The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are Col. Douglas H. Hatfield, of Shenandoah, Va., and Capt. Richard H. Simpson, of Fairhaven, Mich., both U.S. Air Force. Funeral dates have not been set by the families.
On April 12, 1951, Hatfield and Simpson were two of eleven crewmembers on a B-29 Superfortress that left Kadena Air Base, Japan, to bomb targets in the area of Sinuiju, North Korea. Enemy MiG-15 fighters attacked the B-29, but before it crashed, three crewmembers were able to bail out. They were captured and two of them were later released in 1954 to U.S. military control during Operation "Big Switch." The third crewmember died in captivity. He and the eight remaining crewmembers were not recovered.
In 1993, the North Korean government turned over to the United Nations Command 31 boxes containing the remains of U.S. servicemen listed as unaccounted-for from the Korean War. Four sets of remains from this group were subsequently identified as crewmembers from the B-29.
In 2000, a joint U.S./Democratic People's Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) excavated an infantry fighting position in Kujang County where they recovered remains which included those of Hatfield and Simpson.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains recovered in 2000.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Friday, December 14, 2007
New Year Brings Higher Housing Allowance to Most Recipients
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Most servicemembers receiving a housing allowance will see more in their 2008 paychecks. The average increase more than doubled for 2008 at 7.3 percent over last year's 3.5 percent average increase.
The Defense Department will pump an additional $600 million into the housing allowance program, for a total of $17.5 billion for 2008. This is paid out to 1.2 million servicemembers receiving the allowance.
Overall, members with dependents will see an average increase of $83 a month, according to a Defense Department release. An E-4 with dependents will see about a $63-per-month increase, while an E-8 will pocket about $79 more.
Not all rates saw increases, though. Rates are based on average current rent, utilities and renter insurance by market. In markets where those costs decreased, allowances went down accordingly. But a DoD rate-protection feature locks in rates for servicemembers already living in an area to protect their current rental leases. The cost of buying a home is not included in the data.
Officials collect data on 369 military housing areas in the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska. They then calculate 48 different rates per area based on pay grade and dependant status, to come up with more than 17,000 different rates. Of those, just under 12 percent of the allowance rates saw a decrease, according to officials.
Not surprisingly, cities in California, New York and Hawaii took most spots on the top 10 highest allowance rates in the United States. San Francisco saw the top rates for allowances with dependents at an average of $2,853 monthly.
Military housing allowances have come under heavy scrutiny by Congress and senior department officials since the 1980s and have increased historically since 2000.
In 2005, housing rate increases represented a final phase of a DoD plan to eliminate servicemembers' out-of-pocket housing expenses. Out-of-pocket expenses were estimated at nearly 20 percent in 2000, according to DoD releases.
"It's come a long way. It just gets better and better every year. The members are seeing increases in most locations every year, so the program is doing what it's supposed to do," said Susan Brumbaugh, director of the Basic Allowance for Housing, Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Most servicemembers receiving a housing allowance will see more in their 2008 paychecks. The average increase more than doubled for 2008 at 7.3 percent over last year's 3.5 percent average increase.
The Defense Department will pump an additional $600 million into the housing allowance program, for a total of $17.5 billion for 2008. This is paid out to 1.2 million servicemembers receiving the allowance.
Overall, members with dependents will see an average increase of $83 a month, according to a Defense Department release. An E-4 with dependents will see about a $63-per-month increase, while an E-8 will pocket about $79 more.
Not all rates saw increases, though. Rates are based on average current rent, utilities and renter insurance by market. In markets where those costs decreased, allowances went down accordingly. But a DoD rate-protection feature locks in rates for servicemembers already living in an area to protect their current rental leases. The cost of buying a home is not included in the data.
Officials collect data on 369 military housing areas in the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska. They then calculate 48 different rates per area based on pay grade and dependant status, to come up with more than 17,000 different rates. Of those, just under 12 percent of the allowance rates saw a decrease, according to officials.
Not surprisingly, cities in California, New York and Hawaii took most spots on the top 10 highest allowance rates in the United States. San Francisco saw the top rates for allowances with dependents at an average of $2,853 monthly.
Military housing allowances have come under heavy scrutiny by Congress and senior department officials since the 1980s and have increased historically since 2000.
In 2005, housing rate increases represented a final phase of a DoD plan to eliminate servicemembers' out-of-pocket housing expenses. Out-of-pocket expenses were estimated at nearly 20 percent in 2000, according to DoD releases.
"It's come a long way. It just gets better and better every year. The members are seeing increases in most locations every year, so the program is doing what it's supposed to do," said Susan Brumbaugh, director of the Basic Allowance for Housing, Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee.
Face of Defense: Cancer Can't Stop Man's Dream of Air Force Service
By 1st Lt. Lisa Spilinek, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2007 - Kyle Causey fulfilled a lifelong dream Nov. 20 when he left Massachusetts for Texas to attend Air Force Basic Military Training. It took him more than six years, and he had to defeat cancer to reach this milestone. The former Hanscom Air Force Base pool lifeguard had always dreamed of following his father's example by serving in the armed forces. His father, John Causey, a former Army soldier, now works at Hanscom as a contractor for 66th Medical Support Squadron.
Now an airman basic at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Kyle y said his father encouraged him consider the Air Force because of the high quality of life the service offers members.
He is "the biggest Air Force advocate there is," Causey said of his father.
During his senior year in high school, everything seemed to be all systems go for Causey. He met with an Air Force recruiter and was set to leave for basic training shortly after graduation. Then a week before his departure date, he learned he had been permanently disqualified from all military service.
Two years earlier, Causey had had a tumor removed from his abdomen. The tumor turned out to be cancerous, and Causey underwent another surgery so doctors could ensure they had removed the cancer entirely.
Despite the surgery's complete success, he was disqualified from the service and lifestyle he had always dreamed about.
"That pretty much crushed those dreams," Causey said.
He changed plans and enrolled in the criminal justice program at Fitchburg Stage College. "I decided that since I couldn't do what I had always hoped to do, to go to college," he said.
His dreams of serving in the military, however, persisted. While attending college, he learned that he could apply for a waiver to enter the service since he had been cancer-ree for more than four years.
Applications for waivers required documentation that he had no reoccurrence of cancer and an OK by the Air Force surgeon general. After getting approval to join, he received a call with the news that he would be allowed to serve in the Air Force at last. "That was a great phone call," he said of learning from his recruiter that his waiver had been accepted in January.
He has since been on delayed-entry status for his chosen career field, air traffic control.
Causey said he has had a taste of Air Force camaraderie by working at Hanscom for the past five years and by playing intramural sports. He has been an "asset to the base pool," said Stephanie Herlihy, the 66th Services Squadron aquatics director. Causey saved two lives while on lifeguard duty at the pool.
"He was always reliable and someone for the staff to look up to," she said. "Kyle always went above and beyond, increasingly taking on additional responsibility. It is a great loss to the Hanscom community and a tremendous gain to the Air Force."
Causey said that joining the military family, as he has wanted to do for so long, will be very special to him. "That first day I get my uniform issued is going to be touching for me," he said.
Though his journey to becoming an airman has spanned years, Causey said he felt there was a reason for it.
"I feel maybe the reason why I was (disqualified) in the first place was so I could get a college education," he said. "I was the first person in my family to go to college. After that was completed, I found out that I could still make this dream come true. I am very thankful for everything that has happened."
One goal Causey said he hopes to attain one day is to become an Air Force officer, but added that he will be happy to serve regardless of his rank.
"As long as you stay strong as a person, everything that you want to come true will come true," he said. "As much as everybody says it and people don't like hearing it, everything does happen for a reason."
(Air Force 1st Lt. Lisa Spilinek is assigned to 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2007 - Kyle Causey fulfilled a lifelong dream Nov. 20 when he left Massachusetts for Texas to attend Air Force Basic Military Training. It took him more than six years, and he had to defeat cancer to reach this milestone. The former Hanscom Air Force Base pool lifeguard had always dreamed of following his father's example by serving in the armed forces. His father, John Causey, a former Army soldier, now works at Hanscom as a contractor for 66th Medical Support Squadron.
Now an airman basic at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Kyle y said his father encouraged him consider the Air Force because of the high quality of life the service offers members.
He is "the biggest Air Force advocate there is," Causey said of his father.
During his senior year in high school, everything seemed to be all systems go for Causey. He met with an Air Force recruiter and was set to leave for basic training shortly after graduation. Then a week before his departure date, he learned he had been permanently disqualified from all military service.
Two years earlier, Causey had had a tumor removed from his abdomen. The tumor turned out to be cancerous, and Causey underwent another surgery so doctors could ensure they had removed the cancer entirely.
Despite the surgery's complete success, he was disqualified from the service and lifestyle he had always dreamed about.
"That pretty much crushed those dreams," Causey said.
He changed plans and enrolled in the criminal justice program at Fitchburg Stage College. "I decided that since I couldn't do what I had always hoped to do, to go to college," he said.
His dreams of serving in the military, however, persisted. While attending college, he learned that he could apply for a waiver to enter the service since he had been cancer-ree for more than four years.
Applications for waivers required documentation that he had no reoccurrence of cancer and an OK by the Air Force surgeon general. After getting approval to join, he received a call with the news that he would be allowed to serve in the Air Force at last. "That was a great phone call," he said of learning from his recruiter that his waiver had been accepted in January.
He has since been on delayed-entry status for his chosen career field, air traffic control.
Causey said he has had a taste of Air Force camaraderie by working at Hanscom for the past five years and by playing intramural sports. He has been an "asset to the base pool," said Stephanie Herlihy, the 66th Services Squadron aquatics director. Causey saved two lives while on lifeguard duty at the pool.
"He was always reliable and someone for the staff to look up to," she said. "Kyle always went above and beyond, increasingly taking on additional responsibility. It is a great loss to the Hanscom community and a tremendous gain to the Air Force."
Causey said that joining the military family, as he has wanted to do for so long, will be very special to him. "That first day I get my uniform issued is going to be touching for me," he said.
Though his journey to becoming an airman has spanned years, Causey said he felt there was a reason for it.
"I feel maybe the reason why I was (disqualified) in the first place was so I could get a college education," he said. "I was the first person in my family to go to college. After that was completed, I found out that I could still make this dream come true. I am very thankful for everything that has happened."
One goal Causey said he hopes to attain one day is to become an Air Force officer, but added that he will be happy to serve regardless of his rank.
"As long as you stay strong as a person, everything that you want to come true will come true," he said. "As much as everybody says it and people don't like hearing it, everything does happen for a reason."
(Air Force 1st Lt. Lisa Spilinek is assigned to 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs.)
America Supports You: Artist Gives Music, Time to Troops
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Johnny Ondrasik turns 8 years old this Christmas Eve, but he isn't asking for any presents on his birthday -- at least not for himself. "Daddy, can I have my friends donate money ... for the Fisher House?" he instead asked his father. The Fisher House is a charity that provides wounded warrior family members free housing near military hospitals.
"I'm like, 'You get it,'" a beaming elder John Ondrasik said in an interview in Alexandria, Va., yesterday. "You hear it a million times, and you tell your kids that if you give, you get. But it's true."
Ondrasik, the singer-songwriter who goes by the stage name Five for Fighting, is in Washington to sing to members of Congress and to help promote his latest CD project. But the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling artist isn't actually selling anything. He is giving it away.
When finished, the musician will give away some 200,000 free CDs for U.S. troops, compliments of Ondrasik and some 13 superstar friends who partnered to make a "thank you" music disc for servicemembers. The contributing artists include Billy Joel, the Goo Goo Dolls, Brooks and Dunn, Melissa Ethridge and even actor Gary Sinise's Lt. Dan Band.
The CD will be distributed in Iraq and Afghanistan and can be downloaded now at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service's Web site. Officials expect as many as 1.5 million downloads.
It's a deal that record industry officials have heralded as "historic," with such top artists basically giving away copies of their most popular songs. Ondrasik offered up Five for Fighting's "100 Years" from his platinum-selling album, "The Battle for Everything."
For Ondrasik, it's the least he can do, he said.
"A lot of other people have given a hell of a lot more than I have. And they're examples to me," he said.
He compared what he's doing to what the troops do, and said the troops do much more. "Someone said the other day, 'Wow, you take two weeks out of your life and you leave your family and you go play these shows for these troops. Wow, you're really cool,'" he said. "Some of these (troops) spend ... years in (the war zone). I take two weeks out of my life to go sing a song. That's not cool. What they do is cool. What they do is important."
While growing up in suburbia Los Angeles, Ondrasik said, he never really gave a lot of thought to military service or those who served. None of his family served. His closest kin serving was one "kind of" second cousin, he said. None of his friends joined the military after graduating from high school, he said, and while his family had a "healthy respect" for service, it was foreign to his way of life.
Then came the Gulf War in 1990.
"That kind of shook me. And I wrote a bunch of songs about that, because as an adult I had not had that experience," Ondrasik said. "It's different when you are glued to CNN for three weeks watching the first Gulf War. From then on, I was invested and not only just in our troops but in our country and in our values.
"You don't necessarily appreciate the policeman until somebody's trying to rob you. I think it's just natural in our culture. We can become complacent. We can become apathetic. That's one of the luxuries of democracy," Ondrasik said.
"Until all of the sudden you are afraid to go the mailbox because of anthrax," he continued. "Or you are afraid to get on an airplane, or you're afraid to go into a mall, and then all of the sudden, 'Wow, I'm sure glad we have our soldiers. I'm sure glad someone's ready to take a bullet for me,'" he said.
But while the imagery of war and politics filtered into some of his songs, Ondrasik had no one-on-one contact with servicemembers until after Sept. 11, 2001. Since then, he has played USO concerts for troops, met with families and talked to veterans. He's also visited wounded servicemembers at Walter Reed Army medical Center here and at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
The stories have filtered into his music, such as the song "Two Lights," which portrays the mixed emotions of a Vietnam veteran watching his son leave for war in Iraq.
In his album released last year, Ondrasik wrote in the song "Freedom Never Cries" that "I never loved a soldier until there was a war." In his travels, he has had the chance to lunch with families, drink beers with troops and listen to their stories.
"Some tear your heart out, some make you proud, some make you laugh," he said.
Most poignant was playing for about 100 Army National Guardsmen stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he said. Singing in a little bar called "Club Survivor," Ondrasik said he could see the American flag outside lit by the moon. He could also see the fence that marked freedom's edge. He sang "Freedom Never Cries."
"Singing for those people, in that environment with that song, was something I'll never forget," the artist said. "When you see a fence that on the other side freedom does not exist; when you meet the families who have lost loved ones; when you meet the injured troops at Walter Reed or Bethesda, it becomes personal and real. It's not writing from afar any more."
Ondrasik said he has a song titled "4th of July in Gitmo" on his next album, not yet released.
For Ondrasik, singing for the troops and putting together the CD project is simply his contribution to supporting the troops.
"I can't pick up an M-16 and go to Baghdad, but I can write a song, or I can shine the light on the realities some of the military face, or I can go do a concert. So for me, it's what can I do," he said.
"Troops pay the ultimate price for our freedom and rights, and there is obligation to say thanks and recognize troops, families and veterans," Ondrasik said.
Ondrasik, a father of two, said his son loves to play army.
When asked how he would react if his son wanted to join the military, Ondrasik responded with the mixed emotions of most fathers.
"As a father, you don't want to put your son's life at risk. So the inclination is, 'Don't join the Army ... don't join the military. I don't want to lose you,'" he said. "At the same time, as an American, and one who believes in our values, if his passion leads him to a military career, I couldn't be more proud of him."
As for his daughter, Olivia, age 6, "She's hard-core. I wouldn't want to serve under her. She's a terror, and she would do just fine," the musician said and laughed.
This week, Ondrasik will return home to finish his album, enjoy a family Christmas and contemplate a second CD for the troops, maybe a comedy version, he said. He also will continue to spotlight servicemembers' efforts.
"We put athletes and celebrities on a pedestal and on the front with all the headlines. And sometimes I think we get it backwards," he said. "Whatever we can do to put the spotlight on those who deserve it is probably the right thing to do."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Johnny Ondrasik turns 8 years old this Christmas Eve, but he isn't asking for any presents on his birthday -- at least not for himself. "Daddy, can I have my friends donate money ... for the Fisher House?" he instead asked his father. The Fisher House is a charity that provides wounded warrior family members free housing near military hospitals.
"I'm like, 'You get it,'" a beaming elder John Ondrasik said in an interview in Alexandria, Va., yesterday. "You hear it a million times, and you tell your kids that if you give, you get. But it's true."
Ondrasik, the singer-songwriter who goes by the stage name Five for Fighting, is in Washington to sing to members of Congress and to help promote his latest CD project. But the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling artist isn't actually selling anything. He is giving it away.
When finished, the musician will give away some 200,000 free CDs for U.S. troops, compliments of Ondrasik and some 13 superstar friends who partnered to make a "thank you" music disc for servicemembers. The contributing artists include Billy Joel, the Goo Goo Dolls, Brooks and Dunn, Melissa Ethridge and even actor Gary Sinise's Lt. Dan Band.
The CD will be distributed in Iraq and Afghanistan and can be downloaded now at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service's Web site. Officials expect as many as 1.5 million downloads.
It's a deal that record industry officials have heralded as "historic," with such top artists basically giving away copies of their most popular songs. Ondrasik offered up Five for Fighting's "100 Years" from his platinum-selling album, "The Battle for Everything."
For Ondrasik, it's the least he can do, he said.
"A lot of other people have given a hell of a lot more than I have. And they're examples to me," he said.
He compared what he's doing to what the troops do, and said the troops do much more. "Someone said the other day, 'Wow, you take two weeks out of your life and you leave your family and you go play these shows for these troops. Wow, you're really cool,'" he said. "Some of these (troops) spend ... years in (the war zone). I take two weeks out of my life to go sing a song. That's not cool. What they do is cool. What they do is important."
While growing up in suburbia Los Angeles, Ondrasik said, he never really gave a lot of thought to military service or those who served. None of his family served. His closest kin serving was one "kind of" second cousin, he said. None of his friends joined the military after graduating from high school, he said, and while his family had a "healthy respect" for service, it was foreign to his way of life.
Then came the Gulf War in 1990.
"That kind of shook me. And I wrote a bunch of songs about that, because as an adult I had not had that experience," Ondrasik said. "It's different when you are glued to CNN for three weeks watching the first Gulf War. From then on, I was invested and not only just in our troops but in our country and in our values.
"You don't necessarily appreciate the policeman until somebody's trying to rob you. I think it's just natural in our culture. We can become complacent. We can become apathetic. That's one of the luxuries of democracy," Ondrasik said.
"Until all of the sudden you are afraid to go the mailbox because of anthrax," he continued. "Or you are afraid to get on an airplane, or you're afraid to go into a mall, and then all of the sudden, 'Wow, I'm sure glad we have our soldiers. I'm sure glad someone's ready to take a bullet for me,'" he said.
But while the imagery of war and politics filtered into some of his songs, Ondrasik had no one-on-one contact with servicemembers until after Sept. 11, 2001. Since then, he has played USO concerts for troops, met with families and talked to veterans. He's also visited wounded servicemembers at Walter Reed Army medical Center here and at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
The stories have filtered into his music, such as the song "Two Lights," which portrays the mixed emotions of a Vietnam veteran watching his son leave for war in Iraq.
In his album released last year, Ondrasik wrote in the song "Freedom Never Cries" that "I never loved a soldier until there was a war." In his travels, he has had the chance to lunch with families, drink beers with troops and listen to their stories.
"Some tear your heart out, some make you proud, some make you laugh," he said.
Most poignant was playing for about 100 Army National Guardsmen stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he said. Singing in a little bar called "Club Survivor," Ondrasik said he could see the American flag outside lit by the moon. He could also see the fence that marked freedom's edge. He sang "Freedom Never Cries."
"Singing for those people, in that environment with that song, was something I'll never forget," the artist said. "When you see a fence that on the other side freedom does not exist; when you meet the families who have lost loved ones; when you meet the injured troops at Walter Reed or Bethesda, it becomes personal and real. It's not writing from afar any more."
Ondrasik said he has a song titled "4th of July in Gitmo" on his next album, not yet released.
For Ondrasik, singing for the troops and putting together the CD project is simply his contribution to supporting the troops.
"I can't pick up an M-16 and go to Baghdad, but I can write a song, or I can shine the light on the realities some of the military face, or I can go do a concert. So for me, it's what can I do," he said.
"Troops pay the ultimate price for our freedom and rights, and there is obligation to say thanks and recognize troops, families and veterans," Ondrasik said.
Ondrasik, a father of two, said his son loves to play army.
When asked how he would react if his son wanted to join the military, Ondrasik responded with the mixed emotions of most fathers.
"As a father, you don't want to put your son's life at risk. So the inclination is, 'Don't join the Army ... don't join the military. I don't want to lose you,'" he said. "At the same time, as an American, and one who believes in our values, if his passion leads him to a military career, I couldn't be more proud of him."
As for his daughter, Olivia, age 6, "She's hard-core. I wouldn't want to serve under her. She's a terror, and she would do just fine," the musician said and laughed.
This week, Ondrasik will return home to finish his album, enjoy a family Christmas and contemplate a second CD for the troops, maybe a comedy version, he said. He also will continue to spotlight servicemembers' efforts.
"We put athletes and celebrities on a pedestal and on the front with all the headlines. And sometimes I think we get it backwards," he said. "Whatever we can do to put the spotlight on those who deserve it is probably the right thing to do."
Army Looks at Long-term Need for Mine-resistant Vehicles
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - The Army has not made a formal proposal to cut the number of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles the service will buy, but officials are looking at the service's long-term need, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today. "It would not surprise me if (the Army) made an adjustment," Morrell said during a news conference. "You saw the Marines have made an adjustment to what they feel is necessary for their future operations. But I do not believe that a formal proposal has been put forth yet by the Army in terms of asking the secretary or anybody else to adjust downward what they wish to buy in the long term."
The Defense Department will continue to buy as many MRAP vehicles as it can, as fast as it can, the press secretary said.
The vehicles have proven to be life-savers on the battlefield. The armored V-shaped hull deflects the effects of improvised explosive devices away from soldiers or Marines riding in the vehicles. They've been especially effective against what the military calls "improvised explosive projectiles," IEDs designed especially to pierce armor. The department has contracted to buy 8,800 of the MRAP vehicles.
In November, DoD received 809 MRAP vehicles. The goal for the month was 997. Even with the shortfall, the number was almost twice the 419 vehicles the department received in October. The December goal is to build 1,200 MRAP vehicles.
"The good news is that we are well on our way to our goal of delivering vehicles to theater," Morrell said. The department's goal is to get 1,500 vehicles to the fighting fronts by the end of the calendar year. Through Dec. 5, the department had delivered 1,117 vehicles to the combat theater, Morrell said.
"So if we expeditiously get those or many of those that we produced during the month of November to theater, we will get to that 1,500 mark and it will be to the benefit of our troops over there," the press secretary said.
The vehicles are having an enormous impact. Very few American soldiers or Marines have been killed in an MRAP. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said getting these vehicles to the troops is one of his priorities.
"There is a huge capability that's brought on when we bring those ... vehicles to theater, and we hope to get as many of them as possible as soon as possible over there," Morrell said.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - The Army has not made a formal proposal to cut the number of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles the service will buy, but officials are looking at the service's long-term need, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today. "It would not surprise me if (the Army) made an adjustment," Morrell said during a news conference. "You saw the Marines have made an adjustment to what they feel is necessary for their future operations. But I do not believe that a formal proposal has been put forth yet by the Army in terms of asking the secretary or anybody else to adjust downward what they wish to buy in the long term."
The Defense Department will continue to buy as many MRAP vehicles as it can, as fast as it can, the press secretary said.
The vehicles have proven to be life-savers on the battlefield. The armored V-shaped hull deflects the effects of improvised explosive devices away from soldiers or Marines riding in the vehicles. They've been especially effective against what the military calls "improvised explosive projectiles," IEDs designed especially to pierce armor. The department has contracted to buy 8,800 of the MRAP vehicles.
In November, DoD received 809 MRAP vehicles. The goal for the month was 997. Even with the shortfall, the number was almost twice the 419 vehicles the department received in October. The December goal is to build 1,200 MRAP vehicles.
"The good news is that we are well on our way to our goal of delivering vehicles to theater," Morrell said. The department's goal is to get 1,500 vehicles to the fighting fronts by the end of the calendar year. Through Dec. 5, the department had delivered 1,117 vehicles to the combat theater, Morrell said.
"So if we expeditiously get those or many of those that we produced during the month of November to theater, we will get to that 1,500 mark and it will be to the benefit of our troops over there," the press secretary said.
The vehicles are having an enormous impact. Very few American soldiers or Marines have been killed in an MRAP. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said getting these vehicles to the troops is one of his priorities.
"There is a huge capability that's brought on when we bring those ... vehicles to theater, and we hope to get as many of them as possible as soon as possible over there," Morrell said.
Defense Department Notifies Congress of Furlough Moves
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2007 - The Defense Department has officially notified Congress that the department will begin the furlough process for civilian employees of the Army, the Marine Corps and the combatant commands. Congressional leaders have released a letter from Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England dated Dec. 7. In it, England gave legislators the required 45-day notice before beginning furloughs.
The furloughs will become necessary if Congress does not pass a global war on terror spending bill. "Without GWOT funding, only operations and maintenance funds in the base budget are available to cover war-related costs," England said in the letter. "O&M funds also cover salary costs for a large number of Army and Marine Corps civilian employees."
England reminded legislators of a letter he sent Nov. 8 to explain what would happen without supplemental war funding. "I emphasized that without this critical funding, the department would have no choice but to deplete key appropriations accounts in order to sustain essential military operations around the world," he wrote in his Dec. 7 letter.
The House passed a $50 billion bill last month with funds to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it included legislation that directs the president to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq by December 2008. The measure failed in the Senate. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill that includes a troop-withdrawal timetable.
England's letter begins a process that could affect 100,000 civilian employees. "Specific furlough notices will be issued in mid-January," England said in his letter. "The department will also begin notifying appropriate labor organizations."
If the legislation does not pass, the Army will be the first service affected, in mid-February, and the Marine Corps about a month later. The services will be forced to divert operations and maintenance funds to continuing combat operations. Civilian employees in the United States and overseas would be affected.
"The furlough will negatively affect our ability to execute base operations and training activities," England wrote. "More importantly, it will affect the critical support our civilian employees provide to our warfighters -- support which is key to our current operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq."
Congress has passed a $460 billion Defense Appropriations Act for 2008, but this is not enough to fund ongoing operations.
England told the lawmakers the Defense Department has no choice but to begin the furlough process. "While these actions will be detrimental to the nation, there are no other viable alternatives without additional congressional funding," he wrote.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2007 - The Defense Department has officially notified Congress that the department will begin the furlough process for civilian employees of the Army, the Marine Corps and the combatant commands. Congressional leaders have released a letter from Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England dated Dec. 7. In it, England gave legislators the required 45-day notice before beginning furloughs.
The furloughs will become necessary if Congress does not pass a global war on terror spending bill. "Without GWOT funding, only operations and maintenance funds in the base budget are available to cover war-related costs," England said in the letter. "O&M funds also cover salary costs for a large number of Army and Marine Corps civilian employees."
England reminded legislators of a letter he sent Nov. 8 to explain what would happen without supplemental war funding. "I emphasized that without this critical funding, the department would have no choice but to deplete key appropriations accounts in order to sustain essential military operations around the world," he wrote in his Dec. 7 letter.
The House passed a $50 billion bill last month with funds to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it included legislation that directs the president to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq by December 2008. The measure failed in the Senate. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill that includes a troop-withdrawal timetable.
England's letter begins a process that could affect 100,000 civilian employees. "Specific furlough notices will be issued in mid-January," England said in his letter. "The department will also begin notifying appropriate labor organizations."
If the legislation does not pass, the Army will be the first service affected, in mid-February, and the Marine Corps about a month later. The services will be forced to divert operations and maintenance funds to continuing combat operations. Civilian employees in the United States and overseas would be affected.
"The furlough will negatively affect our ability to execute base operations and training activities," England wrote. "More importantly, it will affect the critical support our civilian employees provide to our warfighters -- support which is key to our current operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq."
Congress has passed a $460 billion Defense Appropriations Act for 2008, but this is not enough to fund ongoing operations.
England told the lawmakers the Defense Department has no choice but to begin the furlough process. "While these actions will be detrimental to the nation, there are no other viable alternatives without additional congressional funding," he wrote.
America Supports You: Chilean Winery Lends Group Top-Shelf Support
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2007 - A Chilean winery, through its U.S. marketer, is helping to make sure servicemembers stationed away from home this holiday season can stay in touch with loved ones. Santa Rita wines and Palm Bay International, a Florida-based wine importer, are working to donate $100,000 to help Cell Phones for Soldiers send phone cards to servicemembers this holiday season, Michael Preis said.
Cell Phones for Soldiers is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
"There are three components to our program," said Preis, a portfolio director for Palm Bay International who works with Santa Rita. "One is a cash contribution."
Preis presented Cell Phones for Soldiers founders, siblings Brittany and Robbie Bergquist, with a $25,000 check on behalf of Santa Rita during Veterans Day weekend.
The cash donation is in addition to the 2,500 drop boxes located at participating retailers around the country where Santa Rita consumers can donate their used cell phones. Cell Phones for Soldiers collects and recycles cell phones, and uses the proceeds to purchase pre-paid phone cards for servicemembers.
Publicity is the third component of support the wine maker is offering. "We have put out not just the drop boxes, but 500,000 'neckers' that go on bottles," Preis said. "(They) give information about the charity and how people can contribute directly."
The program is raising awareness about Cell Phones for Soldiers on a national basis, Preis said. He added that support in all aspects of this has been "unbelievable and without precedent."
"It goes to show that social marketing causes where you're supporting charitable efforts really have an impact and a link with consumers," he said.
Preis said there's a very reasonable, and historic, explanation for why a Chilean winery wants to support U.S. soldiers. The story begins with an 1840 battle fought on what is now Santa Rita property.
"(The) battle was ... led by a gentleman by the name of Gen. Bernardo O'Higgins," he said. "He was basically the Chilean equivalent of George Washington."
As it turns out, O'Higgins would be instrumental in the country's struggle to emancipate itself from Spain's rule. Because of that history, Santa Rita officials identify with the United States, its early struggles for freedom and its strong support for the military, Preis said.
The winery expressed its desire to support U.S. servicemembers during a strategic planning meeting with Palm Bay International personnel in March, he said. It was shortly after that meeting that he learned about the Bergquists and Cell Phones for Soldiers while reading a New York newspaper.
"We wanted to do a focused program for (the Army and Air Force Exchange Service) and (Navy Exchange Service Command) showing that Santa Rita supported the troops," he said. "Buying phone cards was one of the ideas that came up, and in the New York Times ... was this article about these two unbelievable teens that had started Cell Phones for Soldiers three years ago."
After contacting the Bergquist family directly, the rest, Preis said, is history.
The program supporting Cell Phones for Soldiers will continue through Dec. 31, and Palm Bay International is accepting requests for cell phone collection boxes. Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters and Boy Scout troops, among other groups, have requested boxes, Preis said. "(The extended outreach) been a really nice side benefit," he said.
Even nicer for the Bergquists is the fact that Santa Rita and Palm Bay International are working on extending their support of Cell Phones for Soldiers.
"We are going to be working with them on an ongoing basis, and the relationship will continue," Preis said. "We're actually looking at ways right now to extend the program into 2008 and beyond."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2007 - A Chilean winery, through its U.S. marketer, is helping to make sure servicemembers stationed away from home this holiday season can stay in touch with loved ones. Santa Rita wines and Palm Bay International, a Florida-based wine importer, are working to donate $100,000 to help Cell Phones for Soldiers send phone cards to servicemembers this holiday season, Michael Preis said.
Cell Phones for Soldiers is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
"There are three components to our program," said Preis, a portfolio director for Palm Bay International who works with Santa Rita. "One is a cash contribution."
Preis presented Cell Phones for Soldiers founders, siblings Brittany and Robbie Bergquist, with a $25,000 check on behalf of Santa Rita during Veterans Day weekend.
The cash donation is in addition to the 2,500 drop boxes located at participating retailers around the country where Santa Rita consumers can donate their used cell phones. Cell Phones for Soldiers collects and recycles cell phones, and uses the proceeds to purchase pre-paid phone cards for servicemembers.
Publicity is the third component of support the wine maker is offering. "We have put out not just the drop boxes, but 500,000 'neckers' that go on bottles," Preis said. "(They) give information about the charity and how people can contribute directly."
The program is raising awareness about Cell Phones for Soldiers on a national basis, Preis said. He added that support in all aspects of this has been "unbelievable and without precedent."
"It goes to show that social marketing causes where you're supporting charitable efforts really have an impact and a link with consumers," he said.
Preis said there's a very reasonable, and historic, explanation for why a Chilean winery wants to support U.S. soldiers. The story begins with an 1840 battle fought on what is now Santa Rita property.
"(The) battle was ... led by a gentleman by the name of Gen. Bernardo O'Higgins," he said. "He was basically the Chilean equivalent of George Washington."
As it turns out, O'Higgins would be instrumental in the country's struggle to emancipate itself from Spain's rule. Because of that history, Santa Rita officials identify with the United States, its early struggles for freedom and its strong support for the military, Preis said.
The winery expressed its desire to support U.S. servicemembers during a strategic planning meeting with Palm Bay International personnel in March, he said. It was shortly after that meeting that he learned about the Bergquists and Cell Phones for Soldiers while reading a New York newspaper.
"We wanted to do a focused program for (the Army and Air Force Exchange Service) and (Navy Exchange Service Command) showing that Santa Rita supported the troops," he said. "Buying phone cards was one of the ideas that came up, and in the New York Times ... was this article about these two unbelievable teens that had started Cell Phones for Soldiers three years ago."
After contacting the Bergquist family directly, the rest, Preis said, is history.
The program supporting Cell Phones for Soldiers will continue through Dec. 31, and Palm Bay International is accepting requests for cell phone collection boxes. Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters and Boy Scout troops, among other groups, have requested boxes, Preis said. "(The extended outreach) been a really nice side benefit," he said.
Even nicer for the Bergquists is the fact that Santa Rita and Palm Bay International are working on extending their support of Cell Phones for Soldiers.
"We are going to be working with them on an ongoing basis, and the relationship will continue," Preis said. "We're actually looking at ways right now to extend the program into 2008 and beyond."
Face of Defense: 'Doc' Becker Defines Combat Medic
By Pfc. Daniel M. Rangel, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Army Pfc. Sarah Becker has spent most of her year deployed as an Army medic gaining the respect of soldiers across Afghanistan's Nangarhar province. "It's a very prestigious thing to be called 'Doc' when you're around people that you work with," said Becker, of 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), Special Troops Battalion, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Military Police platoon. "It means that they respect you. It's not about the rank; it's about what you can do for them."
The Greenwich, Ohio, native, who is young and petite, spends much of her time teaching Afghan National Police personnel her specialty. She held her last class Dec. 1 in Jalalabad.
Becker estimated she has conducted 20 to 30 classes since she's been in Afghanistan. Her supervisor, Army Staff Sgt. Victor M. Diaz, explained why there is such a high demand for these classes. "We always get new (Afghan police) coming in," Diaz said. "So we're constantly training the new personnel for each situation such as how to give first aid, how to react to contact and so on."
The classes focus on first-responder care. Afghan national security forces frequently are faced with life-or-death situations on the battlefield, and their knowledge of first aid can save many of their own lives. Although the classes are focused on battlefield situations, Afghan forces are encouraged to take their new knowledge of first aid to help their local communities with more common health issues.
In an evaluation of Becker's performance in the field and in the classroom, Diaz explained that Becker is a competent and thorough professional. "She does an outstanding job. She knows what she's doing," Diaz said. "When she gives a class, she goes step by step. She doesn't miss any steps. Soldiers ask her questions, and she answers in detail. That's the way that we want her to do it."
Becker's last class focused on having an Afghan police platoon learn the meaning of the acronym MARCH. "MARCH is an acronym that one of my senior-ranking (noncommissioned officers) taught me," Becker said. "It stands for massive hemorrhage, airway, respiration, circulation and head trauma. It's all things that you can look at in your initial assessment as you're packaging up your casualty to get them on to higher facility care."
Becker's instruction sticks with her students, who practice the techniques she teaches, said Afghan National Police 2nd Lt. Abdul Waqaf, operation team leader. "We review it with our soldiers," Waqaf said. "We get a lot of good training from (coalition forces). If we don't review, then we will not be able to remember."
Afghan troops listen to Becker because she brings with her ample combat experience. Over the past summer she was attached to 66th Military Police Company in Camp Torkham, near the Pakistani border here in Nangarhar province. She has been on convoys that have been attacked and has treated numerous combat injuries.
"I actually had four traumas that I took care of," Becker said. "They were on different days, about a week apart."
When she's not conducting a class or treating injuries, Becker is pulling security duty like every other soldier in her platoon. "The No. 1 priority every time we get out of the vehicle is to pull security," Becker said.
The life of a combat medic is stressful, the missions are plenty, and the hours are long, but Becker handles the challenge well and manages to keep up the spirits of the "Sky Soldiers" she works with. "She's very friendly; she's kind. She likes to work; she's a hard worker," Diaz said. "She's constantly going on missions because she's the only medic we have in the platoon. If we have two missions in one day, she has to go on both missions. We'll come back from one and she'll jump from one vehicle and go into the other. She never complains."
Becker is a well of inspiration to those around her. She loves the people in her unit and the local Afghans, especially the children. Her inspiration comes from helping people, she said. "Being a medic I get to help people," Becker said. "I get to not only help U.S. soldiers, but I help the kids too. And, as you can see, it puts a smile on my face."
(Army Pfc. Daniel M. Rangel is assigned to 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Army Pfc. Sarah Becker has spent most of her year deployed as an Army medic gaining the respect of soldiers across Afghanistan's Nangarhar province. "It's a very prestigious thing to be called 'Doc' when you're around people that you work with," said Becker, of 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), Special Troops Battalion, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Military Police platoon. "It means that they respect you. It's not about the rank; it's about what you can do for them."
The Greenwich, Ohio, native, who is young and petite, spends much of her time teaching Afghan National Police personnel her specialty. She held her last class Dec. 1 in Jalalabad.
Becker estimated she has conducted 20 to 30 classes since she's been in Afghanistan. Her supervisor, Army Staff Sgt. Victor M. Diaz, explained why there is such a high demand for these classes. "We always get new (Afghan police) coming in," Diaz said. "So we're constantly training the new personnel for each situation such as how to give first aid, how to react to contact and so on."
The classes focus on first-responder care. Afghan national security forces frequently are faced with life-or-death situations on the battlefield, and their knowledge of first aid can save many of their own lives. Although the classes are focused on battlefield situations, Afghan forces are encouraged to take their new knowledge of first aid to help their local communities with more common health issues.
In an evaluation of Becker's performance in the field and in the classroom, Diaz explained that Becker is a competent and thorough professional. "She does an outstanding job. She knows what she's doing," Diaz said. "When she gives a class, she goes step by step. She doesn't miss any steps. Soldiers ask her questions, and she answers in detail. That's the way that we want her to do it."
Becker's last class focused on having an Afghan police platoon learn the meaning of the acronym MARCH. "MARCH is an acronym that one of my senior-ranking (noncommissioned officers) taught me," Becker said. "It stands for massive hemorrhage, airway, respiration, circulation and head trauma. It's all things that you can look at in your initial assessment as you're packaging up your casualty to get them on to higher facility care."
Becker's instruction sticks with her students, who practice the techniques she teaches, said Afghan National Police 2nd Lt. Abdul Waqaf, operation team leader. "We review it with our soldiers," Waqaf said. "We get a lot of good training from (coalition forces). If we don't review, then we will not be able to remember."
Afghan troops listen to Becker because she brings with her ample combat experience. Over the past summer she was attached to 66th Military Police Company in Camp Torkham, near the Pakistani border here in Nangarhar province. She has been on convoys that have been attacked and has treated numerous combat injuries.
"I actually had four traumas that I took care of," Becker said. "They were on different days, about a week apart."
When she's not conducting a class or treating injuries, Becker is pulling security duty like every other soldier in her platoon. "The No. 1 priority every time we get out of the vehicle is to pull security," Becker said.
The life of a combat medic is stressful, the missions are plenty, and the hours are long, but Becker handles the challenge well and manages to keep up the spirits of the "Sky Soldiers" she works with. "She's very friendly; she's kind. She likes to work; she's a hard worker," Diaz said. "She's constantly going on missions because she's the only medic we have in the platoon. If we have two missions in one day, she has to go on both missions. We'll come back from one and she'll jump from one vehicle and go into the other. She never complains."
Becker is a well of inspiration to those around her. She loves the people in her unit and the local Afghans, especially the children. Her inspiration comes from helping people, she said. "Being a medic I get to help people," Becker said. "I get to not only help U.S. soldiers, but I help the kids too. And, as you can see, it puts a smile on my face."
(Army Pfc. Daniel M. Rangel is assigned to 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
