Maryland Governor Signs Proclamation Declaring April 'Month of the Military Child'

By Benjamin Christensen, Naval District Washington Public Affairs

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (NNS) -- Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley signed a proclamation March 19, declaring April 2012 as Month of the Military Child, the first such declaration to be made in the state of Maryland.

This proclamation follows on the heels of a similar one by Mayor C. Vincent Gray for the District of Columbia last week.

"While several other states have issued proclamations designating April as Month of the Military Child, we were delighted to have Governor O'Malley respond positively to the request for such a proclamation for all military connected children and youth in Maryland," said Carol Mohsberg, school liaison officer for Naval Support Activity Annapolis.

Although there more than 40,000 military children living in Maryland, much focus is spent on their parents' dedication and sacrifices, while children in military families are often overlooked. The so-called "military brats" often make huge sacrifices of their own due to the great demands on their parents.

"While we often recognize the active duty or reserve service member, it is important to remember that 'kids serve, too'; in their schools, their neighborhoods, their communities, etcetera," said Mohsberg.

Jennifer Dailey-Perkins, regional school liaison officer for Naval District Washington (NDW), said April has been utilized as a particular month to honor children from military families since 1986, when then-Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger requested members of all the military branches take that time especially to commend military children for stoically enduring the trials they often face.

"Since then each April, military installations around the world honor our young heroes with special activities and events, specifically for them," said Dailey-Perkins. "These festivities let them know that they are valued and supported."

This time is also being used to remind service families that there are indeed resources available for them. Each installation in NDW has a School Liaison Office "who is available to offer assistance to military families who have school-aged children with transition and deployment needs."

"Additionally, our entire NDW Child and Youth Program team stand ready to assist our military children and take pause this month to celebrate their achievements," said Dailey-Perkins.

For additional information and resources for military families with children, visit the Military Health System at http://www.health.mil/Themes/Military_Children.aspx.

Pretrial Wraps Up for Alleged Document Leaker

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

FORT MEADE, Md.  – The prosecution and defense rested today after delivering their closing statements in the Article 32 hearing of a soldier charged with leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents.

Today’s session, which adjourned at about 10:30 a.m., wrapped up eight days of pre-trial proceedings in the case against Army Pfc. Bradley E. Manning that began Dec. 16.

An Article 32 hearing, often compared to a civilian grand jury, is a pretrial hearing to determine if grounds exist for a general court martial, the most serious of courts martial.

The investigating officer, Army Lt. Col. Paul Almanza, now has until Jan. 16 to issue his recommendations to the Special Court Martial Convening Authority, a Military District of Washington spokesperson told American Forces Press Service.

Alamanza may ask for an extension, if needed, the official said.

His report will recommend that the case be referred to a court martial, or that some or all of the charges against Manning be dismissed.

The Special Court Martial Convening Authority, Army Col. Carl Coffman, will then provide Alamanza’s recommendation to the General Court Martial Convening Authority, and indicate whether he concurs with it, the MDW official said.

Manning, an intelligence analyst, is suspected of leaking military and diplomatic documents to the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks in what officials believe is the biggest intelligence leak in U.S. history.

WikiLeaks, in turn, released thousands of these documents, including classified records about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, on its website last year.

At the time, then-Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and other senior defense officials condemned the organization’s actions, claiming the act put deployed service members at an increased risk.

The Article 32 hearing marked 24-year-old Manning’s first appearance in a military court since his arrest in Iraq in May 2010.

He faces more than 20 charges alleging he introduced unauthorized software onto government computers to extract classified information, unlawfully downloaded it, improperly stored it, and transmitted the data for public release and use by the enemy.

The charge of aiding the enemy under Article 104 of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice is a capital offense; however, the prosecution team has said it won’t recommend the death penalty, a legal official said.

If convicted of all charges, Manning would face a maximum punishment of life in prison. He also could be reduced to E-1, the lowest enlisted grade, face a total forfeiture of all pay and allowances and dishonorable discharge, officials said.

(Editors’ Note: Elaine Sanchez contributed to this article.)

Maryland Guard Takes Part in Africa Command Exercise

By Army Capt. Rick Breitenfeldt
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 25, 2008 - For the first time since U.S. Africa Command stood up Oct. 1, the National Guard has deployed citizen-soldiers to an African nation to provide desperately needed medical care. The two-week deployment to Senegal of 18 Maryland National Guard doctors, dentists and other medical professionals was in support of a 14-nation exercise known as Flintlock 09, which concluded Nov. 20.

The Maryland Guard medical team based at Camp Fretterd in Reisterstown, Md., was led by Army Col. (Dr.) John V. Gladden, the state surgeon, who said this type of training mission is exactly what the Guard needs to be doing.

"It teaches us how to do things outside our specialty [and] how to work together," Gladden said about his team, which treated nearly 1,600 Senegalese who visited the makeshift clinic with a variety of medical and dental issues.

Gladden, who has worked in eight previous medical exercises in his career, said the working and living conditions in Africa were the most austere he had ever seen, but that his fellow citizen-soldiers were professionals under the toughest of circumstances.

"Nobody got flustered," he said. "We knew there were limitations on what we could do to treat some of these patients, but nobody dwelled on this being a less-than-perfect outcome."

The two-week exercise was developed as a joint multinational exercise to improve information sharing at the operational and tactical levels across the Saharan region while fostering increased collaboration and coordination.

"This was a perfect fit," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth McGill, the operations sergeant for the Maryland Guard medical detachment who organized the training mission.
"We had the professional talent, and they had everything we needed to do the job. This was the opportunity to take a portion of our staff [and] send them to a faraway land to do wonderful things and get more medical experience. Having an opportunity like this, even in the civilian world, is rare."

More than 200 people participated in Flintlock, a part of Africom's Operation Enduring Freedom Trans Sahara, which provides military support to State Department programs that aim to enhance regional security in Africa by also addressing economic and social development, disaster preparedness, medical emergencies and other issues.

Although this was the first such mission for the National Guard to an African country, the Guard has a long-standing State Partnership Program that was designed to build relationships with emerging democracies by pairing states and U.S. territories with more than 59 countries around the world.

"This is a terrific opportunity for our soldiers to take their military and civilian skills and apply them in a real-world training environment, while at the same time helping the people of the republic of Senegal," said Army Brig. Gen. Alberto Jimenez, commander of the Maryland Army National Guard. "This exercise is a continuation of the ongoing efforts by the Maryland National Guard in support of emerging democracies in countries like Bosnia-Herzegovina, Estonia, and now, Senegal."

Former Maryland assistant adjutant general Army Maj. Gen. Edward Leacock, now deputy director of Africom's intelligence and knowledge development division, said the exercise "set a strong precedent for future U.S. Africa Command engagements where the U.S. military will actively seek the partnership of stakeholders to meet common challenges."

McGill said Gladden and his medical team's mission didn't end when the last patient left the clinic. The Guard team left behind all excess medical supplies and equipment for future use by the Senegalese government.

(Army Capt. Rick Breitenfeldt serves with the Maryland National Guard.)

Maryland Guard Plans Medical Assistance Visit to Africa

American Forces Press Service

Nov. 6, 2008 - The Maryland Army National Guard will send soldiers to Africa as part of a scheduled two-week annual training period to provide medical, dental and ophthalmology services to people in the St. Louis region of northwestern Senegal as part of Operation Flintlock, officials announced yesterday. The deployment, which will take place later this month, will involve about 25 soldiers from the Maryland Army National Guard's Medical Detachment, based at Camp Fretterd in Reisterstown, Md.

It's the Maryland Guard's first deployment to Africa, officials said.

"This is a terrific opportunity for our soldiers to take their military and civilian skills and apply them in a real-world training environment, while at the same time helping the people of the Republic of Senegal," said Brig. Gen. Alberto Jimenez, commander of the Maryland Army National Guard.

"This exercise is a continuation of the ongoing efforts by the Maryland National Guard in support of emerging democracies in countries like Bosnia-Herzegovina, Estonia and now Senegal," Jimenez said.

The Maryland Guardsmen involved in the medical training exercise will directly support Special Operations Command Europe, and expect to treat 500 to 700 patients per day.

Nearly 350 citizen-soldiers and -airmen from the Maryland National Guard are currently serving in support of the global war on terror. Since Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 8,100 soldiers and airmen have been called for various mobilizations, including operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle and Jump Start, and in the relief efforts for multiple hurricanes.

(From a Maryland National Guard news release.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS October 21, 2008

Navy

EDO Communications and Countermeasures Systems, Inc., Thousand Oaks, Calif., is being awarded a $205,802,682 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-07-C-6311 for the production and support of 2,866 JCREW 2.1 Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic Warfare (CREW) systems to meet urgent Department of Defense (DoD) requirements in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Vehicle-mounted CREW systems are one element of the DoD's Joint Counter RCIED Electronic Warfare program. Spiral 2.1 CREW systems are vehicle mounted electronic jammers designed to prevent the initiation of Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices. This contract is for the urgent procurement and support of CREW systems, to be used by forces in each of the military services of the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility. The Navy manages the joint CREW program for Office of the Secretary of Defense's Joint IED Defeat Organization. Work will be performed in Thousand Oaks, Calif. and is expected to be completed by April 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., McLean, Va., is being awarded a $17,409,817 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for technical and engineering services for communications-electronics advanced technology systems supporting the special communications requirements division of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland. The estimated level of effort for this option is 150,028 man-hours. Work will be performed in Lexington Park, Md. (70 percent) and St. Inigoes, Md. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured by electronic solicitation, with three firms solicited and one offer received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, St. Inigoes, Md. is the contracting activity (N00421-09-C-0016).

ARMY

Grandis Inc, Milpitas, Calif., was awarded Oct. 17, 2008, a $6,048,181 cost/sharing contract. This program relates to DARPA Spin /Torque/Transfer/Random /Access/Memory technologies program. The goal of this program is to develop materials and processes to fully exploit the spin/torque transfer phenomenon for creating universal memory elements. Work will be performed in Milpitas, Calif., Charlottesville, Va., and Tuscaloosa, Ala., with an estimated and completion date of Oct. 20, 2012. Bids solicited were via broad agency announcement and nine bids were received. Defense advanced research projects agency, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-09-C-0023).

Maryland Guard Supports Olympic Heroes Parade

By Army Capt. Rick Breitenfeldt
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 6, 2008 - The Maryland National Guard 'Minuteman' Humvee arguably is the most photographed military vehicle in the world -- at least it seemed to be over the weekend. An estimated 30,000 screaming fans lined the streets of Towson, Md., Oct. 4, along with local, national and international media to welcome home Olympic hero Michael Phelps as he made his way slowly down a two-mile parade route standing up through the sunroof of the now-famous Maryland National Guard Humvee.

"This thing is awesome," said Phelps as he looked around the inside of the modified military vehicle, which is typically used for recruiting and retention events. "Everyone needs one of these."

Driving the Humvee was Maryland Guard Staff Sgt. Demetrius L. Luck, who works full time with the Baltimore County Police Department and is routinely assigned to protect dignitaries and distinguished visitors.

Luck -- no stranger to driving a Humvee, having just returned from Iraq after a deployment with the Maryland Guard's 58th Infantry Brigade Combat Team -- said he was honored to be assigned to Phelps for the parade.

"It was an exciting day for me," he said. "It didn't even feel like work."

Brig. Gen. James A. Adkins, Maryland's adjutant general, equated the success Phelps and his fellow Olympians have enjoyed to that of Maryland Guard soldiers who deployed.

"Michael Phelps and all of our Olympians are hometown heroes and represent what you can achieve with hard work and dedication," Adkins said. "They have become much like the National Guard – a symbol of Maryland that has gone overseas and has returned with enormous success."

The Maryland National Guard later provided a flyover with several UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters at Fort McHenry.

Other local Olympians also participated in the parade and festivities, including Katie Hoff and Jessica Long.

(Army Capt. Rick Breitenfeldt serves in the Maryland National Guard.)

DoD Contracts for Free YMCA Membership for Deployed Guard and Reserve Families

The Department of Defense announced October 1 that families of deployed members of the National Guard and Reserve, active duty service members on independent duty and their families, and active duty service members and their families assigned to selected bases would be eligible for free family memberships at participating YMCAs in their local community.

The new program, which is effective immediately, was unveiled in a signing ceremony presided by Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness David S.C. Chu. Also signing the document was Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs Thomas F. Hall and the Executive Director of the Armed Services YMCA, retired Navy Rear Adm. Frank Gallo.

"We know these programs are key to personal health and well-being, help build strong families, and reduce stress and feelings of isolation," Chu said. "I am extremely pleased to announce our new partnership."

The free YMCA memberships for Guard and Reserve families will be available while the service member is deployed for a minimum of six months. The deploying service member will also be eligible for three months pre- and post-deployment membership to help promote family participation.

Active duty families assigned to independent duty stations, such as recruiting and ROTC assignments and not currently receiving support from the service component will also be eligible for free memberships at participating YMCAs. Single service members are eligible for fitness center memberships up to $50 a month.

Active duty families at selected bases will also be eligible for free YMCA memberships as part of a pilot program. Memberships will be issued on a first come, first served basis with 300 to 450 family memberships available per joint base location.

The selected bases are: Lackland Air Force Base/Randolph AFB/Ft. Sam Houston, Texas; Langley AFB, Va.; McCord Air Force Base/Ft. Lewis, Wash.; Ft. Carson, Colo.; Pearl Harbor/Hickam AFB, Hawaii; Naval Weapons Station, Charleston S.C.; McGuire AFB/Ft. Dix/ Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station, N.J.; Anacostia Naval Air Station /Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.; Ft. Myer/Henderson Hall, Va.; Elmendorf AFB/Ft. Richardson, Alaska; and Andrews AFB/Naval Air Facility D.C., Md.

Additionally, 32 hours a month of free respite child care will be available for families of deployed National Guard and Reserve and geographically dispersed active duty service members in 10 states with YMCA child care programs preapproved by DoD.

Respite Child Care is currently available at participating YMCAs in the following ten states: Indiana, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington. DoD is working with the Armed Services YMCA on ways to expand the number of YMCA child care programs eligible to offer respite care in order to meet this critical need.

Participating YMCAs have agreed to cap their monthly fees and waive all joining fees so there is no cost for service members and their families for membership. Some classes may have fees associated with them and if so, the service member will be responsible for those costs.

"Since the Civil War, the Armed Services YMCA has been committed to supporting our troops and improving their quality of life," said Gallo. "This new initiative will go a long way to help America's military families live healthy lives."

Signing up for the program requires a YMCA/DoD eligibility form, a copy of deployment orders and military ID. The YMCA/DoD eligibility form is available at http://www.miltaryonesource.com/ . A completed eligibility form, a copy of deployment orders (where applicable) and the military ID are all that are needed for the local YMCA to process memberships.

MILITARY CONTRACTS August 18, 2008

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Suez Energy Resources NA, Inc., Houston, Texas is being awarded a maximum $646,007,724 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for electrical services. Other locations of performance are in Maryland, and New Jersey. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and federal civilian agencies. There were originally 195 proposals solicited with 11 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Dec. 31, 2013. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Supply Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-8027).

Red Star Enterprises, Limited, Gibraltar is being awarded a maximum $308,257,762 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for jet fuel. Other location of performance is in Bagram, Afghanistan. Using service is Army. This proposal was originally solicited on FedBizOps with 14 responses. This contract represents a two year period with a one year option. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug.31, 2011. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Supply Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-1017).

Supreme Site Services, Dubia, U.A.E. is being awarded a maximum $104,743,071 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for jet fuel. Other location of performance is in Bagram, Afghanistan. Using service is Army. This proposal was originally solicited on FedBizOps with 14 responses. This contract represents a two year period with a one year option. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug.31, 2011. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Supply Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-1018).

National Fuel, Inc., Kabul, Afghanistan is being awarded a maximum $44,854,500 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for diesel fuel. Other location of performance is in Bagram, Afghanistan. Using service is Army. This proposal was originally solicited on FedBizOps with 14 responses. This contract represents a two year period with a one year option. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug. 31, 2011. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Supply Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-08-D-1019).

Afghan National Petroleum Co., Ltd, Jalaluddin St., Mazar-Esharif, Afghanistan is being awarded a maximum $4,526,400 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for gasoline fuel. Other location of performance is in Bagram, Afghanistan. Using service is Army. This proposal was originally solicited on FedBizOps with 14 responses. This contract represents a two year period with a one year option. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug. 31, 2011. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Supply Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-08-D-1020).

Graybar Electric Company, Inc., St. Louis, Mo. is being awarded a maximum $250,000,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity, prime vendor contract for maintenance, repair, and operations services. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was web solicited with seven responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising third one-year option. The date of performance completion is Aug. 17, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM500-04-D-BP14).

Science Application International Corp., Fairfield, N.J. is being awarded a maximum $250,000,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for maintenance, repair, and operations services. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Federal Civilian Agencies. The original proposal was Web solicited with five responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising third one-year option. The date of performance completion is Aug. 17, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM500-04-D-BP15).

Army

Hellfire Systems Limited Liability Co., Orlando, Fla., was awarded on Aug. 15, 2008, a $356,665,089 firm-fixed price contract for Hellfire II High-Energy Anti-Tank missiles. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Oct. 22, 2007. U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-C-0361).

BAE Systems Land & Armaments, Inc., York, Pa., was awarded on Aug. 15, 2008, a $11,160,117 cost-plus fixed fee contract for Bradley M2/M3 improved explosive device mine armor kits and mine armor kits. Work will be performed in York, Penn., and is expected to be completed by Mar. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Dec. 17, 2007. U.S. Army TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-05-G-0005).

GE Engine Services, Inc., Cincinatti, Ohio, was awarded on Aug. 14, 2008, a $9,999,400 firm-fixed price contract for maintenance and overhaul of 10 conversion / recapitalization T701C to T701D engines. Work will be performed in Arkansas City, Kan., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three bids were solicited on Jan. 17, 2008, and three bids were received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-D-0226).

L-3 Communications System West, Salt Lake City, Utah, was awarded on Aug. 14, 2008, a $7,195,110 firm-fixed price contract for E-ROVER systems. Work will be performed in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jun. 4, 2008. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contract activity (W58RGZ-07-C-0209).

Taylor Brothers Construction Co., Inc., was awarded on Aug. 12, 2008, a $6,024,699 firm-fixed price contract for rehab project of five buildings. Work will be performed in Butlerville, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 7, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Seven bids were solicited on Jun. 10, 2008, and two bids were received. USPFO, Indianapolis, Ind., is the contract activity (W912L9-07-D-0004).

Navy

DRS Technical Services, Inc., Herndon, Va., is being awarded a $15,733,333 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for satellite communications equipment and training. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to an estimated $47,200,000. Work will be performed in Herndon, Va., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities web site and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command E-commerce website, with seven offers received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity (N65236-08-D-5152).

ERAPSCO, Columbia City, Ind., is being awarded an $11,496,960 firm-fixed-price contract for AN/SSQ-101 sonobuoys and associated data. The AN/SSQ-101 sonobuoys are dropped from various airborne platforms and utilized for search and detection of submerged submarines. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $17,245,440. Work will be performed in DeLeon Springs, Fla., (66 percent) and Columbia City, Ind., (34 percent), and is expected to be completed by Aug. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-08-C-GP03).

Conquistador Dorado JV,* Sanford, Fla., is being awarded an $11,195,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the Airfield Vegetation Conversion Project at Naval Air Station Key West, Fla. This project is for the design and construction of drainage and conveyance systems within the airfield area, removal of vegetation, clearing and grubbing of existing vegetation. This contract contains an option, which when exercised within 365 days, will bring the contract value to $21,769,000. Work will be performed in Key West, Fla., and is expected to be completed Aug. 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with four offers received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (N69450-08-C-1267).

U.S. Air Guardsmen, Bosnians Restore Monument to Americans Killed in Sarajevo

By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 15, 2008 - Next to a dirt road cut into the hillside of Mount Igman, southwest of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, U.S. Air National Guard and Bosnian troops recently repaired a monument marking the location where three American diplomats and a French soldier lost their lives nearly 13 years ago. The monument was built in 1997, and over the years has suffered erosion and weather damage.

The Sarajevo Canton Memorial Fund maintains the memorial and many others throughout the country. The organization recently approached the Defense Ministry for help restoring it, and U.S. and host-nation officials made the project a joint venture, officials at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo said.

"[The host nation's] request for assistance is a true testament of their commitment to remembering those Americans who lost their lives here," said U.S. Air Force Maj. John C. Eisberg, an official at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo.

From 1992 to 1995, the war-torn country saw more than 95,000 people killed and another 2 million displaced. With the fall of communism in the former Yugoslavian federation, bloodshed and conflict broke out among the region's three ethnically based political parties. The Bosniaks and Croats declared their independence, while the Serbs favored staying with the federation.

U.S. ground forces weren't involved in the war, but the three Americans honored by the memorial served as special U.S. Defense Department envoys, negotiating a peace agreement. They died on Aug. 19, 1995, when the rain-soaked road they were traveling on collapsed under their vehicle, driven by the French soldier, and subsequently rolled down a 500-meter slope.

Every year since, on the anniversary of their deaths, U.S. and Bosnian officials, as well as people from the nearby community, meet at the memorial to celebrate the lives of Joseph John Kruzel, deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy, Robert Frasure, special American envoy to the former Yugoslavia, and Air Force Col. Sam Nelson Drew, national security council advisor. All three men are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

"They died tragically, but were peacekeepers working to end a horrible war," Eisberg said. "The Bosnians' effort to remember them is such a great testimony of the difference these men made here."

Refurbishing the monument fell to the Maryland Air National Guardsmen from the 175th Civil Engineer Squadron, which deployed to Sarajevo on July 13 to 27 as part of the state's joint-partnership program with Bosnia. Most of the unit refurbished a school, while a team of 10 Air Guardsmen and seven Bosnian troops worked to restore the monument, said the squadron's commander, Air Force Lt. Col. John P. McVicker.

The site is about 150 by 75 feet. The airmen and Bosnian troops worked together excavating, clearing brush and debris, placing ballistic rocks for stabilization, and preparing the area for concrete and paver stones, McVicker said.

A lot of pride went into the airmen's work on the memorial, not only because of the men honored by it but also because of the warm reception they received from the local people, McVicker said.

"We've never had such a warm reception for our work," he said. "Restoring the monument is very important to the [people] here, because for the Bosnians, these four men helped bring an end to their war. This monument is a symbol to Bosnia of the peace and democracy they enjoy today."

The Air Guardsmen have since redeployed to Maryland. They were replaced by California's 163rd Civil Engineering Squadron, which finished work on the monument July 24.

U.S. Air Guardsmen Renovate School in Bosnia and Herzegovina

By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 15, 2008 - The latest National Guard State Partnership Program project was completed Aug. 13, as U.S. Air National Guardsmen and Bosnian troops put the final touches on the Vuk Karadzic Elementary School in Vlasenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Air Guardsmen from Maryland's 175th Civil Engineer Squadron deployed to Vlasenica, about 37 miles north of Sarajevo, from July 13 to July 25, renovating the 33,000-square-foot, three-level structure. About 15 of the 65 Maryland engineers remained for another three weeks to work with 34 Air Guardsmen from California's 163rd Civil Engineer Squadron as they took over the project, Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Janice Grennon, a Maryland Air Guard spokesman, said.

The engineers completely refurbished the school's interior structure, Grennon said, installing a new electrical system, lighting, smoke detectors and back-up power generators and repairing walls and ceilings. They also repaired minor plumbing and masonry issues and installed new interior doors and windows.

Air flow and mold were major concerns because of the potential health risks to the school's more than 700 students and faculty, Grennon said. Bosnian soldiers washed the ceilings and walls with bleach while the U.S. Air Guardsmen concentrated on installing new electricity and lighting and repairing the ceilings to increase air flow, he added.

Grennon said the townspeople were extremely supportive of the efforts. Initially, he said, the engineers were cautious because the area is mostly Serbian, and many local people may have harbored hard feelings toward Americans because of the U.S. stance during their civil war in the mid-1990s.

However, the project was finished without incident. Grennon said he and his unit felt very welcomed and that the project couldn't have been complete without the town's positive support.

"The people received us very well and went out of their way to help us with anything they could," he said.

Grennon said he hopes the renovations will eliminate potential health issues and increase the students' ability to learn. He and his fellow airmen look forward to their next mission there, he added.

"The project was great on a lot of levels," he said. "It was fantastic opportunity, and most of the unit is already talking and asking about when we can go back."

'Troops to Teachers' Translates Military Experience to Classroom

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

July 15, 2008 - About 60 servicemembers preparing to retire or separate from the military got the word loud and clear during a recent Transition Assistance Program workshop here: If Uncle Sam can't have you any more, the public school system would love to have you. School districts around the country are desperate for the maturity and experience troops have gained through military service, said Robert Henry, who coordinates the Troops to Teachers Program for Maryland and the District of Columbia.

The Defense Department launched the Troops to Teachers program in 1994 to attract departing military members into teaching positions in low-income and underprivileged school districts. Fourteen years later, the program has placed more than 11,000 former troops into public schools nationwide, Henry told the group. Almost half the TTT teachers work in high schools, 30 percent in middle schools and about 20 percent in elementary schools. More than 80 percent of them are men, compared to about 25 percent of traditional teachers.

To qualify for the program, candidates need a bachelor's degree and teacher certification that the Troops to Teachers program can help finance, Henry said.

A retired Navy petty officer first class, Henry called the Troops to Teachers program a great opportunity for former servicemembers who enjoy working with young people and want to continue serving their communities.

He called former troops prime candidates for teaching jobs -- particularly in math, the sciences and special education -- who bring a unique quality to their classrooms.

"They have real-world experience, and they bring a level of maturity, along with good communications skills," he said. "Most have a sense of service and want to continue to give back to the community.

"But beyond that," he continued, "troops bring a sense of commitment to mission accomplishment. For them, failure is not an option. There's a kind of mentality they bring to the job that means they will do whatever they need to do to get something done and to do it right."

Participants in the program say military service gave them the skills they needed for the job: discipline, patience and a readiness to face challenges. They also report a personal satisfaction that comes with working with young people, Henry said.

Seventy-five percent of TTT teachers were still teaching five years after going through the program, Henry said. After 10 years, 60 percent were still involved in education, as teachers or administrators.

Among them is Ernie Jackson, who returned to his hometown of Port Jervis, N.Y., in 2000 to teach fifth grade and special education. Jackson, who retired as an Army infantry officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel, said he found the Troops to Teachers program a good way to transition into the education field.

Jackson said he drew on his 20 years of military experience as he moved into the classroom, tapping into the management skills the Army taught him, along with the ability to work under pressure and deal with people. He said he applied the Army's way of training troops, emphasizing group dynamics and team building -- "skills you need in life, but that you can't get on the Internet or on a cell phone."

Jackson said that as he rose through the education ranks, becoming a vice principal, then a principal, he got the satisfaction from his interactions with his students.

"You change kids' lives," he said. "It's a great opportunity to make a difference in a young person's life. And there's a tremendous amount of gratification that comes with that."

Now a principal who hires teachers, Jackson said he seeks out former servicemembers through the Troops to Teachers program. "Having time in the military gives them a definite edge in my book," he said. "I find there are a lot of parallels between teaching and the military. We need servicemen and women to become teachers."

Jackson isn't alone in praising the Troops to Teachers program. School districts rave about the teachers they recruited through the program, Henry told the Fort Meade troops. Ninety percent of principals report that TTT teachers are more effective than traditional teachers, particularly in classroom management and student discipline. Eight-nine percent of principals said TTT teachers have a greater impact than other teachers with equal teaching experience on student achievement.

"The school districts that have us all want more of us," Henry told students at the Fort Meade transition workshop. "It's a great opportunity to build on the military skills and experience you have built, and to use them in a meaningful way as you begin a new career."

America Supports You: Restored 1931 Buick Showcases 'Faces of Valor'

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

July 10, 2008 - Patriotism runs high at Chick and Ruth's Delly, a mainstay along the Maryland capital's Main Street. Ted Levitt, the deli's owner, starts each morning leading patrons as they recite the Pledge of Allegiance. A huge flag hovers high over the lunch counter, and yellow-and-orange walls are covered with photos of troops in uniform. Now Levitt has a new addition: a fully restored 1931 Buick, airbrushed with the faces of 43 heroes who have served the country in the armed forces or as police officers, firefighters and other first responders.

Levitt hopes to use his labor of love, which he's named "Faces of Valor USA," to raise money for scholarships and financial assistance for or in honor of those wounded or killed while performing their duty.

The red, white and blue car took two and a half years to restore and made its debut appearance during Annapolis' Fourth of July Parade. Now Levitt is lining up events where he can showcase the car to raise funds to help those who have sacrificed for their country and the families some of them left behind.

Levitt said he got the idea to personalize his project after the parents of Marine Capt. Ben Sammis stopped into his deli to tell him that their son had been killed conducting helicopter rescues in Iraq. Sammis graduated from The Citadel in South Carolina, but met Levitt when he frequented Chick and Ruth's Delly while attending a U.S. Naval Academy program.

Devastated to hear of his death, Levitt asked Beth and Steve Sammis for permission to use their son's face on his car.

Levitt took the project farther, ultimately choosing 43 people to depict on his car and bring faces to the concepts of sacrifice and service. In addition to 15 firefighters killed in New York during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Faces of Valor project highlights troops who have served in operations from the Vietnam War to the war in Iraq.

Levitt knows all but the New York firefighters personally, from his cousin, Army Chief Warrant Officer Stewart Goldberg, who was killed when his helicopter was shot down in Vietnam in July 1969, to Master Sgt. Karl Allen, a local businessman who retired from the reserve components after three deployments.

The face of Army Capt. D.J. Skelton, a Chick and Ruth's Delly patron, appears with his left eye closed; he lost it during a rocket-propelled-grenade attack while serving with 25th Infantry Division in Fallujah, Iraq, in November 2004.

But Levitt said he intentionally chose to use not only faces of those wounded or killed in the line of duty.

"This is a tribute, not a memorial," he said of the Faces of Valor project. "A lot of people think you have to have been killed to be honored, but that's not the point here. What matters is that these people put their lives on the line every day to protect us. It's because of them that we get to live the lives we live."

Levitt said he wants people who see the car to focus on each face and recognize the sacrifices so many people make so Americans can live in safety and enjoy freedoms some only dream about.

"These are the men and women who allow us to live in freedom, to do any kind of job we want and allow our constitution to live on," he said. "It's because of them that we get to do what we do."

At age 51, Levitt said, he remembers the protests and abuse that awaited many Vietnam veterans when they returned from that war, and said he wants to ensure that never happens to today's returning troops.

"They need to be treated as heroes," he said. "And for those who need help, they need to know that they will be taken care of. We owe them that."

Pentagon Channel, Comcast Team to Air Service Academy Graduations

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

May 22, 2008 - The Pentagon Channel and cable company Comcast are teaming up to offer customers televised coverage of this year's graduation ceremonies at the service academies. "We appreciate Comcast's decision to carry the Pentagon Channel's coverage of the military service academy graduations," Brian Natwick, general manager of the Pentagon Channel, stated in a Comcast news release.

Featured coverage includes this year's graduation ceremonies at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Comcast digital cable customers throughout New Jersey, Delaware, southeastern and central Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., can access the programs through local video on demand.

The graduation ceremony broadcast schedule is as follows:

-- May 23: U.S. Naval Academy, featuring Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, providing the keynote address.

-- May 28: U.S. Air Force Academy, with President Bush providing the keynote address.

-- May 31: U.S. Military Academy at West Point, with the keynote address by Army Secretary Pete Geren.

The ceremonies will be available on video on demand within four days after the commencements through June 14, Comcast officials said.

Comcast's support, Natwick explained, helps the Pentagon Channel share "the excitement and traditions of academy graduations with our military servicemembers and their families."

Comcast customers can access "Graduations on Demand" by tuning to Channel 1 on their digital cable lineup or by pressing the "On Demand" button on their remote control, then clicking on the "Get Local" category, followed by the "Academy Graduations" folder.

"Offering military graduations on demand underscores Comcast's commitment to supporting the thousands of servicemembers and their families throughout our footprint," said Michael Doyle, president of Comcast's eastern division and founder of CN8, The Comcast Network. "We are pleased to partner with the Pentagon Channel to offer this relevant programming to our customers that Comcast is uniquely qualified to deliver."

The service academy commencement ceremonies aren't the only upcoming graduations that families and friends can see even if they're unable to attend. Hundreds of U.S. troops deployed from Europe in support of the global war on terrorism will be able to watch their children's high school graduation ceremonies via live webcasts. Department of Defense Dependents Schools Europe, U.S. Army Europe and U.S. Army 5th Signal Command are combining assets and talent to enable the live webcasts for deployed parents of graduating high school seniors.

Wounded U.S. Soldiers, Marines Participate in Ice Hockey Clinic

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

May 20, 2008 - A group of wounded U.S. military veterans gathered at a Maryland ice rink for some fun, camaraderie and exercise May 17. Armed Forces Day is an ideal time to start a free ice hockey clinic for wounded warriors, John Coleman, president of the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association, said as he watched sled-mounted and upright disabled veterans skate across the slick, glistening surface at the Gardens Ice House in Laurel, Md.

"It is appropriate that today is Armed Forces Day," Coleman said. "There is not enough that we can do for these guys."

Most of the injured soldiers and Marines on the ice were undergoing rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, Coleman noted.

"The Gardens Ice House has been very helpful," Coleman said, noting the rink provided free ice time for the veterans' hockey clinic. Claiborn Carr III, one of the rink's owners, and manager Thomas Hendrix are military veterans themselves, he observed.

The clinic dovetails with other USA Hockey-sponsored events for disabled players, Coleman said. USA Hockey promotes and governs amateur ice hockey events across the United States. It provided jerseys and equipment for the clinic, as well as the specially constructed sleds that were used by veterans who lost legs or suffered other severe injuries during their overseas service.

USA Hockey sponsors four categories for disabled players: sled, amputee, hearing impaired, and special hockey for developmentally disabled children and adults, said Bob Banach, USA Disabled Hockey's southeastern district representative. The clinic, he said, featured sled players and standing amputees.

Some veterans at the clinic employed prosthetic legs to skate upright, while others who'd lost one or both lower limbs opted for the sleds. The sled-borne players employed two shortened hockey sticks with metal picks at the ends that are used to dig into the ice for propulsion, Banach, a Coast Guard veteran, explained.

Offering a cost-free ice hockey clinic for wounded veterans is a way to show appreciation for their military service, he said.

"These guys have really sacrificed themselves for our country," he said. "We need to show them that we're here for them. We'll help them transition back to anything they want to do; we will help them do that -- such as playing hockey."

Marine Cpl. Ray Hennagir, 21, a combat engineer who hails from Deptford, N.J., took to his sled with apparent ease as he zipped across the slick ice and used his truncated hockey stick to shoot hard rubber pucks into the goal netting. Hennagir lost both of his legs and four fingers of his left hand when an improvised explosive device detonated during a mission near Fallujah, Iraq, on June 16, 2007.

Hennagir thinks he is lucky to have survived the blast, which he said hurled him into the air.

"Someone upstairs likes me," Hennagir said with a grin during a pause in the action at the rink. Military surgeons were able to save his left arm, which also was damaged in the explosion. Hennagir spent about four months at the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md.

Hennagir has been undergoing rehabilitation treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here since early August. He said he has prosthetic legs that attach to his residual limbs so he can walk upright, but he's still mastering the process.

"They're doing a great job," Hennagir said of the medical care he is receiving at Walter Reed.

"I'm a big hockey fan," he said, noting he plans to continue attending the weekly ice hockey clinics and perhaps compete in sled hockey or mono-skiing in the Paralympics

"Of all the things I've lost, I miss my fingers the most," he said.

Hennagir said he always wanted to be in the military and that he appreciates how people routinely thank him for his service to the country. "It's good that there are people out there that are supportive" of America's veterans, Hennagir said.

Another sled-borne veteran, Army Spc. Mike Williams, 22, severely injured his right knee during a battle with insurgents in Taji, Iraq, on Dec. 28, 2007.

"We started to get into a firefight, and I jumped out of a truck with all my gear on. I went down. My knee collapsed; I tore all of the ligaments," recalled Williams, a Baltimore native who arrived at Walter Reed in January and expects to undergo another eight months of rehabilitation there.

The care provided at Walter Reed is "outstanding," Williams, a field artilleryman, said. "I'm taken care of with every need that I have; I've never had a problem with anybody there," he said.

Williams, who has played ice hockey before, immediately took to playing the game in a sled. "I'm learning how to play a different sport, but it's a lot of fun, though, once you get the hang of it," he said.

Williams and his brother, Josh, both joined the Army on Nov. 19, 2003. Williams said his brother is a light-wheeled-vehicle mechanic now stationed in South Korea. "We wanted to join the service to do our fair share," he said.

Williams observed that "tons of people just show their appreciation" for recovering servicemembers at Walter Reed. "They take us out to dinners, ball games, football games," he noted. "I couldn't thank everybody enough. It's great what they do for us."

Wounded warriors at Walter Reed enjoy a tight camaraderie, Williams said. "I've made a lot of friends," he said. "We make a lot of jokes and have a lot of good fun."

Williams said he's proud of his and other veterans' military service. "The more people we can get to volunteer (for military service), the safer we can keep our country," he said.

Joe Bowser, a 48-year-old retired Army Reserve noncommissioned officer who lost his lower right leg during an enemy rocket attack in Balad, Iraq, on April 12, 2004, was stickhandling and passing the puck along with other military veterans at the hockey clinic. Bowser, who lives near Baltimore, now wears a prosthetic leg and plays with a local USA Hockey-affiliated hockey team.

Other veterans participating in the clinic had suffered gunshot wounds, nerve damage and other injuries, explained Bowser, who was medically retired from the Army as a sergeant first class.

The ice hockey clinic gets the wounded veterans "out of the hospital," Bowser said, noting the veterans can get some exercise while having fun.

Army Spc. Jeff Lynch, 23, from Fayetteville, N.C., is at Walter Reed receiving care for complications that developed from injuries he suffered two years ago when an improvised explosive device detonated in Mosul, Iraq. Lynch was on his second Iraq tour when he was medically evacuated back to the United States in March 2007. He'd experienced an adverse reaction to his medication, developed blood clots in his lungs, and had problems with his stomach, pancreas and gall bladder.

"It's like three steps up, four steps back, but you can only take one day at a time, I guess," Lynch said of his recovery process.

"I think the best thing Walter Reed and the Army can do is to get the soldiers out of Walter Reed as much as they can," he said as he watched his fellow veterans enjoy themselves on the ice.

Lynch said he plans "to stay busy, get my stuff done and get back to my unit so that I can serve my country."

Retired Army Staff Sgt. Michael Cain, 28, a Berlin, Wis., native, said he was driving a truck in Iraq on Aug. 7, 2003, when a pair of buried landmines detonated underneath his vehicle. He lost his right leg in the explosion and suffered other severe injuries to his left leg, hip, jaw and thumb. He also was shot in the back of the head and in the back, he said.

Cain was medically retired from the Army on Dec. 7, 2004. He's now in the process of moving to Laurel from Wisconsin. He heard about the wounded warrior ice hockey clinic from a friend. "I'm glad I'm here; this is fun," he said as he prepared to chase the puck in his sled.

Cain said he played ice hockey in Wisconsin during his younger days. "I'm going to try to get into the sled-hockey league," he said.

Colonel Chamberlain at Gettysburg

In late June 1863 General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia passed through western Maryland and invaded Pennsylvania. For five days, the Army of the Potomac hurried to get between the Confederates and the national capital. On 1 July 1863, the 20th Maine received word to press on to Gettysburg. The Union Army had engaged the Confederates there, and Union commanders were hurrying all available forces to the hills south of the little town.

The 20th Maine arrived at Gettysburg near midday on 2 July, after marching more than one hundred miles in five days. They had had only two hours sleep and no hot food during the previous 24 hours.

The regiment was preparing to go into a defensive position as part of the brigade commanded by COL Strong Vincent when a staff officer rode up to COL Vincent and began gesturing towards a little hill at the extreme southern end of the Union line. The hill, Little Round Top, dominated the Union position and, at that moment, was unoccupied. If the Confederates placed artillery on it, they could force the entire Union Army to withdraw. The hill had been left unprotected through a series of mistakes—wrong assumptions, the failure to communicate clearly, and the failure to check. The situation was critical.

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http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/CAL/lessons_in_leadership/Chamberlain_at_Gettysburg.doc