By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Maritime security, which has long been overshadowed by other coalition missions in African nations, will be a top priority for the newly created U.S. Africa Command, a senior Defense Department policymaker said today. "It's something that we hadn't really paid too much attention to for awhile, because we've been focusing more on the peacekeeping problem and ... the political and conflict turmoil on the continent," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs Theresa Whelan said. "But maritime security is an area that's very important for the continent."
During a conference call from the Pentagon with online journalists and bloggers, Whelan explained that African nations such as Mozambique and Tanzania typically lose more than a billion dollars a year to illegal fishing in their waters, reef destruction and species depletion.
"Maritime security is important economically to African nations. It's also, though, important from a security standpoint, because what we're seeing is more and more drugs being moved through Africa via maritime routes, arms (are) being moved, there's trafficking in persons through maritime routes, and then of course there's piracy, which is influencing or impacting negatively on international shipping," she said. "That's something I think that is somewhat new in some ways that AFRICOM will be focusing on and that we think is important."
U.S. Africa Command officially became operational Oct. 1. As America's newest unified command, it eventually will assume Defense Department responsibility on the entire African continent. But unlike three traditional combatant commands that for decades had shared the responsibility, AFRICOM will focus not on combat, but on supporting, advising and building the capacity of professional, civilian-controlled African forces.
"We are not going to be building new bases or putting troops (or) operational forces on the continent," Whelan explained. "We will have presence on the continent, but that presence will be in the form of staff personnel in order to manage our relationship with African countries more effectively."
Part of that relationship, Whelan noted, is identifying what tools African nations need to help themselves.
"The African countries want to try to address the security problems that they face in their own backyards," she said. "And the challenge that they have had is just simply not having the wherewithal to do so."
For instance, Whelan pointed out, the U.S. Air Force earlier this week used a C-17 Globemaster III to airlift hundreds of Rwandan soldiers supporting the African Union peacekeeping mission in the Darfur region of Sudan.
"This has become something that is important to the Africans, to be able to address these crises in their backyards so that they don't necessarily spread and become larger problems," she said. "Hopefully, we would enable the AU to better handle crises like Somalia or Darfur or Congo or Burundi -- there's a whole host of them out there."
In some cases, such as Somalia, which "defies the imagination" because of its incredible instability, Whelan explained, AFRICOM can be of little direct and immediate assistance, but in other countries, key partnerships already have begun.
"In most cases in Africa, actually, we will be focusing on maintaining and hopefully expanding, and deepening maybe is a better word, our existing military-to-military relations with African nations, stable African nations, and that are trying to make a greater contribution to stability in their neighborhood and in the continent," she said. "Our actions are ultimately going to speak louder than our words."
(David Mays works in New Media at American Forces Information Service.)
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Literacy Group Reaches Out to Military Families
By Toni Maltagliati
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - More than 12,000 children of servicemembers each year are getting a foundation for lifelong literacy from their doctors through an effort called "Reach Out and Read." "Reach Out and Read presents a unique opportunity to support and strengthen military families with young children," said Carolyn Merrifield, a communications associate with Reach Out and Read. "While reading together provides important advantages for all families, military families who face the unique challenges of separation and deployment can reap special benefit from the comfort of this routine."
Reach Out and Read 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.
The group is different from other national literacy programs in that it takes advantage of the trust parents have for pediatricians to plant the seed of reading. The group trains physicians and nurse practitioners to emphasize during preschool medical check-ups the importance of reading aloud to children. The benefits to tots can start as young as 6 months old, according to the group.
Every year, about 24,000 new, developmentally appropriate books are given to youngsters at seven military medical facilities to take home and read, according to a statement from the group. The Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va.; Moncrief Army Community Hospital at Fort Jackson, S.C.; Air Force medical facilities at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.; and the 121st General Hospital at Yongson Army Garrison, South Korea, currently participate.
Medical facilities at eight additional military sites are slated to become Reach Out and Read participants, according to Brian Gallagher, the group's national expansion manager.
"They went through the process, and they've been told that their programs are on hold for now," Gallagher said. The Defense Department funding has been obligated, he said, so now it's a matter of waiting until the funds are allocated and disbursed.
Adding eight military medical facilities to the program could more than double the number of military families whose children will get a head start on learning to recognize letters and other language skills. Reading failure, according to the group, has been linked to many problems for children later on in life, from dropping out of school to substance abuse.
"In order or learn to read in school, children's brains to be 'prepped' by robust exposure to words and language, shaping the brain architecture that provides the foundation for later reading ability," said Merrifield.
About one-third of children in the United States start kindergarten without the language skills they need to learn how to read, according to the group. Reach Out and Read officials say they aim to remedy this, one book at a time.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - More than 12,000 children of servicemembers each year are getting a foundation for lifelong literacy from their doctors through an effort called "Reach Out and Read." "Reach Out and Read presents a unique opportunity to support and strengthen military families with young children," said Carolyn Merrifield, a communications associate with Reach Out and Read. "While reading together provides important advantages for all families, military families who face the unique challenges of separation and deployment can reap special benefit from the comfort of this routine."
Reach Out and Read 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.
The group is different from other national literacy programs in that it takes advantage of the trust parents have for pediatricians to plant the seed of reading. The group trains physicians and nurse practitioners to emphasize during preschool medical check-ups the importance of reading aloud to children. The benefits to tots can start as young as 6 months old, according to the group.
Every year, about 24,000 new, developmentally appropriate books are given to youngsters at seven military medical facilities to take home and read, according to a statement from the group. The Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va.; Moncrief Army Community Hospital at Fort Jackson, S.C.; Air Force medical facilities at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.; and the 121st General Hospital at Yongson Army Garrison, South Korea, currently participate.
Medical facilities at eight additional military sites are slated to become Reach Out and Read participants, according to Brian Gallagher, the group's national expansion manager.
"They went through the process, and they've been told that their programs are on hold for now," Gallagher said. The Defense Department funding has been obligated, he said, so now it's a matter of waiting until the funds are allocated and disbursed.
Adding eight military medical facilities to the program could more than double the number of military families whose children will get a head start on learning to recognize letters and other language skills. Reading failure, according to the group, has been linked to many problems for children later on in life, from dropping out of school to substance abuse.
"In order or learn to read in school, children's brains to be 'prepped' by robust exposure to words and language, shaping the brain architecture that provides the foundation for later reading ability," said Merrifield.
About one-third of children in the United States start kindergarten without the language skills they need to learn how to read, according to the group. Reach Out and Read officials say they aim to remedy this, one book at a time.
Soldiers Help Celebrate Sadr City School Renovation
By Sgt. Mike Pryor, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - When students at the Yarmook Girl's School in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood returned from summer vacation last month, they found that their school had received an extreme makeover thanks to the government of Iraq and the U.S. Army. U.S. soldiers and Iraqi National Police visited the recently renovated school Oct. 22 to see the improvements and hand out backpacks and soccer balls to the students.
The renovations to the school totaled $200,000 of improvements, including a new roof, a new lighting system, repairs to cracks in the pavement and stairs, and a paint job, said Glen Allen, Va., native Capt. Alex Carter, a U.S. Army civil affairs team chief who helped oversee the project.
Nine other schools in Sadr City also have been renovated over the past few months, as part of the same program that refurbished the Yarmook Girl's School, Carter said. The school improvement program was made possible by cooperation among the Ministry of Education, the local neighborhood councils, school officials, the Iraqi National Police, and the U.S. Army's 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, which operates in the Sadr City area, he said.
"What makes this special to me is that this really validates how effective we are working with the Iraqi police in Sadr City," Carter said.
The top Iraqi police official present at the school visit, Brig. Gen. Ali Ibrahim Daboun, commander of 8th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Division, said he also was pleased by cooperation between the Iraqi government, the Iraqi security forces, and the U.S. military.
He said he hopes that the school improvement program would show the 2.5 million residents of Sadr City that they are a priority of the Iraqi government.
"In the past, they were neglected, but the new government will serve them," he said.
(Army Sgt. Mike Pryor is assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - When students at the Yarmook Girl's School in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood returned from summer vacation last month, they found that their school had received an extreme makeover thanks to the government of Iraq and the U.S. Army. U.S. soldiers and Iraqi National Police visited the recently renovated school Oct. 22 to see the improvements and hand out backpacks and soccer balls to the students.
The renovations to the school totaled $200,000 of improvements, including a new roof, a new lighting system, repairs to cracks in the pavement and stairs, and a paint job, said Glen Allen, Va., native Capt. Alex Carter, a U.S. Army civil affairs team chief who helped oversee the project.
Nine other schools in Sadr City also have been renovated over the past few months, as part of the same program that refurbished the Yarmook Girl's School, Carter said. The school improvement program was made possible by cooperation among the Ministry of Education, the local neighborhood councils, school officials, the Iraqi National Police, and the U.S. Army's 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, which operates in the Sadr City area, he said.
"What makes this special to me is that this really validates how effective we are working with the Iraqi police in Sadr City," Carter said.
The top Iraqi police official present at the school visit, Brig. Gen. Ali Ibrahim Daboun, commander of 8th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Division, said he also was pleased by cooperation between the Iraqi government, the Iraqi security forces, and the U.S. military.
He said he hopes that the school improvement program would show the 2.5 million residents of Sadr City that they are a priority of the Iraqi government.
"In the past, they were neglected, but the new government will serve them," he said.
(Army Sgt. Mike Pryor is assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.)
Airborne Buddies Are Friends for Life
By Micah E. Clare, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Sitting in their turrets manning their guns as tracers whizzed over their heads from all directions, Army Sgt. Damon Bligh and Spc. Rick Crothers knew they always had somebody they could count on: each other. Serving in Iraq together, the two soldiers can't remember how many times they were attacked by the enemy, but they've been through it all, thick and thin, for close to three years now.
Bligh, from Boston, and Crothers, from Mascoutah, Ill., drivers in Company A, 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, have served together in the same units since Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga. in 2004.
The two drivers were in the same squad while learning how to jump from airplanes, but they didn't really become friends until they ran into each other again at the 19th Replacement Detachment at Fort Bragg, N.C., waiting to receive their unit assignments, Bligh remembers.
"I saw this guy looking for the (dining facility)," he said.
"And I said, 'Hey you were at Airborne School, right?'" Crothers finished.
The two hit it off from then on and thought it was fortunate when they were both assigned to 546th Transportation Company, 1st Corps Support Command. However, it was only a matter of time until they were both sent right into the thick of things.
"This sergeant major (at replacement) asked us what our jobs were, and I told him we were drivers," Bligh explained. "He replied, 'You're outta here!' I seriously thought he meant we were getting kicked out of replacement, but as I found out, he meant something completely different."
Less than two months later, the two were boarding a plane, beginning a deployment to Iraq, an experience neither of them would ever forget.
When they first got to Forward Operating Base Sietz in Iraq, they had just set down their bags and had only been at their bunks for a few minutes, when they heard the whistle and explosion of an incoming round, followed by a blaring alarm.
"We were just laying there in our bunks," Crothers said, laughing. "We just looked at each other, thinking, 'What is going on?' We had no idea what to do."
A seasoned noncommissioned officer came running in and saw them lying there and yelled at them to get their gear and get to the nearest bunker. "'Welcome to Hell! From now on, get to the bunkers,' he yelled at us," Bligh said. "I'm just glad I wasn't the only one who didn't know what to do."
It wasn't long before the two became accustomed to the almost daily attacks. When they began to get out on the road more often, frequent firefights became the norm, they said.
Some of these situations were pretty stressful, but they were always together on missions, Bligh in one truck, and Crothers in another.
After that deployment, Bligh and Crothers watched as their other friends were split up and sent to different units, thinking the same thing was going to happen to them.
"I got orders for the 82nd," Crothers said. "I said, 'See you later Bligh! You're stuck here.'"
Weeks later, Bligh got orders to a different brigade in the 82nd, but soon enough they found out they were both going to 4th Brigade, then to 782nd BSB, and finally to Company A.
"It's happening again," Bligh said he remembered thinking when he saw Crothers' name again in his new unit roster.
It was a completely different situation from their previous assignment, though. This time, they were the ones who knew what was going on, Bligh said.
"When we first got to the company, there were only 20 of us, but it quickly became 120. Most of them were right out of basic (training), and we were pretty much the only ones wearing combat patches," he said.
Crothers, who had trained and qualified on many different weapons systems and had attended armorer courses, was able to contribute much to the new unit. "I was giving weapons classes as a (private first class)," he explained. "So I was able to hand off that knowledge to the other soldiers in our platoon and get them ready for the upcoming deployment."
Crothers and Bligh then deployed to Afghanistan with the 782nd BSB in January 2007 and have spent the last nine months in a combat logistics patrol running supplies to far-reaching and isolated bases throughout the southeastern area of the country.
This is sometimes a challenging mission, but the deep-rooted friendship of the two paratroopers helps them get through it, Crothers explained.
"It would be really tough if (Bligh) wasn't here," he said. "He's got a quick comeback for everything."
"Crothers keeps me sane sometimes being out here," Bligh added. "We always have something to talk about, and we joke around about everything. We look forward to getting back home, though."
By the time they redeploy in the spring, they'll have both been in combat together for close to 25 months.
"We've became really close," Crothers said. "Being in stressful situations will do that to people."
"We've roomed together, bunked together, and been to war together," Bligh said. "We got to know each other so well, even on days we didn't want to."
At home, they plan on getting their families together for barbecues and parties, because their wives have become good friends, as well, the two said.
Even though Bligh's time in service is finished soon after he returns from Afghanistan, the fact that the two will no longer be serving together won't dampen their camaraderie, they said.
"We'll definitely always be friends," Crothers and Bligh said.
(Army Spc. Micah E. Clare is assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Sitting in their turrets manning their guns as tracers whizzed over their heads from all directions, Army Sgt. Damon Bligh and Spc. Rick Crothers knew they always had somebody they could count on: each other. Serving in Iraq together, the two soldiers can't remember how many times they were attacked by the enemy, but they've been through it all, thick and thin, for close to three years now.
Bligh, from Boston, and Crothers, from Mascoutah, Ill., drivers in Company A, 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, have served together in the same units since Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga. in 2004.
The two drivers were in the same squad while learning how to jump from airplanes, but they didn't really become friends until they ran into each other again at the 19th Replacement Detachment at Fort Bragg, N.C., waiting to receive their unit assignments, Bligh remembers.
"I saw this guy looking for the (dining facility)," he said.
"And I said, 'Hey you were at Airborne School, right?'" Crothers finished.
The two hit it off from then on and thought it was fortunate when they were both assigned to 546th Transportation Company, 1st Corps Support Command. However, it was only a matter of time until they were both sent right into the thick of things.
"This sergeant major (at replacement) asked us what our jobs were, and I told him we were drivers," Bligh explained. "He replied, 'You're outta here!' I seriously thought he meant we were getting kicked out of replacement, but as I found out, he meant something completely different."
Less than two months later, the two were boarding a plane, beginning a deployment to Iraq, an experience neither of them would ever forget.
When they first got to Forward Operating Base Sietz in Iraq, they had just set down their bags and had only been at their bunks for a few minutes, when they heard the whistle and explosion of an incoming round, followed by a blaring alarm.
"We were just laying there in our bunks," Crothers said, laughing. "We just looked at each other, thinking, 'What is going on?' We had no idea what to do."
A seasoned noncommissioned officer came running in and saw them lying there and yelled at them to get their gear and get to the nearest bunker. "'Welcome to Hell! From now on, get to the bunkers,' he yelled at us," Bligh said. "I'm just glad I wasn't the only one who didn't know what to do."
It wasn't long before the two became accustomed to the almost daily attacks. When they began to get out on the road more often, frequent firefights became the norm, they said.
Some of these situations were pretty stressful, but they were always together on missions, Bligh in one truck, and Crothers in another.
After that deployment, Bligh and Crothers watched as their other friends were split up and sent to different units, thinking the same thing was going to happen to them.
"I got orders for the 82nd," Crothers said. "I said, 'See you later Bligh! You're stuck here.'"
Weeks later, Bligh got orders to a different brigade in the 82nd, but soon enough they found out they were both going to 4th Brigade, then to 782nd BSB, and finally to Company A.
"It's happening again," Bligh said he remembered thinking when he saw Crothers' name again in his new unit roster.
It was a completely different situation from their previous assignment, though. This time, they were the ones who knew what was going on, Bligh said.
"When we first got to the company, there were only 20 of us, but it quickly became 120. Most of them were right out of basic (training), and we were pretty much the only ones wearing combat patches," he said.
Crothers, who had trained and qualified on many different weapons systems and had attended armorer courses, was able to contribute much to the new unit. "I was giving weapons classes as a (private first class)," he explained. "So I was able to hand off that knowledge to the other soldiers in our platoon and get them ready for the upcoming deployment."
Crothers and Bligh then deployed to Afghanistan with the 782nd BSB in January 2007 and have spent the last nine months in a combat logistics patrol running supplies to far-reaching and isolated bases throughout the southeastern area of the country.
This is sometimes a challenging mission, but the deep-rooted friendship of the two paratroopers helps them get through it, Crothers explained.
"It would be really tough if (Bligh) wasn't here," he said. "He's got a quick comeback for everything."
"Crothers keeps me sane sometimes being out here," Bligh added. "We always have something to talk about, and we joke around about everything. We look forward to getting back home, though."
By the time they redeploy in the spring, they'll have both been in combat together for close to 25 months.
"We've became really close," Crothers said. "Being in stressful situations will do that to people."
"We've roomed together, bunked together, and been to war together," Bligh said. "We got to know each other so well, even on days we didn't want to."
At home, they plan on getting their families together for barbecues and parties, because their wives have become good friends, as well, the two said.
Even though Bligh's time in service is finished soon after he returns from Afghanistan, the fact that the two will no longer be serving together won't dampen their camaraderie, they said.
"We'll definitely always be friends," Crothers and Bligh said.
(Army Spc. Micah E. Clare is assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Bush: California Wildfires Constitute Major Disaster
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Destruction caused by wildfires now raging across southern California constitutes a major disaster requiring additional federal assistance, President Bush declared today after meeting with his most-senior advisors at the White House. The federal government was mobilized early on to assist beleaguered "Golden State" residents, as state National Guard, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency and active-duty military assets have flowed in to help battle the flames and assist displaced residents.
"Today, I've just signed a major disaster declaration, which will then enable federal funds to start heading toward the families who have been affected by these fires," Bush told reporters after meeting with members of his Cabinet.
Hundreds of thousands of Californians have abandoned their homes over the past few days as part of widespread evacuations caused by almost uncontrollable wildfires that have been spread by near-100 mph winds.
Yesterday, the president declared seven Southern California counties disaster areas, as more than 270,000 acres have burned. More than 1,300 homes along the Pacific Coast corridor between Los Angeles and San Diego have been consumed by flames.
"All of us across this nation are concerned for the families who have lost their homes and the many families who have been evacuated from their homes," Bush said yesterday during a speech at the National Defense University here. "We send our prayers and thoughts with those who've been affected, and we send the help of the federal government, as well."
Bush said he asked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger earlier today if Californians are getting the help they need from federal agencies.
"His answer was, 'Yes,'" Bush said. "I assured him that if he needs anything and we're able to provide it, we'll do so."
Tomorrow, Bush is going to California to get a first-hand look at the situation.
"I will continue to make sure that our efforts are coordinated and that we are responsive to the needs of people," Bush said. "But, most importantly, I want the people in southern California to know that Americans all across this land care deeply about them."
Californians should know "the federal government will do everything we can to help put out these fires," Bush said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 24, 2007 - Destruction caused by wildfires now raging across southern California constitutes a major disaster requiring additional federal assistance, President Bush declared today after meeting with his most-senior advisors at the White House. The federal government was mobilized early on to assist beleaguered "Golden State" residents, as state National Guard, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency and active-duty military assets have flowed in to help battle the flames and assist displaced residents.
"Today, I've just signed a major disaster declaration, which will then enable federal funds to start heading toward the families who have been affected by these fires," Bush told reporters after meeting with members of his Cabinet.
Hundreds of thousands of Californians have abandoned their homes over the past few days as part of widespread evacuations caused by almost uncontrollable wildfires that have been spread by near-100 mph winds.
Yesterday, the president declared seven Southern California counties disaster areas, as more than 270,000 acres have burned. More than 1,300 homes along the Pacific Coast corridor between Los Angeles and San Diego have been consumed by flames.
"All of us across this nation are concerned for the families who have lost their homes and the many families who have been evacuated from their homes," Bush said yesterday during a speech at the National Defense University here. "We send our prayers and thoughts with those who've been affected, and we send the help of the federal government, as well."
Bush said he asked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger earlier today if Californians are getting the help they need from federal agencies.
"His answer was, 'Yes,'" Bush said. "I assured him that if he needs anything and we're able to provide it, we'll do so."
Tomorrow, Bush is going to California to get a first-hand look at the situation.
"I will continue to make sure that our efforts are coordinated and that we are responsive to the needs of people," Bush said. "But, most importantly, I want the people in southern California to know that Americans all across this land care deeply about them."
Californians should know "the federal government will do everything we can to help put out these fires," Bush said.
Air Force Assists in Darfur Troop Movement
By Capt. Erin Dorrance, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - The U.S. Air Force provided airlift support Oct. 20 to 400 Rwandan soldiers who are supporting the African Union peacekeeping mission in the Darfur region of Sudan. The 786th Air Expeditionary Squadron includes airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, providing expeditionary airfield operations focusing on cargo and personnel movement, and two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and aircrews from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.
This is the seventh deployment in which airmen have assisted in rotating Rwandan troops in and out of Darfur.
"We are happy to be able to assist the African Union's efforts in Darfur," said Lt. Col. Kevin Therrien, 786th AES commander. "My incredible team of professional airmen has been dedicated to this mission since 2004."
As a Rwandan military band played, soldiers marched with rifles onto the C-17 on their way to Darfur.
"We feel happy to relieve the situation in Darfur," said Rwandan Lt. Col. Ludovick Mugisha, who noted that his last name means "Good luck" in Kenyar-Rwandan. "My troops are trained and ready to fight."
The band once again played in the afternoon, as the C-17s returned with Rwandan soldiers coming home after their eight-month deployment in Darfur.
"I am very happy to see my family and enjoy my country," said Rwandan Lt. Népo Mulindabyuma, who was returning home to his wife and three children.
The returning soldiers were dismissed only after the Rwandan Chief of General Staff Gen. James Kabarebe thanked them for their service and participated in a celebratory traditional dance with his soldiers.
The 786th AES will continue to support the multi-day mission based out of the Kigali International Airport in Rwanda. They expect to assist in transporting about 2,200 Rwandan troops and heavy equipment into and out of the Darfur region.
(Air Force Capt. Erin Dorrance is assigned to 786th Air Expeditionary Squadron Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - The U.S. Air Force provided airlift support Oct. 20 to 400 Rwandan soldiers who are supporting the African Union peacekeeping mission in the Darfur region of Sudan. The 786th Air Expeditionary Squadron includes airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, providing expeditionary airfield operations focusing on cargo and personnel movement, and two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and aircrews from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.
This is the seventh deployment in which airmen have assisted in rotating Rwandan troops in and out of Darfur.
"We are happy to be able to assist the African Union's efforts in Darfur," said Lt. Col. Kevin Therrien, 786th AES commander. "My incredible team of professional airmen has been dedicated to this mission since 2004."
As a Rwandan military band played, soldiers marched with rifles onto the C-17 on their way to Darfur.
"We feel happy to relieve the situation in Darfur," said Rwandan Lt. Col. Ludovick Mugisha, who noted that his last name means "Good luck" in Kenyar-Rwandan. "My troops are trained and ready to fight."
The band once again played in the afternoon, as the C-17s returned with Rwandan soldiers coming home after their eight-month deployment in Darfur.
"I am very happy to see my family and enjoy my country," said Rwandan Lt. Népo Mulindabyuma, who was returning home to his wife and three children.
The returning soldiers were dismissed only after the Rwandan Chief of General Staff Gen. James Kabarebe thanked them for their service and participated in a celebratory traditional dance with his soldiers.
The 786th AES will continue to support the multi-day mission based out of the Kigali International Airport in Rwanda. They expect to assist in transporting about 2,200 Rwandan troops and heavy equipment into and out of the Darfur region.
(Air Force Capt. Erin Dorrance is assigned to 786th Air Expeditionary Squadron Public Affairs.)
Missile Defense Dominates Gates Meetings in Czech Republic
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told reporters after meeting today with Czech leaders he's confident negotiations to place a radar here for a missile defense system are on track and likely to wrap up within the next few months. The proposed X-band radar dominated Gates' meetings today with Czech President Vaclav Klaus, Defense Minister Vlasta Parkanova and Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, Gates told reporters during a news conference following the sessions.
"I believe we have made and continue to make good progress," Gates said, expressing confidence that the negotiations will wrap up within the next few months.
A sticking point -- but one Gates said won't stop the forward momentum – is Russian opposition to the proposed system that would include 10 interceptor missiles in Poland as well as the radar here.
Gates told reporters today he and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "made quite clear" during their recent visit to Russia "that we will continue our negotiations with the Czech Republic and Poland, and assuming those negotiations are successfully concluded, we will begin the deploying of these sites."
The secretary and other U.S. officials have emphasized that the proposed system would be designed to protect Europe and the United States from ballistic missile attacks launched from the Middle East.
Gates said he told Czech leaders today about his and Rice's efforts during their Moscow visit to reassure the Russians the system wouldn't threat them. "We continue to encourage the Russians to partner with us in missile defense and continue our efforts to reassure them that these facilities are not aimed at Russia and could benefit Russia," he said.
As part of that effort, Gates said, he and Rice offered two possible ways to "encourage transparency and greater information on the part of Russia as to what is going on at these sites."
One option might be to allow Russian observers at the sites, he said, but Gates said the Czech Republic has to agree to the measure. "Let me repeat for emphasis: Nothing will be done in this regard without the consent of the Czech government," he said.
Topolanek declined to comment when asked by a reporter if his government would consider such a measure.
Another way to increase transparency about the system might be to tie its activation in to "definitive proof of the threat," including Iranian missile tests, Gates said. "The idea was that we would go forward with the negotiations, ... complete the negotiations, ... develop the sites (and) build the sites, but perhaps delay activating them until there was concrete proof of the threat from Iran," he said.
That proposal isn't yet fully developed, he said.
The United States asked the Czech government in January to begin negotiations about the proposed radar, conceivably to be built at a military base between Prague and Pilsen. The first round of negotiations with the Czechs took place in May, and the second in September.
Discussions are expected to resume later this month, initially focusing on a status-of-forces agreement to govern up to 200 U.S. troops who would operate and secure the system here. Those talks would lead up to the next round of negotiations about the missile defense site early next month.
The goal is for the system to reach initial operating capability in 2011 and to become fully operational by mid-2013, a senior defense official traveling with Gates told reporters.
Although Russia objects to missile defenses in Eastern Europe, the official said, it acknowledges that Iran is pursing a ballistic missile program. "The difference is over timelines, how soon the ballistic missiles with the range that could reach the United States or greater parts of Europe can be achieved," he said. "The Russians say later rather than sooner. We say sooner rather than later."
Iran may be the most troubling, but not the only threat in the region, the official said. Intelligence indicates that "about 20 countries or actors are pursing ballistic missile technology," he said. Of these, Iran is the most advanced in its pursuit of this weaponry. "But even if Iran was to turn in all its missiles (and) all its technology, there would still be concerns and threats emanating from the Middle East region," he said.
Gates said today he ultimately hopes the proposed missile defense system becomes part of a larger effort that addresses the full range of potential threats. He said he told Czech leaders he'll bring up the issue at the NATO informal ministerial conference that begins tomorrow in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, and hopes NATO will take formal action on the concept during its 2008 summit in Bucharest, Hungary.
"It is our hope that one of the outcomes of the Bucharest Summit next year will be a resolution to go forward and develop short- and medium-range missile defenses for NATO that would go together with the American longer-range protection," he said. "Our goal is an integrated system that would protect all the members of the alliance against threats such as from Iranian ballistic missile."
Gates said he's confident that both foreign and defense ministers within NATO support the approach.
Tomas Pojar, the Czech Republic's deputy foreign minister, told reporters today negotiations are expected to continue without a hitch, but that getting passage of the measure by the Czech parliament "will not be easy."
Any resistance to the measure comes from politicians and the media, not the Czech people, he said. "The public is not interested in the issue," he said.
Pojar cited three reasons the Czech Republic agreed to enter negotiations over the radar: its historical ties to the United States, its recognition of the ballistic missile threat, and its desire for a U.S. and NATO presence in Central Europe.
The Czech Republic has a "historic, moral reason," for supporting the United States and hasn't forgotten that "the U.S. has saved us several times in the past century," Pojar said.
Another factor is the increasing likelihood that a weapon of mass destruction could be launched from the Middle East. Pojar said there's a "30 to 50 percent chance" such a weapon could be ready for a potential attack on Europe as soon as 2015. "We should be ready for that scenario," he said.
Pojar said there's also a geopolitical reason for a U.S. presence in Central Europe, and said the Czech Republic welcomes other countries, too.
The Czechs joined NATO in 1999 and have been seeking to expand their participation in NATO and European Union activities. Failing to move forward with a missile defense system would weaken NATO and leave Europe vulnerable, he said.
"Our future depends on a strong NATO and strong trans-Atlantic ties," he said.
Gates praised Czech support for the missile defense system effort as another step in a longstanding relationship between the two allies.
"For a number of years, the U.S. and the Czech Republic have cooperated on a wide variety of security issues," Gates said. "And today, facing new challenges, our relationship is as strong as it has ever been."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told reporters after meeting today with Czech leaders he's confident negotiations to place a radar here for a missile defense system are on track and likely to wrap up within the next few months. The proposed X-band radar dominated Gates' meetings today with Czech President Vaclav Klaus, Defense Minister Vlasta Parkanova and Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, Gates told reporters during a news conference following the sessions.
"I believe we have made and continue to make good progress," Gates said, expressing confidence that the negotiations will wrap up within the next few months.
A sticking point -- but one Gates said won't stop the forward momentum – is Russian opposition to the proposed system that would include 10 interceptor missiles in Poland as well as the radar here.
Gates told reporters today he and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "made quite clear" during their recent visit to Russia "that we will continue our negotiations with the Czech Republic and Poland, and assuming those negotiations are successfully concluded, we will begin the deploying of these sites."
The secretary and other U.S. officials have emphasized that the proposed system would be designed to protect Europe and the United States from ballistic missile attacks launched from the Middle East.
Gates said he told Czech leaders today about his and Rice's efforts during their Moscow visit to reassure the Russians the system wouldn't threat them. "We continue to encourage the Russians to partner with us in missile defense and continue our efforts to reassure them that these facilities are not aimed at Russia and could benefit Russia," he said.
As part of that effort, Gates said, he and Rice offered two possible ways to "encourage transparency and greater information on the part of Russia as to what is going on at these sites."
One option might be to allow Russian observers at the sites, he said, but Gates said the Czech Republic has to agree to the measure. "Let me repeat for emphasis: Nothing will be done in this regard without the consent of the Czech government," he said.
Topolanek declined to comment when asked by a reporter if his government would consider such a measure.
Another way to increase transparency about the system might be to tie its activation in to "definitive proof of the threat," including Iranian missile tests, Gates said. "The idea was that we would go forward with the negotiations, ... complete the negotiations, ... develop the sites (and) build the sites, but perhaps delay activating them until there was concrete proof of the threat from Iran," he said.
That proposal isn't yet fully developed, he said.
The United States asked the Czech government in January to begin negotiations about the proposed radar, conceivably to be built at a military base between Prague and Pilsen. The first round of negotiations with the Czechs took place in May, and the second in September.
Discussions are expected to resume later this month, initially focusing on a status-of-forces agreement to govern up to 200 U.S. troops who would operate and secure the system here. Those talks would lead up to the next round of negotiations about the missile defense site early next month.
The goal is for the system to reach initial operating capability in 2011 and to become fully operational by mid-2013, a senior defense official traveling with Gates told reporters.
Although Russia objects to missile defenses in Eastern Europe, the official said, it acknowledges that Iran is pursing a ballistic missile program. "The difference is over timelines, how soon the ballistic missiles with the range that could reach the United States or greater parts of Europe can be achieved," he said. "The Russians say later rather than sooner. We say sooner rather than later."
Iran may be the most troubling, but not the only threat in the region, the official said. Intelligence indicates that "about 20 countries or actors are pursing ballistic missile technology," he said. Of these, Iran is the most advanced in its pursuit of this weaponry. "But even if Iran was to turn in all its missiles (and) all its technology, there would still be concerns and threats emanating from the Middle East region," he said.
Gates said today he ultimately hopes the proposed missile defense system becomes part of a larger effort that addresses the full range of potential threats. He said he told Czech leaders he'll bring up the issue at the NATO informal ministerial conference that begins tomorrow in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, and hopes NATO will take formal action on the concept during its 2008 summit in Bucharest, Hungary.
"It is our hope that one of the outcomes of the Bucharest Summit next year will be a resolution to go forward and develop short- and medium-range missile defenses for NATO that would go together with the American longer-range protection," he said. "Our goal is an integrated system that would protect all the members of the alliance against threats such as from Iranian ballistic missile."
Gates said he's confident that both foreign and defense ministers within NATO support the approach.
Tomas Pojar, the Czech Republic's deputy foreign minister, told reporters today negotiations are expected to continue without a hitch, but that getting passage of the measure by the Czech parliament "will not be easy."
Any resistance to the measure comes from politicians and the media, not the Czech people, he said. "The public is not interested in the issue," he said.
Pojar cited three reasons the Czech Republic agreed to enter negotiations over the radar: its historical ties to the United States, its recognition of the ballistic missile threat, and its desire for a U.S. and NATO presence in Central Europe.
The Czech Republic has a "historic, moral reason," for supporting the United States and hasn't forgotten that "the U.S. has saved us several times in the past century," Pojar said.
Another factor is the increasing likelihood that a weapon of mass destruction could be launched from the Middle East. Pojar said there's a "30 to 50 percent chance" such a weapon could be ready for a potential attack on Europe as soon as 2015. "We should be ready for that scenario," he said.
Pojar said there's also a geopolitical reason for a U.S. presence in Central Europe, and said the Czech Republic welcomes other countries, too.
The Czechs joined NATO in 1999 and have been seeking to expand their participation in NATO and European Union activities. Failing to move forward with a missile defense system would weaken NATO and leave Europe vulnerable, he said.
"Our future depends on a strong NATO and strong trans-Atlantic ties," he said.
Gates praised Czech support for the missile defense system effort as another step in a longstanding relationship between the two allies.
"For a number of years, the U.S. and the Czech Republic have cooperated on a wide variety of security issues," Gates said. "And today, facing new challenges, our relationship is as strong as it has ever been."
Gates Lauds Increased Czech Commitment to Afghanistan
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today welcomed news of the Czech Republic's decision to send additional troops to Afghanistan as he prepares to pressure other NATO countries to live up to their troop commitments there. Speaking with reporters today after meetings with Czech leaders, Gates praised the Czech parliament's vote to commit 480 troops to Afghanistan, up from about 250 currently serving there.
The bulk of the Czech troops will take command of a new provincial reconstruction team to be stood up in Loghar province in March 2008, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek told reporters today during a joint news conference with Gates.
The Czech parliament also approved a plan to send additional special operations forces to support British operations in Afghanistan.
As part of the measure, the Czech Republic will pull about 80 troops from Iraq, where they are guarding a base in the British sector in Basra, Deputy Foreign Minister Tomas Pojar told reporters traveling with Gates. The move will leave just 20 Czech soldiers in Iraq, most to serve as trainers.
Here during his first visit to Prague, and the first visit by a U.S. defense secretary since 2002, Gates focused on the positive news and thanked the Czech Republic for stepping up its support in Afghanistan.
"Clearly the announcement of the Czech government of the increased presence in Afghanistan is welcome news, particularly as I head for a NATO defense ministers meeting where I will discuss the importance of members of the alliance meeting the commitments they made in Riga," Gates told reporters today.
Yesterday in Kiev, Ukraine, Gates said he plans to press at the NATO informal ministerial meeting that starts tomorrow in Noordwijk, Netherlands, for countries to follow through with troop commitments made at the 2006 NATO summit in Riga, Latvia.
"I am not satisfied that an alliance whose members have over 2 million soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen can't mind the modest additional resources that have been committed for Afghanistan," he told members of the Southeastern Europe Defense Ministerial who met in Kiev.
Gates today thanked the Czech government and citizens "for their strong support of the United States these past few years, and particularly their troop contributions in Iraq and Afghanistan."
"We are grateful for their sacrifice, and we are also grateful that the Czech Republic continues to look for ways to help, most recently by volunteering to lead a PRT in Afghanistan," he said. "We welcome further contributions to any part of the mission in Afghanistan or elsewhere."
The Czech Republic's presence in Afghanistan is important to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force there and recognizes that "having a democratic government in Afghanistan is in the security interest of the alliance as a whole," Gates said.
Of about 250 Czech troops currently serving in Afghanistan, some are based in Kabul, where the Czechs have command of the international airport. Others serve in the PRT in Faizabad province or as part of a 70-man field hospital that deployed to Afghanistan in March 2007.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today welcomed news of the Czech Republic's decision to send additional troops to Afghanistan as he prepares to pressure other NATO countries to live up to their troop commitments there. Speaking with reporters today after meetings with Czech leaders, Gates praised the Czech parliament's vote to commit 480 troops to Afghanistan, up from about 250 currently serving there.
The bulk of the Czech troops will take command of a new provincial reconstruction team to be stood up in Loghar province in March 2008, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek told reporters today during a joint news conference with Gates.
The Czech parliament also approved a plan to send additional special operations forces to support British operations in Afghanistan.
As part of the measure, the Czech Republic will pull about 80 troops from Iraq, where they are guarding a base in the British sector in Basra, Deputy Foreign Minister Tomas Pojar told reporters traveling with Gates. The move will leave just 20 Czech soldiers in Iraq, most to serve as trainers.
Here during his first visit to Prague, and the first visit by a U.S. defense secretary since 2002, Gates focused on the positive news and thanked the Czech Republic for stepping up its support in Afghanistan.
"Clearly the announcement of the Czech government of the increased presence in Afghanistan is welcome news, particularly as I head for a NATO defense ministers meeting where I will discuss the importance of members of the alliance meeting the commitments they made in Riga," Gates told reporters today.
Yesterday in Kiev, Ukraine, Gates said he plans to press at the NATO informal ministerial meeting that starts tomorrow in Noordwijk, Netherlands, for countries to follow through with troop commitments made at the 2006 NATO summit in Riga, Latvia.
"I am not satisfied that an alliance whose members have over 2 million soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen can't mind the modest additional resources that have been committed for Afghanistan," he told members of the Southeastern Europe Defense Ministerial who met in Kiev.
Gates today thanked the Czech government and citizens "for their strong support of the United States these past few years, and particularly their troop contributions in Iraq and Afghanistan."
"We are grateful for their sacrifice, and we are also grateful that the Czech Republic continues to look for ways to help, most recently by volunteering to lead a PRT in Afghanistan," he said. "We welcome further contributions to any part of the mission in Afghanistan or elsewhere."
The Czech Republic's presence in Afghanistan is important to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force there and recognizes that "having a democratic government in Afghanistan is in the security interest of the alliance as a whole," Gates said.
Of about 250 Czech troops currently serving in Afghanistan, some are based in Kabul, where the Czechs have command of the international airport. Others serve in the PRT in Faizabad province or as part of a 70-man field hospital that deployed to Afghanistan in March 2007.
Military Personnel, Assets Help to Battle California Fires
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - Military personnel and assets are helping out in the most serious outbreak of wildfires in California in years. California National Guard and California-based active duty personnel are providing some of the muscle needed to contain the fires, which have driven more than 300,000 people from their homes in 12 counties.
Officials at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, are working with representatives from U.S. Northern Command to coordinate requests for Defense Department personnel and assets. Northern Command also has personnel working in Southern California directly with local authorities.
With 11 fires burning out of control from Los Angeles to the Mexican border, some Defense installations are themselves in danger from the wildfires. Camp Pendleton, the San Diego Marine Recruit Depot and Miramar Marine Corps Air Station are among the installations asking only essential personnel to come in.
A total of 17,031 California National Guardsmen are available for employment if the situation calls for it, said officials at U.S. Northern Command. Some 33 active duty, 79 Defense civilian personnel and 1,500 California National Guardsmen are actively engaged or directly supporting firefighting response, security and relief operations.
Another 550 Marines from Camp Pendleton have volunteered to help local authorities fight the fires in San Diego County.
California authorities have requested and the Defense Department has sent significant firefighting assets to the area. Helicopters are the most effective airborne asset, as the Santa Ana winds – which are driving the fire – make flying fixed-wing aircraft dangerous. California Guardsmen are flying a CH-47 and five UH-60 helicopters in the effort.
Navy pilots are flying two MH-60 aircraft in support of local firefighting efforts. The Marines have a CH-46 and three CH-53 helicopters on standby at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, and one additional helicopter on standby at Camp Pendleton. All of the choppers can drop water using buckets.
Yesterday, the National Interagency Fire Center requested six C-130 Hercules aircraft fitted with modular air firefighting systems.
The Air National Guard will deploy four of these aircraft to Naval Air Station Point Magu, Calif. They should arrive today. In addition, two C-130s from the 153rd Airlift Wing of the Wyoming Air National Guard, and two from the 145th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard, are on alert.
Two C-130s from the Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., also will arrive at Point Magu today.
On the ground, the Marine Corps and Navy have deployed six fire trucks each to support local fire fighting efforts. The Navy also has provided a brush truck. All these moves are under mutual aid agreements signed with local authorities.
San Diego is a huge Navy town, and an Aegis cruiser, a guided-missile destroyer and two fast frigates will remain in port to support evacuation and movement of family members if necessary.
Officials also have set up the Naval Base San Diego gymnasium as an evacuation center, with room for about 500 people. Sailors also are setting up a 500-person tent city at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, and space for 442 persons is being prepared at Naval Air Station El Centro.
Commanders have issued orders that all sailors ashore in barracks will move aboard ships to provide room for evacuees. The Navy also is providing 500 cots for a shelter at Qualcomm Stadium, home of the National Football League's San Diego Chargers.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has asked the Defense Department to identify a military installation in Southern California to be the forward staging area for supplies flowing south from the FEMA logistics center at Moffitt Field, Calif.
The California National Guard is doing heavy lifting in the effort. The 40th Special Troops Battalion, 40th Brigade Support Battalion and a military police battalion headquarters are providing command and control and logistics support at the Qualcomm Stadium shelter.
The 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team has alerted two 500-person rapid reaction battalions and two 100-person quick reaction companies. About 100 National Guard medical personnel are augmenting the staff at the San Diego Veterans Center, which is experiencing critical staffing shortfalls resulting from voluntary and mandatory evacuation.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - Military personnel and assets are helping out in the most serious outbreak of wildfires in California in years. California National Guard and California-based active duty personnel are providing some of the muscle needed to contain the fires, which have driven more than 300,000 people from their homes in 12 counties.
Officials at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, are working with representatives from U.S. Northern Command to coordinate requests for Defense Department personnel and assets. Northern Command also has personnel working in Southern California directly with local authorities.
With 11 fires burning out of control from Los Angeles to the Mexican border, some Defense installations are themselves in danger from the wildfires. Camp Pendleton, the San Diego Marine Recruit Depot and Miramar Marine Corps Air Station are among the installations asking only essential personnel to come in.
A total of 17,031 California National Guardsmen are available for employment if the situation calls for it, said officials at U.S. Northern Command. Some 33 active duty, 79 Defense civilian personnel and 1,500 California National Guardsmen are actively engaged or directly supporting firefighting response, security and relief operations.
Another 550 Marines from Camp Pendleton have volunteered to help local authorities fight the fires in San Diego County.
California authorities have requested and the Defense Department has sent significant firefighting assets to the area. Helicopters are the most effective airborne asset, as the Santa Ana winds – which are driving the fire – make flying fixed-wing aircraft dangerous. California Guardsmen are flying a CH-47 and five UH-60 helicopters in the effort.
Navy pilots are flying two MH-60 aircraft in support of local firefighting efforts. The Marines have a CH-46 and three CH-53 helicopters on standby at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, and one additional helicopter on standby at Camp Pendleton. All of the choppers can drop water using buckets.
Yesterday, the National Interagency Fire Center requested six C-130 Hercules aircraft fitted with modular air firefighting systems.
The Air National Guard will deploy four of these aircraft to Naval Air Station Point Magu, Calif. They should arrive today. In addition, two C-130s from the 153rd Airlift Wing of the Wyoming Air National Guard, and two from the 145th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard, are on alert.
Two C-130s from the Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., also will arrive at Point Magu today.
On the ground, the Marine Corps and Navy have deployed six fire trucks each to support local fire fighting efforts. The Navy also has provided a brush truck. All these moves are under mutual aid agreements signed with local authorities.
San Diego is a huge Navy town, and an Aegis cruiser, a guided-missile destroyer and two fast frigates will remain in port to support evacuation and movement of family members if necessary.
Officials also have set up the Naval Base San Diego gymnasium as an evacuation center, with room for about 500 people. Sailors also are setting up a 500-person tent city at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, and space for 442 persons is being prepared at Naval Air Station El Centro.
Commanders have issued orders that all sailors ashore in barracks will move aboard ships to provide room for evacuees. The Navy also is providing 500 cots for a shelter at Qualcomm Stadium, home of the National Football League's San Diego Chargers.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has asked the Defense Department to identify a military installation in Southern California to be the forward staging area for supplies flowing south from the FEMA logistics center at Moffitt Field, Calif.
The California National Guard is doing heavy lifting in the effort. The 40th Special Troops Battalion, 40th Brigade Support Battalion and a military police battalion headquarters are providing command and control and logistics support at the Qualcomm Stadium shelter.
The 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team has alerted two 500-person rapid reaction battalions and two 100-person quick reaction companies. About 100 National Guard medical personnel are augmenting the staff at the San Diego Veterans Center, which is experiencing critical staffing shortfalls resulting from voluntary and mandatory evacuation.
Defense, VA Team Proposes Disability Process Changes
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates gave an interagency task force studying the disability rating system for wounded warriors its marching orders: "Aside from the war itself, we have no higher priority." The task force came back with a proposal that should cut the time wounded or sick servicemembers wait for a disability rating in half, said Bill Carr, the deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy and a member of the interagency team.
The streamlined disability evaluation system seeks to fix problems wounded personnel faced in the different evaluation processes that the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs used. Servicemembers often were in limbo for a year as the process continued.
The interagency group studied the Defense and VA processes with an eye to combining the processes within existing law. "We're going to eliminate the redundancy which takes the form of both of us doing a physical exam and then both of us rating what the physical exam told us about how severe the injury is," Carr said during a recent interview. "Because we consolidate, we cut the time about in half."
The changes all are within current law, Carr said. "We had to make improvements and do it fast, which means we couldn't assume that we had legislation enacted," he said.
In the past, a wounded or ill servicemember would have a military physical and then there would be a military decision about retention and a Defense Department disability rating. The servicemember would then go through the same process for the VA rating.
Now the defense and VA physicals are combined. The physical will be in a defense facility, "but a VA physician will administer it and document it to VA standards, which DoD will accept," Carr said. "But it comes back to DoD to make a decision on what that means in terms of retention."
If the service makes the decision that the servicemember cannot continue to serve, the packet goes to VA and "they tell us what the rating is for each condition listed."
"VA makes the disability rating call, tells us, and then we apply the law," Carr said.
"There's a lot of strong interest by the services – not VA, not anyone else, but the services – to determine if you are fit (to continue in the military)," Carr said. "But once they reach that determination, then we can simplify things quite a bit in the physical exam and the rating process."
The Defense Department and VA will launch a pilot of the program next month at Washington-area military hospitals -- Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, Bethesda National Naval Medical Center in Maryland, and the Air Force's Malcolm Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. "We will expand as quickly as we can," Carr said. "If this proves as successful as we think it might be, then we'll begin expanding as soon as we can train people in other military hospitals to do what Walter Reed and Bethesda will be doing."
The defense disability system handles about 20,000 cases each year of various degrees of disability, Carr said. Of those found unfit, the vast majority – nearly 90 percent – are less than 30 percent disabled and leave with a severance payment. The others are judged 30 percent or more disabled and are medically retired.
More changes in the system will come about as a result of the recommendations of a blue-ribbon panel headed by former Kansas Sen. Robert Dole and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala.
Also the Senate has a bill, the House has a bill and the president proposed a bill on Oct. 16. "No matter how that shakes out, the changes that we've made in this process are fundamentally sound and probably continue," Carr said.
"The big and almost revolutionary changes are accomplished with this interagency sharing and division of labor," he said. "The stuff that will come out in legislation will work in this framework very well."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates gave an interagency task force studying the disability rating system for wounded warriors its marching orders: "Aside from the war itself, we have no higher priority." The task force came back with a proposal that should cut the time wounded or sick servicemembers wait for a disability rating in half, said Bill Carr, the deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy and a member of the interagency team.
The streamlined disability evaluation system seeks to fix problems wounded personnel faced in the different evaluation processes that the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs used. Servicemembers often were in limbo for a year as the process continued.
The interagency group studied the Defense and VA processes with an eye to combining the processes within existing law. "We're going to eliminate the redundancy which takes the form of both of us doing a physical exam and then both of us rating what the physical exam told us about how severe the injury is," Carr said during a recent interview. "Because we consolidate, we cut the time about in half."
The changes all are within current law, Carr said. "We had to make improvements and do it fast, which means we couldn't assume that we had legislation enacted," he said.
In the past, a wounded or ill servicemember would have a military physical and then there would be a military decision about retention and a Defense Department disability rating. The servicemember would then go through the same process for the VA rating.
Now the defense and VA physicals are combined. The physical will be in a defense facility, "but a VA physician will administer it and document it to VA standards, which DoD will accept," Carr said. "But it comes back to DoD to make a decision on what that means in terms of retention."
If the service makes the decision that the servicemember cannot continue to serve, the packet goes to VA and "they tell us what the rating is for each condition listed."
"VA makes the disability rating call, tells us, and then we apply the law," Carr said.
"There's a lot of strong interest by the services – not VA, not anyone else, but the services – to determine if you are fit (to continue in the military)," Carr said. "But once they reach that determination, then we can simplify things quite a bit in the physical exam and the rating process."
The Defense Department and VA will launch a pilot of the program next month at Washington-area military hospitals -- Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, Bethesda National Naval Medical Center in Maryland, and the Air Force's Malcolm Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. "We will expand as quickly as we can," Carr said. "If this proves as successful as we think it might be, then we'll begin expanding as soon as we can train people in other military hospitals to do what Walter Reed and Bethesda will be doing."
The defense disability system handles about 20,000 cases each year of various degrees of disability, Carr said. Of those found unfit, the vast majority – nearly 90 percent – are less than 30 percent disabled and leave with a severance payment. The others are judged 30 percent or more disabled and are medically retired.
More changes in the system will come about as a result of the recommendations of a blue-ribbon panel headed by former Kansas Sen. Robert Dole and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala.
Also the Senate has a bill, the House has a bill and the president proposed a bill on Oct. 16. "No matter how that shakes out, the changes that we've made in this process are fundamentally sound and probably continue," Carr said.
"The big and almost revolutionary changes are accomplished with this interagency sharing and division of labor," he said. "The stuff that will come out in legislation will work in this framework very well."
Bush: Terrorists Seek to Strike America Again
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - America's memories of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks may recede with time, but citizens shouldn't become complacent about the real threat of another terrorist attack on the homeland, President Bush said at the National Defense University here today. "They intend to strike our country again," Bush said of global terrorists' plans.
And, if such an attack is made, it likely would "make 9/11 pale by comparison," the president emphasized.
The commander in chief's role in light of this situation "is to never forget the threat and to implement strategies that will protect the homeland," Bush pointed out.
Meanwhile, overseas-deployed U.S. military forces have captured or killed thousands of terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq since the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush said.
U.S. and coalition forces liberated 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq "from unspeakable tyranny," Bush said. Those forces now are helping those nations establish stable democracies for a better tomorrow, he added.
A key challenge for America and its allies during the global war on terror, Bush noted, is sustaining the belief that democracy can take root in places where dictators and terrorists had previously held sway.
"Will we ignore history, and not realize that liberty has got the capacity to yield the peace we want?" Bush asked his audience. "So, this administration, along with many in our military, will continue to spread the hope of liberty in order to defeat the ideology of darkness, the ideology of the terrorists, and work to secure a future of peace for generations to come."
After being defeated on conventional battlefields overseas, the terrorists are attempting to infiltrate the United States to attack it from within, Bush said.
The terrorists "can't beat our Army; they can't defeat our military," the president observed, "and so, they try to sneak folks in our country to kill the innocent to achieve their objectives."
That's why the Patriot Act was enacted, Bush said. During the past six years, he noted, that legislation has enabled law enforcement officials to break up terrorist cells in California, New York, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, and other states.
The Protect America Act is another piece of anti-terror legislation that's helped law enforcement officials to disrupt plans and schemes made by overseas terrorists.
That legislation "closed a dangerous gap in our intelligence," Bush pointed out, noting the Protect America Act is slated to expire Feb. 1. Bush urged Congress to strengthen and make permanent the Protect America Act "to ensure our intelligence officials have the tools they need to keep us safe."
An interrogation program used by the CIA to question key captured terrorist leaders has provided critical information that has helped to derail several terrorist attacks, Bush said. These, he said, include an attack on the U.S. Marine camp in Djibouti, a plan to assault the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, a plan to hijack an airliner and fly it into a Los Angeles office building, and another scheme to hijack airliners at London's Heathrow Airport to kill innocents.
CIA professionals employ lawful techniques as part of the interrogation program, Bush pointed out, noting that critics continue to assail the program.
"Those who oppose this vital tool in the war on terror need to answer a simple question: Which of the attacks I have just described would they prefer we had not stopped?" Bush asked. Without the program, he said, U.S. intelligence officials believe that al Qaeda would have succeeded in launching another attack on America.
"The CIA program has saved lives. It is vital to the security of the American people," Bush emphasized.
The president also noted a U.S.-Russian partnership that helps ensure that nuclear weapons do not fall into the hands of terrorists, as well as initiatives to bolster security at U.S. air and sea ports.
"We're not going to allow mass murderers to gain access to the tools of mass destruction," the president vowed.
Bush also reviewed efforts to protect America and its allies from the threat of potential ballistic-missile attacks by rogue states through the installation of interceptors and radars in Eastern Europe.
"The ballistic-missile threat to America has been growing for decades," Bush said, noting that in 1972 just nine countries had ballistic missiles. Today, 27 nations have such missiles, including hostile regimes with terrorist ties, the president pointed out.
North Korea and Iran both possess ballistic missile capability that's of potential danger to the United States and its allies, Bush said.
"With continued foreign assistance, Iran could develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States and all of Europe before 2015," Bush said. That is a scenario the United States and its allies, "have to take seriously, now," the president said.
The Russians have so far balked at the U.S. missile-defense initiative, which calls for establishing missile interceptors in Poland and a radar-tracking site in the Czech Republic, both former satellite states of the now-defunct Soviet Union.
Bush said the anti-missile system will be limited in scope and doesn't threaten Russia in any way.
"The Cold War is over. Russia is not our enemy," Bush emphasized. In fact, the United States has invited Russia to participate in the program, he pointed out.
Rather than establishing missile-defense sites in the Czech Republic or Poland, Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed the use of radar facilities in Azerbaijan, and in southern Russia, Bush noted.
The president welcomed Putin's offer, noting it could be incorporated as part of the envisioned missile-defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic.
"We believe that these sites could be included as part of a wider threat monitoring system that could lead to an unprecedented level of strategic cooperation between our two countries," Bush said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - America's memories of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks may recede with time, but citizens shouldn't become complacent about the real threat of another terrorist attack on the homeland, President Bush said at the National Defense University here today. "They intend to strike our country again," Bush said of global terrorists' plans.
And, if such an attack is made, it likely would "make 9/11 pale by comparison," the president emphasized.
The commander in chief's role in light of this situation "is to never forget the threat and to implement strategies that will protect the homeland," Bush pointed out.
Meanwhile, overseas-deployed U.S. military forces have captured or killed thousands of terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq since the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush said.
U.S. and coalition forces liberated 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq "from unspeakable tyranny," Bush said. Those forces now are helping those nations establish stable democracies for a better tomorrow, he added.
A key challenge for America and its allies during the global war on terror, Bush noted, is sustaining the belief that democracy can take root in places where dictators and terrorists had previously held sway.
"Will we ignore history, and not realize that liberty has got the capacity to yield the peace we want?" Bush asked his audience. "So, this administration, along with many in our military, will continue to spread the hope of liberty in order to defeat the ideology of darkness, the ideology of the terrorists, and work to secure a future of peace for generations to come."
After being defeated on conventional battlefields overseas, the terrorists are attempting to infiltrate the United States to attack it from within, Bush said.
The terrorists "can't beat our Army; they can't defeat our military," the president observed, "and so, they try to sneak folks in our country to kill the innocent to achieve their objectives."
That's why the Patriot Act was enacted, Bush said. During the past six years, he noted, that legislation has enabled law enforcement officials to break up terrorist cells in California, New York, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, and other states.
The Protect America Act is another piece of anti-terror legislation that's helped law enforcement officials to disrupt plans and schemes made by overseas terrorists.
That legislation "closed a dangerous gap in our intelligence," Bush pointed out, noting the Protect America Act is slated to expire Feb. 1. Bush urged Congress to strengthen and make permanent the Protect America Act "to ensure our intelligence officials have the tools they need to keep us safe."
An interrogation program used by the CIA to question key captured terrorist leaders has provided critical information that has helped to derail several terrorist attacks, Bush said. These, he said, include an attack on the U.S. Marine camp in Djibouti, a plan to assault the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, a plan to hijack an airliner and fly it into a Los Angeles office building, and another scheme to hijack airliners at London's Heathrow Airport to kill innocents.
CIA professionals employ lawful techniques as part of the interrogation program, Bush pointed out, noting that critics continue to assail the program.
"Those who oppose this vital tool in the war on terror need to answer a simple question: Which of the attacks I have just described would they prefer we had not stopped?" Bush asked. Without the program, he said, U.S. intelligence officials believe that al Qaeda would have succeeded in launching another attack on America.
"The CIA program has saved lives. It is vital to the security of the American people," Bush emphasized.
The president also noted a U.S.-Russian partnership that helps ensure that nuclear weapons do not fall into the hands of terrorists, as well as initiatives to bolster security at U.S. air and sea ports.
"We're not going to allow mass murderers to gain access to the tools of mass destruction," the president vowed.
Bush also reviewed efforts to protect America and its allies from the threat of potential ballistic-missile attacks by rogue states through the installation of interceptors and radars in Eastern Europe.
"The ballistic-missile threat to America has been growing for decades," Bush said, noting that in 1972 just nine countries had ballistic missiles. Today, 27 nations have such missiles, including hostile regimes with terrorist ties, the president pointed out.
North Korea and Iran both possess ballistic missile capability that's of potential danger to the United States and its allies, Bush said.
"With continued foreign assistance, Iran could develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States and all of Europe before 2015," Bush said. That is a scenario the United States and its allies, "have to take seriously, now," the president said.
The Russians have so far balked at the U.S. missile-defense initiative, which calls for establishing missile interceptors in Poland and a radar-tracking site in the Czech Republic, both former satellite states of the now-defunct Soviet Union.
Bush said the anti-missile system will be limited in scope and doesn't threaten Russia in any way.
"The Cold War is over. Russia is not our enemy," Bush emphasized. In fact, the United States has invited Russia to participate in the program, he pointed out.
Rather than establishing missile-defense sites in the Czech Republic or Poland, Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed the use of radar facilities in Azerbaijan, and in southern Russia, Bush noted.
The president welcomed Putin's offer, noting it could be incorporated as part of the envisioned missile-defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic.
"We believe that these sites could be included as part of a wider threat monitoring system that could lead to an unprecedented level of strategic cooperation between our two countries," Bush said.
Defense Department 'Leaning Forward' to Help Californians
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - Defense Department officials have provided everything that California officials have asked for and are "leaning forward" to anticipate what they might need next, the department's assistant secretary for homeland defense and American security affairs said here today. California officials have ordered more than 500,000 people from their homes as the fast-burning wildfires continue their course of destruction.
President Bush has declared seven counties to be disaster areas, as more than 270,000 acres have burned. "All of us across this nation are concerned for the families who have lost their homes, and the many families who have been evacuated from their homes," Bush said during a speech at the National Defense University here today. "We send our prayers and thoughts with those who've been affected, and we send the help of the federal government, as well."
McHale said California officials have been pleased by the quickness of the federal response. He said all government agencies have a "sense of urgency and a recognition that lives are at stake" and are working together harmoniously.
The Defense Department has been providing support to state and local departments as the fire has progressed. "In this case, California needs help and DoD is prepared to provide assistance," McHale said.
Defense personnel have been tracking the danger the fires present for several days. As the Santa Ana winds began blowing local fires into tempests, Defense officials began speaking regularly with California officials and with officials at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, McHale said.
Defense support falls into two areas: fighting the fire and humanitarian relief. About 100 Defense civilians and active duty military personnel are engaged in firefighting.
"We have 12 teams and equipment actively engaged," McHale said. "There are 550 Marines who are preparing for possible deployment ... to be engaged in firefighting activities."
There has been no determination to put the Marines into the fight yet, and officials are using this time to train the Marines in firefighting techniques.
More than 17,000 California National Guardsmen also can aid in firefighting, McHale said.
In addition, six C-130 Hercules aircraft have modular air firefighting systems installed and will begin flying missions tomorrow morning, said Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau. Four of the aircraft are from the Montana and North Carolina Air National Guard and two are Air Force Reserve aircraft out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. All will drop fire retardant or water on the blazes.
National Guard, Navy and Marine Corps helicopters also are dropping water on the fire in an effort to contain the blazes.
Commanders of bases in the area have worked with local communities to provide cots, bedding, command and control and medical support to evacuation centers in the area. California National Guardsmen are working to ease the lives of about 10,000 Californians who are taking shelter in San Diego's QualComm Stadium.
The department's marching orders from Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England are to aggressively anticipate the missions that might be assigned to the Department of Defense and to begin preparing rapidly to respond without hesitation, McHale said.
An example of this forward-leaning approach was with the six C-130s fitted with modular air firefighting systems. "Lieutenant General Blum coordinated the training movements of the four MAFFs in the Air National Guard from Wyoming and North Carolina to train by flying to California so that if an operational mission materialized, those 'training' aircraft could quickly be converted to an operational aircraft," McHale said. "We have used our authorities under law, and pushed our authorities to the limit in order to enhance our readiness to respond."
McHale said he expects continued requirements for logistics support, transportation and perhaps additional requests for humanitarian relief.
Blum said that from his viewpoint, the effort against the California wildfires has been the "most proactive I have seen in my 40 years in the military."
Military bases themselves also are threatened from the fires. The Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton has two fires on base. Neither is considered an immediate threat, base officials said. "We continue to watch these fires closely and advise residents to maintain awareness of the current fire condition and exercise caution," said Marine Col. James B. Seaton III, the base commander.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 23, 2007 - Defense Department officials have provided everything that California officials have asked for and are "leaning forward" to anticipate what they might need next, the department's assistant secretary for homeland defense and American security affairs said here today. California officials have ordered more than 500,000 people from their homes as the fast-burning wildfires continue their course of destruction.
President Bush has declared seven counties to be disaster areas, as more than 270,000 acres have burned. "All of us across this nation are concerned for the families who have lost their homes, and the many families who have been evacuated from their homes," Bush said during a speech at the National Defense University here today. "We send our prayers and thoughts with those who've been affected, and we send the help of the federal government, as well."
McHale said California officials have been pleased by the quickness of the federal response. He said all government agencies have a "sense of urgency and a recognition that lives are at stake" and are working together harmoniously.
The Defense Department has been providing support to state and local departments as the fire has progressed. "In this case, California needs help and DoD is prepared to provide assistance," McHale said.
Defense personnel have been tracking the danger the fires present for several days. As the Santa Ana winds began blowing local fires into tempests, Defense officials began speaking regularly with California officials and with officials at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, McHale said.
Defense support falls into two areas: fighting the fire and humanitarian relief. About 100 Defense civilians and active duty military personnel are engaged in firefighting.
"We have 12 teams and equipment actively engaged," McHale said. "There are 550 Marines who are preparing for possible deployment ... to be engaged in firefighting activities."
There has been no determination to put the Marines into the fight yet, and officials are using this time to train the Marines in firefighting techniques.
More than 17,000 California National Guardsmen also can aid in firefighting, McHale said.
In addition, six C-130 Hercules aircraft have modular air firefighting systems installed and will begin flying missions tomorrow morning, said Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau. Four of the aircraft are from the Montana and North Carolina Air National Guard and two are Air Force Reserve aircraft out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. All will drop fire retardant or water on the blazes.
National Guard, Navy and Marine Corps helicopters also are dropping water on the fire in an effort to contain the blazes.
Commanders of bases in the area have worked with local communities to provide cots, bedding, command and control and medical support to evacuation centers in the area. California National Guardsmen are working to ease the lives of about 10,000 Californians who are taking shelter in San Diego's QualComm Stadium.
The department's marching orders from Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England are to aggressively anticipate the missions that might be assigned to the Department of Defense and to begin preparing rapidly to respond without hesitation, McHale said.
An example of this forward-leaning approach was with the six C-130s fitted with modular air firefighting systems. "Lieutenant General Blum coordinated the training movements of the four MAFFs in the Air National Guard from Wyoming and North Carolina to train by flying to California so that if an operational mission materialized, those 'training' aircraft could quickly be converted to an operational aircraft," McHale said. "We have used our authorities under law, and pushed our authorities to the limit in order to enhance our readiness to respond."
McHale said he expects continued requirements for logistics support, transportation and perhaps additional requests for humanitarian relief.
Blum said that from his viewpoint, the effort against the California wildfires has been the "most proactive I have seen in my 40 years in the military."
Military bases themselves also are threatened from the fires. The Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton has two fires on base. Neither is considered an immediate threat, base officials said. "We continue to watch these fires closely and advise residents to maintain awareness of the current fire condition and exercise caution," said Marine Col. James B. Seaton III, the base commander.
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