Panetta Praises Legacy on Army’s 237th Birthday

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2012 – In a message congratulating the Army on its 237th birthday, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today praised soldiers who built the service’s legacy and those who now carry it forward.

Here is the text of the secretary’s message:

As we mark the birthday of the United States Army, I want to congratulate this great American institution for 237 years of distinguished service in defense of this country. The proud story of the American soldier is one of honor, valor, patriotism, and sacrifice in the service of their countrymen. From those earliest volunteers who stepped forward to join the ranks of the Continental Army to those who fought at Gettysburg, in the Argonne Forest, at Normandy, Bastogne, in Korea and Vietnam, in Iraq and Afghanistan, the American soldier has shaped the course of world history.

I am proud of the opportunity I had to serve in the ranks of the United States Army. I¹ll always cherish those memories of Army life, and the honor I felt in being part of an extraordinary team.

For ten long years the Army has shouldered a heavy burden, fighting in Iraq¹s city streets and in the mountains of Afghanistan. And through it all, American soldiers stepped bravely forward, marched off towards the sound of the guns, and gave everything to provide for our security, to give all Americans a better, safer future. They have done everything this country has asked of them and more.

I have been deeply fortunate in my position as Secretary of Defense over this past year to have visited many Army installations and thousands of soldiers serving around the world, including those on the front lines. These soldiers, and their families, carry forward the proud and distinguished legacy we celebrate today, and because of their dedication, the United States Army will remain the strongest in the world.

President Proclaims ‘National Day of Honor’

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2012 – On the ninth anniversary of U.S. forces moving into Iraq (War in Iraq), President Barack Obama has proclaimed today to be “A National Day of Honor.”

Here’s is the text of the president’s proclamation:

Nine years ago, members of the United States Armed Forces crossed the sands of the Iraq-Kuwait border and began one of the most challenging missions our military has ever known. They left the comforts of home and family, volunteering in service to a cause greater than themselves. They braved insurgency and sectarian strife, knowing too well the danger of combat and the cost of conflict. Yet, through the dust and din and the fog of war, they never lost their resolve. Demonstrating unshakable fortitude and unwavering commitment to duty, our men and women in uniform served tour after tour, fighting block by block to help the Iraqi people seize the chance for a better future. And on December 18, 2011, their mission came to an end.

Today, we honor their success, their service, and their sacrifice. In one of our Nation's longest wars, veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn wrote one of the most extraordinary chapters in American military history. When highways became mine fields and uncertainty waited behind every corner, service members rose to meet the task at hand with unmatched courage and determination. They learned languages and cultures, taking on new roles as diplomats and development experts to improve the communities where they served. Their strength toppled a tyrant, and their valor helped build opportunity in oppression's place. Across nearly 9 years of conflict, the glory of their service -- as well as the contributions of other members of the U.S. Government and our coalition partners -- always shone through.

The war left wounds not always seen, but forever felt. The burden of distance and the pain of loss weighed heavily on the hearts of millions at home and overseas. Behind every member of our military stood a parent, a spouse, or a son or daughter who proudly served their community and prayed for their loved one's safe return. For wounded warriors, coming home marked the end of one battle and the beginning of another -- to stand, to walk, to recover, and to serve again. And, in war's most profound cost, there were those who never came home. Separated by time and space but united by their love of country, nearly 4,500 men and women are eternally bound; though we have laid them to rest, they will live on in the soul of our Nation now and forever. To them, to their families, and to all who served, we owe a debt that can never be fully repaid.

When we returned the colors of United States Forces-Iraq and the last of our troops set foot on American soil, we reflected on the extraordinary service and sacrifice of those who answered our country's call. Their example embodied that fundamental American faith that tells us no mission is too hard, no challenge is too great, and that through tests and through trials, we will always emerge stronger than before. Now, our Nation reaffirms our commitment to serve veterans of Iraq as well as they served us -- to uphold the sacred trust we share with all who have worn the uniform. Our future is brighter for their service, and today, we express our gratitude by saying once more: Welcome home.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 19, 2012, as a National Day of Honor. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that commemorate the return of the United States Armed Forces from Iraq.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this

nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

Navy Chaplain Recalls Journey in Latest Real Warriors Campaign Video Profile

 “You can’t go back to what you were … you have to adapt to what you are.”

     —Lt. Cmdr. Steve Dundas, U.S. Navy chaplain

With 30 years in the military, the last 12 with the Navy, Lt. Cmdr. Steve Dundas thought he was sufficiently familiar with and steeled against the impacts of war. A deployment to Anbar province, Iraq, where he supported service members stationed in remote areas, changed his mind: literally.

As a trauma department chaplain, Dundas had seen death. He had studied post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and ministered to Marines diagnosed with it. But on this mission, he experienced the full impact of what Marines were exposed to—sights, sounds, smells and sheer exhaustion; traveling through some of the most hostile and inhospitable areas in Iraq; and coming under attack, the constant awareness that chaplains were a favorite target of al Qaeda.

When he returned home he felt disconnected from the life he knew. He questioned his faith. Constantly angry, depressed and on-edge, Dundas felt at-odds with his life and his spiritual calling.

A medical officer recognized his PTSD symptoms. With help from a therapist, Dundas started a journey of self-discovery, processing his combat exposure, spiritual crisis and life experiences through writing.

Dundas returned to his profession with new perspectives and a heightened awareness that for some who seek his help, seeking psychological health care may be the best advice he can give.

In this new Real Warriors Campaign video profile, Dundas delivers a clear message of hope and understanding to service members coping with psychological health concerns: while life may have changed for them, they can find a path forward by reaching out for help.

“It’s not something where we’re going to be better overnight [from seeking help] but it will be … a step on the way to healing … a step on the way to integrating those [combat] experiences with our daily life now,” said Dundas.

Real Warriors video profiles stand as testimony to the strength shown by service members who’ve reached out for psychological health care and support. View all of the videos and find information and resources at realwarriors.net.

DOD Supports Parades When All Combat Troops Return

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – Pentagon officials say they’re all for a “New York-style tickertape parade” honoring combat troops who served in Iraq, but bowing to the military leadership’s wishes, agree that the best time to do so is after all combat troops have returned home from Afghanistan as well.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Douglas B. Wilson told Lynn Neary of NPR’s “Talk of the Town” program the Defense Department fully supports homecoming celebrations for Iraq War veterans.

St. Louis hosted a parade last month that drew an estimated 20,000 participants and 100,000 spectators. Some 15 more cities are considering similar parades.

“The event in St. Louis was terrific, and it was something that we applaud and we know that there will be more of,” Wilson said.

Wilson said there’s always been interest in a national-level celebration to honor troops returned from Iraq. “The question was not whether to have a parade, but when to do so,” he said.

Based on input from the military, Wilson said, the sentiment is that now is too soon, particularly because many Iraq War veterans now are deployed to Afghanistan. The consensus, he said, was that “that kind of event should wait and that it would be more appropriately held when combat troops were coming home.”

Meanwhile, plans are under way for an official White House dinner President Barack Obama will host later this month for Iraq veterans and their guests. The event, to be on the scale of an official state dinner honoring visiting heads of state, will express “the spirit, the dignity, the respect and the gratitude” of the president and American people, Wilson said.

Invitees will be of “all ranks, from all services and from all states and territories,” Wilson said, chosen by a selection committee of senior enlisted representatives from all five services and the National Guard and reserves.

They strove, he said, to ensure the participants will be “representative of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who fought on the battlefield in Iraq.”

As more regional-level parades and celebrations take place around the country, Wilson said, returning combat veterans deserve all the support they receive. That, he added, includes not just homecoming commemorations, but also support as veterans readjust to their communities and seek jobs.

“The question is when, where and how we can honor those who served in Iraq and are serving in Afghanistan,” Wilson said. “And the answer to when is always, and where is everywhere, and how is all kinds of different ways.”

Reserves Critical to U.S. Military Capabilities, Petraeus Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2012 – The reserve components are an integral part of the military in ways that Cold War planners could not have imagined, retired Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said at a Reserve Officers Association meeting here today.

The association inducted Petraeus, now CIA director, into its Minuteman Hall of Fame. Petraeus thanked the group, and said he accepts the honor on behalf of the men and women who so bravely served and sacrificed under his command in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Petraeus said the reserve components are more than the strategic reserve envisioned during the Cold War and have become an essential part of the U.S. military.

“Without our citizen-soldiers, our armed forces simply could not fully carry out America’s global commitments to keep our nation secure,” he said.

Reservists bring warrior and civilians skills to the fight, Petraeus said. “That combination has been particularly important in the complex environments we’ve been facing in the past decade,” he added.

Iraq and Afghanistan required more than just being warriors, he noted. “They needed diplomats, builders, trainers, advisors, service providers, economic developers and mediators,” he said. “Citizen-soldiers have performed these diverse tasks in particularly impressive fashion, and in so doing, they have demonstrated the unique edge, the unique quality that they bring to every military endeavor.”

The experiences that reservists bring from civilian life are particularly helpful in a counterinsurgency environment, Petraeus said, because they are used to working in a community to accomplish things. For example, he added, their civilian jobs make it possible for them to advise a nascent city council on how to set up departments. Also, he said, reservists serve as firefighters in their home communities can advise the best way to set up a fire department and how to train the people.

Petraeus recalled when he was appointed to head the training effort for the Iraqi military and police in 2004. “This was a particularly daunting task -- one that we described as building the world’s biggest aircraft, while in flight, while it’s being designed and while it’s being shot at,” he said.

Petraeus also had to build the Multinational Security Transition Command in Iraq. There was no existing headquarters for it, he said. “So we turned to the 98th Division (Institutional Training) and its more than 3,000 reservists based mostly in the northeastern United States,” he said, noting almost 1,000 members of the 98th, set up the headquarters and mentored Iraqi soldiers and police that first year.

Army Cpl. Eric DeHart is another example of reserve adaptability, the general said. DeHart, an Army Reserve engineer from Wisconsin, invented a device placed in culverts in Afghanistan that allowed water and debris to flow, but didn’t allow enemy fighters to plant improvised explosive devices.

“He even wrote a field manual on how to use it,” said Petraeus, noting that the device is still being used today and has saved countless lives.

Another reservist, Army Master Sgt. Juanita Milligan, is the mother of three and has deployed to Iraq twice. “She was gravely wounded during her second deployment to Iraq, when an improvised explosive device blasted into her Humvee,” the general said. “Seeing the bomb a split-second before it exploded, she jumped across the vehicle to pull her gunner out of the hatch and inside. He was OK, but she sustained severe injuries, including shrapnel throughout her body, the loss of part of her right arm and her femur broken in three places.”

Milligan went through numerous surgeries, therapy and the pain associated with regaining use of her hands. “Master Sergeant Milligan defines the selfless dedication of our citizen-soldiers -- a mother who twice answered the call to military duty, leaving family friends and community,” Petraeus said.

Some 385,000 reserve-component service members have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11, with 30,000 reservists serving today. Since 1990, reservists has been called to serve in every contingency the United States has been involved in, from humanitarian missions and disaster relief to all-out war, Petraeus said.

“Today, reservists serve in more than 70 countries, demonstrating that our citizen-soldiers are not only a strategic reserve, but a key component of our operational forces,” he added.

Department at ‘Turning Point’ Following Historic Year

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON -- The military is at a turning point following a remarkable and historic year, Defense Department officials said today.

“If you look back, you see Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Arab Spring, Operation Tomodachi and many other national security events,” Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said during a news briefing.

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that this year has also seen the demise of Osama bin Laden and the decline of al-Qaida,” he added. “And the increased pressure on [al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula], to include the loss of Anwar al-Awlaki to that terrorist group.”

Such changes led Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta recently to say the department is at a “turning point,” Little noted.

“2012 is likely to bring opportunities for the United States military, and for all Americans,” he said.

The United States is “seeing successful transition efforts in Afghanistan” and “building a new relationship with Iraq” following the departure of the last U.S. combat troops there, Little said. But that doesn’t mean relations end in those areas, he said.

“The secretary [of defense] has made it clear that we are going to maintain a presence in the Middle East … that’s going to protect our interests and those of our allies in the region,” Little said.

Navy Capt. John Kirby, deputy assistant secretary of defense for media operations, emphasized no final decisions have been made about troop posture in the Middle East.

“We are still working through what the post-Iraq regional presence is going to be,” he said. “So there’s been no final decisions made about where any residual forces may stay, or for how long they will stay.”

Little lauded Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the final commander of U.S. Forces-Iraq, and his troops for implementing a successful drawdown of forces in Iraq.

“I would note that this was the most successful logistical drawdown in U.S. military history,” he said. “And General Austin and the men and women in uniform who carried that out deserve tremendous praise.”

Little expressed gratitude for service members and their families over the past year.

“The men and women of the U.S. military and their families have done incredible work, have had many successes, and of course, have made sacrifices,” he said. “And to them, especially, we say thank you.”

Obama: Nation Should Emulate Troops’ Service, Sacrifice

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – The American military exhibits the best the country has to offer, President Barack Obama said in his weekly address today.

The last U.S. service members are leaving Iraq after almost nine years of combat. They leave a country and citizenry that has a chance to chart its own course in a tough neighborhood.

More than 1.5 million Americans served in Iraq and tens of thousands have been wounded. “Military families have sacrificed greatly -- none more so than the families of those nearly 4,500 Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice,” the president said. “All of them -- our troops, veterans and their families -- will always have the thanks of a grateful nation.”

A safe and stable Iraq with a democratically elected government is an incredible achievement, and it was made possible through the hard work and sacrifices of the American military.

And that military has lessons for the American people. Surveys show the military is the most respected institution in America. “[Service members] don’t see themselves or each other as Democrats first or Republicans first,” Obama said. “They see themselves as Americans first.

“For all our differences and disagreements, they remind us that we are all a part of something bigger; that we are one nation and one people,” the president continued. “And for all our challenges, they remind us that there is nothing we can’t do when we stick together.”

There are 2.2 million Americans in uniform today. Some will remain in the military to serve, while many others will leave and become veterans. Those men and women will continue to serve in their communities.

“After years of rebuilding Iraq, it is time to enlist our veterans and all our people in the work of rebuilding America,” Obama said.

The generation that defeated fascism came home to build the largest middle class in history. They developed computers, built the interstate highway system, faced down communism and put a man on the moon. The 9/11 generation of veterans “is armed with the skills, discipline and leadership to attack the defining challenge of our time: rebuilding an economy where hard work pays off, where responsibility is rewarded, where anyone can make it if they try,” the president said.

Obama called on elected representatives to emulate the military’s spirit, determination and sacrifice. “This cannot be a country where division and discord stand in the way of our progress,” he said. “This is a moment where we must come together to ensure that every American has the chance to work for a decent living, own their own home, send their kids to college and secure a decent retirement.

“This is a moment for us to build a country that lives up to the ideals that so many of our bravest Americans have fought and even died for. That is our highest obligation as citizens. That is the welcome home that our troops deserve.”

America's war in Iraq is over.

Official Calls for 'Radical Changes' in Maintenance, Sustainment

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2011 – Praising the "absolutely phenomenal" way the United States has maintained and sustained its forces on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, a senior defense official said the military needs to do even better.

Budgetary demands and a persistent threat that shows no sign of going away require "radical changes" in how the military maintains an engaged, ready force, John B. Johns, deputy assistant secretary of defense for maintenance policy and programs, told attendees yesterday at this year’s Defense Logistics Conference here.

Johns drew a direct correlation between maintenance and sustainment operations and the combat capability and readiness they drive.

"The ability to conduct deterrence or to shape outcomes associated with our conflicts in the world is driven by what we view in the logistics community," he said. "It is not how much stuff we have, it is how we employ it and how we sustain it."

Yet with the high costs associated with maintenance and sustainment -- second only in the Defense Department budget to manpower costs -- Johns said it's obvious that more cuts are on the way.

"If you haven't felt the pressure yet, then get ready, because it's coming," he told the audience.

Also clear, he said, is that what has worked in the past won't be enough in the future.

"Referring to past success is good ... but not instructive about where we need to go," Johns said. "We are talking about fundamental new levels of efficiency and effectiveness, of agility and flexibility."

That includes a 50-percent reduction in average cycle times, Johns said, and a 25-percent cost reduction by 2020. Even defense activities that already have demonstrated major improvements will have to meet these new levels, he said.

"These are not trivial numbers," Johns acknowledged. "But those are the numbers that are going to get us where we need to be."

And if the department falls short of that goal, "we are exceeding the resources that we are going to have available," he said. "We will not make the warfighting requirements or generate the warfighting capability required if we are not operating at that level of performance."

Johns encouraged leaders within the maintenance and sustainment community to make the hard decisions and encourage innovation to address this challenge. "The change is here, and we can lead and shape it," he said.

But if pressured to take unacceptably large cuts, he urged them to defend the budgets needed to sustain a force that provides credible deterrence and is able to shape the outcomes of conflict or potential conflict.

What's at stake for the United States as the department deals with its fiscal challenges is huge, Johns said.

"If we don't make the right decisions with regard to addressing pressure from a budgetary perspective and pressure generated by the full-spectrum threat, we will make serious mistakes that put this at risk," he said. "And we cannot afford to do that."

Vice Chairman Honors Legacy of Naval Aviation

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2011 – Days after celebrating the 50th anniversary of USS Enterprise, the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff hosted a video conference last night with commanders of the Navy’s newest carrier, USS George H.W. Bush, during a gala commemorating the centennial of naval aviation.

Navy Adm. James A. "Sandy" Winnefeld Jr. treated attendees to a live conversation with the USS George H.W. Bush’s leaders a day after the carrier passed through the Strait of Gibraltar en route to its Norfolk, Va., home port after its first combat deployment.

Navy Rear Adm. Nora W. Tyson, commander of Carrier Strike Group 2, which Winnefeld commanded from 2004 to 2006, reported a successful deployment that allowed the state-of-the-art carrier and its crew to shine.

Winnefeld noted that the crew conducted more than 2,200 combat sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and the region and Operation New Dawn in Iraq.

Tyson, a naval aviation pioneer as the first woman to command a carrier strike group, said this performance reflects the capability carrier strike groups deliver. They provide a forward presence, she said, and an ability to respond quickly to promote security, prosperity and vital U.S. interests around the world. "In my opinion, the carrier strike group is and will remain for the foreseeable future an important instrument of our national security," she said.

Navy Capt. Brian "Lex" Luther, USS George H.W. Bush's commanding officer, praised the crew members who continue to live up to the standard set by the carrier's namesake from the "greatest generation."

"This spirit makes them the greatest of this generation," he said.

"They are proud to be part of the legacy," agreed Navy Capt. Jeffrey A. "Jack" Davis, commander of Carrier Air Wing 8, embarked on the carrier. "Like the naval aviators before them, they are the nation's best."

Davis achieved a personal milestone during a deployment, completing his 1,000th flight deck landing, or "trap," aboard USS George H.W. Bush in August.

Winnefeld, a career naval aviator, said the celebration of the" heart and spirit and honor and courage and commitment of naval aviation" can't overlook its most vital component.

"Our top weapon system, our ready-on-arrival platform, one that delivers time and time again and answers our nation's call, the true secret to our success, of course, is our people," he said.

Naval aviation -- which includes Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard air operations -- is a community effort, he emphasized. It includes not only air crews, but also the maintainers at all levels and ship's companies who work tirelessly to keep these aircraft safely airborne. Also key are industry partners who have driven innovation for the past century and will continue to do so into the future.

But behind the scenes, the admiral added, it all hinges on families, whom he called "the true strength behind our uniform and our service and our enterprise."

Winnefeld got an opportunity to thank some of the pioneers behind this effort earlier this week when he visited USS Enterprise for its 50th anniversary celebration.

Known throughout the fleet as "The Big E," Enterprise was commissioned in Newport News, Va., on Nov. 25, 1961. The one-of-a-kind vessel, considered by many to be a marvel of modern engineering, is the only carrier in the Navy's fleet powered by eight nuclear reactors.

Beginning with the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, Enterprise has served in almost every U.S. armed conflict since its commissioning.

Speaking at the Nov. 28 anniversary commemoration, Winnefeld told dozens of “plank owners” – original crew members -- and current and former Enterprise sailors and officers that he first laid eyes on the carrier he would later command on a National Geographic magazine cover in 1963.

"I remember thinking, 'There's something special about that,'" he told the group.

Little did he know at the time that he would lead "Big E" through its 18th deployment, which included combat operations in Afghanistan immediately after the 9/11 attacks.

Now scheduled to make its 22nd and final deployment this spring, Enterprise is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2015. Winnefeld its legacy set the standard for the future.

"I can only stand here and wonder what the next Enterprise will be," he said.

Face of Defense: Vietnam Vet to Retire From National Guard

From a North Dakota National Guard News Release

FARGO, N.D., Nov. 29, 2011 – The last North Dakota National Guard member to have served in the Vietnam War is slated to retire tomorrow.

Army Master Sgt. Alan K. Peterson of West Fargo, N.D., will be honored during a retirement ceremony at the Armed Forces Reserve Center here. He is the last of many Vietnam veterans to have served in the state’s Army and Air National Guard during the past 30 years, officials said.

Peterson joined the Navy’s delayed entry program shortly before he graduated from Pine River High School in Minnesota in 1970. He served as a plane captain on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk in the Gulf of Tonkin off of the coast of Vietnam, where he maintained and cleaned aircraft, assisted pilots and tracked aircraft work orders.

In July 1972, he was sent to shore for an eight-month stint at Tan Son Nhut Air Base outside of Da Nang. There, he worked with other service members to replace tail hooks, patch holes and repair aircraft landing gear.

Peterson left the Navy in July 1974, but he donned an Army uniform in February 1979 when he joined the North Dakota Army National Guard. He deployed to Iraq in 2003 with the Guard’s 142nd Engineer Combat Battalion.

He also served on seven overseas duty training missions -- three times to Honduras, twice to Korea and once each to Jamaica and Panama.

During his time in the North Dakota National Guard, Peterson worked as a construction specialist, engineer equipment supervisor, motor sergeant, construction equipment repair supervisor, mechanized maintenance operations noncommissioned officer, heavy mobile equipment repairer and maintenance control sergeant.

His most recent assignment was with the 3662nd Maintenance Company in Devils Lake, N.D. The Vietnam veteran also works full-time for the North Dakota National Guard at Field Maintenance Shop No. 2 here.

Panetta Congratulates ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Champion

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – The injured Army Iraqi War veteran who earned first place with his partner on the television show “Dancing with the Stars” symbolizes the strength and tenacity possessed by the nation’s wounded warriors, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

“I am writing to extend my most sincere congratulations on your ‘Dancing with The Stars’ victory,” Panetta wrote in a recent letter addressed to Jose Rene “J.R.” Martinez.

“Over the course of this competition,” the secretary added, “your spirit captivated the nation and your victory sends a powerful message about the strength and resilience of our wounded warriors.”

Martinez and partner Karina Smirnoff were crowned champions on the ABC reality program after a final dancing competition against other contestants Nov. 22 in Los Angeles.

Panetta also made a phone call to Martinez today, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby said. Panetta again congratulated Martinez on his victory and reiterated his conviction that Martinez stands as testament to the strength and the resilience of wounded warriors.

During his call to Martinez, Panetta also expressed his admiration for the effort expended by the dancers in preparing for each routine, Kirby said.

During his phone conversation with Panetta, Martinez credited his military training and experience for his performance and his ability to prepare for the show, Kirby said.

The Iraq veteran also reaffirmed his pride at having served in uniform, Kirby said.

Panetta concluded the 10-minute call by inviting Martinez to the Pentagon for a personal meeting. Plans are now in the works to arrange that meeting in the very near future, Kirby said.

On “Dancing with the Stars,” celebrities are paired with professional dancers and over several months perform predetermined dances and compete against other dancers for judges' points and audience votes.

In 2003, Martinez was a 19-year-old Army infantryman assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. He was driving a Humvee there when the vehicle hit a roadside bomb.

Martinez suffered smoke inhalation and severe burns to more than 40 percent of his body, including his face and hands.

He was evacuated to Landstuhl, Germany, and later transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where he spent 34 months. He has undergone 33 cosmetic and skin-graft surgeries.

While in recovery, the former infantryman began to visit other patients in the hospital, sharing his story and listening to theirs. Since then, Martinez has spoken to audiences at corporations, veterans groups, nonprofits and schools.

In 2009, Martinez was honored by the nonprofit Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America with the Veterans Leadership Award, given in recognition of his dedication to the nation's newest generation of veterans.

“In the eight years since your injury,” Panetta wrote in his letter to Martinez, “you have done extraordinary work assisting other wounded warriors and raising public awareness of the challenges our service members and their families face when they return home, and I would like to commend you for your tireless efforts in this arena.”

The secretary added, “You represent an entire generation -- what I call the next greatest generation -- that has been willing to put their lives on the line for our country.”

In 2008, Martinez landed a role as an Iraq war veteran on the ABC soap opera, “All My Children,” which led to his “Dancing with the Stars” appearances this year.

In his letter to Martinez, Panetta wrote of his belief that the Army veteran would “continue to be a passionate advocate for our wounded warriors and all our veterans in the years ahead.”

“So, thank you for your continuing service, for your sacrifice,” the secretary added, “and please accept my warmest wishes for a joyous holiday season for you and your family.”