By David Mays
Dec. 26, 2006 – They are the very public face of ultimate military discipline. They wow stadiums packed with football fans with complex rifle drills. They honor fallen comrades with solemn processions. They guard the Tomb of the Unknowns around the clock at Arlington National Cemetery; and on Dec. 15, they gave outgoing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld a full-honors farewell ceremony on the Pentagon parade field. Despite their high-profile mission, many people, even those who serve in the military, have little idea what goes into becoming a member of this elite unit. That's why the Pentagon Channel is devoting its latest half-hour "Recon" documentary to the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment -- the Army's "Old Guard."
The show will debut Dec. 29 at noon Eastern Time and will be repeated throughout January. It will also be available via podcast, vodcast and video on demand.
"We're a very unique organization," said Col. Robert Pricone, the 3rd Guard's commanding officer. "We've got a very diverse mission set, and we operate in the very sensitive environment of the National Capital Region."
The unit is one of the Army's most challenging assignments to secure. "I tried three times to get in," said Pentagon Channel News anchor Staff Sgt. Jake Newman, who once served with the Old Guard as one of the unit's few broadcasters. Applicants must meet rigorous requirements. Men must be at least 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and women must be at least 5 feet, 8 inches. High scores on both general technical and physical training tests are also mandated. Once candidates are chosen for an Old Guard assignment, they must undergo a month of intensive regimental training.
"I've heard about it my whole life," said Spc. John Ball, a watchman on the Old Guard's Presidential Salute Battery. "It's a prestigious unit, and I just wanted to be part of the best."
The Pentagon Channel takes viewers inside the Old Guard's headquarters at Fort Myer, Va., adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery, where the Regiment's Caisson Unit ceremoniously transports caskets of fallen servicemembers to their final resting place.
"It's just so much an honor, being the person to present that flag to that family," said Command Sgt. Maj. Craig Robertson. "Knowing that that soldier that you are laying to rest has served this country well and gave so much for this nation, and to be part of that is so much an honor."
The documentary exposes viewers to little-known facts about the Old Guard, such as that it is the only Army unit allowed to march with fixed bayonets. This Recon program also explores the regiment's specialty platoons, who perform painstakingly meticulous missions and wear unconventional uniforms such as those originally designed by Gen. George Washington during the Revolutionary War era.
Pentagon Channel crews also were invited to tape sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknowns after cemetery visiting hours, when rules for keeping watch are much different from those in place when tourists are there during the day. Viewers will learn fascinating details about the stunningly precise rules Old Guard soldiers must follow as they perform their various duties.
The Pentagon Channel had the rare opportunity to videotape Old Guard service members as they practiced maneuvers under the extraordinarily demanding eyes of drill masters.
"Typically, we lose more than half the soldiers coming through the training cycle," said Sgt. 1st Class Brent Thompson. "Every once in a while, you have soldiers that have the ability to pick it up pretty quickly and pick up on what we do, and some just will never get it."
Pvt. Christopher Boovier, who is training to join the Old Guard, hopes he's among that first group of soldiers. "I mean all the guys are cool, but if you can't cut it, you can't cut it," he said. "I'm hoping that I get on. ... Stuff happens sometimes, but I'm pretty confident."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Bush Touts 'America Supports You' Program in Radio Address
By Melinda L. Larson
Dec. 23, 2006 – Using his weekly radio address to highlight the sacrifices servicemembers and their families make, President Bush today urged Americans to visit the Defense Department's "America Supports You" Web site for ideas on how to support them. The America Supports You program spotlights and facilitates support for the nation's servicemembers and their families.
Bush cited Jim Wareing -- founder of an America Supports You member organization called New England Caring for Our Military -- as an example of how Americans are supporting servicemembers.
"This year, Jim helped organize a gift drive by thousands of students from Massachusetts and New Hampshire," the president said. "Students from kindergarten to high school collected more than 20,000 gifts for our troops abroad."
Urging listeners to visit the America Supports You site at www.americasupportsyou.mil, the president lauded the example set by Wareing.
"Citizens like Jim Wareing represent the true strength of our country, and they make America proud," Bush said. "I urge every American to find some way to thank our military this Christmas season. If you see a soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, or a member of the Coast Guard, take a moment to stop and say, 'Thanks for your service.'"
Christmas reminds Americans of their duty to others, and that sense of duty is fulfilled by the men and women who wear the nation's uniform, Bush said.
"America is blessed to have fine citizens who volunteer to defend us in distant lands," he said. "For many of them, this Christmas will be spent far from home, and on Christmas our nation honors their sacrifice and thanks them for all they do to defend our freedom."
Bush also pointed out the sacrifices of the nation's military families, and thanked them for their support. "Staying behind when a family member goes to war is a heavy burden, and it is particularly hard during the holidays," he said. "To all our military families listening today, Laura and I thank you."
While thousands of military families spend the holiday apart, Bush noted this season ushers in a time of change for the nation. With a review of Iraq war strategy under way, a new secretary of defense in office, and changes in Congress, Bush said those serving on the front lines can be assured of continued support.
"I want our troops to know that while the coming year will bring change, one thing will not change, and that is our nation's support for you and the vital work you do to achieve victory in Iraq," the president said.
Millions of Americans are proving their support of deployed troops, wounded warriors, and the children of those serving abroad, Bush noted.
"Patriotic groups and charities all across America are sending gifts and care packages to our servicemen and women, visiting our troops recovering at military hospitals, reaching out to children whose moms and dads are serving abroad, and going to airports to welcome our troops home and to let them know they are appreciated by a grateful nation," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Dec. 23, 2006 – Using his weekly radio address to highlight the sacrifices servicemembers and their families make, President Bush today urged Americans to visit the Defense Department's "America Supports You" Web site for ideas on how to support them. The America Supports You program spotlights and facilitates support for the nation's servicemembers and their families.
Bush cited Jim Wareing -- founder of an America Supports You member organization called New England Caring for Our Military -- as an example of how Americans are supporting servicemembers.
"This year, Jim helped organize a gift drive by thousands of students from Massachusetts and New Hampshire," the president said. "Students from kindergarten to high school collected more than 20,000 gifts for our troops abroad."
Urging listeners to visit the America Supports You site at www.americasupportsyou.mil, the president lauded the example set by Wareing.
"Citizens like Jim Wareing represent the true strength of our country, and they make America proud," Bush said. "I urge every American to find some way to thank our military this Christmas season. If you see a soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, or a member of the Coast Guard, take a moment to stop and say, 'Thanks for your service.'"
Christmas reminds Americans of their duty to others, and that sense of duty is fulfilled by the men and women who wear the nation's uniform, Bush said.
"America is blessed to have fine citizens who volunteer to defend us in distant lands," he said. "For many of them, this Christmas will be spent far from home, and on Christmas our nation honors their sacrifice and thanks them for all they do to defend our freedom."
Bush also pointed out the sacrifices of the nation's military families, and thanked them for their support. "Staying behind when a family member goes to war is a heavy burden, and it is particularly hard during the holidays," he said. "To all our military families listening today, Laura and I thank you."
While thousands of military families spend the holiday apart, Bush noted this season ushers in a time of change for the nation. With a review of Iraq war strategy under way, a new secretary of defense in office, and changes in Congress, Bush said those serving on the front lines can be assured of continued support.
"I want our troops to know that while the coming year will bring change, one thing will not change, and that is our nation's support for you and the vital work you do to achieve victory in Iraq," the president said.
Millions of Americans are proving their support of deployed troops, wounded warriors, and the children of those serving abroad, Bush noted.
"Patriotic groups and charities all across America are sending gifts and care packages to our servicemen and women, visiting our troops recovering at military hospitals, reaching out to children whose moms and dads are serving abroad, and going to airports to welcome our troops home and to let them know they are appreciated by a grateful nation," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Pep Rally Heightens Excitement for Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
By Annette Crawford
Dec. 23, 2006 – Team spirit was evident last night all over the streets of the downtown area here known as Sundance Square. Whether it was wearing the school colors of two teams ready to take each other on in a gridiron challenge, or the uniform pride of armed forces members, there was no doubt this is an all-American event. The University of Tulsa and the University of Utah go head to head in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl tonight at Texas Christian University's Amon G. Carter Stadium. But before the teams take to the field, there's nothing like a good old-fashioned pep rally the night before the game.
But this pep rally had an added element. Like most such gatherings, there were the typical marching bands and cheerleaders working the crowd, urging the fans to root for their team. But on the other side of the square, there was an impressive array of military recruiting displays - after all, this is the Armed Forces Bowl.
In addition to getting up close to a tank, Humvee, flight simulator and mini Raptor, fans of all ages were quick to grab promotional items such as T-shirts, hats, pens and posters.
The sponsor of the event, Bell Helicopter, teamed up in its display booth with Give 2 to the Troops, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the physical, spiritual and morale well-being of servicemembers in combat. They do this by raising money and gathering donations to make care packages to send to deployed servicemembers.
When Andrea Harmon of Give 2 to the Troops was contacted by Bell Helicopter and asked if she wanted her organization sponsored by Bell at the bowl game, she said it was an awesome offer.
"Who wouldn't?" she asked.
Bell's Brad Wanek said the reason his company is sponsoring the bowl game is a way to give back to the troops. But in addition to those who will be able to enjoy the game in person, he said there are many more servicemembers out there they would like to help.
"We started to brainstorm on how we could reach out to the troops who could not be at the stadium, and one of the ways we came up with was by partnering with Give 2 to the Troops," Wanek said.
"By taking collections here at the pep rally and at the game, we hope to immediately generate care packages. We're also hoping that those who weren't aware before the game, become aware, and there would be a whole cascade of benefits following the game," Wanek said.
Dee Bash, dressed in 1940s-era garb and sitting in a World War II jeep, said her group, the Arrowhead Chapter of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association, is a living history group that honors veterans.
"We ride in veterans parades and go to swing dances and have the vehicles on display. They absolutely love to see us participate," Bash said. "We try to honor them in any way we can."
One of the Air Force recruiters at the event, Master Sgt. Greg Baker of the 344th Recruiting Squadron, said events like this pep rally are great for generating interest.
"We're planting seeds, so to speak," said Baker, a 20-year veteran. "We're looking for people who are motivated, responsible and want to serve their country."
Army Sgt. Chris Taylor said the service's presence at the event went beyond simple recruiting.
"More of the interest that we hope to generate here is not only that we're seeking new recruits, but that we want to be involved in the community," Taylor said. "We're here to support them."
Taylor said he thinks the Armed Forces Bowl is a great event for the nation as a whole.
"Look at all the veterans over the years, and it's a way to pay respect to those who got us this far," said Taylor, who has been in the Army 10 years and a recruiter for one.
"I want to thank the American public for their support," Taylor said. "It's a hard time in the world right now."
The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl is an event in partnership with America Supports You, a Department of Defense program that showcases American support for members of the armed forces. Since its inception in November 2004 by DOD, America Supports You has welcomed nearly 250 grassroots organizations and more than 33 corporate sponsors to its team.
This is Bell Helicopter's first year as title sponsor for the Armed Forces Bowl. The game airs at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN television and ESPN Radio to more than 200 stations in 44 states. One of the highlights of the game will be the presentation of the "Great American Patriot Award" at halftime to Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Dec. 23, 2006 – Team spirit was evident last night all over the streets of the downtown area here known as Sundance Square. Whether it was wearing the school colors of two teams ready to take each other on in a gridiron challenge, or the uniform pride of armed forces members, there was no doubt this is an all-American event. The University of Tulsa and the University of Utah go head to head in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl tonight at Texas Christian University's Amon G. Carter Stadium. But before the teams take to the field, there's nothing like a good old-fashioned pep rally the night before the game.
But this pep rally had an added element. Like most such gatherings, there were the typical marching bands and cheerleaders working the crowd, urging the fans to root for their team. But on the other side of the square, there was an impressive array of military recruiting displays - after all, this is the Armed Forces Bowl.
In addition to getting up close to a tank, Humvee, flight simulator and mini Raptor, fans of all ages were quick to grab promotional items such as T-shirts, hats, pens and posters.
The sponsor of the event, Bell Helicopter, teamed up in its display booth with Give 2 to the Troops, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the physical, spiritual and morale well-being of servicemembers in combat. They do this by raising money and gathering donations to make care packages to send to deployed servicemembers.
When Andrea Harmon of Give 2 to the Troops was contacted by Bell Helicopter and asked if she wanted her organization sponsored by Bell at the bowl game, she said it was an awesome offer.
"Who wouldn't?" she asked.
Bell's Brad Wanek said the reason his company is sponsoring the bowl game is a way to give back to the troops. But in addition to those who will be able to enjoy the game in person, he said there are many more servicemembers out there they would like to help.
"We started to brainstorm on how we could reach out to the troops who could not be at the stadium, and one of the ways we came up with was by partnering with Give 2 to the Troops," Wanek said.
"By taking collections here at the pep rally and at the game, we hope to immediately generate care packages. We're also hoping that those who weren't aware before the game, become aware, and there would be a whole cascade of benefits following the game," Wanek said.
Dee Bash, dressed in 1940s-era garb and sitting in a World War II jeep, said her group, the Arrowhead Chapter of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association, is a living history group that honors veterans.
"We ride in veterans parades and go to swing dances and have the vehicles on display. They absolutely love to see us participate," Bash said. "We try to honor them in any way we can."
One of the Air Force recruiters at the event, Master Sgt. Greg Baker of the 344th Recruiting Squadron, said events like this pep rally are great for generating interest.
"We're planting seeds, so to speak," said Baker, a 20-year veteran. "We're looking for people who are motivated, responsible and want to serve their country."
Army Sgt. Chris Taylor said the service's presence at the event went beyond simple recruiting.
"More of the interest that we hope to generate here is not only that we're seeking new recruits, but that we want to be involved in the community," Taylor said. "We're here to support them."
Taylor said he thinks the Armed Forces Bowl is a great event for the nation as a whole.
"Look at all the veterans over the years, and it's a way to pay respect to those who got us this far," said Taylor, who has been in the Army 10 years and a recruiter for one.
"I want to thank the American public for their support," Taylor said. "It's a hard time in the world right now."
The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl is an event in partnership with America Supports You, a Department of Defense program that showcases American support for members of the armed forces. Since its inception in November 2004 by DOD, America Supports You has welcomed nearly 250 grassroots organizations and more than 33 corporate sponsors to its team.
This is Bell Helicopter's first year as title sponsor for the Armed Forces Bowl. The game airs at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN television and ESPN Radio to more than 200 stations in 44 states. One of the highlights of the game will be the presentation of the "Great American Patriot Award" at halftime to Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Gainey, Veterans Gather for Tree Ceremony at Vietnam Wall
By John J. Kruzel
Dec. 21, 2006 – A ten-foot tall fir tree, ornamented with pictures of fallen U.S. war veterans and notes of support for today's troops, now stands proudly at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined about 50 veterans and family members on the Wall's east knoll today.
"Less than one-percent of the total population of the United States serves in the Armed Forces. You are all part of that one-percent club," Gainey told the veterans.
"Ninety-nine percent of Americans get their freedom from people like you veterans, the folks who are still serving, (and) the young men and women that are on this Wall," he said.
Gainey, along with his son, U.S. Army Capt. Ryan J. Gainey, and representatives of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc., the American Red Cross, HBO Video, and Target Corp. attended the ninth annual Christmas Tree Ceremony.
On behalf of wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital, Gainey accepted 1,000 DVD sets of several popular HBO series donated by HBO and 100 portable DVD players donated by Target .
Working side by side with veterans and family members, the officials helped hang more than 6,000 notes on the tree. The elm trees surrounding the Wall created a leafless canopy under which they kneeled and climbed ladders to decorate the tree's hard-to-reach branches.
"Look behind me and you know why I'm here," Gainey said. "It's these young men and women, not only the ones putting the stuff on these trees, but the names of over 58,000 that did not ask to die for their country. They died because they knew (fighting for their country) was the right thing to do.
"From 1775 until the present, we have had veterans," Gainey said. "We have people who are willing to sacrifice their lives to give us something called freedom. Something a lot of people take for granted."
Gainey and his son, Army Capt. Ryan J. Gainey, and Vietnam veterans like Paul Stancliff reached into one of the seven stuffed boxes and selected note-ornaments to read aloud.
Sporting a USS Boston hat with American flag and Navy insignia pins, Stancliff, a former U.S. Navy sailor approached the east knoll's podium to read a note from Dennis Marseller.
"I don't know what relation he has to anyone on the wall," Stancliff said, looking at the note-ornament in his hand. "So many of these notes are from normal people across the country who send a message to current and past troops to let us know we are being remembered."
He then read the note.
"You are at rest my brothers and sisters," he read. "We will always remember the joys you gave to us, and forever mourn you being taken away from us all too soon. Until we meet again, may God give you peace."
As the seven boxes stuffed with the ornament notes began to empty, Jan Scruggs, the Wall's founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, shifted his thoughts to those servicemembers deployed overseas.
"This morning we take time out to remember our friends who are on the Memorial Wall and all who served and sacrificed in the Vietnam War," Scruggs said. "But we also remember and pray for the many thousands of Americans serving our country all over the world right now."
"The empty space at the table is especially difficult during the holidays," he noted.
After each veteran had read and hung an ornament, Gainey, Stancliff and two other veterans slid two metal rods through the branches and wheeled the tree slowly down the east knoll ramp next to the marble wall engraved with the names of 58,249 troops killed in Vietnam.
Like pallbearers, the four men directed the fir as the wheels of the tree's base rolled next to freshly laid wreaths and flower bouquets. The procession of silent veterans made its way to the bottom of the ramp where the two marble walls meet. They set the tree in place. It will remain there through the holiday season.
Ceremonies like today's show that the community remembers "what we had to go through for freedom," said retired Army Master Sergeant Matt Daley.
Daley said Vietnam veterans share a very close kinship with today's active duty servicemembers. "It's all the same," he said. "They say it's a different war, but you're still laying your life on the line."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Dec. 21, 2006 – A ten-foot tall fir tree, ornamented with pictures of fallen U.S. war veterans and notes of support for today's troops, now stands proudly at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined about 50 veterans and family members on the Wall's east knoll today.
"Less than one-percent of the total population of the United States serves in the Armed Forces. You are all part of that one-percent club," Gainey told the veterans.
"Ninety-nine percent of Americans get their freedom from people like you veterans, the folks who are still serving, (and) the young men and women that are on this Wall," he said.
Gainey, along with his son, U.S. Army Capt. Ryan J. Gainey, and representatives of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc., the American Red Cross, HBO Video, and Target Corp. attended the ninth annual Christmas Tree Ceremony.
On behalf of wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital, Gainey accepted 1,000 DVD sets of several popular HBO series donated by HBO and 100 portable DVD players donated by Target .
Working side by side with veterans and family members, the officials helped hang more than 6,000 notes on the tree. The elm trees surrounding the Wall created a leafless canopy under which they kneeled and climbed ladders to decorate the tree's hard-to-reach branches.
"Look behind me and you know why I'm here," Gainey said. "It's these young men and women, not only the ones putting the stuff on these trees, but the names of over 58,000 that did not ask to die for their country. They died because they knew (fighting for their country) was the right thing to do.
"From 1775 until the present, we have had veterans," Gainey said. "We have people who are willing to sacrifice their lives to give us something called freedom. Something a lot of people take for granted."
Gainey and his son, Army Capt. Ryan J. Gainey, and Vietnam veterans like Paul Stancliff reached into one of the seven stuffed boxes and selected note-ornaments to read aloud.
Sporting a USS Boston hat with American flag and Navy insignia pins, Stancliff, a former U.S. Navy sailor approached the east knoll's podium to read a note from Dennis Marseller.
"I don't know what relation he has to anyone on the wall," Stancliff said, looking at the note-ornament in his hand. "So many of these notes are from normal people across the country who send a message to current and past troops to let us know we are being remembered."
He then read the note.
"You are at rest my brothers and sisters," he read. "We will always remember the joys you gave to us, and forever mourn you being taken away from us all too soon. Until we meet again, may God give you peace."
As the seven boxes stuffed with the ornament notes began to empty, Jan Scruggs, the Wall's founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, shifted his thoughts to those servicemembers deployed overseas.
"This morning we take time out to remember our friends who are on the Memorial Wall and all who served and sacrificed in the Vietnam War," Scruggs said. "But we also remember and pray for the many thousands of Americans serving our country all over the world right now."
"The empty space at the table is especially difficult during the holidays," he noted.
After each veteran had read and hung an ornament, Gainey, Stancliff and two other veterans slid two metal rods through the branches and wheeled the tree slowly down the east knoll ramp next to the marble wall engraved with the names of 58,249 troops killed in Vietnam.
Like pallbearers, the four men directed the fir as the wheels of the tree's base rolled next to freshly laid wreaths and flower bouquets. The procession of silent veterans made its way to the bottom of the ramp where the two marble walls meet. They set the tree in place. It will remain there through the holiday season.
Ceremonies like today's show that the community remembers "what we had to go through for freedom," said retired Army Master Sergeant Matt Daley.
Daley said Vietnam veterans share a very close kinship with today's active duty servicemembers. "It's all the same," he said. "They say it's a different war, but you're still laying your life on the line."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
WWII Veteran Kicks Up His Heels for USO
By Samantha L. Quigley
Dec. 21, 2006 – For a few hours Tuesday night, the Sequoia restaurant here was transported back to the golden era of the 1940s. Dance legend 92-year-old Frankie Manning was the special guest as the Glenn Miller Orchestra played swinging tunes and 300 dancers hit the floor during a "Home for the Holidays" event to benefit the United Services Organization. A creator of the dance now know as "the Lindy Hop," Manning showed the crowd that he's still got what earned him the moniker "legend." But he didn't fly all the way from his New York home just to show off his fancy footwork, he also was supporting the USO.
"I just thought it would be a good thing to do," Manning said. "That's the good part ... when you can bring laughter to the other guys when there's so much fear and tension in their minds."
Manning said that, even in this age of iPods and the Internet, he still thinks the kind of live entertainment he enjoyed while serving in World War II is important for the morale of today's servicemembers.
"Because of this technology ... it's one form of entertainment and it's something you can listen to all the time," Manning said. "When you actually see a person performing, it's fantastic. It's much more entertaining the just listening to it on the iPod."
Melanie Carson, communications manager for USO-Metro, was pleased that Manning traveled from New York to support her organization.
"It's generous for him to make an appearance for this type of event for no personal gain, just to support the programs and services of the USO," she said.
Both Manning's appearance fee and the net proceeds of the event will benefit the USO of Metropolitan Washington.
Tom Koerner, an area dance instructor and one of the event organizers, said that he and Manning "both have abiding respect for the work they do. Anybody who grew up in the 70s, Vietnam, knows that (the country) treated the military pretty shabbily. I really think that (servicemembers make) unbelievable sacrifices, the least we can do is give them a few bucks."
Manning, a Florida native who moved to Harlem when he was 3 years old, is more than a dance legend, however. He's also a movie star, appearing in several films, including the 1937 "A Day at the Races" with the Marx Brothers.
He also has toured with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Cab Calloway, and from 1936 to 1941, he was a member of the professional dance group known as "Whitey's Lindy Hoppers."
With the onset of World War II, however, the dance group disbanded. Manning kept performing and, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1942, Manning was working in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"I got my draft papers while I was down there but couldn't get back to the United States for about 10 months after that," Manning said. "We went down by boat and we had return ticket by boat, but because of the situation - passenger ships or any other ships going from South America to America were being sunk by the Germans."
The alternative was to return by plane. That, however, was a slow process as everyone else wanting to return to the United States was in the same situation.
When he finally was able to report to join the Army, he saw combat in New Guinea.
Finding opportunities to dance during his service wasn't always easy, so Manning organized performances to entertain the men with whom he served. He had one golden opportunity to dance on stage with one of the era's best-loved starlets, as well, he said.
"When it became safe enough for (entertainers) to come down that way, then ... Jack Benny with his troupe, they came down and did a show," Manning said, a grin stretching into a wide smile as he remembered the show. "Fortunate enough, I got to dance with Betty Grable.
"It was quite a thrill," he added.
Having entertainers visit them while they were so far from home did wonders for the men, Manning said.
He was discharged from the Army in 1947 and formed his own dance group, The Congaroos, which performed for about seven years. Then rock-and-roll music grew in popularity and Manning started another profession as a civil servant working for the U.S. Post Office. He said he expected that to last no more than a year, until his style of dance regained its popularity.
"That year turned into about 30 years," Manning said. "I was getting ready to retire in '87 and the resurgence (of big band music and the Lindy Hop) came back and here I go again and I'm and I'm still at it.
"It was quite a surprise," he said, adding he'd never dreamed that it would come back after so many years. "And I can have some weird dreams."
He's been teaching his beloved dances all over the world to anyone who cares to learn since them.
"I love to go the dances and see these young kids out there dancing," Manning. "It's just a joy to watch other dancers doing the dance that I love so much."
And they love watching him, especially when he observes his annual birthday tradition that started when he was 75. Each year he dances with one woman for every year of his life.
"This next year, I've got to dance with 93 women," he laughed.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Dec. 21, 2006 – For a few hours Tuesday night, the Sequoia restaurant here was transported back to the golden era of the 1940s. Dance legend 92-year-old Frankie Manning was the special guest as the Glenn Miller Orchestra played swinging tunes and 300 dancers hit the floor during a "Home for the Holidays" event to benefit the United Services Organization. A creator of the dance now know as "the Lindy Hop," Manning showed the crowd that he's still got what earned him the moniker "legend." But he didn't fly all the way from his New York home just to show off his fancy footwork, he also was supporting the USO.
"I just thought it would be a good thing to do," Manning said. "That's the good part ... when you can bring laughter to the other guys when there's so much fear and tension in their minds."
Manning said that, even in this age of iPods and the Internet, he still thinks the kind of live entertainment he enjoyed while serving in World War II is important for the morale of today's servicemembers.
"Because of this technology ... it's one form of entertainment and it's something you can listen to all the time," Manning said. "When you actually see a person performing, it's fantastic. It's much more entertaining the just listening to it on the iPod."
Melanie Carson, communications manager for USO-Metro, was pleased that Manning traveled from New York to support her organization.
"It's generous for him to make an appearance for this type of event for no personal gain, just to support the programs and services of the USO," she said.
Both Manning's appearance fee and the net proceeds of the event will benefit the USO of Metropolitan Washington.
Tom Koerner, an area dance instructor and one of the event organizers, said that he and Manning "both have abiding respect for the work they do. Anybody who grew up in the 70s, Vietnam, knows that (the country) treated the military pretty shabbily. I really think that (servicemembers make) unbelievable sacrifices, the least we can do is give them a few bucks."
Manning, a Florida native who moved to Harlem when he was 3 years old, is more than a dance legend, however. He's also a movie star, appearing in several films, including the 1937 "A Day at the Races" with the Marx Brothers.
He also has toured with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Cab Calloway, and from 1936 to 1941, he was a member of the professional dance group known as "Whitey's Lindy Hoppers."
With the onset of World War II, however, the dance group disbanded. Manning kept performing and, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1942, Manning was working in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"I got my draft papers while I was down there but couldn't get back to the United States for about 10 months after that," Manning said. "We went down by boat and we had return ticket by boat, but because of the situation - passenger ships or any other ships going from South America to America were being sunk by the Germans."
The alternative was to return by plane. That, however, was a slow process as everyone else wanting to return to the United States was in the same situation.
When he finally was able to report to join the Army, he saw combat in New Guinea.
Finding opportunities to dance during his service wasn't always easy, so Manning organized performances to entertain the men with whom he served. He had one golden opportunity to dance on stage with one of the era's best-loved starlets, as well, he said.
"When it became safe enough for (entertainers) to come down that way, then ... Jack Benny with his troupe, they came down and did a show," Manning said, a grin stretching into a wide smile as he remembered the show. "Fortunate enough, I got to dance with Betty Grable.
"It was quite a thrill," he added.
Having entertainers visit them while they were so far from home did wonders for the men, Manning said.
He was discharged from the Army in 1947 and formed his own dance group, The Congaroos, which performed for about seven years. Then rock-and-roll music grew in popularity and Manning started another profession as a civil servant working for the U.S. Post Office. He said he expected that to last no more than a year, until his style of dance regained its popularity.
"That year turned into about 30 years," Manning said. "I was getting ready to retire in '87 and the resurgence (of big band music and the Lindy Hop) came back and here I go again and I'm and I'm still at it.
"It was quite a surprise," he said, adding he'd never dreamed that it would come back after so many years. "And I can have some weird dreams."
He's been teaching his beloved dances all over the world to anyone who cares to learn since them.
"I love to go the dances and see these young kids out there dancing," Manning. "It's just a joy to watch other dancers doing the dance that I love so much."
And they love watching him, especially when he observes his annual birthday tradition that started when he was 75. Each year he dances with one woman for every year of his life.
"This next year, I've got to dance with 93 women," he laughed.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Gates, Pace Laud Troops Serving Far From Home
By Kathleen T. Rhem
Dec. 22, 2006 – New Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today thanked American servicemembers and their families "for the sacrifices they're all making and for their bravery in pursuit of our nation's security." Gates, on his final day of a three-day visit to Iraq, said he's been very impressed with the American troops he's met.
"As we enter this holiday weekend, I'd simply like to express my admiration to the men and women in uniform and to their families," he said.
Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, who accompanied Gates on this trip, agreed.
"One of the things that I'm always impressed with whenever we visit here is the incredible dedication and focus of our men and women here in uniform," he said. "I continue to be impressed with our U.S. military from the privates first class to the generals. They get it; they're focused. They know what they're doing is worthwhile. They want to see this mission to a successful conclusion."
Pace acknowledged the troops are missing their families "more than ever" as the holidays approach. "We thank them for that sacrifice, and we thank their families too, because obviously the families miss their loved ones, and they worry about whether or not they're safe here.
"And our military families serve our country as well as anyone who's ever worn the uniform," the general added.
"To the folks at home and the folks here," Pace said. "We wish them a very happy and peaceful holiday season."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Dec. 22, 2006 – New Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today thanked American servicemembers and their families "for the sacrifices they're all making and for their bravery in pursuit of our nation's security." Gates, on his final day of a three-day visit to Iraq, said he's been very impressed with the American troops he's met.
"As we enter this holiday weekend, I'd simply like to express my admiration to the men and women in uniform and to their families," he said.
Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, who accompanied Gates on this trip, agreed.
"One of the things that I'm always impressed with whenever we visit here is the incredible dedication and focus of our men and women here in uniform," he said. "I continue to be impressed with our U.S. military from the privates first class to the generals. They get it; they're focused. They know what they're doing is worthwhile. They want to see this mission to a successful conclusion."
Pace acknowledged the troops are missing their families "more than ever" as the holidays approach. "We thank them for that sacrifice, and we thank their families too, because obviously the families miss their loved ones, and they worry about whether or not they're safe here.
"And our military families serve our country as well as anyone who's ever worn the uniform," the general added.
"To the folks at home and the folks here," Pace said. "We wish them a very happy and peaceful holiday season."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Task Force on Future of Military Healthcare Established
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England announced today the names of the 14-member future military healthcare task force; the task force will evaluate and recommend alternatives to ensure the stability of military medicine over the long term. As directed by Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act for 2007, the task force will include seven members from within the department and seven experts from a variety of disciplines external to the department. Task force members are identified below.
"The military health program has many important challenges, the most critical being the rapidly growing costs of health benefit coverage," said England, "and the need to make adjustments so this great program can continue far into the future. We in the department and in the Congress look forward to the task force's recommendations."
The task force has a slate of objectives that includes assessment and recommendations on wellness initiatives, education programs, accurate cost accounting, universal enrollment, system command and control, procurement adequacy, military and civilian personnel mix, Medicare-eligible beneficiary needs, efficient and cost effective contracts, and the beneficiary-government cost share structure to sustain military health benefits over the long term. This cost sharing structure has significant priority in that the task force must report on this element in both the interim and the final reports.
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Edmund Giambastiani Jr. stated, "Military medicine is unmatched anywhere in the world. Our troops know they have the best care should they need it, and they know their families at home have the same great care. As the leaders of this department, we have the responsibility to ensure this excellent healthcare continues for future generations of soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen and their families."
Task force membership resulted from considered coordination with the secretaries of the military services and interagency leaders. The defense secretary will receive the interim report of the task force in May 2007, and the final report in December 2007. Following review by the secretary, the report will go to the armed services committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
"The task force represents a broad group of individuals with outstanding expertise and knowledge of healthcare generally and also of military healthcare," saidWilliam Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. "The group is bipartisan and includes recognized experts in quality, health benefit design, costs and actuarial projections, women's health, organization and delivery of healthcare, and national health policy. This is an impressive group of thoughtful and experienced people who care about military healthcare. We look forward to supporting their efforts, and I welcome their recommendations."
Task Force Members
Department of Defense Members:
Air Force Gen. John D. W. Corley, vice chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force
Retired Army Maj. Gen. Nancy Adams, former commander Tripler Army Medical Center and acting director, TRICARE Regional Office, North
Navy Rear Adm. John Mateczun, Deputy Surgeon General
Air Force Lt. Gen. James Roudebush, Surgeon General
Air Force Maj. Gen. Joseph Kelley, deputy director of logistics for medical readiness, the Joint Staff
Shay Assad, director of defense procurement and acquisition policy, Office of the Undersecretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics
Retired Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Non Departmental Members:
Robert J. Henke, assistant secretary for management, Department of Veterans Affairs
Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of Health and Human Services
Gail R. Wilensky, Ph.D., elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and its governing council
Robert F. Hale, senior fellow at the Logistics Management Institute and member of the Defense Business Board; formerly assistant secretary of the Air Force for financial management and comptroller
Army Reserve Maj. Gen. Robert Smith, past president and current member of the Board of the Reserve Officers Association, and global controller, Vehicle Service & Programs, Ford Motor Co.
Larry Lewin, founder of The Lewin Group and currently executive consultant on clinical and technology effectiveness, health promotion.
Dr. Robert Galvin, director of global healthcare for General Electric.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
"The military health program has many important challenges, the most critical being the rapidly growing costs of health benefit coverage," said England, "and the need to make adjustments so this great program can continue far into the future. We in the department and in the Congress look forward to the task force's recommendations."
The task force has a slate of objectives that includes assessment and recommendations on wellness initiatives, education programs, accurate cost accounting, universal enrollment, system command and control, procurement adequacy, military and civilian personnel mix, Medicare-eligible beneficiary needs, efficient and cost effective contracts, and the beneficiary-government cost share structure to sustain military health benefits over the long term. This cost sharing structure has significant priority in that the task force must report on this element in both the interim and the final reports.
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Edmund Giambastiani Jr. stated, "Military medicine is unmatched anywhere in the world. Our troops know they have the best care should they need it, and they know their families at home have the same great care. As the leaders of this department, we have the responsibility to ensure this excellent healthcare continues for future generations of soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen and their families."
Task force membership resulted from considered coordination with the secretaries of the military services and interagency leaders. The defense secretary will receive the interim report of the task force in May 2007, and the final report in December 2007. Following review by the secretary, the report will go to the armed services committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
"The task force represents a broad group of individuals with outstanding expertise and knowledge of healthcare generally and also of military healthcare," saidWilliam Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. "The group is bipartisan and includes recognized experts in quality, health benefit design, costs and actuarial projections, women's health, organization and delivery of healthcare, and national health policy. This is an impressive group of thoughtful and experienced people who care about military healthcare. We look forward to supporting their efforts, and I welcome their recommendations."
Task Force Members
Department of Defense Members:
Air Force Gen. John D. W. Corley, vice chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force
Retired Army Maj. Gen. Nancy Adams, former commander Tripler Army Medical Center and acting director, TRICARE Regional Office, North
Navy Rear Adm. John Mateczun, Deputy Surgeon General
Air Force Lt. Gen. James Roudebush, Surgeon General
Air Force Maj. Gen. Joseph Kelley, deputy director of logistics for medical readiness, the Joint Staff
Shay Assad, director of defense procurement and acquisition policy, Office of the Undersecretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics
Retired Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Non Departmental Members:
Robert J. Henke, assistant secretary for management, Department of Veterans Affairs
Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of Health and Human Services
Gail R. Wilensky, Ph.D., elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and its governing council
Robert F. Hale, senior fellow at the Logistics Management Institute and member of the Defense Business Board; formerly assistant secretary of the Air Force for financial management and comptroller
Army Reserve Maj. Gen. Robert Smith, past president and current member of the Board of the Reserve Officers Association, and global controller, Vehicle Service & Programs, Ford Motor Co.
Larry Lewin, founder of The Lewin Group and currently executive consultant on clinical and technology effectiveness, health promotion.
Dr. Robert Galvin, director of global healthcare for General Electric.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Armed Forces Bowl to Spotlight Troops
By Carmen L. Burgess
Dec. 22, 2006 – Members of the U.S. military will be honored during the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl to be held Dec. 23 in Fort Worth, Texas. The University of Tulsa and the University of Utah will square off for the fourth annual Armed Forces Bowl that will be aired at 7 p.m. CST on ESPN television and ESPN Radio to over 200 stations in 44 states.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England, a Fort Worth native, will flip the coin at the start of the game and administer the oath of enlistment to recruits from each branch of service. At half-time, England will receive the Great American Patriot Award for his leadership in serving the United States in the Homeland Security, Navy and Defense departments.
Also at Half America Supports You corporate team member, Connect and Join, also will be presenting "The World's Largest, Now Greatest Scrapbook" to members of the military during half-time festivities. The company joined America Supports You in May 2006. The Defense Department program highlights ways Americans and the corporate sector support the nation's servicemembers.
Fans attending the bowl at Texas Christian University's Amon G. Carter Stadium can participate in many pre-game festivities, collectively dubbed the Armed Forces Adventure, 3-7 p.m.
Jet and helicopter flyovers, skydiving demonstrations, static displays and military bands will be on site to give college football fans a taste of the diversity of U.S. military operations.
Each quarter of the game will highlight a different branch of service with live remotes appearing on the stadium's video board from troops stationed overseas.
Active-duty military are eligible for free tickets, and veterans are eligible for half-price tickets by calling the Bell Helicopter Ticket Office at (817) 810-0012
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Dec. 22, 2006 – Members of the U.S. military will be honored during the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl to be held Dec. 23 in Fort Worth, Texas. The University of Tulsa and the University of Utah will square off for the fourth annual Armed Forces Bowl that will be aired at 7 p.m. CST on ESPN television and ESPN Radio to over 200 stations in 44 states.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England, a Fort Worth native, will flip the coin at the start of the game and administer the oath of enlistment to recruits from each branch of service. At half-time, England will receive the Great American Patriot Award for his leadership in serving the United States in the Homeland Security, Navy and Defense departments.
Also at Half America Supports You corporate team member, Connect and Join, also will be presenting "The World's Largest, Now Greatest Scrapbook" to members of the military during half-time festivities. The company joined America Supports You in May 2006. The Defense Department program highlights ways Americans and the corporate sector support the nation's servicemembers.
Fans attending the bowl at Texas Christian University's Amon G. Carter Stadium can participate in many pre-game festivities, collectively dubbed the Armed Forces Adventure, 3-7 p.m.
Jet and helicopter flyovers, skydiving demonstrations, static displays and military bands will be on site to give college football fans a taste of the diversity of U.S. military operations.
Each quarter of the game will highlight a different branch of service with live remotes appearing on the stadium's video board from troops stationed overseas.
Active-duty military are eligible for free tickets, and veterans are eligible for half-price tickets by calling the Bell Helicopter Ticket Office at (817) 810-0012
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Soldiers Missing in Action from Vietnam War are Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are Maj. Frederick J. Ransbottom, of Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Staff Sgt. William E. Skivington Jr.; of Las Vegas, Nev.; both U.S. Army. Ransbottom will be buried in Edmond, Okla. on Jan. 13, and Skivington will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23.
Representatives from the Army met with the next-of-kin of these men to explain the recovery and identification process, and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
On May 12, 1968, North Vietnamese forces overran the Kham Duc Special Forces camp and its surrounding observation posts in Quang Nam-Da Nang Province (formerly Quang Tin Province), South Vietnam. Ransbottom and Skivington were two of the 17 U.S. servicemen unaccounted-for after the survivors evacuated the camp. Search and recovery efforts at the site in 1970 succeeded in recovering remains of five of the 17 men. A sixth man was returned alive during Operation Homecoming in 1973 after having been captured and held prisoner of war by the North Vietnamese.
Between 1993 and 2006, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), conducted eight investigations and four excavations in the vicinity of the camp site. The team interviewed former North Vietnamese officers and soldiers who participated in the battle. Some recalled seeing the bodies of U.S. servicemen near one of the observation posts, and U.S. eyewitness accounts placed Ransbottom and Skivington near the post.
During an excavation conducted in 1998, two U.S. servicemen who survived the battle accompanied JPAC to help locate the observation posts, but found no evidence of human remains. Later excavations conducted in the area yielded human remains, identification media and personal effects for Ransbottom, Skivington and several other soldiers.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC also used dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
They are Maj. Frederick J. Ransbottom, of Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Staff Sgt. William E. Skivington Jr.; of Las Vegas, Nev.; both U.S. Army. Ransbottom will be buried in Edmond, Okla. on Jan. 13, and Skivington will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23.
Representatives from the Army met with the next-of-kin of these men to explain the recovery and identification process, and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
On May 12, 1968, North Vietnamese forces overran the Kham Duc Special Forces camp and its surrounding observation posts in Quang Nam-Da Nang Province (formerly Quang Tin Province), South Vietnam. Ransbottom and Skivington were two of the 17 U.S. servicemen unaccounted-for after the survivors evacuated the camp. Search and recovery efforts at the site in 1970 succeeded in recovering remains of five of the 17 men. A sixth man was returned alive during Operation Homecoming in 1973 after having been captured and held prisoner of war by the North Vietnamese.
Between 1993 and 2006, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), conducted eight investigations and four excavations in the vicinity of the camp site. The team interviewed former North Vietnamese officers and soldiers who participated in the battle. Some recalled seeing the bodies of U.S. servicemen near one of the observation posts, and U.S. eyewitness accounts placed Ransbottom and Skivington near the post.
During an excavation conducted in 1998, two U.S. servicemen who survived the battle accompanied JPAC to help locate the observation posts, but found no evidence of human remains. Later excavations conducted in the area yielded human remains, identification media and personal effects for Ransbottom, Skivington and several other soldiers.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC also used dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Retired Army General Praises Military Family Support Programs
By Gerry J. Gilmore
Dec. 22, 2006 – Military support programs like America Supports You are vitally important to servicemembers, their families and the nation, a celebrated retired Army general said recently. It is paramount "to recognize the [military] spouses and the children, and their part they play in our national defense," retired Army Lt. Gen. Claudia J. Kennedy said at the "Operation Christmas" event held Dec. 20 at the National Guard armory in Hinesville, Ga.
"Americans need to know that we are taking care of the families. And, sometimes, I think that they imagine these families are on their own, and they're not. They're part of a very warm and complete family, the bigger family of the military," Kennedy said.
In 1997, Kennedy became the first woman in the U.S. Army to attain the rank of lieutenant general and only the third woman in the military to hold three-star rank. She served in the Pentagon as the Army's top intelligence officer until her retirement in 2000.
America Supports You is a Defense Department program that showcases the efforts of American individuals, non-profit groups and corporations in supporting military men and women.
America Supports You corporate team member Wal-Mart partnered with non-profit member Operation Homefront, an organization that provides assistance to military families while servicemembers are deployed, to conduct Operation Christmas. The Hinesville, Ga., event was the last of a series of six Operation Christmases held this year.
Kennedy is a member of a three-person Wal-Mart panel that provides the corporation employment-practices advice. The worldwide retail chain and the U.S. Army, including its active, Guard and reserve components, both employ more than 1.5 million people, she said.
Kennedy said Wal-Mart not only supports the military, it also respects the military's personnel practices.
"We have systems in the Army that help make sure that selection for promotions, commands and schooling is done in a very fair way, based on merit," Kennedy said. "And, I think Wal-Mart is interested in some of that experience."
In Hinesville, Kennedy observed soldier-volunteers from nearby Fort Stewart doing their best to make children happy as they sat on Santa's lap and received Christmas gifts.
"If they see that a child looks a little disappointed, they keep trying new gifts until they bring the one that brings a smile," she said.
Kennedy also attended two other Operation Christmas events held earlier this month in Gulfport, Miss., and San Antonio, Texas. Other Operation Christmas events were held in November in communities near Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and the naval station in Norfolk, Va. Another Operation Christmas was held Dec. 2 near MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Dec. 22, 2006 – Military support programs like America Supports You are vitally important to servicemembers, their families and the nation, a celebrated retired Army general said recently. It is paramount "to recognize the [military] spouses and the children, and their part they play in our national defense," retired Army Lt. Gen. Claudia J. Kennedy said at the "Operation Christmas" event held Dec. 20 at the National Guard armory in Hinesville, Ga.
"Americans need to know that we are taking care of the families. And, sometimes, I think that they imagine these families are on their own, and they're not. They're part of a very warm and complete family, the bigger family of the military," Kennedy said.
In 1997, Kennedy became the first woman in the U.S. Army to attain the rank of lieutenant general and only the third woman in the military to hold three-star rank. She served in the Pentagon as the Army's top intelligence officer until her retirement in 2000.
America Supports You is a Defense Department program that showcases the efforts of American individuals, non-profit groups and corporations in supporting military men and women.
America Supports You corporate team member Wal-Mart partnered with non-profit member Operation Homefront, an organization that provides assistance to military families while servicemembers are deployed, to conduct Operation Christmas. The Hinesville, Ga., event was the last of a series of six Operation Christmases held this year.
Kennedy is a member of a three-person Wal-Mart panel that provides the corporation employment-practices advice. The worldwide retail chain and the U.S. Army, including its active, Guard and reserve components, both employ more than 1.5 million people, she said.
Kennedy said Wal-Mart not only supports the military, it also respects the military's personnel practices.
"We have systems in the Army that help make sure that selection for promotions, commands and schooling is done in a very fair way, based on merit," Kennedy said. "And, I think Wal-Mart is interested in some of that experience."
In Hinesville, Kennedy observed soldier-volunteers from nearby Fort Stewart doing their best to make children happy as they sat on Santa's lap and received Christmas gifts.
"If they see that a child looks a little disappointed, they keep trying new gifts until they bring the one that brings a smile," she said.
Kennedy also attended two other Operation Christmas events held earlier this month in Gulfport, Miss., and San Antonio, Texas. Other Operation Christmas events were held in November in communities near Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and the naval station in Norfolk, Va. Another Operation Christmas was held Dec. 2 near MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership; and police and military personnel who have become writers.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Sesame Street's Elmo to Educate Americans on Deployments
By Jim Garamone
Dec. 21, 2006 – Elmo and the characters of Sesame Street are going to give Americans at large a chance to see what military families go through when their loved ones deploy to war zones. Sesame Street will air "When Parents Are Deployed" on most Public Broadcasting System stations Dec. 27. Armed Forces Network stations will air the special in January.
"The special focuses on giving people an understanding of the sacrifices servicemembers' families make in a deployment," said Barbara Goodno, a senior program analyst with the Pentagon's Office of Family Policy.
Elmo, the fuzzy red puppet who is perpetually three years old, is the star of the program. Viewers see the deployment through his eyes.
"When Parents Are Deployed" may have puppets, but it is a program parents and older siblings can watch, too, said Leslye Arsht, deputy undersecretary for family programs. "Elmo is someone with whom people of all ages can relate."
Arsht said the producers listened to family and expert feedback to ensure the program meets families' needs.
The special is an outgrowth of a DVD entitled "Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Families Cope with Military Deployment." Sesame Street released that DVD in July, and it is available in both English and Spanish versions.
In that program, Elmo's military father is ordered overseas. Wal-Mart and other sponsors provided the funding to distribute the DVD and an accompanying booklet to schools, childcare centers and military family support centers.
The DVD set and television program capture the many emotions associated with deployments -- the fears and worries before departure, the loneliness and concern while a loved one is away and the anxiety often associated with reunion, Arsht said.
The Defense Department has made tremendous strides in providing resources for military families, Arsht said.
"DoD has many support systems to support good physical, emotional, spiritual, educational and social health," she said.
On installations, these services center around family support centers. These centers provide a network for families and offer information and education programs to assist with tasks of daily living, Arsht said.
DoD conducted research that shows the key elements to coping with deployment stresses are communication, outreach, information resources and access to unit leadership, Arsht said.
One of the most popular resources available for families is Military OneSource. Troops and families can get help or information by visiting the Military OneSource Web site or calling, toll free, 1-800-342-9647.
Military OneSource provides counseling or information to servicemembers and families at no charge, and it runs the gamut from child care to personal finances to emotional support during deployments. It also provides relocation advice or helps set up resources for special circumstances. It is open 24-7.
Access to this type of support is particularly important for family members of deployed reserve component personnel, Arsht said.
Another important resource is Military Homefront. This official DoD Web site offers reliable quality of life information tailored for three specific groups: servicemembers and families, leaders and service providers.
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Dec. 21, 2006 – Elmo and the characters of Sesame Street are going to give Americans at large a chance to see what military families go through when their loved ones deploy to war zones. Sesame Street will air "When Parents Are Deployed" on most Public Broadcasting System stations Dec. 27. Armed Forces Network stations will air the special in January.
"The special focuses on giving people an understanding of the sacrifices servicemembers' families make in a deployment," said Barbara Goodno, a senior program analyst with the Pentagon's Office of Family Policy.
Elmo, the fuzzy red puppet who is perpetually three years old, is the star of the program. Viewers see the deployment through his eyes.
"When Parents Are Deployed" may have puppets, but it is a program parents and older siblings can watch, too, said Leslye Arsht, deputy undersecretary for family programs. "Elmo is someone with whom people of all ages can relate."
Arsht said the producers listened to family and expert feedback to ensure the program meets families' needs.
The special is an outgrowth of a DVD entitled "Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Families Cope with Military Deployment." Sesame Street released that DVD in July, and it is available in both English and Spanish versions.
In that program, Elmo's military father is ordered overseas. Wal-Mart and other sponsors provided the funding to distribute the DVD and an accompanying booklet to schools, childcare centers and military family support centers.
The DVD set and television program capture the many emotions associated with deployments -- the fears and worries before departure, the loneliness and concern while a loved one is away and the anxiety often associated with reunion, Arsht said.
The Defense Department has made tremendous strides in providing resources for military families, Arsht said.
"DoD has many support systems to support good physical, emotional, spiritual, educational and social health," she said.
On installations, these services center around family support centers. These centers provide a network for families and offer information and education programs to assist with tasks of daily living, Arsht said.
DoD conducted research that shows the key elements to coping with deployment stresses are communication, outreach, information resources and access to unit leadership, Arsht said.
One of the most popular resources available for families is Military OneSource. Troops and families can get help or information by visiting the Military OneSource Web site or calling, toll free, 1-800-342-9647.
Military OneSource provides counseling or information to servicemembers and families at no charge, and it runs the gamut from child care to personal finances to emotional support during deployments. It also provides relocation advice or helps set up resources for special circumstances. It is open 24-7.
Access to this type of support is particularly important for family members of deployed reserve component personnel, Arsht said.
Another important resource is Military Homefront. This official DoD Web site offers reliable quality of life information tailored for three specific groups: servicemembers and families, leaders and service providers.
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Jones Says NATO Healthy, Adapting to 21st Century
By Jim Garamone
Dec. 21, 2006 – The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is healthy and its best years lie ahead, Marine Corps Gen. James L. Jones said today at the Europe Atlantic Council here. Jones stepped down as NATO's supreme allied commander earlier this month.
While some aspects of the alliance may need work, Jones said that, on the whole, it is an "incredibly healthy organization."
Jones assumed his office in January 2003 after serving as the commandant of the Marine Corps. During his time in the position, the alliance has changed dramatically.
"Perhaps the highlight of the last four years was witnessing the accession of seven new nations into the alliance in 2004," he said. "It was a very emotional moment for seven former Warsaw Pact countries."
Membership in NATO meant acceptance in the free world to the former communist countries, Jones said.
"There was a sort of palpable enthusiasm for freedom, democracy, rule of law and just the vast potential for those people that had been unleashed," he said. "You feel every day their enthusiasm from these new members."
During Jones' tenure, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan grew from a force providing security in and around the Afghan capital of Kabul, to providing security for the entire country. The NATO commander in Afghanistan now commands 32,000 troops from 32 different countries, Jones said.
The NATO mission in Afghanistan and NATO training mission in Iraq are just two operations that show the term "out of area operations" is obsolete, he said.
During the Cold War, NATO's job was to defend Western Europe from the menace of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. There were no "out-of-area operations, nor was the possibility even really contemplated," he said.
"It is a given that NATO is operating today on three different continents with more than 50,000 troops committed to NATO missions," he said.
Troops under NATO command operate in Asia, Africa and Europe, and Jones said the alliance is also embracing change. "Nowhere was that more in evidence than in establishing the NATO Response Force," he said.
The force - 25,000 personnel ready to deploy at a moment's notice - is now fully operational and capable. The general said the force is NATO's greatest commitment to transformation.
The force is ready to "take on missions at a strategic distance, but in an expeditionary manner," he said.
The NATO Response Force's first real deployment - to Pakistan to help with humanitarian relief following the earthquakes in January 2005 - is a prime example of this, Jones said.
The fact that the force's first mission was a humanitarian operation has also caused some reassessment in NATO, he said.
"NATO is reinventing itself and re-explaining itself because in this world NATO is thought of, correctly, as principally a warfighting organization," he said. "This transformation of NATO - going from a reactive 20th-century force, which it needed to be, to a 21st-century more expeditionary and agile force - brings with a whole lot of things" that countries didn't realize when they signed up for the process in 2002.
"It has caused a lot of pain because it gets you into such things as multinational logistics (and) organic intelligence, which NATO has never had," he said.
Other transformational aspects during Jones' command included eliminating duplicate NATO headquarters, disestablishing the Alled Command Atlantic and replacing it with the Allied Command Transformation and placing all operations under Allied Command Europe.
This is not to say there are not problems that NATO must address, Jones said. First and foremost is money. The per capita share of many countries has actually gone down since the Prague Summit in 2002. NATO nations agreed during that summit to spend roughly 3 percent of their gross domestic product on defense.
Another problem is national caveats, Jones said. This is where troops assigned to a mission has such stringent restrictions placed on them, that commanders can hardly use them.
But the alliance is remarkably adaptable and resilient, Jones said. "The other bit of evidence that the alliance is healthy is that I know of no countries that are trying to leave the alliance," Jones said. "And I know quite a few that are trying to queue up and measure up to become members by as early as 2008."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Dec. 21, 2006 – The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is healthy and its best years lie ahead, Marine Corps Gen. James L. Jones said today at the Europe Atlantic Council here. Jones stepped down as NATO's supreme allied commander earlier this month.
While some aspects of the alliance may need work, Jones said that, on the whole, it is an "incredibly healthy organization."
Jones assumed his office in January 2003 after serving as the commandant of the Marine Corps. During his time in the position, the alliance has changed dramatically.
"Perhaps the highlight of the last four years was witnessing the accession of seven new nations into the alliance in 2004," he said. "It was a very emotional moment for seven former Warsaw Pact countries."
Membership in NATO meant acceptance in the free world to the former communist countries, Jones said.
"There was a sort of palpable enthusiasm for freedom, democracy, rule of law and just the vast potential for those people that had been unleashed," he said. "You feel every day their enthusiasm from these new members."
During Jones' tenure, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan grew from a force providing security in and around the Afghan capital of Kabul, to providing security for the entire country. The NATO commander in Afghanistan now commands 32,000 troops from 32 different countries, Jones said.
The NATO mission in Afghanistan and NATO training mission in Iraq are just two operations that show the term "out of area operations" is obsolete, he said.
During the Cold War, NATO's job was to defend Western Europe from the menace of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. There were no "out-of-area operations, nor was the possibility even really contemplated," he said.
"It is a given that NATO is operating today on three different continents with more than 50,000 troops committed to NATO missions," he said.
Troops under NATO command operate in Asia, Africa and Europe, and Jones said the alliance is also embracing change. "Nowhere was that more in evidence than in establishing the NATO Response Force," he said.
The force - 25,000 personnel ready to deploy at a moment's notice - is now fully operational and capable. The general said the force is NATO's greatest commitment to transformation.
The force is ready to "take on missions at a strategic distance, but in an expeditionary manner," he said.
The NATO Response Force's first real deployment - to Pakistan to help with humanitarian relief following the earthquakes in January 2005 - is a prime example of this, Jones said.
The fact that the force's first mission was a humanitarian operation has also caused some reassessment in NATO, he said.
"NATO is reinventing itself and re-explaining itself because in this world NATO is thought of, correctly, as principally a warfighting organization," he said. "This transformation of NATO - going from a reactive 20th-century force, which it needed to be, to a 21st-century more expeditionary and agile force - brings with a whole lot of things" that countries didn't realize when they signed up for the process in 2002.
"It has caused a lot of pain because it gets you into such things as multinational logistics (and) organic intelligence, which NATO has never had," he said.
Other transformational aspects during Jones' command included eliminating duplicate NATO headquarters, disestablishing the Alled Command Atlantic and replacing it with the Allied Command Transformation and placing all operations under Allied Command Europe.
This is not to say there are not problems that NATO must address, Jones said. First and foremost is money. The per capita share of many countries has actually gone down since the Prague Summit in 2002. NATO nations agreed during that summit to spend roughly 3 percent of their gross domestic product on defense.
Another problem is national caveats, Jones said. This is where troops assigned to a mission has such stringent restrictions placed on them, that commanders can hardly use them.
But the alliance is remarkably adaptable and resilient, Jones said. "The other bit of evidence that the alliance is healthy is that I know of no countries that are trying to leave the alliance," Jones said. "And I know quite a few that are trying to queue up and measure up to become members by as early as 2008."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Colorado Guard Responds to Blizzard Emergency
By Donna Miles
Dec. 21, 2006 – About 50 Colorado Army National Guard troops worked through the night, rescuing stranded motorists, clearing roadways for emergency vehicles and delivering American Red Cross supplies in the midst of a blizzard that's already blanketed the state with more than two feet of snow. Colorado Gov. Bill Owens declared a state of emergency yesterday and activated the Guardsmen to respond to the blizzard.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Mason Whitney, state adjutant general, told American Forces Press Service the troops were ready for the activation order. "We started preparing about two days ago. We knew this was going to be a big one, but we didn't know it was going to be this big," he said.
The Guard activated its Joint Operations Center and put small mobility teams on alert at 10 armories across the state, the general said.
When the governor ordered the call-up, the troops quickly responded with 25 Humvees and 15 medium tactical vehicles to help first responders rescue motorists and clear pathways for emergency workers, he said. The troops also are delivering Red Cross emergency supplies, including cots, food and water, to emergency shelters.
Most of their operations are focused on Denver, Pueblo, Colorado Springs and other parts of the state's eastern range section. Whitney said another 20 Guardsmen are expected to be on duty soon to provide relief to their fellow troops who worked through the night.
About two more inches of snow are expected to accumulate before early afternoon today, but Whitney said the storm has been downgraded from blizzard status. As soon as conditions improve, the Guard will dispatch helicopters to search roads inaccessible by vehicle to ensure no one is stranded, he said.
The Colorado Guard currently has just three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and four UH-1 Huey helicopters at its disposal because most of its Black Hawks and all its Chinooks are deployed to Iraq, Whitney said.
In the event that the Colorado Guard needs more aircraft to conduct its state mission, he said other states would contribute their resources, an arrangement provided through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
In addition, officials at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs have offered assets, if needed, Whitney said.
The general called the Colorado National Guard's quick response to the blizzard an example the important state emergency response role the Guard carries out nationwide.
"That responsibility is one of our primary missions, and we have always responded," he said. "That's the strength of the National Guard. We are the forward-deployed forces in communities across America for the homeland defense and emergency response mission."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Dec. 21, 2006 – About 50 Colorado Army National Guard troops worked through the night, rescuing stranded motorists, clearing roadways for emergency vehicles and delivering American Red Cross supplies in the midst of a blizzard that's already blanketed the state with more than two feet of snow. Colorado Gov. Bill Owens declared a state of emergency yesterday and activated the Guardsmen to respond to the blizzard.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Mason Whitney, state adjutant general, told American Forces Press Service the troops were ready for the activation order. "We started preparing about two days ago. We knew this was going to be a big one, but we didn't know it was going to be this big," he said.
The Guard activated its Joint Operations Center and put small mobility teams on alert at 10 armories across the state, the general said.
When the governor ordered the call-up, the troops quickly responded with 25 Humvees and 15 medium tactical vehicles to help first responders rescue motorists and clear pathways for emergency workers, he said. The troops also are delivering Red Cross emergency supplies, including cots, food and water, to emergency shelters.
Most of their operations are focused on Denver, Pueblo, Colorado Springs and other parts of the state's eastern range section. Whitney said another 20 Guardsmen are expected to be on duty soon to provide relief to their fellow troops who worked through the night.
About two more inches of snow are expected to accumulate before early afternoon today, but Whitney said the storm has been downgraded from blizzard status. As soon as conditions improve, the Guard will dispatch helicopters to search roads inaccessible by vehicle to ensure no one is stranded, he said.
The Colorado Guard currently has just three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and four UH-1 Huey helicopters at its disposal because most of its Black Hawks and all its Chinooks are deployed to Iraq, Whitney said.
In the event that the Colorado Guard needs more aircraft to conduct its state mission, he said other states would contribute their resources, an arrangement provided through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
In addition, officials at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs have offered assets, if needed, Whitney said.
The general called the Colorado National Guard's quick response to the blizzard an example the important state emergency response role the Guard carries out nationwide.
"That responsibility is one of our primary missions, and we have always responded," he said. "That's the strength of the National Guard. We are the forward-deployed forces in communities across America for the homeland defense and emergency response mission."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Tribute for Troops Donates to Troops, Vets
By Carmen L. Burgess
Dec. 21, 2006 – Organizers of the annual "Tribute to the Troops" motorcycle ride and benefit concert recently donated more than $18,000 to Minnesota and Wisconsin-based military support groups. The group raised the funds during their third ride Sept. 8-10. The event takes place each year around the Sept. 1, 2001, anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States.
Gregg Schmitt, director of the Minneapolis-based organization, first teamed up with country music artist Rockie Lynn in 2004 to plan the event as a way of showing the families that Americans from all walks of life care about them and are aware of their loss.
More than 200 bikers participated in this year's ride which began in Minneapolis and ended three days later in Hamel, Minn. The riders stopped at the homes of nine fallen servicemembers along the route to pay their respects to families and to thank them for their sacrifice.
Plans for the fourth annual ride slated for Sept. 7-9, 2007 are already underway.
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Dec. 21, 2006 – Organizers of the annual "Tribute to the Troops" motorcycle ride and benefit concert recently donated more than $18,000 to Minnesota and Wisconsin-based military support groups. The group raised the funds during their third ride Sept. 8-10. The event takes place each year around the Sept. 1, 2001, anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States.
Gregg Schmitt, director of the Minneapolis-based organization, first teamed up with country music artist Rockie Lynn in 2004 to plan the event as a way of showing the families that Americans from all walks of life care about them and are aware of their loss.
More than 200 bikers participated in this year's ride which began in Minneapolis and ended three days later in Hamel, Minn. The riders stopped at the homes of nine fallen servicemembers along the route to pay their respects to families and to thank them for their sacrifice.
Plans for the fourth annual ride slated for Sept. 7-9, 2007 are already underway.
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Internet Radio Show Helps Military Wives
By Gerry J. Gilmore
Dec. 21, 2006 – Two Army wives have joined forces to run an Internet radio show that provides important information to other military wives. Star Henderson and Tara Crooks have more than 20 years' experience between them, and the two have teamed up to help other military wives through their Internet talk radio show, Army Wife Talk Radio.com.
"We want to pass that experience along to other Army wives," said Henderson, 32, whose husband, David, is a captain in the Georgia Army National Guard. The Hendersons have a 10-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter.
Army Wife Talk Radio.com covers a variety of topics, such as how to solve family challenges when a spouse is deployed and navigate the military's healthcare system. The program has developed a core following of fans, said Crooks, 31, a veteran with 10 years of military experience. Crooks' husband, Kevin, is a U.S. Army captain assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga. The Crooks have a 5-year-old daughter.
"It became like a community thing, where I've got loyal listeners that are probably following my life, wondering what the heck is going to happen in the Crooks' household today," Crooks said. "And, then I've got people calling in and sharing their stories. It makes me feel that I'm not alone."
There are "so many" services available to help military families, Crooks said there's no cohesive program to promote them to family members. That's where the radio show can really help, she said.
Henderson launched Army Wife Talk Radio.com a year and a half ago, and Crooks got involved about seven months ago when she began writing for the show's newsletter. Now they share responsibilities equally in the program.
A recorded show is made available on the site each Monday, but Henderson said they hope to be able to broadcast live in the near future.
In addition to sharing their personal experiences, the pair also interviews experts to provide advice on and get information about different subjects.
About seven months ago, they interviewed Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison, for the show. Their radio show is preparing to become a sponsor of the Defense Department's America Supports You program.
"I think it's an amazing program," Crooks said of the ASY program. "Just to see all those organizations coming together to support military members and their families is wonderful."
ASY highlights support from individuals, non-profit organizations and corporations for U.S. military men and women. ASY, Operation Homefront and Wal-Mart joined forces to sponsor Operation Christmas here and at five other locations across the country to bring cheer to military families.
Crooks and Henderson attended yesterday's Operation Christmas event for military families here. During the event, they discussed their shows and shared some of their views on military family life.
Juggling husbands and children and military life can be challenging, the women said, but military wives are a strong lot who instinctively bond together to help one another, discuss pressing issues and propose solutions.
According to Crooks' husband, Army Wife Talk Radio.com is "absolutely great," and his wife is eminently qualified to help other military wives.
"She is definitely the 'rock,'" Crooks said. "She holds together the family when I am gone [on deployment], she pays the bills. It's really unbelievable what she puts in."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Dec. 21, 2006 – Two Army wives have joined forces to run an Internet radio show that provides important information to other military wives. Star Henderson and Tara Crooks have more than 20 years' experience between them, and the two have teamed up to help other military wives through their Internet talk radio show, Army Wife Talk Radio.com.
"We want to pass that experience along to other Army wives," said Henderson, 32, whose husband, David, is a captain in the Georgia Army National Guard. The Hendersons have a 10-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter.
Army Wife Talk Radio.com covers a variety of topics, such as how to solve family challenges when a spouse is deployed and navigate the military's healthcare system. The program has developed a core following of fans, said Crooks, 31, a veteran with 10 years of military experience. Crooks' husband, Kevin, is a U.S. Army captain assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga. The Crooks have a 5-year-old daughter.
"It became like a community thing, where I've got loyal listeners that are probably following my life, wondering what the heck is going to happen in the Crooks' household today," Crooks said. "And, then I've got people calling in and sharing their stories. It makes me feel that I'm not alone."
There are "so many" services available to help military families, Crooks said there's no cohesive program to promote them to family members. That's where the radio show can really help, she said.
Henderson launched Army Wife Talk Radio.com a year and a half ago, and Crooks got involved about seven months ago when she began writing for the show's newsletter. Now they share responsibilities equally in the program.
A recorded show is made available on the site each Monday, but Henderson said they hope to be able to broadcast live in the near future.
In addition to sharing their personal experiences, the pair also interviews experts to provide advice on and get information about different subjects.
About seven months ago, they interviewed Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison, for the show. Their radio show is preparing to become a sponsor of the Defense Department's America Supports You program.
"I think it's an amazing program," Crooks said of the ASY program. "Just to see all those organizations coming together to support military members and their families is wonderful."
ASY highlights support from individuals, non-profit organizations and corporations for U.S. military men and women. ASY, Operation Homefront and Wal-Mart joined forces to sponsor Operation Christmas here and at five other locations across the country to bring cheer to military families.
Crooks and Henderson attended yesterday's Operation Christmas event for military families here. During the event, they discussed their shows and shared some of their views on military family life.
Juggling husbands and children and military life can be challenging, the women said, but military wives are a strong lot who instinctively bond together to help one another, discuss pressing issues and propose solutions.
According to Crooks' husband, Army Wife Talk Radio.com is "absolutely great," and his wife is eminently qualified to help other military wives.
"She is definitely the 'rock,'" Crooks said. "She holds together the family when I am gone [on deployment], she pays the bills. It's really unbelievable what she puts in."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
New Englanders Collect Gifts for Troops
By Carmen L. Burgess
Dec. 20, 2006 – Thousands of students from the Merrimack Valley Region of Massachusetts and New Hampshire donated more than 22,000 gifts for deployed troops this holiday season. The students took part in the largest drive yet organized by New England Caring for Our Military, an America Supports You member organization. ASY is a Defense Department program that focuses on connecting support groups throughout the nation with the men and women of the armed forces at home and abroad.
The gift drive, dubbed "It Takes a Valley," kicked off in November and ended Dec. 9. Some 6,000 students in grades kindergarten through high school participated, collecting items to send to the troops from a list provided by New England Caring for our Military.
"They put their lives on hold for us, to preserve our freedom," Organization founder James SereigWareing said of the troops being supported through the effort. "It's the least we can do for them."
The organization started holiday care packages to the troops in 2004.
The 22,000 items collected by the community were combined to make more than 10,000 individual gift sets, sent in cases to units, as well as entire platoons.
The care packages, sent to troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Korea, Japan and Africa, also included 7,000 handmade holiday greeting cards and posters.
Sereigo-Wareing said packaging the items turned out to be a community effort. Students, senior citizens and people with mental and physical disabilities pitched in to pack the 2.2 tons of gifts that were shipped over a six-day period.
"Taking all segments of the population to work on a project is very powerful," he said.
Sereigo-Wareing said he works with local school systems to collect items and letters for care packages, to help send a message. "I try to teach students respect for the military because they will be our future leaders," he said. "Imagine how many lives we impact when students get involved."
The reward, he said, will be knowing that troops have something special to open for the holidays.
"I want them to feel like they are home," he said. He ensured that "fun" items such as puzzles, cards, books and board games made it into the packages in addition to telephone cards, socks and T-shirts.
"It's probably always hard for troops to be far away from home, but especially hard on the holidays," he said. "I use this as an opportunity to try to pay them back for my freedom."
Sereigo-Wareing said he believes the handmade greetings from the students will go a long way to boost morale and reinforce to the men and women serving in the military that U.S. citizens support them and honor their dedication and service.
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Dec. 20, 2006 – Thousands of students from the Merrimack Valley Region of Massachusetts and New Hampshire donated more than 22,000 gifts for deployed troops this holiday season. The students took part in the largest drive yet organized by New England Caring for Our Military, an America Supports You member organization. ASY is a Defense Department program that focuses on connecting support groups throughout the nation with the men and women of the armed forces at home and abroad.
The gift drive, dubbed "It Takes a Valley," kicked off in November and ended Dec. 9. Some 6,000 students in grades kindergarten through high school participated, collecting items to send to the troops from a list provided by New England Caring for our Military.
"They put their lives on hold for us, to preserve our freedom," Organization founder James SereigWareing said of the troops being supported through the effort. "It's the least we can do for them."
The organization started holiday care packages to the troops in 2004.
The 22,000 items collected by the community were combined to make more than 10,000 individual gift sets, sent in cases to units, as well as entire platoons.
The care packages, sent to troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Korea, Japan and Africa, also included 7,000 handmade holiday greeting cards and posters.
Sereigo-Wareing said packaging the items turned out to be a community effort. Students, senior citizens and people with mental and physical disabilities pitched in to pack the 2.2 tons of gifts that were shipped over a six-day period.
"Taking all segments of the population to work on a project is very powerful," he said.
Sereigo-Wareing said he works with local school systems to collect items and letters for care packages, to help send a message. "I try to teach students respect for the military because they will be our future leaders," he said. "Imagine how many lives we impact when students get involved."
The reward, he said, will be knowing that troops have something special to open for the holidays.
"I want them to feel like they are home," he said. He ensured that "fun" items such as puzzles, cards, books and board games made it into the packages in addition to telephone cards, socks and T-shirts.
"It's probably always hard for troops to be far away from home, but especially hard on the holidays," he said. "I use this as an opportunity to try to pay them back for my freedom."
Sereigo-Wareing said he believes the handmade greetings from the students will go a long way to boost morale and reinforce to the men and women serving in the military that U.S. citizens support them and honor their dedication and service.
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Military Families Enjoy 'Operation Christmas' In Georgia
By Gerry J. Gilmore
Dec. 20, 2006 – Santa Claus and some of his friends visited a National Guard armory in this Georgia town today to bring early holiday cheer to more than 200 military families. The occasion was "Operation Christmas," a campaign sponsored by the Defense Department's America Supports You program, the Wal-Mart retail store chain and Operation Homefront. Operation Homefront is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to military families while servicemembers are deployed.
America Supports You showcases the efforts of American individuals, non-profit groups and corporations in supporting military men and women.
The Hinesville event was the last in a series of six held across the country to honor military families.
Children and parents had their pictures taken with Santa. They also enjoyed holiday music and cookies, as well as games and presents of toys like stuffed bunnies, radios and games.
U.S. Army Cpl. Joseph Glover, his wife, Rachel, and their children Alexis, 4, Caeden, 3, and 3-month-old baby Camereon collected a bevy of goodies while navigating through the "Operation Christmas" tent set up on the armory's grounds.
Rachel Glover said her husband, a 3rd Infantry Division soldier stationed on nearby Fort Stewart, was serving in Iraq last Christmas. She praised America Supports You, Operation Homefront and Wal-Mart for providing Operation Christmas for servicemembers and their families.
"I think this is wonderful. It really warms my heart that you're supported 100 percent, with our troops being overseas," she said.
Caitlyn Bass, a 13-year-old Army family member, wore a big smile after visiting Santa and receiving a new radio. "This is good," she said, "because you get to get gifts from Wal-Mart."
Rosalind Brewer, Wal-Mart's vice president for operations in Georgia, said Operation Christmas is a good way to honor servicemembers and their families. Brewer said her company is honored to co-partner the program with America Supports You and Operation Homefront.
"We hope all of you have the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Year's from the bottom of our hearts," Brewer told the gathered military families.
Thousands of Wal-Mart employees are in the military and serving overseas, Nick Agarwal, the corporation's vice president of communications, said.
"We wanted to put a program together that shows we care," Agarwal said.
Retired National Basketball Association player Dominique Wilkins was also at the event, showing that he cares, too. Wilkins chatted with military families and provided autographed photos. The former Atlanta Hawks' player and nine-time all-star said he felt good about being part of Operation Christmas.
"We owe it to servicemembers and their families to show that we care and understand what they're going through," Wilkins said. "They stand on the front lines to make sure that we're okay."
Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison, greeted servicemembers and their families at the Hinesville event.
"What's happening today is exactly the goal of America Supports You," Barber said. "It is a matter of helping corporate America partner with grassroots groups for one reason, and that's to be able to actually help the military members and their families."
Events like Operation Christmas constitute "a perfect scenario for the America Supports You program, because that's what it is about," Barber said.
Operation Homefront depends on corporate sponsors like Wal-Mart to put on such events like Operation Christmas, said Amy Palmer, Operation Homefront's executive vice president of operations.
Amid all the festivities at the armory, ABC's television show, "Good Morning America," interviewed Army wife Kimberly Fontenot, whose husband, Sgt. Dirk Fontenot, is serving in Iraq. The show set up a live feed so Kimberly could see and talk with her husband during the broadcast.
"I'm excited. I got to see my husband, and that's what it was all about for me, getting to see him," said Fontenot, who's expecting to give birth to a baby girl in less than five months. "I really appreciate what they did for us today," she said. "This is nice."
Good Morning America host Mike Barz interviewed the Fontenots. Barz said his father was an Army and Vietnam War veteran who'd been stationed at Fort Stewart in the early 1970s. "I'm an Army brat, so I kind of understand a little bit about what these families are going through," he said.
Mary Perdue, wife of Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, made a special appearance. She praised servicemembers and their families for their contributions to the nation and wished them all a happy holiday season.
"Georgia has always been a patriotic state, and support for our military is strong," Georgia's first lady said. "Sonny and I will always do everything in our power to lift up the military, to support it, to take care of our troops and our families."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Dec. 20, 2006 – Santa Claus and some of his friends visited a National Guard armory in this Georgia town today to bring early holiday cheer to more than 200 military families. The occasion was "Operation Christmas," a campaign sponsored by the Defense Department's America Supports You program, the Wal-Mart retail store chain and Operation Homefront. Operation Homefront is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to military families while servicemembers are deployed.
America Supports You showcases the efforts of American individuals, non-profit groups and corporations in supporting military men and women.
The Hinesville event was the last in a series of six held across the country to honor military families.
Children and parents had their pictures taken with Santa. They also enjoyed holiday music and cookies, as well as games and presents of toys like stuffed bunnies, radios and games.
U.S. Army Cpl. Joseph Glover, his wife, Rachel, and their children Alexis, 4, Caeden, 3, and 3-month-old baby Camereon collected a bevy of goodies while navigating through the "Operation Christmas" tent set up on the armory's grounds.
Rachel Glover said her husband, a 3rd Infantry Division soldier stationed on nearby Fort Stewart, was serving in Iraq last Christmas. She praised America Supports You, Operation Homefront and Wal-Mart for providing Operation Christmas for servicemembers and their families.
"I think this is wonderful. It really warms my heart that you're supported 100 percent, with our troops being overseas," she said.
Caitlyn Bass, a 13-year-old Army family member, wore a big smile after visiting Santa and receiving a new radio. "This is good," she said, "because you get to get gifts from Wal-Mart."
Rosalind Brewer, Wal-Mart's vice president for operations in Georgia, said Operation Christmas is a good way to honor servicemembers and their families. Brewer said her company is honored to co-partner the program with America Supports You and Operation Homefront.
"We hope all of you have the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Year's from the bottom of our hearts," Brewer told the gathered military families.
Thousands of Wal-Mart employees are in the military and serving overseas, Nick Agarwal, the corporation's vice president of communications, said.
"We wanted to put a program together that shows we care," Agarwal said.
Retired National Basketball Association player Dominique Wilkins was also at the event, showing that he cares, too. Wilkins chatted with military families and provided autographed photos. The former Atlanta Hawks' player and nine-time all-star said he felt good about being part of Operation Christmas.
"We owe it to servicemembers and their families to show that we care and understand what they're going through," Wilkins said. "They stand on the front lines to make sure that we're okay."
Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison, greeted servicemembers and their families at the Hinesville event.
"What's happening today is exactly the goal of America Supports You," Barber said. "It is a matter of helping corporate America partner with grassroots groups for one reason, and that's to be able to actually help the military members and their families."
Events like Operation Christmas constitute "a perfect scenario for the America Supports You program, because that's what it is about," Barber said.
Operation Homefront depends on corporate sponsors like Wal-Mart to put on such events like Operation Christmas, said Amy Palmer, Operation Homefront's executive vice president of operations.
Amid all the festivities at the armory, ABC's television show, "Good Morning America," interviewed Army wife Kimberly Fontenot, whose husband, Sgt. Dirk Fontenot, is serving in Iraq. The show set up a live feed so Kimberly could see and talk with her husband during the broadcast.
"I'm excited. I got to see my husband, and that's what it was all about for me, getting to see him," said Fontenot, who's expecting to give birth to a baby girl in less than five months. "I really appreciate what they did for us today," she said. "This is nice."
Good Morning America host Mike Barz interviewed the Fontenots. Barz said his father was an Army and Vietnam War veteran who'd been stationed at Fort Stewart in the early 1970s. "I'm an Army brat, so I kind of understand a little bit about what these families are going through," he said.
Mary Perdue, wife of Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, made a special appearance. She praised servicemembers and their families for their contributions to the nation and wished them all a happy holiday season.
"Georgia has always been a patriotic state, and support for our military is strong," Georgia's first lady said. "Sonny and I will always do everything in our power to lift up the military, to support it, to take care of our troops and our families."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Deployed Sailors Receive Christmas Gift Boxes
By Army Pfc. Michael J. Nyeste
Dec. 21, 2006 – Santa arrived early for sailors deployed here, as Senior Navy Central Command enlisted officials delivered gifts from 26 U.S. corporate sponsors. More than 75 volunteers assembled the 8,000 gift boxes for sailors stationed in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, including Afghanistan.
"We're here to visit as many sailors as possible," said Navy Command Master Chief James Russell, command master chief of the U.S.S Dwight D. Eisenhower, as he handed out gifts last week. "We're just trying to bring a little bit of Christmas cheer."
Sailors at the Navy Morale Welfare Recreation center here were surprised by the dozens of boxes.
Before handing out the presents, the Navy NCOs took turns expressing their gratitude for the sailors' service, and the group joined together to sing the Christmas carols.
The gift boxes included candy, soda, a phone card and greeting cards praising them for their hard work and effort.
"It was a surprise," said Navy Seaman Recruit Brandon Thompson, a culinary specialist with the VAQ-142 Squadron. "A lot of sponsors chipped in. It's a nice box, and it got the morale up."
"These sailors that are over here have been asked to go a step above their usual level of responsibility," Russell said. "These gifts are well-deserved and well-received."
(Army Pfc. Michael J. Nyeste is assigned to the 19th Public Affairs Detachment.)
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Dec. 21, 2006 – Santa arrived early for sailors deployed here, as Senior Navy Central Command enlisted officials delivered gifts from 26 U.S. corporate sponsors. More than 75 volunteers assembled the 8,000 gift boxes for sailors stationed in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, including Afghanistan.
"We're here to visit as many sailors as possible," said Navy Command Master Chief James Russell, command master chief of the U.S.S Dwight D. Eisenhower, as he handed out gifts last week. "We're just trying to bring a little bit of Christmas cheer."
Sailors at the Navy Morale Welfare Recreation center here were surprised by the dozens of boxes.
Before handing out the presents, the Navy NCOs took turns expressing their gratitude for the sailors' service, and the group joined together to sing the Christmas carols.
The gift boxes included candy, soda, a phone card and greeting cards praising them for their hard work and effort.
"It was a surprise," said Navy Seaman Recruit Brandon Thompson, a culinary specialist with the VAQ-142 Squadron. "A lot of sponsors chipped in. It's a nice box, and it got the morale up."
"These sailors that are over here have been asked to go a step above their usual level of responsibility," Russell said. "These gifts are well-deserved and well-received."
(Army Pfc. Michael J. Nyeste is assigned to the 19th Public Affairs Detachment.)
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Alaska Guard Troops Conduct Vital Missile Defense Mission
By Donna Miles
Dec. 20, 2006 – Just a few years ago, this snow-swept central Alaskan post lay dormant, closed through the Base Realignment and Closure process. But today it's up and running again at full speed, serving as the epicenter of the United States' Ground-Based Midcourse Defense program. Eleven ground-based interceptor missiles buried in underground silos here represent a key part of a multi-layered defense system designed to protect the United States from a ballistic missile attack. These interceptors, and two more at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., would destroy incoming missiles at the "midcourse phase," outside the earth's atmosphere.
In the event of an attack, members of the Alaska Army National Guard's 49th Missile Defense Battalion based here would use sophisticated surveillance and radar systems to track the missile through its initial boost phase, explained Maj. Joe Miley, the unit's operations officer. If the missile reached the midcourse phase, the Alaska Guardsmen would await the order to engage it.
On order, they would fire an interceptor at the incoming missile. The force of the collision --the equivalent of two refrigerators slamming into each other at 15,000 mph -- would destroy the target before it reentered the atmosphere, Miley said.
Miley noted that the National Guard is perfectly suited to perform such an important mission.
"The National Guard has traditionally done homeland defense," he said, citing National Guard history dating back 370 years to the Minutemen in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. "And this is the epitome of homeland defense."
Here at what Miley called the "strategic sweet spot" for missile defense, almost 200 Alaska Guardsmen who came from around the country to serve in the 40th Missile Defense Battalion take that calling pretty seriously.
The unit represents a cross-section of America, at one time representing 46 states and territories, and all its members applied for three-year, Active Guard and Reserve assignments with the program, Miley explained.
Getting accepted into the program is tough, but passing the extensive training required is even tougher, Miley said. Applicants go through nine to 14 weeks of air defense training at Fort Bliss, Texas; a nine-week Ground Missile Defense operator course in Colorado Springs, Colo., then four more weeks of unit training in Colorado Springs before taking a certification test.
"We hire the best and put them through a rigorous training program," Miley said. To pass the GMD operator course, for example, students have to score 90 percent or better.
"You have to be an A student or you can't do GMD," Miley said. "The way we conduct our training, you basically have to get everything right to progress to the next level, so there's no room for error. We have very high standards."
That's a good thing, he said, in light of the responsibility they shoulder every day. Whether they're providing security at the 800-acre missile defense complex here or manning fire direction center in what Miley called "the tank turret of missile defense," they're on the front lines of homeland defense.
Regular exercises keep troops here at the top of their game.
"They say you fight as you train, and we train extensively to make sure we're on our toes," said Sgt. Seth Paul, a former Illinois Guardsmen who joined the Alaska Guard here two years ago.
The Guardsmen just wrapped up exercise Vigilant Shield, with scenarios that called on them to respond. "Training exercises are successful because you're up all the time, running missions, but at the same time, they're reassuring," Paul said. "We do things almost ad nauseum, but the bottom line is that you can never be too prepared."
That message got reinforced this summer when North Korea announced plans to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile.
"We were on high alert, and we were ready for it," Miley said. "All the crews had done thousands of hours of simulations, on top of their training, and they were ready to act if it had turned out to be a threat."
Sgt. Anthony Montoya, a communications operator in the fire direction center that received initial confirmation of the North Korean test, said he and his unit were ready to respond.
"I'm ready to do my mission," he said. "I feel confident in my training, in the system, the crew, and that everyone will make the right decision and do what they're supposed to do."
Montoya, formerly from the New Mexico Guard, said he jumped at the chance to join the 49th Missile Defense Battalion and get involved in what he called "the next step up for air defense."
"It's great to be part of such technology and to serve your country in such a different kind of way," he said. "This isn't a job; it's a mission."
Paul agreed that the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology also attracted him to the job. "We have systems here that they don't have anywhere else," he said. "It's a good learning experience, and we're doing something no one else does."
And they're doing it in conditions not found anywhere else in the U.S. military. Winter weather here in the shadow of the magestic Alaska Range can be brutal, with temperatures dipping to 60 degrees below zero and winds howling at more than 60 mph. The troops here just got issued the Army's new Extended Cold Weather System and call it a godsend in keeping them warm and dry during foot patrols and range operations.
Even when the weather eases up, the troops here face interesting workday challenges. Roaming foxes or moose frequently set off heat-detection sensors along the complex's fence line perimeter. Fort Greely's remote location, 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks, makes tiny Delta Junction, population 840, the closest "big city" short of a two-hour drive.
And Fort Greely itself, mothballed in 2002, is still working to catch up with the 49th Missile Defense Battalion's quality-of-life needs. The post exchange and commissary have expanded, and a new European-inspired coffee bar has become a popular gathering place for troops seeking refuge from the cold. "This place has made an amazing progression since 2003," Miley said. "It has truly come along."
Meanwhile, the 49th Missile Defense Battalion's mission here also continues to grow, incorporating new technology as it's developed.
"We have a system capability, and we're enhancing it, explained Brig. Gen. Tom Katkus, the Alaska Guard's assistant adjutant general for missile defense. "It's the idea of flying the plane and building it at the same time."
Troops here say it's exciting to be a part of that growth, and the sky-high retention rates reflect their enthusiasm. Unlike typical active-Army units, where troops frequently move on to new assignments, soldiers here can reapply for their positions and even build a career, Katkus said.
This brings stability to the mission, minimizing disruption while building cohesive, experienced crews accustomed to working together. "They become a real team, committed to working together to carry out their mission," Katkus said.
Paul called the opportunity to conduct an important, real-world mission every day the most gratifying part of the job. "Our homeland is one of the most important things to us, because our families are here," he said. "By being here, I can contribute to preventing something that could be catastrophic in nature. What I'm doing here could be helping other people.
"What the military does around the world is important," Paul concluded. "But it's especially important right here, in our homeland. That's why we want to be here."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Dec. 20, 2006 – Just a few years ago, this snow-swept central Alaskan post lay dormant, closed through the Base Realignment and Closure process. But today it's up and running again at full speed, serving as the epicenter of the United States' Ground-Based Midcourse Defense program. Eleven ground-based interceptor missiles buried in underground silos here represent a key part of a multi-layered defense system designed to protect the United States from a ballistic missile attack. These interceptors, and two more at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., would destroy incoming missiles at the "midcourse phase," outside the earth's atmosphere.
In the event of an attack, members of the Alaska Army National Guard's 49th Missile Defense Battalion based here would use sophisticated surveillance and radar systems to track the missile through its initial boost phase, explained Maj. Joe Miley, the unit's operations officer. If the missile reached the midcourse phase, the Alaska Guardsmen would await the order to engage it.
On order, they would fire an interceptor at the incoming missile. The force of the collision --the equivalent of two refrigerators slamming into each other at 15,000 mph -- would destroy the target before it reentered the atmosphere, Miley said.
Miley noted that the National Guard is perfectly suited to perform such an important mission.
"The National Guard has traditionally done homeland defense," he said, citing National Guard history dating back 370 years to the Minutemen in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. "And this is the epitome of homeland defense."
Here at what Miley called the "strategic sweet spot" for missile defense, almost 200 Alaska Guardsmen who came from around the country to serve in the 40th Missile Defense Battalion take that calling pretty seriously.
The unit represents a cross-section of America, at one time representing 46 states and territories, and all its members applied for three-year, Active Guard and Reserve assignments with the program, Miley explained.
Getting accepted into the program is tough, but passing the extensive training required is even tougher, Miley said. Applicants go through nine to 14 weeks of air defense training at Fort Bliss, Texas; a nine-week Ground Missile Defense operator course in Colorado Springs, Colo., then four more weeks of unit training in Colorado Springs before taking a certification test.
"We hire the best and put them through a rigorous training program," Miley said. To pass the GMD operator course, for example, students have to score 90 percent or better.
"You have to be an A student or you can't do GMD," Miley said. "The way we conduct our training, you basically have to get everything right to progress to the next level, so there's no room for error. We have very high standards."
That's a good thing, he said, in light of the responsibility they shoulder every day. Whether they're providing security at the 800-acre missile defense complex here or manning fire direction center in what Miley called "the tank turret of missile defense," they're on the front lines of homeland defense.
Regular exercises keep troops here at the top of their game.
"They say you fight as you train, and we train extensively to make sure we're on our toes," said Sgt. Seth Paul, a former Illinois Guardsmen who joined the Alaska Guard here two years ago.
The Guardsmen just wrapped up exercise Vigilant Shield, with scenarios that called on them to respond. "Training exercises are successful because you're up all the time, running missions, but at the same time, they're reassuring," Paul said. "We do things almost ad nauseum, but the bottom line is that you can never be too prepared."
That message got reinforced this summer when North Korea announced plans to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile.
"We were on high alert, and we were ready for it," Miley said. "All the crews had done thousands of hours of simulations, on top of their training, and they were ready to act if it had turned out to be a threat."
Sgt. Anthony Montoya, a communications operator in the fire direction center that received initial confirmation of the North Korean test, said he and his unit were ready to respond.
"I'm ready to do my mission," he said. "I feel confident in my training, in the system, the crew, and that everyone will make the right decision and do what they're supposed to do."
Montoya, formerly from the New Mexico Guard, said he jumped at the chance to join the 49th Missile Defense Battalion and get involved in what he called "the next step up for air defense."
"It's great to be part of such technology and to serve your country in such a different kind of way," he said. "This isn't a job; it's a mission."
Paul agreed that the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology also attracted him to the job. "We have systems here that they don't have anywhere else," he said. "It's a good learning experience, and we're doing something no one else does."
And they're doing it in conditions not found anywhere else in the U.S. military. Winter weather here in the shadow of the magestic Alaska Range can be brutal, with temperatures dipping to 60 degrees below zero and winds howling at more than 60 mph. The troops here just got issued the Army's new Extended Cold Weather System and call it a godsend in keeping them warm and dry during foot patrols and range operations.
Even when the weather eases up, the troops here face interesting workday challenges. Roaming foxes or moose frequently set off heat-detection sensors along the complex's fence line perimeter. Fort Greely's remote location, 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks, makes tiny Delta Junction, population 840, the closest "big city" short of a two-hour drive.
And Fort Greely itself, mothballed in 2002, is still working to catch up with the 49th Missile Defense Battalion's quality-of-life needs. The post exchange and commissary have expanded, and a new European-inspired coffee bar has become a popular gathering place for troops seeking refuge from the cold. "This place has made an amazing progression since 2003," Miley said. "It has truly come along."
Meanwhile, the 49th Missile Defense Battalion's mission here also continues to grow, incorporating new technology as it's developed.
"We have a system capability, and we're enhancing it, explained Brig. Gen. Tom Katkus, the Alaska Guard's assistant adjutant general for missile defense. "It's the idea of flying the plane and building it at the same time."
Troops here say it's exciting to be a part of that growth, and the sky-high retention rates reflect their enthusiasm. Unlike typical active-Army units, where troops frequently move on to new assignments, soldiers here can reapply for their positions and even build a career, Katkus said.
This brings stability to the mission, minimizing disruption while building cohesive, experienced crews accustomed to working together. "They become a real team, committed to working together to carry out their mission," Katkus said.
Paul called the opportunity to conduct an important, real-world mission every day the most gratifying part of the job. "Our homeland is one of the most important things to us, because our families are here," he said. "By being here, I can contribute to preventing something that could be catastrophic in nature. What I'm doing here could be helping other people.
"What the military does around the world is important," Paul concluded. "But it's especially important right here, in our homeland. That's why we want to be here."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become authors.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Army, Marines Release New Counterinsurgency Manual
By Jim Garamone
Dec. 18, 2006 – "Learn" and "adapt" are the key messages of the new Army and Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual, which just hit the streets. The Counterinsurgency Field Manual, FM 3-24 and Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 3-33.5, is a unique joint effort between the Army and Marines to put in place doctrine to help operators as they face the challenges of asymmetric warfare.
You can download the manual at Counterinsurgency Manual.
The manual codifies an important lesson of insurgencies: it takes more than the military to win. "There are more than just lethal operations involved in a counterinsurgency campaign," said Conrad Crane, director of the U.S. Army Military History Institute, in Carlisle, Pa., and one of the leaders of the effort.
He said the team working on the manual decided early on to emphasize the interagency aspect of counterinsurgency fights. "The military is only one piece of the puzzle," Crane said. "To be successful in a counterinsurgency, you have to get contributions from a lot of different agencies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and host-nation organizations. There are so many people involved to make counterinsurgency successful."
All of these organizations bring important weapons to the campaign, "and you've got to bring unity of effort if you can to make it effective," he said.
Lt. Col. Lance McDaniel, a branch head at the Marine Corps Combat Development Center at Quantico, Va., said the manual is aimed at battalion-level officers and NCOs, but felt that all who read it could gain some insight into the difficulties of a counterinsurgency war. "We see this being part of the pre-deployment training units undergo," McDaniel said. "Once on the ground they can adapt the ideas from the manual to their particular location and enemy."
The Army and Marine Corps have shared field manuals in the past, but this is the first on which the two services worked closely to write, both Crane and McDaniel said. "This was a real team effort of Army and Marine writers," Crane said. "What I tell people is we had about 20 primary writers on the manual and about 600,000 editors."
Crane said many soldiers and Marines commented on the manual and provided input to the final product. "We received more than 1,000 comments from people actually doing the mission," he said.
But it didn't stop with military feedback. State Department employees, CIA officials, academic experts and representatives of the international human rights community contributed insights to the manual, McDaniel said. "I hope the publication will make it easier for other agencies and organizations to work with us," he said.
Chapter 4, a discussion on Campaign Design, is a unique aspect of the manual. "The Marines brought that to the manual," Crane said.
Before beginning a campaign, planners must identify the problem that needs solving, then be ready to change the plan as conditions change on the ground, Crane said. "In counterinsurgency, that is so important because it is a complex situation," he said.
A counterinsurgency campaign is much more complex than a traditional military-on-military conflict. The make-up of the community, the needs of the various groups, the history of the area, traditional allies in the region, and many other things contribute to understanding how to design a counterinsurgency campaign. "It takes a lot more analysis before you jump into it, because if you do the wrong thing, it could have major implications," Crane said. "You have to be sure you are applying the right solution to the right problem."
Crane said the idea of campaign design will probably permeate other Army field manuals.
The new counterinsurgency manual uses examples from fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also uses examples from the Napoleonic War, the U.S. experience in Vietnam, and counterinsurgency efforts in the Philippines, Malaya (now Malaysia) and South America. Crane and McDaniel agree that insurgencies are the wars of the future. The idea of a nation taking on the United States army to army or navy to navy is remote, given the U.S. conventional expertise. "Enemies will make us fight these kinds of wars until we get them right," Crane said. "Then they'll switch."
The manual is informed by Afghanistan and Iraq, but also informed by history, Crane said. "We tried to glean what was useful from the historical record, but also with the realization that there are a lot of things that are new out there, Crane said. "Trying to grapple with the nature of contemporary insurgency was one of the toughest parts of writing it."
The manual is not limited to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. "If we've created a manual that is just good for Iraq and Afghanistan, we've failed," he said. "This thing has got to be focused on the future and the next time we do this."
The manual is going to be useful in Iraq and Afghanistan, but much of what the manual covers is already being done in those theaters. "The manual is future-focused," Crane said. "The manual gives you the tools to do your analysis and the guidelines to apply it with the understanding that every situation is going to be unique."
It also will be rewritten, as needed, the men said.
Both men said the manual is receiving a good reception. "This is not a doctrine that is being jammed down peoples' throats," Crane said." This is a doctrine that they are demanding."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become writers.
Dec. 18, 2006 – "Learn" and "adapt" are the key messages of the new Army and Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual, which just hit the streets. The Counterinsurgency Field Manual, FM 3-24 and Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 3-33.5, is a unique joint effort between the Army and Marines to put in place doctrine to help operators as they face the challenges of asymmetric warfare.
You can download the manual at Counterinsurgency Manual.
The manual codifies an important lesson of insurgencies: it takes more than the military to win. "There are more than just lethal operations involved in a counterinsurgency campaign," said Conrad Crane, director of the U.S. Army Military History Institute, in Carlisle, Pa., and one of the leaders of the effort.
He said the team working on the manual decided early on to emphasize the interagency aspect of counterinsurgency fights. "The military is only one piece of the puzzle," Crane said. "To be successful in a counterinsurgency, you have to get contributions from a lot of different agencies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and host-nation organizations. There are so many people involved to make counterinsurgency successful."
All of these organizations bring important weapons to the campaign, "and you've got to bring unity of effort if you can to make it effective," he said.
Lt. Col. Lance McDaniel, a branch head at the Marine Corps Combat Development Center at Quantico, Va., said the manual is aimed at battalion-level officers and NCOs, but felt that all who read it could gain some insight into the difficulties of a counterinsurgency war. "We see this being part of the pre-deployment training units undergo," McDaniel said. "Once on the ground they can adapt the ideas from the manual to their particular location and enemy."
The Army and Marine Corps have shared field manuals in the past, but this is the first on which the two services worked closely to write, both Crane and McDaniel said. "This was a real team effort of Army and Marine writers," Crane said. "What I tell people is we had about 20 primary writers on the manual and about 600,000 editors."
Crane said many soldiers and Marines commented on the manual and provided input to the final product. "We received more than 1,000 comments from people actually doing the mission," he said.
But it didn't stop with military feedback. State Department employees, CIA officials, academic experts and representatives of the international human rights community contributed insights to the manual, McDaniel said. "I hope the publication will make it easier for other agencies and organizations to work with us," he said.
Chapter 4, a discussion on Campaign Design, is a unique aspect of the manual. "The Marines brought that to the manual," Crane said.
Before beginning a campaign, planners must identify the problem that needs solving, then be ready to change the plan as conditions change on the ground, Crane said. "In counterinsurgency, that is so important because it is a complex situation," he said.
A counterinsurgency campaign is much more complex than a traditional military-on-military conflict. The make-up of the community, the needs of the various groups, the history of the area, traditional allies in the region, and many other things contribute to understanding how to design a counterinsurgency campaign. "It takes a lot more analysis before you jump into it, because if you do the wrong thing, it could have major implications," Crane said. "You have to be sure you are applying the right solution to the right problem."
Crane said the idea of campaign design will probably permeate other Army field manuals.
The new counterinsurgency manual uses examples from fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also uses examples from the Napoleonic War, the U.S. experience in Vietnam, and counterinsurgency efforts in the Philippines, Malaya (now Malaysia) and South America. Crane and McDaniel agree that insurgencies are the wars of the future. The idea of a nation taking on the United States army to army or navy to navy is remote, given the U.S. conventional expertise. "Enemies will make us fight these kinds of wars until we get them right," Crane said. "Then they'll switch."
The manual is informed by Afghanistan and Iraq, but also informed by history, Crane said. "We tried to glean what was useful from the historical record, but also with the realization that there are a lot of things that are new out there, Crane said. "Trying to grapple with the nature of contemporary insurgency was one of the toughest parts of writing it."
The manual is not limited to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. "If we've created a manual that is just good for Iraq and Afghanistan, we've failed," he said. "This thing has got to be focused on the future and the next time we do this."
The manual is going to be useful in Iraq and Afghanistan, but much of what the manual covers is already being done in those theaters. "The manual is future-focused," Crane said. "The manual gives you the tools to do your analysis and the guidelines to apply it with the understanding that every situation is going to be unique."
It also will be rewritten, as needed, the men said.
Both men said the manual is receiving a good reception. "This is not a doctrine that is being jammed down peoples' throats," Crane said." This is a doctrine that they are demanding."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become writers.
Safeguarding Information Technology Vital to DoD
By Gerry J. Gilmore
Dec. 18, 2006 – Safeguarding and protecting vital computer-accessed information is the job of everyone working at the Defense Department, a senior DoD official said. "It's the responsibility for everyone to be sensitive to the security of their information, their passwords, the use of their (common access) cards to protect the information that they wish to convey or they are receiving from someone," John G. Grimes, assistant secretary of defense for networks and information integration and DoD's chief information officer, said.
The Defense Department is constantly under surveillance by potential enemies interested in accessing DoD systems to obtain sensitive information, Grimes said during a Pentagon Channel interview.
Information technology is moving so quickly today that the processes that acquire and field needed information are playing "catch-up," Grimes said. "It's still too slow to keep up with the technology change," Grimes said. "So, that, coupled with protecting the information that's out there on the network are the two major concerns that I have."
A major effort is under way with the National Security Agency to introduce new and improved information technology security measures across DoD's computer networks, Grimes said.
Joint Task Force Global Network Operations works with U.S. Strategic Command to monitor the military's global information operations network for vulnerabilities, he said. The task force would also work to identify the culprits "if there's an event that's happened and someone has penetrated your (computer information) networks," Grimes said.
Continual evolution of information technology drives the demand for new systems that increase network capabilities, he said. This incessant upgrading involves land-based IT systems as well as satellite delivery networks. "It's refreshed; it's upgraded because the technology is changing," he said.
Maintaining information security is a continuing process, much like the "Check It" campaign that seeks across-the-board improvements in the way the Defense Department conducts its daily business. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England launched the program July 28.
"If you check things, then what should happen, will happen," England said at the "Check It" kick-off at the Pentagon. "It's what we want to do every day in the jobs we do."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become writers.
Dec. 18, 2006 – Safeguarding and protecting vital computer-accessed information is the job of everyone working at the Defense Department, a senior DoD official said. "It's the responsibility for everyone to be sensitive to the security of their information, their passwords, the use of their (common access) cards to protect the information that they wish to convey or they are receiving from someone," John G. Grimes, assistant secretary of defense for networks and information integration and DoD's chief information officer, said.
The Defense Department is constantly under surveillance by potential enemies interested in accessing DoD systems to obtain sensitive information, Grimes said during a Pentagon Channel interview.
Information technology is moving so quickly today that the processes that acquire and field needed information are playing "catch-up," Grimes said. "It's still too slow to keep up with the technology change," Grimes said. "So, that, coupled with protecting the information that's out there on the network are the two major concerns that I have."
A major effort is under way with the National Security Agency to introduce new and improved information technology security measures across DoD's computer networks, Grimes said.
Joint Task Force Global Network Operations works with U.S. Strategic Command to monitor the military's global information operations network for vulnerabilities, he said. The task force would also work to identify the culprits "if there's an event that's happened and someone has penetrated your (computer information) networks," Grimes said.
Continual evolution of information technology drives the demand for new systems that increase network capabilities, he said. This incessant upgrading involves land-based IT systems as well as satellite delivery networks. "It's refreshed; it's upgraded because the technology is changing," he said.
Maintaining information security is a continuing process, much like the "Check It" campaign that seeks across-the-board improvements in the way the Defense Department conducts its daily business. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England launched the program July 28.
"If you check things, then what should happen, will happen," England said at the "Check It" kick-off at the Pentagon. "It's what we want to do every day in the jobs we do."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become writers.
Military Aircrews Continue Supporting Mount Hood Rescue Effort
By Donna Miles
Dec. 18, 2006 – After finding the body of one missing climber on Mount Hood, Ore., members of the Oregon Army National Guard, Nevada Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve are continuing the search today for two other lost climbers. Rescue crews, joined by civilian volunteers, planned to take advantage of clearing weather after several days of snow, ice and winds hampered earlier efforts, Capt. Christopher Bernard of the Air Force Reserve's 304th Rescue Squadron, based in Portland, told reporters today.
The 304th Rescue Squadron was the first aircrew on the scene, Dec. 11, after three climbers went missing after they set out Dec. 7 for what was to be a two-day climbing trip, Air Force Staff Sgt. Nick Przybyciel, of the 446th Airlift Wing at McChord Air Force Base, Wash., told American Forces Press Service.
Nine pararescue team members and three combat rescue officers conducted ground surveillance through Dec. 14 before pausing operations during inclement weather as they geared up to launch the air mission, Przybyciel said.
The squadron left one crewmember on the mountain to serve as a spotter for a Nevada Air National Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft. The aircraft is part of the only Air Force wing equipped with "scathe view" technology that provides real-time imagery of ground activity via electro-optical and infrared sensors mounted on military aircraft, Przybyciel explained.
Meanwhile, three Oregon Army National Guard helicopter crews joined the search Dec. 15. Twelve flight crews and medics aboard two UH-60 Black Hawks from the 1042nd Medical Company (Air Ambulance), based in Salem, and a CH-47D Chinook from Detachment 1, D Company, 113th Aviation Battalion, based in Pendleton, are involved in the search.
This morning, a Nevada Air National Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft from Reno headed to the summit to retrieve a body found in a snow cave yesterday on Mount Hood's north face. Although officials declined to name the climber during today's news conference, family members said it was 48-year-old Kelly James.
Joe Wimpler, Mount Hood County sheriff, compared locating the snow cave to finding "a needle in a haystack" and praised the "excellent spot on the part of the air crews."
The search for James' companions, Brian Hall and Jerry Cooke, has narrowed to "The Gullies," an avalanche-prone area with a sheer 2,500-foot drop. It's still too dangerous to put ground crews in the area, Wimpler said, but search-and-rescue efforts are continuing from the air.
Bernard noted that the aircrews involved in the operation are combat veterans who have served in the mountains of Afghanistan. "There's a wide set of skills coming together to support this mission," he said.
Despite the lack of good news, officials expressed optimism that the missing two climbers may still be alive. "There definitely is hope," Bernard said.
Army Col. Dave Greenwood, Oregon's state aviation officer who has been flying Black Hawk missions during the search, said the military is uniquely qualified to carry out the mission. "When we see something like this, we realize that we're the only ones with our type of capabilities, so we are always ready to roll," he said.
The Oregon Guard typically conducts about 20 search-and-rescue missions a year, but few of this magnitude, he said.
Greenwood noted that since returning from Afghanistan in March, the Oregon Guard helicopter crews spent 43 days this summer fighting wildfires. "It just never stops," he said. "It's a lot of missions for these guys."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become writers.
Dec. 18, 2006 – After finding the body of one missing climber on Mount Hood, Ore., members of the Oregon Army National Guard, Nevada Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve are continuing the search today for two other lost climbers. Rescue crews, joined by civilian volunteers, planned to take advantage of clearing weather after several days of snow, ice and winds hampered earlier efforts, Capt. Christopher Bernard of the Air Force Reserve's 304th Rescue Squadron, based in Portland, told reporters today.
The 304th Rescue Squadron was the first aircrew on the scene, Dec. 11, after three climbers went missing after they set out Dec. 7 for what was to be a two-day climbing trip, Air Force Staff Sgt. Nick Przybyciel, of the 446th Airlift Wing at McChord Air Force Base, Wash., told American Forces Press Service.
Nine pararescue team members and three combat rescue officers conducted ground surveillance through Dec. 14 before pausing operations during inclement weather as they geared up to launch the air mission, Przybyciel said.
The squadron left one crewmember on the mountain to serve as a spotter for a Nevada Air National Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft. The aircraft is part of the only Air Force wing equipped with "scathe view" technology that provides real-time imagery of ground activity via electro-optical and infrared sensors mounted on military aircraft, Przybyciel explained.
Meanwhile, three Oregon Army National Guard helicopter crews joined the search Dec. 15. Twelve flight crews and medics aboard two UH-60 Black Hawks from the 1042nd Medical Company (Air Ambulance), based in Salem, and a CH-47D Chinook from Detachment 1, D Company, 113th Aviation Battalion, based in Pendleton, are involved in the search.
This morning, a Nevada Air National Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft from Reno headed to the summit to retrieve a body found in a snow cave yesterday on Mount Hood's north face. Although officials declined to name the climber during today's news conference, family members said it was 48-year-old Kelly James.
Joe Wimpler, Mount Hood County sheriff, compared locating the snow cave to finding "a needle in a haystack" and praised the "excellent spot on the part of the air crews."
The search for James' companions, Brian Hall and Jerry Cooke, has narrowed to "The Gullies," an avalanche-prone area with a sheer 2,500-foot drop. It's still too dangerous to put ground crews in the area, Wimpler said, but search-and-rescue efforts are continuing from the air.
Bernard noted that the aircrews involved in the operation are combat veterans who have served in the mountains of Afghanistan. "There's a wide set of skills coming together to support this mission," he said.
Despite the lack of good news, officials expressed optimism that the missing two climbers may still be alive. "There definitely is hope," Bernard said.
Army Col. Dave Greenwood, Oregon's state aviation officer who has been flying Black Hawk missions during the search, said the military is uniquely qualified to carry out the mission. "When we see something like this, we realize that we're the only ones with our type of capabilities, so we are always ready to roll," he said.
The Oregon Guard typically conducts about 20 search-and-rescue missions a year, but few of this magnitude, he said.
Greenwood noted that since returning from Afghanistan in March, the Oregon Guard helicopter crews spent 43 days this summer fighting wildfires. "It just never stops," he said. "It's a lot of missions for these guys."
Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have become writers.
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