Oregon National Guard Forms Partnership With Bangladesh

American Forces Press Service

Nov. 4, 2008 - The Oregon National Guard has established a partnership with one of the most populous -- and according to many at the State Department, one of the more strategically located -- countries in South Asia. A delegation from Oregon visited Bangladesh Oct. 25-30 to meet with military and civilian leaders and discuss a formal partnership.

"This is a chance for Oregon to reach out and share expertise in nation-building and to promote democracy and influence foreign policy," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Bruce Prunk, Oregon's assistant adjutant general for the Air National Guard.

Oregon's partnership with Bangladesh stems from a national program launched by the National Guard Bureau and the U.S. State Department in the 1990s. The State Partnership Program was started to foster alliances between individual U.S. states and former Soviet countries, officials said.

Following formal State Department acceptance of the partnership, the Oregon National Guard began implementing a plan to make it a reality. Army Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Rees, Oregon adjutant general, assigned the task to the Oregon Air Guard, since several Oregon Army National Guard units already were tasked with an upcoming deployment to Iraq.

Prunk said that besides building a civic and military partnership, Oregon soldiers and airmen also can help to support the Bangladeshi government by assisting with disaster-relief preparedness and training.

While Oregon has had relationships with several countries in the past, including Bulgaria and Austria, the relationship between Oregon and Bangladesh is much more formalized, Prunk said.

"This is the first formal relationship between any country and Oregon," he said. "I think it's very exciting for Oregon to establish a long-term relationship with a very strategic partner."

Rees said the Oregon National Guard can benefit from Bangladesh's skills and experience in peacekeeping operations with the United Nations.

"Bangladesh is the second-most-prolific contributor to U.N. peacekeeping operations," he noted.

Bangladesh is an active member of the Global Peace Operations Initiative, organized by the U.S. Institute of Peace, which is chartered with promoting post-conflict stability and development throughout the world, as well as assisting with amicable resolution to international conflicts.

The country also is a member of the Group of 77 Nations, a loose United Nations coalition of developing nations designed to promote collective economic interests for its members and enhance joint negotiating capacity within the U.N.

The Bangladeshi military also has a formal school dedicated to training in peacekeeping operations. The Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operations Training trains personnel on key areas of international peacekeeping.

"It is a very professional school, which gives us opportunities to train there and learn their skills," Rees said.

Another important component to the partnership, Rees said, is Bangladesh's experience with natural disasters. In particular, the Bangladeshi government is interested in Oregon's emergency preparedness and response plan. "We can share information on these capabilities," he added.

The Bangladeshi partnership comes out of a meeting early this year in Hawaii in which Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Rees discussed a formal partnership between Oregon and Bangladesh.

"Admiral Keating's vision of Bangladesh's strategic role and location was instrumental as a catalyst for the partnership," Rees said.

Officials in Oregon and in Bangladesh are outlining key areas they will focus on over the next few years. Another Oregon delegation plans to visit Bangladesh early next year to discuss further details.

(From an Oregon National Guard news release.)

Oregon Guard Uses Mining Techniques to Clean Up Shooting Range

By Kim Lippert
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 1, 2008 - In a landmark project, the Oregon National Guard is relying on gold-mining technology to restore the land at a century-old shooting range on Camp Withycombe here. The process will remove lead bullets from the land and at the same time save the state millions of dollars.

"The majority of savings comes from the cleaning process that takes place on the land itself and by avoiding the cost of having to transport all of the waste to landfills," said Jim Arnold, environmental restoration manager for the Oregon Military Department.

Camp Withycombe is one of the oldest Defense Department rifle ranges in the western United States. Until the late 1990s, it had been used as a training site for hundreds of troops and police officers from around the area. Nearly 300 tons of bullets containing lead ended up in the land, creating a potential environmental concern that needed to be addressed.

"We want to be good stewards of the land," Arnold said. "The soil remediation process allows us to clean up the area and restore it to its natural [state]."

The project, five years in the making, took a lot of planning. The Oregon Military Department contracted with AMEC Earth and Environmental and coordinated with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to do the soil remediation.

Contaminated soil is taken through a machine that screens out the bullets. The soil then washes through another machine, and the bullets are dropped into a bag. The result is a pile of bagged bullets and a pile of clean soil.

In addition to bullets, workers uncovered a few other surprises.

"When we started, we only had information that small arms were used here," said Arnold. "But we have found ordnances from World War II, mortar rounds, grenades, and basically everything within the small arms category."

All ordnance was safely disposed of on site.

Throughout the process, nearly 14,000 tons of soil has been cleaned and about 300 tons of bullets were recovered. The bullets will be recycled, and the soil will be reused.

"One of the great approaches of this project is the reuse of materials," said Scott Kranz, the AMEC environmental project manager. "So often you end up excavating material and shipping off to a landfill. It's nice to be reusing material."

Once the project is completed this month, the Oregon Military Department will restore the land to its natural state. More careful planning will allow the Oregon Military Department to ensure trees are replanted and wildlife native to the land is restored.

"We're [making] it a better place than it was when we started," Arnold said.

(Kim Lippert works for the Oregon National Guard.)

America Supports You: Camps Have Chance to Support Military Kids

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 24, 2008 - As mathematical formulas and reading lists overtake kids' memories of laughing with friends at summer camp, the National Military Family Association is already gearing up to rekindle those memories for next year. The group is accepting applications from established, accredited camps willing to host its popular Operation Purple Camp program, said Michelle Joyner, director of communication for NMFA.

The program aims to help Military kids enjoy a carefree week while learning to deal with war-related stress and fostering relationships with others who know what they are going through.

"This past summer we had 100 weeks of camp ... in 62 locations in 36 states," Joyner said. "That's what we're looking for again [next] year.

"We'd like to have camps in the most heavily impacted Military communities. We've been fortunate to have a lot of camps in North Carolina, which can also serve its neighboring states."

NMFA especially would like to see Operation Purple camps in states with large National Guard communities including Texas, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Oregon. In addition, Joyner said she'd like to see camp opportunities expand in Southern California, like they have in Virginia.

"We know that, definitely, the families need this type of a resource," she said. "We're hearing from parents, kids, [and] parents that are stationed overseas, thanking us for providing the opportunity for their kids to be with other children who understand them."

Nearly 10,000 children attended Operation Purple camps this year. That's up from a little more than 4,000 last year. Joyner attributes the jump in participants, in large part, to a partnership with the Sierra Club Foundation. The partnership, a year-to-year initiative, provided necessary funding to cover campers' costs.

Camps interested in hosting an Operation Purple camp must submit proposals no later than Nov. 7. Information on the application process and what is expected of the camps selected is available from NMFA.

"We provide the curriculum. We provide the funding to cover the cost of the campers to attend [and] we also provide mental health counselors through the Family Life program," Joyner said. "This is one way that communities can help Military families and the kids."

The National Military Family Association is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.

MILITARY CONTRACTS July 28, 2008

Army

Purcell-Lawman, Watertown, N.Y., was awarded on Jul. 23, 2008, a $33,434,500 firm-fixed price contract for the construction of the Warrior in Transition facility. Work will be performed in Fort Drum, N.Y., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 10, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Twenty-three bids were solicited on Feb. 29, 2008, and five bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, N.Y., City, is the contracting activity (W912DS-08-C-0018).

BAE Systems Ground Systems Division, York, Pa., was awarded on Jul.2 4, 2008, a $19,697,117 firm-fixed price contract for the procurement of M88A2 HERCULES recovery vehicles. Work will be performed primarily in York, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Apr. 30, 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Aug. 2, 2007. U.S. Army TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE07-01-C-N030).

Sauer Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., was awarded on Jul. 24, 2008, a $13,118,300 firm-fixed price contract for the construction of a 41,832 square-foot clinical addition to the Robinson Health Clinic. Work will be performed at Fort Bragg, N.C., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Eighty bids were solicited on Apr. 11, 2008, and three bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-08-C-0040).

Weeks Marine, Inc., Covington, La., was awarded on Jul. 23, 2008, an $8,120,174 firm-fixed price contract for the deepening of an existing river channel and the disposal of dredged material. Work will be performed at the Mobile Harbor Channel, Ala., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Mar. 28, 2008, and two bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Ala., is the contracting activity (W91278-08-C-0031).

BAE Systems Land and Armaments, Inc., Ground Systems Division, York, Pa., was awarded on Jul. 24, 2008, a $5,740,192 cost-plus fixed fee contract for interactive electronics technical manual and 2-level maintenance for Paladin and Field Artillery Ammunitions Supply vehicles. Work will be performed in York, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Aug.30, 2006. U.S. Army TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-C-0256).

Cape Environmental Management, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., was awarded on Jul. 24, 2008, a $5,373,916 firm-fixed price contract for construction of a special operations forces indoor range. Work will be performed at Fort Campbell, Ky., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on May 14, 2008, and five bids were received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-08-C-0025).

FLIR Systems, Inc., Wilsonville, Ore., was awarded on Jul. 25, 2008, a $21,578,780 firm-fixed price contract for G-BOSS rapid aerostat initial deployment sensor components. Work will be performed in Wilsonville, Ore., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jul. 11, 2008. U.S. Army Space & Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity (W9113M-07-D-0004).

SOFTEC Solutions Inc., Englewood, Colo., was awarded on Jul. 25, 2008, a $15,448,536 firm-fixed price contract for guidance counselor and staff recruiter services for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command. The contract will be managed from Radcliff, Ky., and performance locations will be at 76 locations throughout the country. Work is expected to be completed by Jul. 31, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on May 7, 2008, and ten bids were received. Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Enterprise and Installation Operations Regional Contracting Center, Fort Knox, Ky., is the contracting activity (W9124D-08-C0038).

ARES, Inc., Port Clinton, Ohio, was awarded on Jul. 25, 2008, a $10,214,127 cost-plus fixed fee contract for the design, engineering, manufacturing, test and performance evaluation services in support of the rarefaction wave gun technology development and demonstration. Work will be performed in Port Clinton, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Bids were solicited on Sept. 29, 2005, and two bids were received. Joint Munitions & Lethality, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., is the contracting activity (W15QKN-08-C-0426).

FLIR Systems, Inc., Wilsonville, Ore., was awarded on Jul.2 5, 2008, an $8,425,586 firm-fixed price contract for RESET for rapid aerostat initial deployment sensor components. Work will be performed in Wilsonville, Ore., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jul. 14, 2008. U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity (W9113M-07-D-0004).

W. Harley Miller Contractors, Inc., Martinsburg, W.V., was awarded on Jul. 24, 2008, a $6,787,710 firm-fixed price contract for the 167th Airlift Wing base conversion from C-130 to C-5 aircraft. Work will be performed in Martinsburg, W.V., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 12, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Apr. 10, 2008, and five bids were received. United States Property & Fiscal Office, Buckhannon, W.V., is the contracting activity (W912L8-08-C-0008).

DRS Sustainment Systems, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded on Jul. 25, 2008, a $5,734,002 cost-plus fixed-fee contract for engineering and logistics level of effort, systems technical support in support of the M707 KNIGHT and armored KNIGHT vehicles. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on May 5, 2006. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-06-C-0538).

General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc., Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Jul. 25, 2008, a $5,662,000 cost-plus fixed fee contract for system technical support for the Abrams tank program. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jun. 8, 2006. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-C-0046).

Bristow Academy Incorporated, Titusville, Fla., was awarded on Jul. 25, 2008, a $5,280,000 firm-fixed price contract for initial entry rotary training. Work will be performed in Titusville, Fla., and is expected to be completed by May 28, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Feb. 28, 2008. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0214).

Air Force

C.W. Roberts Contracting, Inc., of Hosford, Fla., is being awarded a firm fixed price, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract for $65 million. This contract will provide the government with a contract vehicle available to execute all concrete and asphalt projects at Eglin AFB, Duke Field, the Range and the Reservation. Projects include but are not limited to repair/rebuild roads, runways, parking lots, and site work for a variety of projects in support of mission requirements. At this time $5,000 has been obligated. 96th CONS/MSCA, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA2823-08-D-0009).

The Air Force is modifying a cost plus award fee contract with The Boeing Company of Anaheim, Calif., for $53,384,031. Item Procured: In order to continue providing survivable communications for U.S. Armed Forces, the Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) must update new platform requirements and advanced EHF (AEHF) system interface. At this time no funds have been obligated. Electronic Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, USAF, 653d ELSG/PK is the contracting activity (F19628-02-C-0048 P00143).

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp, Systems Engineering Solutions of Boulder, Colo., is being awarded a task order against a GSA schedule contract for $13,752,953. This contract action is for advisory and assistance services to include studies, analyses, evaluations, engineering and technical services for the Human Effectiveness Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory. At this time $1 million has been obligated. 88 CONS/PK, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8601-08-F-0105).

NAVY

KPFF Consulting Engineers, Seattle Wash., is being awarded a not to exceed $20,000,000 firm-fixed priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect and engineering contract to provide marine/waterfront architect-engineer services at various locations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest area of responsibility. Work will be performed at various NAVY and Marine Corps installations at various locations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest area of responsibility including but not limited to Washington, (94 percent); Oregon, (2 percent); Idaho, (2 percent); Montana, (1 percent); and Alabama, (1 percent)., and work is expected to be completed Jul. 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest, Silverdale, Wash., is the contracting activity (N44255-08-D-3008).

L-3 Services, Inc, Advanced Products & Design, San Diego, Calif., andSerco, Inc., Reston, Va., are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract for the production and delivery of Navigation Sensor System Interface (NAVSSI) system racks, kits, parts, and production engineering services support services. The contracts are for five one-year ordering periods. When combined, the aggregate value of all delivery orders awarded over the life of these two contracts will be approximately $16,000,000. Each contractor will be awarded a minimum $10,000 delivery order for the award. The NAVSSI system collects, processes, integrates and formats for distribution of Precise Navigation and Timing (PNT) data to weapon systems, combat support systems, C4ISR systems and other information systems aboard various ship classes. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. NAVY, (84.25 percent) and the governments of Australia, (9.50 percent) and Spain, (6.25 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and Chula Vista, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 2013 if all five ordering periods are used. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The multiple award contracts were competitively procured by full and open competition via the Commerce Business Daily's Federal Business Opportunities, and the Space and Naval Warfare e-Commerce Central website, with four offers received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N00039-08-D-0008, N00039-08-D-0009). The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command awarded the contract on behalf of its organizational partner, the NAVY's Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence systems.

Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Keyport, Wash., is being awarded a $12,254,777 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-6101) for the procurement of production material in support of the FY07/08 MK48/MK54 torpedo buy. This effort is a continuation of MK48 ADCAP, MK48 CBASS and MK54 torpedo programs under contracts N00024-98-C-6107, N00024-00-C-6100, N00024-00-C-6102 and N00024-03-C-6104. The primary purpose of this contract is to purchase the necessary quantities of torpedoes and support services necessary to support Fleet Operational Requirements for the various torpedo product lines. Work will be performed in Keyport, Wash., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Old Veterans Construction,* Chicago, Ill., is being awarded an $8,045,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design and repair of the D-Street Bridge at Naval Station, Great Lakes, Ill. The work to be performed provides for the repair of our D-Street Bridge, which includes replacing much of the existing bridge with a similar concrete beam and reinforced concrete structure, replacing the utilities that are inside and attached below the deck of the bridge. Work will be performed in Great Lakes, Ill., and work is expected to be completed Nov. 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured as an 8(a) Small business firm servicing Region 5 (Wis., Mich., Ohio, Ind., Minn., and Ill., is), via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website, with two qualified proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Midwest, Great Lakes, Ill., is the contracting activity (N40083-08-C-3025).

Guard Units Respond to Tornadoes, Snowstorms

By Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service

Feb. 8, 2008 - Nearly 300 members of the National Guard responded to call-ups from governors in seven states over the last week after tornadoes hit the South and snowstorms blanketed the West. National Guard units responded in Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee after an unseasonable string of winter thunderstorms and tornadoes charged through communities Feb. 5 and left large swaths of destruction, death and injuries.

In Kentucky, up to 139 guardsmen with 32 humvees, two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, a heavy equipment wrecker, a fuel tanker and a bus deployed to tornado damaged areas.

The Kentucky Guard provided emergency power for the Muhenberg Water Company and operated a mobile command post in Muhenberg County. Soldiers of the 307th Maintenance Company supported state and local law enforcement agencies at traffic control points.

In Arkansas, Army National Guard soldiers aided victims of a devastating tornado that touched down in Atkins. Arkansas National Guard troops from the 142nd Fires Brigade were called out late Feb. 5, and reported to disaster sites in the early hours of Feb. 6.

The soldiers provided a 5,000-gallon water truck to Clinton and two 500-gallon water trailers and a generator to the Town of Mountain View. Guard aviation assets provided aerial reconnaissance for Gov. Mike Beebe and the state's Department of Emergency Management. Twenty-eight guardsmen performed search and rescue missions in Atkins on Wednesday and aided with cleanup missions, through Friday.

The Tennessee National Guard operated five UH-60s in aerial assessment missions. In addition, 24 guardsmen supported civilian emergency response agencies with debris removal. Many are currently operating from a support base and civilian shelter at the Lafayette Armory.

Additional Tennessee guardsmen are planning to supply emergency power for the Red Boiling Springs Water System and a hospital in Hartsville. Up to 150 guardsmen are also planning to support debris removal operations in Macon, Trousdale and Sumner counties.

In the West, where heavy snowfalls stranded residents and motorists, National Guard units in Wisconsin, Oregon, New Mexico and Idaho were slowing or halting their operations Friday after several days of emergency response missions.

After the winter storms stranded an estimated 800 motorists on a 19-mile stretch of Interstate-90 in Wisconsin, 68 Wisconsin National Guard soldiers and airmen deployed and conducted health and wellness checks and delivered about 5,000 bottles of water and about 350 packaged meals to stranded victims. The Guard also flew aerial surveillance missions for emergency response personnel.

Thirty-four members of the Oregon National Guard cleared snow away from roadways and utilities. Soldiers were operating two Army Guard mine detectors to locate fire hydrants, water covers and pipes.

New Mexico National Guardsmen provided assistance to the town of Chama after Gov. Bill Richardson declared a state of emergency for Rio Arriba County. Twenty-seven Soldiers were assisting local residents with snow removal.

In Idaho, 63 Guardsmen deployed Feb. 2 to remove snow from the roofs of nine schools in the northern part of the state after four feet of snow crippled school systems in three counties.

(Tech Sgt. Mike R. Smith is assigned to the National Guard Bureau.)

Five Guard Brigades Alerted for 2009 Deployments

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 3, 2007 - Defense officials announced today the deployment of five National Guard brigade combat teams to begin in summer 2009. These units will replace units that have not yet deployed. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters the units are being identified well in advance to give maximum time possible for mission-specific training.

"It's a tribute to the military planners who are trying to provide -- particularly for our National Guard brigades -- the type of timely notification so they can be prepared for the specific missions, but also to give the predictability for their families and employers," Whitman said.

The soldiers will be mobilized for 12 months.

The Defense Department alerted the 53rd and 48th brigade combat teams, roughly 7,000 soldiers, to support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. "The 48th Infantry Brigade is from Georgia, and its mission will be to train the Afghan national security forces," Whitman said. "The 53rd, out of Florida, will assume battlespace in Afghanistan and conduct the full spectrum of operations."

The 32nd BCT from the Wisconsin Guard, the 41st BCT of the Oregon Guard and the 155th BCT from the Mississippi Guard have been alerted for deployment to Iraq in summer 2009.

The roughly 8,000 soldiers will take over the security force mission "and will ensure freedom of movement and continuity of operations within the country," Whitman said. The units will be responsible for base defense and route security within Kuwait and Iraq.

Nevada Guard Aids Search for Missing Pilot Fossett

By Sgt. 1st Class Erick Studenicka, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

Sept. 5, 2007 - Searching in some of the most remote areas in the most mountainous state in the United States, Nevada National Guard members continue to seek the whereabouts of millionaire adventurer and pilot Steve Fossett today.
The Nevada Air National Guard launched a C-130 Hercules airplane equipped with "Scathe View" technology at about 8 a.m. today.

The Nevada Army Guard also dispatched a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to assist in the search, which encompasses several hundred square miles of northwestern Nevada and stretches into the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California.

"The area we are looking in is about 600 square miles," wrote Air Force Capt. April Conway, the Nevada National Guard public affairs officer, via e-mail from the aircraft. "We are searching from about 75 miles west of Yerington to about 100 miles east of Yerington and south into Mammoth, Calif."

The Nevada National Guard C-130 also had flown last night, until 2 a.m. today. Conway said the Nevada Air Guard C-130 and the Army Guard UH-60 were the only aircraft in the region equipped to search at night.

A Nevada Army Guard observational helicopter equipped with forward-looking infrared radar also participated in the search yesterday. The system enables pilots to steer their vehicles at night and detect warm objects against a cold background even in complete darkness.

The Nevada Air Guard's Scathe View imagery system consists of a sensor mounted to a modified C-130. The turret is controlled by on-board imagery analysts working at a sensor control workstation. The analysts can link full-motion video to ground staff for review. The Scathe View equipment is manned by the Nevada Air Guard's 152nd Intelligence Squadron.

The aerial search yesterday included 14 aircraft and featured grid searches over more than 7,500 square miles, which is an area larger than Connecticut.

Other organizations assisting in the search and providing aircraft are the Nevada and California Civil Air Patrols and California and Nevada Highway Patrols.

According to wire reports, Fossett, 63, the first person to circle the world solo in a balloon, took off solo early Sept. 3 from the Flying M Ranch, a private airstrip owned by hotel magnate William Barron Hilton and located about 70 miles southeast of Reno near Yerington. The Bellanca Citabria Super Decathlon that he was flying is equipped with a locator that sends out a satellite signal after a rough landing, but no such signal has been received by aviation officials.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Fossett did not file a flight plan. "We believe he was looking for dry lake beds," Conway told the Washington Post. "It was just supposed to be an up-and-down trip."

Apparently, he was scouting out areas for a land-speed record attempt. A northern Nevada newspaper said Fossett has an application pending before the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for a permit in Nevada's rural, central Eureka County to attempt to break the land-speed record of 766.6 mph.

In addition to his aerial exploits, Fossett has swum the English Channel, participated in the Iditarod dog sled race and driven in the 24 Hours of Le Mans car race in France.

"He is an adventurer. He has been in an awful lot of scrapes in his life, and he probably has better chances than you and I of walking away from something that was potentially dangerous," Conway told the Los Angeles Times.

The weather in northern Nevada today was expected to remain calm with clear skies with temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s.

Aircraft from the Nevada Army National Guard helped locate a lost hiker in Esmeralda County, Nev., on May 30 after receiving a call for assistance from state emergency management officials. The Nevada Air National Guard also recently helped in the search for three missing hikers missing on Mount Hood in Oregon in December.

(Army Sgt. 1st Class Erick Studenicka is assigned to the National Guard Bureau.)

California and Oregon

Editor's Note: One of the authors is a Vietnam Veteran.

Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added police officer authors from California and Oregon: Kent Anderson; Bernard K. Smith; and, Robert Dent.

At the age of 19 Kent Anderson joined the Merchant Marines and traveled the world for two years. By his 23 birthday, he was a Special Forces sergeant in Vietnam, where he was awarded two bronze stars. In 1973, he joined the Portland Police Bureau, and worked as a street cop for 4 years before taking a leave of absence to earn an MFA in Fiction Writing from the University of Montana in Missoula. At the age of 37, he returned to police work and joined the Oakland Police Department (California). After two years on the Oakland Police Department he resigned because he was, “sick of making unnecessary arrests to fill out the monthly quotas.

According to Kent Anderson, “that winter, broke and jobless, out of sheer terror” he wrote the first complete draft of Sympathy for the Devil. Shortly thereafter, he obtained a teaching job in El Paso at the University of Texas and rewrote the book several times during his four-year stay on the border. He is also the author of Night Dogs and Liquor, Guns and Ammo: The Collected Short Fiction and Non-Fiction of Kent Anderson.

According to one reader/reviewer of Night Dogs, it “is a tough, gritty view of life on the streets and the way police officers deal with their constant exposure to this madness. It is very realistic and presents a variety of characters, some of which you might encounter in any big city.”

Bernard K. Smith as a police officer for the Portland Police Bureau (Oregon) for eleven years. He then continued with his career in criminal justice as a trial attorney. He is the author of seven fiction and or/science fiction books: Chris’s Cross; Hair Lock; Red Hats; Shark; Bear; Argo; and, Islands in the Sky. According to the book description of his most recent book, Islands in the Sky, “In a world with a great gulf between the haves and have-nots, one strong willed and resourceful man fights for his future. Cord is a man that is trying to survive and thrive. He finds a woman to love and protect to share in a battle to find a better place in a frightening world.”

Robert Dent is a 29 year law enforcement veteran and a recently retired Oregon State Police Senior Trooper. He has served in the Criminal, Narcotic and Patrol divisions of the Oregon State Police and is the Founder and President of the Constable Group, Inc. which is a privately held corporation that conducts training seminars and publishes language and communication training manuals, videos and educational materials for public safety and educational facilities, as well as private companies and corporations involved with executive protection, counter-terrorism and industrial security. He is also the author of: The Complete Spanish Field Reference Manual for Public Safety Professionals; The Multi-Lingual Field Manual for Public Safety Professionals; and, Silent Universal Signals for Public Safety and Education Professionals. He is also the co-author of 18 Silent Universal Signals for School Safety.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 674 police officers (representing 302 police departments) and their 1447 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.