Face of Defense: Guard Member Earns Chaplain of Year Award

By Army Staff Sgt. S. Patrick McCollum
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 14, 2009 - Chaplains have myriad reasons for serving their country, but recognition usually isn't one of them. "Chaplains are often in the position where we love to serve so much, it's always a surprise to be rewarded for it," said Army Chaplain (Capt.) Rebekah Montgomery, who will receive the Chaplain of the Year award from the Military Chaplains Association on July 17.

Montgomery, a Unitarian Universalist chaplain serving with both the Army National Guard Readiness Center here and Maryland's 58th Troop Command, said she has been a student of religion since high school.

"I was always drawn to how people negotiate their daily lives with the experience of the spiritual," said Montgomery, a Bethesda, Md., native. "I got so much stimulation out of understanding other faith traditions, and I still do."

After an 18-month tour in Afghanistan, Montgomery returned to Maryland and took on two jobs. One weekend a month, she is the brigade chaplain for the 58th Troop Command, a jobthat she said keeps her grounded in the "M-day" unit mentality. An M-day unit one in which troops serve one weekend a month and a two-week annual tour each year.

"With my state, that's where the real nuts-and-bolts mission is," she said. "I feel like I'm staying in touch and serving at the local level."

During the week, she focuses on a broader mission at the readiness center, advising high-level officials on spiritual issues.

"My position at [the National Guard Bureau] is sort of an aide-de-camp for a general," she said. "You go places and see things you would never see in an M-day unit."

At the readiness center, Montgomery participated in a recent suicide prevention stand-down, offering her counseling services to soldiers.

"Suicide has been an issue I have seen deployed, in the field and on drill weekends," she said. "It's a fact of life and is something chaplains are often involved in."

Montgomery said she feels she has made a contribution, but finds it difficult to quantify the results. Morale and a decreasing number of infractions can be indicators, but it's tough to measure a chaplain's full impact.

"We don't see the direct results, but we trust God is using us in a profound and positive way," she said. "You can't quantify how many divorces didn't happen. You can't quantify how many suicides didn't happen."

With her award, Montgomery said she realizes her efforts have not gone unnoticed, and she always keeps in mind the reason she was nominated.

"Just having the opportunity to serve soldiers is the greatest mission on Earth."

(Army Staff Sgt. S. Patrick McCollum serves in the National Guard Bureau.)

A Line Through The Desert: The Battle of 73 Easting, 26 February 1991

Jake Bloom doesn’t like high school very much and he’s always felt out of place in his synagogue. He’s not thrilled with his parents either. But he loves Led Zeppelin and his girlfriend, Patricia.

Seeking to emulate the Israeli soldiers he’s always admired, much to the horror of his over protective parents, Jake joins the army the day after graduating high school. When his summer romance with Patricia ends in heartbreak, as it must, Jake leaves for the army jaded and embittered.

In the elite 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment Jake finds the purpose and brotherhood he’s always yearned for.

When the regiment is deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Storm Jake meets the challenges of tedium, duty, and the horrors of war with honor and good humor – who knew you could blast heavy metal music at the Iraqis? Now if he could only put Patricia out of his mind…

Will's book about the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the Battle of 73 Easting, is called A Line Through the Desert. It may be purchased at Amazon

Our police tax dollars at work

With respect to the boss, its hard not to read this story, and feel a contempt for certain aspects of American law enforcement.

Briefly, a Prince George's County SWAT team conducted a no knock raid on a suburban Maryland home, detaining and handcuffing the family for several hours; and shooting their two dogs. Of course, the home the SWAT team broke into belonged to the mayor...The SWAT team was looking for, wait for it...drugs, a most perfidious and dangerous drug at that, marijuana.

The worst part about this case is the way the deparment and the union clossed ranks around the perps, I mean, SWAT team.

I understand that when entering a crime seen the police need to lock down the area and ensure every one's safty, the suspects as well as their own (heck, if someone busted into my home, even if they were police, I'd be tempted to go looking for the family firearms) but why shoot the dogs? Was a marijuana bust really worth all this?

I live in a nice NJ suburb of NYC. Here the police are worse than useless, they're a nuisance. They direct traffic outside the pharma plant, they hassle teenagers, and they write tickets.

This is not an anti-police screed. You're reading an admirer of Mayor Giuliani's break a window-bust a head school of police work. But there is something profoundly wrong when job holding, suburbanite tax payers have worry about para military police invading their home.

Will's book about the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the Battle of 73 Easting, is called A Line Through the Desert. It may be purchased at Amazon

Missile Defense Diversity Equals Strength, General Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

July 14, 2009 - The layers and diversity of the U.S. missile defense program are its biggest strengths, the Missile Defense Agency's director said here today. Army Lt. Gen. Patrick J. O'Reilly told the Defense Writers Group that the program was conceived as a layered defense with boost, mid-course and terminal phases.

Each layer contributes to the overall missile defense effort, he said. "What has emerged is for the layers to interact with each other," he said.

The general compared missile defense to a football game. The defensive backfield plays a zone defense, trying to bat down the ball or intercept it.

"What we're re-emphasizing now is the part of defense where you have the ability to blitz and interrupt the quarterback when he's trying to throw the ball," O'Reilly said. "We still have the zone, but we're taking advantage of opportunities to stress the other parts of defense."

Defense officials have pumped up missile defense capabilities and continue to improve the process, he said.

"If we know where the threats are likely to come from ... and we know what we are trying to protect, you can put your interceptors in the right place at the right time so that you can intercept much earlier," he said.

The layered defense puts the offense at a disadvantage, O'Reilly said.

"If you want to defeat a layered system, you have to defeat every aspect of the missile defense system," he explained. "Our diversity of weapons systems is our strength."

Most of the Missile Defense Agency's $7.8 billion budget is earmarked toward defeating the most likely threat for the next 10 years, the general said. "If you look at our threat projections, the growth area is going to be 3,000-kilometer threats and shorter," he said.

In many places in the world, U.S. forces would be outnumbered by the offensive missile threat. The budget request will give American servicemembers three times the capability they currently have, O'Reilly said.

Other promising avenues of research include using unmanned aerial vehicles to find and track enemy launches, O'Reilly said. The pilotless aircraft are so accurate they can be tied into the missile defense command-and-control apparatus.

"There is very little modification that we see to the UAVs themselves, but there will be work on the ground system," he said. The agency is teaming with the Air Force to develop the capability.

The agency will continue to field a viable mid-course homeland defense against long-range threats. American long-range capability has been significantly enhanced, he said, but the problem is time. If North Korea launched a missile against the western United States, it would take about 30 minutes from launch to impact.

"It takes about eight minutes to let the missile finish its burn and predict where its track is going to go," O'Reilly said. "Interceptors fly for about four minutes and then coast for another two minutes, so six minutes have gone by, and this missile is approaching the United States."

If the interceptor malfunctions and fails to hit, that is six minutes lost. "That's a significant impact on our ability to fire another set of interceptors up there, and it's a real concern to the operational commanders," the general said. "We want to ensure we have the latest-configuration missile and the most operationally ready silos."

President Barack Obama has given the agency the order to prove the missile defense system works. The agency has 144 tests scheduled between now and 2016, 63 of which are flight tests.

O'Reilly said talks continue with Russia about European missile defense. Russia has opposed NATO's push for the program that bases interceptors in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic. The program is designed to defend the continent against a rogue state -- such as Iran -- launching a strike.

"Discussions continue with Russia on the missile threat and how it is a threat to the United States and their country," the general said. He also has discussed different opportunities for the two countries to work together on missile defense.

MILITARY CONTRACTS July 14, 2009

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Henry Schein Inc., Melville, N.Y. is being awarded a maximum $864,000,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for various general dental supplies and web-based ordering system. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract has a base period with four additional option periods. The date of performance completion is August 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM2DE-09-D-7444).

KDH Defense Systems, Inc., Johnstown, Pa.* is being awarded a maximum $39,371,358 firm fixed quantity contract for camouflage improved outer tactical vest. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army and Air Force. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is December 10, 2009. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM1C1-09-C-0022).

NAVY
Square D Company, Palatine, Ill., is being awarded $31,070,550 for three firm-fixed-priced task orders under a multiple award construction contract (N62583-08-D-0137) for design and installation of electric, gas, steam, and water metering to provide utility and energy monitoring. Task order #0004 is for NAS Everett for $2,751,710; Task order #0005 is for NAS Whidbey Island for $6,823,117; and Task order #0006 is for Naval Base Kitsap for $21,495,723. The work to be performed provides for the design, procurement, installation, and testing of building level advanced metering solutions in support of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 at the Navy Region Northwest. This will allow the Navy to cost-effectively allocate and manage electricity, natural gas, and water commodities. Work will be performed in Silverdale, Wash. (69 percent), Oak Harbor, Wash. (22 percent), and Everett, Wash. (9 percent), and is expected to be completed by July 2011. Funds are provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for the above task orders in response to a single task order solicitation. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Specialty Center Acquisitions, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics – Ordnance and Tactical Systems, St. Petersburg, Fla., is being awarded a $10,448,480 modification to previously awarded contract (M67854-05-D-6014) for an additional 40 full rate production internally transportable vehicles (ITV) together with their corresponding basic issue item kits and additional authorization list hardware. The ITV is a USMC program to field an expeditionary vehicle supporting over-the-horizon amphibious operations, irregular warfare and enhanced company operations. Work will be performed in Robbins, N.C. (42 percent, Vehicle Assembly); Forest, Va. (30 percent, Fabrication-unibodies, etc); Columbus, Ohio (17 percent, Armor and Blast attenuation seats); and St Petersburg, Fla. (11 percent, Powerpack Integration), and work is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, VA, is the contracting activity.

Correction: Contract awarded July 10, 2009, to General Dynamics – Ordnance and Tactical Systems, St. Petersburg, Fla., (M67854-05-D-6014), should have stated the work performance places as St. Aubin, France (63 percent); Robbins, N.C. (22 percent); and Forest, Va. (15 percent).

AIR FORCE
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus Ohio was awarded a $9,278,418 contract to conduct capability gap analysis and functional needs analysis to address emergent issues in force health protection concerning occupational and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazard and their by-products and precursors. At this time $1,587,055 has been obligated. 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (SP0700-00-D-3180)

Leadership Online

Editor's Note: The author is a former servicemember.

July 14, 2009 (San Dimas, CA) American Heroes Press announced that the co-author of Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style, Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.) will be a guest on the internet-based radio program Ask Sharifah, on July 30, 2009 at 2PM Pacific.

Date: July 30, 2009
Time: 2PM Pacific
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Sharifah/2009/07/30/Leadership-Texas-Hold-em-Style

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Sharifah Hardie has over 15 years of online experience, is Google's #1 Ranked "Professional Business Consultant," the host of Ask Sharifah Radio Show and spotlights business owners on her website, "Celebrate Your Online Success." Call in and spotlight your business, ask your online marketing, website design, social network, internet, affiliate program, search engine related questions Monday - Friday at 2:00PM PST. For more information about Sharifah Hardie visit her website: Professional Business Consultant.

ABOUT RAYMOND E. FOSTER
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. He has completed his doctoral studies in business research. Raymond is a graduate of the West Point Leadership program and has attended law enforcement, technology and leadership programs such as the National Institute for Justice, Technology Institute, Washington, DC.

Raymond has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and is currently a faculty advisor and chair of the Criminal Justice Program at the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, 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.

His first book, Police Technology is used in over 100 colleges and universities nationwide. He latest book, Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style has been adopted by several universities for course work in leadership; by several civil service organizations and required reading for promotion; and, has been well received in the wider market.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Using poker as analogy for leadership, Captain Andrew Harvey, CPD (ret.), Ed.D. and Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA found the right mix of practical experience and academic credentials to write a definitive book for leaders. Working together, Harvey and Foster have written Leadership: Texas Hold em Style. Most often leaders find they are given a set of resources people, equipment, funds, experience and a mission. As Foster noted, "You're dealt a certain hand. How you play that hand as a leader determines your success."

More than a book: A fun and entertaining journey through leadership that includes an interactive website to supplement knowledge gained from the book.
Proven and Tested: Not an academic approach to leadership, but rather a road-tested guide that has been developed through 50-years of author experience.
High Impact: Through the use of perspective, reflection, and knowledge, provides information that turns leadership potential into leadership practice.
Ease of Application: Theory is reinforced with real-life experience, which results in accessible and practical tools leaders can put to use immediately.
High Road Approach: Personal character and ethical beliefs are woven into each leadership approach, so leaders do the right thing for the right reasons.
Uses Game of Poker: Rather than a dry approach that is all fact and no flavor, the game of poker is used as a lens through which to view leadership concepts.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret)
909.599.7530
raymond@hitechcj.com
www.police-writers.com

Reporter's Notebook: Hundreds Endure Heat for Health Care

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

July 14, 2009 - I saw a Navy commander cry the other day. He wasn't bawling. And truth be told, he'd probably rather I hadn't noticed the single tear stream down his left cheek as he looked away. But I did. Earlier, the commander brought a mother and son here, where doctors from the hospital ship USNS Comfort were providing health care for the hundreds gathered at the gates of a local clinic.

Most of the problems are relatively minor: upset stomachs, tooth decay and the need for reading glasses. Most are given pain relievers and vitamins and sent on their way with a doctor's orders to drink more water, eat better foods and brush their teeth regularly.

But this mother was given the worst news. Her son is dying. A tumor has grown to the size where it is inoperable. The Comfort doctors can do nothing but console her, get her some food and try to ease the pain.

The hardest part of these doctors' jobs is telling a patient they can't help them. They can only do so much.

This is the third time this week they have had to deliver such news to a parent.

Hundreds were lined up July 11, enduring the heat for the opportunity to have their ailments sized up by top doctors. The line filled the street, leading from the local medical clinic occupied by the ship's doctors and nurses. The scene was carnival-like. A local DJ played music for the crowd. Vendors walked about selling water, soda and slices of watermelon. At about 10 a.m. it clouded slightly, making the heat and humidity endurable.

At the end of the day, about 100 people were still left in the line. The doctors had to shut down to make it back to the ship.

I asked one of the Navy corpsmen if the people still waiting would be turned away. They will sleep in the street, he said. They will not risk losing their place in line when the doctors return from the ship in the morning and the clinic reopens.

Unstoppable Leadership

Editor's Note: The author is a former servicemember.

American Heroes Press announced that the co-author of Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style, Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.) will be a guest on Mission Unstoppable hosted by Frankie Picasso on
August 25, 2009 at 5PM PACIFIC.

Date: August 25, 2009
Time: 5PM Pacific
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/missionunstoppable

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Mission Unstoppable a mindset. It is an innate knowing that you can do whatever it is that you want to Do, and be whoever it is you want to Be! Mission Unstoppable is your new mantra. It is a way of life. It is a choice that you make on the inside that results in fruitful results on the outside. Mission Unstoppable is your call for action! Some folks find it on their own; others acquire it as they go along. Anyone can learn it. According to the host, Frankie Picasso, “That’s why I am here. I am Guerrilla Coach Frankie Picasso, aka The Unstoppable Coach. Join me and my Unstoppable Guests Tuesdays at 8 pm Est. and be inspired to live life large, live life by design, live life on a Mission, Mission Unstoppable!”

ABOUT RAYMOND E. FOSTER
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. He has completed his doctoral studies in business research. Raymond is a graduate of the West Point Leadership program and has attended law enforcement, technology and leadership programs such as the National Institute for Justice, Technology Institute, Washington, DC.

Raymond has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and is currently a faculty advisor and chair of the Criminal Justice Program at the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, 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.

His first book, Police Technology is used in over 100 colleges and universities nationwide. He latest book, Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style has been adopted by several universities for course work in leadership; by several civil service organizations and required reading for promotion; and, has been well received in the wider market.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Using poker as analogy for leadership, Captain Andrew Harvey, CPD (ret.), Ed.D. and Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA found the right mix of practical experience and academic credentials to write a definitive book for leaders. Working together, Harvey and Foster have written Leadership: Texas Hold em Style. Most often leaders find they are given a set of resources people, equipment, funds, experience and a mission. As Foster noted, "You're dealt a certain hand. How you play that hand as a leader determines your success."

More than a book: A fun and entertaining journey through leadership that includes an interactive website to supplement knowledge gained from the book.
Proven and Tested: Not an academic approach to leadership, but rather a road-tested guide that has been developed through 50-years of author experience.
High Impact: Through the use of perspective, reflection, and knowledge, provides information that turns leadership potential into leadership practice.
Ease of Application: Theory is reinforced with real-life experience, which results in accessible and practical tools leaders can put to use immediately.
High Road Approach: Personal character and ethical beliefs are woven into each leadership approach, so leaders do the right thing for the right reasons.
Uses Game of Poker: Rather than a dry approach that is all fact and no flavor, the game of poker is used as a lens through which to view leadership concepts.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret)
909.599.7530
raymond@hitechcj.com
www.police-writers.com

Whatever happened to...

In the latest issue of Slate Christopher Hitchens Christopher Hitchens wonders where all the Palestinian suicide bombers went. The piece is basically an excuse for Hitchens to cut up all the excuse makers; people who blame Israeli settlers, of the security checkpoints, or the targeted killings, for creating a culture of despair. He concludes, 'Meanwhile, the wall still stands and grows, ironically expressing the much more banal and worldly fact that there are two peoples in Palestine and that sooner or later there will be two states as well.'



The wall he mentions is the Israeli security fence, built by the government to prevent suicide bombers from entering via Judea/Samaria and Gaza. Security fence is really the wrong name, victory wall is more like it. That wall delineates what will no doubt be the borders of a future Palestinian state. As I detail in a forthcoming article for a new defense policy group (more on that later) the victory was won by a ruthless campaign of targeted killing of terrorists, imprisonment of anyone with the bad luck to be a suspected terrorist, countless snatch and grab operations, and large scale military operations

Personally, I would hope the Israelis abandon some of the more far flung settlements (Hebron !) and exchange some of the Arab areas in the north for a belt of land around Jerusalem and let the Palestinians have there state in whatever's left. The Israelis have clearly won this conflict, now impose a deal.

Will's book about the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the Battle of 73 Easting, is called A Line Through the Desert. It may be purchased at Amazon