Chairman's Enlisted Advisor Addresses NCO Academy Grads

By Elaine Wilson
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 24, 2007 - The Army Medical Department Noncommissioned Officers Academy's newest graduates heard a few words of wisdom earlier this week from someone with more than his share of experience leading troops. "Do not let anyone ever tell you that you can't reach your goals," Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the graduates Aug. 21 at the academy graduation ceremony.

Gainey, the senior NCO in the Defense Department, said his intent is to "live life to the fullest."

"No one is ever going to tell me again, like 30 some years ago when that NCO poked me on the chest and told me, 'You're going to amount to nothing, Gainey.' No one is ever going to do that again," he said. "Do not permit that to happen to you or to anyone else."

Gainey urged the NCOs to pursue their dreams, but first to ask themselves five questions: Is my dream or goal going to hurt someone else? Is it going to hurt me? Is it illegal? Is it immoral as you were raised? Will it bring disgrace to my family name and the name of the service that I serve?

If the answers to all five of the questions are no, "then go for it," he said. But first, "Reassess yourself. Why do I need to climb that mountain? Then go get trained; get the proper equipment; get certified if required. Never let another person tell you that you can't reach your goals."

On leading troops, Gainey advised the soldiers to pass on the tools junior enlisted need to succeed.

"Give young men and women responsibility, and I promise you, they will not let you down," he said. "Give them the authority to be responsible."

Along with authority, Gainey mentioned another important "A" term -- accountability. "Hold (your troops) accountable," he said. "They hold us accountable 24/7."

Gainey recalled a sergeant major who was arrested for driving under the influence. "His commander said, 'He's the best sergeant major I've worked with.' I looked at him and said, 'I'm sorry to say you've never worked with a good sergeant major.' He's the same person that, on Fridays, gives a safety briefing on don't drink and drive. There are no part-time NCOs."

The top NCO urged the graduates to pass on lessons learned to junior enlisted and assist them when they "stumble."

"All of you right now you are standing on the top of a mountain. Why? Because of who you are; you're noncommissioned officers," Gainey said. "Not because you're better than junior enlisted, but because you're more experienced."

The junior enlisted are in the valley, he said, so "throw down a rope to them; I call it the rope of knowledge. But I'm not going to pull you up the hill. Hang on to the rope, and I'm going to coach, teach, mentor and train our young men and women."

When they stumble, as everyone does, Gainey told the NCOs to fall on one knee and give the rope of knowledge a tug. "There's no one in this room who hasn't stumbled before in their career," Gainey said. "I call them honest human mistakes. Because you don't learn from successes, you learn from mistakes."

Then NCOs should "coach, teach, mentor and train them to get to the top of the hill."

And when the junior enlisted troops reach the top of the mountain, "touch them on the shoulder and you're going to say, 'good job,'" Gainey said. "Then go down the other side. We're in good hands."

(Elaine Wilson works for the Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office.)

American Spirit Makes Difference for Troops

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 24, 2007 - With traditional "American Spirit" at the heart of its mission, one California group is working to make a difference in the lives of wounded servicemembers and their families. Operation American Spirit, established through the nonprofit Fitness Challenge Foundation, provides for military members and their families who have suffered injuries as a result of combat.

"Our mission is to help make a difference in the lives of soldiers and their families by providing support and funding in ways that teach them self-sufficiency including scholarships, job (placement) assistance, home modification and improved morale," John Wordin, the group's executive director, said.

Operation American Spirit has set its eyes on the goal of raising $100 million over the next few years to successfully fulfill this mission. Help from actor Jack Scalia is making it a little easier to reach this goal.

Scalia, who has played roles in many TV shows, including "Dallas" and "All My Children," is expected to begin a 16-day, 1,500-mile bike ride from Seattle to San Diego on Sept. 22. The purpose of the ride is to raise awareness and funding for servicemembers injured in the global war on terrorism.

"Our nation has asked our soldiers and their families to make sacrifices and the have," Scalia said in an Operation American Spirit news release. "Now it is our turn, as Americans, to step up and help them when they need it."

Other celebrities are expected to participate, as well.

Operation American Spirit is a new supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

"While we are new to the group, we are hoping to get the word out about our organization and our efforts," Wordin said.

He added that the group also hopes to find assistance in identifying families that need help.

Hospital Steps Up Care for 'Warriors in Transition,' Families

By Elaine Wilson
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 24, 2007 - Since June, Brooke Army Medical Center here has implemented a series of sweeping changes designed to improve the quality of care for "warriors in transition" and their families. The changes are driven by the Army Medical Action Plan, an Army initiative designed to eliminate bureaucratic roadblocks for warriors in transition so they can focus on recovery and have a smooth transition back to military duty or civilian life.

The first and perhaps most dramatic change is the formation of a Warrior in Transition Battalion. The battalion, which stood up June 15, replaces the former active-duty Medical Hold and reserve Medical Holdover companies. Reserve and active-duty warriors in transition now are combined in three companies under the battalion.

All battalion soldiers are in a transitional status, meaning they are wounded or ill and undergoing treatment at Brooke.

"We're all one team, so it makes sense to keep everyone under the same umbrella," said Army Master Sgt. Scott Waters, senior operations noncommissioned officer for the Warrior in Transition Battalion.

Reserve and active-duty soldiers were separated in the past to ensure familiarity with administrative processes, which differ for each component. However, the Army Medical Action Plan "gives us the resources we need to accommodate all soldiers without differentiation," Waters said. "We now have the extra help we need to successfully manage and track our warriors in transition without separation."

Since the plan was introduced, the ratio of soldier to platoon sergeant has reduced dramatically. Whereas before there were 50 soldiers to each platoon sergeant and no squad leaders at Brooke, there are now 12 soldiers per squad leader and about 30 soldiers per platoon sergeant.

But with myriad issues, ranging from severe injuries to family problems, there's "a lot to be done even with that ratio," Waters said. To ensure warriors in transition have top-notch care, the Army created the "Triad of Care" concept, which is an integral part of the battalion.

Each triad comprises a case manager, primary care manager and squad leader or platoon sergeant. Each warrior in transition is assigned to a triad, which ensures consistency and continuity of care for soldiers and their families.

"It eases the process for both the soldiers and the health care providers," said Army Lt. Col. Donna Rojas, chief of case management. "There's no confusion about who to call when there's a question or concern. The providers know exactly which squad leader to call and vice versa. And, the soldier knows exactly who to contact, as well."

Rojas provides oversight for case managers, who serve as a pivot point for the triad. Responsible for just about every aspect of a patient's health care plan, case managers ensure warriors in transition attend appointments, understand their treatment plan and are on hand to aid with everything from housing issues to family dilemmas.

Case managers meet with warriors in transition weekly and then touch base with soldiers' platoon sergeant or squad leader and primary care manager to ensure the soldiers' recovery is progressing smoothly.

"Successful treatment takes a lot of collaboration," said Army Lt. Col. Mary Burns, chief of medical management. "Case managers, PCMs and squad leaders are all looking out for the best interests of the soldiers; the key is to meet regularly and catch issues early."

Prior to the new plan, each case manager had about 35 warriors in transition assigned. But thanks to an influx of resources, 10 case managers now are assigned to each company, and the ratio has reduced to about 18 soldiers per case manager.

Primary care managers also have reorganized to provide better continuity of care. Before the Army Medical Action Plan, several PCMs unofficially were designated for warriors in transition but didn't have a space dedicated for care, and their time was divided with regular patients. Brooke Army Medical Center now officially has assigned three health care providers and a designated area of the Family Medicine Clinic to better serve wounded and ill servicemembers. In addition, the ratio of patients to PCM has changed from 1,200-to-1 down to 200-to-1. The reduction in patient load allows PCMs to spend more time with each servicemember, increasing from 20 minutes to more than an hour.

"A PCM meets with every warrior in transition within 24 hours of arrival and conducts a head-to-toe evaluation," said Dr. Sara Pastoor, chief of primary care. "We assess every aspect of the patient's health care needs, including any specialty care that may be needed, as well as preventive health care, such as tobacco cessation.

"I'm overwhelmingly impressed with and proud of everyone providing warrior in transition services at BAMC," Pastoor added. "It can be emotionally draining to provide the amount and type of health care needs involved, but it is a privilege to be exposed to the sacrifices and heroism. It's a challenging job for the PCMs, because it takes not just a thorough knowledge of medicine, but also a thorough administrative knowledge of the system."

Squad leaders and platoon sergeants, the last branch of the triad, serve as "enlisted NCO boots on the ground," Waters said. "We are there 100 percent for the soldiers and their families from the time we're notified a soldier is coming."

Squad leaders take care of everything from picking up soldiers or family members at the airport or emergency room to transporting them to medical appointments, "everything that doesn't involve medical care," Waters said.

The process starts as soon as the battalion is informed a servicemember is incoming or checking out of the hospital. "We help the soldiers get situated, and then the next morning we pick them up, introduce them to the case manager and start in-processing," said Waters, adding that U.S. Army Garrison Fort Sam Houston also provides ongoing support with transportation as well as barracks maintenance and upgrades to accommodate varying physical needs.

The NCOs work closely with case managers to ensure an open flow of communication. "We overlap in a lot of areas," Waters said. "Sometimes the soldier feels more comfortable talking with a case manager or vice versa. We keep each other in the loop to ensure all needs are being met."

Help is ongoing as squad leaders stay abreast of developments that may hinder care, such as family problems back home or a pattern of missed medical appointments. "Most warriors in transition are on some type of medication and may forget an appointment," Waters said. "They may just need a simple reminder, and we're here to do that."

As the war continues, each branch of the triad will continually seek ways to improve processes and programs to ensure warriors in transition receive the best care possible, said Army Col. Barry Sheridan, chief of warrior in transition services. "BAMC has always cared about its warriors in transition," he said. "But now, AMAP is giving us the resources we need to do what we do even better."

(Elaine Wilson works for the Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office.)

Alaska Guardsmen Serve on Front Line of U.S. Missile Defense

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 24, 2007 - While most Americans were celebrating Independence Day in 2006, Army Maj. Joe Miley was at his post in the remote interior of Alaska, staring at blips on a computer screen reminiscent of a 1980s video game. But this was no game. Miley was in the "tank turret" of U.S. missile defense, scrutinizing 21st-century space-surveillance technology and monitoring a North Korean long-range ballistic missile test.

"It was quite a sense of awe. We had spent thousands of hours on the system, doing simulations, training for such an event and (then) actually watching the system and waiting for the sensors to pick up and see if we'd be directed to engage the missile," Miley said. "It felt like this was what we had prepared for, and we were ready."

The missile failed to become even a remote threat as it toppled within in a minute of launch into the Sea of Japan. Had it assumed a threatening course and reached an altitude capable of propelling it to U.S. soil, Miley and a handful of Alaska Army National Guardsmen stood ready, upon direction, to smash it into pieces mid-course.

"There was absolute confidence among the crew members. We had complete confidence that there would have been heroes that day," Miley said.

Miley is the executive officer of 49th Missile Defense Battalion, a ground-based midcourse defense unit. Stationed in this remote post, about 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks, he and about 200 other Alaska Army National Guardsmen serve as the front line of U.S. missile defense.

Just outside of Delta Junction -- home to about 1,000 local citizens, five restaurants in the summer, and only one in the winter -- Fort Greely is host to an 800-acre, ground-based missile interceptor site. About 250 military members call the post home, along with a small contingent of contractors and family members.

The former cold-weather combat training post had all but shut down until President George H.W. Bush directed in 1992 that the Defense Department begin fielding limited missile defense capabilities, with the intent to continue to expand on initial capabilities.

The department's Missile Defense Agency deemed Fort Greely appropriate because of its strategic location within intercepting distance of missiles launched either from North Korea or Iran. A low water table meant no concrete-like frozen ground, so the base was well suited for sinking interceptors into vaults drilled 70 feet deep. The garrison's buildings were still intact and kept warm, even though they were no longer occupied.

With its remote location, though, it posed difficulties when constructing missile fields. All equipment and materials had to be shipped on barges or trucked hundreds of miles. Winter weather sometimes makes travel risky.

Also, the post had to accommodate the families of those accepting the remote assignment.

"It's a tough place to live and logistically support, but it's the right place (to be)," said Army Col. Thom M. Besch, director of the Missile Defense Agency for the Alaska region. He is an active-duty soldier who oversees the joint program office that fielded the system, makes sure it is operational, and continues its development and testing.

In the last 20 years, the number of countries interested in having or actually having intercontinental ballistic missile capability has increased from six nations to more than 20, Besch said. The number of test launches has increased every year.

"The world's a dangerous place, and the future is uncertain, and technology allows us to have this capability," Besch said. "We know from 9/11 that if an event were to occur in a major city ... that the impact to human life and the cost in dollars would be astronomical."

The intent of the system, Besch said, was to create an integrated system to defend the United States and its friends and allies against all ranges of missiles in all phases of flight.

The 49th Missile Defense Battalion focuses primarily on intercepting missiles during their midcourse phase of flight, or while they are arching in the "exoatmosphere" -- the region of space just outside the Earth's atmosphere.

While the 54-foot-6-inch interceptors look like missiles, there are no explosive warheads attached. The main body acts as a booster vehicle. The booster vehicle serves to propel into space the embedded kill vehicle, a 152-pound "smart bullet" that basically steers itself into the path of the oncoming warhead, causing an explosion on impact.

The first interceptor was emplaced in July 2004. Now, 18 such interceptors are emplaced in the site's two missile fields. When finished, the complex will house 40 interceptors in three fields.

The fire direction center is housed behind a heavily guarded fence that encloses the property. It serves as the brains for the operation and gathers feedback from a variety of sensors and radars, collecting data on weapons, threats and communications status, and repairs and maintenance. It also tracks the threat and the interceptor and provides commanders with an instant snapshot of the system's capabilities.

Five-soldier crews run the center in eight-hour shifts. During their shifts, the crews run through required training and work through scenarios written to challenge their procedures and stress levels.

About 25 soldiers serve in the center. Twelve other soldiers make up the battalion's staff. The majority of the rest of the unit is made up of military police officers, who are charged with securing and defending the facility. The MPs do not conduct garrison business, such as writing speeding tickets. They are here solely to secure the miles of camera-lined, reinforced wire fence surrounding the site and the site's sole entry point.

Soldiers here live a typical Army life, with physical training daily at 6:30 a.m. and battalion runs on Fridays. The Guard was selected to run the site to allow for continuity in service. Guardsmen are not subject to rotations in and out of assignments like active-duty soldiers. With nearly 36 weeks of training just to become certified operators, the state is able to retain its qualified soldiers there longer. Many of the Guardsmen who signed on for initial tours in 2002 have continued their tours there. Also, because the Army considers them a forward-deployed unit, they are not subject to activations or deployments like other U.S.-based units.

The unit also gets several soldiers who are returning from deployments and want to continue serving full time, Miley said.

To say that the soldiers are all Alaska Guardsmen is somewhat deceiving. While they all are in the Alaska Army National Guard, most have transferred there from all parts of the nation. Alaska is the largest contributor, with about 30 troops, but the next highest contributor is Illinois, with 23. Soldiers also have transferred there from Guam and Puerto Rico.

Soldiers cite the appeal of the countryside and uniqueness of the mission for their desire to accept full-time tours to the site. There are no traditional, or part-time, National Guard slots on the post.

Army Sgt. Jack Carlson III was a Florida-born resident of the Virgin Islands. He had never seen snow before signing up for a tour here, where winter temperatures can drop to 75 degrees below zero. He had to buy long pants before arriving.

Now, he said, he loves the extreme weather.

"Whenever you get to 10 below, you have to survive. It's interesting that at 50 below, although I'm cold, I can walk outside and look at the Northern Lights," Carlson said.

Carlson was one of the first military policemen on the ground here, and has since married a fellow soldier stationed here and signed on for another tour. The two bought a log home that backs up to the Alaskan range along the Delta River. Carlson's favorite pastime is splitting wood, which is good, because the couple heats their home with wood.

The two have had one baby here, and another is expected soon. And they are not alone. Babies abound in this land of long, cold winters. The 200-member unit has seen 26 births in the past year, Family Readiness Group leader Patti Carson said.

Family members describe the post as "Americana," offering a small town, tightly-knit sense of community. Children run and play freely on the small post and in the surrounding woods. Football, baseball and hockey are favorites, and most of the mothers are stay-at-home-moms.

The post offers few amenities because of its size and location. Soldiers here joke that they do have a McDonalds and a Wal-Mart – they just have to drive out the front gate, turn right and go about 100 miles, Besch said. The post and local community share schools. A small post exchange and commissary are open, and movies are sometimes shown in the community center.

Children here don't seem to mind the short summers. In fact, Besch's son pined one day for it to turn cold again so he could play hockey. Carson's kids were late to school one day because a moose made an unexpected visit to the bus stop.

But for all of the appeal of Alaska's sweeping beauty and the down-home country lifestyle well-suited for raising families, the mission is what gives Carlson and the others the most satisfaction.

"There is no other mission like it, in the Guard especially. It's just an outstanding opportunity," Carlson said. "Our mission is of the utmost importance, and what we do makes a difference."

Miley agreed. "There's a sense of purpose and importance to what we're doing," he said.

Miley, a National Guardsman from South Carolina, was one of the first to volunteer for the assignment. He served on one of the first crews and watched the first interceptor emplaced.

He noted that operational tempo is high here because soldiers must meet traditional Army training requirements, such as weapons qualification and professional development, while also conducting their missile defense mission and continuously training to keep their skills sharp.

Traditional units perform maintenance and training during a "red cycle" following deployments or exercises.

"There's no red cycle here. It's 'green' 365-24-7. We have to maintain our operational mission. There is no standing down from it," Miley said.

MRAPs Displayed on Aberdeen Proving Ground

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 24, 2007 - A team of test operators and mechanics here gave members of the media and other visitors a firsthand look today at the mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle, or MRAP, which is currently being tested on its automotive quality and ability to protect servicemembers' lives. The Marine Corps has awarded contracts for 6,415 MRAPs to date. The vehicles have raised, V-shaped underbellies, that deflect the force of improvised explosive devices and other blasts from below better than other vehicles in use. But before each armored vehicle transports troops in the field, it undergoes two phases of testing conducted here or at Yuma Proving Grounds in Yuma, Ariz., to gauge how well each MRAP model drives, steers and handles, and whether it can withstand explosions.

"From a performance standpoint, in protecting troops it's done a tremendous job so far. From an operational reliability standpoint, it has exceeded our requirements," said Marine Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, commander of Marine Corps Systems Command, speaking about MRAPs that passed testing phases and are being used currently in the field.

"One of the big things that MRAPs provide to the troops is that sense of confidence when they go out to do their mission that they're going to come home safe," Brogan said. "I think all the troops in theater are pleased to see these platforms arrive, and it will make them better and more proficient at accomplishing our mission."

Seven vendors currently are producing the armored vehicle – which looks and feels like a Humvee on steroids – in three categories of varying shape, size and capability, to meet servicemembers' myriad mission requirements. Category I vehicles are designed to transport up to four servicemembers, and Category II vehicles hold a maximum 10 troops. The Category III MRAP, also known as the Buffalo, is a mine-clearing vehicle that seats five.

Test operators and officials today ushered some 40 visitors into one of seven MRAPs on display. Passengers who boarded the Cougar, a Category I MRAP made by Force Protection with a roughly $2.8 million price tag, were strapped into interior seating before tearing over bumpy dirt roads at speeds up to 40 miles-per-hour. From the rear of the MRAP looking forward, the vehicle seemed to respond obediently as the driver negotiated with a rather unforgiving landscape pocked with muddy potholes and hills that appeared with the regularity of a sine wave.

Army Col. John Rooney, commander at Aberdeen Testing Center, said during ballistics testing, operators outfit vehicles with "super crash-test dummies." These anthropomorphic models collect information that details how their synthetic body parts -- head, neck, spine, pelvis, legs -- respond to simulated insurgent attacks.

"We collect information in and around the vehicle that tells us how the vehicle performs and how the human bodies within the vehicle would withstand the 'events,'" Rooney said.

Officials would not divulge details about ballistics training or results, but Rooney said the survivability of vehicles currently undergoing testing is "significantly greater" than those tested the past two years.

"I'm confident (that) as a result of what happens here, all of these vehicles today will be better at some point in the future," he added.

When the Defense Department requested MRAP testing late last year, Rooney separated 250 hand-picked operators and mechanics into three groups. To meet the department's "urgent need," groups now work in rotating eight-hour shifts around the clock Monday though Saturday (and half of Sunday), conducting the second phase of automotive and ballistics survivability examinations on the 24 MRAPs here.

"We continue to do everything we can to enable the Department of Defense to get as many MRAPs in theater," Rooney said, "and (for the department to) understand and know very well the capabilities and limitations of these vehicles."

Why We Serve: Air Force NCO Serves 21 Years, Still Going Strong

By Meghan Vittrup
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 24, 2007 - Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jeffrey Duncan has served for 21 years and still says there's no end in sight. Duncan has had several opportunities to be commissioned as an Air Force officer. However, he said he prefers to be enlisted. "I chose to stay enlisted, because I like working with troops more," he said.

Duncan is one of eight servicemembers who have served overseas in the war on terrorism who have been chosen to speak to American communities and businesses across the nation in the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program. The program was initially the idea of Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and began in the fall of 2006. Eight servicemembers, two from each branch of the military are chosen to participate in the program each quarter.

"Anything to tell my story on why I'm proud to be in the military," Duncan said. "I've actually been here 20 years."

He said also wants to focus on telling Americans about his experiences during overseas deployments. He said he wants Americans to remember that he and the rest of the troops are regular people just like everyone else.

"It shows the personal side; we are not just machines and robots going along, we are people just like them," Duncan said. "I could be their neighbor."

He added that he is excited to meet new people, tell his story, and that he is anxious to see what kinds of questions audiences have for the Why We Serve speakers.

After already serving in the military for more than 20 years, Duncan said he is planning to continue his career as long as he can. He said he'd continue serving until he can't do anything more for the Air Force.

"My mom and dad told me when I hit the 20-year mark (that) they wanted me to quit and wanted me to come home," Duncan said. "But there are other mothers who don't want their kid there either, so I said I'm just one of them."

Military Servicemember Books

Military-Writers.com is a website committed to listing military personnel who have authored books.

William Gately is a Vietnam veteran and former vice-cop from the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, DC). In 1970, after a three year enlistment in the Marines and tour in Vietnam he took the oath of police officer in the nation's capital. For the next eight years he served as a member of the Metropolitan Police Department. On June 17, 1972, William Gately was assigned to the Metropolitan Police Department tactical unit that surprised the Watergate Burglars. After leaving the joined the U.S. Customs Service, eventually rising to the rank of assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Customs in Los Angeles.

William Gately co-authored Dead Ringer: An Insider's Account of the Mob's Colombian Connection. According to publisher’s weekly, “Gatley, an employee of the U.S. Customs Service; Joe Caffaro, a Sicilian-born businessman with Mafia ties; and Leo Fraley, an American career criminal who became involved in Colombian drug-smuggling--these men are an unlikely trio to be the subjects of the same book. Yet all played major roles in court cases which tied the Medellin drug cartel to the mafia in Sicily and thence to the U.S. mafia.”

William Butler was a police officer for the Gilmer Police Department (Texas). In addition to his law enforcement career, William Butler is a former member of the United States Army. During his more than seven years as a soldier he attained the rank of sergeant (E5) and his duty stations included: Fort Sam Houston (Texas); White Sands Missile Range (New Mexico: and, two overseas tours. One of his military assignments overseas was as a patrol officer assigned to the Allied Checkpoints Bravo and Charlie in Berlin, Germany.

William Butler is the author of I Remember Tomorrow. According to the book description, “In an attempt to rebuild her life, Jeanette relocates to a quiet little town, after spending ten years in the military and suffering a failed marriage. But Jeanette is a precognitive; able to see the future.”

Douglas J. Vaughn graduated with honors from the New York Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Criminal Justice. He is a former United States Marine and Vietnam veteran, having served as a forward observer for artillery, naval gunfire and air strikes. He spent most of his thirteen-month tour in Vietnam just below the Demilitarized Zone near the Cua Viet River with the 1st Amphibious Tractor Battalion where he served with Ron Kovic, the author of “Born on the Fourth of July.

Douglas Vaughn is also a veteran of the New York Police Department. While assigned to the 48th Precinct in the South Bronx, he gave technical advice to Paul Newman during the filming of “Fort Apache The Bronx.” He also worked in the 20th Precinct on Manhattan’s upper West Side and in the Highway Patrol Unit. Douglas Vaughn He spent his final years with the Police Department planning escorts for dignitaries and was forced to retire in his twentieth year due to an injury incurred while escorting former President George H.W. Bush. He is also one of the 200, or so, officers who has been awarded the Police Combat Cross since its inception in 1934. This second highest Department award is given for “exemplification of extraordinary bravery in armed combat.”

Douglas Vaughn is the author of From the Heights. According to the book description of From the Heights, it “begins in the New York City of the 1930’s and takes the reader to the war in the Pacific and the secret workings of the OSS in Italy and Switzerland during World War II. It is a story of the privileged that summer in South Hampton and the poor who swim in the Harlem River. It is a story of social climbing and empire building. It follows the lives and loves of two generations and delves into the inner workings of the New York Police Department and battles fought by United States Marines in Vietnam.

Military-Writers.com currently lists 41 current or former military servicemembers and their 86 books.