Established Procedures Followed After Black Hawk Crash

American Forces Press Service

Jan. 26, 2007 – Coalition forces followed established "aircraft down" procedures when reacting to the crash of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter Jan. 20 in Diyala province in which 12 U.S. servicemembers died, military officials in Baghdad reported today. In a statement issued by Multinational Corps Iraq, officials said that contrary to some media reporting, at no time did the lead aircraft leave the downed Black Hawk before additional security arrived at the site.

The military statement said two coalition aircraft were flying on a routine mission when one of the aircraft crashed in a rural area northeast of Baghdad. Reports indicate a distress call from the trail aircraft. About 20 seconds later, the lead aircraft crew saw the trail aircraft go down.

The lead aircraft immediately circled back to provide security and assistance to the crew and passengers, the statement said. After determining the area was clear, the lead helicopter landed and quickly surveyed the scene for any survivors of the downed aircraft.

The crew observed that the aircraft was on fire and determined there were no survivors, officials said. They remained on the ground and secured the site until additional security arrived.

An aerial coalition quick-reaction force arrived on the scene to provide additional security about three minutes after the Black Hawk was reported down. This air support arrived quickly, officials explained, because the crews were already conducting patrols in the area. The lead aircraft involved in the initial incident stayed on the scene for an additional seven minutes before leaving the secured site to fly to Forward Operating Base Balad.

The lead aircraft crew, made up of soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 131st Aviation Regiment, "performed heroically in protecting and safeguarding their comrades" in the downed Black Hawk under extremely adverse conditions, the Multinational Corps Iraq statement said.

The incident remains under investigation.

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership online; and, police and military personnel who have written books.

Turkey Signs On for Next Phase of Joint Strike Fighter

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 26, 2007 – Turkey signed on for the next phase of the Joint Strike Fighter in a ceremony here yesterday, pledging $175 million toward the aircraft's production. Turkey also promised to buy 100 of the conventional-take-off-and-landing version of the aircraft, being developed by the Navy, Air Force, Marines and allies.

In a Pentagon E-wing room, flanked by about 30 Turkish and U.S. dignitaries and program officers, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England met with Turkey's National Defense Minister Mehmet Vecdi Gonul and Undersecretary for Defense Industries Murad Bayar for the signing of the memorandum of understanding that will take Turkey into the production, sustainment and follow-on development phase of the Joint Strike Fighter program.

Gonul also met with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today at the Pentagon.

Before yesterday's signing, England said he has spent several years cultivating U.S. relations with Turkey and called the Turkish officials present "dear, close friends."

"Our country is privileged to have such a strong and dynamic ally in Turkey," England said. "Together our two nations are standing together in the name of freedom."

By partnering in this program, the two countries are "building a safe and more secure world for our children and grandchildren," England said.

Gonul called the Joint Strike Fighter program "the way forward" for his country and its air force.

"Today is an important day and big milestone for the future of the Turkish air force," Gonul said. "The Turkish government is extremely proud to be a part of the Joint Strike Fighter program."

Bayar said the new F-35 Lightning II will replace Turkey's aging F-16 fighters and will be the "backbone for the Turkish air force."

The deal could cost Turkey more than $10 billion over 20 years, the largest defense project in Turkish history. Turkey has the lowest per capita income of any of the Joint Strike Fighter partners, Gonul said.

The agreement provides a framework for future program efforts in production and beyond and will extend cooperation beyond the current development and demonstration agreement between the United States and the other eight Joint Strike Fighter partner nations -- the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Australia. Turkey joined the system development and demonstration phase in 2002.

All but Italy, Norway and Denmark have signed on to the next phase of the production. DoD officials met with officials from those countries this week, and all are on board, just working out the details, said Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Kenneth Krieg. Those countries are expected to sign the memorandum by the end of February.

The Joint Strike Fighter is the largest ever DoD acquisition program. The F-35 Lightning II is a supersonic, multi-role, stealth fighter designed to replace a wide range of existing aircraft. Three versions of the aircraft will be built: a conventional-takeoff-and-landing variant, an aircraft-carrier version and a short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing version. Initial plans call for building 2,400 of the aircraft at a cost of about $200 billion.

The F-35 Lightning II is in the flight test mode and has flown two successful test flights, Dec. 15 and Jan. 8, from Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth, Texas, facility.

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership online; and, police and military personnel who have written books.

Gates: Commanders Will Get Troops They Need

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 26, 2007 – While U.S. commanders in Iraq do not have a "blank check" to request additional troops, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said today he will consider all their recommendations and ensure they have the forces they need to accomplish their mission. Speaking at his first Pentagon roundtable with reporters since taking office, Gates said he has asked commanders what troop levels they need. He added that those recommendations will go through a thorough vetting process before being approved.

"I would say what we have done, I hope, is create an environment in which the commanders feel open to requesting what they think they need, and then we will evaluate it here in the department to see what's available and how much of that request we can satisfy," Gates said.

Army Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, who was confirmed today by the Senate to lead Multinational Force Iraq, has indicated the additional troops allocated for Iraq will be sufficient to accomplish the mission, Gates said. The Defense Department is evaluating whether the deployment of some or all of the five brigades President Bush has pledged to Iraq can be accelerated, he said.

Gates warned that anything that would undermine support of the U.S. mission in Iraq, such as Congressional resolutions opposing troop increases in Iraq, would embolden terrorists. "I think it's hard to measure that with any precision, but it seems pretty straightforward that any indication of flagging will in the United States gives encouragement to (terrorists)," he said. "And I'm sure that that's not the intent behind the resolutions, but I think it may be the effect."

As the additional troops are sent to Iraq and the new Iraq strategy is implemented, it is possible there will be a rise in U.S. casualties, Gates said. Another possibility is that terrorists will go into hiding and try to wait out the surge, he added.

"The key here is the fact that the Iraqi military are going to be in the lead on this, and we are going to be in a support role," he said. "It would be my expectation that the Iraqi military would be there for a very long period of time, and once we got the level of violence down to a certain point that it would be entirely manageable by the Iraqi army, that would be there for a protracted period of time."

In his confirmation hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee Jan. 23, Petraeus said that the entire U.S. government needs to mobilize and contribute to the Iraq effort. Today Gates agreed, but said that no decisions will be made until Petraeus arrives in Iraq and evaluates the situation.

"It's an issue that I've felt strongly about from the beginning -- that the reconstruction and economic development part of this strategy of clear, hold and build, is critically important to its long-term success," Gates said. "We will wait until General Petraeus arrives on the scene and get his estimation of what he needs."

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership online; and, police and military personnel who have written books.

Group Plans Second 'I Love America Day'

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 26, 2007 – With the help of an America Supports You member organization, Charlotte, N.C., will observe its second annual "I Love America Day" on March 19. "Flags Across the Nation," which promotes patriotism through the arts, is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program highlighting the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers.

Eileen Schwartz, Flags Across the Nation's founder, said she started the "I Love America Day" movement because more than two months pass before Memorial Day without a patriotic holiday and to start a tradition of honoring America and its troops in that period.

"Part of the reason for doing it was to see if there's a way we can build our own history, ... which honors the troops (and shows) appreciation for America," Schwartz said. "Here's a holiday that gives people the opportunity to make a significant difference."

This year Charlotte will know just how much Carly Taich loves America. The 14-year-old Charlotte resident's award-winning artwork will be painted on the front of a dairy processing building belonging to a local farm.

Taich won first place in the "Flags for Freedom" 2006 Children's Patriotic Art Contest in the division for sixth, seventh and eighth graders.

Area students will be invited to visit the building featuring the paintings, and there will be some interactive activities, Schwartz said.

In fact, Schwartz said, she is hoping area residents will come to the farm the weekend before I Love America Day to help with the painting. Volunteers also will paint a 10-foot by 15-foot American flag on the side of the same building.

"We're going to have (local media) tell people that they can come on Saturday and Sunday to participate in creating and adding on to the painting," Schwartz said. "On Monday we will invite people to come to see the completed painting."

With the event still nearly two months away, Schwartz said she's still firming up all the details. She is, however, planning to record I Love America Day activities and burn CDs to send to servicemembers.

The local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter also has volunteered to help and will provide a few hundred small American flags for distribution to those who participate in the festivities. An area businessman has offered to donate 500 patriotic posters to hand out, as well, some of which will go to troops overseas, she said.

For those who won't be able to participate in the events in Charlotte but want to observe March 19 as I Love America Day, Schwartz suggested writing letters to the troops or making blankets for wounded warriors through her organization's Blankets for Recovery program.

Children can paint individual squares of fabric with a patriotic image and send them to Flags Across the Nation. They'll be made into quilts for troops, she said.

She also suggested volunteering at a veterans hospital, and proudly displaying the American flag as ways to observe the day.

For those with a competitive streak, Flags Across the Nation is hosting a patriotic photo essay contest. Leading up to I Love America Day, entrants can upload their patriotic images to the group's Web site. Three prize winners will be selected from all of the entries. Additionally, 13 images, representing the original 13 colonies, will be selected and made into a photo quilt, Schwartz said.

"We think that's going to be a real easy thing to get a lot of people involved," she said.

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership online; and, police and military personnel who have written books.

Progress Quietly Proceeds in Afghanistan, General Says

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 26, 2007 – More Afghan adults are employed; more of their children are attending school; and the Afghan government is expanding, the senior U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said today. "The Taliban have not achieved any of their objectives in the last year," Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 76 and commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division, told reporters in the Pentagon via satellite connection from Afghanistan.

"By contrast, over the past year, U.S. forces and coalition partners have made great progress in the creation of a stable, secure and viable nation state in Afghanistan despite the Taliban's attempt to impede that progress," he said.

During a briefing on Afghanistan operations, Freakley discussed recent changes in the organizational structure of security operations. "In the past few months, we've experienced significant changes in Afghanistan," he said. "On Oct. 6, Afghanistan completed its transition from the U.S.-led coalition to a NATO-led coalition headed by the International Security Assistance Force.

"Over the last two years, ISAF has assumed responsibility for security operations in five different provinces or regional commands: Center, North, West, South and now Regional Command East, which we command, which has 14 different provinces," he said. "We now have 26 NATO countries and 11 other nations that have staked their national reputation to the outcome in Afghanistan," he said.

Recent command changes will enlarge ISAF's and the international community's role in security operations, Freakley said.

In addition to expanded international effort, 3,200 U.S. Army soldiers with 10th Mountain Division have had their deployments extended to help continue progress in Afghanistan, Freakley added.

"Construction, education and economic development are indeed linked to security," he said. "And where there is infrastructure like roads and electricity, there are economic opportunities, ... which bring jobs."

Afghanistan's civic leaders and local civilians say unemployment is their greatest challenge, Freakley said.

"(Unemployment) has some men turning to terrorists for employment vs. serving their nation," he said. "Given the choice and means to achieve new goals, Afghans embrace new opportunity to better their lives and reject extremism."

The extension of U.S. troop deployment in the region and a $10 billion aid package has encouraged optimism in the region, Freakley said.

The reconstruction aid "has buoyed the Afghan confidence in both the American commitment to this nation and the international commitment to Afghanistan, and their ability to withstand any type of terrorist activity (aimed at) taking back the progress they've made over the last five years," he said.

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership online; and, police and military personnel who have written books.

U.S. Missile Defense in Europe to Counter Rogue States

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 26, 2007 – Missile defense assets the United States is planning to base in Eastern Europe will be aimed at countering threats posed by rogue nations, such as Iran, and will not pose a threat to allies in the region, a senior defense official said here yesterday. The Defense Department announced Jan. 19 that it was beginning bilateral negotiations with Poland and the Czech Republic to host long-range ground-based interceptors and a missile defense radar on their territories.

The concept of locating missile defense assets in Europe goes back to 2002, when DoD decided to extend coverage to allies, friends and deployed forces in the region and to enhance the defense of the United States, Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry A. "Trey" Obering III, director of the Missile Defense Agency, said in a teleconference with reporters. DoD began putting money for this missile defense in its 2006 and 2007 budget requests to begin the analysis and early work to prepare sites for these assets, he explained.

"The sites are intended to be part of an integrated, layered system that we have been deploying since 2004," Obering said. "They are geared toward and are directed toward rogue-nation capabilities, obviously not sophisticated ballistic missile fleets such as the Russians have, but are geared toward what we consider to be the rogue-nation threat, as is our ballistic missile defense system that we've been deploying."

Obering acknowledged that Iran does not yet have long-range, intercontinental ballistic missile capability, but he said it is still the largest threat in the region because it is clearly working to achieve those capabilities. U.S. officials have learned from the past, such as when North Korea launched the Taepo Dong 1 in 1998, just months after experts had predicted it would be years before that country had long-range capabilities, he said.

"We want to have this in place by the 2011-2012 timeframe, because we think the Iranians, for example, shortly thereafter will be able to have a long-range capability -- not one that they've demonstrated today or necessarily tomorrow, but again you're talking about several years from now, and so it's prudent for us to be thinking about that now and begin to build toward that so that we're in a position that we can do something about it in that timeframe," he said.

The United States wants to proceed quickly in staging the missile defense capabilities in Europe, but the timeline is subject to negotiations with Poland and the Czech Republic, Brian Green, deputy assistant secretary of defense for forces policy, said in the teleconference. Obering added that all three countries are motivated by the same factor, which is building a common capability to defend against emerging threats.

Each country has three or four acceptable locations that are under negotiation, Obering said. If approved, the interceptor site will employ about 200 people, and the radar site will need contractors to maintain the equipment and the site. Both locations would also require force-protection personnel, he said.

The physical locations will remain the sovereign territory of the host nation, Green said, but the United States will have operational control of the bases. All U.S. personnel will be required to abide by the laws of the host nation, he added.

Emphasizing that these sites will not threaten U.S. allies in the region, Obering said that the U.S. interceptors will not even be capable of catching Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles. He said he has traveled to Moscow to talk with Russian leaders and briefed the NATO-Russia Council about the program.

"We will continue to work closely with the Russians and continue to work closely with our NATO allies and our European allies to make sure that they understand what the technical and the program capabilities are of these missiles," Obering said.

The United States is not asking for any funding from the host nations or other European nations for the missile sites, Obering said. This decision was made in the interest of speeding the process, he explained.

"We did not want to have to worry about any kind of long, protracted negotiation with respect to funding support to get this started, because, as I said earlier, we believe that there is a compelling reason to begin to do this because of what we see emerging with respect to the threat," he said.

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership online; and, police and military personnel who have written books.

Diplomacy Remains Main Avenue for Dealing With Iran, Bush Says

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 26, 2007 – Although U.S. troops will continue to defend themselves against any elements that threaten their security in Iraq, diplomacy remains the primary avenue for solving problems between the United States and Iran, President Bush said here today.
Bush spoke at the White House following a meeting with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Joint Chiefs Chairman Marine Gen. Peter Pace, and Army Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, who soon will take over as commander of coalition forces in Iraq.

"It just makes sense that if somebody is trying to harm our troops or stop us from achieving our goal or killing innocent citizens in Iraq that we will stop them," Bush said. He discounted speculation that defending against third-nation threats in Iraq indicates a desire to expand the war outside Iraq's borders.

"That's a presumption that simply is not accurate," the president said. "We believe that we can solve our problems with Iran diplomatically and are working to do that."

At the Pentagon today, Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman cited instances of Iranians in Iraq found to have been involved in activities against the Iraqi government and coalition forces.

"U.S. military forces certainly are going to take action against anybody that's breaking the law with the Iraqi government, irrespective of their nationality," he said. "We've made it clear in the past that Iran's not being a good neighbor. We've had examples of specific instances where Iranians have been involved in activities that are not only meddlesome, but also destructive to the foundation and formation of the Iraqi government."

Anyone involved in illegal activities that either threaten Iraqi civilians or the coalition forces or the Iraqi security forces will be "dealt with in accordance with the appropriate rules of force," Whitman said.

Bush said that while U.S. forces will continue to protect themselves in Iraq, he believes the United States can solve its problems with Iran through diplomacy. He cited progress on the diplomatic front concerning Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons.

"We've convinced other nations to join us to send a clear message through the United Nations that that's unacceptable behavior," Bush said.

Bush said Iran's government must decide whether to continue to isolate Iran to the detriment of its people or to take steps that will reverse that isolation.

"Our struggle is not with the Iranian people. As a matter of fact, we want them to flourish," he said. "We want their economy to be strong, and we want their mothers to be able to ... raise their children in a hopeful society."

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership online; and, police and military personnel who have written books.

Senate Unanimously Confirms Petraeus to Head Operations in Iraq

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership online; and, police and military personnel who have written books.

Chaplains' Reach Out to Soldiers Extended in Afghanistan

By Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service

Jan. 26, 2007 – U.S. military chaplains serving in Afghanistan want troops who have been extended to know support is there for them. "Hang in there; we're right with you," is what chaplains want recently extended soldiers to know, a senior chaplain here said. About 3,200 soldiers of 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, learned yesterday that they will be extended in Afghanistan until June, about 120 days past their scheduled redeployment date.

"Chaplains are uniquely and sympathetically aware of what these soldiers and their families are going through right now," said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) William Laigaie, Combined Joint Task Force 76 chaplain. "Everything that is being done now will continue being done, including worship schedules and visits to outlying areas."

Laigaie has been a chaplain for 21 years and has seen firsthand the impact of sudden extensions. How individual soldiers deal with the news depends on how each person deals with change and loss, he said. "I find that the impact to this kind of news is the same across time and across units," he said. "Soldiers love their jobs, but they love being with their families.

"They'll feel a sudden change and loss. The change is they're staying. The loss is that they will not get to see their families yet," Laigaie added. "Once they get through the disbelief and the checking, they will think about their losses. 'What about my assignment? What about my family?'"

Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Andy Gibson, Combined Task Force Chamberlain chaplain, said soldiers and families can feel angry, disappointed and betrayed, and it's important for soldiers to know that those feelings are normal.

"It's normal to feel those things," he said. "But this horrible feeling will pass, and they will be coming home. We're going to make it; we're going to do our jobs; and we're going to come home."

The chaplains outlined things each soldier should do or remember:

Focus on success. "It's important that each soldier focus on success," Laigaie said. "Once they have it, it's theirs forever. In the end, they're going to be proud that they stood up to the task, that they gave more. Stay proud, work proud and return proud."

Talk to families. "Our families are particularly important right now in supporting that soldier," Gibson said. "Soldiers should, in turn, encourage them."
Keep the right perspective. "Put into perspective that the period of time extended is much shorter than the period they've already endured," Gibson said. "They're trained well and have advantages over a soldier who just deployed. They're veterans, more aware and more battle-hardened. They need to remember they are part of a larger program to keep Afghanistan free, and if (Afghanistan were to be) abandoned, their last year would have been in vain."

Be professional. "Be professional, know your job, and exude the confidence your soldiers depend on," Gibson said.

Grieve privately; encourage publicly. "Supervisors need to get their perspective and mental health in line," Gibson said. "They should get as much information as they can and share that with soldiers and with families in the rear, keeping operational security in mind. This is not the time to clam up, to say, 'Suck it up and drive on,' but to explain what's going on. Grieve privately. Encourage publicly."

Seek help if you need it. "Soldiers should not wait for a problem to become a crisis," Laigaie said. "Seek help sooner rather than later. Buddy care is particularly important. We'll pull each other through."

Combat Stress offices are located at Bagram, Kandahar , Jalalabad, and Orgun-E, and experts travel to remote forward operating bases for counseling, Gibson said.

The extended soldiers, assigned to Task Force Spartan, should remain proud of what they are doing in Afghanistan, Laigaie said. "Rise up; meet the task; and overcome," he said. "Remember that this reflects the confidence our leaders and the American people have in the American soldier. They have confidence in the Spartans that they will rise to the task."

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership online; and, police and military personnel who have written books.

DoD Shows Off Non-lethal Energy Weapon

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 26, 2007 – The Defense Department this week unveiled its first non-lethal, counterpersonnel, directed-energy weapon. The Active Denial System works by emitting a directed beam of millimeter wave energy, which creates an intolerable heating sensation on an adversary's skin, causing an instantaneous repel effect without causing injury, according to a DoD news release.

ADS has the potential to fill a need troops have identified on the battlefield, said Col. Kirk Hymes, director of the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate.

"Our warfighters have identified a need for additional non-lethal capabilities because distinguishing between combatants and non-combatants on the modern battlefield can be very difficult," Hymes said. "We need discriminate, non-lethal weapons with longer ranges and universal effects. This is exactly what we get with ADS."

More than 12 years of research have gone into the development and testing of the millimeter wave technology in the ADS, according to the release. In 2001, the technology was designated as an advanced concept technology demonstration, which is a DoD initiative to speed the transfer of advanced technologies to warfighters.

The ADS has gone thorough treaty and legal reviews to ensure the system is compliant with applicable arms control treaties and agreements, according to the release. It has also undergone three military utility assessments, where it was evaluated in a variety of operational scenarios ranging from checkpoint support to facility, perimeter and harbor security.

Most of DoD's current non-lethal weapons, such as bean bag rounds, use "kinetic" energy, Hymes said. With these weapons, the size and mass of the target and the distance at which the weapon is used can change the effect of the weapon, perhaps making it more dangerous, he explained.

"The ADS, on the other hand, is a 'muzzle-safe' weapon, which means it is safe and effective at 50 feet and 500 meters," Hymes said. "The range, safety, universal effect, and tremendous repel capability make the ADS a very versatile non-lethal weapon with a great deal of military utility."

Members of the media were invited to get up close and personal with the ADS at a demonstration Jan. 24 at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., where the ADS will be based. The day allowed members of both print and broadcast media outlets to interact with experts who helped develop and design the technology and those who conducted the human effects testing of the system. Attendees also were offered the opportunity to voluntarily experience the effect of ADS in an actual target-engagement scenario.

"We want to take every opportunity to demystify this capability and to provide accurate information about its safety and effectiveness," Hymes said. "It was important that the members of the media were able to judge for themselves the effectiveness of the weapon and see firsthand how safe it is. We can give hundreds of briefings and slide presentations, but there is nothing like seeing and experiencing for yourself how very effective and safe this capability is."

The ADS has been assigned to the 820th Security Forces Group at Moody Air Force Base for the extended user evaluation phase of the advanced concept technology demonstration. The 820th SFG will incorporate the ADS into its training and exercise plan until mid-2007, officials said.

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership online; and, police and military personnel who have written books.

War Game Encourages Interagency Teamwork

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 25, 2007 – Military and other government decision makers are working this week to determine how best to use the government's powers to defeat an insurgency. Nearly 160 participants were given an imaginary crisis and asked to create a unified response during the U.S. Marine Corps-hosted Expeditionary War Game that began Jan. 21 and ends tomorrow at the William F. Bolger Leadership Facility, here.

The annual exercise aims to keep international preparation and response procedures compatible in the increasingly complex 21st century security environment, officials said.

The handpicked players, representing every U.S. military branch plus interagency and international participants, gathered here yesterday in various "phase rooms" around u-shaped desks strewn with laptop computers and coffee cups.

Each phase room, or "cell," focuses on a distinct procedural step -- from operational design, planning process, interagency approach to campaign planning -- and players add pieces to the puzzle based on their unique expertise.

"There are many facets (to a nation's response)," former Ambassador David Passage, a War Game senior mentor, said. "We're not talking about straight lines and primary colors here. It's all a mosaic consisting of dots of different colors that together shape an image."

Marine Lt. Col Roger Morin said the war game represents a new effort from military planners to strengthen its bond with interagency members.

"We've built up a generation of (military) planners and commanders (who), by the very culture, are biased towards a solution," he said. "(This bias) creates an atmosphere that doesn't support campaign planning.

"The interagency has proposed it would welcome a forum for examining the problem, sharing an understanding of it, and share in planning the solution," Morin added. "It might assist in how (the military) does business with the interagency."

Increased cooperation between military and interagency planners could create conditions for developing a consensus toward understanding and managing an issue, he said.

Lt. Col. Daryl Campbell, of the Australian army, compared interagency cooperation to a large surgical team treating a disease.

"The first thing a doctor usually asks his patient is how did you get sick?" Campbell said. "You don't wake up one morning ... and find that there's a bloody great insurgency; something led to it.

"Most of the things that led to this were not military and can't be solved by the military," he said. "(The military) can go in there and stabilize the situation, but unless you address the root causes of what led to this, then it's going to flare up again because you didn't cure the virus."

When paired with military intervention, interagency effort is the other medicine that treats a conflict's cause, Campbell added.

"The U.S. military is capable of doing anything, anyplace, (but) should it be asked to do everything every place?" Passage said.

"Part of this exercise is that it's not all going to be Department of Defense," he said. "Everybody now understands that while you might want a single manager, (other departments) have got roles to play."

The Expeditionary War game helps explain how to mobilize those roles together, Passage said.

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice Leadership online; and, police and military personnel who have written books.

New Technology Expands Air Force's Combat Capability

By Capt. Dustin Hart, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service

Jan. 25, 2007 – A new system will allow airmen to identify possible enemy firing locations by tracking where shots are coming from. The 820th Security Forces Group here was selected recently as the first Air Force unit to purchase and deploy the Ground Situational Awareness Toolkit, which consists of the Scan Eagle unmanned aerial system and ShotSpotter gunfire acquisition technology.

"This system brings additional technology to the ground warfighter and keeps us at the cutting edge of technological improvements," said Col. John Decknick, 820th SFG commander. "Employing the GSAT system in the combat zone will greatly expand our combat capability."

While the 820th SFG will be the first Air Force unit to conduct a user evaluation of the GSAT system, its two components, Scan Eagle and ShotSpotter, are not new to the military. Scan Eagle has logged more than 20,000 hours, supporting Navy and Marine missions in Iraq, and ShotSpotter is used by both law enforcement and military agencies.

ShotSpotter uses acoustic sensors, located on the backs of patrolling airmen and Humvees, to detect the location of enemy muzzle blasts and, in some cases, the path of the fired projectiles. This information is then passed to on-the-ground commanders for analysis. It also is shared with an overhead Scan Eagle, which then directs its advanced cameras to the area, giving a picture of the enemy's location.

Scan Eagle, four feet long with a 10-foot wingspan, is launched by a catapult system and can fly for about 20 hours.

"This technology will allow us to observe enemy locations and activity, and conduct long-term surveillance and reconnaissance," 2nd Lt. Ben Worley, an 820th SFG intelligence officer, said of the GSAT's capabilities. "It also provides better situational awareness (of the battlespace) to our commanders.

"With the variety of missions we conduct while deployed, having an overhead capability allows us to better prosecute our mission and protect our airmen," he said.

To prepare for GSAT's arrival in early March, three airmen are traveling to Clovis, N.M., for eight weeks of training on how to operate and maintain the system.

To fully use GSAT on its own, 820th SFG officials also are sending two maintainers and an intelligence airman to Clovis to attend shorter training courses on maintaining the systems and analyzing the information they provide.

Once training is completed and GSAT arrives here, the 820th SFG airmen will begin incorporating it into the unit's ground training. This also will allow officials to evaluate the GSAT while performing the various missions it may encounter when deployed.

After the evaluation of GSAT is concluded, the equipment will be matched with one of the unit's deploying squadrons.

(Air Force Capt. Dustin Hart is assigned to 23rd Wing Public Affairs.)

Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and police and military personnel who have written books.

General Officer Assignments

The Air Force chief of staff announces the assignments of the following general officers:
Brig. Gen. Robert R. Allardice, director, airman development and sustainment, deputy chief of staff, manpower and personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., to commander, Coalition Air Force Transition Team, Air Combat Command, Baghdad, Iraq.

Brig. Gen. Floyd L. Carpenter, deputy director, national systems operations, J-3, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., to director, airman development and sustainment, deputy chief of staff, manpower and personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

DoD Announces Afghanistan Unit Extension

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 25, 2007 – Some 3,200 soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, will have their tour in Afghanistan extended for up to 120 additional days, Defense Department officials announced today. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates approved the extension was based on the recommendations of commanders on the ground, whom Gates visited last week, Bryan Whitman, a DoD spokesman, said. The extension will provide military capability for NATO to build on the success achieved in promoting stability and security in Afghanistan while denying safe haven for the Taliban, he said.

"What is certain is that Secretary Gates is very interested in ensuring that the successes that we've achieved in Afghanistan are not lost, and that commanders on the ground have sufficient forces to build upon the successes that we've achieved so far in Afghanistan," Whitman said.

Force levels in Afghanistan continue to be conditions-based and will be determined in consultation with the Afghan government and NATO, Whitman said. The United States remains committed to leading counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan, training and equipping the Afghan national security forces, and assisting with reconstruction, according to a DoD news release announcing the extension.

The United States continues to be the largest troop contributor for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, and this request for forces by U.S. commanders was endorsed by the supreme allied commander for Europe, according to the release. Whitman stressed that the United States will continue to work with NATO to get the partner countries to fulfill the rest of their military commitment to Afghanistan, and remove restrictions from forces already deployed there.

In an Army news release, Gen. Richard Cody, Army vice chief of staff, said leaders recognize the sacrifices and contributions of the extended soldiers and their families, and will continue to support them. The unit's home base is Fort Drum, N.Y.

"The Army is very proud of the soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, and will ensure that they and their families have all the support and resources they need during this challenging time," Cody said. "These soldiers have accomplished a great deal in Afghanistan and will continue to get the mission done for our Army and this nation. They and their families are truly Army strong, and I am thankful every day for their professional and selfless commitment."

Army Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, commander of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan, said Jan. 16 during Gates' visit there that NATO, U.S. and Afghan forces are preparing to counter an expected Taliban spring offensive. Speaking to reporters, Eikenberry said he expects the Taliban to launch a terror offensive in the south and east of the country, but coalition forces are ready to counter them.

"I'm very confident that, as I look at what we're doing now, although it is going to be a violent spring and we're going to have violence into the summer, I'm absolutely confident that we will be able to dominate," he said.

Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and police and military personnel who have written books.

States Declare May 1 'Silver Star Day'

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 25, 2007 – Thanks to the efforts of Silver Star Families of America, Indiana and New Mexico have proclaimed May 1 as "Silver Star Day" to honor the nation's wounded servicemembers. Silver Star Families of America is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program highlighting the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers.

"What we really want to do is have a nationwide event that day," Janie Orman, the group's vice president, said. She added that the proclamation had been sent to every state.

The group, which would like to establish May 1 as a national day of observance honoring America's wounded servicemembers, drafted a proclamation in November for Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels' consideration. His office responded a few weeks later, informing Silver Star Families of America that the governor had signed the proclamation.

New Mexico followed suit, and Wyoming recently contacted the group regarding the initiative, Orman said.

"We need someone in (each) state to represent us," she said, adding the American Legion has expressed interest in supporting the group in this effort.

"A resolution we wrote has passed the local (American Legion chapter). It has to then pass the district, then the state, then national," she said. "But they're in big support of Silver Star Day also, so that's a great help."

Orman also said that individuals wanting to help represent Silver Star Day in a their state should contact her or Steve Newton, Silver Star Families of America's president and co-founder.

"Their main goal would be to get the word out about the Silver stars and what we do: ... honor and assist our wounded and their families in any way we can," Orman said. "We do that by presenting the Silver Star banners and care packages."

The group also acts as an advocate for the wounded and works to educate the public about dilemmas wounded troops and veterans face, according to it's the group's Web site.

The Silver Star Banner, which the group is working to make a government-recognized service banner like those of the American Gold Star Mothers, will play a big part in observing Silver Star Day on May 1, Orman said. Silver Star Families of America members are hoping to present their banners to veterans and wounded servicemembers in each state.

They also hope to work with schools to help students understand why the day is important. "I guess what we try to instill in them is that their freedom (to) go to school ... depends on our troops standing up for freedom," Orman said.

The day of recognition is open to participation by other groups wishing to honor America's wounded troops, as well.

The Patriot Guard Riders, a motorcycle group that attends military funerals to shield families from protestors, has indicated it would like to hold a rally to commemorate the day, Orman said.

"We're just really getting a great response about Silver Star Day," Orman said.

Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and police and military personnel who have written books.

DoDEA to Discontinue Remote Home School Program

American Forces Press Service

Jan. 24, 2007 – The Department of Defense Education Activity will discontinue its Remote Home School Program beginning in school year 2007-2008, DoDEA officials announced today. "We understand this unique program is valued by our families," said Joseph D. Tafoya, DoDEA director. "Unfortunately, with the funding allocation and grants expiring for this program at the end of school year 2006-2007, we will have to discontinue the Remote Location Home Schooling Program."

DoDEA plans, directs, coordinates and manages the education programs for Defense Department family members who would otherwise not have access to a high-quality public education. Although operating a home-schooling program is outside of its directed mission, officials said, DoDEA has administered the Remote Home School Program since school year 2001-2002, when it received the first in a series of unsolicited allocations and grants to support the program.

DoDEA cannot continue administering the program with the funding authorizations and grants expiring, and by law, DoDEA is not permitted to lobby for funds to continue operating the program, officials explained.

"We truly regret the disruption this may cause students and families," Tafoya said. "We do not take this decision lightly; it is the result of careful analysis of the needs of our directed mission."

Officials said DoDEA will help students and families in any way possible in transitioning from the home-schooling program. Based on their home location, students and families may choose to enroll in a local DoDEA-administered school or public school. They may also choose to attend a private school or to participate in a home-schooling program of their choice at their own expense.

Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books; and criminal justice online leadership.

Walter Reed Unveils Suites for Terminal Cancer Patients

By Bernard S. Little
Special to American Forces Press Service

Jan. 24, 2007 – A new area of Walter Reed Army Medical Center here will provide state-of-the-art medical care for terminal cancer patients in a warm, homelike setting. After countless hours of fund raising, designing and remodeling by various individuals and organizations, the first palliative care suite and patient/family lounge opened Jan. 22.

Roderick Mitchell, president of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation, which spearheaded efforts to raise funds to design and furnish the suite and lounge, presented the rooms to Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center and North Atlantic Regional Medical Command.

In accepting the rooms, which are for patients diagnosed with terminal cancer and their families, Weightman said the medical center has been about warrior care for nearly 98 years. He added that the project is indicative of the commitment and partnership that exist among WRAMC, the civilian community, and the different organizations that help support the Army family.

The project, which cost about $400,000 and took about five months to complete, provides the comforts and amenities of home in two rooms, including modern kitchens and bathrooms, sofa beds for family members, flat-screen plasma televisions, DVD and CD players and computers with Internet access. Basil Walter Architects in New York and Seiko Obayashi designed the rooms at no cost.

Mitchell said the vision of providing cancer patients and their families with a private living space that would remind them of home was the brainchild of a former head nurse of hematology and oncology, Col. Princess Facen. It was Facen who showed Mitchell the areas where wounded soldiers from the global war on terrorism were treated and where cancer patients received medical care at WRAMC.

"She told me the story of this young soldier who passed away from cancer," Mitchell recalled. "She showed me the room that he passed away in, and it was heart-wrenching. The only thing that made the story heartwarming was that clearly, the personnel who helped that young man and (his loved ones) get through that terrible time were very compassionate and loving people who work here. But the room itself just didn't measure up."

"This is a dream that's become a reality," said Col. LaDonna Howell, chief of WRAMC's medical psychiatric nursing section. She said that in the past, if a patient chose to spend his or her last days here, the patient would have been assigned a standard, private room. The patient's loved ones would have had to sleep on a small sofa at best.

The death of Staff Sgt. Michael Somers was a sobering reminder of the need for the palliative care suite at WRAMC. Ladonna Somers, his widow, and Barbara Tye, his sister, supported the project with open arms and helped in the fund-raising efforts.

The bulk of this money came from active-duty men and women who are deployed all over the world. Other significant contributors were the Association of the United States Army and Health Net Federal Services.

"How people exit this life is probably just as important as how people enter this life," Weightman said. "(The palliative care suite and lounge) send the absolute right message: that we care for our patients throughout this spectrum, whether they're 1 minute old or 99 years old."

(Bernard S. Little is a command information officer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.)

Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books; and criminal justice online leadership.

DoD, VA Announce Plans for Joint Inpatient Record System

American Forces Press Service

Jan. 24, 2007 – The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments have announced plans for a common inpatient electronic health-record system. The two departments now have separate systems that require upgrade, officials said.

"I am very excited by the prospect of adopting a common, mutually beneficial solution to our in-patient health documentation needs," Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said. "This collaboration is a further extension of the highly successful partnership we have established with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and is another example of the commitment our departments have made to work hand in hand to provide continuity of care for our beneficiaries."

Both VA and DoD have been independently working on the enhancement and improvement of their respective inpatient electronic health record tools, officials said. AHLTA, DoD's electronic health-record system, is implemented worldwide and supports the documentation and management of outpatient health care for nearly 9 million beneficiaries. Management of inpatient care is a future capability planned for AHLTA.

VA is planning to modernize VistA, its electronic health-record system, including its inpatient module. Common need and the potential benefits led the two departments to discuss the feasibility of jointly implementing a common inpatient electronic health record, officials explained.

Despite obvious differences in mission, such as DoD's requirements to support its combat theaters, pediatric and obstetrical patients and VA's requirements to support domiciliary care, officials said, both agencies believe the similarities in clinical and business processes may make the adoption of a common inpatient electronic health record a viable option.

VA Secretary R. James Nicholson, who announced plans for the joint venture at a meeting of the American Health Information Community, called the agreement "groundbreaking," and said "it has the potential to further transform the way we care for our nation's veterans and active duty servicemembers."

DoD and VA have made progress in their ability to share electronic health information as they move toward achieving interoperable electronic health records. Millions of records and data messages are regularly transferred electronically between the two organizations.

Adopting a joint electronic solution for the documentation of inpatient health information will facilitate the seamless transition of active duty servicemembers to veteran status, officials said. It also will make the inpatient health-care data on shared beneficiaries immediately accessible to both DoD and VA health-care providers.

An added benefit of adopting a common tool, officials noted, is the potential for both agencies to realize significant cost savings through a joint development or acquisition effort.

Both agencies have agreed to conduct a study to examine their respective clinical processes and requirements and assess the benefits and the effects on each department's timelines and costs before making a final decision on a joint acquisition strategy for an inpatient electronic health record.

Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books; and criminal justice online leadership.

DNA Registry Unlocks Key to Fallen Servicemembers' Identities

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 24, 2007 – Deep within a nondescript warehouse in this Washington suburb lie millions of blood-smeared cardboard cards that hold the key to every servicemember's unique personal identity, captured in DNA. DNA is a substance within every person's cells that provides a personal blueprint, known as a DNA profile. Anyone who watches TV crime shows is likely to have seen police use a suspect's DNA profile to link him to a crime.

The Defense Department is using the same principle to ensure that if a soldier, sailor, airman, Marine or Coast Guard man is ever killed in service, his or her remains will never go unidentified, explained James Canik, deputy director of the Department of Defense DNA Registry.

The goal, he said, is to never again have to bury a U.S. servicemember in a "Tomb of the Unknowns" or to keep families wondering about the fate of their loved ones.

"We're here for the families," Canik said during a joint interview yesterday with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel. "Our job, if a servicemember is killed, is to be sure we are able to identify them and get them home to their families."

DoD has been building its DNA registry since 1992, shortly after breakthroughs in DNA technologies made it feasible to use blood samples or saliva swipes to make positive identifications.

Since then, DoD has amassed the world's largest inventory of DNA samples -- adding the 5 millionth sample, from an airmen based at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., to its collection just yesterday. That's in addition to samples from deployable DoD civilians, as well as some State Department employees.

Canik explained the procedure that gets samples here from 1,200 collection sites around the world. Blood samples are collected from every servicemember who enters initial military training and often when troops undergo physicals and before they deploy overseas. They're smeared on a card with the servicemember's name, Social Security number and other identification, then shipped here to become part of the DNA registry.

In 2006 alone, almost 302,000 new samples arrived for storage. Technicians logged them in, vacuum sealed them in individual pouches to remove any air and keep out any contaminants, then stored them in a huge, two-story freezer set to minus 20 degrees.

Each specimen will remain in the inventory for 50 years, Canik said, unless a donor who has left the military and finished his or her service obligation asks to have it destroyed sooner.

Strict safeguards ensure the collection is used only for identification purposes, Canik said. Only twice in the last 16 years was the registry tapped by law enforcement, under special federal court orders for investigations involving felony crimes.

As another precaution, he said, samples in the DoD registry get "typed" only when the donor dies or in limited numbers for quality control. "We have very tight controls on these samples and how they are used," he said. "We go to great lengths to guard the privacy rights of our servicemembers."

While most specimens will remain untouched for the 50 years they are stored here, some will end up providing a vital key to identifying a servicemember's remains, particularly when identifications aren't possible using standard fingerprints or dental records, Canik explained.

"We pride ourselves in being like a group of firemen," he said. "We're there, and when the need arises, we answer the call."

The registry is particularly valuable in the cases of traumatic injuries, such as a plane crash or massive explosions, he said. In these cases, the people involved often can't be identified by other means, and several sets of remains may be mixed together.

"In many of those cases, DNA may be the lynchpin in making that identification," Canik said. "DNA becomes the sole tool we have so we can return them to their familes."

Every time a U.S. servicemember is killed, pathologists at the Armed Forces Medical Examiner's Office in nearby Rockville, Md., pull the servicemember's DNA sample to confirm -- or reconfirm -- the identity, he said. The results usually are determined within 24 hours.

In addition to providing DNA samples to identify troops serving today, the DoD DNA Registry is helping to unlock the mystery of missing servicemembers from past conflicts, Canik said.

Working closely with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, with headquarters at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, the staff at the DNA Registry is applying new technology to help identify remains of troops killed during the Vietnam War, Korean War, World War II and even earlier conflicts.

One of the newest advances in DNA technology, using mitochondrial DNA that's stored in the body's cytoplasm, is proving particularly helpful in identifying remains that have degraded over time and due to environmental exposure, Canik said.

"When people ask what it's like to identify someone who died long before, I tell them that it's just like a current death case," he said. "The loss and the emotion are all there, and you see families react in the same way, knowing that they're finally able to put things to rest."

Whether a servicemember died decades ago or within the last week, Canik said, there's a deep gratification in helping to bring answers to the families left behind.

"That's a driving force behind why we are here," he said. "It's never an easy situation, but the families deserve an answer. And we do our very best so that we can help bring them closure and, in some small way, some comfort."

Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.

Army's 'Blue to Green' Program Hits Milestone

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 24, 2007 – The Army's "Blue to Green" program, designed to allow airmen, sailors and Marines affected by force shaping to move to the Army, recently hit a milestone, a Defense Department official said here today. "Just in the past couple of weeks we've had our 1,000th transfer," Bill Carr, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy, said in an interview.

An effect of the Air Force and Navy downsizing is fewer opportunities for airmen, sailors and Marines to continue in their career fields, he said. The Army's Blue to Green interservice transfer program, open to officers and enlisted personnel, affords an alternative to leaving military service.

"That would be to serve as an officer or noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Army," Carr said. "I think the ones that are considering Blue to Green are the ones who are interested in trying another career and the challenges associated with it."

Army 2nd Lt. Michael B. Moore, a recent transfer, is a good example, Carr said. The former airman was an air battle manager trainee before trading his blue uniform for green. When Moore transferred to the Army, he chose to go into the infantry.

But that wasn't enough of a challenge for the newly minted soldier who has been assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg, N.C., Carr said.

"(He) not only went over as an Army officer in the infantry, but also participated in the airborne and ranger training," he said. "He's really taking the full exposure and doing very well at it."

Carr said the program is good not only for the military, which retains experienced servicemembers through the Blue to Green program, but also for the servicemembers. It provides them a chance to look into options within the military before they consider the private sector, he said.

"For Blue to Green, the ideal future would be that anyone who was considering leaving the service would first look to Blue to Green as they're looking at other options and consider what it has to offer," Carr said. "And it has a lot to offer."

More information, including guidelines and benefits of the Blue to Green program, can be found on the Army's Web site.

Article sponsored by criminal justice leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.

Soldier Honored at State of the Union Address

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 23, 2007 – An Army sergeant who was awarded the Silver Star for his valiant actions in Iraq was honored by President Bush at the annual State of the Union Address here tonight. Sgt. Tommy Rieman, who is now an administrative assistant for the Army personnel office in the Pentagon, served with a reconnaissance squad in Iraq in 2003.

When his team came under heavy insurgent fire near the Abu Ghraib prison Dec. 3, Rieman used his own body as a shield to protect his gunner, suffering two bullet wounds and 11 shrapnel wounds. He then led his team off the road, responded to a second insurgent attack, and called in a medical evacuation for his injured comrades.

For his actions that day, Rieman was awarded a Silver Star in August 2004 at Fort Bragg, N.C. Today, he was a guest of honor at the president's annual address to Congress.

"Like so many other Americans who have volunteered to defend us, he has earned the respect and gratitude of our whole country," Bush said after telling Rieman's story at the end of his speech. "In such courage and compassion, ladies and gentlemen, we see the spirit and character of America -- and these qualities are not in short supply."

In his address, Bush emphasized the importance of the war in Iraq to the global struggle against terrorism and called on members of Congress to support the troops who have served and will serve in the Middle East.

"For each life saved, we owe a debt of gratitude to the brave public servants who devote their lives to finding the terrorists and stopping them," Bush said.

Rieman was honored in a unique way in 2006 by being selected to be one of the first participants in the "America's Army: Real Heroes" program, which aims to honor soldiers who have shown heroism in the war on terror. Participants will have their lives and military stories recounted in "America's Army," the Army's video game for personal computers and console systems. The soldiers' likenesses are also being made into plastic action figures.

Article sponsored by law enforcement leaders; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.

Military Cadets Mostly Feel Safe From Sexual Harassment

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 23, 2007 – Most students at the Army, Air Force and Naval academies say they feel safe from sexual harassment when on or off campus, according to findings contained in a 300-page report based on the latest Defense Department-commissioned survey on the subject. The most recent report, titled, "Service Academy 2006 Gender Relations Survey," was conducted by the Defense Manpower Data Center in March and April. The third of a series of such surveys mandated by Congress, it was administered to students at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., and the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colo.

Participants included 2,080 female and 3,969 male students. The overall response rate was 86 percent.

The survey measured five categories of unwanted, gender-related behaviors: sexist behavior, crude or offensive behavior, unwanted sexual attention, sexual coercion, and unwanted sexual contact, according to the report.

Of all female students polled who said they'd been sexually harassed, the vast majority said the transgressor was male. Yet, depending upon the time and place, the overwhelming majority of cadets -- both male and female -- said they felt safe from sexual assault on the grounds of their campus. Most respondents also said they felt safe from sexual harassment off campus.

About 10.5 percent of the women and 1 percent of the men polled at the USMA said they'd experienced unwanted sexual contact during the 2006 academic year. Unwanted sexual contact includes attempted intercourse or unwanted touching of genitalia and other sexually-related areas of the body.

At the Naval Academy, 8.2 percent of women and 1.4 percent of men said they'd been sexually harassed. And 9.5 percent of the women and 1.2 percent of the men surveyed at the Air Force Academy said they'd experienced unwanted sexual contact.

Almost all students polled at the three academies said they'd received training in sexual-assault prevention and response in the year prior to taking the survey. The majority of respondents also said they believe academy leaders are dedicated in stopping sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Questions about stalking behaviors related to sexual harassment were added to the 2006 survey, because Congress expanded the legal parameters of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in 2006 to make stalking a crime. The vast majority of respondents said they'd not experienced stalking during the school year.

Article sponsored by law enforcement leaders; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.

Petraeus Supports Troop Increase in Confirmation Hearing

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 23, 2007 – President Bush's pick for command of Multinational Force Iraq today supported the new strategy for Iraq, emphasizing that additional U.S. forces are essential in accomplishing the mission there. "If we are to carry out the Multinational Force Iraq mission in accordance with the new strategy, the additional forces that have been directed to move to Iraq will be essential, as will greatly increased support by our government's other agencies, additional resources for reconstruction and economic initiatives, and a number of other actions critical to what must be a broad, comprehensive, multifaceted approach to the challenges in Iraq," Army Lt. Gen. David Petraeus said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Petraeus was nominated Jan. 17 to be promoted to general and take over command of MNFI from Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., who has been nominated to become the Army's chief of staff.

The new strategy for Iraq shifts the U.S. focus in Iraq to securing the population and creating secure conditions to enable the Iraqi government, Petraeus said. Solving security problems will not be the ultimate solution for Iraq, he acknowledged, but the Iraqi government cannot deal with the political issues it must resolve while violence in Baghdad creates life-or-death situations for citizens every day.

"The objective will be to achieve sufficient security to provide the space and time for the Iraqi government to come to grips with the tough decisions its members must make to enable Iraq to move forward," Petraeus said. "In short, it is not just that there will be additional forces in Baghdad; it is what they will do and how they will do it that is important."

When questioned directly, Petraeus said he would not be able to do his job as commander of MNFI without the additional 21,000 troops President Bush has pledged to Iraq. Deploying these additional forces will make it difficult to increase time between deployments for troops who have already been burdened by the war on terror, he said, but plans are under way to sustain increased force levels.

The increase of 92,000 in the overall strength of the Army and Marine Corps, which Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced Jan. 11, will also help alleviate this strain, he said. "Our ongoing endeavors in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere are people-intensive, and it is heartening to know that there will be more soldiers and Marines to shoulder the load," he said.

The coalition will continue to transition control of Iraqi forces and provinces to Iraqis, and the U.S. advisor effort will be reinforced, Petraeus said. The focus on security in Baghdad will require that U.S. and Iraqi commanders become familiar with the areas they are operating in and work together to establish a permanent presence in areas where violence has been eliminated, he said.

In addition to overcoming security challenges, success in Iraq depends on actions in political and economic areas like governance, the distribution of oil revenues, national reconciliation, improvement in the capacity of Iraq's ministries, the establishment of the rule of law, and economic development, Petraeus said. To bolster progress in these areas, all agencies of the U.S. government need to step in and provide assistance, he emphasized.

"Our military is making an enormous commitment in Iraq; we need the rest of the departments to do likewise, to help the Iraqi government get the country and its citizens working, and to use Iraq's substantial oil revenues for the benefit of all the Iraqi people," he said.

The situation in Iraq is serious, and it will take time for the new strategy to be effective, Petraeus noted. The additional U.S. forces will need time to deploy to the region, become familiar with the situation, and set the conditions for successful security operations, he said.

"The only assurance I can give you is that, if confirmed, I will provide Multinational Force Iraq the best leadership and direction I can muster; I will work to ensure unity of effort with the ambassador and our Iraqi and coalition partners; and I will provide my bosses and you with forthright, professional military advice with respect to the missions given to Multinational Force Iraq and the situation on the ground in Iraq," Petraeus said to the committee.

If confirmed, this assignment will be Petraeus' fourth deployment of one year or longer since the summer of 2001; three of those deployments were to Iraq. Petraeus led the 101st Airborne Division in Mosul during the first year of Operation Iraqi Freedom, served as the first commander of Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq from June 2004 to September 2005, and commanded the NATO Training Mission Iraq from October 2004 through September 2005. He is currently serving as commander of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where he oversees the organizations that educate Army leaders, draft doctrine, craft lessons learned, and help units prepare for deployment.

Petraeus acknowledged that the command of MNFI will be a heavy burden, but he said he is ready to take on the position. Not only is he eager to serve again with America's deployed troops, he said, but he feels an obligation to help the Iraqis, who are struggling to lead normal lives while their government forges a way ahead that will be anything but easy.

"Hard is not hopeless, and if confirmed, I pledge to do my utmost to lead our wonderful men and women in uniform and those of our coalition partners in Iraq as we endeavor to help the Iraqis make the most of the opportunity our soldiers, sailor, airmen and Marines have given to them," he said.

Article sponsored by law enforcement leaders; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.

Army, Marine Chiefs Cite Need to Reset Non-deployed Forces

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 23, 2007 – The senior officers of two military services told a congressional committee today that although soldiers and Marines are performing well overseas in the war against terrorism, more troops and money are needed to refurbish non-deployed military forces. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway testified before the House Armed Services Committee.

The Army has obligated $10 billion of $17 billon of funding appropriated by Congress for this fiscal year for replacement and repair of equipment used in Afghanistan and Iraq, Schoomaker told the lawmakers.

"We have received considerable support from this committee and the Congress to increase the readiness of our Army," he said. Consequently, U.S. soldiers deployed to combat terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq are the best equipped, best trained and best led ever, he said.

Yet, the Army is now wrestling with the task of rebuilding its stateside forces while supporting those stationed overseas, Schoomaker said.

"The immediate challenge lies with the readiness of the non-deployed forces," Schoomaker said, noting the Army needs Congress's support to address issues critical to maintaining the Army's overall readiness to respond decisively to potential contingencies.

Schoomaker praised President Bush's recommendation to increase the size of the Army by about 65,000 soldiers. That initiative, he said, recognizes the necessity to boost the Army's ranks during wartime when the all-volunteer force is being challenged with multiple commitments across the globe.

"Our goal is to provide a continuous supply of 20 to 21 brigade combat teams to meet global commitments," Schoomaker explained. "We remain committed to generating all-cohesive units that are fully manned, trained and equipped that are fully ready for the challenges they will face."

The plus-up will require a national commitment to provide and sustain the resources required to reset the Army in a balanced, coordinated fashion, while providing for the needs of soldiers and their families, Schoomaker said.

Also, the Army's active, reserve and National Guard components must be made ready to deploy together at any time, Schoomaker said. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates's recent announcements about changing reserve components' mobilization policies to reflect this goal are essential, the general said.

"Our reserve components comprise 55 percent of our Army's capabilities," Schoomaker said. "We must fully enable them to perform their new role as an integral part of our operational deployable force."

The Army is working to rapidly implement those changes and will need Congress's continued support while doing so, Schoomaker said.

Schoomaker reiterated that the Army is well ahead of using the $17 billion in force-reset funding for fiscal year 2007. He anticipated that refurbishing funding requirements for next fiscal year will total $13.5 billion.

That figure should increase, he added, when overseas forces are bulked up and the overall size of the Army is increased.

"Because the replacement of equipment can take up to three years following the commitment of funds, we seek to make this funding available to use as soon as possible," Schoomaker said. "To overcome the unprecedented stress being placed on our equipment today, reset funding will be required for a minimum of two to three years beyond the duration of the current conflict."

Years of under-funding experienced during the years prior to the war against terrorism created a $100 billion shortfall in Army investment accounts, Schoomaker said. Today, a $56 billion shortage remains in funding to replace or repair worn out equipment, he said.

Schoomaker said the funding shortage has caused the Army to take equipment from non-deployed units and provide it to units sent overseas. This practice "increases risk for our next-to-deploy units and limits our ability to respond to emerging strategic contingencies," he said.

Conway noted his Marines' spirits remain high despite repeated deployments.

"Though the troops in the operating forces are being pushed hard by the operational tempo and the frequency of deployments, morale has never been higher, because they believe they are making a difference," Conway said.

The Marines are grateful for the support of the U.S. government and the American people, Conway said. Marines also appreciate the receipt of better-armored vehicles, force adjustments made to better balance deployment cycles, and President Bush's recommendation to increase the size of the Corps by about 27,000 troops.

"The recently proposed increase in our end strength to 202,000 active-duty Marines will go a long way towards reducing the strain, both on the individual and the institution," Conway said. If the plus-up is approved by Congress, he said, the Marine Corps plans to increase its number by about 5,000 troops annually.

The Corps now is making plans for increased recruiting and retention, Conway said.

"We'll need the continued support of Congress for enlistment bonuses and other programs such as advertising, which will be essential for us to continue meeting these growth challenges," Conway said.

Article sponsored by law enforcement leaders; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.