By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - The United States stands with mainstream citizens across the Middle East in facing off with an enemy intent on destroying not just American society, but also the advance of freedom in Muslim societies around the world, President Bush said during a Ramadan dinner last night at the White House. Bush hosted American Muslim leaders and ambassadors and representatives from Muslim nations for the iftar dinner to mark the Muslim holy month. An iftar is a meal served after a day of fasting during Ramadan, which began Sept. 13 this year and continues through Oct. 12.
Noting that Ramadan is a time of prayer, fasting and reflection, Bush said it's also a time for Americans of all faiths to reflect on values they share with Muslims: love of family, gratitude to God, devotion to community and a commitment to religious freedom.
Muslims and people of other faiths also share a common enemy in violent extremists seeking to "tear the fabric of our society" and stop the advance of freedom in Muslim societies, the president said.
"They attack holy sites, destroy mosques and minarets, and kill innocent men, women and children -- including Muslims who do not share their radical views," he said. "They believe that by spreading chaos and violence, they can frustrate the desire of Muslims to live in freedom and peace.
"We say to them: 'You don't represent Muslims. You do not represent Islam, and you will not succeed,'" Bush said.
The United States stands with citizens throughout the broader Middle East to oppose these enemies, the president said. Such citizens include nearly 12 million Iraqis who voted for a democratic future, Afghans defending their young democracy against the Taliban and al Qaeda, and Lebanese people who raised the banner of a Cedar Revolution to reclaim freedom and independence.
"We're standing with all who seek the blessings of liberty and the peace that freedom brings," the president said. "Americans have a history of standing with Muslims facing suffering and hardship, and it's a proud history."
Americans defended Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo after Yugoslavia dissolved, he noted. They supported Kuwait after Saddam Hussein invaded it. They came to the aid of victims of devastating earthquakes in Pakistan, India and Iran. They responded with urgency and compassion after a tsunami devastated Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Meanwhile, Bush said, the United States is rallying the world to confront genocide and deliver aid in Sudan, while supporting a Palestinian democracy that lives side by side and at peace with Israel.
The president urged attendees at the iftar dinner to renew their faith in the universality of freedom. "Let us celebrate the millions of Muslims that we are proud to call American citizens," he said. "And let us honor the many Muslim nations that America is proud to call friends."
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Abuhena M. Saifulislam, one of just 10 Muslim chaplains serving in the U.S. military, offered the evening prayer before guests feasted on a traditional menu of squash soup with lavash flatbread, spiced rack of lamb, cucumber-tomato salad with minted yogurt dressing, and baklava with pomegranate.
"On this day and days to come, by all our differences, by all our aspiration, by fear by sorrow and joy in life and death, teach us and lead us nearer to you," he said.
Saifulislam started his prayer by explaining that Mohammed said anyone who invites another to break the fast with him during Ramadan gets the same spiritual benefit. "Mr. President, we've got you covered," Saifulislam told Bush.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Stellar Students Learn About National Security Careers
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - About 40 exceptional students from high schools nationwide assembled at the Pentagon yesterday to learn about national security careers. The students are participants in the National Youth Leadership Forum's career-preparation program, said Glen O. Hawkins, a faculty advisor for the tuition-based educational organization.
Hawkins said the forum helps young people explore careers in the fields of national security, diplomacy, law, medicine and other professions. Program participants are high achievers with grade-point averages of 3.7 or above, he said.
"The one we're participating in now deals with national security," Hawkins explained at the Pentagon. The students received briefings by Army, Air Force, Marine and Navy officers.
About 400 high school students are attending various forum-run career programs held across the Washington area from now through the end of October, Hawkins said.
The Defense Department portion concludes with a mock national security exercise at a local hotel, Hawkins said.
"I wanted to see the Pentagon and hear from people who serve" in the military, said Kathleen C. Rubin, an 18-year-old senior from Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio.
The Texas teenager said she perceived passion in the speakers' voices as they discussed their military duties. "They really care about what they do," Rubin observed.
Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Marine 1st Lt. David W. Bradt was among the officers who briefed the students. The Marine said he fielded students' questions about his wartime experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder, battlefield ethics and other topics.
"The kids impressed me. They are very well informed and the majority had good questions that demanded well-thought-out answers," said Bradt, who recently completed a nationwide speaking tour as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public-outreach program.
Defense-oriented briefings will be provided each week to other students in the program through the end of the month, Pentagon spokeswoman Adrien F.C. Starks said.
"The National Youth Leadership Forum is a group of very young and bright kids," Starks noted. "They've asked some very valid questions."
The students also received a guided tour of the Pentagon, including a visit to the Army Operations Center, and learned about the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, which connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"We're letting them know that there is a Department of Defense program in place that connects the American public with our servicemembers and family members," Starks said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - About 40 exceptional students from high schools nationwide assembled at the Pentagon yesterday to learn about national security careers. The students are participants in the National Youth Leadership Forum's career-preparation program, said Glen O. Hawkins, a faculty advisor for the tuition-based educational organization.
Hawkins said the forum helps young people explore careers in the fields of national security, diplomacy, law, medicine and other professions. Program participants are high achievers with grade-point averages of 3.7 or above, he said.
"The one we're participating in now deals with national security," Hawkins explained at the Pentagon. The students received briefings by Army, Air Force, Marine and Navy officers.
About 400 high school students are attending various forum-run career programs held across the Washington area from now through the end of October, Hawkins said.
The Defense Department portion concludes with a mock national security exercise at a local hotel, Hawkins said.
"I wanted to see the Pentagon and hear from people who serve" in the military, said Kathleen C. Rubin, an 18-year-old senior from Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio.
The Texas teenager said she perceived passion in the speakers' voices as they discussed their military duties. "They really care about what they do," Rubin observed.
Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Marine 1st Lt. David W. Bradt was among the officers who briefed the students. The Marine said he fielded students' questions about his wartime experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder, battlefield ethics and other topics.
"The kids impressed me. They are very well informed and the majority had good questions that demanded well-thought-out answers," said Bradt, who recently completed a nationwide speaking tour as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public-outreach program.
Defense-oriented briefings will be provided each week to other students in the program through the end of the month, Pentagon spokeswoman Adrien F.C. Starks said.
"The National Youth Leadership Forum is a group of very young and bright kids," Starks noted. "They've asked some very valid questions."
The students also received a guided tour of the Pentagon, including a visit to the Army Operations Center, and learned about the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, which connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"We're letting them know that there is a Department of Defense program in place that connects the American public with our servicemembers and family members," Starks said.
Military Amputees Find Greater Opportunities to Serve Again
By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - Servicemembers who lose limbs should be enabled to resume active duty, the administrator of Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Amputee Care Center said yesterday. "When you get severely injured, and you look down and you're missing your foot or your leg or your arm, you think that your life is going to be very different," Army Maj. David Rozelle told online journalists and "bloggers" during a conference call. "You can't let that slow you down."
On June 21, 2003, Rozelle was preparing to train a group of Iraqi police recruits in the city of Hit when his vehicle ran over a land mine, blowing off his right foot. After months of intense therapy, Rozelle reassumed his command in Iraq, making him the first amputee to return to the same battlefield on which he was injured since the Civil War.
"My oath of office didn't have an expiration date on it, and I wanted to continue to serve no matter what," Rozelle said. "If I am physically capable to continue to serve, then why not continue to serve, even as a severely injured warrior?"
Rozelle has been a public face in the crusade to allow severely wounded servicemembers to continue their military service. He has called for cutting-edge medical treatment and rehabilitation, as well as policy changes.
"I helped change the model of how we take care of our veterans," Rozelle said. "At one time, we'd patch them up ... get the infection under control ... send them to the VA and send them back home and let Mama take care of them, and, you know, that was a great model back in the 70s, but it doesn't fit our population."
The average age of today's military amputees is 35, Rozelle explained. Another statistic he likes to mention is the suicide rate among amputees from operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom: zero.
"Out of 701 amputees, all 701 are still alive today, and we're very proud of that," Rozelle said.
New facilities like the Military Advanced Training Center at Walter Reed, which features state-of-the-art computers and video systems, help enhance the recovery process of wounded servicemembers, Rozelle pointed out. Vast improvements in prosthetics also have allowed those with even above-the-knee amputations to do what once was considered impossible, he explained, like distance running.
"This is our commitment: to advance training and to advance rehabilitation, to get folks back healed," Rozelle said. "So they can show up to the unit and say, 'Hey, I'm fit to fight! I just ran the Army Ten-Miler!,' and it's a great example of the achievement we have."
Rozelle is team captain of "Missing Parts in Action," the tongue-in-cheek name for a group of military athletes recovering here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; Brooke Army Medical Center, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and San Diego Navy Medical Center, in California. Thirty of the team's members will compete Oct. 7 in the 23rd running of the Army Ten-Miler at the Pentagon, along with a record 26,000 runners, many of them military members running with their respective units.
"To run by units and have people pass you and pat you on the back or to pass people and pat them on the back really is great for our wounded warriors as they heal," Rozelle said. "It's this normalizing process."
Rozelle said he believes advances that have allowed him and other military amputees to reclaim normal lives and even report back to active duty will help other severely wounded members to do the same.
"I see a future where our spinal cord injuries also could come back on active duty," he said. "Hopefully, the research and development can get to the point where (people with) all of these injuries can return to the battlefield if they want."
On Oct. 7, the battlefield will be a 10-mile route on the streets of Washington, where Rozelle and his team of amputee runners will fight to the finish.
"When you've been injured by a combatant, the message you want to send back to your enemy is that I'm still stronger than you. I am not beat," Rozelle said. "We send that message worldwide whenever we get our picture on the cover of the newspaper or a magazine or the television and it gets around the world; people look at that and say, 'Look at these great American warriors. Even when we blow them up and beat them down, they'll stand up and run again and fight again.' And, you know, we're Americans and that's what we're all about."
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - Servicemembers who lose limbs should be enabled to resume active duty, the administrator of Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Amputee Care Center said yesterday. "When you get severely injured, and you look down and you're missing your foot or your leg or your arm, you think that your life is going to be very different," Army Maj. David Rozelle told online journalists and "bloggers" during a conference call. "You can't let that slow you down."
On June 21, 2003, Rozelle was preparing to train a group of Iraqi police recruits in the city of Hit when his vehicle ran over a land mine, blowing off his right foot. After months of intense therapy, Rozelle reassumed his command in Iraq, making him the first amputee to return to the same battlefield on which he was injured since the Civil War.
"My oath of office didn't have an expiration date on it, and I wanted to continue to serve no matter what," Rozelle said. "If I am physically capable to continue to serve, then why not continue to serve, even as a severely injured warrior?"
Rozelle has been a public face in the crusade to allow severely wounded servicemembers to continue their military service. He has called for cutting-edge medical treatment and rehabilitation, as well as policy changes.
"I helped change the model of how we take care of our veterans," Rozelle said. "At one time, we'd patch them up ... get the infection under control ... send them to the VA and send them back home and let Mama take care of them, and, you know, that was a great model back in the 70s, but it doesn't fit our population."
The average age of today's military amputees is 35, Rozelle explained. Another statistic he likes to mention is the suicide rate among amputees from operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom: zero.
"Out of 701 amputees, all 701 are still alive today, and we're very proud of that," Rozelle said.
New facilities like the Military Advanced Training Center at Walter Reed, which features state-of-the-art computers and video systems, help enhance the recovery process of wounded servicemembers, Rozelle pointed out. Vast improvements in prosthetics also have allowed those with even above-the-knee amputations to do what once was considered impossible, he explained, like distance running.
"This is our commitment: to advance training and to advance rehabilitation, to get folks back healed," Rozelle said. "So they can show up to the unit and say, 'Hey, I'm fit to fight! I just ran the Army Ten-Miler!,' and it's a great example of the achievement we have."
Rozelle is team captain of "Missing Parts in Action," the tongue-in-cheek name for a group of military athletes recovering here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; Brooke Army Medical Center, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and San Diego Navy Medical Center, in California. Thirty of the team's members will compete Oct. 7 in the 23rd running of the Army Ten-Miler at the Pentagon, along with a record 26,000 runners, many of them military members running with their respective units.
"To run by units and have people pass you and pat you on the back or to pass people and pat them on the back really is great for our wounded warriors as they heal," Rozelle said. "It's this normalizing process."
Rozelle said he believes advances that have allowed him and other military amputees to reclaim normal lives and even report back to active duty will help other severely wounded members to do the same.
"I see a future where our spinal cord injuries also could come back on active duty," he said. "Hopefully, the research and development can get to the point where (people with) all of these injuries can return to the battlefield if they want."
On Oct. 7, the battlefield will be a 10-mile route on the streets of Washington, where Rozelle and his team of amputee runners will fight to the finish.
"When you've been injured by a combatant, the message you want to send back to your enemy is that I'm still stronger than you. I am not beat," Rozelle said. "We send that message worldwide whenever we get our picture on the cover of the newspaper or a magazine or the television and it gets around the world; people look at that and say, 'Look at these great American warriors. Even when we blow them up and beat them down, they'll stand up and run again and fight again.' And, you know, we're Americans and that's what we're all about."
Army Celebrates Recruiting Success in Fiscal 2007
By Elizabeth M. Lorge
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard A. Cody swore in six new recruits and re-enlisted six soldiers in a ceremony yesterday celebrating the service's success in recruiting and retention for fiscal 2007. Although the numbers won't be available for another week, the Army met all Active, National Guard and Reserve recruiting goals, according to Army officials. The ceremony also kicked off the 2008 recruiting campaign.
On the steps of the Jefferson Memorial, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren reminded the audience that the American soldier is responsible for every freedom Thomas Jefferson outlined in the Declaration of Independence.
"Were it not for the American soldier, the Declaration of Independence likely would have been exhibit one in Thomas Jefferson's trial for treason in a British courtroom," he said. "Were it not for the American soldier, George Washington would likely be remembered as the most famous traitor to Mother England, and were it not for the indomitable American soldier, we would remember Abraham Lincoln as a failed president who lost the Union. All of you today join or rejoin generations of men and women who have answered when our nation called."
Building the right force is crucial for success. Cody said only 35 percent of males between 18 and 34 meet the Army's minimum mental, physical and moral qualifications.
He praised soldiers' selflessness and said he believes this is the best the Army has ever been and that history will call this America's "Strongest Generation."
"To re-enlist at a time of war is a powerful commitment," Cody said. "It says a great deal about these noncommissioned officers and our Army. Soldiers don't re-enlist in an Army at war for incentives or college benefits. They do it because they believe in the mission, because they trust in themselves, their units and their leaders. They do it because they don't want to leave their buddies and because they believe in you -- the future soldiers.
"You new recruits raised your right hand today and said, 'America, in your time of need, send me. I will defend you,'" he said. "That takes personal courage and a sense of duty that we should all respect and take pride in."
Many might ask why anyone would volunteer knowing they will probably deploy to a war zone, but to new recruit Logan Bilyeu, the answer is simple.
"To the soldiers I say, I think we all know," Bilyeu told the crowd. "Look at the soldiers next to you. To everybody else, I say, it's not about the people or a certain person, it's about the flag. We all have to fight for our rights and what we believe. We have a lot of liberties that not a lot of people enjoy, and I joined to earn those rights and to follow the footsteps of my father, my grandfather and my great-grandfather."
"It's what I do. Civilians have their jobs; this is my job," said Staff Sgt. Christopher A. Brown of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, known as the "Old Guard."
He deployed during the initial phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and had some advice for the new recruits: "Believe in your team and the person standing next to you. Trust your NCOs, because your NCOs will not lead you wrong. Fight for what you believe is right. Make it what you want it to be. Take advantage of all the education. Use that and prepare yourself for when you do decide to get out."
Staff Sgt. Ken Kercado and Army-wife Yanitza Lopez-Guerrero also are prepared to deploy, but said they re-enlisted and enlisted today because of the way the Army has cared for their families.
Daniel Otugare is from Nigeria and joins a group of 15,000 immigrants in the Army. "I was so excited because I like the Army, and I'm proud to serve a country like this. I see the equality," he said with a smile.
(Elizabeth M. Lorge works for Army News Service.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard A. Cody swore in six new recruits and re-enlisted six soldiers in a ceremony yesterday celebrating the service's success in recruiting and retention for fiscal 2007. Although the numbers won't be available for another week, the Army met all Active, National Guard and Reserve recruiting goals, according to Army officials. The ceremony also kicked off the 2008 recruiting campaign.
On the steps of the Jefferson Memorial, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren reminded the audience that the American soldier is responsible for every freedom Thomas Jefferson outlined in the Declaration of Independence.
"Were it not for the American soldier, the Declaration of Independence likely would have been exhibit one in Thomas Jefferson's trial for treason in a British courtroom," he said. "Were it not for the American soldier, George Washington would likely be remembered as the most famous traitor to Mother England, and were it not for the indomitable American soldier, we would remember Abraham Lincoln as a failed president who lost the Union. All of you today join or rejoin generations of men and women who have answered when our nation called."
Building the right force is crucial for success. Cody said only 35 percent of males between 18 and 34 meet the Army's minimum mental, physical and moral qualifications.
He praised soldiers' selflessness and said he believes this is the best the Army has ever been and that history will call this America's "Strongest Generation."
"To re-enlist at a time of war is a powerful commitment," Cody said. "It says a great deal about these noncommissioned officers and our Army. Soldiers don't re-enlist in an Army at war for incentives or college benefits. They do it because they believe in the mission, because they trust in themselves, their units and their leaders. They do it because they don't want to leave their buddies and because they believe in you -- the future soldiers.
"You new recruits raised your right hand today and said, 'America, in your time of need, send me. I will defend you,'" he said. "That takes personal courage and a sense of duty that we should all respect and take pride in."
Many might ask why anyone would volunteer knowing they will probably deploy to a war zone, but to new recruit Logan Bilyeu, the answer is simple.
"To the soldiers I say, I think we all know," Bilyeu told the crowd. "Look at the soldiers next to you. To everybody else, I say, it's not about the people or a certain person, it's about the flag. We all have to fight for our rights and what we believe. We have a lot of liberties that not a lot of people enjoy, and I joined to earn those rights and to follow the footsteps of my father, my grandfather and my great-grandfather."
"It's what I do. Civilians have their jobs; this is my job," said Staff Sgt. Christopher A. Brown of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, known as the "Old Guard."
He deployed during the initial phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and had some advice for the new recruits: "Believe in your team and the person standing next to you. Trust your NCOs, because your NCOs will not lead you wrong. Fight for what you believe is right. Make it what you want it to be. Take advantage of all the education. Use that and prepare yourself for when you do decide to get out."
Staff Sgt. Ken Kercado and Army-wife Yanitza Lopez-Guerrero also are prepared to deploy, but said they re-enlisted and enlisted today because of the way the Army has cared for their families.
Daniel Otugare is from Nigeria and joins a group of 15,000 immigrants in the Army. "I was so excited because I like the Army, and I'm proud to serve a country like this. I see the equality," he said with a smile.
(Elizabeth M. Lorge works for Army News Service.)
America Supports You: Opry to Send 'World's Largest Care Package'
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - Country music fans soon will be invited to join top country artists and the Grand Ole Opry in creating the "World's Largest Care Package" for troops serving overseas. "We feel like this is a great way to thank (servicemembers) and recognize the sacrifices that they made to serve our country and defend our freedom," said Pete Fisher, Opry vice president and general manager. "This just seemed like a great idea that we thought would catch people's attention and put some smiles on some faces overseas."
The Grand Ole Opry, with the United States Postal Service and the Defense Department's America Supports You program, will unveil the World's Largest Care Package during its televised "Grand Ole Opry Live" show on Oct. 6. The project is part of the theater's 82nd birthday activities.
America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad. "(America Supports You) is a campaign we believe very strongly in," Fisher said. "We also think it's important to provide an opportunity ... for country music fans and Opry fans to express their support (for the troops). So America Supports You is always on our mind."
That opportunity comes in a box large enough to contain 1,000 individual packages, exactly the number of boxes the U.S. Postal Service donated, Fisher said. Those boxes, which carry the Grand Ole Opry and America Supports You logos, will be filled with letters from Opry fans, as well as gifts from musicians and record labels and some of America's most recognized corporate brands.
"We're welcoming (fans) to drop off letters," Fisher said. "What we will really emphasize is really to share their thoughts in a letter."
Fan letters will be accepted through the end of October. The packages will be shipped by Nov. 11 so troops serving overseas will receive them by Thanksgiving, Fisher said.
"Mail is a great morale booster for our troops," Joanne Giordano, Postal Service vice president for public affairs and communications, said in a joint Opry, Postal Service, America Supports You news release. "We're proud to be part of an effort to connect our brave men and women in uniform with their friends and family back home."
Support for the project has been widespread, including fans who participated in an Opry online auction that netted $10,000 to ship the packages. Volunteers from the nonprofit group Tennessee Marine Family will pack the boxes with goodies that are collected.
Donna Clemons, the mother of a Marine who has served three tours in Iraq, founded the group, which also supports the America Supports You program.
"The way all these organizations have come together, I believe, is truly representative of the support of our mission for our military family, and we're grateful for their generosity," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communication and public liaison. "The partnership between the Grand Ole Opry, one of our earliest supporters, and the U.S. Postal Service is an excellent example of how organizations can come together through the America Supports You program."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - Country music fans soon will be invited to join top country artists and the Grand Ole Opry in creating the "World's Largest Care Package" for troops serving overseas. "We feel like this is a great way to thank (servicemembers) and recognize the sacrifices that they made to serve our country and defend our freedom," said Pete Fisher, Opry vice president and general manager. "This just seemed like a great idea that we thought would catch people's attention and put some smiles on some faces overseas."
The Grand Ole Opry, with the United States Postal Service and the Defense Department's America Supports You program, will unveil the World's Largest Care Package during its televised "Grand Ole Opry Live" show on Oct. 6. The project is part of the theater's 82nd birthday activities.
America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad. "(America Supports You) is a campaign we believe very strongly in," Fisher said. "We also think it's important to provide an opportunity ... for country music fans and Opry fans to express their support (for the troops). So America Supports You is always on our mind."
That opportunity comes in a box large enough to contain 1,000 individual packages, exactly the number of boxes the U.S. Postal Service donated, Fisher said. Those boxes, which carry the Grand Ole Opry and America Supports You logos, will be filled with letters from Opry fans, as well as gifts from musicians and record labels and some of America's most recognized corporate brands.
"We're welcoming (fans) to drop off letters," Fisher said. "What we will really emphasize is really to share their thoughts in a letter."
Fan letters will be accepted through the end of October. The packages will be shipped by Nov. 11 so troops serving overseas will receive them by Thanksgiving, Fisher said.
"Mail is a great morale booster for our troops," Joanne Giordano, Postal Service vice president for public affairs and communications, said in a joint Opry, Postal Service, America Supports You news release. "We're proud to be part of an effort to connect our brave men and women in uniform with their friends and family back home."
Support for the project has been widespread, including fans who participated in an Opry online auction that netted $10,000 to ship the packages. Volunteers from the nonprofit group Tennessee Marine Family will pack the boxes with goodies that are collected.
Donna Clemons, the mother of a Marine who has served three tours in Iraq, founded the group, which also supports the America Supports You program.
"The way all these organizations have come together, I believe, is truly representative of the support of our mission for our military family, and we're grateful for their generosity," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communication and public liaison. "The partnership between the Grand Ole Opry, one of our earliest supporters, and the U.S. Postal Service is an excellent example of how organizations can come together through the America Supports You program."
New Commander Speaks of Military's Newest Combatant Command
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - Members of the new U.S. Africa Command are going to listen to the people of the continent and help them realize their plans, the first commander of the organization said here yesterday. In a news conference at the State Department's Foreign Press Center, Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward said he was honored to be selected and confirmed as AFRICOM's first commander.
"I think this is a good time for the establishment of the command," he said. "I think the economic, political and social importance of the African continent in global affairs continues to grow."
The command is based in Stuttgart, Germany, for now but will move to Africa in the future. Africa has enormous historic, cultural and geostrategic significance to the United States, and the establishment of the command reinforces the U.S. commitment to the continent, Ward said.
Responsibility for operations on the African continent was divided among three combatant commands: U.S. European Command, which had responsibility for most of the nations in the African mainland except in the Horn of Africa; U.S. Central Command, which had responsibility for Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya; and U.S. Pacific Command, which had responsibility for Madagascar, the Seychelles and the Indian Ocean area off the African coast.
Egypt and Yemen will remain as part of U.S. Central Command.
Ward served as the deputy commander of U.S. European Command. "I traveled extensively in Africa," he said at the press center. "One of my observations is our assistance to existing and emerging African security institutions is most effective when it offers African solutions to African challenges."
He said the command will be committed to helping African nations and regional African organizations, like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, develop and maintain security, allowing effective development.
The command will work with nations of the continent to develop exercises, humanitarian programs, training events and support to peacekeepers.
Africa Command offers a chance to "harmonize U.S. government efforts in the region especially with (the Department of) State and the Agency for International Development and other agencies," Ward said.
He said the U.S. State Department will lead policy development for the command. Officials at the command will rely heavily on the expertise of USAID workers and employees of other government agencies -- such as the departments of Treasury, Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Justice -- as they plan for the future.
"We at AFRICOM recognize the leading role these U.S. agencies (play) for policy, diplomacy and development and will draw on their expertise as well as non-governmental, private companies and international organizations," he said.
Ward said he has three main priorities. First, like doctors, the command will endeavor to "do no harm." He said the command is not on the continent to disrupt or confuse efforts in Africa. "Our intent is to make (the transition) as seamless as possible from three existing commands to one unified command," he said.
Second, Ward said officials want to add value to ongoing efforts on the continent. The command will focus on helping African nations build security structures that work for Africans. These will include military, police, border guards and other services nations require to protect their citizens.
"Third, we believe AFRICOM will enable African solutions," he said.
The general said the command will continue to strive to build bilateral relationships and work to build multinational working groups. "We will take time to listen and collaborate with partners," he said, adding that the command will work with African nations to provide for their own security and export security across the continent.
However, there are some things that the command definitely will not be, Ward said. AFRICOM will not be a large command with large bases and large numbers of American troops. "The idea of a command with large bases and a lot of forces is just wrong," he said. "At some point in time, we will move the headquarters or pieces of the headquarters (from Stuttgart) to the continent."
There have been no negotiations on this yet, and whatever is done will be done deliberately and only after discussions with African allies, Ward said.
Ward stressed that the command is not just a Defense Department organization. Senior State Department officials will be included, and the deputy to the commander -- a three-star equivalent -- will be a senior Foreign Service officer. "As we develop as an organization, we will be trying something for the first time," Ward said. "It's an evolutionary construct, and when things aren't achieving the things we want to achieve, we will change it. The collective work of us all is for stability. That's what we need to move towards."
Marine Corps Exceeds Recruiting, Retention Numbers
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - The Marine Corps announced today that it exceeded its recruiting and retention expectations for the year, marking the first milestone in a push to significantly expand the overall force by 2011. During a background briefing at the Pentagon today, Marine Corps officials told reporters that the Corps' end strength stands at 186,000 Marines, some 2,000 more than officials expected when fiscal 2007 ended Sept. 30.
"At a time of unprecedented challenges to the all-volunteer force, to achieve such a growth so quickly and without compromising our high standards, it is an enormous credit to our Marines and to the young patriots who continue to step forward to serve," a Marine Corps official said.
Officials declined to release an official figure but said that the corps exceeded its fiscal 2007 recruiting goal to enlist 35,576 recruits. Thirty-one percent of eligible Marines in their first term re-enlisted during that time, up from 22 percent in 2006. From the career force, 70 percent reenlisted, compared to 65 percent last year.
In one notable two-week period in July, 1,025 Marines re-enlisted while serving in Iraq. This figure more than tripled the amount of re-enlistments that occurred during prior visits by manpower representatives to Marines deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"The numbers tell us that we are offering the right mix of incentives to reach our retention goals," the official said. "While money and duty-station incentives help, the most important reason cited by re-enlisting Marines is the sense that they're making a difference.
"Marines are proud of what they're doing for their corps and their country," he added.
The year's figures are encouraging, the official said, but the corps is focused on its goal to increase end strength to 202,000 Marines by the year 2011. "While reaching the initial goal is gratifying, our eye is on the final objective: a properly sized, balanced and resourced Marine Corps capable of sustaining operations across the spectrum of conflict," the official said.
Greater numbers of Marines will relieve strains on those serving extended or repeated deployments. An increased force size also will allow the corps to create additional units to participate in a "long war" that extends beyond Iraq's and Afghanistan's borders, the official said.
"While additional personnel will have a positive effect on relieving the strain of our Marines and families," the official said, "a larger Marine Corps is vital if we are to both sustain current operations and remain fully prepared to respond to future challenges."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - The Marine Corps announced today that it exceeded its recruiting and retention expectations for the year, marking the first milestone in a push to significantly expand the overall force by 2011. During a background briefing at the Pentagon today, Marine Corps officials told reporters that the Corps' end strength stands at 186,000 Marines, some 2,000 more than officials expected when fiscal 2007 ended Sept. 30.
"At a time of unprecedented challenges to the all-volunteer force, to achieve such a growth so quickly and without compromising our high standards, it is an enormous credit to our Marines and to the young patriots who continue to step forward to serve," a Marine Corps official said.
Officials declined to release an official figure but said that the corps exceeded its fiscal 2007 recruiting goal to enlist 35,576 recruits. Thirty-one percent of eligible Marines in their first term re-enlisted during that time, up from 22 percent in 2006. From the career force, 70 percent reenlisted, compared to 65 percent last year.
In one notable two-week period in July, 1,025 Marines re-enlisted while serving in Iraq. This figure more than tripled the amount of re-enlistments that occurred during prior visits by manpower representatives to Marines deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"The numbers tell us that we are offering the right mix of incentives to reach our retention goals," the official said. "While money and duty-station incentives help, the most important reason cited by re-enlisting Marines is the sense that they're making a difference.
"Marines are proud of what they're doing for their corps and their country," he added.
The year's figures are encouraging, the official said, but the corps is focused on its goal to increase end strength to 202,000 Marines by the year 2011. "While reaching the initial goal is gratifying, our eye is on the final objective: a properly sized, balanced and resourced Marine Corps capable of sustaining operations across the spectrum of conflict," the official said.
Greater numbers of Marines will relieve strains on those serving extended or repeated deployments. An increased force size also will allow the corps to create additional units to participate in a "long war" that extends beyond Iraq's and Afghanistan's borders, the official said.
"While additional personnel will have a positive effect on relieving the strain of our Marines and families," the official said, "a larger Marine Corps is vital if we are to both sustain current operations and remain fully prepared to respond to future challenges."
U.S. to Strengthen Defense Relationship with Chile
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - The U.S. military will strengthen its relationship with Chile by encouraging the country's peacekeeping efforts in the region and increasing interoperability with more foreign military exchanges and bilateral operations, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. On the third stop of his week-long tour of Latin America, Gates met this morning with Chilean Defense Minister Jose Mario Goni. This is the first time Gates has visited the country as secretary of defense, though he has traveled here in previous government capacities. Gates also will meet with the country's president, Michelle Bachelet, today.
Gates and Goni signed a reciprocal health agreement between the two countries that provides servicemembers and families access to host-country military health care facilities. Gates said the agreement "reflects a maturing defense relationship" with Chile.
Seated next to Goni during a news conference, Gates lauded Chile's regional peacekeeping efforts, especially those in Haiti, and called the country a "great friend" of the United States.
"Our bilateral relationship is strong because it is based on our shared values of democracy, our economy and our commitment to social justice and human rights," Gates said. "These values strengthen our countries and result in better governments, growing economies, lowering poverty rates and a more effective defense against today's challenges and threats."
Gates committed to working to increase interoperability with Chile's military and to sharing knowledge of military modernization.
The secretary said there would likely be further exchanges between the two countries' military academies and educational institutions, further cooperation on demining, and more military exercises together. He also said the Chileans expressed interest in "specialized" training, but he didn't elaborate.
The secretary said Chile's contributions to peacekeeping efforts beyond Haiti offer promise as the country explores "new and different ways of doing peacekeeping." Chile has more than 500 peacekeepers in Haiti, and several in other countries.
"Chile's participation in peacekeeping operations makes a significant contribution both to regional and global stability and the growth of democracy," Gates said. "The United States is especially grateful for Chile's efforts in Haiti. Your leadership and bond with the Haitian people has fostered stability and created space for institutions to grow."
During a question-and-answer session, a local reporter asked Gates if his five-country trip to Latin America was an effort to provide an allied front against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has made anti-American statements. Gates has called Chavez's recent weapons purchases discouraging, considering the resources could have been spent reviving his country's poor economy. But, Gates said today, no specific country has been discussed during his trip. He said this is a fact-finding trip to learn ways to strengthen relationships with partners in the region.
"The focus has really been, throughout, on what we can do bilaterally to strengthen our relationships and on regional security issues," Gates said. "The focus of the conversation has been on narcotraffickers, gang warfare -- these kinds of problems. We really haven't focused on other countries, but really more on what we can do together in these areas."
In response to a media question about Iraq's recent order of $100 million in weapons from China, Gates said he was not concerned that Iraq was buying weapons from China, but that the U.S. foreign military sales system is too cumbersome to respond to fast-delivery, short-term demands.
Iraqi officials have expressed similar concerns. Still, Gates said, the first request by Iraq to the United States for weapons was in January, and the U.S. already has delivered $600 million worth of weapons. Another $2 to $3 billion worth of weapons is on order, he said.
"We are looking into ways in which we can abbreviate or accelerate the process by which we provide weapons under the FMS programs to Iraq and, in fact, ... that was an issue that was discussed here in Chile this morning," Gates said.
He said the system needs to be more responsive and able to react more quickly to requirements of "our friends."
"Unfortunately the FMS program was set up in such a way it was not intended to provide sort of emergency or short-term supplies as in the case of Iraq," he said. "We're trying to figure out how to do that better."
Gates said officials have opened offices in Baghdad to establish a day-to-day dialogue with Iraqi government officials and receive and process the country's requirements more quickly.
The secretary also was questioned about his stand on closing the detainee facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Gates said he would like to see the facility closed, but that legal and safety issues must be worked through before it would be possible. More than 300 detainees are housed at the facility.
"What we are looking into is how to do that in a way that provides for appropriate rights for those who are being detained, but, at the same time, protects Americans and, frankly, others in the world from terrorists who are at Guantanamo (and who) if released there is no question that they would return to plotting against us and others, and we have no doubt of that because they told us that," Gates said.
He said that government officials in the executive and legislative branches are examining legal issues of closing the facility.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - The U.S. military will strengthen its relationship with Chile by encouraging the country's peacekeeping efforts in the region and increasing interoperability with more foreign military exchanges and bilateral operations, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. On the third stop of his week-long tour of Latin America, Gates met this morning with Chilean Defense Minister Jose Mario Goni. This is the first time Gates has visited the country as secretary of defense, though he has traveled here in previous government capacities. Gates also will meet with the country's president, Michelle Bachelet, today.
Gates and Goni signed a reciprocal health agreement between the two countries that provides servicemembers and families access to host-country military health care facilities. Gates said the agreement "reflects a maturing defense relationship" with Chile.
Seated next to Goni during a news conference, Gates lauded Chile's regional peacekeeping efforts, especially those in Haiti, and called the country a "great friend" of the United States.
"Our bilateral relationship is strong because it is based on our shared values of democracy, our economy and our commitment to social justice and human rights," Gates said. "These values strengthen our countries and result in better governments, growing economies, lowering poverty rates and a more effective defense against today's challenges and threats."
Gates committed to working to increase interoperability with Chile's military and to sharing knowledge of military modernization.
The secretary said there would likely be further exchanges between the two countries' military academies and educational institutions, further cooperation on demining, and more military exercises together. He also said the Chileans expressed interest in "specialized" training, but he didn't elaborate.
The secretary said Chile's contributions to peacekeeping efforts beyond Haiti offer promise as the country explores "new and different ways of doing peacekeeping." Chile has more than 500 peacekeepers in Haiti, and several in other countries.
"Chile's participation in peacekeeping operations makes a significant contribution both to regional and global stability and the growth of democracy," Gates said. "The United States is especially grateful for Chile's efforts in Haiti. Your leadership and bond with the Haitian people has fostered stability and created space for institutions to grow."
During a question-and-answer session, a local reporter asked Gates if his five-country trip to Latin America was an effort to provide an allied front against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has made anti-American statements. Gates has called Chavez's recent weapons purchases discouraging, considering the resources could have been spent reviving his country's poor economy. But, Gates said today, no specific country has been discussed during his trip. He said this is a fact-finding trip to learn ways to strengthen relationships with partners in the region.
"The focus has really been, throughout, on what we can do bilaterally to strengthen our relationships and on regional security issues," Gates said. "The focus of the conversation has been on narcotraffickers, gang warfare -- these kinds of problems. We really haven't focused on other countries, but really more on what we can do together in these areas."
In response to a media question about Iraq's recent order of $100 million in weapons from China, Gates said he was not concerned that Iraq was buying weapons from China, but that the U.S. foreign military sales system is too cumbersome to respond to fast-delivery, short-term demands.
Iraqi officials have expressed similar concerns. Still, Gates said, the first request by Iraq to the United States for weapons was in January, and the U.S. already has delivered $600 million worth of weapons. Another $2 to $3 billion worth of weapons is on order, he said.
"We are looking into ways in which we can abbreviate or accelerate the process by which we provide weapons under the FMS programs to Iraq and, in fact, ... that was an issue that was discussed here in Chile this morning," Gates said.
He said the system needs to be more responsive and able to react more quickly to requirements of "our friends."
"Unfortunately the FMS program was set up in such a way it was not intended to provide sort of emergency or short-term supplies as in the case of Iraq," he said. "We're trying to figure out how to do that better."
Gates said officials have opened offices in Baghdad to establish a day-to-day dialogue with Iraqi government officials and receive and process the country's requirements more quickly.
The secretary also was questioned about his stand on closing the detainee facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Gates said he would like to see the facility closed, but that legal and safety issues must be worked through before it would be possible. More than 300 detainees are housed at the facility.
"What we are looking into is how to do that in a way that provides for appropriate rights for those who are being detained, but, at the same time, protects Americans and, frankly, others in the world from terrorists who are at Guantanamo (and who) if released there is no question that they would return to plotting against us and others, and we have no doubt of that because they told us that," Gates said.
He said that government officials in the executive and legislative branches are examining legal issues of closing the facility.
Navy Muslim Chaplain to Help Lead White House Iftar Dinner
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - When Muslim U.S. servicemembers join other Muslim-American citizens and representatives of Washington's diplomatic community at an iftar dinner tonight at the White House, one of just 10 Muslim chaplains serving in the U.S. military will have the honors of administering the call to prayer and leading prayers. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Abuhena M. Saifulislam will lead the call to prayer at tonight's iftar, hosted by President Bush to commemorate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and encourage a renewal of friendly ties between the U.S. and the Muslim world.
An iftar is a meal served at the day's end during Ramadan, which began Sept. 13 this year and continues through Oct. 12.
Ramadan is the Islamic faith's holiest time and commemorates the revelation of the Koran to the prophet Muhammad, Bush noted in his presidential message issued Sept. 7. Through fasting, prayer and worship, Muslims reflect on their spiritual lives and their dependence on God as they strengthen family and community ties.
Tonight, as the president hosts his seventh iftar since taking office, he is expected to reiterate the words of his presidential message: "May the holy days of Ramadan remind us all to seek a culture of compassion and serve others in charity."
Saifulislam said he considers it an honor to help share that message of sharing and understanding.
He led a similar celebration at the Pentagon Oct. 1 and called it an important way to open communication lines between Americans and Muslims. "It's a privilege to work in these capacities, to help create an atmosphere where we can learn to live together," he said. "It's not a choice. It's a necessity."
A native of Bangladesh, Saifulislam had a lot of firsts in his 15-year Navy career, the last eight years served as a Muslim chaplain. He was the first Muslim chaplain to be assigned to the Marine Corps, at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He helped organize the Marines' first iftar, in 2005. He was the first Muslim chaplain to be sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to administer to detainees there.
Sailfulislam said he works year-round to promote understanding and break down misconceptions that exist on both sides of the aisle. He educates Christians about Muslim beliefs and works to dispel views that "Islam is evil."
Similarly, he works to erase some Muslims' perception that "America is against Islam" and encourages Muslim-Americans to play a more active role in communicating to the Muslim world what America represents. "It's a two-way process," he said. "The more we learn about each other, the more understanding and acceptance there will be."
Sailfulislam said he's proud to be among an estimated 5,000 Muslim-Americans who serve in the U.S. military. "America Muslims are a part of America, and we have documentation that they have fought for this country since the Revolutionary War," he said.
Muslims have served and died for the United States in every conflict it's ever been involved in, including the war on terror, Sailfulislam said. He's personally attended funerals at Arlington National Cemetery for several Muslim servicemembers killed in Iraq.
Sailfulislam said he sees no conflict between his Muslim faith and his military calling in the United States.
"I'm an American. My wife is an American. My daughter is an American, and my sister and my nieces and nephews," he said. "If I am not willing to defend them, then who will be?"
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - When Muslim U.S. servicemembers join other Muslim-American citizens and representatives of Washington's diplomatic community at an iftar dinner tonight at the White House, one of just 10 Muslim chaplains serving in the U.S. military will have the honors of administering the call to prayer and leading prayers. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Abuhena M. Saifulislam will lead the call to prayer at tonight's iftar, hosted by President Bush to commemorate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and encourage a renewal of friendly ties between the U.S. and the Muslim world.
An iftar is a meal served at the day's end during Ramadan, which began Sept. 13 this year and continues through Oct. 12.
Ramadan is the Islamic faith's holiest time and commemorates the revelation of the Koran to the prophet Muhammad, Bush noted in his presidential message issued Sept. 7. Through fasting, prayer and worship, Muslims reflect on their spiritual lives and their dependence on God as they strengthen family and community ties.
Tonight, as the president hosts his seventh iftar since taking office, he is expected to reiterate the words of his presidential message: "May the holy days of Ramadan remind us all to seek a culture of compassion and serve others in charity."
Saifulislam said he considers it an honor to help share that message of sharing and understanding.
He led a similar celebration at the Pentagon Oct. 1 and called it an important way to open communication lines between Americans and Muslims. "It's a privilege to work in these capacities, to help create an atmosphere where we can learn to live together," he said. "It's not a choice. It's a necessity."
A native of Bangladesh, Saifulislam had a lot of firsts in his 15-year Navy career, the last eight years served as a Muslim chaplain. He was the first Muslim chaplain to be assigned to the Marine Corps, at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He helped organize the Marines' first iftar, in 2005. He was the first Muslim chaplain to be sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to administer to detainees there.
Sailfulislam said he works year-round to promote understanding and break down misconceptions that exist on both sides of the aisle. He educates Christians about Muslim beliefs and works to dispel views that "Islam is evil."
Similarly, he works to erase some Muslims' perception that "America is against Islam" and encourages Muslim-Americans to play a more active role in communicating to the Muslim world what America represents. "It's a two-way process," he said. "The more we learn about each other, the more understanding and acceptance there will be."
Sailfulislam said he's proud to be among an estimated 5,000 Muslim-Americans who serve in the U.S. military. "America Muslims are a part of America, and we have documentation that they have fought for this country since the Revolutionary War," he said.
Muslims have served and died for the United States in every conflict it's ever been involved in, including the war on terror, Sailfulislam said. He's personally attended funerals at Arlington National Cemetery for several Muslim servicemembers killed in Iraq.
Sailfulislam said he sees no conflict between his Muslim faith and his military calling in the United States.
"I'm an American. My wife is an American. My daughter is an American, and my sister and my nieces and nephews," he said. "If I am not willing to defend them, then who will be?"
SemperComm Accepting 2008 Award Nominations
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - The SemperComm Foundation is accepting award nominations from the military community for its 2008 SemperComm Award, which recognizes extraordinary efforts by military members to boost the morale of their fellow servicemembers while stationed at remote locations. This award is open to military personnel from all branches of the U.S. armed forces.
Nominees will be judged based on three criteria: what actions the individual took to boost morale; the duty station's size and remoteness; and the nominee's willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty.
The SemperComm Foundation is dedicated to supplying morale-boosting communications and entertainment equipment, software and services to small, overseas remote U.S. military bases.
The group is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
SemperComm receives major support from Computer Systems Center Inc., a defense-oriented software-development company, and Stars For Stripes, a nonprofit group that brings celebrity entertainers to U.S. troops.
Award winners will be invited to bring one guest to the SemperComm Gala on April 10, 2008, in Arlington, Va., where awards will be presented. Travel and lodging will be provided for each winner and guest by the SemperComm Foundation.
Nomination forms are available on the SemperComm Web site, at www.sempercomm.org, and will be accepted until Jan. 28, 2008.
Contact Alix Hornig at 703-923-7610 or by e-mail at ahornig@sempercomm.org for additional information about the award.
Oct. 4, 2007 - The SemperComm Foundation is accepting award nominations from the military community for its 2008 SemperComm Award, which recognizes extraordinary efforts by military members to boost the morale of their fellow servicemembers while stationed at remote locations. This award is open to military personnel from all branches of the U.S. armed forces.
Nominees will be judged based on three criteria: what actions the individual took to boost morale; the duty station's size and remoteness; and the nominee's willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty.
The SemperComm Foundation is dedicated to supplying morale-boosting communications and entertainment equipment, software and services to small, overseas remote U.S. military bases.
The group is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
SemperComm receives major support from Computer Systems Center Inc., a defense-oriented software-development company, and Stars For Stripes, a nonprofit group that brings celebrity entertainers to U.S. troops.
Award winners will be invited to bring one guest to the SemperComm Gala on April 10, 2008, in Arlington, Va., where awards will be presented. Travel and lodging will be provided for each winner and guest by the SemperComm Foundation.
Nomination forms are available on the SemperComm Web site, at www.sempercomm.org, and will be accepted until Jan. 28, 2008.
Contact Alix Hornig at 703-923-7610 or by e-mail at ahornig@sempercomm.org for additional information about the award.
Record Number of Military Amputees Set to Run Army Ten Miler
By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - Dozens of military amputees will be part of a record crowd of 26,000 to run the Army Ten-Miler on Oct. 7 at the Pentagon. "It's hard to believe we are on our fourth year," Army Maj. David Rozelle said. "Our first year it was just a few of us, our second was 12, and last year we doubled to 24. This year we will be our strongest yet with 30."
Rozelle is team captain of "Missing Parts in Action," the tongue-in-cheek name for a group of military athletes recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here; Brook Army Medical Center, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and San Diego Navy Medical Center, in California.
"We are proud to continue to represent our fellow amputees," he said.
Rozelle lost his right foot to an anti-tank mine in Iraq in June 2003. After nine months of rehabilitation, he was declared fit for duty and sent back to Iraq to command Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Rozelle now administers the Amputee Care Center at Walter Reed.
Other team members include a Special Forces soldier who lost his right eye and was blinded in his left during an attack last year in Iraq and will run tethered to his training partner from Fort Bragg, N.C. Another wounded soldier who lost part of his hand during combat said he's running the ten-miler to represent not only the Army but also his friends serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Servicemembers deployed overseas will participate in "shadow" versions of the race, traversing 10-mile courses often consisting of multiple loops on such forward installations as camps Victory and Taji, Al Asad Air Base and Logistics Support Area Adder. Runners there prepare not just for heat and dehydration, but also the ever-present possibility of mortar attacks.
Thirty-seven women whose husbands have deployed to Iraq, some for the third time, will run the race in Washington to honor sacrifices of their loved ones and to raise awareness about what families of deployed servicemembers experience.
"I think it's important to have groups like ours out there so that people don't forget that for every soldier serving, there's a family he or she left behind," explained Gabriele Winton, whose husband is on his second combat tour in Iraq. "Those families are making a huge sacrifice too."
Hundreds of military teams from across the country and around the world will descend on the Pentagon to compete in what has become the largest 10-mile race in the United States. More than 50 teams will set up support stations in the Pentagon south parking area and compete in the "HOOAH Tent Zone," during which demonstrating the best "Army spirit" is the criteria for victory.
The 23rd running of the Army Ten-Miler begins Oct. 7 at 8 a.m. Eastern Time and will take runners on a scenic tour along the National Mall. The race is organized every year by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - Dozens of military amputees will be part of a record crowd of 26,000 to run the Army Ten-Miler on Oct. 7 at the Pentagon. "It's hard to believe we are on our fourth year," Army Maj. David Rozelle said. "Our first year it was just a few of us, our second was 12, and last year we doubled to 24. This year we will be our strongest yet with 30."
Rozelle is team captain of "Missing Parts in Action," the tongue-in-cheek name for a group of military athletes recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here; Brook Army Medical Center, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and San Diego Navy Medical Center, in California.
"We are proud to continue to represent our fellow amputees," he said.
Rozelle lost his right foot to an anti-tank mine in Iraq in June 2003. After nine months of rehabilitation, he was declared fit for duty and sent back to Iraq to command Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Rozelle now administers the Amputee Care Center at Walter Reed.
Other team members include a Special Forces soldier who lost his right eye and was blinded in his left during an attack last year in Iraq and will run tethered to his training partner from Fort Bragg, N.C. Another wounded soldier who lost part of his hand during combat said he's running the ten-miler to represent not only the Army but also his friends serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Servicemembers deployed overseas will participate in "shadow" versions of the race, traversing 10-mile courses often consisting of multiple loops on such forward installations as camps Victory and Taji, Al Asad Air Base and Logistics Support Area Adder. Runners there prepare not just for heat and dehydration, but also the ever-present possibility of mortar attacks.
Thirty-seven women whose husbands have deployed to Iraq, some for the third time, will run the race in Washington to honor sacrifices of their loved ones and to raise awareness about what families of deployed servicemembers experience.
"I think it's important to have groups like ours out there so that people don't forget that for every soldier serving, there's a family he or she left behind," explained Gabriele Winton, whose husband is on his second combat tour in Iraq. "Those families are making a huge sacrifice too."
Hundreds of military teams from across the country and around the world will descend on the Pentagon to compete in what has become the largest 10-mile race in the United States. More than 50 teams will set up support stations in the Pentagon south parking area and compete in the "HOOAH Tent Zone," during which demonstrating the best "Army spirit" is the criteria for victory.
The 23rd running of the Army Ten-Miler begins Oct. 7 at 8 a.m. Eastern Time and will take runners on a scenic tour along the National Mall. The race is organized every year by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.
Outreach Program Puts Human Face on Military Service
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - Sharing military experiences with the American public injects a human element into events often conveyed through the cold glare of television's nightly news, a group of well-spoken servicemembers said here Oct. 2. "The numbers that you hear on TV of soldiers dying, the numbers that you hear that we're going to bring 30,000 (troops) home, ... I just put a face to those numbers, and we all do," Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jeffery Duncan told American Forces Press Service.
Duncan, a 40-year-old senior aircraft maintenance supervisor with 21 years of service, completed a five-month deployment to the Middle East in May. He's one of a group of eight military members who've completed a week-long nationwide speaking tour featuring 20-30 engagements as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public-outreach program.
Audiences at his speaking engagements love the military, Duncan observed, noting he told listeners how much he enjoys the camaraderie inherent across the armed forces. "We are one team, and that's what we do," Duncan emphasized, adding that his speaking tour was an awesome experience.
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace started the Why We Serve program in the fall of 2006. Duncan's group constituted the fourth iteration of the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Why We Serve duty tours are about 90 days. Participants are selected by their individual services and talk to schools, veterans organizations and business groups.
Why We Serve program director Marine Maj. Chris Devine praised Duncan and his fellow speakers in the fourth group for their professionalism and energy.
"They have the high bar for others to knock off," Devine said. "I think they've done extremely well, not only in their venues, but representing their services, as well."
The previous eight-member groups were comprised of two selectees from each military service, Devine noted. However, the next, fifth group will feature 10 speakers, he said.
The Why We Serve program has matured, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Dorrance Smith has decided to "take it to the next level," Devine explained.
"What this program is doing is helping us win the 'war on narratives,' especially in the mainstream media," Devine noted. The program, he added, offers a different perspective about the war on terrorism, from the viewpoints of military members who've served in Afghanistan, Iraq or the Horn of Africa.
Another Why We Serve member in Duncan's group, Marine 1st Lt. David Bradt, served two tours in Iraq. The 26-year-old combat engineer said he enjoyed telling people about his Iraq experiences.
Bradt noted his experiences in Iraq were varied, from "full-scale infantry missions to cache sweeps to more of a support role."
The Marine said he was emotionally moved when people thanked him for his military service during his speaking tour. "Almost at every single venue a number of people would come up and thank you," Bradt recalled. "We don't need gifts; we don't need medals. Just come up and say, 'Thank you.'"
Bradt said he is impressed with the Why We Serve program. "They should fund as many of these (speaking tours) as they can possibly afford," he urged.
Meeting one-on-one with the American public helps to combat misperceptions about the U.S. effort in Iraq, he said. "It's a new fight. It's a very, very powerful information war," Bradt explained.
Another Why We Serve speaker, Air Force Master Sgt. Howard Watkins, accompanied supply convoys from Kuwait into Iraq during his overseas tour of duty from March to December 2006.
Many people he met during his speaking tour stops weren't aware of the fact that that the Air Force is doing convoys for the Army and has been for the last three or four years, Watkins observed.
He called the Why We Serve program a worthy endeavor . "The best thing that I have gotten from the program was seeing that there are still people out there that have the same ideals and beliefs that I have," Watkins said. "There's so much negative media."
Navy Lt. Judith Lemley served a seven-month tour in Afghanistan before she embarked on her speaking tour. Lemley said she relished urging veterans groups members to keep supporting servicemembers. "It's so much easier for us to focus on our jobs knowing that so many of these people back home" are working to take care of the nation's military veterans, she said.
Lemley said she also told audiences that the military is truly an equal-opportunity employer. "I've never been held back because I'm a female," she said. "I've been given the same opportunities as everyone else."
Lemley, who traveled across Afghanistan to train the country's soldiers, described the often dangerous, gritty conditions she'd experienced to her audiences.
Despite the arduous conditions in Afghanistan, Lemley told her speaking-tour audiences that she didn't complain. "Because I do what I love," she said.
Army Sgt. Daniel Alvarado recalled telling audiences about his wartime experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq. "I could tell I was having an impact on them," Alvarado, a combat engineer, observed.
Asked if he'd volunteer for another hitch in the Why We Serve program, Alvarado replied: "I'd do it in a heart beat."
Other members of the fourth group of Why We Serve speaking-tour participants are: Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeremy de Vries, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Caleb Duke, and; Army Sgt. 1st Class Steven Adams, who had to leave the program due to a family issue.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - Sharing military experiences with the American public injects a human element into events often conveyed through the cold glare of television's nightly news, a group of well-spoken servicemembers said here Oct. 2. "The numbers that you hear on TV of soldiers dying, the numbers that you hear that we're going to bring 30,000 (troops) home, ... I just put a face to those numbers, and we all do," Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jeffery Duncan told American Forces Press Service.
Duncan, a 40-year-old senior aircraft maintenance supervisor with 21 years of service, completed a five-month deployment to the Middle East in May. He's one of a group of eight military members who've completed a week-long nationwide speaking tour featuring 20-30 engagements as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public-outreach program.
Audiences at his speaking engagements love the military, Duncan observed, noting he told listeners how much he enjoys the camaraderie inherent across the armed forces. "We are one team, and that's what we do," Duncan emphasized, adding that his speaking tour was an awesome experience.
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace started the Why We Serve program in the fall of 2006. Duncan's group constituted the fourth iteration of the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Why We Serve duty tours are about 90 days. Participants are selected by their individual services and talk to schools, veterans organizations and business groups.
Why We Serve program director Marine Maj. Chris Devine praised Duncan and his fellow speakers in the fourth group for their professionalism and energy.
"They have the high bar for others to knock off," Devine said. "I think they've done extremely well, not only in their venues, but representing their services, as well."
The previous eight-member groups were comprised of two selectees from each military service, Devine noted. However, the next, fifth group will feature 10 speakers, he said.
The Why We Serve program has matured, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Dorrance Smith has decided to "take it to the next level," Devine explained.
"What this program is doing is helping us win the 'war on narratives,' especially in the mainstream media," Devine noted. The program, he added, offers a different perspective about the war on terrorism, from the viewpoints of military members who've served in Afghanistan, Iraq or the Horn of Africa.
Another Why We Serve member in Duncan's group, Marine 1st Lt. David Bradt, served two tours in Iraq. The 26-year-old combat engineer said he enjoyed telling people about his Iraq experiences.
Bradt noted his experiences in Iraq were varied, from "full-scale infantry missions to cache sweeps to more of a support role."
The Marine said he was emotionally moved when people thanked him for his military service during his speaking tour. "Almost at every single venue a number of people would come up and thank you," Bradt recalled. "We don't need gifts; we don't need medals. Just come up and say, 'Thank you.'"
Bradt said he is impressed with the Why We Serve program. "They should fund as many of these (speaking tours) as they can possibly afford," he urged.
Meeting one-on-one with the American public helps to combat misperceptions about the U.S. effort in Iraq, he said. "It's a new fight. It's a very, very powerful information war," Bradt explained.
Another Why We Serve speaker, Air Force Master Sgt. Howard Watkins, accompanied supply convoys from Kuwait into Iraq during his overseas tour of duty from March to December 2006.
Many people he met during his speaking tour stops weren't aware of the fact that that the Air Force is doing convoys for the Army and has been for the last three or four years, Watkins observed.
He called the Why We Serve program a worthy endeavor . "The best thing that I have gotten from the program was seeing that there are still people out there that have the same ideals and beliefs that I have," Watkins said. "There's so much negative media."
Navy Lt. Judith Lemley served a seven-month tour in Afghanistan before she embarked on her speaking tour. Lemley said she relished urging veterans groups members to keep supporting servicemembers. "It's so much easier for us to focus on our jobs knowing that so many of these people back home" are working to take care of the nation's military veterans, she said.
Lemley said she also told audiences that the military is truly an equal-opportunity employer. "I've never been held back because I'm a female," she said. "I've been given the same opportunities as everyone else."
Lemley, who traveled across Afghanistan to train the country's soldiers, described the often dangerous, gritty conditions she'd experienced to her audiences.
Despite the arduous conditions in Afghanistan, Lemley told her speaking-tour audiences that she didn't complain. "Because I do what I love," she said.
Army Sgt. Daniel Alvarado recalled telling audiences about his wartime experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq. "I could tell I was having an impact on them," Alvarado, a combat engineer, observed.
Asked if he'd volunteer for another hitch in the Why We Serve program, Alvarado replied: "I'd do it in a heart beat."
Other members of the fourth group of Why We Serve speaking-tour participants are: Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeremy de Vries, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Caleb Duke, and; Army Sgt. 1st Class Steven Adams, who had to leave the program due to a family issue.
Privatization Brings Homes, Not Housing to Army Installation
By Melina Rodriguez
Special to American Forces Press Service
FORT BELVOIR, Va., Oct. 3, 2007 - Army Secretary Pete Geren visited homes on Fort Belvoir, Va., today and talked with Army families about the privatized housing initiative on the installation. "In order to have a healthy Army, we've got to have healthy soldiers, and we have to have a healthy Army family, as well," Geren said. "If you ask a soldier, ask anyone, about what goes into their thinking about what makes a good quality of life ... it would be housing, the home they live in, the neighborhood they live in. It's no different if you're a soldier, a spouse or if you're a private citizen."
In addition to Army soldiers, members of other military services in the Military District of Washington also reside in Fort Belvoir housing.
In December 2003, the Residential Communities Initiative's initial development period began on Fort Belvoir when existing homes were turned over to a private housing development company. The company will soon complete its 1,000th home on Fort Belvoir, and will eventually demolish and replace a total of 1,630 homes and renovate 170 homes. When construction is complete, the company will manage 2,070 Fort Belvoir homes.
So far, 36 military installations have transferred to privatized housing, with 78,000 homes under private management. Residential community intiative projects have built 11,000 new homes and renovated 10,000 homes with a goal of eventually managing nearly 90,000 homes, said Geren.
Geren said the Army has spent more than $1 billion on the initiative.
"Through this RCI initiative, we've been helping to leverage government assets, $1 billion worth of government assets, and invest $10 billion in quality of life for our soldiers and our families."
Geren discussed upcoming initiatives and the recently approved $100 million in funding for more than 50 existing morale, welfare and recreation programs and services affected by the Army's current deployment cycles.
Fort Belvoir programs will receive $135,000 of the recently approved funding for two new full-time positions at Army Community Service. Over the next five years, more funds will be designated for family and Soldier support programs and services.
"RCI, and more importantly the privatized housing initiative, where you're standing now, and the houses around you are what right looks like and a very important aspect of our military to continue to improve the quality of life for Soldiers and families," said Installation Commander Col. Brian Lauritzen. "But, it is one of many initiatives."
Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark Wiggins and his wife Coretta attended the event and discussed their home in Lewis Village, where they've lived for more than a year. They have a detached three-bedroom home with a two-car garage.
"This is more of a community, not Army housing," said Coretta, who also grew up as an Army child. "You can see the difference."
"As long as my family is happy, it makes it easier for me to go to work," said Mark, a chaplain's assistant for the Army Reserve's Military Intelligence Readiness Command.
Sgt. Tony and Robyn Persina came to Belvoir on a compassionate reassignment for one of their two children. They have lived in Herryford Village for two years in an Americans with Disabilities Act home. The single-level home has three bedrooms, with oversized doors and hallways.
"Your house isn't just a house, it's a home," said Tony. "It's a lot more comfortable, our families visit all the time."
Five percent of the new homes built at Belvoir are approved under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Special to American Forces Press Service
FORT BELVOIR, Va., Oct. 3, 2007 - Army Secretary Pete Geren visited homes on Fort Belvoir, Va., today and talked with Army families about the privatized housing initiative on the installation. "In order to have a healthy Army, we've got to have healthy soldiers, and we have to have a healthy Army family, as well," Geren said. "If you ask a soldier, ask anyone, about what goes into their thinking about what makes a good quality of life ... it would be housing, the home they live in, the neighborhood they live in. It's no different if you're a soldier, a spouse or if you're a private citizen."
In addition to Army soldiers, members of other military services in the Military District of Washington also reside in Fort Belvoir housing.
In December 2003, the Residential Communities Initiative's initial development period began on Fort Belvoir when existing homes were turned over to a private housing development company. The company will soon complete its 1,000th home on Fort Belvoir, and will eventually demolish and replace a total of 1,630 homes and renovate 170 homes. When construction is complete, the company will manage 2,070 Fort Belvoir homes.
So far, 36 military installations have transferred to privatized housing, with 78,000 homes under private management. Residential community intiative projects have built 11,000 new homes and renovated 10,000 homes with a goal of eventually managing nearly 90,000 homes, said Geren.
Geren said the Army has spent more than $1 billion on the initiative.
"Through this RCI initiative, we've been helping to leverage government assets, $1 billion worth of government assets, and invest $10 billion in quality of life for our soldiers and our families."
Geren discussed upcoming initiatives and the recently approved $100 million in funding for more than 50 existing morale, welfare and recreation programs and services affected by the Army's current deployment cycles.
Fort Belvoir programs will receive $135,000 of the recently approved funding for two new full-time positions at Army Community Service. Over the next five years, more funds will be designated for family and Soldier support programs and services.
"RCI, and more importantly the privatized housing initiative, where you're standing now, and the houses around you are what right looks like and a very important aspect of our military to continue to improve the quality of life for Soldiers and families," said Installation Commander Col. Brian Lauritzen. "But, it is one of many initiatives."
Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark Wiggins and his wife Coretta attended the event and discussed their home in Lewis Village, where they've lived for more than a year. They have a detached three-bedroom home with a two-car garage.
"This is more of a community, not Army housing," said Coretta, who also grew up as an Army child. "You can see the difference."
"As long as my family is happy, it makes it easier for me to go to work," said Mark, a chaplain's assistant for the Army Reserve's Military Intelligence Readiness Command.
Sgt. Tony and Robyn Persina came to Belvoir on a compassionate reassignment for one of their two children. They have lived in Herryford Village for two years in an Americans with Disabilities Act home. The single-level home has three bedrooms, with oversized doors and hallways.
"Your house isn't just a house, it's a home," said Tony. "It's a lot more comfortable, our families visit all the time."
Five percent of the new homes built at Belvoir are approved under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Gates Pledges Support for Colombian Partnership
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 3, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates finished up his second day in Latin America here today pledging continued support for what he called a "strong partnership" with Colombia. Gates met with the country's president and minister of defense to discuss shared interests and continued cooperation between the United States and Colombia, he said.
"It's been a productive visit -- an opportunity to discuss our shared security interests and a chance for me to witness undeniable progress in territorial control, human rights protection and democratic security," the secretary told the press.
Gates said the U.S. and Colombia have enjoyed a long-standing and cooperative defense and security relationship.
"Colombia is one of our most prominent allies. That fact is underscored by our partnership in combating narco-terrorism, curbing transnational crime and strengthening democratic institutions," Gates said.
Gates said that supporting Colombia enhances regional security, and thereby promotes stability and economic progress.
The defense secretary spent the afternoon getting a look at the top soldiers of the Colombian army and their capabilities. Flanked by Colombia's minister of defense and the commander of the army, the secretary was treated to a special demonstration by the army's Lanceros -- the equivalent to the U.S. military's special forces.
The demonstration featured soldiers rappelling down walls, swooping along ropes "Bat Man" style, rescuing mock hostages, paratroopers jumping from planes and helicopter teams conducting aerial extractions of troops from would-be enemy territory.
Located west of Bogota, the Tolemaida Air Base trains about 22,000 troops at a time and is the largest training installation south of Fort Hood, Texas, said an official speaking on background.
Gates was openly impressed with the military demonstration, and called the progress in Colombia one of the biggest surprises since his return to government service as the defense secretary.
"I think the turn-around in Colombia is one of the great success stories, in terms of establishing greater security, but also professionalizing the military, institutionalizing the rule of law, bringing people accused of wrongdoing to justice," Gates said.
"Ten years ago Colombia was on its way to becoming a failed state. And it's far from that today," he said.
Gates said that more U.S. support is needed to continue to the upward trend in the region.
"Columbia needs the continued support of the United States to consolidate the rule of law, social development, the reinsertion of the demobilized groups, public security and economic development," the secretary said. "I think the idea is to help them strengthen their own capabilities so they can then do these things on their own."
Gates said the proposed U.S.-Colombia trade promotion agreement will also help sustain these efforts for the future, and he pledged that "we will work hard to secure passage of this agreement."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 3, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates finished up his second day in Latin America here today pledging continued support for what he called a "strong partnership" with Colombia. Gates met with the country's president and minister of defense to discuss shared interests and continued cooperation between the United States and Colombia, he said.
"It's been a productive visit -- an opportunity to discuss our shared security interests and a chance for me to witness undeniable progress in territorial control, human rights protection and democratic security," the secretary told the press.
Gates said the U.S. and Colombia have enjoyed a long-standing and cooperative defense and security relationship.
"Colombia is one of our most prominent allies. That fact is underscored by our partnership in combating narco-terrorism, curbing transnational crime and strengthening democratic institutions," Gates said.
Gates said that supporting Colombia enhances regional security, and thereby promotes stability and economic progress.
The defense secretary spent the afternoon getting a look at the top soldiers of the Colombian army and their capabilities. Flanked by Colombia's minister of defense and the commander of the army, the secretary was treated to a special demonstration by the army's Lanceros -- the equivalent to the U.S. military's special forces.
The demonstration featured soldiers rappelling down walls, swooping along ropes "Bat Man" style, rescuing mock hostages, paratroopers jumping from planes and helicopter teams conducting aerial extractions of troops from would-be enemy territory.
Located west of Bogota, the Tolemaida Air Base trains about 22,000 troops at a time and is the largest training installation south of Fort Hood, Texas, said an official speaking on background.
Gates was openly impressed with the military demonstration, and called the progress in Colombia one of the biggest surprises since his return to government service as the defense secretary.
"I think the turn-around in Colombia is one of the great success stories, in terms of establishing greater security, but also professionalizing the military, institutionalizing the rule of law, bringing people accused of wrongdoing to justice," Gates said.
"Ten years ago Colombia was on its way to becoming a failed state. And it's far from that today," he said.
Gates said that more U.S. support is needed to continue to the upward trend in the region.
"Columbia needs the continued support of the United States to consolidate the rule of law, social development, the reinsertion of the demobilized groups, public security and economic development," the secretary said. "I think the idea is to help them strengthen their own capabilities so they can then do these things on their own."
Gates said the proposed U.S.-Colombia trade promotion agreement will also help sustain these efforts for the future, and he pledged that "we will work hard to secure passage of this agreement."
Pentagon's CFC Charity Fair Kicks Off Season of Giving
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 3, 2007 - The annual Defense Department Combined Federal Campaign Charity Fair kicked off at the Pentagon yesterday to provide employees insight into some of the nonprofit organizations that benefit from their donations. The Combined Federal Campaign is an annual fundraising drive conducted by federal employees in their workplace each fall. The three-day fair offers Pentagon employees the opportunity to learn more about some of the charities, like the United Service Organizations, that benefit from their donations to the CFC.
"(We can) let people know that the USO is still out there and doing the wonderful services for our military as we did back in the earlier days of Bob Hope," said Margo Durham, with USO Headquarters.
She added that these kinds of charity fairs result in increased giving. It's also an opportunity to inform visitors about some of USO's lesser-known programs, Durham said. "Not only do we do entertainment, but we do family service items as well, like storybook readings," she said.
That program allows servicemembers to record themselves reading books to children at home. Recordings are sent home to families, reminding the children that Mom or Dad is thinking of them.
USO has a long, proud tradition of bringing a touch of home to servicemembers wherever they may be serving through programs like its USO airport lounges and USO tours. Durham said events like the Pentagon's are beneficial on multiple levels.
USO is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
Other group representatives agreed with Durham's assessment that the charity fair provides visibility and is an important function in which they need to be involved.
"Overall, we get about 90 percent of our budget from CFC donations," said Molly McAndrew, a representative for Community Health Charities of the national capital area. "Since this is the biggest fair, we find it extra important to make sure (we're) here."
Community Health Charities is an umbrella organization for more than 80 health-related charities in the national capital area.
Pentagon employees find the CFC fair helpful in deciding where to direct their charity dollars.
Veronica Hayes has worked in the building for nearly three years and attended the annual fair for the first time yesterday. She said the event was very informative as she prepared to participate in the Combined Federal Campaign.
"It is (helpful), especially when I was learning about the coffee being grown in different villages," she said after speaking to representatives from the Jane Goodall Institute, which works to help African villages grow coffee with little or no impact to the environment, especially primates.
Hayes is just one of the nearly 88,000 defense workers in the national capital area, said Lou Torchia, director of the Voluntary Campaign Management Office. That doesn't include the CFC overseas program, which, depending upon deployments, has a potential donor pool that's nearly 300,000 defense workers strong.
Officials hope these employees will help break the Defense Department's goal in the same fashion they did last year, Torchia said. "We shattered our goal of last year by almost $2.7 million," he said. "DoD's goal this year is $13.2 million. That's $200,000 more than last year, and (it's) our most aggressive goal."
Torchia said he has very little doubt that defense employees will meet or exceed this year's goal. "DoD in the national capital area stands heads above other federal agencies, with a participation rate historically around 60 percent, with the rest of the national average in the high 30s," he said.
The Defense Department as a whole reaches about 880,000 military and civilian employees annually and contributes somewhere between $80 and $100 million a year. The overall Office of Personnel Management fundraising total was just more than $270 million for 2006.
The national capital area's average per donor gift is around $320. Overseas the average donation is slightly less at $170. The difference can be traced, in part, to issues governing reservists' being able to make payroll deductions.
Even more important than the increase in the donation goal is the move from a four-digit charity identification code to a five-digit code.
"Many people carry a copy of their pledge cards in their wallets," Torchia said. "When CFC time comes around they pull them out, copy the codes and put them (away). That's not going to happen this year."
Torchia and his team are promoting the "Power of Five," a push to make sure donors know about the new, longer codes. "That's to make sure the actual pledge cards ... reflect that five-digit code," he said. "We don't want any (donations) misdirected." The roughly 90 nonprofit groups from the national capital region, about 30 each day, will provide information between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the apex of Corridors 1 and 2, near the relocated Hall of Heroes. The event will conclude tomorrow.
Yesterday's group of charities included the Pentagon Memorial Fund, the Jane Goodall Institute, Institute For Black Charities, Save the Bay, PetSmart Charities, Community Health Charities of the National Capital Area, and the United Service Organizations. Our Military Kids, another supporter of the America Supports You program, is participating today.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 3, 2007 - The annual Defense Department Combined Federal Campaign Charity Fair kicked off at the Pentagon yesterday to provide employees insight into some of the nonprofit organizations that benefit from their donations. The Combined Federal Campaign is an annual fundraising drive conducted by federal employees in their workplace each fall. The three-day fair offers Pentagon employees the opportunity to learn more about some of the charities, like the United Service Organizations, that benefit from their donations to the CFC.
"(We can) let people know that the USO is still out there and doing the wonderful services for our military as we did back in the earlier days of Bob Hope," said Margo Durham, with USO Headquarters.
She added that these kinds of charity fairs result in increased giving. It's also an opportunity to inform visitors about some of USO's lesser-known programs, Durham said. "Not only do we do entertainment, but we do family service items as well, like storybook readings," she said.
That program allows servicemembers to record themselves reading books to children at home. Recordings are sent home to families, reminding the children that Mom or Dad is thinking of them.
USO has a long, proud tradition of bringing a touch of home to servicemembers wherever they may be serving through programs like its USO airport lounges and USO tours. Durham said events like the Pentagon's are beneficial on multiple levels.
USO is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
Other group representatives agreed with Durham's assessment that the charity fair provides visibility and is an important function in which they need to be involved.
"Overall, we get about 90 percent of our budget from CFC donations," said Molly McAndrew, a representative for Community Health Charities of the national capital area. "Since this is the biggest fair, we find it extra important to make sure (we're) here."
Community Health Charities is an umbrella organization for more than 80 health-related charities in the national capital area.
Pentagon employees find the CFC fair helpful in deciding where to direct their charity dollars.
Veronica Hayes has worked in the building for nearly three years and attended the annual fair for the first time yesterday. She said the event was very informative as she prepared to participate in the Combined Federal Campaign.
"It is (helpful), especially when I was learning about the coffee being grown in different villages," she said after speaking to representatives from the Jane Goodall Institute, which works to help African villages grow coffee with little or no impact to the environment, especially primates.
Hayes is just one of the nearly 88,000 defense workers in the national capital area, said Lou Torchia, director of the Voluntary Campaign Management Office. That doesn't include the CFC overseas program, which, depending upon deployments, has a potential donor pool that's nearly 300,000 defense workers strong.
Officials hope these employees will help break the Defense Department's goal in the same fashion they did last year, Torchia said. "We shattered our goal of last year by almost $2.7 million," he said. "DoD's goal this year is $13.2 million. That's $200,000 more than last year, and (it's) our most aggressive goal."
Torchia said he has very little doubt that defense employees will meet or exceed this year's goal. "DoD in the national capital area stands heads above other federal agencies, with a participation rate historically around 60 percent, with the rest of the national average in the high 30s," he said.
The Defense Department as a whole reaches about 880,000 military and civilian employees annually and contributes somewhere between $80 and $100 million a year. The overall Office of Personnel Management fundraising total was just more than $270 million for 2006.
The national capital area's average per donor gift is around $320. Overseas the average donation is slightly less at $170. The difference can be traced, in part, to issues governing reservists' being able to make payroll deductions.
Even more important than the increase in the donation goal is the move from a four-digit charity identification code to a five-digit code.
"Many people carry a copy of their pledge cards in their wallets," Torchia said. "When CFC time comes around they pull them out, copy the codes and put them (away). That's not going to happen this year."
Torchia and his team are promoting the "Power of Five," a push to make sure donors know about the new, longer codes. "That's to make sure the actual pledge cards ... reflect that five-digit code," he said. "We don't want any (donations) misdirected." The roughly 90 nonprofit groups from the national capital region, about 30 each day, will provide information between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the apex of Corridors 1 and 2, near the relocated Hall of Heroes. The event will conclude tomorrow.
Yesterday's group of charities included the Pentagon Memorial Fund, the Jane Goodall Institute, Institute For Black Charities, Save the Bay, PetSmart Charities, Community Health Charities of the National Capital Area, and the United Service Organizations. Our Military Kids, another supporter of the America Supports You program, is participating today.
New Chairman Issues Guidance to Joint Staff
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 3, 2007 - Balancing global risk and stability in the Middle East, and resetting and reconstituting U.S. forces are vital missions for the U.S. military, according to guidance from the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. To that end, the U.S. military must maintain its warfighting focus, and servicemembers must stay ahead of the accelerating speed of war, Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen said in his guidance to the Joint Staff issued Oct. 1.
Each chairman issues guidance to the Joint Staff upon taking office. The guidance is a roadmap and gives members of the staff an idea of the new chairman's thinking and his priorities.
Mullen said Joint Staff members must never lose their warfighting focus. "I expect the Joint Staff to stay ahead of the accelerating speed of war and to maintain a current, relevant operational view of our worldwide force composition, disposition and employment," he wrote.
Mullen's first priority is to develop a strategy to defend U.S. national interests in the Middle East. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are the first concern, but the United States cannot ignore other threats in the region, he wrote in the guidance. "The increasingly hostile role being played by Iran; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; Sunni-Shiia rivalries; the rise of radical jihadists and the resurgence of al Qaeda all threaten to tear at fragile seams and all bear directly on the security of the United States," he wrote.
The chairman wants to develop a comprehensive Middle East security strategy that will address long-term security in Iraq and Afghanistan and problems posed by Iran. He also wants to ensure that strategic plans for the region are sustainable and provide flexibility, and to work to improve international cooperation in the region.
Resetting and revitalizing the U.S. armed forces, particularly the Army and Marine Corps, are also priorities, Mullen wrote. The Joint Staff will determine the true health of U.S. ground forces "in terms of people, training, equipment and family support" to ensure the forces can maintain a long-term commitment and handle operations across the full-spectrum of warfare.
The U.S. military depends of the reserve components to fight current battles, and the Joint Staff must study how to preserve a "strategic reserve" capability outside the active component.
Balancing global strategic risk is a priority that impacts all others, Mullen said. "We must stay mindful of our many global security commitments and of the core warfighting capabilities, resources and partnerships required to conduct operations across the full spectrum of peace and conflict," he wrote. "A larger, longer view of risk assessment that helps us maintain a position of global leadership and preserves our freedom of action remains critical. I want the Joint Staff focused on rebalancing strategic risk."
Demands of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, though important, shouldn't dominate American military strategic thinking, Mullen said. "The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will end one day," he said. "We must be ready for who -- and what -- comes after."
What that will be is impossible to predict, he said. But the military will need capabilities that capitalize on precision, speed and agility. "We may face state as well as non-state enemies, including some who may only appear in cyberspace," he said, adding that these foes may launch attacks on U.S. infrastructure or on America's computer systems and networks.
Whatever the enemy, the American people will expect the military "to maintain sufficient capability and capability to deter and, failing that, defeat all such military threats to their security and the security of our vital national interests."
Mullen tasked Joint Staff directorate leaders to use the guidance to write comprehensive plans to accomplish these priorities. He said he will update the guidance yearly and assess progress every six months.
"We serve in a critical and dangerous time," he wrote. "We represent the brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who confront this danger and defend our national interests around the world. Your continued devotion to making sure our nation's leadership has at their disposal the best, most independent military advice ... will continue to be vital."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 3, 2007 - Balancing global risk and stability in the Middle East, and resetting and reconstituting U.S. forces are vital missions for the U.S. military, according to guidance from the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. To that end, the U.S. military must maintain its warfighting focus, and servicemembers must stay ahead of the accelerating speed of war, Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen said in his guidance to the Joint Staff issued Oct. 1.
Each chairman issues guidance to the Joint Staff upon taking office. The guidance is a roadmap and gives members of the staff an idea of the new chairman's thinking and his priorities.
Mullen said Joint Staff members must never lose their warfighting focus. "I expect the Joint Staff to stay ahead of the accelerating speed of war and to maintain a current, relevant operational view of our worldwide force composition, disposition and employment," he wrote.
Mullen's first priority is to develop a strategy to defend U.S. national interests in the Middle East. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are the first concern, but the United States cannot ignore other threats in the region, he wrote in the guidance. "The increasingly hostile role being played by Iran; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; Sunni-Shiia rivalries; the rise of radical jihadists and the resurgence of al Qaeda all threaten to tear at fragile seams and all bear directly on the security of the United States," he wrote.
The chairman wants to develop a comprehensive Middle East security strategy that will address long-term security in Iraq and Afghanistan and problems posed by Iran. He also wants to ensure that strategic plans for the region are sustainable and provide flexibility, and to work to improve international cooperation in the region.
Resetting and revitalizing the U.S. armed forces, particularly the Army and Marine Corps, are also priorities, Mullen wrote. The Joint Staff will determine the true health of U.S. ground forces "in terms of people, training, equipment and family support" to ensure the forces can maintain a long-term commitment and handle operations across the full-spectrum of warfare.
The U.S. military depends of the reserve components to fight current battles, and the Joint Staff must study how to preserve a "strategic reserve" capability outside the active component.
Balancing global strategic risk is a priority that impacts all others, Mullen said. "We must stay mindful of our many global security commitments and of the core warfighting capabilities, resources and partnerships required to conduct operations across the full spectrum of peace and conflict," he wrote. "A larger, longer view of risk assessment that helps us maintain a position of global leadership and preserves our freedom of action remains critical. I want the Joint Staff focused on rebalancing strategic risk."
Demands of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, though important, shouldn't dominate American military strategic thinking, Mullen said. "The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will end one day," he said. "We must be ready for who -- and what -- comes after."
What that will be is impossible to predict, he said. But the military will need capabilities that capitalize on precision, speed and agility. "We may face state as well as non-state enemies, including some who may only appear in cyberspace," he said, adding that these foes may launch attacks on U.S. infrastructure or on America's computer systems and networks.
Whatever the enemy, the American people will expect the military "to maintain sufficient capability and capability to deter and, failing that, defeat all such military threats to their security and the security of our vital national interests."
Mullen tasked Joint Staff directorate leaders to use the guidance to write comprehensive plans to accomplish these priorities. He said he will update the guidance yearly and assess progress every six months.
"We serve in a critical and dangerous time," he wrote. "We represent the brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who confront this danger and defend our national interests around the world. Your continued devotion to making sure our nation's leadership has at their disposal the best, most independent military advice ... will continue to be vital."
New Navy Surgeon General Puts Patients, Families First
By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 3, 2007 - Patients, not process, must always come first, the Navy's surgeon general said yesterday. "If I can keep my eye on the ball -- and that is healthcare, people, patients, families -- then I can always get the administrative or the process problems cared for and done," Vice Adm. Adam M. Robinson Jr. told online journalists and "bloggers" yesterday during a conference call from National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Robinson, who commanded the Bethesda facility before he was promoted to oversee all of Navy medicine about a month ago, said he is committed to knocking down bureaucratic barriers that may get in the way of medical care.
"We can never lose sight of the fact that we take care of patients," he said. "We need to provide care for patients."
That care must be world class, he said, whether it is delivered in stateside military medical facilities or on the front lines.
"Force health protection is a fit and ready force," Robinson explained. "It's to deploy with the war fighters. It's there to care for the warfighters no matter what that care may be."
Besides treating trauma cases such as servicemembers wounded in combat, deployed military health care personnel are providing preventative medicine, obstetrics and gynecological treatment, pediatric infectious disease diagnosis, and other services, the admiral said. "There could be a variety of things that we may need to do at any given time," he said.
Providing medical services to veterans is also a top priority, the admiral said. "It is our honor and privilege, and it is our duty to care for them," he said.
One facility that has famously cared for millions of servicemembers, veterans and military families is Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the nation's capital. It is mandated to close in 2011 under the Base Realignment and Closure law, as is the National Naval Medical Center. A new facility to be built on the Bethesda campus will be known as the National Military Medical Center and will be staffed by Army, Navy and Air Force personnel.
"It takes more than any one single service to get the job done," Robinson said, noting that many military medical missions, such as the USNS Comfort, are already jointly staffed.
There's been major progress toward the new medical center in the past few weeks, the admiral explained, such as the standing up a joint task force to oversee the project. "There's now a unity of command that exists," he said.
Everyday health care, such as making medical appointments and filling prescriptions, is also important, the admiral said. To that end, the military is making an extra effort to recruit and retain key medical positions by offering attractive incentives such as bonuses. "In the military, we talk about recruiting an individual, and retaining a family," Robinson said. "That's important."
Professional development and personal enrichment are both required to keep talented medical personnel motivated to serve in the military on a long term basis. Even so, many staffers leave, he said, after their initial enlistment. "I think part of that is because of the war," Robinson said. "But I think most of that is because they don't see career paths that are open to them on the military side."
Fixing career-path problems is a top priority, the admiral said, but caring for servicemembers wounded in war is an even more urgent mission. "Once you're wounded, I can never guarantee you'll get back to the same," Robinson said. "But I can try my darnedest to make sure that you are as good as you can possibly be and then get you back into your communities so that you can become a productive, vibrant part of that community and help the United States understand exactly what the cost of freedom really is from a very personal point of view."
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 3, 2007 - Patients, not process, must always come first, the Navy's surgeon general said yesterday. "If I can keep my eye on the ball -- and that is healthcare, people, patients, families -- then I can always get the administrative or the process problems cared for and done," Vice Adm. Adam M. Robinson Jr. told online journalists and "bloggers" yesterday during a conference call from National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Robinson, who commanded the Bethesda facility before he was promoted to oversee all of Navy medicine about a month ago, said he is committed to knocking down bureaucratic barriers that may get in the way of medical care.
"We can never lose sight of the fact that we take care of patients," he said. "We need to provide care for patients."
That care must be world class, he said, whether it is delivered in stateside military medical facilities or on the front lines.
"Force health protection is a fit and ready force," Robinson explained. "It's to deploy with the war fighters. It's there to care for the warfighters no matter what that care may be."
Besides treating trauma cases such as servicemembers wounded in combat, deployed military health care personnel are providing preventative medicine, obstetrics and gynecological treatment, pediatric infectious disease diagnosis, and other services, the admiral said. "There could be a variety of things that we may need to do at any given time," he said.
Providing medical services to veterans is also a top priority, the admiral said. "It is our honor and privilege, and it is our duty to care for them," he said.
One facility that has famously cared for millions of servicemembers, veterans and military families is Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the nation's capital. It is mandated to close in 2011 under the Base Realignment and Closure law, as is the National Naval Medical Center. A new facility to be built on the Bethesda campus will be known as the National Military Medical Center and will be staffed by Army, Navy and Air Force personnel.
"It takes more than any one single service to get the job done," Robinson said, noting that many military medical missions, such as the USNS Comfort, are already jointly staffed.
There's been major progress toward the new medical center in the past few weeks, the admiral explained, such as the standing up a joint task force to oversee the project. "There's now a unity of command that exists," he said.
Everyday health care, such as making medical appointments and filling prescriptions, is also important, the admiral said. To that end, the military is making an extra effort to recruit and retain key medical positions by offering attractive incentives such as bonuses. "In the military, we talk about recruiting an individual, and retaining a family," Robinson said. "That's important."
Professional development and personal enrichment are both required to keep talented medical personnel motivated to serve in the military on a long term basis. Even so, many staffers leave, he said, after their initial enlistment. "I think part of that is because of the war," Robinson said. "But I think most of that is because they don't see career paths that are open to them on the military side."
Fixing career-path problems is a top priority, the admiral said, but caring for servicemembers wounded in war is an even more urgent mission. "Once you're wounded, I can never guarantee you'll get back to the same," Robinson said. "But I can try my darnedest to make sure that you are as good as you can possibly be and then get you back into your communities so that you can become a productive, vibrant part of that community and help the United States understand exactly what the cost of freedom really is from a very personal point of view."
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