By Tech. Sgt. Sonny Cohrs, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 15, 2007 - Soldiers, airmen and sailors here completed a remembrance run Oct. 12 in honor of prisoners of war and those missing in action. About 170 runners took part in the 24-hour event at the base track. Laps were completed with each runner carrying a baton and reflecting on the sacrifice of those who are listed as POW or MIA. The runners logged a cumulative distance of 388 miles, with the ceremonial baton traveling 168 miles during the event.
"Each base organization had points of contacts who organized the volunteer runners," said Air Force Master Sgt. Daryl Brunelle, Soto Cano fire chief, who helped organize and plan the event. "The first group and the last group carried the POW/MIA flag, and the rest of the runners kept the baton moving throughout the night."
Air Force Col. Howard Jones, deputy commander of Joint Task Force Bravo, said the purpose of the ceremony was to remember those "who have endured special hardships and who have seen combat, and even human nature, from a very unique perspective."
"We're proud to demonstrate our strong bond to them and each other with a 24-hour run," he said. "Our remembrance, our recognition and our running tie us to something much larger than ourselves. POWs and MIAs still express the essence of what service to a higher calling really means."
During the run, at least two servicemembers went the "extra mile" to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brandon Williford, 612th Air Base Squadron, ran a total of 26.25 miles, and Army Sgt. Pete Schaffer ran a total of 29.5 miles during the event.
Williford said he credits his distance to his marathon training prior to his assignment to Soto Cano. "I had been training last year, and I ran a half-marathon in February," he said. "I felt really good after 12 miles. I figured I could split it up and do it as many (short) blocks."
Schaffer, who completed a 32-mile, two-day road march earlier this year, ran 14 laps with the baton and then paced himself as if it were a road march, putting "one foot in front of the other," he said. The sergeant said he stopped only for short naps and food between 8:15 p.m. and 9 a.m., the next morning.
"We're doing this in remembrance of all the POWs and MIAs," he said. "They were malnourished, beaten and had no sleep. They continued to push themselves through all of that, so there's no reason I couldn't push myself in memory of them."
The event had special meaning for Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mike Reynolds, 612th ABS. The remains of his great, great grandfather, Pvt. Wilson Wilkes Dozier, were identified last month in a Kentucky cemetery.
Private Dozier served during the Civil War with the Scoggins Light Artillery Battalion from Georgia and died on Sept. 23, 1862 from "black measles," which is believed to be an early form of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
"He was buried in an unmarked grave for 145 years," Reynolds said. "My grandfather started research 60 years ago, and we finished what he started. On Sept. 21, POW/MIA Day this year, he got a headstone."
Reynolds, who also helped organize the ceremony here, said he has always enjoyed planning POW/MIA recognition events. "My dad was a fighter jock in Vietnam and his best friend was lost over Laos. One of my earliest memories was the blue sedan pulling up to tell his family," he recalled of his days living in base housing as a military dependent.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Sonny Cohrs is assigned to Joint Task Force Bravo Public Affairs.)
Monday, October 15, 2007
Senior Advisor to Deputy Secretary Focuses on Relationship Building
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 15, 2007 - If Hesham Islam's life story was translated into a screenplay -- and it's got all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster -- the director would be hard-pressed to come up with a more compelling chain of events landing him as a top advisor to the deputy defense secretary. The movie would open with Islam as a young boy growing up in Cairo, Egypt, huddling in terror as Israeli bombs came raining down, demolishing much of the building around him and his family.
Next would be the scene of the teenager who moves to Iraq when his Egyptian naval officer father is transferred to help establish the Arabian Gulf naval academy Islam would later attend.
The camera would then close in on a young merchant mariner adrift for three days in the Arabian Sea after an Iranian torpedo sunk his 16,000-ton cargo ship, drowning all but Islam and four of his crewmates.
Next viewers would see the young man, who after corresponding with an American pen-pal for more than three years, dares ask for the photograph that leaves him smitten with his future wife.
The action would shift to the United States, where the new husband, desperate to provide for his family, enlists in the Navy. Later he will be accepted into Officer Candidate School, then ultimately retire 20 years later as a Navy commander.
Today, Islam is drawing on those vast experiences to advise Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England on international affairs.
Although Islam's life lends itself to high-drama scenes typically seen on the big screen, England sees him more as a behind-the-scenes player with a special talent for bringing other actors together.
Before retiring from the Navy, Islam contributed this skill and his regional and language expertise on the staff of then-Navy Secretary England. Much of Islam's work focused on U.S. military engagement with the Middle East.
As England moved to the No. 2 Pentagon position, Islam followed, broadening his purview to "the whole globe."
"He's my interlocutor," England said. "He represents me to the international community. He assists me in my own outreach efforts, and he's extraordinarily good at it."
Islam is rarely at his Pentagon desk, believing the best way to serve as England's "man out in town in Washington, D.C." is to be out and about, building relationships.
"I am a strong believer that there are no relationships between countries," he said. "Relationships are between people, and those relationships are what bring countries together."
"It is all about friendships between people," agreed England, "and you build them one person at a time."
England calls relationship building "a contact sport." "You can't develop friendships unless you actually go out and take the effort to meet people and interact with people," he said.
As he represents the Defense Department around the country and the around the world, England said, he counts on Islam's insights and advice. "Hesham helps me understand people's different perspectives and how they see things," England said. "He has a cultural background that's very helpful, but he also works at it very hard to get a better understanding of people and how they think."
Islam works tirelessly to befriend diplomats from around the world, learning from each about their country, its sensitivities, and its requirements. "I help them understand us, as Americans, and help my boss understand them," he said. "My goal is to bridge the gap and help people understand each other, even if we are different."
Not all Islam's efforts are directed toward other countries. A Muslim, Islam works closely with the Muslim-American community, encouraging its members to integrate into American society and take an active stand with the United States in the war on violent extremism. "This war can't be won by just Americans," he said. "It's a war that has to be fought by Muslims. Islam has been hijacked, and it is time to take it back."
Islam said he's proud of the 5,000 Muslims actively supporting that effort in the U.S. military. Among them is his own son, Navy Lt. j.g. Rami Islam, who serves aboard the carrier USS Carl Vinson. "As a parent, I'm very proud that my son is serving this country," he said.
After growing up in wartime, first in Egypt, then in Iraq, Islam hopes this dialogue can help eliminate differences that can lead to misunderstanding and conflict. "If people talk, people don't fight. If they talk, they don't argue," he said. "I try to bring talking and understanding into the dialogue."
"Hesham has wonderful friendships and relationships, and therefore he can give me extraordinarily good advice in dealing with countries and people," England said. "I take his advice, and I listen to him all the time."
England said he rarely disagrees with Islam's guidance. "After all," he said, "if you have a good doctor, you listen to your doctor, right?"
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 15, 2007 - If Hesham Islam's life story was translated into a screenplay -- and it's got all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster -- the director would be hard-pressed to come up with a more compelling chain of events landing him as a top advisor to the deputy defense secretary. The movie would open with Islam as a young boy growing up in Cairo, Egypt, huddling in terror as Israeli bombs came raining down, demolishing much of the building around him and his family.
Next would be the scene of the teenager who moves to Iraq when his Egyptian naval officer father is transferred to help establish the Arabian Gulf naval academy Islam would later attend.
The camera would then close in on a young merchant mariner adrift for three days in the Arabian Sea after an Iranian torpedo sunk his 16,000-ton cargo ship, drowning all but Islam and four of his crewmates.
Next viewers would see the young man, who after corresponding with an American pen-pal for more than three years, dares ask for the photograph that leaves him smitten with his future wife.
The action would shift to the United States, where the new husband, desperate to provide for his family, enlists in the Navy. Later he will be accepted into Officer Candidate School, then ultimately retire 20 years later as a Navy commander.
Today, Islam is drawing on those vast experiences to advise Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England on international affairs.
Although Islam's life lends itself to high-drama scenes typically seen on the big screen, England sees him more as a behind-the-scenes player with a special talent for bringing other actors together.
Before retiring from the Navy, Islam contributed this skill and his regional and language expertise on the staff of then-Navy Secretary England. Much of Islam's work focused on U.S. military engagement with the Middle East.
As England moved to the No. 2 Pentagon position, Islam followed, broadening his purview to "the whole globe."
"He's my interlocutor," England said. "He represents me to the international community. He assists me in my own outreach efforts, and he's extraordinarily good at it."
Islam is rarely at his Pentagon desk, believing the best way to serve as England's "man out in town in Washington, D.C." is to be out and about, building relationships.
"I am a strong believer that there are no relationships between countries," he said. "Relationships are between people, and those relationships are what bring countries together."
"It is all about friendships between people," agreed England, "and you build them one person at a time."
England calls relationship building "a contact sport." "You can't develop friendships unless you actually go out and take the effort to meet people and interact with people," he said.
As he represents the Defense Department around the country and the around the world, England said, he counts on Islam's insights and advice. "Hesham helps me understand people's different perspectives and how they see things," England said. "He has a cultural background that's very helpful, but he also works at it very hard to get a better understanding of people and how they think."
Islam works tirelessly to befriend diplomats from around the world, learning from each about their country, its sensitivities, and its requirements. "I help them understand us, as Americans, and help my boss understand them," he said. "My goal is to bridge the gap and help people understand each other, even if we are different."
Not all Islam's efforts are directed toward other countries. A Muslim, Islam works closely with the Muslim-American community, encouraging its members to integrate into American society and take an active stand with the United States in the war on violent extremism. "This war can't be won by just Americans," he said. "It's a war that has to be fought by Muslims. Islam has been hijacked, and it is time to take it back."
Islam said he's proud of the 5,000 Muslims actively supporting that effort in the U.S. military. Among them is his own son, Navy Lt. j.g. Rami Islam, who serves aboard the carrier USS Carl Vinson. "As a parent, I'm very proud that my son is serving this country," he said.
After growing up in wartime, first in Egypt, then in Iraq, Islam hopes this dialogue can help eliminate differences that can lead to misunderstanding and conflict. "If people talk, people don't fight. If they talk, they don't argue," he said. "I try to bring talking and understanding into the dialogue."
"Hesham has wonderful friendships and relationships, and therefore he can give me extraordinarily good advice in dealing with countries and people," England said. "I take his advice, and I listen to him all the time."
England said he rarely disagrees with Islam's guidance. "After all," he said, "if you have a good doctor, you listen to your doctor, right?"
USS Fort McHenry Mission to Set Tone for U.S. Africa Command
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 15, 2007 - USS Fort McHenry is slated to leave Little Creek, Va., tomorrow for a seven-month deployment to the Gulf of Guinea that the chief of U.S. Africa Command said will exemplify how his new command will operate. The amphibious dock landing ship will serve as a platform for the Africa Partnership Station Initiative, which aims to work cooperatively with U.S. and international partners in promoting maritime security in Western Africa, Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward told Pentagon reporters.
USS Fort McHenry will sail to Spain to take on passengers from several European partners -- Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Germany, among them -- before heading to the Gulf of Guinea, explained Navy Adm. Henry G. "Harry" Ulrich III, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe.
Its full complement will include representatives of U.S. and partner nations' government agencies and non-governmental organizations, all working together to help African nations increase their ability to provide maritime security.
In addition to the U.S. military, U.S. agencies to participate will be the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Agency for International Development, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Coast Guard, Ulrich said.
High Speed Vessel Swift will join USS Fort McHenry in the Gulf of Guinea, where it will transport students as well as trainers during visits to Senegal, Liberia, Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon, and Sao Tome and Principe, he said.
Training teams will focus on a broad range of areas, including maritime domain awareness, leadership, seamanship and navigation, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, civil engineering and logistics.
Support provided will vary between visits, Ward said. He emphasized that the Africa Partnership Station Initiative and AFRICOM as a whole will strive to help African countries build capacity. "Those things that are within our means to do, we look forward in working with the African nations in providing that kind of assistance," he said.
The new initiative "provides a good example of what the newly established U.S. Africa Command is all about as it relates to helping our partner nations on the continent of Africa build their capacity to better govern their spaces (and) to have more effect in providing for the security of their people," he said.
In addition, Ward said, the Africa Partnership Station Initiative will help globalize African economies and develop societies for the betterment of their people.
AFRICOM declared itself to have initial operating capability Oct. 1 and began bringing the military's activities on the continent under its umbrella.
Ward said the command will give a "consolidated focus" to work currently being conducted by three combatant commands: U.S. Central Command, U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. European Command.
"As we work over the course of the coming weeks and months to stand up the command, we are focused on building the team that will cause value added to be brought to the various programs we do on the continent," he said.
Ward said AFRICOM will reinforce efforts under way "by creating a greater synergy of the entirety of the work being done."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 15, 2007 - USS Fort McHenry is slated to leave Little Creek, Va., tomorrow for a seven-month deployment to the Gulf of Guinea that the chief of U.S. Africa Command said will exemplify how his new command will operate. The amphibious dock landing ship will serve as a platform for the Africa Partnership Station Initiative, which aims to work cooperatively with U.S. and international partners in promoting maritime security in Western Africa, Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward told Pentagon reporters.
USS Fort McHenry will sail to Spain to take on passengers from several European partners -- Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Germany, among them -- before heading to the Gulf of Guinea, explained Navy Adm. Henry G. "Harry" Ulrich III, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe.
Its full complement will include representatives of U.S. and partner nations' government agencies and non-governmental organizations, all working together to help African nations increase their ability to provide maritime security.
In addition to the U.S. military, U.S. agencies to participate will be the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Agency for International Development, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Coast Guard, Ulrich said.
High Speed Vessel Swift will join USS Fort McHenry in the Gulf of Guinea, where it will transport students as well as trainers during visits to Senegal, Liberia, Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon, and Sao Tome and Principe, he said.
Training teams will focus on a broad range of areas, including maritime domain awareness, leadership, seamanship and navigation, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, civil engineering and logistics.
Support provided will vary between visits, Ward said. He emphasized that the Africa Partnership Station Initiative and AFRICOM as a whole will strive to help African countries build capacity. "Those things that are within our means to do, we look forward in working with the African nations in providing that kind of assistance," he said.
The new initiative "provides a good example of what the newly established U.S. Africa Command is all about as it relates to helping our partner nations on the continent of Africa build their capacity to better govern their spaces (and) to have more effect in providing for the security of their people," he said.
In addition, Ward said, the Africa Partnership Station Initiative will help globalize African economies and develop societies for the betterment of their people.
AFRICOM declared itself to have initial operating capability Oct. 1 and began bringing the military's activities on the continent under its umbrella.
Ward said the command will give a "consolidated focus" to work currently being conducted by three combatant commands: U.S. Central Command, U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. European Command.
"As we work over the course of the coming weeks and months to stand up the command, we are focused on building the team that will cause value added to be brought to the various programs we do on the continent," he said.
Ward said AFRICOM will reinforce efforts under way "by creating a greater synergy of the entirety of the work being done."
Science Program Celebrates 50 Years of Sharing
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 15, 2007 - The P-51 Mustang was just an average fighter until a British Merlin engine was placed in the American airframe. Then the plane dominated the skies over World War II Europe. This kind of exchange is at the heart of The Technical Cooperation Program now celebrating its 50th year of existence. The program brings together experts from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to cooperate in defense science and technology applications.
"No country knows everything," a senior program official speaking on background said recently. "Especially in this era of globalization, we have to understand that not every solution will be 'made in America.'"
From its inception in 1957 as an agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom, the program has been limited to non-nuclear defense programs. Defense officials of each country share what they are working on and progress that is made. National authorities then can adjust research efforts to incorporate these advances.
The program allows countries to collaborate on research efforts, hold joint testing, avoid duplication, hold down costs, and increase interoperability among allied nations. It also provides a forum for nations to join with others for bilateral or multilateral research projects.
Representatives of the five nations are meeting here next week. "They look at the 11 groups where we have continued cooperation," the senior program official said. The 11 groups are aerospace systems; chemical, biological and radiological defense; command, control, communications and information; electronic warfare systems; human resources and performance; joint systems and analysis; land systems; maritime systems; materials technology and processes; sensors; and conventional weapons technology.
Within the groups, scientists and researchers from the countries work together in action groups and technical panels. There are now 59 technical panels and 29 action groups, the official said.
The program was founded as the Soviet-launched Sputnik satellite circled overhead. The Soviet Union had nuclear weapons pointed at free nations and there was talk of a "missile gap" with the Soviets holding a solid lead.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower and British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan signed the Declaration of Common Purpose that brought the program into being. "The arrangements which the nations of the free world have made for collective defense and mutual help are based on the recognition that the concept of national self sufficiency is now out of date," the declaration said. Canada joined the program in 1957, Australia in 1965, and New Zealand in 1969.
For a group founded as a response to the Cold War, it has proven remarkably flexible, officials said. "We know there are different threats facing all of us today," the official said. "The program is concentrating on the threats we all must deal with."
Today, combating terrorism -- another threat that calls for nations to stand together -- is the program's prime mission.
Servicemembers see results of the some of the program's projects immediately. Others are at more rarified levels. One collaboration between Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States is paying off on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan right now. Called the "small-volume hypertonic fluid resuscitation for hemorrhagic casualty care," it is a fancy title for handling shock from blood loss. The research found that a "hypertonic" saline solution -- saline solution at least 10 percent stronger than normally used -- quickly restores blood pressure and reduces medical complications associated with shock. Medics in the field are switching to this solution.
Another project devised new methods of tracking the dispersion of chemical, biological or radiological agents in cities. Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States pooled scientific expertise to develop meteorological and dispersion databases to predict how these agents move about a city.
A third project looks at command and control in a coalition. Australia, Canada and the United States combined to build a distributed network operations center. The center allows allies to share information, intelligence and orders across the range of networks. The system melds tactical command-and control networks with national networks into a coalition network.
The program is as relevant today as it was in 1957, the senior official said. "Each nation must assist the other by sharing scientific resources," he said. "Scientific progress made by one must be shared among all. It's the only way forward in this new world."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 15, 2007 - The P-51 Mustang was just an average fighter until a British Merlin engine was placed in the American airframe. Then the plane dominated the skies over World War II Europe. This kind of exchange is at the heart of The Technical Cooperation Program now celebrating its 50th year of existence. The program brings together experts from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to cooperate in defense science and technology applications.
"No country knows everything," a senior program official speaking on background said recently. "Especially in this era of globalization, we have to understand that not every solution will be 'made in America.'"
From its inception in 1957 as an agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom, the program has been limited to non-nuclear defense programs. Defense officials of each country share what they are working on and progress that is made. National authorities then can adjust research efforts to incorporate these advances.
The program allows countries to collaborate on research efforts, hold joint testing, avoid duplication, hold down costs, and increase interoperability among allied nations. It also provides a forum for nations to join with others for bilateral or multilateral research projects.
Representatives of the five nations are meeting here next week. "They look at the 11 groups where we have continued cooperation," the senior program official said. The 11 groups are aerospace systems; chemical, biological and radiological defense; command, control, communications and information; electronic warfare systems; human resources and performance; joint systems and analysis; land systems; maritime systems; materials technology and processes; sensors; and conventional weapons technology.
Within the groups, scientists and researchers from the countries work together in action groups and technical panels. There are now 59 technical panels and 29 action groups, the official said.
The program was founded as the Soviet-launched Sputnik satellite circled overhead. The Soviet Union had nuclear weapons pointed at free nations and there was talk of a "missile gap" with the Soviets holding a solid lead.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower and British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan signed the Declaration of Common Purpose that brought the program into being. "The arrangements which the nations of the free world have made for collective defense and mutual help are based on the recognition that the concept of national self sufficiency is now out of date," the declaration said. Canada joined the program in 1957, Australia in 1965, and New Zealand in 1969.
For a group founded as a response to the Cold War, it has proven remarkably flexible, officials said. "We know there are different threats facing all of us today," the official said. "The program is concentrating on the threats we all must deal with."
Today, combating terrorism -- another threat that calls for nations to stand together -- is the program's prime mission.
Servicemembers see results of the some of the program's projects immediately. Others are at more rarified levels. One collaboration between Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States is paying off on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan right now. Called the "small-volume hypertonic fluid resuscitation for hemorrhagic casualty care," it is a fancy title for handling shock from blood loss. The research found that a "hypertonic" saline solution -- saline solution at least 10 percent stronger than normally used -- quickly restores blood pressure and reduces medical complications associated with shock. Medics in the field are switching to this solution.
Another project devised new methods of tracking the dispersion of chemical, biological or radiological agents in cities. Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States pooled scientific expertise to develop meteorological and dispersion databases to predict how these agents move about a city.
A third project looks at command and control in a coalition. Australia, Canada and the United States combined to build a distributed network operations center. The center allows allies to share information, intelligence and orders across the range of networks. The system melds tactical command-and control networks with national networks into a coalition network.
The program is as relevant today as it was in 1957, the senior official said. "Each nation must assist the other by sharing scientific resources," he said. "Scientific progress made by one must be shared among all. It's the only way forward in this new world."
New Defense Media Activity Calling All Designers
By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 15, 2007 - Your original design could help "jump start" the new Defense Media Activity by becoming its first logo. "The goal of the logo, just like in corporate America, is to communicate specific traits about your organization," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public liaison and internal communications. "Hopefully it will communicate some type of world-class feel to it, because we're building the state-of-the-art world-class communication organization."
On Jan. 1, 2008, media outlets of all U.S. military departments and American Forces Information Service will merge to form the new Defense Media Activity. More than 650 military, DoD civilian and contract employees will be co-located in a 185,000-square-foot facility to be built on the grounds of Fort Meade, Md., and set to open in September 2011.
"We realize that part of the energy that comes with creating a new organization is the brand development, and the first tactic is a logo that will communicate a certain look and feel for the DMA," Barber said. "I'm excited to see what comes in from the participants who decide to compete in the logo contest, because I think we have such talented individuals."
Anyone who is part of an organization that will consolidate to the DMA, including military, government civilian and contract employees, is eligible to enter the logo contest.
"When you think about today's communication environment, it is clear that information is vibrant and quick, therefore, our logo needs to embody that same feeling," Barber noted.
According to contest rules, entries should focus on three general themes: media, military and "jointness." Each entry must be accompanied by a one paragraph explanation of the logo's meaning and various aspects of its design.
"Hopefully the logo will present a sense of stability and integrity," Barber said. "Our communication and our products are rooted in those traits."
The contest is open through Nov. 16. All entries must be submitted via e-mail as a "jpg" attachment to dmalogo@afis.mil
"People will submit their logos to the DMA Website (www.defenselink.mil/dma)," Barber explained. "And on a given day we'll be posting those, and people can go online and vote for their favorite logo."
A panel created by the various military public affairs chiefs ultimately will select the winning design from a pool of those that receive the most votes. Special prizes then will be awarded to top designers.
"We're working hard to create a lot of energy around the logo contest by providing things that will be meaningful and enjoyable to those who compete," Barber said. "It's worth going for, I will tell you that."
(David Mays works for the New Media branch of American Forces Press Service.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 15, 2007 - Your original design could help "jump start" the new Defense Media Activity by becoming its first logo. "The goal of the logo, just like in corporate America, is to communicate specific traits about your organization," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public liaison and internal communications. "Hopefully it will communicate some type of world-class feel to it, because we're building the state-of-the-art world-class communication organization."
On Jan. 1, 2008, media outlets of all U.S. military departments and American Forces Information Service will merge to form the new Defense Media Activity. More than 650 military, DoD civilian and contract employees will be co-located in a 185,000-square-foot facility to be built on the grounds of Fort Meade, Md., and set to open in September 2011.
"We realize that part of the energy that comes with creating a new organization is the brand development, and the first tactic is a logo that will communicate a certain look and feel for the DMA," Barber said. "I'm excited to see what comes in from the participants who decide to compete in the logo contest, because I think we have such talented individuals."
Anyone who is part of an organization that will consolidate to the DMA, including military, government civilian and contract employees, is eligible to enter the logo contest.
"When you think about today's communication environment, it is clear that information is vibrant and quick, therefore, our logo needs to embody that same feeling," Barber noted.
According to contest rules, entries should focus on three general themes: media, military and "jointness." Each entry must be accompanied by a one paragraph explanation of the logo's meaning and various aspects of its design.
"Hopefully the logo will present a sense of stability and integrity," Barber said. "Our communication and our products are rooted in those traits."
The contest is open through Nov. 16. All entries must be submitted via e-mail as a "jpg" attachment to dmalogo@afis.mil
"People will submit their logos to the DMA Website (www.defenselink.mil/dma)," Barber explained. "And on a given day we'll be posting those, and people can go online and vote for their favorite logo."
A panel created by the various military public affairs chiefs ultimately will select the winning design from a pool of those that receive the most votes. Special prizes then will be awarded to top designers.
"We're working hard to create a lot of energy around the logo contest by providing things that will be meaningful and enjoyable to those who compete," Barber said. "It's worth going for, I will tell you that."
(David Mays works for the New Media branch of American Forces Press Service.)
Groups Team Up to Entertain Military Kids
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 15, 2007 - Children of servicemembers recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here have a new recreation option thanks to the team effort of three nonprofit groups and a defense contractor. The Yellow Ribbon Fund dedicated a playground at Walter Reed's Mologne House yesterday. The facility was constructed primarily for children staying at the residential facility for recovering servicemembers and their families.
"This playground fills a longstanding need for children staying at our facility who, until now, had very limited recreational opportunities," said Peter Anderson, Mologne House's general manager. "We are extremely grateful to the Yellow Ribbon Fund and the employees of BAE Systems for their generosity and kindness."
The completion of the playground fulfills a dream, said Edward J. Quinn, a member of Yellow Ribbon Fund's board of directors.
"Every day, our wounded servicemen and women return from combat, many to long-term rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and (the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md.)," he said. "The Yellow Ribbon Fund's mission is to welcome them home and into our community. We are equally committed to making their families feel at home."
The Yellow Ribbon Fund 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.
Both the Armed Forces Foundation and Operation Homefront, also supporters of America Support You, lent their assistance to the playground project.
Operation Homefront provides emergency support and services to servicemembers and their families. The Armed Forces Foundation works to promote the morale, welfare and quality-of-life of active and retired servicemembers, National Guardsmen, reservists, and their families.
"When we heard of the Yellow Ribbon Fund's plans to build a playground that would fill such a huge need for the children at Mologne House, we knew we had to get involved," said Amy Palmer, Operation Homefront's executive vice president of operations and development.
BAE System's ongoing "Operation Noble Cause" initiative led to the contractor's involvement in the Mologne House playground project.
"Our employees embrace the credo, 'We protect those who protect us,'" said Rebekah Nottingham, BAE's vice president of customer requirements. "This commitment applies as much to our individual support of our fighting men and women as it does to the products and services we provide."
BAE employees across the country raised $60,000 for the playground project through "Operation Noble Cause."
(From a Yellow Ribbon Fund news release.)
Oct. 15, 2007 - Children of servicemembers recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here have a new recreation option thanks to the team effort of three nonprofit groups and a defense contractor. The Yellow Ribbon Fund dedicated a playground at Walter Reed's Mologne House yesterday. The facility was constructed primarily for children staying at the residential facility for recovering servicemembers and their families.
"This playground fills a longstanding need for children staying at our facility who, until now, had very limited recreational opportunities," said Peter Anderson, Mologne House's general manager. "We are extremely grateful to the Yellow Ribbon Fund and the employees of BAE Systems for their generosity and kindness."
The completion of the playground fulfills a dream, said Edward J. Quinn, a member of Yellow Ribbon Fund's board of directors.
"Every day, our wounded servicemen and women return from combat, many to long-term rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and (the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md.)," he said. "The Yellow Ribbon Fund's mission is to welcome them home and into our community. We are equally committed to making their families feel at home."
The Yellow Ribbon Fund 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.
Both the Armed Forces Foundation and Operation Homefront, also supporters of America Support You, lent their assistance to the playground project.
Operation Homefront provides emergency support and services to servicemembers and their families. The Armed Forces Foundation works to promote the morale, welfare and quality-of-life of active and retired servicemembers, National Guardsmen, reservists, and their families.
"When we heard of the Yellow Ribbon Fund's plans to build a playground that would fill such a huge need for the children at Mologne House, we knew we had to get involved," said Amy Palmer, Operation Homefront's executive vice president of operations and development.
BAE System's ongoing "Operation Noble Cause" initiative led to the contractor's involvement in the Mologne House playground project.
"Our employees embrace the credo, 'We protect those who protect us,'" said Rebekah Nottingham, BAE's vice president of customer requirements. "This commitment applies as much to our individual support of our fighting men and women as it does to the products and services we provide."
BAE employees across the country raised $60,000 for the playground project through "Operation Noble Cause."
(From a Yellow Ribbon Fund news release.)
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