Officials of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) met today with representatives of the Indian government in New Delhi to lay the groundwork for future U.S.-Indian humanitarian operations in Arunachal Pradesh State.
During the meeting, the officials discussed a tentative timeline for future investigations and recoveries of aircraft crash sites associated with missing U.S. servicemen from World War II. In addition, they discussed cooperation in the areas of team security, medical support, logistical requirements and transportation.
JPAC officials will return to the region in the spring to discuss details of future operations with Ministry of Defense and Arunachal Pradesh officials. This will be followed by site visits in early fall to determine the scope of debris fields and evaluate unique logistical requirements associated with each site. This process sets the groundwork for future recovery teams by clearly defining the work that will be required to properly and efficiently excavate known aircraft crash locations.
The first full excavation mission should begin shortly after these site visits and is scheduled to be finished by the end of the year.
"This meeting is a significant step in a partnership that will enable our teams to go into areas where we hope to find remains of missing American service members," said Rear Adm. Donna Crisp, JPAC commander.
"We look forward to developing closer ties and stronger working relationships with our Indian counterparts as we work together to accomplish this humanitarian mission."
There are more than 1,300 individuals missing from loss incidents - primarily aircraft crashes - in the region known as "the Hump" or the "China-Burma-India" theatre of operations in WWII. While it is impossible to say with certainty in which country a specific plane was lost, JPAC analysts estimate more than 400 Americans are unaccounted-for in this region.
For additional information on this mission in India, call JPAC at (808) 448-1938, or the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office at (703) 699-1420.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
NATO Progress in Afghanistan Significant, General Says
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
March 19, 2008 - Despite the task NATO faced when it arrived in Afghanistan in 2003, the alliance has made significant progress in the country, the deputy chairman of the alliance's military committee said here yesterday. "NATO's done a remarkable job ... in expanding their operations, from what began just in the Kabul area, throughout the entire country by late 2006," U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry told the Pentagon Channel. "Today, NATO does have the responsibility for the maintenance of security throughout the entire country of Afghanistan."
NATO came into Afghanistan under a United Nations mandate to establish an International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF. That force had the responsibility of providing security in the greater capital area of Kabul.
By October 2006, NATO had expanded its operations throughout the country and was tackling three main tasks, which it continues today. Those tasks include helping the Afghan government extend control throughout the country and developing the necessary security institutions to maintain that control.
"The third major task is helping to create the conditions throughout the country for sustainable reconstruction and development to be conducted," said Eikenberry, who commanded coalition forces in Afghanistan until NATO assumed responsibility in October 2006.
About 47,000 NATO servicemembers, including about 19,000 Americans, serve in the country under the NATO flag. Most of an additional contingent of 3,200 U.S. Marines deploying to Afghanistan will serve in combat roles in the eastern or southern areas of the country.
"Others in the Marine forces will be employed in smaller units that will be partnered with the Afghan National Police," Eikenberry said. They will provide training, logistics and combat support, operating in the more difficult districts of Afghanistan that are more threatened by Taliban, he added.
Steady engagement and lessons learned have led not only to progress in Afghanistan, but also to growth in alliance members' capabilities.
"I look at our non-U.S. NATO partners, (and) I'm seeing the same trends inside of Afghanistan of steady improvement in terms of their doctrine, their capabilities (and) the equipment they're bringing to bear," Eikenberry said. "I also see that the alliance, in terms of multinational practices or alliance practices, are steadily improving."
That's a fact the general has noticed in the relaxing of some of the operational restrictions, or "caveats," that some alliance members place on their forces. Those restrictions have in the past and could continue to reduce NATO's overall operational effectiveness, he said.
"But all told, again, I would emphasize that NATO has made significant progress even in terms of, over time, reducing these kinds of restrictions that are placed on forces," he added. "A bit more progress needs to be made."
While the alliance's mission moves forward in Afghanistan, it's status quo in the newly independent republic of Kosovo, the general said.
The former Serbian province's declaration of independence has changed the environment on the ground, Eikenberry said.
"But still today, the Kosovo force under NATO command operates under the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244, still maintains the mandate of maintaining a safe and secure environment, and it does so in an impartial manner," he said.
The United States provides about 10 percent of the 16,000-member NATO force in Kosovo.
American Forces Press Service
March 19, 2008 - Despite the task NATO faced when it arrived in Afghanistan in 2003, the alliance has made significant progress in the country, the deputy chairman of the alliance's military committee said here yesterday. "NATO's done a remarkable job ... in expanding their operations, from what began just in the Kabul area, throughout the entire country by late 2006," U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry told the Pentagon Channel. "Today, NATO does have the responsibility for the maintenance of security throughout the entire country of Afghanistan."
NATO came into Afghanistan under a United Nations mandate to establish an International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF. That force had the responsibility of providing security in the greater capital area of Kabul.
By October 2006, NATO had expanded its operations throughout the country and was tackling three main tasks, which it continues today. Those tasks include helping the Afghan government extend control throughout the country and developing the necessary security institutions to maintain that control.
"The third major task is helping to create the conditions throughout the country for sustainable reconstruction and development to be conducted," said Eikenberry, who commanded coalition forces in Afghanistan until NATO assumed responsibility in October 2006.
About 47,000 NATO servicemembers, including about 19,000 Americans, serve in the country under the NATO flag. Most of an additional contingent of 3,200 U.S. Marines deploying to Afghanistan will serve in combat roles in the eastern or southern areas of the country.
"Others in the Marine forces will be employed in smaller units that will be partnered with the Afghan National Police," Eikenberry said. They will provide training, logistics and combat support, operating in the more difficult districts of Afghanistan that are more threatened by Taliban, he added.
Steady engagement and lessons learned have led not only to progress in Afghanistan, but also to growth in alliance members' capabilities.
"I look at our non-U.S. NATO partners, (and) I'm seeing the same trends inside of Afghanistan of steady improvement in terms of their doctrine, their capabilities (and) the equipment they're bringing to bear," Eikenberry said. "I also see that the alliance, in terms of multinational practices or alliance practices, are steadily improving."
That's a fact the general has noticed in the relaxing of some of the operational restrictions, or "caveats," that some alliance members place on their forces. Those restrictions have in the past and could continue to reduce NATO's overall operational effectiveness, he said.
"But all told, again, I would emphasize that NATO has made significant progress even in terms of, over time, reducing these kinds of restrictions that are placed on forces," he added. "A bit more progress needs to be made."
While the alliance's mission moves forward in Afghanistan, it's status quo in the newly independent republic of Kosovo, the general said.
The former Serbian province's declaration of independence has changed the environment on the ground, Eikenberry said.
"But still today, the Kosovo force under NATO command operates under the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244, still maintains the mandate of maintaining a safe and secure environment, and it does so in an impartial manner," he said.
The United States provides about 10 percent of the 16,000-member NATO force in Kosovo.
64 Universities to Receive $200 Million in Research Funding
The Department of Defense announced today 34 awards to academic institutions to perform multi-disciplinary basic research. The total amount of the awards is expected to be $19.7 million in fiscal 2008 and $200 million over five years. Awards are subject to the successful completion of negotiations between the academic institutions and DoD research offices that will make the awards: the Army Research Office (ARO), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).
The awards are the result of the fiscal year 2008 competition that ARO, ONR, and AFOSR conducted under the DoD Multi-disciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program. The MURI program supports multi-disciplinary basic research in areas of DoD relevance that intersect more than one traditional science and engineering discipline. Therefore, a MURI effort typically involves a team of basic researchers with expertise in a variety of disciplines. For a research area suited to a multi-disciplinary approach, bringing together scientists and engineers with different disciplinary backgrounds can accelerate both basic research progress and transition of research results to application.
To assemble a team with the requisite disciplinary strengths, most MURI efforts involve researchers from multiple academic institutions, as well as multiple academic departments. Based on the proposals selected in the fiscal 2008 competition, a total of 64 academic institutions are expected to participate in the 34 research efforts. Three non-U.S. academic institutions will participate in two of the MURI efforts, but will receive no funding from the MURI program.
The MURI program complements other DoD basic research programs that support traditional, single-investigator university research by supporting multi-disciplinary teams with awards larger and longer in duration than traditional awards. The awards announced today are for a three-year base period with a two-year option contingent upon availability of appropriations and satisfactory research progress. Consequently, MURI awards can provide greater sustained support than single-investigator awards for the education and training of students pursuing advanced degrees in science and engineering fields critical to DoD, as well as for associated infrastructure such as research instrumentation.
The MURI program is highly competitive. ARO, ONR, and AFOSR solicited proposals in 18 topics important to DoD and received a total of 104 proposals. The 34 proposals announced today were selected for funding based on merit review by panels of experts in the pertinent science and engineering fields.
The list of projects selected for fiscal 2008 funding may be found at: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2008/d20080318muri.pdf.
The awards are the result of the fiscal year 2008 competition that ARO, ONR, and AFOSR conducted under the DoD Multi-disciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program. The MURI program supports multi-disciplinary basic research in areas of DoD relevance that intersect more than one traditional science and engineering discipline. Therefore, a MURI effort typically involves a team of basic researchers with expertise in a variety of disciplines. For a research area suited to a multi-disciplinary approach, bringing together scientists and engineers with different disciplinary backgrounds can accelerate both basic research progress and transition of research results to application.
To assemble a team with the requisite disciplinary strengths, most MURI efforts involve researchers from multiple academic institutions, as well as multiple academic departments. Based on the proposals selected in the fiscal 2008 competition, a total of 64 academic institutions are expected to participate in the 34 research efforts. Three non-U.S. academic institutions will participate in two of the MURI efforts, but will receive no funding from the MURI program.
The MURI program complements other DoD basic research programs that support traditional, single-investigator university research by supporting multi-disciplinary teams with awards larger and longer in duration than traditional awards. The awards announced today are for a three-year base period with a two-year option contingent upon availability of appropriations and satisfactory research progress. Consequently, MURI awards can provide greater sustained support than single-investigator awards for the education and training of students pursuing advanced degrees in science and engineering fields critical to DoD, as well as for associated infrastructure such as research instrumentation.
The MURI program is highly competitive. ARO, ONR, and AFOSR solicited proposals in 18 topics important to DoD and received a total of 104 proposals. The 34 proposals announced today were selected for funding based on merit review by panels of experts in the pertinent science and engineering fields.
The list of projects selected for fiscal 2008 funding may be found at: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2008/d20080318muri.pdf.
America Supports You: Mental Health Providers Give Back to Military
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
March 18, 2008 - Help for servicemembers coping with the effects of wartime service is just a phone call or a mouse click away, thanks to a nationwide network of mental health professionals. "Give an Hour" is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has created a national network of mental health professionals providing free counseling services to returning veterans and their loved ones, according to Barbara Romberg, the group's founder and president. "The participating mental health professionals will offer a wide range of services including individual, marital and family therapy, substance abuse counseling, and treatment for post traumatic stress disorder," she said.
The organization's member providers offer an hour of their time each week to provide services to servicemembers and their spouses and children.
Give an Hour takes the offer a step further by extending its services to parents, siblings and unmarried partners who aren't entitled to receive similar services through the military. This group might have access to mental health services, but may be less likely to seek help if it's costly or difficult to find, Romberg said.
Romberg said she's hoping that will never be the case, as one of Give an Hour's goals is to recruit tens of thousands of mental health providers across the country willing to offer their services. To date, Give an Hour has 1,000 providers participating nationwide -- a number Romberg hopes to see increase substantially in the near future.
"There are approximately 400,000 licensed mental health professionals in the United States. Our goal is to have 10 percent of them join our efforts," she said. "With 40,000 providers offering free services for which the average fee would be $100 an hour, we will be saving the military and the taxpayer a total of $4 million per week."
Until that goal is reached, however, if a request is received and there's no provider in the immediate area, Give an Hour will work to find one, Romberg said. Organization officials will either work to recruit a provider to serve that area or find a one who will offer phone support.
Give an Hour recently became a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
"America Supports You will help Give an Hour get much-needed mental health services to our troops and their loved ones by letting them know help is available wherever they are," Romberg said.
American Forces Press Service
March 18, 2008 - Help for servicemembers coping with the effects of wartime service is just a phone call or a mouse click away, thanks to a nationwide network of mental health professionals. "Give an Hour" is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has created a national network of mental health professionals providing free counseling services to returning veterans and their loved ones, according to Barbara Romberg, the group's founder and president. "The participating mental health professionals will offer a wide range of services including individual, marital and family therapy, substance abuse counseling, and treatment for post traumatic stress disorder," she said.
The organization's member providers offer an hour of their time each week to provide services to servicemembers and their spouses and children.
Give an Hour takes the offer a step further by extending its services to parents, siblings and unmarried partners who aren't entitled to receive similar services through the military. This group might have access to mental health services, but may be less likely to seek help if it's costly or difficult to find, Romberg said.
Romberg said she's hoping that will never be the case, as one of Give an Hour's goals is to recruit tens of thousands of mental health providers across the country willing to offer their services. To date, Give an Hour has 1,000 providers participating nationwide -- a number Romberg hopes to see increase substantially in the near future.
"There are approximately 400,000 licensed mental health professionals in the United States. Our goal is to have 10 percent of them join our efforts," she said. "With 40,000 providers offering free services for which the average fee would be $100 an hour, we will be saving the military and the taxpayer a total of $4 million per week."
Until that goal is reached, however, if a request is received and there's no provider in the immediate area, Give an Hour will work to find one, Romberg said. Organization officials will either work to recruit a provider to serve that area or find a one who will offer phone support.
Give an Hour recently became a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
"America Supports You will help Give an Hour get much-needed mental health services to our troops and their loved ones by letting them know help is available wherever they are," Romberg said.
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