Military Innovators and Pain Relief

The February 7, 2013, episode of American Heroes Radio features a conversation with Lou Paradise, a decorated Marine Corps veteran who served two tours of duty in Vietnam as a helicopter combat/rescue crew chief who invented a safe, effective pain reliever to cope with his own pain issues: Topricin Pain Relief and Healing Cream.

Program Date: February 7, 2013

Program Time: 1500 hours, PACIFIC

Topic: Military Innovators and Pain Relief

Listen Live:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2013/02/07/military-innovators-and-pail-relief

About the Guest

Lou Paradise founded Topical BioMedics in 1994 following 25 years of interest in the application of herbal and homeopathic medicines and nutritional supplements to stimulate health and healing. His enthusiasm, insight, and perseverance during a 10-year research and development phase led to the company’s breakthrough product, Topricin® Pain Relief and Healing Cream. Lou was inspired to create Topricin while exploring ways to alleviate his own pain caused by a severe case of bi-lateral Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - a condition he developed from injuries sustained as a decorated Marine Corps helicopter combat and rescue crew chief in Vietnam

In 2009, Lou developed two new products now manufactured and marketed by Topical BioMedics: award-winning Topricin® Foot Therapy Cream, specifically formulated to treat and help heal foot and ankle issues, and Topricin® Junior, created to address the safety issues and concerns of parents and doctors in the pediatric pain relief category.

Lou frequently serves as an expert speaker on the use of natural medicines, conducts pain management seminars, and has participated in addressing compliance issues related to the regulation of natural medicines as a member of the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists. He regularly speaks to clinical audiences on the use of his company’s proprietary technologies in the treatment of acute and chronic pain and trauma injury as a compliment to primary care, bridging natural medicines and the medical community, and other aspects of health and wellness. Formerly, Lou worked in the brokerage and aerospace industries.

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Lou’s is especially interested and active in issues regarding the treatment of the elderly, women, and children, and his fellow veterans in VA medical centers.

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, law enforcement 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:

Listen from the Archive:

http://www.hitechcj.com/americanheroesradio/military_innovators_pain_relief.html

Program Contact Information

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA

editor@police-writers.com

909.599.7530

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/events/446961742026334

Air Force Leaders Call for End to ‘Budget Gymnastics’

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2013 – The government’s “ongoing budget gymnastics” are having an effect on service members, Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley said here today.

Donley and Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, the Air Force chief of staff, said the looming “fiscal cliff” as well as conducting government business under repeated continuing budget resolutions create an atmosphere of unease among Air Force military and civilian personnel.

“Failure to enact a settled budget leads to repeated budget iterations, which, along with the overhanging threat of large and largely arbitrary cuts, creates wasteful churn,” Donley said during a Pentagon news conference.

This churn could lead to many airmen voting with their feet and leaving the service, he said. “They see and understand what’s going on in Washington,” he added. “They’re very well-connected. They’re the most educated force we have ever had. And they stay connected to what’s going on in our Air Force and what’s going on in our military [and] what’s happening in Washington. … They are watching this and … making their own judgments about the process.”

The secretary said it is extremely inefficient and disruptive to operate a “$100-plus billion enterprise, which is the United States Air Force, on a budget a month or two at a time.”

Welsh said that although re-enlistment remains solid for the service, the burden of deploying time and again since 1990 and working to keep “antique” aircraft such as the B-52 flying is wearing on airmen.

“They're not begging to get out the door,” the general said. “Our retention rates are great. They’re still proud of who they are and what they do. They express it every single day. But they want to know what’s coming.”
He said he has been working to keep airmen informed. “They're phenomenally engaged, and so we're trying very hard to keep them informed and improve the communication with them.”

“Communication for us right now is absolutely essential internally if we're going to be successful down the road’” the general added. “And so we're working this pretty hard.”

NGA Receives Third Joint Meritorious Unit Award

By Kathi Ghannam
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

SPRINGFIELD, Va., Jan. 12, 2013 – Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter presented the Joint Meritorious Unit Award to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency during a ceremony at the organization’s headquarters here yesterday.

Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, right, presents the Joint Meritorious Unit Award to National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Director Letitia A. Long on behalf of her agency during a ceremony at the organization’s headquarters in Springfield, Va., Jan. 11, 2013. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

NGA Director Letitia A. Long accepted the award from Carter on behalf of her workforce before a standing-room only audience.

According to the award citation, NGA's dedicated and professional intelligence support to the nation helped to achieve national objectives by skillfully shaping how geospatial intelligence was applied to a broad spectrum of challenges.

"Between 2008-2010,” Carter said, “NGA was a constant source of innovation, aiding our efforts in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations using new intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors and technologies, and analytic methods including full-motion video, hyperspectral imagery, overhead persistent infrared, and light detection and ranging.”

During the surge and the drawdown in Iraq, NGA deployed more than 2,200 personnel, providing direct support at more than 200 locations in 17 countries, Carter said.

“These were all personnel who volunteered to serve overseas, facing the realities of combat up close," he said. "I especially want to thank them."

Carter also praised NGA for its instrumental role in the May 2, 2011, covert operation that resulted in the killing of Osama bin Laden.

"Without the methodical research, imagery, and mapping by the men and women at NGA,” he said, “the SEAL team would not have been prepared to descend on that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan."
Carter said such achievements only tell part of NGA's story.

"Every single Navy vessel navigates the seas and into foreign ports by charts provided by NGA,” he said. “Air Force jets are able to place precision bombs directly on target from data provided by NGA analysts. Soldiers and Marines gain insight into what is on the other side of that mountain from your reporting. Simply put, NGA provides crucial support to every single Department of Defense mission today."

Carter then highlighted the most-notable portion of the award citation.

"'NGA's success on the battlefield in all phases of operations prompted many tactical commanders to declare that they would never go to war without NGA,'" Carter read from the citation.

"This is the highest compliment you could ever receive," he told NGA’s the assembled workforce.
Carter concluded his remarks by challenging NGA to set its sights on earning a fourth JMUA, a goal which Long seconded.

In addition to extending her thanks to the entire NGA workforce, Long recognized several people for their leadership and support of NGA during the award period, to include Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who was in the audience, Under Secretary of Defense Michael Vickers, former NGA Director Robert Murrett, and former Deputy Director Lloyd Rowland.

"I can say with pride that in this time period every NGA employee played an important role in NGA's support to the warfighter and the department and the nation," Long said. "It was an unprecedented period of rapid expansion of our expeditionary support as we helped wage two wars.

“At the same time,” she added, “we continued to support the warfighter and intelligence operators with our dedicated efforts in global counterterrorism, counterproliferation, mission readiness, safety of navigation, future weapons development, and humanitarian assistance.”

Long assured Carter that NGA will continue to deliver the highest quality products to the Department of Defense.

The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is presented to organizations in recognition of outstanding achievements performed during periods of war, international tension, national emergencies or extraordinary situations that involve national interests. The award recognizes the combined efforts of every member of an organization and authorizes all civilian and military personnel assigned to NGA during that timeframe to wear the JMUA lapel pin and ribbon.

The JMUA was established in 1981 by then-Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and is the organizational equivalent to the individual Defense Superior Service Medal.

Center for Service Support Names Instructors of the Year

NEWPORT, R.I. (NNS) -- Center for Service Support (CSS) on board Naval Station Newport announced the selection of its 2012 Instructors of the Year in the Mid-Grade, Senior and Officer categories Jan. 10.

CSS Commanding Officer Capt. Dana Weiner noted selecting winners from the pool of nominees was challenging because "the quality of all nominees was exceptional, as were their contributions to the CSS mission and commitment to their Learning Sites and students. The task of choosing a single individual in each category was extremely difficult."

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Zachary Wills, a Horn Lake, Miss., native, assigned to the School of Music was selected as Mid-Grade Instructor of the Year. While Wills' primary course of instruction is the French Horn, he took the initiative to qualify as an Advanced Academics and Rehearsal Division instructor, making him one of only a few instructors qualified to teach all three divisions at the School of Music.

Chief Logistics Specialist (SW/AW) Michael Cooke from the Naval Supply Corps School (NSCS) was named Senior Instructor of the Year. Cooke, a Jacksonville, Fla., native, showcased superior technical knowledge and teaching skills while instructing five Joint Aviation Supply Maintenance Material Management (JASMMM) resident and five JASMMM Mobile Training Team courses.

Lt. Carlos Diaz, also selected from NSCS, was named Officer Instructor of the Year. Diaz, a Dorado, Puerto Rico, native, delivered 10 Leadership Management topics and facilitated group discussions for 75 students. He provided each student essential Division Officer/Department Head fundamentals prior to their assuming duties throughout the fleet.

These instructors will now compete for Naval Education and Training Command Instructor of the Year honors in their respective category.

CSS and its seven Learning Sites provide Sailors with the knowledge and skills required to support the fleet's warfighting mission. Each year, the nearly 250 staff and faculty members of CSS deliver training to more than 10,000 personnel serving in the Navy's administration, logistics and media communities.

CENSECFOR Announces New Apprenticeship Trade

By Darryl Orrell, Center for Security Forces Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- The Center for Security Forces (CENSECFOR) announced Jan. 13 that the fourth installment to its list of apprenticeship trades is now available to Sailors for open enrollment.

The new Armory Technician Apprenticeship Trade is available to Sailors, E-4 and above, who serve in a broad range of ratings such as Gunner's Mate, Master-At-Arms, Special Warfare Operator, and more.

"This is an apprentice level trade applicable to personnel who store, inventory, issue, receive and maintain records on assigned arms, ammunition and explosives," said Jose Bautista, Master-At-Arms (MA) programs manager at (CENSECFOR).

Sailors can enroll in this new Department of Labor (DoL) approved apprenticeship trade by visiting United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP) online and select the 'Enroll/Reinstate' link to begin.

Bautista went on to point out that this is probably the only apprenticeship trade that covers multiple ratings and provides sailors with improved skills and competencies.

"Sailors desiring to enroll must have completed the Security Force Weapons Personal Qualifications 301, 305, 308, 322, and 323. A Sailor must also possess NEC [Naval Enlisted Classification Code] 0812, 0814, 9525, or 9536," said Bautista.

Sailors who successfully complete the required 2000 hours of documented experience will earn the distinction of being an Armory Technician. The level of experience covers six select skill areas such as maintenance, inventory control, security, and safety just to name a few.

USMAP works closely with the DOL to provide nationally recognized apprenticeship programs that result in journeyman-level certificates of completion for members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. During their apprenticeship, service members document their military duties while working in their rating or military occupational specialty.

Bautista also alluded to the next wave of apprenticeship trades to be released as being the Criminal Investigator Apprenticeship and the Military Working Dog (MWD) Apprenticeship.

The package for the Criminal Investigator Apprenticeship is currently pending DOL approval with an anticipated release sometime this spring or summer.

"The CIA (Criminal Investigator Apprenticeship) is designed for MA personnel having the military police investigator NEC 2002, as well as appropriate personnel in the USMC and USCG," said Bautista. "The MWD apprenticeship is currently in development stages and its anticipated release date is yet to be determined."

Apprenticeship forerunners to the new Armory Technician Apprenticeship have been highly successful since their debut. For example, the Security Specialist and the Police Officer I (Government Service) apprenticeships have had up to 1,600 active enrollments.

Earning the DOL certificate costs the service member nothing and does not normally require working additional off-duty hours. USMAP has provided sea-service military members with journeyman level certifications for more than 35 years and reached a record 50,000 current active USMAP participants last year.

"These nationally recognized certifications give Sailors the opportunity to perform duties and gain experience they might not otherwise have an opportunity to achieve," said Bautista.

The Center for Security Forces provides specialized training to more than 28 thousand students each year and has 14 training locations across the U.S. and around the world.

Caring and Sharing Program Donates More than 800 Pounds to the United Way

By Lt. Cmdr. Jennifer Cragg, Commander, Submarine Group 2 Public Affairs

GROTON, Conn. (NNS) -- Caring and Sharing Program representatives at Naval Submarine Base New London donated more than 800 pounds of canned food items to the United Way of Southeastern Connecticut in Groton Jan. 11.

Program representatives continued their long-standing tradition of donating non-perishable food items not used in the annual prepared boxes provided to military members and their families during the recent holiday season. The Caring and Sharing Program began collecting food items last November.

Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/EXW) Jason Perry, assigned to Commander, Submarine Group 2, assists in overseeing the annual program and reflected on continuing the tradition of supporting the local community after the holiday season.

"Last year, we received so many donations that we are able to pay it forward to the communities of southeastern Connecticut," said Perry. "I think this is a great way to continue to say thank you to all those who donated to our program. Their donations essentially serve to also keep the 'neighbors helping neighbors' feeling alive, here in our local area."

Virginia Mason, president and CEO of United Way of Southeastern Connecticut reflected on the generosity of many individuals who together are providing assistance to those who depend on their organization.

"I think the need has never been greater than it is today, as is the need for donations," said Mason. "Here in New London county, one in six children is hungry at least part of the month, whether it is not getting the right food or unfortunately, not getting enough food. Your help makes a very big impact with the children and also helps the local community. We are very grateful and really appreciate your donation."

The Caring and Sharing program was launched in the early 1990s. Each year, Sailors began volunteering every November by collecting voluntary food and monetary donations for this annual drive, which will run through the middle of December.

Wounded Warriors Amputee Softball Team Defeats Navy Commanders

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sean Furey, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, Det. Hawaii

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Members of the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team (WWAST) gathered to play against Navy Commanders, a team comprised of various commanding officers from Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, at Millican Field.

The WWAST is comprised of veterans and active duty soldiers who have lost limbs while serving their country in the military.

"We're playing the Navy officers and in doing this we share our mission that life without limbs is limitless," said retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Gregory Reynolds. "I think we are going to portray this really well tonight. We are on a winning streak right now, it feels good."

According to Capt. Wallace Lovely, Commodore of Destroyer Squadron 31, the game was an excellent opportunity to show their drive and determination as they overcome their respective conditions and continue on with their lives in a meaningful capacity.

"The reason for this game is camaraderie always," said Lovely. "It's an opportunity to highlight the skills how capable the Wounded Warrior Community is."

The mission of the team is to raise awareness, through exhibition and celebrity softball games, of the sacrifices and resilience of our military, and highlight their ability to rise above any challenge. WWAST represents some of our nation's bravest and most determined heroes, soldiers and veterans. These young extremely athletic men have sustained severe injuries resulting in amputation while serving in the military/war, and through extensive rehabilitation, they have become competitive athletes again.

The WWAST is comprised of young, competitive, athletic veterans and active duty soldiers who have lost limbs post-9/11, while serving their country in the military/war. The team includes individuals with a variety of amputations of the arm, above knee, below knee, bilateral below knee, and foot. Some are still in the service, others are attending college thanks to the Post-9/11 GI Bill while others have moved on to new careers.

The game concluded with the victory for the WWAST with a score of 20-13.