Aircraft to Make Combat Debut in Iraq
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – A Marine aircraft with dual personalities -- part airplane, part helicopter -- will soon buzz and hover above Iraq's deserts, providing assault and medical support. Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway announced at the Pentagon this morning that the MV-22 Osprey aircraft will make its combat debut in Iraq this September, when Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, with 10 Ospreys and 171 personnel, deploys to Al Asad Air Base.
"This deployment directly supports our Corps' number one priority, the Marines and sailors in contact at the tip of the spear," Conway said. "This is a great day for our Corps and for my aviation folks in particular."
The Corps' tiltrotor MV-22 alternates between fixed- and rotary-wing capabilities, a unique attribute that gives U.S. fighting forces the versatility of a helicopter, with the 300 mph speed and increased altitude of an airplane, reducing the threat from small-arms fire.
"It goes twice as fast, three times as far, it's more survivable by six or seven times (than) the aircraft it replaces," Marine Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, deputy commandant for aviation, told reporters at the Pentagon. The MV-22, which can travel up to 900 miles before refueling, is set to phase out the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter introduced in the 1960s.
In 2000, the Osprey came under controversy when an MV-22 crashed, killing 23 Marines.
Castellaw said the accident resulted from rapid descent in "helicopter mode," a risky tactic not normally used by pilots. Newer models are equipped with warning systems to help prevent a similar situation, he said.
In conjunction with the commandant's announcement today, media members were invited to Landing Zone Seven at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., to observe the aircraft up close. Later, 20 press members would climb aboard for a jaunt above the clouds in what Marines call a "familiarization ride."
Around 1 p.m., two Ospreys roared overhead, sending dust and blades of grass into the faces of reporters and photographers. During a downwind turn, the Ospreys' prop-rotors pivoted perpendicular to the ground and into helicopter mode.
The crafts hovered over their landing spots, floating smoothly on a vertical descent until their wheels met grassy terrain. Lt. Col Paul Rock, the commanding officer of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, hopped out of one MV-22 and approached the bouquet of microphones poised on a makeshift podium.
"The mission is medium-lift assault support," Rock said. "We carry combat troops, supplies and equipment across the spectrum of expeditionary operations.
"It's not an F-18 Hornet or an 88 Harrier," he said. "We're not looking to put bombs on people's heads, we're going to put the most lethal thing the Marine Corps has -- the individual rifleman -- on the deck."
Rock told reporters the Corps has a three-phase, 18-month logistical program in place to train pilots and aircrews on the new craft. The first of the six-month phases includes "qualifications training flights," followed by a half-year of "maturation training."
During the final pre-deployment phase, Marine aviators undergo Operation Desert Talon training in Yuma, Ariz. -- a location selected for its desert climate and conditions, Rock said.
As the outdoor briefing closed, the 85-foot rotors soon reappeared over the tree line. Eager press members pulled rudimentary white helmets, appropriately called "cranials," and their attached headphones into place.
Inside the Osprey, chests harnesses held reporters and photographers fast against the fuselage making tangible the low-frequency hum of the spinning propellers. From the rear hatch, which remained open during the flight, a network of exposed wires ran along the ceiling toward the cockpit like nerve bundles.
Without warning, the MV-22 separated from the ground. A mid-range humming seeped under the headphones and signaled the craft's metamorphosis from helicopter to airplane mode. For roughly the next 20 minutes, press members on board climbed, descended, yawed, pitched and rolled in the Osprey like paint in a mixer.
In moments of sheer beauty, the second Osprey fell back and appeared through the rear hatch, gliding along in parallel formation and eliciting composer Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries," as in the famed UH-1 Huey scene from the film "Apocalypse Now."
As a testament to the Osprey's sheer power, one photographer onboard was compelled to use a complimentary airsick bag. Another passenger, a news correspondent, wore a yellow hue on her face that was absent before the flight.
At the edge of the landing zone, Sgt. Courtney Joseph, an MV-22 aircrew member and mechanic, watched the disoriented press members deplane -- rather de-helicopter -- the Ospreys. "The quickest way to turn anyone into a believer is to ride on it," she said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – A Marine aircraft with dual personalities -- part airplane, part helicopter -- will soon buzz and hover above Iraq's deserts, providing assault and medical support. Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway announced at the Pentagon this morning that the MV-22 Osprey aircraft will make its combat debut in Iraq this September, when Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, with 10 Ospreys and 171 personnel, deploys to Al Asad Air Base.
"This deployment directly supports our Corps' number one priority, the Marines and sailors in contact at the tip of the spear," Conway said. "This is a great day for our Corps and for my aviation folks in particular."
The Corps' tiltrotor MV-22 alternates between fixed- and rotary-wing capabilities, a unique attribute that gives U.S. fighting forces the versatility of a helicopter, with the 300 mph speed and increased altitude of an airplane, reducing the threat from small-arms fire.
"It goes twice as fast, three times as far, it's more survivable by six or seven times (than) the aircraft it replaces," Marine Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, deputy commandant for aviation, told reporters at the Pentagon. The MV-22, which can travel up to 900 miles before refueling, is set to phase out the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter introduced in the 1960s.
In 2000, the Osprey came under controversy when an MV-22 crashed, killing 23 Marines.
Castellaw said the accident resulted from rapid descent in "helicopter mode," a risky tactic not normally used by pilots. Newer models are equipped with warning systems to help prevent a similar situation, he said.
In conjunction with the commandant's announcement today, media members were invited to Landing Zone Seven at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., to observe the aircraft up close. Later, 20 press members would climb aboard for a jaunt above the clouds in what Marines call a "familiarization ride."
Around 1 p.m., two Ospreys roared overhead, sending dust and blades of grass into the faces of reporters and photographers. During a downwind turn, the Ospreys' prop-rotors pivoted perpendicular to the ground and into helicopter mode.
The crafts hovered over their landing spots, floating smoothly on a vertical descent until their wheels met grassy terrain. Lt. Col Paul Rock, the commanding officer of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, hopped out of one MV-22 and approached the bouquet of microphones poised on a makeshift podium.
"The mission is medium-lift assault support," Rock said. "We carry combat troops, supplies and equipment across the spectrum of expeditionary operations.
"It's not an F-18 Hornet or an 88 Harrier," he said. "We're not looking to put bombs on people's heads, we're going to put the most lethal thing the Marine Corps has -- the individual rifleman -- on the deck."
Rock told reporters the Corps has a three-phase, 18-month logistical program in place to train pilots and aircrews on the new craft. The first of the six-month phases includes "qualifications training flights," followed by a half-year of "maturation training."
During the final pre-deployment phase, Marine aviators undergo Operation Desert Talon training in Yuma, Ariz. -- a location selected for its desert climate and conditions, Rock said.
As the outdoor briefing closed, the 85-foot rotors soon reappeared over the tree line. Eager press members pulled rudimentary white helmets, appropriately called "cranials," and their attached headphones into place.
Inside the Osprey, chests harnesses held reporters and photographers fast against the fuselage making tangible the low-frequency hum of the spinning propellers. From the rear hatch, which remained open during the flight, a network of exposed wires ran along the ceiling toward the cockpit like nerve bundles.
Without warning, the MV-22 separated from the ground. A mid-range humming seeped under the headphones and signaled the craft's metamorphosis from helicopter to airplane mode. For roughly the next 20 minutes, press members on board climbed, descended, yawed, pitched and rolled in the Osprey like paint in a mixer.
In moments of sheer beauty, the second Osprey fell back and appeared through the rear hatch, gliding along in parallel formation and eliciting composer Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries," as in the famed UH-1 Huey scene from the film "Apocalypse Now."
As a testament to the Osprey's sheer power, one photographer onboard was compelled to use a complimentary airsick bag. Another passenger, a news correspondent, wore a yellow hue on her face that was absent before the flight.
At the edge of the landing zone, Sgt. Courtney Joseph, an MV-22 aircrew member and mechanic, watched the disoriented press members deplane -- rather de-helicopter -- the Ospreys. "The quickest way to turn anyone into a believer is to ride on it," she said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
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