By Army Master Sgt. Bob Haskell
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 8, 2008 - No, they did not jump out of a perfectly good helicopter. But 16 civilians involved with Rhode Island's Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program did get an idea of what an international group of military paratroopers would experience during Leapfest 2008 two days before the 26th annual international competition takes place here tomorrow.
The civilians, including an assistant U.S. attorney, a U.S. Naval War College professor, and the owner of a North Kingston pest control business, were flown aboard an Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter over the Rhode Island countryside on that heavily overcast Thursday morning.
They saw for themselves the terrain the airborne soldiers would glimpse during the couple of minutes it would take them to parachute onto a landing zone beside the University of Rhode Island after jumping out of larger helicopters at 1,500 feet.
"We had a good mix of educators, public officials and small-business people who support our National Guard and reserve troops," said Donna Callahan, executive director for Rhode Island's Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve committee. "We wanted to give them an idea of what Leapfest, which is hosted by the Rhode Island Guard, is all about."
ESGR officials frequently escort civilian employers or supervisors for National Guardmembers and reservists to events such as Leapfest to give them an idea of what citizen-servicemembers do when they are in uniform and away from their jobs. It is one way that ESGR, whose national committee is based in Arlington, Va., attempts to avoid conflicts arising from employees' military commitments.
Ironically, the ESGR participants in Rhode Island were the only ones to get off the ground that day. The paratroopers from 11 countries were grounded by rain clouds that were too low to safely make the friendship jumps that were also intended to familiarize the foreign troops with the equipment used for the competition, explained Air National Guard Lt. Col. Denis Riel, the Rhode Island National Guard's state spokesman.
"I got interested in ESGR because First Lieutenant Kate Auxier, in the Army National Guard, used to work for me," explained Tom Alarie, manager of a graduate-level population studies and training program at Brown University in Providence.
"I wanted to see this because we teach National Guard and reserve officers at the Naval War College in Newport," said Jeffrey Norwitz, a professor of national security decision making. "We have always had a good relationship with the National Guard and Reserve."
Showing posts with label rhode island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rhode island. Show all posts
Friday, August 08, 2008
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Gates Views Massive Expansion Effort at Fort Bliss
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 2, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates got a firsthand look yesterday at the massive growth under way here to prepare for the arrival of 1st Armored Division in one of the Army Corps of Engineers' largest-ever construction projects. Army Maj. Gen. Howard Bromberg, the post commander, gave Gates a tour of the $4.1 billion expansion program that will bring an additional 30,000 soldiers to Fort Bliss by 2012.
The lion's share of the incoming troops will be "Old Ironsides Division" soldiers moving from Germany as part of the Defense Department's global reposturing strategy and the Army's modularization effort.
Gates told military family leaders and community supporters last night that he considers the building boom nothing short of "awesome."
"Today, this post –– which encompasses an area larger than the state of Rhode Island, and most of which is in New Mexico -- is transforming itself to serve a nation and a military facing the strategic challenges of this century," Gates told the group.
He called the Fort Bliss expansion part of a wider transformation effort across the military to ensure the Army, and the military as a whole, can protect the security, prosperity and freedom of Americans for the next generation.
A six-year construction boom that began in October 2006 will transform stretches of mesquite brush and sand dunes on the post's eastern side into state-of-the-art living and training facilities.
Ultimately, the expansion will include new headquarters and administrative spaces, aircraft hangars, arms rooms, unit storage facilities, barracks, dining facilities, fitness centers, medical and dental facilities, motor pool areas, maintenance facilities, and wash racks, Clark McChesney, director of the post's transformation office, told American Forces Press Service.
Gates toured one of the first facilities to be completed for the incoming 1st Armored Division's 1st Brigade yesterday. The first of the unit's soldiers already are at Fort Bliss, with the rest to arrive in time for the brigade's official activation Aug. 16.
The secretary noted that $207 million of the expansion funds will go toward new construction at three training range complexes in New Mexico. The plan will tap into space and capabilities at neighboring White Sands Missile Range, N.M., collectively offering 800,000 acres of on- and off-road maneuver area, McChesney said.
"Future expansion means that the ties between the region's installations -- Fort Bliss, Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range -- will also continue to grow," Gates said. "This region will continue to be known by the twin hallmarks of partnership and cooperation."
A brigade combat team to be based at White Sands will share Fort Bliss's "robust new training facilities," he noted.
Another big part of the expansion is dedicated to housing, child-care facilities, shopping areas and other quality-of-life facilities for the incoming soldiers and an expected 40,000 family members, he said.
Gates told senior noncommissioned officers attending the Army Sergeants Major Academy earlier yesterday that he decided to temporarily delay moving some 1st Armored Division troops to Fort Bliss partly because their housing facilities weren't yet ready for them. "It would have been unacceptable for soldiers and their families to live and work under those conditions," he said.
Because the post is smack in the middle of El Paso, one of Texas' biggest cities, success of the expansion depends heavily on cooperation with state and local officials, McChesney said. That includes not just the city and county government, but also five local school systems expected to absorb about more than 12,000 school-age children from Fort Bliss, business developers, homebuilders, realtor associations and transportation officials, among others.
Gates said he's impressed by the local community's support and the way its citizens have embraced the incoming soldiers and their families.
"The mayors of El Paso, Las Cruces and Alamogordo and their respective chambers of commerce have been partnering with the Army to try to prepare for this growth," he said.
He noted that the post's welcome center is permanently staffed by a team from the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce that helps arriving soldiers and their families find housing and arrange for their children's schooling and child care.
"As the population of Fort Bliss continues to grow, the residents of West Texas and New Mexico have stepped up to welcome the newcomers," Gates said. "And I know you will continue to do so as the post population increases by an astounding 300 percent by 2012."
American Forces Press Service
May 2, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates got a firsthand look yesterday at the massive growth under way here to prepare for the arrival of 1st Armored Division in one of the Army Corps of Engineers' largest-ever construction projects. Army Maj. Gen. Howard Bromberg, the post commander, gave Gates a tour of the $4.1 billion expansion program that will bring an additional 30,000 soldiers to Fort Bliss by 2012.
The lion's share of the incoming troops will be "Old Ironsides Division" soldiers moving from Germany as part of the Defense Department's global reposturing strategy and the Army's modularization effort.
Gates told military family leaders and community supporters last night that he considers the building boom nothing short of "awesome."
"Today, this post –– which encompasses an area larger than the state of Rhode Island, and most of which is in New Mexico -- is transforming itself to serve a nation and a military facing the strategic challenges of this century," Gates told the group.
He called the Fort Bliss expansion part of a wider transformation effort across the military to ensure the Army, and the military as a whole, can protect the security, prosperity and freedom of Americans for the next generation.
A six-year construction boom that began in October 2006 will transform stretches of mesquite brush and sand dunes on the post's eastern side into state-of-the-art living and training facilities.
Ultimately, the expansion will include new headquarters and administrative spaces, aircraft hangars, arms rooms, unit storage facilities, barracks, dining facilities, fitness centers, medical and dental facilities, motor pool areas, maintenance facilities, and wash racks, Clark McChesney, director of the post's transformation office, told American Forces Press Service.
Gates toured one of the first facilities to be completed for the incoming 1st Armored Division's 1st Brigade yesterday. The first of the unit's soldiers already are at Fort Bliss, with the rest to arrive in time for the brigade's official activation Aug. 16.
The secretary noted that $207 million of the expansion funds will go toward new construction at three training range complexes in New Mexico. The plan will tap into space and capabilities at neighboring White Sands Missile Range, N.M., collectively offering 800,000 acres of on- and off-road maneuver area, McChesney said.
"Future expansion means that the ties between the region's installations -- Fort Bliss, Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range -- will also continue to grow," Gates said. "This region will continue to be known by the twin hallmarks of partnership and cooperation."
A brigade combat team to be based at White Sands will share Fort Bliss's "robust new training facilities," he noted.
Another big part of the expansion is dedicated to housing, child-care facilities, shopping areas and other quality-of-life facilities for the incoming soldiers and an expected 40,000 family members, he said.
Gates told senior noncommissioned officers attending the Army Sergeants Major Academy earlier yesterday that he decided to temporarily delay moving some 1st Armored Division troops to Fort Bliss partly because their housing facilities weren't yet ready for them. "It would have been unacceptable for soldiers and their families to live and work under those conditions," he said.
Because the post is smack in the middle of El Paso, one of Texas' biggest cities, success of the expansion depends heavily on cooperation with state and local officials, McChesney said. That includes not just the city and county government, but also five local school systems expected to absorb about more than 12,000 school-age children from Fort Bliss, business developers, homebuilders, realtor associations and transportation officials, among others.
Gates said he's impressed by the local community's support and the way its citizens have embraced the incoming soldiers and their families.
"The mayors of El Paso, Las Cruces and Alamogordo and their respective chambers of commerce have been partnering with the Army to try to prepare for this growth," he said.
He noted that the post's welcome center is permanently staffed by a team from the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce that helps arriving soldiers and their families find housing and arrange for their children's schooling and child care.
"As the population of Fort Bliss continues to grow, the residents of West Texas and New Mexico have stepped up to welcome the newcomers," Gates said. "And I know you will continue to do so as the post population increases by an astounding 300 percent by 2012."
Monday, April 28, 2008
JCOC Experience 'Invaluable,' Participants Say
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
April 26, 2008 - The cost of a pound of coffee in Colombia: $8. A hand-carved souvenir iguana from Cuba: $10. A cold beer in Honduras: $1. Traveling throughout Central and South America talking to soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines and seeing firsthand the U.S. military's role in the region: priceless.
"You can't put a price on that," said Dan Simons, president of The World Company in Lawrence, Kan. "It's off the charts."
Simons and about 50 other participants in the 75th Joint Civilian Orientation Conference wrapped up their week-long journey to parts of the U.S. Southern Command area of operations here last night with a dinner and an opportunity to chat with the command's top officer, Navy Adm. James Stavridis. Miami serves as the headquarters for the command.
The JCOC is the Defense Department's oldest outreach program. In this trip, participants traveled to Brazil, Cuba, Honduras, Colombia and here. The U.S. Southern Command area encompasses more than 30 countries and covers about 15.6 million square miles.
During the conference, participants stood on the deck of the USS George Washington and witnessed hair-raising night landings on the nuclear aircraft carrier up-close. They fired machine guns in Cuba, rode in helicopters in Honduras, and rappelled off towers in Colombia.
The civic and business leaders toured maximum-security detainee facilities in Guantanamo Bay, sped across the Keys in super-fast U.S. Coast Guard drug interdiction boats and saw what a jungle cocaine lab looks like.
And while all are quick to say those experiences were exhilarating, stimulating, and sometimes frightening, being able to talk with U.S. servicemembers was the highlight of the trip, they said. SouthCom is home to more than 1,200 military and civilian personnel from all services. During the trip, the group dined in a Navy's ship's galley and chatted with sailors. They shared field rations with soldiers and airmen and talked about military life with Marines.
"I leave with a real sense of pride, and am just in awe of the men and women who serve," said Saul Kaplan, executive director of Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, Providence, R.I.
This is the first time a JCOC has toured Southern Command since the program began in 1948. And it is the first JCOC to see more of the U.S. military's "soft power," or humanitarian assistance and other aid-oriented missions. This group got to talk about drug eradication efforts with Colombian police who risk their lives spraying the coca plants across the country. They delivered school supplies and soccer balls to children in Honduras. They talked with the doctors who provide the medical care for the detainees at Guantanamo.
Many of the participants said that they're returning from the trip with a deeper understanding of the importance of the region to U.S. national security interests.
"We tend to think of the military as arms and defense. We saw the human heart of the military and the focus and concern for all people," said Rebecca Upham, head of the Buckingham Brown and Nichols School in Cambridge, Mass.
And as the event wrapped up, the business leaders and educators talked about how they could spread the word of what they saw in their travels. Entrepreneurs penciled thoughts on paper for upcoming speeches, and authors sketched out ideas for upcoming seminars. No one is leaving without a sense of urgency to tell their story on some scale within their communities.
Simon said the trip gave him new appreciation for the efforts of U.S. servicemembers. He admitted he had become somewhat apathetic regarding their service, because it did not have a direct, personal impact. Now he is going to work with United Service Organizations on an upcoming project, and is also teaming with a nonprofit organization to sponsor races to be held across the country on Sept. 11.
"I could have been working on this for a couple of years," he said.
Michael Roberts, the chairman and chief executive officer of The Roberts Companies in St. Louis, said his experiences on the trip will be part of his regular speeches. As an entrepreneur and author, Roberts regularly speaks to businesses and on college campuses such as Harvard.
"In those environments, I can say to them what the military is about from a humanistic perspective, as opposed to a strict warring and defense operation," Roberts said.
Roberts used a sports analogy to sum up his impressions of the military's use of soft power: "The best defense is a good offense." He said the humanitarian missions of the military, such as building schools, countering narco-terrorism and providing health care to impoverished countries, is a side of the military most people do not know about.
In the end, the trip was a call to action for him and the others, Roberts said.
"We need to do what we can to spread the word about the humanitarian mission of the U.S. military," he said. "We do have a 'good neighbor' policy. And the world is our neighbor."
American Forces Press Service
April 26, 2008 - The cost of a pound of coffee in Colombia: $8. A hand-carved souvenir iguana from Cuba: $10. A cold beer in Honduras: $1. Traveling throughout Central and South America talking to soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines and seeing firsthand the U.S. military's role in the region: priceless.
"You can't put a price on that," said Dan Simons, president of The World Company in Lawrence, Kan. "It's off the charts."
Simons and about 50 other participants in the 75th Joint Civilian Orientation Conference wrapped up their week-long journey to parts of the U.S. Southern Command area of operations here last night with a dinner and an opportunity to chat with the command's top officer, Navy Adm. James Stavridis. Miami serves as the headquarters for the command.
The JCOC is the Defense Department's oldest outreach program. In this trip, participants traveled to Brazil, Cuba, Honduras, Colombia and here. The U.S. Southern Command area encompasses more than 30 countries and covers about 15.6 million square miles.
During the conference, participants stood on the deck of the USS George Washington and witnessed hair-raising night landings on the nuclear aircraft carrier up-close. They fired machine guns in Cuba, rode in helicopters in Honduras, and rappelled off towers in Colombia.
The civic and business leaders toured maximum-security detainee facilities in Guantanamo Bay, sped across the Keys in super-fast U.S. Coast Guard drug interdiction boats and saw what a jungle cocaine lab looks like.
And while all are quick to say those experiences were exhilarating, stimulating, and sometimes frightening, being able to talk with U.S. servicemembers was the highlight of the trip, they said. SouthCom is home to more than 1,200 military and civilian personnel from all services. During the trip, the group dined in a Navy's ship's galley and chatted with sailors. They shared field rations with soldiers and airmen and talked about military life with Marines.
"I leave with a real sense of pride, and am just in awe of the men and women who serve," said Saul Kaplan, executive director of Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, Providence, R.I.
This is the first time a JCOC has toured Southern Command since the program began in 1948. And it is the first JCOC to see more of the U.S. military's "soft power," or humanitarian assistance and other aid-oriented missions. This group got to talk about drug eradication efforts with Colombian police who risk their lives spraying the coca plants across the country. They delivered school supplies and soccer balls to children in Honduras. They talked with the doctors who provide the medical care for the detainees at Guantanamo.
Many of the participants said that they're returning from the trip with a deeper understanding of the importance of the region to U.S. national security interests.
"We tend to think of the military as arms and defense. We saw the human heart of the military and the focus and concern for all people," said Rebecca Upham, head of the Buckingham Brown and Nichols School in Cambridge, Mass.
And as the event wrapped up, the business leaders and educators talked about how they could spread the word of what they saw in their travels. Entrepreneurs penciled thoughts on paper for upcoming speeches, and authors sketched out ideas for upcoming seminars. No one is leaving without a sense of urgency to tell their story on some scale within their communities.
Simon said the trip gave him new appreciation for the efforts of U.S. servicemembers. He admitted he had become somewhat apathetic regarding their service, because it did not have a direct, personal impact. Now he is going to work with United Service Organizations on an upcoming project, and is also teaming with a nonprofit organization to sponsor races to be held across the country on Sept. 11.
"I could have been working on this for a couple of years," he said.
Michael Roberts, the chairman and chief executive officer of The Roberts Companies in St. Louis, said his experiences on the trip will be part of his regular speeches. As an entrepreneur and author, Roberts regularly speaks to businesses and on college campuses such as Harvard.
"In those environments, I can say to them what the military is about from a humanistic perspective, as opposed to a strict warring and defense operation," Roberts said.
Roberts used a sports analogy to sum up his impressions of the military's use of soft power: "The best defense is a good offense." He said the humanitarian missions of the military, such as building schools, countering narco-terrorism and providing health care to impoverished countries, is a side of the military most people do not know about.
In the end, the trip was a call to action for him and the others, Roberts said.
"We need to do what we can to spread the word about the humanitarian mission of the U.S. military," he said. "We do have a 'good neighbor' policy. And the world is our neighbor."
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