President Acknowledges Military Father's Sacrifices, Contributions

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 19, 2009 - President Barack Obama recognized in his Father's Day proclamation the sacrifices military fathers make every day, and hosted the Military Father of the Year today at the White House for a town hall session on fatherhood. Navy Chief Petty Officer John Lehnen, the father of four children with special needs and recipient of the 2009 National Fatherhood Initiative-Lockheed Martin Military Fatherhood Award, was among five fathers invited to participate in the forum slated to coincide with the national Father's Day observance.

Lehnen, a quartermaster, shared his story about the challenges he and other military fathers face, and how he stays connected to his children's lives during deployments and reconnects with them after he returns home.

Obama recognized in his Father's Day proclamation issued today the strength military fathers like Lehnen bring, not just to their families, but to their country as well.

"We ... express special gratitude to fathers who serve in the United States armed forces for the sacrifices they and their families make every day," the president said. "All of these individuals are making great contributions, and children across the country are better off for their care."

While most Americans are planning backyard barbecues and family outings to celebrate Father's Day, many military families with deployed husbands and fathers will be settling for more subdued observances.

At Camp Lejeune, N.C., for example, three 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit families whose babies were born after the MEU deployed in May will get treated tomorrow to an interactive video with their loved ones.

Frank Smith, the unit's family readiness group officer, said it will be the first time most of the Marines have seen their newborn children in anything but e-mailed photos.

"It will be an opportunity for them to see and hear them face to face," said Smith, a retired Marine master sergeant. "And it's also a way to let them know that while they are out there in the face of danger, those of us in the rear appreciate what they are doing and are looking our for their families."

Meanwhile, other families of deployed servicemembers – an estimated 150,000 of them fathers -- and their families are expected to observe Father's Day in quieter ways.

Many already have made their treks to the post office to ship off Father's Day cards and care packages of snack foods, batteries and other coveted goodies.

Air Force Lt. Col. James "Andy" Leinart, an operations analyst deployed to Baghdad, knows a care package is en route from his wife and three daughters in Annandale, Va.

While he's not expecting a repeat of last year's breakfast in bed and carefully crafted gifts from his little girls, Leinart is keeping a stiff upper lip about missing his special day with his family.

"I miss my wife and children every day, whether it's Father's Day or not," he said. "I guess the only real difference is that Father's Day will give me a pause to reflect more on it." Quickly brushing any hint of melancholy aside, Leinart said he'll be happy with a call home or a Skype session on the Internet.

And he'll make a point to call his own father in Waco, Texas. "There's probably no better day than Father's Day to do that," he said.

MILITARY CONTRACTS June 19, 2009

NAVY
Austal USA, Mobile Ala., was awarded a $99,557,548 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-C-2217) on Jun. 17, 2009, for long lead time material (LLTM) for Ships 2 and 3 of the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) Program. This contract provides LLTM for main propulsion engines, aluminum, waterjets, reduction gears, generators, and other components to support construction of JHSV Ships 2 and 3, commencing in June 2010. The LLTM procured or manufactured for construction or installation in JHSV 2 and 3 will be subsumed with their associated costs into their respective ship construction line items upon award of construction contracts for JHSV 2 and 3. Work will be performed in Detroit, Mich., (38 percent); Chesapeake, Va., (18 percent); Henderson, Australia, (13 percent); Gulfport, Miss., (10 percent); Ravenswood, W.Va., (9 percent); and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., (4 percent); Mobile, Ala., (3 percent); Auburn, Ind., (2.6 percent); Winter Haven, Fla., (1 percent); Gardena, Calif., (1 percent); and Davenport, Iowa, (.4 percent). Work is expected to be complete by July 2013. Contract funds will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity.

J&R Tool Inc. Loogootee, Ind.*, (N00164-09-D-JS60); Process Development & Fabrication Inc., Brazil, Ind., * (N00164-09-D-JS61); C&S Machine, PlainVille, Ind.*, (N00164-09-D-JS62), and American Manufacturing Solutions, North Vernon, Ind.*, (N00164-09-D-JS63), are being awarded a $49,900,000 multiple award, ($5,000 min) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for machine shop services used for the fabrication of prototype hardware and items requiring low rate production. This contract will provide prototype fabrication, low rate production, prototyped development support to include but not limited to items manufactured from: metals, polymers, ceramics, fabrics, woods, glass, masonry materials, and coatings for such materials. Work will be performed in Loogootee, Ind.; Brazil, Ind., PlainVille, Ind., and North Vernon, Ind., as determined by each task order, and is expected to be completed by May 2013. These four contractors will compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the contract, therefore, definitive location percentages for where the work will be performed cannot be determined at this time. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with unlimited proposals solicited and 15 offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Ce! nter, Cr ane, Ind., is the contracting activity.

Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded a $31,411,443 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for ultra-high frequency satellite communications and high frequency communications waveform software support for the network enterprise domain under the Joint Program Executive Office Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS). This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $45,401,519. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is expected to be completed by June 2011. If all options are exercised, work could continue until June 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured and one offer was received via the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central website. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N00039-09-D-0021).

Converteam, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., is being awarded a $22,984,640 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-4203) for the DDG 1000 Baseline Tactical High Voltage Power Subsystem (HVPS) for use in the Navy's integrated power system land based test site. The DDG 1000 HVPS includes an advanced induction motor, motor drive, harmonic filters and resistors for dynamic braking and neutral grounding. The HVPS distributes electrical power for the ship's turbine-generators to the various electrical loads and also provides for electric propulsion. These components will meet the same specification established by the DDG 1000 shipyards for the lead ships installation. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pa., and is expected to be completed by March 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego, N.Y., is being awarded a $13,819,474 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of Specialized Test Equipment used to perform depot level repairs to the Common Cockpit Avionics Suite Components for the MH-60. The Specialized Test Equipment consist of one Audio Management Computer, one Relay Assembly, one Flight Management Computer, one Mission Computer, and the Communication Systems Controller testers. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., (50 percent); Owego, N.Y., (25 percent); and Farmingdale, N.Y., (25 percent), and is expected to be completed in Oct. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., (N68335-09-C-0149).

T B Penick & Sons, Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $10,199,734 for firm-fixed price task order #0005 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8618) for construction of a Marine Corps Reserve Training Center at the Naval Air Station Lemoore. The work to be performed provides for construction of two new single story buildings to provide training facilities, administrative spaces and support spaces in a Reserve Training Center and a Vehicle Maintenance Facility for Marine Wing Support Squadron 473, Detachment Alpha and incidental related work. The facility will replace the existing inadequate facilities. The task order also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised would increase cumulative task order value to $10,482,734. Work will be performed in Lemoore, Calif., and is expected to be completed by July 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $9,983,058 cost-plus fixed-fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-06-G-0001) for Cuff and Yoke conceptual design and preliminary tooling release for the H-1 aircraft, to include a rotor parametric study. Work will be performed in Ft. Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in October 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $5,626,065 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Corp., Rolling Meadows, Ill., is being awarded an $8,481,024 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of 3 Electro-Optic Third Generation Consoles for the Governments of Australia (2) and Finland (1), to include spares, installation kits, and ancillary equipment, in support of F/A-18 and MH-60R/S weapon systems. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Ill., and is expected to be completed in August 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Government of Australia, ($4,426,670; 52 percent) and the Government of Finland, ($4,054,354; 48 percent), under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-09-C-0333).

Navistar Defense LLC, Warrenville, Ill., is being awarded a $6,413,738 firm-fixed-priced delivery order #0004 modification under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5032) for the procurement of OCONUS field service representative mechanics, back ramp retrofit kits, and several contract data requirement lists. This order is in support of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle Program. The MRAP vehicles are armored vehicles with blast resistant underbodies designed to protect the crew from mine blasts, fragmentary, and direct fire weapons. Work will be performed in West Point, Miss., and in Iraq, and work is expected to be completed August 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $7,291,171 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The base contract was competitively awarded, and the new requirements are sole source additions to the contract. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
US Foodservice Lexington, Lexington, S.C., is being awarded a maximum $40,857,062 firm fixed price, prime vendor contract for food and beverage support. Other location of performance is Lexington, South Carolina. Using services are Army Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Non-DOD customers in South Carolina. The original proposal was Web solicited with four responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option. The date of performance completion is Jun. 19, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-08-D-3057).

AIR FORCE
The Air Force is awarding an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to SNC Telecommunications of Washington, D.C., for $23,000,000. This contract action will provide Airman Battle System Fire Resistant Gear (coats/shirts/trousers). At this time, $2,694,600 has been obligated. ASC/648th AESS/TAC, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8621-09-D-6287, Delivery order 0001).

The Air Force is modifying an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to Jacobs Technology, Inc., of Tullahoma, Tenn., for $25,083,864. This contract will provide Technical, Engineering and Acquisition Support at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and various other tenant organizations. This modification is to increase work requirement. At this time no funds have been obligated. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA9200-07-C-0006, P00030).

ARMY
E.W. Howell Co., Inc., Woodbury, N.Y., was awarded on Jun. 18, 2009 a $ 15,493,883 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction addition and alteration of existing Army Reserve Center (ARC). Work is to be performed in Suffolk County, N.Y., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 20, 2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with six (6) bids received. Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, Louisville, Ky., was the contracting activity (W912QR-09-C-0040).

Great Lakes Dredge & 7 Dock Co., LLC. Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded on Jun. 18, 2009 a $ 28,834,000 firm-fixed-price contract for WBV-14c.1, West Bank and Vicinity, New Orleans, Louisiana, Hurricane Protection Project, Westwego to Harvey Canal, New Westwego Pumping Stations to Orleans Village Levee, Third Enlargement. Work is to be performed in Jefferson parish, La., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2010. Bids were solicited via FedTeds with three (3) bids received. U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, New Orleans District, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-09-C-0071).

Advanced Interactive Systems, Inc. Orlando Fla., was awarded on Jun. 16, 2009 a $ 6,351,670 firm-fixed-price contract to procure the Light Armor Range Complex-C for U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center. Work is to be performed in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., with an estimated completion date of Jun. 26, 2010. Bids were solicited using the World Wide Web with two (2) bids received. U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-09-C-0080).

Flight to Nation's Capitol Honors World War II Veterans

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 19, 2009 - When an "honor flight" from Long Island, N.Y., lands here tomorrow with 31 mostly World War II veterans aboard, it's likely to be met in the same manner as others before it: with much applause and fanfare. The Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit group that transports World War II survivors and other veterans who may be terminally ill to the nation's capital to visit and reflect at their memorials. Hundreds of veterans have taken advantage of the opportunity to visit the national memorials at no cost.

"The reason I'm involved in this is to make a difference, and I feel that we are," said retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Eric L. Haney, whose book, "Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counter-terrorist Unit," was the basis for the hit TV series "The Unit."

Haney also is a spokesman for Theragenics Corp., a partner with the Honor Flight Network for this year's honor flights. On behalf of the corporation, Haney said, he hopes to educate the veterans about the risk of prostate cancer and available treatments.
"We've helped make it possible for hundreds of veterans who would never have gone to D.C. to take a trip to their memorial," he said. "So many of them tell me it's an experience they will never forget, [and] many say it was the best day they've had in a long time. I'm grateful to give back to them. On a larger scale, we're helping to spread a message that is so important but rarely discussed: men's health."

The Long Island veterans will begin their one-day excursion around 10:30 a.m. and wrap it up around 8 p.m. In between, they'll visit the World War II Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and the Marine Corps War Memorial, more commonly referred to as the Iwo Jima Memorial.

The experience understandably is an emotional one for the veterans, but it also has an impact on the relatives and guardians who accompany each flight.

"The trip allowed me conversation time with men and women who became remarkable heroes by their response to duty," said Dr. Jack Griffeth, who served as a medical guardian aboard an Honor Flight from Atlanta earlier this year, in his blog on the tohonortocure.com Web site.

"I conversed with men who stormed the beaches of Normandy, survived the bombing of Pearl Harbor, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, leaped from the sinking [USS] Yorktown, saw the flag raised on Iwo Jima, liberated the prisoners from Japanese and German prisons ... [and] took on shrapnel and continued to fight," he said.

Griffeth said the veterans often told their stories through tears, and occasionally with enthusiasm and excitement. The doctor said he was only too enthused to relay all he'd learned when he encountered groups of students who had volunteered to assist the veterans.

"I went up to several groups ... exclaiming, 'Remember reading about Pearl Harbor? This guy was at the airfield during the attack! This guy was on the Yorktown when it was torpedoed and sank! Remember reading about D-Day? This guy was on Omaha Beach,'" he wrote. "'These old guys you are pushing in wheelchairs saved the world!'"

The kids truly seemed to get it, he said.

So, as the plane lands tomorrow and the veterans make their rounds, a new generation has a chance to learn about The Greatest Generation from the men and women who earned that moniker.

The Honor Flight Network has four more flights planned this year.

Commander Calls for More Enablers to Support Special Ops Missions

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 19, 2009 - With heavy demand on special operations capabilities and limitations on how quickly these forces can grow, it's critical that the services develop more capabilities to support special operators, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command told Congress yesterday. Navy Adm. Eric T. Olson told a Senate Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities that it's impossible to increase special operations forces by more than 3 to 5 percent per year, primarily due to the enormous training requirements involved.

"This growth rate will not meet the already-obvious appetite for the effects of [special operations forces] in forward operating areas," he conceded.

Eighty-five percent of special operators have deployed to U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility during the last several years, he reported. And while special operators continue their missions as trainers, advisors and combat partners around the world – operating in 106 countries during fiscal 2009 alone – Olson said heavy demands within the Centcom region have detracted from efforts elsewhere.

"We have been in fewer places with fewer people less often and for shorter periods of time around the rest of the world because of our commitment in Centcom," he told the senators.

The mission requirement in Centcom isn't likely to diminish any time soon, Olson said, even as U.S. forces begin drawing down in Iraq. And as more troops deploy into Afghanistan, Olson expressed concern that it will leave his special operators lacking in the airlift capability they need to operate effectively.

So while growing specific special operations capabilities, Olson said, the best way to mitigate demands on these forces is to develop and sustain supporting capabilities within the services beyond their own organic needs that can be used to directly support special operations commanders. This would enhance the impact of forward-deployed special operations forces without placing additional demand on their own limited enabling units, the admiral told the Senate panel.

Olson rattled off the "enabling capabilities" he needs the services to provide more of: mobility, aerial sensors, field medics, remote logistics, engineering planners, construction, intelligence, regional specialists, interpreters and translators, communications, dog teams, close-air support specialists and security forces, among them.

These forces, if provided in greater numbers, would free up more special operations operators to focus more directly on their missions, he said.

"We are and will be dependent upon our service partners for key force enablers," he said. "Assigned at the unit or detachment level to support joint [special operations forces] commanders away from main bases, the effects of such a combined force can be impressive."

Meanwhile, Olson said, he's focused on growing special operations forces in a responsible way that maintains their unique capabilities and emphasizes the human element over equipment.

"Fundamental to this effort is the recognition that humans are more important than hardware, and that quality is more important than quantity," he said. "Investments in weapons platforms and technologies are sub-optimized if we fail to develop the people upon whom their effective employment depends."

So within Special Operations Command, Olson said, "we strive first to select and nurture the extraordinary operator and then to provide the most operationally relevant equipment."

The complexity of current strategic environments and those likely to be faced in the future raises the bar on what special operators must deliver, he said. It "requires that our [special operations forces] operators maintain not only the highest levels of warfighting expertise, but also cultural knowledge and diplomacy skills," he told the panel.

Toward this end, Special Operations Command is developing what Olson calls "3-D operators." These troops will make up a multi-dimensional force he said will be trained to "lay the groundwork in the myriad diplomatic, development, and defense activities that contribute to our government's pursuit of our vital national interests."

Pentagon Delegation to Visit Beijing for Military Talks

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

June 19, 2009 - Defense Department officials hope for more military-to-military engagement with China as a result of the 10th U.S.-China Defense Consultative Talks, a senior defense official said today. The official, speaking on background, said Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy will head the U.S. delegation. Her counterpart is Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian, the deputy chief of the Peoples' Liberation Army's general staff. The meetings in Beijing are scheduled for June 23 and 24.

Flournoy also will visit Tokyo and Seoul, the South Korean capital, during the trip.

The talks are the forum for strategic conversations between the nations, and allow the Chinese and U.S. militaries "to build cooperative capacity, foster institutional understanding and develop a shared strategic vision," the official said. The talks are the first since President Barack Obama met Chinese President Hu Jintao in April and the first in the continuing series since Obama took office.

"We look to this to establish a framework for U.S.-China military-to-military relations, translate common interests into concrete action, expand those areas where we can cooperate, discuss expectations for behavior and regional security affairs, and build a plan for military-to-military exchanges for the rest of 2009," he said.

The meetings come at a tense time in northeastern Asia, with North Korea testing a nuclear warhead and launching intermediate and intercontinental missiles. That situation is helping to drive cooperation between China and the United States.

"We are working with China to try and achieve ever greater transparency," the official said. Military-to-military exchanges encourage this transparency and may help U.S. officials understand the continuing Chinese military build-up, he added.

Cooperation with China is on the upswing, the official said, noting that China has sent a ship to the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy patrols.

"The contacts and the dialogue that goes on in these visits will help transparency by clarifying intentions, clarifying world views, clarifying strategies," the official said. "And I'm quite positive that, given the state of the world the way it is, we'll find many more ways where the United States and China can operate with common interests in mind."

The delegations will discuss Chinese harassment of U.S. survey ships. "The incidents between our ships and their ships are a matter of record," the official said. "We have a vehicle for [dealing with] that: the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement from 1997. We would hope to reinvigorate those discussions, so that we can make sure that we're both operating in a safe and prudent manner."

In Seoul, the delegations will discuss not only North Korea, but also the joint vision statement agreed to between Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. "The vision statement is ... a very top-level, high-level view," the official said. "It's necessary to periodically reaffirm mutual goals and objectives within each of our alliance relationships."

The talks in Seoul will reaffirm continued support for ongoing efforts such as tour normalization for U.S. servicemembers, relocation of U.S. forces in South Korea and continued adjustments to both Korean and U.S. force structures "in lieu of the changing threat and the exceptional capabilities of the Republic of Korea military forces now," the official said.

"We're working to continue the strong relationship that we have," he said, "and make sure that we're adapting the alliance for future -- for the current and future conditions, and not fall into the trap of looking only at one threat."

Declassified Documents Reveal the Inner Workings and Intelligence Gathering Operations of the National Security Agency

For more information contact:
Matthew Aid - 202/994-7000

http://www.nsarchive.org

Washington, DC, June 19, 2009 - Declassified documents confirm that prior to the launch of the first spy satellites into orbit by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in the early 1960s, the Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) collected by the National Security Agency and its predecessor organizations was virtually the only viable means of gathering intelligence information about what was going on inside the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, North Vietnam, and other communist nations. Yet, for the most part, the NSA and its foreign partners could collect only bits and pieces of huge numbers of low-level, uncoded, plaintext messages, according to Archive visiting fellow, Matthew M. Aid, who today posted a collection of declassified documents obtained for his new book The Secret Sentry on the Archive's Web site.

The Secret Sentry discloses that the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 was far from the first time when U.S. government officials, including senior military commanders and the White House, "cherry picked" intelligence information to fit preconceived notions or policies and ignored intelligence which ran contrary to their expectations. The Secret Sentry and the documents posted today show that widespread manipulation of intelligence also occurred during the Korean and Vietnam Wars for example, when Washington ignored intelligence on Chinese intervention in Korea, resulting in catastrophic consequences.

The Secret Sentry also details how since the end of World War II, constant changes in computer, telecommunications, and communications security technologies have been the most important determinants of NSA's ability to produce intelligence. NSA has oftentimes found itself behind the curve in terms of its ability or willingness to adapt to technological changes, with delays and bureaucratic inertia causing immense harm to the agency's ability to perform its mission. As a result, during the past four decades NSA has dramatically increased the amount of the raw material that it collects, even while it has produced less and less intelligence information.

According to Matthew Aid's informed sources, during the Reagan administration in the 1980s, NSA processed, analyzed, and reported approximately 20 percent of the communications traffic it intercepted. Today, that number has dropped to less than 1 percent. For example, during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, NSA was unable to process 60 percent of the Iraqi messages it intercepted, while the U.S. military SIGINT units participating in the invasion processed less than 2 percent of the Iraqi military communications traffic that they intercepted.

Today's posting of 24 documents consists of a selection of reports and memoranda prepared by NSA officials concerning the role played by Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) in selected military conflicts and crises, a number of classified internal histories written by NSA historians on key events in the agency's past, and a selection of declassified articles from NSA internal journals.

Archive Visiting Fellow Matthew M. Aid obtained the documents while conducting research for his new book, The Secret Sentry: The Untold History of the National Security Agency (Bloomsbury, 2009). For the National Security Archive, Aid has edited a comprehensive set of declassified documents on the history of the NSA and its predecessor organizations from 1945 to the present, which ProQuest will publish later this year.

http://www.nsarchive.org

Careers in Corrections

Editor's Note: Guest is former USMC; and, potential career path after military service.

On June 26, 2009, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion with corrections official Tracy E. Barnhart.

Program Date: June 26, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Careers in Corrections
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/06/27/Careers-in-Corrections

About the Guest
After completion of a Marine Corps combat tour of duty in Iraq in 1991, Tracy E. Barnhart completed the National Registry requirements as an Emergency Medical Technician. He responded to calls of emergency medical nature for over three years until he became a police officer for the City of Galion (Ohio). After three years on patrol he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Later leaving the City of Galion Tracy E. Barnhart was hired as the Chief of Police for the City of Edison (Ohio). After 3 years as chief of police, and with a total of ten years experience in law enforcement he changed careers leaping into the realm of corrections where he is currently employed at the Marion Juvenile Correctional Facility.

Tracy E. Barnhart is the Law Enforcement coordinator the Tri-Rivers Public Safety Adult Education where he designs and coordinates continuing educational courses for law enforcement and correctional officers. He has established courses on verbal de-escalation, criminal behavior analysis, use of force, and ground fighting and take down techniques for law enforcement.

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in Law Enforcement, public policy, Public Safety Technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in Law Enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/06/27/Careers-in-Corrections

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Chance Phelps Foundation Donates $10,000 to 'Hope for the Warriors'

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

June 19, 2009 - A foundation formed by the family of a fallen Marine whose story was told in the HBO movie "Taking Chance" has donated $10,000 to a group that works to help wounded veterans and their families. Hope for the Warriors, a national nonprofit group, received the donation from the Chance Phelps Foundation during Fleet Week activities in New York on May 22.

Gretchen Mack, mother of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Chance R. Phelps and founder of the Chance Phelps foundation, said her family decided to make the donation based on what they experienced last year in New York at a Hope for the Warriors event that included wounded warriors involved in extensive rehabilitation at the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio for loss of limbs, eyesight, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We spent a lot of time with these servicemembers, and were very impressed and touched," Mack said. "This year, we decided to donate to Hope for the Warriors because what they do for those that serve is incredible."

The Chance Phelps Foundation, founded after Phelps was killed in Iraq in April 2004, is a nonprofit organization that raises money for donations to various charities that support quality-of-life issues for servicemembers, particularly those who have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Tina Atherall, Hope for the Warriors vice president, said the contribution was gratefully accepted and will assist the group in its mission of "No sacrifice forgotten, nor need unmet."

"We are forever grateful for their dedication and support to the wounded, their families and the families of the fallen," Atherall said. "This donation will help enhance our various programs: Immediate Needs, Above and Beyond, Hope and Morale, A Warriors Wish, Spouse Scholarships, Family Support Program, Wounded Warrior Barracks and Warrior House."

Mack and the fallen Marine's father, John Phelps, presented the donation to Robin Kelleher, president of Hope for the Warriors.

Mack said money donated to Hope for the Warriors was given to her family after she lost her son, and the family wanted to pass the money on.

"Hope for the Warriors help veterans with quality-of-life issues that they and their families may face after deployment," Mack said. "This may include physical injuries, financial issues and, of course, making sure they get the medical treatment they need and an opportunity to enjoy some well deserved rest and relaxation. We are very passionate about being a part of helping our veterans and their families."

New Navy Secretary Stresses Commitment to Sailors, Marines, Families

By Darren Harrison
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 19, 2009 - Navy Secretary Raymond E. Mabus Jr. assumed office yesterday, pledging that commitment to sailors, Marines and their families will be the cornerstone of his service. "The law requires me to ensure that the Department of the Navy is properly manned, trained and equipped, fully prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century," Mabus said. "I deeply believe that this involves not just what our sailors and Marines do for us, but what we do for them and for their families."

Mabus made the remarks after Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates swore him in ceremonially at Admiral Leutze Park on the Washington Navy Yard. Earlier in the day, Vice President Joe Biden administered another ceremonial oath at the White House.

Senior government and military leaders and roughly 500 guests attended the ceremony at the Navy Yard. In addition, 27 foreign ambassadors attended the event.

"We face great challenges, and we have great friends and allies," Mabus said. "To representatives of the international community here today, welcome. I look forward to the opportunity to strengthen ties that are already strong, and I know our collaboration will advance the interests of peace and a more just and stable world."

President Barack Obama nominated Mabus, the former governor of Mississippi, to be the Navy's civilian leader March 27. Following his Senate confirmation, he was sworn in during a private ceremony May 19 so he "could be piped aboard immediately," he said.

Mabus oversees almost 900,000 people and a budget of $150 billion His duties include recruiting, equipping and mobilizing to overseeing the construction and repair of equipment, facilities and ships. Mabus also will formulate Navy policy and programs.

During his speech, Mabus spoke of the Navy's "noble and storied legacy," relating episodes in naval history from the capture of the HMS Margaretta in 1775 to the "bravery and skill of the Navy and Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan today."

"There is a long, unbreakable line of heroism that stretches from there, back to the beginning," Mabus said. "The heroes of our country are the heroes of our own families. They come from us. They defend us. Wearing the uniform from 1775 until today, they are the shining fabric of America."

He identified shipbuilding, aircraft production and meeting the needs of the Navy and Marines in an age of nonexpanding budgets as some of the challenges he faces.

Mabus served in the Navy from 1970 to 1972 as a surface warfare officer aboard the cruiser USS Little Rock. Prior to his active-duty service, he had been a member of the Naval ROTC as an undergraduate at the University of Mississippi.

"I am proud of that first tour of duty on a cruiser, and proud beyond words to finally come home to the Department of the Navy," Mabus said. "Early on, I saw the sacrifices that our servicemembers make every day to defend and secure our country."

Mabus graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor's degree in English and earned a master's degree in political science from Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from Harvard Law School.

The secretary served as governor of Mississippi from 1988 to 1992 and as ambassador to Saudi Arabia for two years during former President Bill Clinton's administration.

"Conscious of this service's long and glorious tradition, with confidence in its men, its women and its mission, I am privileged to assume the office of secretary of the Navy," Mabus said.

(Darren Harrison works in the Naval District Washington public affairs office.)

Nork Missile

North Korea has threatened to launch a nuclear capable missile at Hawaii. There are all kinds of ways for the US to shoot it down; an Air Born Laser over Korea, an Aegis destroyer in the Sea of Japanese, an Anti Ballistic Missile out of Ft. Greely, a Theater Area Defense Missile in Hawaii. The North Korean ICBM will get nowhere near the 50th state.

That's not the point. Threatening to shoot an ICBM at a state (or territory for that matter) is an act of war, or it should be, anyway. How much of this is the Obama Administration willing to take?

If the Nork threat to fire a missile at Hawaii isn't ample justification for the United States to destroy said missile on the launch pad, I don't know what is.

For more about Will, visit http://www.gulfwarone.com/. His novel, 'A Line Through the Desert' can be purchased here.