By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 29, 2008 - Afghan National Police officers are getting help rebuilding from U.S and other countries' troops, but they're also getting a boost from friends they may never meet. Steve Newton started the Law Enforcement Equipment Program as a way to provide used gear for American armed forces units to use in training or equipping friendly foreign police forces. The program accepts donations of used equipment from U.S. law enforcement departments and helps get it overseas.
"We simply act as a go-between for the American law enforcement community and the military," Newton said of the organization, more commonly known as "LEEP."
Fulfilling its mission requires help on the other side of the world, however, and that's where Air Force Master Sgt. Buffie C. Verhagen comes in.
Since she's serving as a police mentor and trainer on a provincial reconstruction team, she checked out the LEEP Web site after her father, a retired Houston police officer, told her about it. She let Newton know about her work with the Afghan police officers and has been receiving equipment through the program for about a year.
The equipment is particularly welcome, too.
"The overall condition of the Afghan National Police was, and is, still in poor condition, although strides have been made toward improvements, especially with training," Verhagen said. "Any gear, including cold-weather items, or any item related to law enforcement can be used."
LEEP has stepped up, providing pistol holsters, handcuff cases, ammunition holders and tactical vests, she said. While those donated items fill a tangible void, they also work to foster trust and respect between the Afghan National Police and coalition forces.
"We tell the (Afghan National Police) that the equipment was donated from police officers in the U.S. specifically for them," Verhagen said. "This shows our commitment to their development and really shows how the U.S. as a whole is working to provide assistance."
It also tightens a bond that spans geographic boundaries. Despite the differences between American and Afghan societies, the police officers share a common bond, Verhagen said.
Verhagen, who will be returning home soon, is grateful for LEEP and what it provided her, her team and the Afghan police officers who received the equipment.
"(It's) great in that it builds relationships with a specific U.S. military member or team and then sends resources tailored to the needs of a particular area," she said. "It's a fantastic way for our U.S. police to assist a country still in dire need."
LEEP has 1,200 pounds of gear available to ship to servicemembers in Afghanistan or Iraq, its two main shipping destinations. Shipping costs have proved to be a challenge for the Missouri-based program, however, and LEEP's administrators still are working out how to get the equipment into the hands that can use it.
The Law Enforcement Equipment Program is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Face of Defense: Former Marine, Now a Soldier, Leads By Example
By Sgt. James Hunter, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 25, 2008 - Noncommissioned officers in America's Army have always served as the vanguards by mentoring, coaching and training troops during peacetime and war. Sgt. William Hall, 39, has always led from the front. Throughout his life, he said, he has lived by the motto, "You lead by example." "Sergeant Hall is the NCO that all (sergeants) and junior enlisted should strive to be: always leading from the front and always setting the proper example," said Staff Sgt. Charlie Collier, a Lufkin, Texas, native, who serves as Hall's squad leader.
Hall said he wants to ensure his soldiers know that if they come into a sticky situation while operating in northwestern Baghdad, they can look at him and know he's going to make the right decision.
"Soldiers watch what you do," Hall said. "Anybody can demand respect, but few people earn respect. If (soldiers) truly respect you by you earning their respect, they'll follow you anywhere you've got to go."
Hall, a native of Foley, Ala., serves as a team leader on the personal security detail for Col. William Hickman, commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. He described his job as "exciting, demanding and rewarding."
The security element travels throughout the battle space daily, escorting the commander as he meets with soldiers, Iraqi leaders and Iraqi security forces.
"We go out every day," Hall said. "It's pretty demanding, because we concentrate on the entire (area of operation), going everywhere in northwest Baghdad."
Hall said the key is learning the routes through continued planning, but that at times he has to make key decisions on the spot. "You've got to make sure you know where you are going, because everybody is following you," he said. "Your main job is to get everybody where they need to be."
Though Hall is responsible for leading the convoy, he said, he serves an even greater responsibility to his soldiers. He hopes he can make an impact on their lives.
"You make sure they are good soldiers, make sure they do what they are supposed to do, ensuring they stay alert," he said. "You have to make sure they are there every day, maintaining their arms and their equipment. The main objective is to complete the mission."
However, leading by example is nothing new to Hall, who grew up in a small town along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. His town had a well-known football tradition. He was a part of that tradition since the age of 8.
In 1989, three years after graduating from high school, he joined the Marine Corps and served as an infantryman with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. He was a team leader and a squad leader. Many members of his family served their nation, but none of them served as a Marine, so he decided to go against the grain.
"I always heard it was kind of hard," Hall said. "At that point in my life, I needed something challenging."
As a Marine, Hall earned his Ranger tab and airborne wings. "I got to experience a little bit of the Army through the Marine Corps," he said.
He worked himself to the rank of sergeant, and in 1995 he decided to leave the Corps. He had orders to become a drill instructor, but his father was ailing from heart disease and he wanted to spend what time he had left with him, Hall explained.
In the meantime, Hall worked as a sod farmer and in the lumber business, but the passion for the military never left him, he said.
"I was an operations manager in a lumber company for several years -- made good money -- but I had a desire to serve my country again, (to) come to Iraq and be a part of history," he said. "I felt like I would have cheated my life if I didn't come over here and at least gave my effort in the battle against terrorism."
Since Sept. 11, 2001, Hall had wanted to rejoin the military's ranks, but family and job commitments stood in the way, until one day when he said, "Hey, I don't want to miss out," the sergeant recalled.
Hall joined the National Guard and served with the 20th Special Forces Group. He went through the selection course, but even after completing the 21-day course, was not selected. He didn't see this as a weakness, he said, but rather as a sign. He said he felt as if he still had the mental and physical capabilities to make it through, so why not go active duty?
"Sometimes in life you have to do something that makes you feel better inside," Hall said. "I was on my way to Desert Storm and it ended, so I was like, 'Man, I missed out.' I said, 'Enough's enough.'"
Six weeks after leaving the National Guard for the active-duty Army, Hall was in Iraq.
"This is what it's all about. Everyone's got to do their time and do the right thing," he said with conviction. "Not too many people can say they came to Iraq and defended their country."
It was a sudden decision, but Hall said he always has had his family's support. Hall and his wife have six children, with another on the way. His wife had just graduated from nursing school and was still in the process of beginning her career, but he knew whatever he chose to do, his wife and children would back him up 100 percent, he said.
When Hall gets the rare opportunity to kick his feet up and relax, he thinks about his wife and his unborn son, and he counts his blessings, he said.
"(God has) let me do what I've always wanted to do," he said. "I've always had the desire to be in the military."
(Army Sgt. James Hunter serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
The June Newsletter of Hi Tech Criminal Justice support the production of the article.
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 25, 2008 - Noncommissioned officers in America's Army have always served as the vanguards by mentoring, coaching and training troops during peacetime and war. Sgt. William Hall, 39, has always led from the front. Throughout his life, he said, he has lived by the motto, "You lead by example." "Sergeant Hall is the NCO that all (sergeants) and junior enlisted should strive to be: always leading from the front and always setting the proper example," said Staff Sgt. Charlie Collier, a Lufkin, Texas, native, who serves as Hall's squad leader.
Hall said he wants to ensure his soldiers know that if they come into a sticky situation while operating in northwestern Baghdad, they can look at him and know he's going to make the right decision.
"Soldiers watch what you do," Hall said. "Anybody can demand respect, but few people earn respect. If (soldiers) truly respect you by you earning their respect, they'll follow you anywhere you've got to go."
Hall, a native of Foley, Ala., serves as a team leader on the personal security detail for Col. William Hickman, commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. He described his job as "exciting, demanding and rewarding."
The security element travels throughout the battle space daily, escorting the commander as he meets with soldiers, Iraqi leaders and Iraqi security forces.
"We go out every day," Hall said. "It's pretty demanding, because we concentrate on the entire (area of operation), going everywhere in northwest Baghdad."
Hall said the key is learning the routes through continued planning, but that at times he has to make key decisions on the spot. "You've got to make sure you know where you are going, because everybody is following you," he said. "Your main job is to get everybody where they need to be."
Though Hall is responsible for leading the convoy, he said, he serves an even greater responsibility to his soldiers. He hopes he can make an impact on their lives.
"You make sure they are good soldiers, make sure they do what they are supposed to do, ensuring they stay alert," he said. "You have to make sure they are there every day, maintaining their arms and their equipment. The main objective is to complete the mission."
However, leading by example is nothing new to Hall, who grew up in a small town along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. His town had a well-known football tradition. He was a part of that tradition since the age of 8.
In 1989, three years after graduating from high school, he joined the Marine Corps and served as an infantryman with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. He was a team leader and a squad leader. Many members of his family served their nation, but none of them served as a Marine, so he decided to go against the grain.
"I always heard it was kind of hard," Hall said. "At that point in my life, I needed something challenging."
As a Marine, Hall earned his Ranger tab and airborne wings. "I got to experience a little bit of the Army through the Marine Corps," he said.
He worked himself to the rank of sergeant, and in 1995 he decided to leave the Corps. He had orders to become a drill instructor, but his father was ailing from heart disease and he wanted to spend what time he had left with him, Hall explained.
In the meantime, Hall worked as a sod farmer and in the lumber business, but the passion for the military never left him, he said.
"I was an operations manager in a lumber company for several years -- made good money -- but I had a desire to serve my country again, (to) come to Iraq and be a part of history," he said. "I felt like I would have cheated my life if I didn't come over here and at least gave my effort in the battle against terrorism."
Since Sept. 11, 2001, Hall had wanted to rejoin the military's ranks, but family and job commitments stood in the way, until one day when he said, "Hey, I don't want to miss out," the sergeant recalled.
Hall joined the National Guard and served with the 20th Special Forces Group. He went through the selection course, but even after completing the 21-day course, was not selected. He didn't see this as a weakness, he said, but rather as a sign. He said he felt as if he still had the mental and physical capabilities to make it through, so why not go active duty?
"Sometimes in life you have to do something that makes you feel better inside," Hall said. "I was on my way to Desert Storm and it ended, so I was like, 'Man, I missed out.' I said, 'Enough's enough.'"
Six weeks after leaving the National Guard for the active-duty Army, Hall was in Iraq.
"This is what it's all about. Everyone's got to do their time and do the right thing," he said with conviction. "Not too many people can say they came to Iraq and defended their country."
It was a sudden decision, but Hall said he always has had his family's support. Hall and his wife have six children, with another on the way. His wife had just graduated from nursing school and was still in the process of beginning her career, but he knew whatever he chose to do, his wife and children would back him up 100 percent, he said.
When Hall gets the rare opportunity to kick his feet up and relax, he thinks about his wife and his unborn son, and he counts his blessings, he said.
"(God has) let me do what I've always wanted to do," he said. "I've always had the desire to be in the military."
(Army Sgt. James Hunter serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
The June Newsletter of Hi Tech Criminal Justice support the production of the article.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
America Supports You: Veterans Get Help With Employment Services
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 25, 2008 - Veterans looking for a job in the Cincinnati area should have an easier time, thanks to a new partnership. The Thank You Foundation has partnered with Careers in Focus to offer resume services, job coaching and job leads to veterans, the foundation's president said today.
"We hear plenty of stories about (post-traumatic stress disorder) and the suicide rate among veterans," John Guinn said. "At the same time, many of these men and women are able to think on their feet, cope under pressure, and many possess technical skills valuable to most any employer.
"If we can help just one person through our efforts, it is worth it," he said.
Veterans and their families will receive a special discount from Careers in Focus, an organization that assists individuals changing careers. This discount is available only through The Thank You Foundation. In addition, the foundation will seek funding to sponsor veterans to receive these services at no cost.
"Over the last year, we have identified areas in which we can be of greater service to veterans. The areas of health care and employment services seem to be the most needed," Guinn said. "It is our hope that we can assist those who are looking (for) employment in the civilian sector by leveraging the network of contacts that Careers in Focus has, in order to help find jobs for these men and women."
In November, the foundation launched an initiative to build a mobile health unit for the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center. It also has been in discussions with Drake Hospital to explore options for providing quality health care for veterans.
Recently, the foundation partnered with Team Fastrax and Start Skydiving to offer the opportunity for disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients to go tandem skydiving with the goal of helping them overcome challenges and enjoy a sense of accomplishment.
"We realize that saying 'thank you' is simply not enough. Those words need to be followed up with action and a commitment," Guinn said. "We all should be willing to commit to the betterment of the lives of our nation's heroes.
"We view building partnerships, encouraging cooperation amongst the various support groups and working with the business community as steps towards that commitment," he added.
The Thank You Foundation is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
(From a Thank You Foundation news release.)
The July issue of the Hi Tech Criminal Justice newsletter sponsored this entry.
Feb. 25, 2008 - Veterans looking for a job in the Cincinnati area should have an easier time, thanks to a new partnership. The Thank You Foundation has partnered with Careers in Focus to offer resume services, job coaching and job leads to veterans, the foundation's president said today.
"We hear plenty of stories about (post-traumatic stress disorder) and the suicide rate among veterans," John Guinn said. "At the same time, many of these men and women are able to think on their feet, cope under pressure, and many possess technical skills valuable to most any employer.
"If we can help just one person through our efforts, it is worth it," he said.
Veterans and their families will receive a special discount from Careers in Focus, an organization that assists individuals changing careers. This discount is available only through The Thank You Foundation. In addition, the foundation will seek funding to sponsor veterans to receive these services at no cost.
"Over the last year, we have identified areas in which we can be of greater service to veterans. The areas of health care and employment services seem to be the most needed," Guinn said. "It is our hope that we can assist those who are looking (for) employment in the civilian sector by leveraging the network of contacts that Careers in Focus has, in order to help find jobs for these men and women."
In November, the foundation launched an initiative to build a mobile health unit for the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center. It also has been in discussions with Drake Hospital to explore options for providing quality health care for veterans.
Recently, the foundation partnered with Team Fastrax and Start Skydiving to offer the opportunity for disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients to go tandem skydiving with the goal of helping them overcome challenges and enjoy a sense of accomplishment.
"We realize that saying 'thank you' is simply not enough. Those words need to be followed up with action and a commitment," Guinn said. "We all should be willing to commit to the betterment of the lives of our nation's heroes.
"We view building partnerships, encouraging cooperation amongst the various support groups and working with the business community as steps towards that commitment," he added.
The Thank You Foundation is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
(From a Thank You Foundation news release.)
The July issue of the Hi Tech Criminal Justice newsletter sponsored this entry.
Officials Declare Satellite Mission Successful
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 25, 2008 - Based on debris analysis, officials are confident the Feb. 21 missile intercept and destruction of a nonfunctioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite was successful in destroying the fuel tank and reducing risk to people on Earth, the Defense Department announced today. The satellite's fuel tank contained hydrazine, a hazardous chemical that could have posed a risk to humans if the satellite or its fuel tank had reentered the atmosphere intact.
"By all accounts, this was a successful mission. From the debris analysis, we have a high degree of confidence the satellite's fuel tank was destroyed and the hydrazine has been dissipated," Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a DoD news release.
A single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 was fired from the USS Lake Erie to engage the satellite. Much of the debris from the satellite already has reentered the Earth's atmosphere or will reenter in the coming days and weeks, officials said. The Joint Functional Component Command for Space at the Joint Space Operations Center, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., is tracking less than 3,000 pieces of debris, all smaller than a football, which have not yet reentered the atmosphere. To date, there have been no reports of debris landing on Earth, and it is unlikely any will remain intact to hit the ground, officials said.
Cartwright praised the collaborative effort from the U.S. government, armed forces, industry and academia to destroy the satellite and reduce risk to human life.
"The teamwork and interagency accomplishment associated with this operation was tremendous," he said. "Close workings with the National Security Council, State Department, Defense Department, NASA, Missile Defense Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, and Department of Homeland Security was absolutely key to the effort. The U.S. Navy, particularly the Pacific Fleet, was fundamental to the operation and did a superb job. The expertise of people from the U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Space Command and Army Strategic Command was invaluable."
U.S. Strategic Command space surveillance sensors continue to track and characterize the debris to ensure timely notifications are made, if necessary, with regard to debris-related risk on the ground or to objects in orbit, officials said.
An article on law enforcement officials sponsored this article and blog.
Feb. 25, 2008 - Based on debris analysis, officials are confident the Feb. 21 missile intercept and destruction of a nonfunctioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite was successful in destroying the fuel tank and reducing risk to people on Earth, the Defense Department announced today. The satellite's fuel tank contained hydrazine, a hazardous chemical that could have posed a risk to humans if the satellite or its fuel tank had reentered the atmosphere intact.
"By all accounts, this was a successful mission. From the debris analysis, we have a high degree of confidence the satellite's fuel tank was destroyed and the hydrazine has been dissipated," Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a DoD news release.
A single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 was fired from the USS Lake Erie to engage the satellite. Much of the debris from the satellite already has reentered the Earth's atmosphere or will reenter in the coming days and weeks, officials said. The Joint Functional Component Command for Space at the Joint Space Operations Center, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., is tracking less than 3,000 pieces of debris, all smaller than a football, which have not yet reentered the atmosphere. To date, there have been no reports of debris landing on Earth, and it is unlikely any will remain intact to hit the ground, officials said.
Cartwright praised the collaborative effort from the U.S. government, armed forces, industry and academia to destroy the satellite and reduce risk to human life.
"The teamwork and interagency accomplishment associated with this operation was tremendous," he said. "Close workings with the National Security Council, State Department, Defense Department, NASA, Missile Defense Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, and Department of Homeland Security was absolutely key to the effort. The U.S. Navy, particularly the Pacific Fleet, was fundamental to the operation and did a superb job. The expertise of people from the U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Space Command and Army Strategic Command was invaluable."
U.S. Strategic Command space surveillance sensors continue to track and characterize the debris to ensure timely notifications are made, if necessary, with regard to debris-related risk on the ground or to objects in orbit, officials said.
An article on law enforcement officials sponsored this article and blog.
Gates Pledges U.S. Support to Indonesian Military
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 25, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today heralded Indonesia as a leader in its region and pledged U.S. support to help the country continue its military reforms and build airlift and maritime capabilities. The secretary landed here this morning to meet with Indonesia's president and its defense and foreign ministers.
He held a short news conference alongside Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono and later spoke to the Indonesian Council on World Affairs. In both events, the secretary reaffirmed the two countries' friendship and said he considers Indonesia "an important regional leader with global reach."
"Our relationship with Indonesia has made great strides in the past few years, and I have every expectation that it will continue to do so in the near and far future," Gates said.
Gates' first visit to Indonesia comes at a time when the government here is reforming its military and national security programs. The country is pulling its military out of domestic policing functions and is backfilling those roles with a police force. It also is revamping its budgeting process and removing much of the military's private business influence, and it is putting more separation between its officers and politics, a senior U.S. defense official said, speaking on background before the visit.
The secretary's visit shows the Defense Department is accepting Indonesia's place as a pivotal country in the region, the official said. The country is key to regional security because of its strategic location astride a number of key international maritime straits, particularly the Malacca Strait.
Discussions here today centered on ways the United States can work more closely with the Indonesian military, Gates said, specifically helping the country's military continue its reformation and develop capabilities in the airlift and maritime domains.
Indonesia's armed forces total about 350,000, members, according to U.S. State Department figures. The army is the largest branch, with about 280,000 active-duty personnel.
The 250,000-member Indonesian National Police was a branch of the armed forces for several years, but was separated from the military in April 1999.
Indonesia, rebounding after a crippling financial crisis in the late 1990s, has seen a commodity boom, and there is growing self-confidence within in the country. But much of its military equipment is old and in need of repair or replacement. Gates said U.S. help could come in the form of providing training or equipment.
Indonesia has emerged as the third-largest democracy in the world after decades of military-dominated rule. In November 2005, the United States normalized military-to-military relations with the country. Gates said the Indonesian military has become more capable and more professional. He lauded its peacekeeping efforts in Lebanon, Congo, Liberia, Georgia, Nepal and Sudan.
Speaking to the Indonesian Council on World Affairs at the end of the day, Gates called Indonesia's shift "remarkable," considering it took place against the backdrop of a devastating tsunami, one of the world's most severe financial crises, a rise in terrorist activity and a transformation of both the government and military.
These internal changes have played out against the backdrop of overall shifts in the region as a whole, Gates said. Since the end of the Cold War, Asia's security environment has undergone remarkable change, and in recent years, the nations of Asia have, for the most part, achieved unprecedented wealth and stature as they have forged more mature political, economic and military institutions, he said.
As a result, new centers of power have risen alongside new sources of instability. Piracy, ethnic strife and poverty, as well as emerging terrorism, pose the region's threats, Gates said. To combat these challenges, countries must work together, the secretary said.
"What these challenges have in common is that they simply cannot be overcome by one, or even two countries, no matter how wealthy or powerful. They require multiple nations acting with uncommon unity developing areas where each partner can bring its unique capabilities to bear," Gates said.
Gates went on to say that there has been a shift, as well, in the U.S. defense strategy in Asia to one that moves away from a permanent presence and direct action by U.S. forces toward building the capacity of partner nations to better defend themselves. He referenced a mix of military, diplomatic, cultural and humanitarian efforts.
"In this vein, the United States military -- even with ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq -- is engaged with more Asian governments doing more things in more constructive ways than at any time in our history," Gates said.
During the speech to the council, Gates called for an end to the Cold War model of Asian security that put the United States at the center with a series of bilateral alliances with other countries. He cited the need for multilateral alliances instead, in which all countries cooperate.
"This does not mean any weakening of our bilateral ties, but rather enhancing security by adding multilateral cooperation," Gates said.
This multilateral approach, Gates said, will be needed to take on the spread of terrorism and other security threats.
"We live in a world today where the most pressing problems confronting us, ... for the most part, cannot be solved by any single nation," Gates said. "And, therefore, recognition that there are a number of powerful nations and groups of nations that must play a part in solving these problems ... is the first step to begin solving them."
This is the approach the United States has taken in recent years, Gates said.
"I believe that an underlying theme of American history is that we are compelled to defend our security and our interests in ways that, in the long run, lead to the spread of democratic values and institutions," the secretary said. "That is to say, the spread of freedom and security in places like Indonesia both manifests our ideals and protects our interests."
This is Gates' third stop on a nine-day, around-the-world trip to this region that also will include visits to India and Turkey.
Information on driving and force simulation was helpful in sponsoring this article.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 25, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today heralded Indonesia as a leader in its region and pledged U.S. support to help the country continue its military reforms and build airlift and maritime capabilities. The secretary landed here this morning to meet with Indonesia's president and its defense and foreign ministers.
He held a short news conference alongside Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono and later spoke to the Indonesian Council on World Affairs. In both events, the secretary reaffirmed the two countries' friendship and said he considers Indonesia "an important regional leader with global reach."
"Our relationship with Indonesia has made great strides in the past few years, and I have every expectation that it will continue to do so in the near and far future," Gates said.
Gates' first visit to Indonesia comes at a time when the government here is reforming its military and national security programs. The country is pulling its military out of domestic policing functions and is backfilling those roles with a police force. It also is revamping its budgeting process and removing much of the military's private business influence, and it is putting more separation between its officers and politics, a senior U.S. defense official said, speaking on background before the visit.
The secretary's visit shows the Defense Department is accepting Indonesia's place as a pivotal country in the region, the official said. The country is key to regional security because of its strategic location astride a number of key international maritime straits, particularly the Malacca Strait.
Discussions here today centered on ways the United States can work more closely with the Indonesian military, Gates said, specifically helping the country's military continue its reformation and develop capabilities in the airlift and maritime domains.
Indonesia's armed forces total about 350,000, members, according to U.S. State Department figures. The army is the largest branch, with about 280,000 active-duty personnel.
The 250,000-member Indonesian National Police was a branch of the armed forces for several years, but was separated from the military in April 1999.
Indonesia, rebounding after a crippling financial crisis in the late 1990s, has seen a commodity boom, and there is growing self-confidence within in the country. But much of its military equipment is old and in need of repair or replacement. Gates said U.S. help could come in the form of providing training or equipment.
Indonesia has emerged as the third-largest democracy in the world after decades of military-dominated rule. In November 2005, the United States normalized military-to-military relations with the country. Gates said the Indonesian military has become more capable and more professional. He lauded its peacekeeping efforts in Lebanon, Congo, Liberia, Georgia, Nepal and Sudan.
Speaking to the Indonesian Council on World Affairs at the end of the day, Gates called Indonesia's shift "remarkable," considering it took place against the backdrop of a devastating tsunami, one of the world's most severe financial crises, a rise in terrorist activity and a transformation of both the government and military.
These internal changes have played out against the backdrop of overall shifts in the region as a whole, Gates said. Since the end of the Cold War, Asia's security environment has undergone remarkable change, and in recent years, the nations of Asia have, for the most part, achieved unprecedented wealth and stature as they have forged more mature political, economic and military institutions, he said.
As a result, new centers of power have risen alongside new sources of instability. Piracy, ethnic strife and poverty, as well as emerging terrorism, pose the region's threats, Gates said. To combat these challenges, countries must work together, the secretary said.
"What these challenges have in common is that they simply cannot be overcome by one, or even two countries, no matter how wealthy or powerful. They require multiple nations acting with uncommon unity developing areas where each partner can bring its unique capabilities to bear," Gates said.
Gates went on to say that there has been a shift, as well, in the U.S. defense strategy in Asia to one that moves away from a permanent presence and direct action by U.S. forces toward building the capacity of partner nations to better defend themselves. He referenced a mix of military, diplomatic, cultural and humanitarian efforts.
"In this vein, the United States military -- even with ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq -- is engaged with more Asian governments doing more things in more constructive ways than at any time in our history," Gates said.
During the speech to the council, Gates called for an end to the Cold War model of Asian security that put the United States at the center with a series of bilateral alliances with other countries. He cited the need for multilateral alliances instead, in which all countries cooperate.
"This does not mean any weakening of our bilateral ties, but rather enhancing security by adding multilateral cooperation," Gates said.
This multilateral approach, Gates said, will be needed to take on the spread of terrorism and other security threats.
"We live in a world today where the most pressing problems confronting us, ... for the most part, cannot be solved by any single nation," Gates said. "And, therefore, recognition that there are a number of powerful nations and groups of nations that must play a part in solving these problems ... is the first step to begin solving them."
This is the approach the United States has taken in recent years, Gates said.
"I believe that an underlying theme of American history is that we are compelled to defend our security and our interests in ways that, in the long run, lead to the spread of democratic values and institutions," the secretary said. "That is to say, the spread of freedom and security in places like Indonesia both manifests our ideals and protects our interests."
This is Gates' third stop on a nine-day, around-the-world trip to this region that also will include visits to India and Turkey.
Information on driving and force simulation was helpful in sponsoring this article.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Leadership
A recent Amazon customer review of Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style
“I write police promotional textbook exams and assessments for a living [...]. I'm always seeking out new and cutting edge books in the fields of police supervision, management and leadership.
So, I was very pleasantly surprised after I finished reading this unique leadership book. It presents an impressive amount of information on leadership in a fun and interesting format - with liberal use of relevant and humorous quotes, experiences and analogies. Your retention of the material will be extremely high because of the author's unique writing style and the attention-grabbing format. Both authors are highly qualified and experienced to present this material - but that's not the primary reason you should consider this book. If you are in law enforcement, entering law enforcement or looking to advance your law enforcement career, this book not only covers the basic leadership experience in a way that is lively and interesting, it makes you relate to and almost experience the hardcore, daily struggle all law enforcement supervisors and managers have with how to select, train and "grow" quality law enforcement personnel.
It took a lot of guts to write a leadership book in such a unique format. And guts is what you'll need in Poker .. and in Leadership ... and this book, if nothing else, will make you see how you can embody these leadership skills.”
More Information
www.pokerleadership.com
“I write police promotional textbook exams and assessments for a living [...]. I'm always seeking out new and cutting edge books in the fields of police supervision, management and leadership.
So, I was very pleasantly surprised after I finished reading this unique leadership book. It presents an impressive amount of information on leadership in a fun and interesting format - with liberal use of relevant and humorous quotes, experiences and analogies. Your retention of the material will be extremely high because of the author's unique writing style and the attention-grabbing format. Both authors are highly qualified and experienced to present this material - but that's not the primary reason you should consider this book. If you are in law enforcement, entering law enforcement or looking to advance your law enforcement career, this book not only covers the basic leadership experience in a way that is lively and interesting, it makes you relate to and almost experience the hardcore, daily struggle all law enforcement supervisors and managers have with how to select, train and "grow" quality law enforcement personnel.
It took a lot of guts to write a leadership book in such a unique format. And guts is what you'll need in Poker .. and in Leadership ... and this book, if nothing else, will make you see how you can embody these leadership skills.”
More Information
www.pokerleadership.com
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Contract Instructors Wanted
International Tactical Officers Training Association (ITOTA)
The ITOTA is an international association designed to offer quality, professional academic and practical training. The ITOTA recognizes the need to expand and share tactical knowledge by focusing on the wealth of information and experience that exists in the global tactical community. The ITOTA is currently seeking qualified, experienced instructors to instruct tactical courses for military, law enforcement and corrections located at CONUS and OCONUS locations. ITOTA instructors will be assigned to and mentor specific courses during established instruction periods and will be deployed to various training sites globally.
MORE INFORMATION
http://www.criminaljustice-online.com/forum16/1090.html
The ITOTA is an international association designed to offer quality, professional academic and practical training. The ITOTA recognizes the need to expand and share tactical knowledge by focusing on the wealth of information and experience that exists in the global tactical community. The ITOTA is currently seeking qualified, experienced instructors to instruct tactical courses for military, law enforcement and corrections located at CONUS and OCONUS locations. ITOTA instructors will be assigned to and mentor specific courses during established instruction periods and will be deployed to various training sites globally.
MORE INFORMATION
http://www.criminaljustice-online.com/forum16/1090.html
Lake Erie Crew Describes Satellite Shot
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 24, 2008 - The crewmembers of the USS Lake Erie were calm as they fired the latest shot heard round the world. The Aegis-class cruiser fired the missile that destroyed a dead spy satellite that posed a threat to humans Feb. 21. Navy Capt. Randall M. Hendrickson, the Lake Erie's commanding officer, spoke to reporters today aboard the ship, which has just returned from the mission. The visiting reporters are traveling with Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who visited the ship.
The captain said the crew worked intensively for a month and a half before the shootdown. "We kept working up with a team of government experts and technicians, as well as industry partners," Hendrickson said.
The group worked to gather information and modify the Standard Missile 3 and the Aegis weapon system, he said. They started tracking the satellite at different times to get radar cross-section data, which helped build the program software, Hendrickson said.
"Obviously there was a lot of anticipation building up each time we practiced, each time we tracked," he said.
The ship's weapons systems officer, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Drew Bates, said the rehearsals really helped when push came to shove. "By the time we did this, we had seen it a hundred times," he said. "We were practicing what to do in case things go wrong. Fortunately nothing went wrong. This went just the way it was designed to happen, and hats off to the industry team for giving the nation a system that was able to have the excess capability to do this."
The satellite was unlike any target the system was designed to go after, the captain said. The satellite was in orbit rather than on a ballistic trajectory. Also, the satellite was traveling at incredible speeds.
The Lake Erie left here the day officials announced President Bush's decision to try to shoot down the satellite. Hendrickson said the ship was in position when the shuttle Atlantis returned from its mission.
The ship received the order that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates had OK'd the mission at mid-morning on Feb. 21. "From that point on, the ship was very calm," Hendrickson said. "Obviously, the closer we got, there was a lot of anticipation. The firing team was very calm when we did it and, with the exception of the 'whoosh' when it went out of the launcher, it was just as scripted."
He said that when the missile's seeker opened its eyes it had the satellite "right dead center."
When the missile hit the satellite, "there was a lot of cheering" aboard the ship, he said.
The crew knew from the kinetic warhead imagery in the nose of the missile that it was a good hit, the captain said.
"The radar scope went wild," he said. "At that point, there was a lot of debris, a lot of pieces and, at that point, we thought we had a pretty good impact. Then that was confirmed by the aircraft that were airborne, the radars ashore and some other sensors that it was pretty much obliterated. Over the next three to four hours, a lot of it was burning up as it was coming down, which was the whole point of it."
Civilian experts from the Navy facility in Dahlgren, Va., and contractors from Lockheed Martin and from Raytheon Co. helped the crew prepare for the shot. But Navy sailors manned the consoles for the mission.
Everyone on the USS Lake Erie contributed, the captain said. "Whatever the task is, there's no small task on a ship," he said.
The reaction of the crew is unbelievable, said Command Master Chief Petty Officer Mack Ellis, the highest-ranking enlisted sailor on the Lake Erie. "Even the youngest sailor who didn't understand it at first, every time they walk somewhere and people know they are from Lake Erie, they say congratulations. It puts a smile of their face and makes their day."
This reproduction was sponsored by the September issue of the Hi Tech Criminal Justice Newsletter.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 24, 2008 - The crewmembers of the USS Lake Erie were calm as they fired the latest shot heard round the world. The Aegis-class cruiser fired the missile that destroyed a dead spy satellite that posed a threat to humans Feb. 21. Navy Capt. Randall M. Hendrickson, the Lake Erie's commanding officer, spoke to reporters today aboard the ship, which has just returned from the mission. The visiting reporters are traveling with Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who visited the ship.
The captain said the crew worked intensively for a month and a half before the shootdown. "We kept working up with a team of government experts and technicians, as well as industry partners," Hendrickson said.
The group worked to gather information and modify the Standard Missile 3 and the Aegis weapon system, he said. They started tracking the satellite at different times to get radar cross-section data, which helped build the program software, Hendrickson said.
"Obviously there was a lot of anticipation building up each time we practiced, each time we tracked," he said.
The ship's weapons systems officer, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Drew Bates, said the rehearsals really helped when push came to shove. "By the time we did this, we had seen it a hundred times," he said. "We were practicing what to do in case things go wrong. Fortunately nothing went wrong. This went just the way it was designed to happen, and hats off to the industry team for giving the nation a system that was able to have the excess capability to do this."
The satellite was unlike any target the system was designed to go after, the captain said. The satellite was in orbit rather than on a ballistic trajectory. Also, the satellite was traveling at incredible speeds.
The Lake Erie left here the day officials announced President Bush's decision to try to shoot down the satellite. Hendrickson said the ship was in position when the shuttle Atlantis returned from its mission.
The ship received the order that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates had OK'd the mission at mid-morning on Feb. 21. "From that point on, the ship was very calm," Hendrickson said. "Obviously, the closer we got, there was a lot of anticipation. The firing team was very calm when we did it and, with the exception of the 'whoosh' when it went out of the launcher, it was just as scripted."
He said that when the missile's seeker opened its eyes it had the satellite "right dead center."
When the missile hit the satellite, "there was a lot of cheering" aboard the ship, he said.
The crew knew from the kinetic warhead imagery in the nose of the missile that it was a good hit, the captain said.
"The radar scope went wild," he said. "At that point, there was a lot of debris, a lot of pieces and, at that point, we thought we had a pretty good impact. Then that was confirmed by the aircraft that were airborne, the radars ashore and some other sensors that it was pretty much obliterated. Over the next three to four hours, a lot of it was burning up as it was coming down, which was the whole point of it."
Civilian experts from the Navy facility in Dahlgren, Va., and contractors from Lockheed Martin and from Raytheon Co. helped the crew prepare for the shot. But Navy sailors manned the consoles for the mission.
Everyone on the USS Lake Erie contributed, the captain said. "Whatever the task is, there's no small task on a ship," he said.
The reaction of the crew is unbelievable, said Command Master Chief Petty Officer Mack Ellis, the highest-ranking enlisted sailor on the Lake Erie. "Even the youngest sailor who didn't understand it at first, every time they walk somewhere and people know they are from Lake Erie, they say congratulations. It puts a smile of their face and makes their day."
This reproduction was sponsored by the September issue of the Hi Tech Criminal Justice Newsletter.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
U.S., Australia Reinforce Defense Relationships
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today reinforced the longstanding relationship between Australia and the United States and pledged continued cooperation between the countries' defense departments. Gates and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte met here with their counterparts of the Australian government, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith and Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, for the 19th annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations. This is the first visit by a senior-level U.S. official to this country to meet with the newly elected Australian government.
"Our meetings today prove once again that our friendships endure across generations and across different administrations in both of our governments," Gates said in a news conference in Australia's Parliament House. "The bonds of unity that grew from our common heritage and have been strengthened on battlefields around the world are every bit as strong as they have ever been."
The talks were global in nature, with both sides reiterating their commitments to working together to confront contemporary security challenges, including proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and global terrorism, officials said.
Gates heralded Australia's efforts to provide stability in the region and commended the country on providing global leadership.
"The governments continue to work on ways to advance our shared interests on a number of fronts, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting terrorism across the globe, countering (weapons of mass destruction) proliferation, coordinating humanitarian relief and strengthening our ties in other areas," Gates said.
"Above all, we agree on both the challenges we must face together and the solutions we must forge together. As has been for many years, the United States has no better partner and no stronger ally than Australia," the secretary said.
The two sides discussed plans for the mid-year withdrawal of Australia's 500 combat troops from southern Iraq, a move that is seen as a shift by the newly elected Australian government to a more support-oriented stance in Iraq. Australia now has about 1,500 troops in Iraq -- a mix of combat, training, aviation and support forces. Those slated to leave will be pulled from the south, in areas where Iraqi security forces can take over operations. The newly elected government campaigned on a pledge to remove the combat troops and is fulfilling its commitment, Smith said.
Both sides called on the international community and, in particular NATO members, to sustain and enhance contributions to Afghanistan. There are no plans to remove any of Australia's nearly 1,000 troops from Afghanistan, Smith said. Australia is not a member of NATO.
When questioned by Australian reporters about the need for additional troops from their country to deploy to Afghanistan, Gates cited the additional 3,200 U.S. Marines that will go to the country for a seven-month deployment beginning in spring.
"I've been pretty outspoken over the past few weeks about the need for other allies to also dig deep and to meet the needs that have been articulated by the (International Security Assistance Force) commander in Afghanistan," Gates said. "One thing I want to be clear on: Individual countries have met the individual commitments that they have made to Afghanistan. The commitment that has not been fulfilled is the commitment made by the leaders of the alliance to provide the ISAF commander with what he needs to be successful. So it is this broader requirement that the leaders of NATO have agreed to that has not been met and where I have been hopeful that other members of the alliance can find the wherewithal and political will to provide additional forces."
Gates said some allies have made additional troop commitments and that he hopes others will "step up."
Smith called the alliance between Australia and the United States the "bedrock" of his country's defense, security and strategic arrangements. "It's fundamental; it's long term; it's enduring; and it is, of course, indispensable," Smith said.
The foreign minister also reinforced the need for a U.S. presence in the region. "Just as Australia's engagement in Asia and the Asian Pacific (region) is important, so is the engagement of the United States in our region," Smith said.
In the talks, the two sides agreed to continue to build capacity in Southeast Asia in key areas such as counter terrorism and maritime security. Specifically, both sides agreed to assist regional countries to improve port security and to constrain the movement of terrorist finances, according to a joint communique released after the talks.
The sides also discussed Iran's nuclear activities and its defiance of United Nations Security Council resolution requiring the country to suspend all uranium enrichment-related activities. While "deeply concerned," both countries supported a diplomatic solution to the issue, according to the communique.
In other defense-related issues, both sides pledged to reach agreements on combining humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities as well as working more closely together in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance efforts. They also discussed overcoming barriers to sharing defense-related technologies that would improve interoperability of forces.
Also attending the talks were Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and U.S. Pacific Command chief Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating. The United States will host the next such talks sometime in 2009.
This is Gates' second stop on a nine-day trip that includes Indonesia, India and Turkey.
Sponsoring this article was study tips.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today reinforced the longstanding relationship between Australia and the United States and pledged continued cooperation between the countries' defense departments. Gates and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte met here with their counterparts of the Australian government, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith and Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, for the 19th annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations. This is the first visit by a senior-level U.S. official to this country to meet with the newly elected Australian government.
"Our meetings today prove once again that our friendships endure across generations and across different administrations in both of our governments," Gates said in a news conference in Australia's Parliament House. "The bonds of unity that grew from our common heritage and have been strengthened on battlefields around the world are every bit as strong as they have ever been."
The talks were global in nature, with both sides reiterating their commitments to working together to confront contemporary security challenges, including proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and global terrorism, officials said.
Gates heralded Australia's efforts to provide stability in the region and commended the country on providing global leadership.
"The governments continue to work on ways to advance our shared interests on a number of fronts, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting terrorism across the globe, countering (weapons of mass destruction) proliferation, coordinating humanitarian relief and strengthening our ties in other areas," Gates said.
"Above all, we agree on both the challenges we must face together and the solutions we must forge together. As has been for many years, the United States has no better partner and no stronger ally than Australia," the secretary said.
The two sides discussed plans for the mid-year withdrawal of Australia's 500 combat troops from southern Iraq, a move that is seen as a shift by the newly elected Australian government to a more support-oriented stance in Iraq. Australia now has about 1,500 troops in Iraq -- a mix of combat, training, aviation and support forces. Those slated to leave will be pulled from the south, in areas where Iraqi security forces can take over operations. The newly elected government campaigned on a pledge to remove the combat troops and is fulfilling its commitment, Smith said.
Both sides called on the international community and, in particular NATO members, to sustain and enhance contributions to Afghanistan. There are no plans to remove any of Australia's nearly 1,000 troops from Afghanistan, Smith said. Australia is not a member of NATO.
When questioned by Australian reporters about the need for additional troops from their country to deploy to Afghanistan, Gates cited the additional 3,200 U.S. Marines that will go to the country for a seven-month deployment beginning in spring.
"I've been pretty outspoken over the past few weeks about the need for other allies to also dig deep and to meet the needs that have been articulated by the (International Security Assistance Force) commander in Afghanistan," Gates said. "One thing I want to be clear on: Individual countries have met the individual commitments that they have made to Afghanistan. The commitment that has not been fulfilled is the commitment made by the leaders of the alliance to provide the ISAF commander with what he needs to be successful. So it is this broader requirement that the leaders of NATO have agreed to that has not been met and where I have been hopeful that other members of the alliance can find the wherewithal and political will to provide additional forces."
Gates said some allies have made additional troop commitments and that he hopes others will "step up."
Smith called the alliance between Australia and the United States the "bedrock" of his country's defense, security and strategic arrangements. "It's fundamental; it's long term; it's enduring; and it is, of course, indispensable," Smith said.
The foreign minister also reinforced the need for a U.S. presence in the region. "Just as Australia's engagement in Asia and the Asian Pacific (region) is important, so is the engagement of the United States in our region," Smith said.
In the talks, the two sides agreed to continue to build capacity in Southeast Asia in key areas such as counter terrorism and maritime security. Specifically, both sides agreed to assist regional countries to improve port security and to constrain the movement of terrorist finances, according to a joint communique released after the talks.
The sides also discussed Iran's nuclear activities and its defiance of United Nations Security Council resolution requiring the country to suspend all uranium enrichment-related activities. While "deeply concerned," both countries supported a diplomatic solution to the issue, according to the communique.
In other defense-related issues, both sides pledged to reach agreements on combining humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities as well as working more closely together in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance efforts. They also discussed overcoming barriers to sharing defense-related technologies that would improve interoperability of forces.
Also attending the talks were Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and U.S. Pacific Command chief Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating. The United States will host the next such talks sometime in 2009.
This is Gates' second stop on a nine-day trip that includes Indonesia, India and Turkey.
Sponsoring this article was study tips.
Army Reserve Chief Seeks Private Industry Partners
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 22, 2008 - The general in charge of the Army Reserve has a deal for U.S. employers: If you agree to hire qualified employees, he'll help you recruit them. Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz said the "Partnership for a Shared Workforce" initiative emerged as a way to help the reserves and the private sector attract young talent. Stultz said the concept was born of similar challenges facing the entities -- namely, that only about three in 10 young men ages 17-24 are fit to join the ranks of military or industry.
The reasons people are precluded from service -- from failure to meet educational or physical requirements, to a criminal background -- often are grounds for non-employment in the private sector too, the general said.
"Employers of America are having the same problem (as the Army)," Stultz said. "They're looking at that same work force out there and saying, 'How many of those kids can pass a drug test who don't already have some kind of conviction in their records? And how many have the aptitude to do the task we're needing in a much more technological age?'"
Among other enterprises, Stultz said, the partnership has received particular interest from America's trucking industry, where the average long-haul truck driver is more than 50 years old. Couple this aging work force with a shortage of qualified drivers, the general said, and young, employable talent is hard to pass up.
"I've got soldiers in my ranks that are truck drivers," Stultz said he tells employers at trucking companies. "They've already passed a drug test; they've already passed a background check; they've already passed a physical; they've already scored high enough on an aptitude test; and I've trained them how to drive a truck. All you've got to do is hire him."
Stultz said similar pitches to place reservists in civilian positions are gaining traction with industry employers around the country. He plugs the reserve's cadre of X-ray technicians to health care providers looking for help; he sells signal soldiers -- trained and experienced in using fiber optics -- to communications companies; he suggests military police troops for jobs in civilian law enforcement.
"We're getting a lot of synergy there now, being able to tell a potential soldier, 'How would you like to come work for us in the Army Reserve and go to work for this company in your local community at the same time?" he said.
The initiative hearkens back to Stultz's experience as a young man transitioning out of the active-duty Army in 1979 into a "dual-hatted" role as a reservist and a civilian employee at Proctor and Gamble.
Placing high value on the training and principles instilled in young officers, Proctor and Gamble and other companies eager to employ managers heavily recruited junior military officers, Stultz recalled.
"There were a lot of headhunter companies that would go around the military installations saying, 'If you're thinking about leaving active duty, let us talk to you,'" he said.
At the first national Proctor and Gamble meeting he attended, Stultz said, it was virtually a military homecoming. "Everybody there was like, 'Who were you with? What unit were you in? Where were you stationed?" he recalled. "Nowadays you really don't see that."
The general said he would like the two forces -- military and civilian -- to work together again as they did when he started at Proctor and Gamble, where Stultz, an operations manager, has worked for nearly three decades.
"Just like in 1979 when Proctor and Gamble was looking for new potential managers and they saw the military as a great source, I'm telling the employers of America that hasn't changed," Stultz said. "We produce some of the finest quality individuals in America.
"If we can get that partnership together, it's the way we're going to sustain this all-volunteer reserve force for the future," he said. "It's going to be us and the employers together succeeding."
Information on community policing assisted in the sponsorship of this entry.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 22, 2008 - The general in charge of the Army Reserve has a deal for U.S. employers: If you agree to hire qualified employees, he'll help you recruit them. Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz said the "Partnership for a Shared Workforce" initiative emerged as a way to help the reserves and the private sector attract young talent. Stultz said the concept was born of similar challenges facing the entities -- namely, that only about three in 10 young men ages 17-24 are fit to join the ranks of military or industry.
The reasons people are precluded from service -- from failure to meet educational or physical requirements, to a criminal background -- often are grounds for non-employment in the private sector too, the general said.
"Employers of America are having the same problem (as the Army)," Stultz said. "They're looking at that same work force out there and saying, 'How many of those kids can pass a drug test who don't already have some kind of conviction in their records? And how many have the aptitude to do the task we're needing in a much more technological age?'"
Among other enterprises, Stultz said, the partnership has received particular interest from America's trucking industry, where the average long-haul truck driver is more than 50 years old. Couple this aging work force with a shortage of qualified drivers, the general said, and young, employable talent is hard to pass up.
"I've got soldiers in my ranks that are truck drivers," Stultz said he tells employers at trucking companies. "They've already passed a drug test; they've already passed a background check; they've already passed a physical; they've already scored high enough on an aptitude test; and I've trained them how to drive a truck. All you've got to do is hire him."
Stultz said similar pitches to place reservists in civilian positions are gaining traction with industry employers around the country. He plugs the reserve's cadre of X-ray technicians to health care providers looking for help; he sells signal soldiers -- trained and experienced in using fiber optics -- to communications companies; he suggests military police troops for jobs in civilian law enforcement.
"We're getting a lot of synergy there now, being able to tell a potential soldier, 'How would you like to come work for us in the Army Reserve and go to work for this company in your local community at the same time?" he said.
The initiative hearkens back to Stultz's experience as a young man transitioning out of the active-duty Army in 1979 into a "dual-hatted" role as a reservist and a civilian employee at Proctor and Gamble.
Placing high value on the training and principles instilled in young officers, Proctor and Gamble and other companies eager to employ managers heavily recruited junior military officers, Stultz recalled.
"There were a lot of headhunter companies that would go around the military installations saying, 'If you're thinking about leaving active duty, let us talk to you,'" he said.
At the first national Proctor and Gamble meeting he attended, Stultz said, it was virtually a military homecoming. "Everybody there was like, 'Who were you with? What unit were you in? Where were you stationed?" he recalled. "Nowadays you really don't see that."
The general said he would like the two forces -- military and civilian -- to work together again as they did when he started at Proctor and Gamble, where Stultz, an operations manager, has worked for nearly three decades.
"Just like in 1979 when Proctor and Gamble was looking for new potential managers and they saw the military as a great source, I'm telling the employers of America that hasn't changed," Stultz said. "We produce some of the finest quality individuals in America.
"If we can get that partnership together, it's the way we're going to sustain this all-volunteer reserve force for the future," he said. "It's going to be us and the employers together succeeding."
Information on community policing assisted in the sponsorship of this entry.
CONTRACTS MILITARY 2-22-08
ARMY
Raytheon Co. Integrated Defense Co. Bedford, Mass., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a $14,078,796 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for PATRIOT Engineering Services. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Mass., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on Aug. 26, 2003, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity W31P4Q-04-C-0020.
APS Contracting, Inc., Peterson, N.J., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, an $11,923,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a combined maintenance faculty. Work will be performed in Fort Dix, N.J., and is expected to be completed by Jul., 31 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Nov. 1, 2007, and 11 bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity W912QR-08-C-0008.
Robertson Aviation L.L.C., Tempe, Ariz., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $9,838,492 as part of a $317,463,698 firm-fixed-price contract for crashworthy fuel systems, internal auxiliary fuel tank systems and related spares. Work will be performed in Tempe, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on Nov. 19, 2007, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity W58RGZ-08-D-0085.
Marathon Technologies, Elk Grove Village, Ill., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $8,675,000 as part of a $21,683,644 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Elk Grove Village, Ill., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 1, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Dec. 16, 2003, and four bids were received. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-04-D-0133.
Best Tools & Manufacturing Co., Kansas City, Mo., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a $8,224,400 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Kansas City, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Sep. 30, 2004, and six bids were received. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-05-C-0071.
Cape Cod Professional Services, Manassas, Va., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $8,128,000 as part of a $13,812,535 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Manassas, Va., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 29, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on April 24, 2006, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-06-D-0166.
NAVY
Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., is being awarded a $312,584,222 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed fee contract (N00024-08-C-2118) for Naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pa., (68.3 percent), and Schenectady, N.Y., (31.7 percent). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co. Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded a $17,799,209 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-5422) to procure Mk 57 MOD 12/13 NATO SEASPARROW Surface Missile System (NSSMS) Ordnance Alteration (ORDALT) Kits, MK 73 Solid State Transmitter (SSTx) ORDALT Kits, MK 29 Guided Missile Launcher System (GMLS) Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) ORDALT Kits and related spares for U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier (CVN), Amphibious Assault (LHA/LHD), and consortium ship installations. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I., (23 percent); Andover, Mass., (22 percent); Waterloo, Canada (14 percent); Windber, Pa., (13 percent); Long Island, N.Y., (15 percent); Dallas, Texas,(13 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Feb. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DTC Engineers and Constructors, LLC*, North Haven, Conn., is being awarded $8,991,900 for firm-fixed price task order #0002 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contract (N40085-06-D-4008) for construction of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Storage and Maintenance Facility at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point. Work will be performed in Cherry Point, N.C., and is expected to be completed by Sep. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
McDonnell Douglas Corp. A Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Boeing Co. of Long Beach, Calif., is being awarded an undefinitzed contract modification for $77,000,000. This action is an undefinitized contract action for CCP 0575, Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) Additional Guardian Laser Tracker Assemblies (GLTA) Installs; 37 kits and 37 installs, spares, and proposal prep to be procured. At this time $34,650,000 has been obligated. 516th AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8614-04-C-2004, P00196).
Information on property crimes can be obtain on that website.
Raytheon Co. Integrated Defense Co. Bedford, Mass., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a $14,078,796 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for PATRIOT Engineering Services. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Mass., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on Aug. 26, 2003, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity W31P4Q-04-C-0020.
APS Contracting, Inc., Peterson, N.J., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, an $11,923,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a combined maintenance faculty. Work will be performed in Fort Dix, N.J., and is expected to be completed by Jul., 31 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Nov. 1, 2007, and 11 bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity W912QR-08-C-0008.
Robertson Aviation L.L.C., Tempe, Ariz., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $9,838,492 as part of a $317,463,698 firm-fixed-price contract for crashworthy fuel systems, internal auxiliary fuel tank systems and related spares. Work will be performed in Tempe, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on Nov. 19, 2007, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity W58RGZ-08-D-0085.
Marathon Technologies, Elk Grove Village, Ill., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $8,675,000 as part of a $21,683,644 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Elk Grove Village, Ill., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 1, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Dec. 16, 2003, and four bids were received. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-04-D-0133.
Best Tools & Manufacturing Co., Kansas City, Mo., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a $8,224,400 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Kansas City, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Sep. 30, 2004, and six bids were received. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-05-C-0071.
Cape Cod Professional Services, Manassas, Va., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $8,128,000 as part of a $13,812,535 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Manassas, Va., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 29, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on April 24, 2006, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-06-D-0166.
NAVY
Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., is being awarded a $312,584,222 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed fee contract (N00024-08-C-2118) for Naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pa., (68.3 percent), and Schenectady, N.Y., (31.7 percent). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co. Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded a $17,799,209 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-5422) to procure Mk 57 MOD 12/13 NATO SEASPARROW Surface Missile System (NSSMS) Ordnance Alteration (ORDALT) Kits, MK 73 Solid State Transmitter (SSTx) ORDALT Kits, MK 29 Guided Missile Launcher System (GMLS) Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) ORDALT Kits and related spares for U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier (CVN), Amphibious Assault (LHA/LHD), and consortium ship installations. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I., (23 percent); Andover, Mass., (22 percent); Waterloo, Canada (14 percent); Windber, Pa., (13 percent); Long Island, N.Y., (15 percent); Dallas, Texas,(13 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Feb. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DTC Engineers and Constructors, LLC*, North Haven, Conn., is being awarded $8,991,900 for firm-fixed price task order #0002 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contract (N40085-06-D-4008) for construction of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Storage and Maintenance Facility at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point. Work will be performed in Cherry Point, N.C., and is expected to be completed by Sep. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
McDonnell Douglas Corp. A Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Boeing Co. of Long Beach, Calif., is being awarded an undefinitzed contract modification for $77,000,000. This action is an undefinitized contract action for CCP 0575, Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) Additional Guardian Laser Tracker Assemblies (GLTA) Installs; 37 kits and 37 installs, spares, and proposal prep to be procured. At this time $34,650,000 has been obligated. 516th AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8614-04-C-2004, P00196).
Information on property crimes can be obtain on that website.
Apolitical Military Fundamental to Democracy, Chairman Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - The idea that the military is an apolitical organization is fundamental to democracy, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told students at the Australian Defense College here yesterday. During a question and answer session, one of the students asked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff how he "manages the expectations of politicians."
The chairman quickly told the students that it is not a process of managing expectations, but of education.
The basics of national security transcend party, he said. In December, Australia changed administrations. But the support for the military remained strong, he said, and the transition was seamless.
"I credit the military leadership with a significant part of that," he said.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's job is to provide his "best military advice" to the president, defense secretary, National Security Council and Homeland Security Council.
Best military advice is not contingent on party, he said, and he, of course, will carry out the lawful orders of the president no matter what party he or she is from.
"Clearly one of my goals is to educate ... anybody who is in a position of responsibility politically and provide my best advice to every one of them about from the military's perspective and what we should be doing, where we should be investing, where we should be operating," he said.
"Early engagement" with politicians is important, the chairman said. He does not want to first speak with a political leader when there is a crisis. "Sometimes that happens, just because there are a lot of crises," he said.
Speaking constantly with political leaders builds trust and confidence, Mullen said.
"I would put it in terms of trying to create an understanding of the reality of the military and security environment that we are operating in, the capabilities that we bring, the relationships that we have and what is the best way to apply them to the challenges that we have," he said.
Information on family violence assisted in the publication on this article.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - The idea that the military is an apolitical organization is fundamental to democracy, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told students at the Australian Defense College here yesterday. During a question and answer session, one of the students asked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff how he "manages the expectations of politicians."
The chairman quickly told the students that it is not a process of managing expectations, but of education.
The basics of national security transcend party, he said. In December, Australia changed administrations. But the support for the military remained strong, he said, and the transition was seamless.
"I credit the military leadership with a significant part of that," he said.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's job is to provide his "best military advice" to the president, defense secretary, National Security Council and Homeland Security Council.
Best military advice is not contingent on party, he said, and he, of course, will carry out the lawful orders of the president no matter what party he or she is from.
"Clearly one of my goals is to educate ... anybody who is in a position of responsibility politically and provide my best advice to every one of them about from the military's perspective and what we should be doing, where we should be investing, where we should be operating," he said.
"Early engagement" with politicians is important, the chairman said. He does not want to first speak with a political leader when there is a crisis. "Sometimes that happens, just because there are a lot of crises," he said.
Speaking constantly with political leaders builds trust and confidence, Mullen said.
"I would put it in terms of trying to create an understanding of the reality of the military and security environment that we are operating in, the capabilities that we bring, the relationships that we have and what is the best way to apply them to the challenges that we have," he said.
Information on family violence assisted in the publication on this article.
Mullen Urges Military to View World Through Other Peoples' Eyes
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - In a time of change, military personnel have to have the capacity to see the world through other peoples' eyes, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here, yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told the students at the Australian Defense College that it was a previous trip to Australia that hammered that point home to him.
Mullen said he was having consultations with the Australian Defense Forces, and the operations chief put up a map with Australia at the center.
"I hadn't seen a slide without the United States at the center," Mullen told the students. "It kind of threw me off. Up in the right hand corner of this slide was little, little star and that was the United States.
"What that slide reminds me of is when you are in Australia and you live here, you see the world from Australia. All of us do that around the world," he said.
Every country of the world has maps with that country in the center. "As we are engaged around the world, we ought to be mindful of seeing it through other peoples' eyes," he said.
The admiral said he needs help to see the world as an Australian sees it. He needs to understand the security challenges facing Australia in the region for sure, but he also needs to understand the trade connections, the cultural connections.
The changes that occur politically are also an example, Mullen said. Australia has a new administration. The United States will have a new administration in less than a year. All of these things need to be examined and understood.
Geography, obviously, influences how a country defines a threat and what priority the nation places on countering it, Mullen said.
Seeing the world through another country's eyes can be even more basic, he said, and U.S. military personnel have to ask themselves questions from that nation's standpoint. What are the threats? How does a country confront the threats and how does the military fit in to that picture? How does a country build a security policy when the pace of change is accelerating and the crystal ball is clouded? How much should a country invest in conventional forces and how much should it emphasize unconventional resources? And what part do allies play?
These are questions that military personnel from all countries ask as a matter of course, he said. But all servicemembers need to ask the same questions from a different country's perspective.
The article and blog are sponsored by child abuse readings.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - In a time of change, military personnel have to have the capacity to see the world through other peoples' eyes, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here, yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told the students at the Australian Defense College that it was a previous trip to Australia that hammered that point home to him.
Mullen said he was having consultations with the Australian Defense Forces, and the operations chief put up a map with Australia at the center.
"I hadn't seen a slide without the United States at the center," Mullen told the students. "It kind of threw me off. Up in the right hand corner of this slide was little, little star and that was the United States.
"What that slide reminds me of is when you are in Australia and you live here, you see the world from Australia. All of us do that around the world," he said.
Every country of the world has maps with that country in the center. "As we are engaged around the world, we ought to be mindful of seeing it through other peoples' eyes," he said.
The admiral said he needs help to see the world as an Australian sees it. He needs to understand the security challenges facing Australia in the region for sure, but he also needs to understand the trade connections, the cultural connections.
The changes that occur politically are also an example, Mullen said. Australia has a new administration. The United States will have a new administration in less than a year. All of these things need to be examined and understood.
Geography, obviously, influences how a country defines a threat and what priority the nation places on countering it, Mullen said.
Seeing the world through another country's eyes can be even more basic, he said, and U.S. military personnel have to ask themselves questions from that nation's standpoint. What are the threats? How does a country confront the threats and how does the military fit in to that picture? How does a country build a security policy when the pace of change is accelerating and the crystal ball is clouded? How much should a country invest in conventional forces and how much should it emphasize unconventional resources? And what part do allies play?
These are questions that military personnel from all countries ask as a matter of course, he said. But all servicemembers need to ask the same questions from a different country's perspective.
The article and blog are sponsored by child abuse readings.
Mullen Addresses Rapid Change, Other Issues at Australian War College
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - Fighting the war on terrorism while the world continues to change at a rapid pace poses a challenge to the military, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told students attending the Australian Defense College here, yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to the students before attending the Australia-United States Ministerial meetings. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Navy Adm. Timothy Keating are also attending the talks.
"What's going on in the world right now is indicative of the incredible pace of change, and I would argue that the pace is just going to pick up," Mullen said to the more than 300 students from all services and many nations. "Five years ago, there would have been very few people who would have predicted the challenges we are dealing with right now."
He said no one can be very precise about what the shape of the world will be in another five to 10 years.
As he looks around the world, he is struck by the pace of troop deployments, the challenges of managing that pace, the different types of operations the troops are involved in, "and trying also to get our heads up high enough to take a look at what's out there in the long term," he said.
"Front and center in all that is the issue of terror, tied to weapons of mass destruction," he said.
He said he worries most about terrorists getting those weapons. "I know for a fact that there are those who are seeking to bring those two together," he said.
Security is a necessary condition for stability. Security provides the conditions for economies to thrive, for people to grow and standards of living to improve, he said.
"There are parts of the world where it is increasingly a challenge," he said.
The students also had a lively question and answer session with the chairman.
Among the issues discussed were "caveats," restrictions that countries sometimes place on how troops are used. Some NATO nations have passed caveats for their troops deploying to Afghanistan.
"There are clearly challenges in terms being of meeting the overall troop requirements (in Afghanistan) whether it is combat troops or trainers," Mullen said. "The caveats that are placed on country's military capabilities can be very debilitating in terms of being able to execute a mission."
Caveats can impact flexibility – the commander can't move forces from one area to another – or how troops are used – troops are trainers and not combat forces. "We've worked hard to try to convince countries to release as many of those caveats as they can, and also provide more capabilities," he said.
Mullen stressed that Afghanistan is the important mission for NATO. "I also believe that if NATO doesn't get this right and fails in Afghanistan, then there are great questions about the future of NATO that all of us should be asking," he said.
Mullen said the alliance must succeed in Afghanistan, "and I believe we can."
Students asked about the importance of military and diplomatic relationships.
He said he puts relationships in two categories: enduring and emerging. The U.S.-Australia relationship is an example of an enduring relationship. The two countries fought as allies in World War I, and continue a close relationship in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He used the countries of Africa as an example of emerging relationships. The continent has both tremendous potential and tremendous problems, he said. There is famine, disease, war and corruption, but also great resources.
"I believe for the developed world that those problems and challenges that Africa has, we can either go to them or they will come to us," he said. "We can engage early and positively to try to solve some of these problems. To the degree we don't engage and ignore them, the problems will just get bigger and become more challenging down the road."
In Asia, he said the relationship with Indonesia and Malaysia are examples of emerging U.S. relationships.
"I would see the strength of those relationships over time being absolutely critical to addressing the challenges we have," he said. "Without those relationships we almost can't (address those problems)."
Countries and militaries will also have relationships with non-governmental entities and transnational organizations such as the United Nations. It's important to work with those organizations before there is a crisis, he said.
"Developing a relationship on the battlefield in the midst of a crisis with someone I've never met before can be very challenging," he said. "We don't know each other and immediately we don't trust each other, and it is that trust that has to be built up over time."
Students also asked about money. "When I look at what we need to invest in in the future, it's far too easy to invest in things," Mullen said. "There are things we fly and things we drive. They are big toys – they are not unimportant, but often we overlook what I call the enablers that make all the platforms work."
Sensors and intelligence capabilities are examples of enablers, Mullen said. Fusing platforms and information to get a needed result is crucial to investment. "The speed of war is picking up," he said. "The enemy adapts quickly. We need to not only match them, but get ahead of them."
A student asked if the U.S. military will have the same experience when it leaves Iraq that it had when it left Vietnam. "The short answer is no," Mullen said. "But, it's where I grew up, I know exactly what happened back then, and my antenna is up on this issue all the time.
"We've got a mission to accomplish and I've got a ground force that is stressed right now and the balance is very delicate," he continued. "I'm mindful of that."
He said fundamental to the problems the military had post-Vietnam was the American people pulled away from the military. "That is not going on right now," he said. "But if that happens we're in trouble. It is one of my singular goals as chairman is to not let that happen."
An Iraqi officer attending the college asked the chairman his assessment of conditions in Iraq.
"What I worry about in Iraq is putting your country in a position to turn into a failed state," Mullen said. "Conditions of security have to be sustained so Iraq can continue to grow. It's tough, it's going to take a long time."
Mullen said the United States and Iraq are working together to establish a long-term security arrangement. "What I worry about more than anything else is any decision that would precipitate a failed state," he said.
The website with information on sex crimes sponsored this article on this blog.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - Fighting the war on terrorism while the world continues to change at a rapid pace poses a challenge to the military, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told students attending the Australian Defense College here, yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to the students before attending the Australia-United States Ministerial meetings. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Navy Adm. Timothy Keating are also attending the talks.
"What's going on in the world right now is indicative of the incredible pace of change, and I would argue that the pace is just going to pick up," Mullen said to the more than 300 students from all services and many nations. "Five years ago, there would have been very few people who would have predicted the challenges we are dealing with right now."
He said no one can be very precise about what the shape of the world will be in another five to 10 years.
As he looks around the world, he is struck by the pace of troop deployments, the challenges of managing that pace, the different types of operations the troops are involved in, "and trying also to get our heads up high enough to take a look at what's out there in the long term," he said.
"Front and center in all that is the issue of terror, tied to weapons of mass destruction," he said.
He said he worries most about terrorists getting those weapons. "I know for a fact that there are those who are seeking to bring those two together," he said.
Security is a necessary condition for stability. Security provides the conditions for economies to thrive, for people to grow and standards of living to improve, he said.
"There are parts of the world where it is increasingly a challenge," he said.
The students also had a lively question and answer session with the chairman.
Among the issues discussed were "caveats," restrictions that countries sometimes place on how troops are used. Some NATO nations have passed caveats for their troops deploying to Afghanistan.
"There are clearly challenges in terms being of meeting the overall troop requirements (in Afghanistan) whether it is combat troops or trainers," Mullen said. "The caveats that are placed on country's military capabilities can be very debilitating in terms of being able to execute a mission."
Caveats can impact flexibility – the commander can't move forces from one area to another – or how troops are used – troops are trainers and not combat forces. "We've worked hard to try to convince countries to release as many of those caveats as they can, and also provide more capabilities," he said.
Mullen stressed that Afghanistan is the important mission for NATO. "I also believe that if NATO doesn't get this right and fails in Afghanistan, then there are great questions about the future of NATO that all of us should be asking," he said.
Mullen said the alliance must succeed in Afghanistan, "and I believe we can."
Students asked about the importance of military and diplomatic relationships.
He said he puts relationships in two categories: enduring and emerging. The U.S.-Australia relationship is an example of an enduring relationship. The two countries fought as allies in World War I, and continue a close relationship in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He used the countries of Africa as an example of emerging relationships. The continent has both tremendous potential and tremendous problems, he said. There is famine, disease, war and corruption, but also great resources.
"I believe for the developed world that those problems and challenges that Africa has, we can either go to them or they will come to us," he said. "We can engage early and positively to try to solve some of these problems. To the degree we don't engage and ignore them, the problems will just get bigger and become more challenging down the road."
In Asia, he said the relationship with Indonesia and Malaysia are examples of emerging U.S. relationships.
"I would see the strength of those relationships over time being absolutely critical to addressing the challenges we have," he said. "Without those relationships we almost can't (address those problems)."
Countries and militaries will also have relationships with non-governmental entities and transnational organizations such as the United Nations. It's important to work with those organizations before there is a crisis, he said.
"Developing a relationship on the battlefield in the midst of a crisis with someone I've never met before can be very challenging," he said. "We don't know each other and immediately we don't trust each other, and it is that trust that has to be built up over time."
Students also asked about money. "When I look at what we need to invest in in the future, it's far too easy to invest in things," Mullen said. "There are things we fly and things we drive. They are big toys – they are not unimportant, but often we overlook what I call the enablers that make all the platforms work."
Sensors and intelligence capabilities are examples of enablers, Mullen said. Fusing platforms and information to get a needed result is crucial to investment. "The speed of war is picking up," he said. "The enemy adapts quickly. We need to not only match them, but get ahead of them."
A student asked if the U.S. military will have the same experience when it leaves Iraq that it had when it left Vietnam. "The short answer is no," Mullen said. "But, it's where I grew up, I know exactly what happened back then, and my antenna is up on this issue all the time.
"We've got a mission to accomplish and I've got a ground force that is stressed right now and the balance is very delicate," he continued. "I'm mindful of that."
He said fundamental to the problems the military had post-Vietnam was the American people pulled away from the military. "That is not going on right now," he said. "But if that happens we're in trouble. It is one of my singular goals as chairman is to not let that happen."
An Iraqi officer attending the college asked the chairman his assessment of conditions in Iraq.
"What I worry about in Iraq is putting your country in a position to turn into a failed state," Mullen said. "Conditions of security have to be sustained so Iraq can continue to grow. It's tough, it's going to take a long time."
Mullen said the United States and Iraq are working together to establish a long-term security arrangement. "What I worry about more than anything else is any decision that would precipitate a failed state," he said.
The website with information on sex crimes sponsored this article on this blog.
Gates Pleased by Mission's Success
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was pleased when he learned a U.S. Navy missile hit the crippled spy satellite that was falling out of orbit and threatening to spill its toxic rocket fuel upon re-entry. Defense officials could not immediately confirm that the fuel tank had been hit, and said they hope to know for sure by late tonight.
At 5:35 p.m. in Hawaii (10:35 p.m. EST), Gates received a call from Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright and U.S. Strategic Command Commander Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton delivering the news that the mission was a success, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.
"The secretary was obviously very pleased to learn that, and he congratulated General Cartwright and General Chilton, as well as their teams, on a job well done," Morrell said.
At about 1:40 p.m. EST yesterday, while en route to Hawaii from Washington, Gates held a conference call with the two generals and was told the conditions were "ripe" for an attempt. That is when the secretary gave the go-ahead for the Navy to take the shot, and he wished them luck in their attempt, Morrell said.
At about 10:26 p.m. EST, a U.S. Navy Aegis warship, the USS Lake Erie, fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile 3, hitting the satellite about 133 nautical miles over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph, according to a Defense Department statement.
The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the roughly 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel that could pose a danger to people on Earth.
"The secretary, like all of us, is standing by to learn more how successful the intercept was," Morrell said. "After all, the goal here was not just to hit the satellite. The goal here was to hit and destroy the fuel tank to eliminate it as potential danger to those of us here on Earth."
Because of the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris would have started re-entering the earth's atmosphere immediately, officials said, and nearly all of the debris will burn up on re-entry within two days.
Should any large pieces of the satellite's debris make it to Earth, special teams are on alert and positioned within the U.S. Pacific Command, Navy. Adm. Timothy J. Keating, PACOM commander, told reporters traveling with the secretary shortly after Gates landed here.
"(The teams are there) to lend assistance should parts of the satellite survive the missile impact and hit," he said. "We don't think the hydrazine container is going to hit. That's why we're shooting at it. But if it does, we're prepared to assist with specially trained teams that are on alert at various places throughout our area of responsibility."
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen also spoke to reporters here and said the shoot-down does not threaten any country and is not a new space race with any country.
"What we've tried to do from the beginning was be as open as possible about the intention," the chairman said during a news conference at Hickam Air Force Base. "We are taking the shot at what we hope will be an altitude that will minimize the amount of space debris that will occur. We've engaged governments throughout the world to tell them what our intentions are. We have been very transparent, very open in that regard."
The admiral made a point that the Navy's Standard Missile 3 had to be modified to fly the mission at all, and that it would be used only in this kind of emergency response to similar potential dangers.
Gates stopped in Hawaii on the first leg of a nine-day trip around the world aimed at reinforcing relationships with some countries he has yet to visit as defense secretary. In addition to U.S. Pacific Command here, the secretary will participate in annual bilateral talks with Australia, and discuss security matters with his counterparts in Indonesia, India and Turkey.
(Jim Garamone of American Forces Press Service contributed to this story.)
Support for publishing this article was provided by online publications.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was pleased when he learned a U.S. Navy missile hit the crippled spy satellite that was falling out of orbit and threatening to spill its toxic rocket fuel upon re-entry. Defense officials could not immediately confirm that the fuel tank had been hit, and said they hope to know for sure by late tonight.
At 5:35 p.m. in Hawaii (10:35 p.m. EST), Gates received a call from Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright and U.S. Strategic Command Commander Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton delivering the news that the mission was a success, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.
"The secretary was obviously very pleased to learn that, and he congratulated General Cartwright and General Chilton, as well as their teams, on a job well done," Morrell said.
At about 1:40 p.m. EST yesterday, while en route to Hawaii from Washington, Gates held a conference call with the two generals and was told the conditions were "ripe" for an attempt. That is when the secretary gave the go-ahead for the Navy to take the shot, and he wished them luck in their attempt, Morrell said.
At about 10:26 p.m. EST, a U.S. Navy Aegis warship, the USS Lake Erie, fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile 3, hitting the satellite about 133 nautical miles over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph, according to a Defense Department statement.
The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the roughly 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel that could pose a danger to people on Earth.
"The secretary, like all of us, is standing by to learn more how successful the intercept was," Morrell said. "After all, the goal here was not just to hit the satellite. The goal here was to hit and destroy the fuel tank to eliminate it as potential danger to those of us here on Earth."
Because of the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris would have started re-entering the earth's atmosphere immediately, officials said, and nearly all of the debris will burn up on re-entry within two days.
Should any large pieces of the satellite's debris make it to Earth, special teams are on alert and positioned within the U.S. Pacific Command, Navy. Adm. Timothy J. Keating, PACOM commander, told reporters traveling with the secretary shortly after Gates landed here.
"(The teams are there) to lend assistance should parts of the satellite survive the missile impact and hit," he said. "We don't think the hydrazine container is going to hit. That's why we're shooting at it. But if it does, we're prepared to assist with specially trained teams that are on alert at various places throughout our area of responsibility."
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen also spoke to reporters here and said the shoot-down does not threaten any country and is not a new space race with any country.
"What we've tried to do from the beginning was be as open as possible about the intention," the chairman said during a news conference at Hickam Air Force Base. "We are taking the shot at what we hope will be an altitude that will minimize the amount of space debris that will occur. We've engaged governments throughout the world to tell them what our intentions are. We have been very transparent, very open in that regard."
The admiral made a point that the Navy's Standard Missile 3 had to be modified to fly the mission at all, and that it would be used only in this kind of emergency response to similar potential dangers.
Gates stopped in Hawaii on the first leg of a nine-day trip around the world aimed at reinforcing relationships with some countries he has yet to visit as defense secretary. In addition to U.S. Pacific Command here, the secretary will participate in annual bilateral talks with Australia, and discuss security matters with his counterparts in Indonesia, India and Turkey.
(Jim Garamone of American Forces Press Service contributed to this story.)
Support for publishing this article was provided by online publications.
Mullen Thanks Troops for Service at 'Critical Time'
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday thanked U.S. forces serving in the Pacific for stepping forward to serve their country at what he called "a very critical time" in the nation's history. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to about 400 servicemembers at an "all-hands" meeting here.
"We're in our sixth year of war right now, and we're at the beginning of what I see as a very long war, very much a sustained effort, and one that will continue to take the significant contributions that you all are making," Mullen said. "You are very special, because you all raised your right hand to serve your country at a very critical time in our history."
Mullen said today's U.S. military is the best he has ever seen in his almost 40 years of service. He credited families with a large part of the success of the force, and he thanked family members for their service. "Families, through thick and thin in this war, have been incredibly supportive, and they are pushed," he said.
Six years of war have brought tremendous change to the U.S. military and to the world as a whole, Mullen said, and he told servicemembers here they can expect more change in the years to come.
"Just look at what has happened over the last six years and how we've changed as a force, how our country has changed, regions have changed and the world has changed," he said.
It's an unpredictable world, he said, "and I'd like to be able to tell you in two or three years that this is exactly what we'd be doing, where we'd be doing, or even when we'd be doing, but I can't."
The military will continue to change, he said, whether it be in tactics, techniques and procedures, training or leadership challenges.
"Things have changed in how we're fighting, and they will continue to change," he said. "The enemy is pretty quick, pretty adaptive (and) very lethal, and we need to be able to match and exceed the enemy's speed in this irregular and asymmetric environment we find ourselves in."
Servicemembers today find themselves doing things they never would have imagined a few short years ago, the chairman noted. They are becoming more culturally aware, are learning new languages and are stepping up to new educational requirements, he said. "We're globally engaged militarily, and we will remain so," he added.
Though a great deal of American focus is on the U.S. Central Command area of operations, Mullen said, the Pacific is an important lynchpin in America's future.
"I have spent a decade of my career out here in the Pacific," he said. "I know how important this region is. It's growing in importance, and that is tied to the resources and economies around the Pacific basin.
"What you do will be vital to our security and the security of the Pacific region," he continued. "You are at the heart of that, and I don't expect that to slow down."
As the pace of change continues, Mullen said, he is concerned about continued pressure on the armed forces, especially ground forces.
"The 15-month deployment is too long," he said. "We need to get back to 12-month deployments as soon as possible. The cumulative effect of these deployments is something we have to pay attention to."
As the military moves forward, Mullen said, everyone in uniform must be a leader.
"I don't care if you are an E-1 or someone as senior as I am," he said. "You are responsible for yourselves, your unit and each other. You are connected that way, and the expectation is that we all lead and lead well. We take care of each other and respect each other, and it runs the full spectrum of leading from the front, the rear and leading your peers."
Great leaders are needed to solve the problems of this difficult time, the admiral said.
"We are being pushed very hard right now," he told the servicemembers. "All of you need to reach your potential, and all of those who work are given an opportunity to succeed as well. Everybody has got a dream and a vision and a future that is very bright, and we have to make sure we get everybody there."
Corrections issues was key in preparing the reproduction of this article.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday thanked U.S. forces serving in the Pacific for stepping forward to serve their country at what he called "a very critical time" in the nation's history. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to about 400 servicemembers at an "all-hands" meeting here.
"We're in our sixth year of war right now, and we're at the beginning of what I see as a very long war, very much a sustained effort, and one that will continue to take the significant contributions that you all are making," Mullen said. "You are very special, because you all raised your right hand to serve your country at a very critical time in our history."
Mullen said today's U.S. military is the best he has ever seen in his almost 40 years of service. He credited families with a large part of the success of the force, and he thanked family members for their service. "Families, through thick and thin in this war, have been incredibly supportive, and they are pushed," he said.
Six years of war have brought tremendous change to the U.S. military and to the world as a whole, Mullen said, and he told servicemembers here they can expect more change in the years to come.
"Just look at what has happened over the last six years and how we've changed as a force, how our country has changed, regions have changed and the world has changed," he said.
It's an unpredictable world, he said, "and I'd like to be able to tell you in two or three years that this is exactly what we'd be doing, where we'd be doing, or even when we'd be doing, but I can't."
The military will continue to change, he said, whether it be in tactics, techniques and procedures, training or leadership challenges.
"Things have changed in how we're fighting, and they will continue to change," he said. "The enemy is pretty quick, pretty adaptive (and) very lethal, and we need to be able to match and exceed the enemy's speed in this irregular and asymmetric environment we find ourselves in."
Servicemembers today find themselves doing things they never would have imagined a few short years ago, the chairman noted. They are becoming more culturally aware, are learning new languages and are stepping up to new educational requirements, he said. "We're globally engaged militarily, and we will remain so," he added.
Though a great deal of American focus is on the U.S. Central Command area of operations, Mullen said, the Pacific is an important lynchpin in America's future.
"I have spent a decade of my career out here in the Pacific," he said. "I know how important this region is. It's growing in importance, and that is tied to the resources and economies around the Pacific basin.
"What you do will be vital to our security and the security of the Pacific region," he continued. "You are at the heart of that, and I don't expect that to slow down."
As the pace of change continues, Mullen said, he is concerned about continued pressure on the armed forces, especially ground forces.
"The 15-month deployment is too long," he said. "We need to get back to 12-month deployments as soon as possible. The cumulative effect of these deployments is something we have to pay attention to."
As the military moves forward, Mullen said, everyone in uniform must be a leader.
"I don't care if you are an E-1 or someone as senior as I am," he said. "You are responsible for yourselves, your unit and each other. You are connected that way, and the expectation is that we all lead and lead well. We take care of each other and respect each other, and it runs the full spectrum of leading from the front, the rear and leading your peers."
Great leaders are needed to solve the problems of this difficult time, the admiral said.
"We are being pushed very hard right now," he told the servicemembers. "All of you need to reach your potential, and all of those who work are given an opportunity to succeed as well. Everybody has got a dream and a vision and a future that is very bright, and we have to make sure we get everybody there."
Corrections issues was key in preparing the reproduction of this article.
Bush: U.S. Plans No New Military Bases in Africa
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The United States stood up U.S. Africa Command to provide military assistance to African nations, not as a springboard to opening new military bases there, President Bush said during his visit to Ghana yesterday. Speaking at a media availability in Accra with Ghana's President John Kufuor, Bush emphasized that the United States has no plans to establish new bases on the continent.
"I know there's rumors in Ghana: 'All Bush is coming to do is try to convince you to put a big military base here,'" the president said. "That's baloney. Or as we say in Texas, that's bull."
Bush, in Ghana for the fourth stop in his five-nation African trip, sought to put the rumors to rest.
"I want to dispel the notion that, all of a sudden, America is bringing all kinds of military to Africa. It's just simply not true," he said. "The whole purpose of AFRICOM is to help leaders deal with African problems."
Bush directed the creation of AFRICOM in February 2007. It began initial operations in October with Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward as its first commander.
The command structure, with both Defense and State department representation, reflects AFRICOM's unique mission. Ward has two deputies: Navy Vice Adm. Robert T. Moeller is deputy for military operations, and U.S. Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates is deputy for civil-military activities.
"This is a unique command structure for America," Bush said. "It is a command structure that is aiming to help provide military assistance to African nations, so African nations are more capable of dealing with Africa's conflicts -- like peacekeeping training."
The AFRICOM headquarters is at Kelley Barracks, in Stuttgart, Germany. The United States could eventually open an AFRICOM office somewhere in Africa, but hasn't yet made that decision, Bush said. "We haven't made our minds up," he told reporters. "It's a new concept."
Assistance in preparing this entry was provided by transit readings.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The United States stood up U.S. Africa Command to provide military assistance to African nations, not as a springboard to opening new military bases there, President Bush said during his visit to Ghana yesterday. Speaking at a media availability in Accra with Ghana's President John Kufuor, Bush emphasized that the United States has no plans to establish new bases on the continent.
"I know there's rumors in Ghana: 'All Bush is coming to do is try to convince you to put a big military base here,'" the president said. "That's baloney. Or as we say in Texas, that's bull."
Bush, in Ghana for the fourth stop in his five-nation African trip, sought to put the rumors to rest.
"I want to dispel the notion that, all of a sudden, America is bringing all kinds of military to Africa. It's just simply not true," he said. "The whole purpose of AFRICOM is to help leaders deal with African problems."
Bush directed the creation of AFRICOM in February 2007. It began initial operations in October with Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward as its first commander.
The command structure, with both Defense and State department representation, reflects AFRICOM's unique mission. Ward has two deputies: Navy Vice Adm. Robert T. Moeller is deputy for military operations, and U.S. Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates is deputy for civil-military activities.
"This is a unique command structure for America," Bush said. "It is a command structure that is aiming to help provide military assistance to African nations, so African nations are more capable of dealing with Africa's conflicts -- like peacekeeping training."
The AFRICOM headquarters is at Kelley Barracks, in Stuttgart, Germany. The United States could eventually open an AFRICOM office somewhere in Africa, but hasn't yet made that decision, Bush said. "We haven't made our minds up," he told reporters. "It's a new concept."
Assistance in preparing this entry was provided by transit readings.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Navy Missile Likely Hit Fuel Tank on Disabled Satellite
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The missile fired from a U.S. Navy ship in the Pacific Ocean that hit a malfunctioning U.S. reconnaissance satellite late yesterday likely accomplished its goal of destroying the satellite's toxic fuel tank, a senior U.S. military officer said here today. Preliminary reports indicate the SM-3 missile struck its primary target, which was a tank full of toxic hydrazine rocket fuel carried aboard the 5,000-pound satellite, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference.
"The intercept occurred. ... We're very confident that we hit the satellite," Cartwright said. "We also have a high degree of confidence that we got the tank."
Video shown to reporters depicts the satellite exploding at the point of contact with the missile. Cartwright said the visible fireball and the vapor cloud or plume around it suggest that the fuel tank was hit and the hydrazine had burned up.
"The high-definition imagery that we have indicates that we hit the spacecraft right in the area of the tank," Cartwright said.
However, he added, it probably would take another 24 to 48 hours of sifting through data "to get to a point where we are very comfortable with our analysis that we indeed breached the tank."
Radar sweeps of the satellite's debris field thus far show that no parts larger than a football survived the strike, Cartwright said. Post-strike surveillance shows satellite debris falling into the atmosphere above the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, he said. Small remnants are likely to burn up in the atmosphere, never making it to the Earth's surface.
The U.S. State Department has provided updates on the situation to its embassies around the world, Cartwright noted. There are no reports of debris reaching the Earth, he said, adding that consequence-management crews are on standby to respond to such a circumstance, if required.
The SM-3 missile was launched by the USS Lake Erie, positioned northwest of Hawaii, at 10:26 p.m. EST yesterday, Cartwright said. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who is on an overseas trip, gave the go-ahead to fire, Cartwright said.
The missile intercepted the satellite about 153 nautical miles above the Earth, just before it began to enter the atmosphere, Cartwright said. Joint Space Operations Center technicians at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif, confirmed the satalitte's breakup about 24 minutes later.
The National Reconnaissance Office-managed satellite malfunctioned soon after it was launched in 2006, making it unresponsive to ground control. The satellite, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes or so, was expected to fall to Earth in February or March with its tank of hydrazine intact, possibly endangering human populations.
President Bush directed the Defense Department to engage the satellite just before it entered the atmosphere. U.S. officials decided to shoot down the satellite because of the danger posed by the hazardous hydrazine, Cartwright explained, noting the goal was for the missile to hit and rupture the tank of rocket fuel, causing the hydrazine to burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere, along with debris from the stricken satellite.
"So, you can imagine at the point of intercept last night there were a few cheers from people who have spent many days working on this project," Cartwright said.
Gang readings was an integral partner in supporting this blog and entry.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The missile fired from a U.S. Navy ship in the Pacific Ocean that hit a malfunctioning U.S. reconnaissance satellite late yesterday likely accomplished its goal of destroying the satellite's toxic fuel tank, a senior U.S. military officer said here today. Preliminary reports indicate the SM-3 missile struck its primary target, which was a tank full of toxic hydrazine rocket fuel carried aboard the 5,000-pound satellite, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference.
"The intercept occurred. ... We're very confident that we hit the satellite," Cartwright said. "We also have a high degree of confidence that we got the tank."
Video shown to reporters depicts the satellite exploding at the point of contact with the missile. Cartwright said the visible fireball and the vapor cloud or plume around it suggest that the fuel tank was hit and the hydrazine had burned up.
"The high-definition imagery that we have indicates that we hit the spacecraft right in the area of the tank," Cartwright said.
However, he added, it probably would take another 24 to 48 hours of sifting through data "to get to a point where we are very comfortable with our analysis that we indeed breached the tank."
Radar sweeps of the satellite's debris field thus far show that no parts larger than a football survived the strike, Cartwright said. Post-strike surveillance shows satellite debris falling into the atmosphere above the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, he said. Small remnants are likely to burn up in the atmosphere, never making it to the Earth's surface.
The U.S. State Department has provided updates on the situation to its embassies around the world, Cartwright noted. There are no reports of debris reaching the Earth, he said, adding that consequence-management crews are on standby to respond to such a circumstance, if required.
The SM-3 missile was launched by the USS Lake Erie, positioned northwest of Hawaii, at 10:26 p.m. EST yesterday, Cartwright said. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who is on an overseas trip, gave the go-ahead to fire, Cartwright said.
The missile intercepted the satellite about 153 nautical miles above the Earth, just before it began to enter the atmosphere, Cartwright said. Joint Space Operations Center technicians at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif, confirmed the satalitte's breakup about 24 minutes later.
The National Reconnaissance Office-managed satellite malfunctioned soon after it was launched in 2006, making it unresponsive to ground control. The satellite, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes or so, was expected to fall to Earth in February or March with its tank of hydrazine intact, possibly endangering human populations.
President Bush directed the Defense Department to engage the satellite just before it entered the atmosphere. U.S. officials decided to shoot down the satellite because of the danger posed by the hazardous hydrazine, Cartwright explained, noting the goal was for the missile to hit and rupture the tank of rocket fuel, causing the hydrazine to burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere, along with debris from the stricken satellite.
"So, you can imagine at the point of intercept last night there were a few cheers from people who have spent many days working on this project," Cartwright said.
Gang readings was an integral partner in supporting this blog and entry.
Face of Defense: Wounded in Iraq, National Guardsman Wants to Return
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - For an Arkansas Army National Guardsman, the war in Iraq came to an abrupt end in the alley of a Baghdad neighborhood on June 13, 2004. Then-Sgt. Kevin Pannell was on a routine foot patrol with his unit in Sadr City, a Baghdad neighborhood, when insurgents lobbed two hand grenades at the group. The grenades landed near him and exploded, knocking him off his feet and mangling both of his legs.
"I was never knocked out, so my medic wouldn't let me go to sleep -- because when you go to sleep, shock sets in," Pannell said.
That changed when he arrived at the U.S. military hospital in Baghdad, however. The doctors there put him into a medically induced coma.
"It's kind of surreal, because you don't remember that. It doesn't seem like it really happened," he said. "To me, I went to sleep in Baghdad and woke up two minutes later."
In fact, it was eight days before Pannell awoke at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here to find doctors had amputated his right leg below the knee and his left leg above the knee.
Two prosthetic legs and plenty of physical therapy have Pannell up and walking again, and despite all he's been through, he wants to return to the country where his life was turned upside-down.
Pannell won't return as a soldier; he's been medically retired. And he's too pragmatic to think he could even the score with the insurgents whose grenades shattered his body.
"It's so hard to get those guys. They skip over two streets, change their shirts, and they're not who they were," he said. "Unless you've been studying this guy on the 'black list,' you're not going to recognize him on the street."
It's a sense of duty to the deployed men and women that is nagging at him to go back. He said he wants them to know that just because a servicemember is injured doesn't mean he forgets about his buddies who are still patrolling the streets of Iraq.
"I think it would be vitally important for those dudes to realize that once we get hurt, we don't forget about them," Pannell said. "That's something a lot of people can't understand, but it's impossible. It's impossible to forget your guys."
Pannell said he thinks the members of his unit who didn't get hurt had it much worse than he did. It's not that he would ever wish on his buddies what he's been through, but once he began to recover, he said, he could get on with his life.
"Once I got hit, I was safe. I was back in the States, (and) the war was over for me," he said. "They (were) going out those gates every day, not knowing if they're going to come back or not. That's a hell of a thing to bear, you know?"
While his wife, Danielle, supports his desire to go back, she has a slightly different take on why he wants to make the trip.
"He went into Iraq a scared little kid and came out the same way because he never really got to say goodbye, never got to have closure (in that part) of his life. When he left, he was unconscious," she said in a previous American Forces Press Service interview. "He wants to go back and say, 'Look, I'm here. You didn't defeat me.'"
Maybe he'll get his chance. "If anybody wants me to tag along on a (United Service Organizations) trip, I'm down," he said. "Drew Carey goes over like every six months; I can hop on with him."
Information and article prepared with the assistance of family violence readings.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - For an Arkansas Army National Guardsman, the war in Iraq came to an abrupt end in the alley of a Baghdad neighborhood on June 13, 2004. Then-Sgt. Kevin Pannell was on a routine foot patrol with his unit in Sadr City, a Baghdad neighborhood, when insurgents lobbed two hand grenades at the group. The grenades landed near him and exploded, knocking him off his feet and mangling both of his legs.
"I was never knocked out, so my medic wouldn't let me go to sleep -- because when you go to sleep, shock sets in," Pannell said.
That changed when he arrived at the U.S. military hospital in Baghdad, however. The doctors there put him into a medically induced coma.
"It's kind of surreal, because you don't remember that. It doesn't seem like it really happened," he said. "To me, I went to sleep in Baghdad and woke up two minutes later."
In fact, it was eight days before Pannell awoke at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here to find doctors had amputated his right leg below the knee and his left leg above the knee.
Two prosthetic legs and plenty of physical therapy have Pannell up and walking again, and despite all he's been through, he wants to return to the country where his life was turned upside-down.
Pannell won't return as a soldier; he's been medically retired. And he's too pragmatic to think he could even the score with the insurgents whose grenades shattered his body.
"It's so hard to get those guys. They skip over two streets, change their shirts, and they're not who they were," he said. "Unless you've been studying this guy on the 'black list,' you're not going to recognize him on the street."
It's a sense of duty to the deployed men and women that is nagging at him to go back. He said he wants them to know that just because a servicemember is injured doesn't mean he forgets about his buddies who are still patrolling the streets of Iraq.
"I think it would be vitally important for those dudes to realize that once we get hurt, we don't forget about them," Pannell said. "That's something a lot of people can't understand, but it's impossible. It's impossible to forget your guys."
Pannell said he thinks the members of his unit who didn't get hurt had it much worse than he did. It's not that he would ever wish on his buddies what he's been through, but once he began to recover, he said, he could get on with his life.
"Once I got hit, I was safe. I was back in the States, (and) the war was over for me," he said. "They (were) going out those gates every day, not knowing if they're going to come back or not. That's a hell of a thing to bear, you know?"
While his wife, Danielle, supports his desire to go back, she has a slightly different take on why he wants to make the trip.
"He went into Iraq a scared little kid and came out the same way because he never really got to say goodbye, never got to have closure (in that part) of his life. When he left, he was unconscious," she said in a previous American Forces Press Service interview. "He wants to go back and say, 'Look, I'm here. You didn't defeat me.'"
Maybe he'll get his chance. "If anybody wants me to tag along on a (United Service Organizations) trip, I'm down," he said. "Drew Carey goes over like every six months; I can hop on with him."
Information and article prepared with the assistance of family violence readings.
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