By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 21, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here today to meet with Ukrainian leaders as their new government begins to take shape. The five-day trip, which also will include stops in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Germany, represents a lot of "firsts" for the secretary. It's his first visit to Ukraine as defense secretary, his first-ever visit to Prague, and the first visit by a defense secretary serving in the Bush administration to the Netherlands.
In Ukraine, Gates will meet with Ukrainian President Viktor A. Yushchenko to discuss post-election priorities as the new government forms. He also will meet with Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko to discuss defense reforms the United States is helping bring about.
"We are investing a lot of resources in Ukraine to help it reform its institutions," a senior defense official traveling with Gates told reporters. He called Ukraine's military reforms "a great success story" and Hrytsenko a "fantastic, visionary guy" who has helped move the process forward.
Among topics expected to be discussed are Ukraine's support in Iraq and Kosovo and its consideration of expanding its contributions into Afghanistan, as well. "The Ukrainian government has considered going into Afghanistan for some time," the official said, noting that the country's political upheaval put those discussions "on hold for awhile."
With the likelihood pro-Western Yushchenko and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko will lead the new government, Ukraine will soon be in a better position to look beyond current operations to other missions, the official said.
"Now that there is the potential for a Tymoshenko-Yushchenko government, ... (with) both parties pro-Western, pro-NATO (and) pro-(European Union), ... there could be a restarting of some of the previous traction that the Yushchenko government had," the official said.
Gates' discussions here are likely to include the outcome of his and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent "two-plus-two" meeting with Russian leaders in Moscow. "I can't imagine him sitting down with the Ukrainian leadership, that there won't be a discussion about how the two-plus-two went and how both sides view relationships with Russia," the official said.
The outcome of that meeting and Russian objections to U.S. plans to base missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic are expected to be raised throughout Gates' swing through Europe, particularly when he meets with Czech leaders in Prague later this week, the official said.
Also today, Gates is scheduled to meet with Turkish National Defense Minister Mehmet Vecdi Gonul, followed by bilateral meetings with the defense ministers of three countries seeking NATO membership: Albania, Croatia and Macedonia.
A topic expected to figure largely in the meeting with Gonul -- a topic not anticipated when the meeting was scheduled two weeks ago -- is the Turkish parliament's vote last week authorizing its troops to cross the border into Iraq to confront terrorists launching attacks into Turkey. The one-year authorization gives the green light for Turkey's military to move into the Kurdish region of Iraq to go after members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, who have been launching attacks into Turkey.
Gates has called on Turkey to refrain from military action into Iraq, which he said "would create an international crisis and further undermine stability in Iraq." He told Pentagon reporters at an Oct. 18 news briefing that he intends to reiterate this message in his meeting with Gonul.
"We recognize the harm and heartbreak caused by terrorist attacks across the Iraqi border into Turkey and are working with both governments to rein in the activities of the PKK," he said, vowing to help Turkey counter the threat.
Tomorrow, Gates will attend the Southeast Europe Defense Ministerial here before leaving for Prague. Later in the week, he will participate in a NATO informal defense ministerial in Noordwijk, Netherlands, and speak to a U.S. Army Europe-sponsored Conference of European Armies meeting in Germany.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Defense Department Contracts for 2,400 More MRAP Vehicles
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 19, 2007 - The Defense Department has let contracts for an additional 2,400 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, bringing the total number of the vehicles ordered to 8,800. "We're going to do everything we can to get as many vehicles in theater as fast as we can," a senior Pentagon official, speaking on background, said yesterday.
The MRAP is designed to survive blasts from improvised explosive devices and armor-piercing IEDs known as improvised explosive projectiles, the main killers of American servicemembers in Iraq. The vehicles have a V-shaped hull that deflects shrapnel, providing more effective protection for servicemembers inside the vehicle. MRAPs are replacing armored Humvees.
"As we go forward, we are seeking constantly to improve the survivability of the MRAP designs," the official said.
Three firms -- International Military and Government LLC, Force Protection Industries Inc., and BAE Systems Land and Armaments LP -- will produce the 2,400 new MRAP vehicles.
The contracts are for both the Category 1 and Category 2 MRAPs. The Category 1 MRAPs are four-wheeled vehicles that carry a crew of two and four passengers. The six-wheeled Category 2 vehicles have a crew of two and can carry eight.
"These are additional orders on existing contracts," the senior official said.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has called getting these vehicles to Iraq and Afghanistan the department's highest equipment priority.
At a speech before the Center for a New American Security on Oct. 15, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway spoke about the effectiveness of the vehicle. He called it the "gold standard" of force protection. "We had an incident the other day where an MRAP was hit with a 300-pound charge right under the engine," Conway said. "Now, I mention the size of the charge because we were testing them at Aberdeen (Proving Ground, Md.) against 30- and 50-pound charges.
"But a 300-pound charge went off right under the engine," he continued. "It blew the engine about 65 meters away from the vehicle, caused a complete reversal of direction on the part of the MRAP, but of the four Marines inside, the regimental commander put one on light duty for seven days and the other three continued with the patrol. So it's an amazing vehicle in terms of the protection that it gives to our people against these underbody blasts."
The program has hit high gear. Vendors are just ahead of production goals to date, and goals will become more demanding in coming months. In September, vendors produced 309 of the vehicles. This month the goal is for 419 vehicles. In November, the goal is for almost 1,000 vehicles, with December's goal set at 1,200.
In December, the Defense Department will need a further $8.2 billion from Congress to continue MRAP production, the official said. The department will order roughly 6,400 MRAPs in December to meet the current stated requirement of 15,274 MRAPs.
Vehicle production has reached a level where the department will have to manage demand for hardened and ballistic steel between MRAPs and other programs, such as Bradley and Stryker fighting vehicles, and fragmentary kit enhancements, the official said.
Separate Marine Corps and Army versions of the vehicles mean 16 variants must be equipped, tested and produced. This slows the process down, and experts are working to reduce the number of variants, he said.
Fielding the 16 different vehicle designs also increases the burdens of training, maintenance and spare parts for troops in theater.
Once built, the vehicles then must get radios and other equipment installed at the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in Charleston, S.C, the official said.
"We have to take them down to South Carolina to be outfitted with all the government equipment and so on, and then we'll get them into the theater," Gates said in a separate Pentagon news briefing yesterday.
The Defense Department is flying the vehicles to Iraq as soon as they are ready. The department can fly 360 MRAPs per month. A joint allocation board sends the vehicles to the areas they are most needed, the senior official explained.
"We are continuing to airlift them as they're produced," Gates said. "At a certain point we'll make a transition and start sending them by sea just because of the numbers that are involved."
"So I would say that the program is pretty much right on track," the secretary added.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 19, 2007 - The Defense Department has let contracts for an additional 2,400 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, bringing the total number of the vehicles ordered to 8,800. "We're going to do everything we can to get as many vehicles in theater as fast as we can," a senior Pentagon official, speaking on background, said yesterday.
The MRAP is designed to survive blasts from improvised explosive devices and armor-piercing IEDs known as improvised explosive projectiles, the main killers of American servicemembers in Iraq. The vehicles have a V-shaped hull that deflects shrapnel, providing more effective protection for servicemembers inside the vehicle. MRAPs are replacing armored Humvees.
"As we go forward, we are seeking constantly to improve the survivability of the MRAP designs," the official said.
Three firms -- International Military and Government LLC, Force Protection Industries Inc., and BAE Systems Land and Armaments LP -- will produce the 2,400 new MRAP vehicles.
The contracts are for both the Category 1 and Category 2 MRAPs. The Category 1 MRAPs are four-wheeled vehicles that carry a crew of two and four passengers. The six-wheeled Category 2 vehicles have a crew of two and can carry eight.
"These are additional orders on existing contracts," the senior official said.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has called getting these vehicles to Iraq and Afghanistan the department's highest equipment priority.
At a speech before the Center for a New American Security on Oct. 15, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway spoke about the effectiveness of the vehicle. He called it the "gold standard" of force protection. "We had an incident the other day where an MRAP was hit with a 300-pound charge right under the engine," Conway said. "Now, I mention the size of the charge because we were testing them at Aberdeen (Proving Ground, Md.) against 30- and 50-pound charges.
"But a 300-pound charge went off right under the engine," he continued. "It blew the engine about 65 meters away from the vehicle, caused a complete reversal of direction on the part of the MRAP, but of the four Marines inside, the regimental commander put one on light duty for seven days and the other three continued with the patrol. So it's an amazing vehicle in terms of the protection that it gives to our people against these underbody blasts."
The program has hit high gear. Vendors are just ahead of production goals to date, and goals will become more demanding in coming months. In September, vendors produced 309 of the vehicles. This month the goal is for 419 vehicles. In November, the goal is for almost 1,000 vehicles, with December's goal set at 1,200.
In December, the Defense Department will need a further $8.2 billion from Congress to continue MRAP production, the official said. The department will order roughly 6,400 MRAPs in December to meet the current stated requirement of 15,274 MRAPs.
Vehicle production has reached a level where the department will have to manage demand for hardened and ballistic steel between MRAPs and other programs, such as Bradley and Stryker fighting vehicles, and fragmentary kit enhancements, the official said.
Separate Marine Corps and Army versions of the vehicles mean 16 variants must be equipped, tested and produced. This slows the process down, and experts are working to reduce the number of variants, he said.
Fielding the 16 different vehicle designs also increases the burdens of training, maintenance and spare parts for troops in theater.
Once built, the vehicles then must get radios and other equipment installed at the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in Charleston, S.C, the official said.
"We have to take them down to South Carolina to be outfitted with all the government equipment and so on, and then we'll get them into the theater," Gates said in a separate Pentagon news briefing yesterday.
The Defense Department is flying the vehicles to Iraq as soon as they are ready. The department can fly 360 MRAPs per month. A joint allocation board sends the vehicles to the areas they are most needed, the senior official explained.
"We are continuing to airlift them as they're produced," Gates said. "At a certain point we'll make a transition and start sending them by sea just because of the numbers that are involved."
"So I would say that the program is pretty much right on track," the secretary added.
Why We Serve: Sailor Swaps 'Sea Legs' for Afghanistan Duty
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 19, 2007 - Navy Reserve Petty Officer 1st Class Sivenson Guerrier exchanged his "sea legs" and became a "landlubber" during a yearlong duty tour in Afghanistan when he volunteered to participate in a pilot program that provided ground-operations training to sailors. Guerrier underwent three months of Army training at Fort Bragg, N.C., before deploying to Afghanistan in April 2006 to join a provincial reconstruction team operating in the northeastern part of the country.
"Sailors and airmen are out there, too, in Iraq and Afghanistan, on the ground," Guerrier pointed out.
The sailor is no stranger to the sea, as he hails from the island-nation of Haiti. The Port-au-Prince-born servicemember returned to the United States from Afghanistan in April.
Guerrier is among 10 servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community, business, veterans and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
Why We Serve began in fall 2006 and was originally the idea of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Guerrier and the other servicemembers in his group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.
The Why We Serve program is important, Guerrier said, because it enables servicemembers to tell the American public about their experiences in the war against global terrorism.
Guerrier said his PRT worked in Kunar province, where it built schools, roads and hospitals. His job was to keep the trucks, generators and other equipment in top condition.
Army training he received included weapons instruction, and it came in handy in Afghanistan, where he often travelled across dangerous territory to repair or recover vehicles that had broken down, Guerrier said.
Duty in Afghanistan also was personally satisfying, Guerrier pointed out, noting that Afghans living in remote villages were especially appreciative when PRT medics attended to their sick children.
"We are doing awesome work there and are helping out the people tremendously," Guerrier said of his tour in Afghanistan.
Being in the Navy is never boring, Guerrier said, noting he also has served as a security specialist and a military linguist specializing in Creole, the native language of most Haitian residents.
"Where else can you go to experience all those different types of jobs and travel around the world?" Guerrier asked.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 19, 2007 - Navy Reserve Petty Officer 1st Class Sivenson Guerrier exchanged his "sea legs" and became a "landlubber" during a yearlong duty tour in Afghanistan when he volunteered to participate in a pilot program that provided ground-operations training to sailors. Guerrier underwent three months of Army training at Fort Bragg, N.C., before deploying to Afghanistan in April 2006 to join a provincial reconstruction team operating in the northeastern part of the country.
"Sailors and airmen are out there, too, in Iraq and Afghanistan, on the ground," Guerrier pointed out.
The sailor is no stranger to the sea, as he hails from the island-nation of Haiti. The Port-au-Prince-born servicemember returned to the United States from Afghanistan in April.
Guerrier is among 10 servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community, business, veterans and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
Why We Serve began in fall 2006 and was originally the idea of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Guerrier and the other servicemembers in his group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.
The Why We Serve program is important, Guerrier said, because it enables servicemembers to tell the American public about their experiences in the war against global terrorism.
Guerrier said his PRT worked in Kunar province, where it built schools, roads and hospitals. His job was to keep the trucks, generators and other equipment in top condition.
Army training he received included weapons instruction, and it came in handy in Afghanistan, where he often travelled across dangerous territory to repair or recover vehicles that had broken down, Guerrier said.
Duty in Afghanistan also was personally satisfying, Guerrier pointed out, noting that Afghans living in remote villages were especially appreciative when PRT medics attended to their sick children.
"We are doing awesome work there and are helping out the people tremendously," Guerrier said of his tour in Afghanistan.
Being in the Navy is never boring, Guerrier said, noting he also has served as a security specialist and a military linguist specializing in Creole, the native language of most Haitian residents.
"Where else can you go to experience all those different types of jobs and travel around the world?" Guerrier asked.
Possible Changes Eyed for Guard, Reserve Montgomery GI Bill
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 19, 2007 - Defense leaders joined the Minnesota National Guard's adjutant general yesterday in urging Congress to revise the Montgomery GI Bill to improve coverage for reserve-component troops, although they didn't necessarily agree on the best way to accomplish that. Army Maj. Gen. Larry W. Shellito told the House Veterans Affairs Committee that the bill, as currently written, shortchanges National Guard and Reserve troops.
He noted that nearly half the Minnesota National Guard's 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, found they weren't eligible for full education benefits under the bill, despite being one of the longest-serving units in Iraq. The unit returned home from a 22-month mobilization that included 16 months in combat as part of the surge force in Iraq.
All the returning "Red Bull" troops were eligible for Montgomery GI Bill benefits, but many fell short of the service time required to receive full benefits.
Among them was Army Sgt. Benjamin Hattan, a two-time Purple Heart recipient who was denied education benefits because his deployment orders were written for up to 729 days. The Montgomery GI Bill requires 730 days of service to quality for full benefits, Hattan explained to the committee.
The Army is working to amend the unit's orders and sent a team to Minnesota to help the Guardsmen wade through paperwork required to apply for benefits. Officials said the Army goal is to complete amendments so the soldiers can receive their benefits for the 2008 spring term.
"The decision to grant these men and women their earned benefits needs to occur quickly in order for them to make important life decisions," Shellito told the committee. "As a key tool in building and maintaining a total Army force, we as well as military leaders also need this to occur, as it is fundamental to sustaining a ready and capable reserve-component force."
Defense Department officials agreed yesterday that changes are needed to the Montgomery GI Bill for the Selected Reserve, as well as the Reserve Educational Assistance Program.
However, both Thomas L. Bush, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs, and Curtis L. Gilroy, the Pentagon's director for accession policy, said such a measure doesn't fit the program's purpose: to recruit and retain members.
They said they believe the Defense Department can actually be too generous in granting GI Bill benefits. "We have a delicate balance we have to maintain in order to ensure a strong and ready military for America," Gilroy stated previously. "And it is actually possible to upset that balance and hurt our retention by being too generous with some of our recruiting incentives."
Gilroy and Bush said yesterday they disagree with the idea of consolidating the active- and reserve-component education plans into a single "Total Force GI Bill."
"The calls for a single program simply view military service as the pathway to an education benefit, not a program to retain members," they said in a joint statement released to the committee.
Both praised the Montgomery GI Bill for the support it lends to recruiting and retention efforts. "As we move through the 21st century, we must continue to build upon the remarkable legacy of the visionaries who crafted preceding versions and improvements in the GI Bill," they said.
The original GI Bill was enacted in 1944 to provide education benefits for troops returning from World War II. More than 2 million veterans have attended college using GI Bill benefits.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 19, 2007 - Defense leaders joined the Minnesota National Guard's adjutant general yesterday in urging Congress to revise the Montgomery GI Bill to improve coverage for reserve-component troops, although they didn't necessarily agree on the best way to accomplish that. Army Maj. Gen. Larry W. Shellito told the House Veterans Affairs Committee that the bill, as currently written, shortchanges National Guard and Reserve troops.
He noted that nearly half the Minnesota National Guard's 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, found they weren't eligible for full education benefits under the bill, despite being one of the longest-serving units in Iraq. The unit returned home from a 22-month mobilization that included 16 months in combat as part of the surge force in Iraq.
All the returning "Red Bull" troops were eligible for Montgomery GI Bill benefits, but many fell short of the service time required to receive full benefits.
Among them was Army Sgt. Benjamin Hattan, a two-time Purple Heart recipient who was denied education benefits because his deployment orders were written for up to 729 days. The Montgomery GI Bill requires 730 days of service to quality for full benefits, Hattan explained to the committee.
The Army is working to amend the unit's orders and sent a team to Minnesota to help the Guardsmen wade through paperwork required to apply for benefits. Officials said the Army goal is to complete amendments so the soldiers can receive their benefits for the 2008 spring term.
"The decision to grant these men and women their earned benefits needs to occur quickly in order for them to make important life decisions," Shellito told the committee. "As a key tool in building and maintaining a total Army force, we as well as military leaders also need this to occur, as it is fundamental to sustaining a ready and capable reserve-component force."
Defense Department officials agreed yesterday that changes are needed to the Montgomery GI Bill for the Selected Reserve, as well as the Reserve Educational Assistance Program.
However, both Thomas L. Bush, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs, and Curtis L. Gilroy, the Pentagon's director for accession policy, said such a measure doesn't fit the program's purpose: to recruit and retain members.
They said they believe the Defense Department can actually be too generous in granting GI Bill benefits. "We have a delicate balance we have to maintain in order to ensure a strong and ready military for America," Gilroy stated previously. "And it is actually possible to upset that balance and hurt our retention by being too generous with some of our recruiting incentives."
Gilroy and Bush said yesterday they disagree with the idea of consolidating the active- and reserve-component education plans into a single "Total Force GI Bill."
"The calls for a single program simply view military service as the pathway to an education benefit, not a program to retain members," they said in a joint statement released to the committee.
Both praised the Montgomery GI Bill for the support it lends to recruiting and retention efforts. "As we move through the 21st century, we must continue to build upon the remarkable legacy of the visionaries who crafted preceding versions and improvements in the GI Bill," they said.
The original GI Bill was enacted in 1944 to provide education benefits for troops returning from World War II. More than 2 million veterans have attended college using GI Bill benefits.
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