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.

Holly Petraeus Cites Need to Financially Empower Troops

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – Potentially career-impacting financial issues are among the top concerns for service members and their families, a military finance expert said here yesterday.

“For military personnel, the consequences of a bad credit report can be devastating,” and may lead to security clearance loss or, in the worst-case scenario, be a career ender, said Holly Petraeus, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of Servicemember Affairs.

Petraeus was among the speakers at the Financial Fitness Forum, which was sponsored by her office. The one-day event brought together representatives from financial institutions, credit unions and the military to learn more about troops and their families’ financial pitfalls and to brainstorm ways to better empower and educate them.

Financial problems, she explained, are now the No. 1 cause for security clearance loss, which may bar troops from doing their jobs. It’s a roadblock, she added, that potentially could lead to separation from service.

Petraeus cited the housing market as one of the key factors causing military families’ financial heartache. Housing values have dropped across the nation, she noted, and some families are finding themselves stuck with a house that’s worth less than what they owe on it.

Once they get orders to move, she added, they really get in a bind. They can’t sell the house and pay off the mortgage due to its lessened value, and may not be able to rent it out for enough to cover their payment. And if they’re not delinquent on their home, they’re unable to access various foreclosure prevention programs.

Petraeus said it’s the aim of her office to offer service members and their families support as they confront these types of issues. Her office, she explained, has three primary missions: to educate and empower service members and their families to make better financial decisions, to monitor consumer complaints and subsequent responses, and to coordinate federal and state agencies’ efforts to improve consumer financial protection measures.

Petraeus said she’s been encouraged by the support from some financial institutions. A number of them offer unique products to military customers and others have rolled out military-specific programs. She would like to learn more about these products and programs, she added, noting the forum offered a perfect opportunity to exchange this type of information and to foster new ideas.

As a lifetime military family member, she said, she’s always happy to hear ideas on how better to support military families. Petraeus grew up in a military family and her husband is retired Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the CIA director.

Service members and their families, who so faithfully serve, “deserve the best treatment from both government and business,” she said.

Chairman Arrives in London for Consultations, Outreach

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

LONDON, Nov. 28, 2011 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff arrived here today for meetings with senior British government officials.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey also will deliver the Colin Cramphorn Memorial Lecture, sponsored by the Policy Exchange. Cramphorn was the chief constable of the West Yorkshire Police from 2002 until he died in 2006.

The lecture series has featured British and American leaders, including Marine Corps General James N. Mattis, commander of U.S. Central Command, and retired Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, now director of the CIA.

While in London, Dempsey will meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Defense Secretary Philip Hammond, and his counterpart, British Army Gen. Sir David Richards, chief of the Defense Staff. Richards commanded International Security Assistance Force troops in southern Afghanistan and has commanded rapid-reaction forces in Sierra Leone and East Timor. He is the highest-ranking officer in the British military.

Dempsey also will meet with the British service chiefs.

Tomorrow, the chairman will speak at a Royal United Services Institute program on women in defense and security leadership.

The OSS Society Unveils Design for National Museum of American Intelligence & Special Operations

Museum will tell one of America’s greatest untold stories

WASHINGTON D.C. –  Created practically overnight, in the depths of World War II, men and women from all parts of American society created the most dynamic and unique organization in United States history: the Office of Strategic Services, predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Special Operations Forces, and the U.S. intelligence community.

Today, nearly seventy years later, The OSS Society has embarked on its latest mission, though not nearly so clandestine as those of its youth: to tell the great, largely unknown story of the OSS and its lasting effect on U.S. national security through the creation of a National OSS Museum of American Intelligence & Special Operations™.

On October 15, The OSS Society unveiled plans for this new museum, designed by Fentress Architects, which will tell the story of the men and women who served in the OSS between June 13, 1942 and October 1, 1945. The landmark building and its three-quarter acre of exhibits will jointly remind the world of their efforts, achievements and sacrifice. The architectural design expresses the spirit of resistance, and eventual triumph against the forces of oppression and terror, in stone, glass and steel.

 “It is a great honor to roll out plans for the National OSS Museum of American Intelligence & Special Operations. It will tell a monumental story, made up of over 70 years of history about the country’s very first strategic missions to preserve our freedoms during times of war. This is the story of the OSS, a story that has not been heard before,” said Curtis Fentress, Founder & Chief Designer at Fentress Architects. “This museum will be a national tribute to all former members of the OSS, their families, and the American people.”

The design of the National OSS Museum™ was inspired by emblems symbolic to the organization: the wingspan of the American Bald Eagle, represented by the twisting gesture of the dramatic roof line, and the spearhead of the official OSS seal, which inspired the museum’s site plan. These symbols connect the past to the present-day Central Intelligence Agency and U.S. Special Operations Forces, which were born from the OSS and carry on its legacy today.

 “The concepts pioneered by General Donovan and the OSS continue to guide those in the contemporary intelligence and special operations fields.”  --David Petraeus, Director of the CIA.

Visitors arriving by vehicle will see a breathtaking structure rise above the tree line. The museum’s 11 angular forms will create a powerful gesture of the OSS’s rise to prominence amidst global conflict and unrest. Enlivened by light entering through glass walls and clerestories, the lyrical composition speaks to how the 11 divisions of the OSS worked together on daring missions to preserve the country’s freedoms. Day and night, the museum will be a beacon on the horizon.

Upon entering, visitors experience a soaring space with a 500-foot-long by 80-foot-tall curved Remembrance Wall engraved with the names of the OSS members killed in action during World War II, poignantly recalling each life. Epic scenes from OSS training and operations films are projected on this wall, and immerse the visitor in history. Audio of direct voices and sounds will add to the immersive experience.

The facing Reflection Walls create interactive multi-media zones that provide private areas for personal contemplation. Visitors from throughout the world can access wartime stories of these clandestine heroes, share their thoughts, or further immerse themselves in the experience through these touch-screen walls. The use of monumental digital media allows these walls to function as additional exhibit spaces and to position the museum in the 21st century. The complex will also serve as a center of research. To reduce operations and maintenance costs, the museum will be sustainable, designed to meet LEED Gold certification standards.

“Today, our Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Special Operations Forces, and the entire intelligence community are as critical to protecting the United States as they have ever been in our nation’s history,” said Charles Pinck, President of the OSS Society. “I am very excited about and proud of this museum design honoring the OSS, as it will give us the chance to tell America’s greatest untold story.”

The National OSS Museum of American Intelligence and Special Operations™ will celebrate the historic accomplishments of the OSS, America’s first strategic intelligence agency. It will be a monument to those who served in the OSS and those today who are inspired by its legacy.

The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society celebrates the historic accomplishments of the OSS during World War II—the first organized effort by the United States to implement a centralized system of strategic intelligence and the predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency and U.S. Special Operations Forces—and educates the American public regarding the continuing importance of strategic intelligence and special operations to the preservation of freedom in this country and around the world. Its Board of Directors includes two former commanders of the U.S. Special Operations Command, President George H. W. Bush, five former Directors of Central Intelligence, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Ross Perot. The OSS Society is comprised of OSS veterans, their descendants, and members of the U.S. intelligence community and U.S. Special Operations Forces. It traces its beginnings to 1947 when its predecessor, the Veterans OSS, was founded. The OSS Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

 For more information on The OSS Society, please visit www.osssociety.org or email oss@osssociety.org

For more information on the National OSS Museum of American Intelligence & Special Operations™, please visit www.nationalossmuseum.org.

Fentress Architects is a nationally-known design firm that passionately pursues the creation of sustainable and iconic architecture. Together with their clients, Fentress creates inspired design to improve the human environment. Founded by Curtis Fentress in 1980, the firm has designed US$26 billion of architectural projects worldwide, visited by over 300 million people each year. Fentress is a dynamic learning organization, driven to grow its ability to design, innovate and exceed client expectations. The firm has been honored with more than 360 distinctions for design excellence and innovation, and in 2010, Curtis Fentress was recognized by the American Institute of Architects with the most prestigious award for public architecture, the Thomas Jefferson Award. Fentress has studios in Denver, Colorado; Los Angeles, California; San Jose, California; Washington, D.C.; and London, U.K. www.fentressarchitects.com

Please contact Angela Potrykus at 303.282.6192 or potrykus@fentressarchitects.com for more information or images.

‘Military Line’ Works to Boost Financial Fitness

By Elaine Sanchez

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11, 2011 – A young service member saddled with debt and in need of some quick cash doesn’t have to go far. Lenders offering same-day loans sit outside the gate of nearly every military installation in the nation.

But the lure of fast and easy cash can lead strapped troops down a path of steep interest rates and fees that far surpass their initial loan.

In other words, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, said Brenda Linnington, director of the Better Business Bureau Military Line.

Protecting service members and their families from financial pitfalls such as payday lenders is Linnington’s primary goal at Military Line. The program’s mission, she explained, is to increase military members’ financial literacy through information, education and outreach -- both online and on the ground.

“I’d like Military Line to serve as a bridge between the civilian and military communities,” said Linnington, an Army veteran and the wife of an active-duty Army officer. She took on the job in January after the former director, Holly Petraeus, left to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of Servicemember Affairs.

The program, created in 2004, also is a partner in the Defense Department’s Financial Readiness Campaign, she said, which gives local bureau representatives access to teach financial literacy classes on military installations. The bureau, she added, has 164 local offices scattered across the country.

The importance of a military family’s financial stability can’t be overestimated, Linnington said.

“If we’re deploying a young soldier and expecting him to do great things on our behalf, but he’s greatly in debt and collectors are calling his family,” she said, “that soldier is never going to be completely mission-ready.”

One major concern, Linnington noted, is that financial issues often lead to the loss of security clearances, which can affect service members’ ability to perform their jobs.

“To be under that level of emotional strain and then expect them to be a strong family that’s growing and thriving is unrealistic,” she said.

Debt and debt management are among the most pressing financial issues for service members and their families, she noted, particularly for the younger population. Reports indicate that junior service members carry a heavier load of debt than their civilian counterparts.

This debt combined with a steady paycheck and a strong sense of discipline can add up to an attractive target for scam artists, Linnington said. “It’s very enticing to someone looking to entrap you in a contract,” she added. “A young private might not make a large income, but collectively, if there’s a bunch of privates, that’s a lot of money.”

Linnington said the scams have come fast and furious in recent years. Some scammers contact military family members by phone or email and make false claims that the service member has been wounded overseas and money is needed to help. Or, a person posts a house for rent, but when the service member arrives, the person has vanished, along with the security deposit.

And, while payday lenders are, by law, capped at 36 percent, they find loopholes by charging fees as opposed to boosting interest rates.

“There are some really terrible things going on,” she said.

To avoid getting trapped in a scam, Linnington stressed the importance of financial education and well-being. “It’s getting people to realize they need to be careful and not necessarily go on someone’s word,” she said.

Tackling debt also can help, she said, since feeling overwhelmed financially can leave people more vulnerable to unscrupulous businesses and predatory lenders.

People who are in over their heads should talk their local personal financial manager, she advised, who can provide guidance and referrals to helping organizations, such as military aid societies.

The Military Line website also offers service-specific resources, such as consumer alerts and guides, reports on businesses, and an avenue to file complaints. The bureau will help to resolve issues and also alert the military population of a potential scam, she said.

Petraeus Confirmed as CIA Director

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2011 – The Senate yesterday confirmed Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, currently the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, as the next director of the CIA.

Petraeus will replace Leon E. Panetta, former CIA director, who took office today as secretary of defense.

During his confirmation hearing June 23, Petraeus said some observers have questioned whether his previous involvement in Afghanistan and other endeavors will color the agency's analysis of those efforts.

“Let me reassure you on this issue,” he said. “Clearly I have views on the efforts in which I've been engaged. I've shared them in the past with the agency's analysts, and I'll do so in the future. However, if confirmed, when I am in the situation room with the president, I will strive to present the agency position. I will also remain keenly aware that I am the leader of an intelligence agency, not a policymaker.”

According to a spokesman for NATO’s International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Petraeus will turn over command July 18. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John R. Allen has been nominated for promotion to general and appointment as Petraeus’ successor.

Petraeus will retire from the Army on Aug. 31 and assume his new duties as central intelligence director Sept. 6, the spokesman said.

Today in the Department of Defense, Thursday, June 23, 2011

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn have no public or media events on their schedules.

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen will testify at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee on Afghanistan and Pakistan at 10 a.m. EDT in room 2118, Rayburn House Office Building.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead will speak at 10 a.m. EDT at the Center for New American Security in Washington, D.C.  Media interested in attending should contact Cmdr. Charlie Brown at 703-692-5307.

The Senate Intelligence Committee conducts a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Army Gen. David Petraeus to be the director of the Central Intelligence Agency at 2:30 p.m. EDT in room 216, Hart Senate Office Building.

Obama to Nominate Panetta to Succeed Gates

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 27, 2011 – President Barack Obama intends to nominate CIA Director Leon E. Panetta as the next defense secretary, a senior administration official said today, speaking on background in advance of Obama's formal announcement, which is expected tomorrow.

If confirmed by the Senate, Panetta will replace Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who will leave office June 30, the official said. Gates was sworn in Dec. 18, 2006, as the 22nd secretary of defense. Gates is the only defense secretary in U.S. history to be asked to remain in that office by a newly elected president.

International Security Assistance Force Commander Army Gen. David H. Petraeus will retire from the service, and the president will nominate him to replace Panetta, the official said.

The president also intends to nominate veteran diplomat Ryan C. Crocker as the next U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John R. Allen, the current deputy at U.S. Central Command, to succeed Petraeus at ISAF, the official said.

“This is the culmination of a multimonth process to find nominees for these important positions,” the senior administration official said.

The president believes these choices put in place the “strongest possible team” to execute U.S.strategies and policies, the official said. This was important to Obama, he added, as the president looked at the way the nominees would interact and work together as a team.

The transition is being done in a way to provide a seamless transition, the official said. “There will be no gaps, no disruption, in execution of policy,” he added.

Obama has selected a very experienced team, the official said.

“That’s consistent with the position the president has taken with respect to his national security team: strong figures who work together and respect each other,” he said.

Panetta “brings all the necessary qualities to be a superb secretary of defense,” the official said. Panetta has had four decades of public service, starting as an Army second lieutenant in 1964. He served as White House chief of staff in the Clinton administration, as a member of Congress from California, and as the director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Crocker is one of the nation’s most respected diplomats, the official said. He has served as ambassador to Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait and Lebanon. He is the dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.

Petraeus is one of the pre-eminent military leaders in the world, the official said. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1974 and commanded the 101st Airborne Division during the initial phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served as commander of Multinational Force Iraq, then as commander of U.S. Central Command, until he took his current job.

Allen is expected to take command in Afghanistan in September, the official said. He is a 1976 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served as the Marine commander in Iraq in 2006 and 2007.

Senate Unanimously Confirms Petraeus to Head Operations in Iraq

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 26, 2007 – The Senate today confirmed Army Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus for promotion to general and assignment as commander of Multinational Force Iraq. At a photo opportunity following a meeting with Petraeus, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Marine Gen. Peter Pace about the way forward in Iraq, President Bush expressed gratitude to the Senate for acting quickly on the nomination.

"The Senate confirmed this good man without a dissenting vote," the president said. "I appreciate the quick action of the United States Senate. I appreciate them giving General David Petraeus a fair hearing, and I appreciate the vote."

Bush said he wants Petraeus to report to Iraq quickly to "implement a plan that we believe will yield our goals."

The president said that despite criticism of his plan to increase U.S. troop presence in the Iraqi capital and in the country's troublesome Anbar province, he has to do what needs to be done. Most members of Congress, he said, recognize that failure in Iraq "would be a disaster for the United States."

"I'm the decision maker," Bush said. "I had to come up with a way forward that precluded disaster. In other words, I had to think about what's likely to work. And so I worked with our military, and I worked with Secretary Gates to come up with a plan that is likely to succeed."

Critics of his plan have an obligation to propose a plan they think will work, Bush said. "I've listened to lots of members of Congress; I've listened carefully to their suggestions," he said. "And I have picked the plan that I think is most likely to succeed, because I understand, like many in Congress understand, success is very important for the security of the country."

Petraeus expressed his appreciation to the president, the Senate and his family. He also thanked "the great soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and civilians who are out there on the front lines of the global war on terror."

No date has been set for Petraeus to succeed Gen. George W. Casey Jr., who has commanded coalition forces in Iraq since July 2004. Bush has nominated Casey to become Army chief of staff.

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