By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
March 30, 2007 – The United States and Japan are increasing their military cooperation and coordination to face evolving threats, the commander of U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force here said. "The security relationship between the United States and Japan is tied to international knowledge and understanding of the alliance," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Bruce A. Wright.
The bedrock of U.S. strategy in Asia remains the Japanese-U.S. Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Defense. Signed in 1960, the treaty relationship between the two nations has changed, but the document still remains relevant.
"Only 15 years after the end of a horrific war between our nations, Japan and the United States made a decision to move forward," Wright said. "The words in the treaty come from America's ideal - all are created equal, a commitment to freedom and democracy for all.
"What's neat for me is that the results speak for themselves," he continued. "The results are exemplary. It is now a pact between the two greatest economic powers in the world. We are mutually supportive economically and certainly in our military-to-military relationships."
Wright said coordination and cooperation between the two militaries has increased exponentially. In 1960, the United States essentially was responsible for the defense of Japan. The enemy at the time was the Soviet Union. China was a lurking menace, and the Korean War was just seven years in the past.
Today, the North Korean threat has drawn the two countries closer together, Wright said. North Korea has proliferated missile technology, and the country's nuclear test last year gave impetus to the relationship between the United States and Japan for ballistic missile defense.
"There is a lot of debate within Japan over the issue of collective self-defense," the general said. Japanese and American forces are working together to establish the missile defense posture. "That requires a level of close coordination that hasn't been needed in the past," he said.
A new joint operations and coordination center at Yokota Air Base, Japan, was very effective during the North Korea missile tests, Wright said. A new bilateral and joint operations coordination center is going in at Yokota and will be operational in 2010. U.S. and Japanese personnel will use their own equipment, but coordination will be close.
The flight time of a missile from North Korea to Japan is short, Wright said. The coordination needed to defend against that threat is extensive and should carry over to other aspects of U.S.-Japanese cooperation.
"If you can handle the ballistic missile defense problem, it's going to percolate in a joint bilateral way in how we coordinate," Wright said. "It's just an improvement in defense capabilities. There is no expansion of U.S. or Japanese forces involved. In a resource-constrained environment, it is using information systems technology, it's building on a shift in our traditional ways of doing business."
The two militaries working together equal more than the sum of their parts, Wright said. What is more, the pact allows for allies to play important roles.
"This is an alliance that has its arms open," Wright said. "This military alliance should and does reach out to include military-to-military-to-military-plus interaction with multiple countries in the region, including South Korea and China.
"From the foundation of an exemplary alliance, now is the time to reach out," he continued. "Certainly, Australia is an important part of this alliance. That's just another example of the relevance of the alliance in a dynamic security alliance."
The Japanese have moved more decisively into security operations. The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force sent engineers to Iraq. The Air Self-Defense Force is flying missions out of Kuwait. The Maritime Self-Defense Force maintains tankers in the Indian Ocean, providing long-term capabilities for navies operating there.
"The Japanese have a lot of pride in the operation in Iraq," Wright said. "It had a positive affect on the Japanese as a whole. The military for years has not been very visible. That's changing over time, and I think that it is changing for the good in the context that it reminds people that there is a Japan-U.S. military partnership. It is helpful to both nations at the strategic level."
The United States will continue the realignment of its forces in Japan, Wright said. "(The realignment) will be expensive, but I think the forces are about the right size and it is essential to work on the roles and missions and capabilities of our forces for the future," Wright said.
That assessment, he said, must include improved planning coordination, interoperability, more consistent and persistent joint and bilateral training and addressing common weapons systems so those systems are compatible.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military writers who have authored books.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Bush: System Failed at Walter Reed While Medical Care Remained Top Notch
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
March 30, 2007 – President Bush assured the medical staff at Walter Reed Army Medical Center today he recognizes that problems at the facility reflected a failed bureaucracy, not the care they were providing. Bush, on his first visit to Walter Reed since news of its problems was revealed, thanked the staff for the extraordinary care they provide military men and women.
"Every time I come to Walter Reed, I'm also impressed by the caregivers: the docs, the nurses, the people who spend many hours trying to heal those who have been wounded in service to our country," he said. "The soldiers and Marines stay here only for a few months, but the compassion they receive here stays with them for a lifetime."
Bush said he knows the work these medical professionals do is often behind the scenes, and they don't get a lot of glory for it.
"But you certainly do from the family members who first come here and they see their loved one on a bed, wondering whether or not that person will ever walk again, and then, six months later, the body is returning, and the spirit is strong, the person's up and moving around," he told them. "The family and the soldier (are) impressed by that care."
Americans need to understand that the problems at Walter Reed aren't about medical care, the president said. "The quality of care at this fantastic facility is great, and it needs to remain that way," he said.
He cited independent analysts who have given the facility high marks for its medical care, and reaffirmed that assessment during a recent surprise inspection.
"In other words, this isn't my assessment; nor is it the assessment of people I have talked to, the families, although that's what they believe," the president said. "It is also the assessment of a joint commission which accredits thousands of American hospitals. And this commission has given Walter Reed the highest possible rating, a gold seal of approval."
Bush thanked the staff for keeping the quality of care at Walter Reed top-notch, and vowed to ensure other aspects of the facility come up to the same standard.
"The problems at Walter Reed were caused by bureaucratic and administrative failures," he said. "The system failed you and it failed our troops, and we're going to fix it."
The country owes its wounded troops the best, and it's evident that Walter Reed's medical staff feels the same way, the president said.
"People here recognize (that) each human being here matters, each person counts, and each person has endless possibilities, even though they may have received terrible wounds on the battlefield," he said.
Serving the people who serve the country is a special calling, the president said.
"It requires a unique person to come here on a daily basis and to heal the hurts of those who have served our country," he said. "And so our nation is grateful and I am proud to be your commander in chief."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military writers who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
March 30, 2007 – President Bush assured the medical staff at Walter Reed Army Medical Center today he recognizes that problems at the facility reflected a failed bureaucracy, not the care they were providing. Bush, on his first visit to Walter Reed since news of its problems was revealed, thanked the staff for the extraordinary care they provide military men and women.
"Every time I come to Walter Reed, I'm also impressed by the caregivers: the docs, the nurses, the people who spend many hours trying to heal those who have been wounded in service to our country," he said. "The soldiers and Marines stay here only for a few months, but the compassion they receive here stays with them for a lifetime."
Bush said he knows the work these medical professionals do is often behind the scenes, and they don't get a lot of glory for it.
"But you certainly do from the family members who first come here and they see their loved one on a bed, wondering whether or not that person will ever walk again, and then, six months later, the body is returning, and the spirit is strong, the person's up and moving around," he told them. "The family and the soldier (are) impressed by that care."
Americans need to understand that the problems at Walter Reed aren't about medical care, the president said. "The quality of care at this fantastic facility is great, and it needs to remain that way," he said.
He cited independent analysts who have given the facility high marks for its medical care, and reaffirmed that assessment during a recent surprise inspection.
"In other words, this isn't my assessment; nor is it the assessment of people I have talked to, the families, although that's what they believe," the president said. "It is also the assessment of a joint commission which accredits thousands of American hospitals. And this commission has given Walter Reed the highest possible rating, a gold seal of approval."
Bush thanked the staff for keeping the quality of care at Walter Reed top-notch, and vowed to ensure other aspects of the facility come up to the same standard.
"The problems at Walter Reed were caused by bureaucratic and administrative failures," he said. "The system failed you and it failed our troops, and we're going to fix it."
The country owes its wounded troops the best, and it's evident that Walter Reed's medical staff feels the same way, the president said.
"People here recognize (that) each human being here matters, each person counts, and each person has endless possibilities, even though they may have received terrible wounds on the battlefield," he said.
Serving the people who serve the country is a special calling, the president said.
"It requires a unique person to come here on a daily basis and to heal the hurts of those who have served our country," he said. "And so our nation is grateful and I am proud to be your commander in chief."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military writers who have authored books.
DoD Removes Six Countries From Imminent Danger Pay List
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
March 30, 2007 – Bosnia-Herzegovina is among six countries the Defense Department is removing from the list of countries where servicemembers receive imminent danger pay, DoD officials said today. Angola, Georgia, Sierra Leone, Croatia and Macedonia also will be removed from the list. The changes go into effect Nov. 1.
Servicemembers deployed to Kosovo will continue to receive imminent danger pay. More than 1,500 American servicemembers are serving in Kosovo.
The number of U.S. servicemembers affected by the change is small, officials said.
A total of 232 servicemembers serving in Bosnia-Herzegovina will lose the pay. Forty-three servicemembers are affected in Macedonia, seven in Georgia, five in Angola, one in Sierra Leone and an unknown number in Croatia.
DoD officials conduct worldwide reviews to determine whether to continue imminent danger pay. Servicemembers receive $225 per month for imminent danger pay. The pay recognizes duty in foreign areas where there is the threat of physical harm or imminent danger on the basis of civil insurrection, civil war, terrorism or wartime conditions.
Bosnia and Macedonia first went on the imminent danger pay list on June 22, 1992. Sierra Leone went on the list on July 18, 1997, Angola on March 1, 1998, and Georgia on July 22, 2002, officials said.
The financial losses for servicemembers in Macedonia, Georgia, Angola and Sierra Leone are partially made up by an increase in hardship pay for the countries, DoD officials said. Hardship pay for Angola, Georgia and Sierra Leone will increase from $100 to $150 a month. In Macedonia, the pay will be instituted at $100 a month.
Hardship duty pay recognizes servicemembers assigned to areas where the quality of life is substantially below that most members in the United States generally experience. These factors include physical environment, living conditions and personal security, officials said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military writers who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
March 30, 2007 – Bosnia-Herzegovina is among six countries the Defense Department is removing from the list of countries where servicemembers receive imminent danger pay, DoD officials said today. Angola, Georgia, Sierra Leone, Croatia and Macedonia also will be removed from the list. The changes go into effect Nov. 1.
Servicemembers deployed to Kosovo will continue to receive imminent danger pay. More than 1,500 American servicemembers are serving in Kosovo.
The number of U.S. servicemembers affected by the change is small, officials said.
A total of 232 servicemembers serving in Bosnia-Herzegovina will lose the pay. Forty-three servicemembers are affected in Macedonia, seven in Georgia, five in Angola, one in Sierra Leone and an unknown number in Croatia.
DoD officials conduct worldwide reviews to determine whether to continue imminent danger pay. Servicemembers receive $225 per month for imminent danger pay. The pay recognizes duty in foreign areas where there is the threat of physical harm or imminent danger on the basis of civil insurrection, civil war, terrorism or wartime conditions.
Bosnia and Macedonia first went on the imminent danger pay list on June 22, 1992. Sierra Leone went on the list on July 18, 1997, Angola on March 1, 1998, and Georgia on July 22, 2002, officials said.
The financial losses for servicemembers in Macedonia, Georgia, Angola and Sierra Leone are partially made up by an increase in hardship pay for the countries, DoD officials said. Hardship pay for Angola, Georgia and Sierra Leone will increase from $100 to $150 a month. In Macedonia, the pay will be instituted at $100 a month.
Hardship duty pay recognizes servicemembers assigned to areas where the quality of life is substantially below that most members in the United States generally experience. These factors include physical environment, living conditions and personal security, officials said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military writers who have authored books.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Wounded Warriors' Wives Get Help
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
March 29, 2007 – Understanding the critical role spouses play in the recovery of wounded warriors, Operation Homefront has created the Wounded Warrior Wives Project to help them navigate the challenges they may face. "While the military sees to their physical health, the key to the short- and long-term stability and full restoration of our wounded warriors lies in the support of their spouses," Meredith Leyva, founder of Operation Homefront, said. "It is the spouses, not the wounded warriors, who are most responsible for key family issues such as financial viability and seeking assistance."
The Wounded Warrior Wives Project is an opportunity for spouses to get together and really discuss issues surrounding their servicemembers' recovery, Leyva said. And though the title specifically mentions wives, "we are certainly open to everyone," she said.
The Wounded Warrior Wives Project began at Operation Homefront's annual chapter presidents' meeting, Leyva said. The group recognized that each new phase of recovery and rehabilitation brings new challenges not only for the patient, but the caregivers, Leyva said.
"It' a comprehensive program," Leyva said. "We catch them in the hospital at the acute phase (and) they can continue with physical support groups at the rehabilitation centers."
The Wounded Warrior Wives Project strives to help provide caregivers with an emotional and practical support system to navigate those challenges. Through the program, Operation Homefront will provide support groups at each major military medical facility, Leyva said.
It will continue this support network beyond the family's involvement in the medical system with Web-based magazine content and discussion forums that will directly address pertinent issues. This content will launch April 2, she said.
The Web content will become a new section on CinCHouse.com, Operation Homefront's online community. Dr. Julia Storey, a retired Air Force psychologist, and Tonia Sargent, a Marine wife whose husband suffered severe head injuries, will lead this endeavor, Leyva said.
Local support groups are primarily peer-to-peer with the goal of presenting information on all the programs available for military families, Leyva said.
"However, we will not be allowing command officials and program officials into the inner workings of the support group meetings, as a matter of privacy, unless the support group members specifically request that," Leyva said. "People need to be able to talk openly and without fear of reprisal, and I think command officials understand this."
Operation Homefront is a member of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which highlights the support the nation's servicemembers are receiving from the American public and the corporate sector.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
March 29, 2007 – Understanding the critical role spouses play in the recovery of wounded warriors, Operation Homefront has created the Wounded Warrior Wives Project to help them navigate the challenges they may face. "While the military sees to their physical health, the key to the short- and long-term stability and full restoration of our wounded warriors lies in the support of their spouses," Meredith Leyva, founder of Operation Homefront, said. "It is the spouses, not the wounded warriors, who are most responsible for key family issues such as financial viability and seeking assistance."
The Wounded Warrior Wives Project is an opportunity for spouses to get together and really discuss issues surrounding their servicemembers' recovery, Leyva said. And though the title specifically mentions wives, "we are certainly open to everyone," she said.
The Wounded Warrior Wives Project began at Operation Homefront's annual chapter presidents' meeting, Leyva said. The group recognized that each new phase of recovery and rehabilitation brings new challenges not only for the patient, but the caregivers, Leyva said.
"It' a comprehensive program," Leyva said. "We catch them in the hospital at the acute phase (and) they can continue with physical support groups at the rehabilitation centers."
The Wounded Warrior Wives Project strives to help provide caregivers with an emotional and practical support system to navigate those challenges. Through the program, Operation Homefront will provide support groups at each major military medical facility, Leyva said.
It will continue this support network beyond the family's involvement in the medical system with Web-based magazine content and discussion forums that will directly address pertinent issues. This content will launch April 2, she said.
The Web content will become a new section on CinCHouse.com, Operation Homefront's online community. Dr. Julia Storey, a retired Air Force psychologist, and Tonia Sargent, a Marine wife whose husband suffered severe head injuries, will lead this endeavor, Leyva said.
Local support groups are primarily peer-to-peer with the goal of presenting information on all the programs available for military families, Leyva said.
"However, we will not be allowing command officials and program officials into the inner workings of the support group meetings, as a matter of privacy, unless the support group members specifically request that," Leyva said. "People need to be able to talk openly and without fear of reprisal, and I think command officials understand this."
Operation Homefront is a member of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which highlights the support the nation's servicemembers are receiving from the American public and the corporate sector.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Budget Will Recapitalize, Modernize U.S. Forces
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
March 29, 2007 – The proposed defense budget will modernize and recapitalize the armed forces, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee today. Gates said the proposed budget and the emergency supplemental request will exceed $700 billion. The military needs this money to sustain the force, modernize weapons systems, train forces and build defense capabilities.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace told the representatives that the heavy demand on U.S. forces is unlikely to dissipate in the near future. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff specifically asked the representatives to look hard at the military's increased need for mid-level officers and NCOs.
Pace said embedded training teams in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere help those nations provide for their own security.
"The training that we do with other armed forces rests on the shoulders of our mid-grade soldiers and mid-grade officers," Pace said. "We are peeling off some of those officers and enlisted from operational units. An increase in mid-grades would help us enormously with what lies ahead."
Gates said the budget and concurrent increase of soldiers and Marines will sustain the military by reducing stress on the force and improving quality of life for U.S. troops and their families. The budget also funds ongoing operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the campaign against violent jihadist networks around the globe, he said.
Gates told the representatives to put the budget request in historical context. The request translates to about 4 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. He said it is a significantly smaller percentage of GDP than when the United States was involved in the Vietnam War or the Korean War.
Gates said this amount of money may give people "sticker shock," but it must be viewed in the light of different threats.
"In addition to fighting the war on terror, we face the dangers posed by Iran's and North Korea's nuclear ambitions and the threat they pose to not only their neighbors, but globally, due to their records of proliferation," he said.
He said the United States must be ready to counter the uncertain paths of China and Russia - both pursuing sophisticated military modernization programs. And, he said, there is a range of other challenges, flashpoints and threats in the world.
"In this strategic environment, the resources we devote to defense at this critical time should be at a level to meet those challenges," Gates said. "The costs of defending the nation are high. The only thing costlier would be to fail to commit the resources necessary to defend our interests around the world, and to fail to prepare for the inevitable threats of the future."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
March 29, 2007 – The proposed defense budget will modernize and recapitalize the armed forces, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee today. Gates said the proposed budget and the emergency supplemental request will exceed $700 billion. The military needs this money to sustain the force, modernize weapons systems, train forces and build defense capabilities.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace told the representatives that the heavy demand on U.S. forces is unlikely to dissipate in the near future. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff specifically asked the representatives to look hard at the military's increased need for mid-level officers and NCOs.
Pace said embedded training teams in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere help those nations provide for their own security.
"The training that we do with other armed forces rests on the shoulders of our mid-grade soldiers and mid-grade officers," Pace said. "We are peeling off some of those officers and enlisted from operational units. An increase in mid-grades would help us enormously with what lies ahead."
Gates said the budget and concurrent increase of soldiers and Marines will sustain the military by reducing stress on the force and improving quality of life for U.S. troops and their families. The budget also funds ongoing operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the campaign against violent jihadist networks around the globe, he said.
Gates told the representatives to put the budget request in historical context. The request translates to about 4 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. He said it is a significantly smaller percentage of GDP than when the United States was involved in the Vietnam War or the Korean War.
Gates said this amount of money may give people "sticker shock," but it must be viewed in the light of different threats.
"In addition to fighting the war on terror, we face the dangers posed by Iran's and North Korea's nuclear ambitions and the threat they pose to not only their neighbors, but globally, due to their records of proliferation," he said.
He said the United States must be ready to counter the uncertain paths of China and Russia - both pursuing sophisticated military modernization programs. And, he said, there is a range of other challenges, flashpoints and threats in the world.
"In this strategic environment, the resources we devote to defense at this critical time should be at a level to meet those challenges," Gates said. "The costs of defending the nation are high. The only thing costlier would be to fail to commit the resources necessary to defend our interests around the world, and to fail to prepare for the inevitable threats of the future."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Commentary: Take Time to Thank Unsung Heroes During Women's History Month
By Elaine Wilson
Special to American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – The topic of women came up in my office the other day. We were trying to figure out the best way to highlight Women's History Month in the post newspaper, and we decided to ask a few outstanding women, "If you could be any other woman, who would you be and why?" We received some thought-provoking responses. Acting Army Surgeon General Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock said she would choose Abigail Adams, because she was "an original thinker" who advised against the discrimination of women. Army Col. Patricia Hastings, director, Department of Combat Medic Training, said she would pick Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female physician to graduate with a degree in the United States.
Although they emulate others, Pollock and Hastings are inspirations in their own right. Pollock is the first woman to hold the position of Army surgeon general, and Hastings runs the department that trains the Army medics who have boosted the survival rate out in the field to more than 90 percent.
Pollock and Hastings are just two of the countless notable women who have helped shape American history. As soldiers, they continue a tradition started when women first began to serve in the Army in 1775. They join the ranks of women like Army Brig. Gen. Coral Pietsch, the first woman general officer in the Judge Advocate General Corps, and Army Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, the first woman to achieve three-star rank.
And, more recently, Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester helped her squad repel nearly 30 insurgents during an ambush of her convoy in Iraq. Hester became the first woman since World War I to earn the Silver Star Medal for exceptional valor.
History books and Web pages are filled with stories of these well-known and celebrated women. Their achievements and valor help shape our society and the young women who turn to them for inspiration.
With such high-profile achievements, however, it's too easy to overlook the countless other women whose walls may be less packed with accolades and achievements, but are a source of inspiration nonetheless. You may have seen one today at the desk next to you, in the hall or talked to one on the phone. They are women who do their job with excellence every day, not because they are paid a movie star's salary, but because of their inner drive and work ethic.
Women like my friend Air Force Master Sgt. Melissa Phillips, who is facing her second tour to Iraq in two years. She is handling the looming deployment with a grace and courage that I don't believe I'd have in the same circumstance.
Women who stand by their servicemembers, wounds and all, as they undergo a long, painful rehabilitation process. And any woman - whether a wife, mother, sister or grandmother -- who receives word that her loved one was killed while defending our nation's freedom and still manages to carry on.
I saw one of these heroes on a news report. Renee Ziegel had only dated Marine Cpl. Ty Ziegel for about three months before he was deployed to Iraq. He was severely injured when a suicide bomber detonated a car full of explosives. Ziegel was burned on his face and arms, and his left hand and three fingers on his right hand were amputated. But Renee didn't see the wounds; she only saw him. She stood by him for more than two years of surgery and rehabilitation, and they were married last October.
"If you love somebody, you're going to do what you have to do, no matter what," said Renee in a First Coast News article
Their stories, ones of fortitude and courage, are an inspiration to me. As a journalist, I've been to the Fisher Houses, medical and rehabilitation centers and have witnessed that courage firsthand. And I always ask myself if I would have the same courage faced with the same circumstances. I hope I don't have to find out, but if I do, I know there are women out there that I could turn to for my inspiration.
Take time during Women's History Month, and every other month, to thank an unsung hero. Thank a woman who inspires you, whether she is your mother, sister, friend or co-worker. Perhaps someone also will stop and thank you.
(Elaine Wilson is assigned to the Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office, where she is editor of the Fort Sam Houston News Leader.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have written books.
Special to American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – The topic of women came up in my office the other day. We were trying to figure out the best way to highlight Women's History Month in the post newspaper, and we decided to ask a few outstanding women, "If you could be any other woman, who would you be and why?" We received some thought-provoking responses. Acting Army Surgeon General Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock said she would choose Abigail Adams, because she was "an original thinker" who advised against the discrimination of women. Army Col. Patricia Hastings, director, Department of Combat Medic Training, said she would pick Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female physician to graduate with a degree in the United States.
Although they emulate others, Pollock and Hastings are inspirations in their own right. Pollock is the first woman to hold the position of Army surgeon general, and Hastings runs the department that trains the Army medics who have boosted the survival rate out in the field to more than 90 percent.
Pollock and Hastings are just two of the countless notable women who have helped shape American history. As soldiers, they continue a tradition started when women first began to serve in the Army in 1775. They join the ranks of women like Army Brig. Gen. Coral Pietsch, the first woman general officer in the Judge Advocate General Corps, and Army Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, the first woman to achieve three-star rank.
And, more recently, Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester helped her squad repel nearly 30 insurgents during an ambush of her convoy in Iraq. Hester became the first woman since World War I to earn the Silver Star Medal for exceptional valor.
History books and Web pages are filled with stories of these well-known and celebrated women. Their achievements and valor help shape our society and the young women who turn to them for inspiration.
With such high-profile achievements, however, it's too easy to overlook the countless other women whose walls may be less packed with accolades and achievements, but are a source of inspiration nonetheless. You may have seen one today at the desk next to you, in the hall or talked to one on the phone. They are women who do their job with excellence every day, not because they are paid a movie star's salary, but because of their inner drive and work ethic.
Women like my friend Air Force Master Sgt. Melissa Phillips, who is facing her second tour to Iraq in two years. She is handling the looming deployment with a grace and courage that I don't believe I'd have in the same circumstance.
Women who stand by their servicemembers, wounds and all, as they undergo a long, painful rehabilitation process. And any woman - whether a wife, mother, sister or grandmother -- who receives word that her loved one was killed while defending our nation's freedom and still manages to carry on.
I saw one of these heroes on a news report. Renee Ziegel had only dated Marine Cpl. Ty Ziegel for about three months before he was deployed to Iraq. He was severely injured when a suicide bomber detonated a car full of explosives. Ziegel was burned on his face and arms, and his left hand and three fingers on his right hand were amputated. But Renee didn't see the wounds; she only saw him. She stood by him for more than two years of surgery and rehabilitation, and they were married last October.
"If you love somebody, you're going to do what you have to do, no matter what," said Renee in a First Coast News article
Their stories, ones of fortitude and courage, are an inspiration to me. As a journalist, I've been to the Fisher Houses, medical and rehabilitation centers and have witnessed that courage firsthand. And I always ask myself if I would have the same courage faced with the same circumstances. I hope I don't have to find out, but if I do, I know there are women out there that I could turn to for my inspiration.
Take time during Women's History Month, and every other month, to thank an unsung hero. Thank a woman who inspires you, whether she is your mother, sister, friend or co-worker. Perhaps someone also will stop and thank you.
(Elaine Wilson is assigned to the Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office, where she is editor of the Fort Sam Houston News Leader.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have written books.
First Lady, Military Leaders Praise USO for Troop Support
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – First lady Laura Bush joined military leaders and other luminaries here last night in praising the United Service Organizations for its support for the military as she accepted the 2007 USO of Metropolitan Washington Service Award. The first lady joined Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson and the top brass from the military services at the USO of Metropolitan Washington's 25th annual awards dinner. The star-studded gala, which featured Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson, longtime USO star Connie Stevens, country music stars Michael Peterson and Trace Adkins, and American tenor Daniel Rodriguez, raised $500,000 for USO-Metro programs, officials announced.
"Americans have a responsibility to support our troops, and certainly, no one does it better than the USO," Bush told some 650 attendees at the dinner in Arlington, Va.'s Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
"For 66 years, the USO has lifted the spirits of our troops," she said, recalling the organization's long history of bringing entertainers from Bob Hope and Rita Hayworth to Marilyn Monroe and Ann-Margret to combat zones.
Pace joined the first lady in praising the USO for its long history of supporting U.S. troops around the world. He and Nicholson shared memories of what the USO offered them personally during their military careers, particularly when they served in Vietnam.
The chairman told the audience he remembered what it meant to him, while deployed during the Christmas of 1972, to have Bob Hope and Connie Stevens visit him and his fellow Marines during a USO tour. "It was incredible, a little bit of home," he said.
Addressing Stevens, Pace added with a laugh, "You made a young captain's heart beat pretty hard."
That support for the troops continues today, with the USO providing troops around the world a cup of coffee and someone to talk to when they feel far from home, Pace said. "In so many ways, the USO has taken great care of all of us in uniform, and we are grateful for that," he said.
Bush said the USO's support is more important than ever as an all-volunteer military fights the war on terror. She noted USO-Metro's huge outreach to more than half a million servicemembers and their families, with support ranging from troop-appreciation events to job fairs for military spouses to free phone cards "so that the reassuring voices of loved ones can reach our troops deployed overseas."
Last year alone, USO-Metro volunteers gave 60,000 hours of service. "In every capacity, they've gone above and beyond for our troops," the first lady said.
She described one particular incident in which a Marine returning home from Iraq on emergency leave after learning that his mother had died found himself stranded at the USO lounge in Thurgood Marshall Baltimore-Washington International Airport. "After 42 hours of travel, the Marine arrived at BWI with no tickets or money and too late at night to make travel plans," Bush said.
A quick-thinking USO volunteer wasn't going to let those circumstances stop the Marine from getting home in time for his mother's funeral, Bush said. The volunteer got on the phone and arranged for Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey state troopers to drive the Marine home. "Thanks to these police officers -- and to a resourceful USO volunteer -- the Marine arrived in time to comfort his family, and pay his respects to his mother," she said.
Bush recognized the USO's extensive work visiting wounded servicemembers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., arranging for them to attend sporting events and concerts and bringing celebrity entertainers to cheer them. Even more importantly, she said, the group provides free housing for visiting families to ensure "no soldier has to face the recovery process without their moms and dads, sons and daughters, wives or husbands by their side."
The USO also provides critical emotional support, the first lady said. She noted an exceptional incident in which the USO arranged for Joe Grady, a Marine who lost his arm to a roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq, and his wife, Ashley, who he married while hospitalized, take a honeymoon to the Mexican Rivera. "Throughout Joe's recovery, Ashley recalls the kindness and the support of USO volunteers and staff was overwhelming," Bush said.
"Our armed forces are filled with courageous young people like Joe Grady. They're supported by loving parents, children and spouses like Ashley," she said. "By supporting organizations like the USO, the American people can show their gratitude to these troops and families, who sacrifice so much to keep us safe."
Pace said a common question he and other military leaders get when they visit deployed troops is if the American people are still behind them. "And I always, with great pride, smile and say, 'Your USO is the prime example of how the American people support you.'
"That support is a real, tangible part of saying, 'Yes, the American people are behind us. They are there to help support our servicemembers and their families. ... They have always been there for us, (and they) make a huge impact on our troops."
"The most important thing we can do as Americans is to make sure they know how much they are appreciated for their service and their sacrifice," Nicholson agreed. "That goes the same for those who reach out and support them, ... and the USO does that because it gives a lot of Americans a chance to say thank you."
Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called last night's gala a way to recognize the USO's service to the military.
"The USO is important because it recognizes all the wonderful armed services personnel and what they contribute to the country," he said. "It's a great organization."
During the gala, USO and military officials honored several servicemembers and longtime USO supporters.
Air Force Master Sgt. David Glinski II, who serves with the White House Communications Agency, received the 2007 C. Haskell Small Award and a $1,000 Savings Bond for volunteerism as a firefighter with the Dumfries-Triangle Volunteer Fire Department, in Prince William County, Va.
"It's a humbling experience," Glinski said of last night's recognition. "Volunteering isn't something I do for recognition. It comes from the heart. It's an honor to serve my country and my community."
Pace presented a Bronze Star with "V" device for valor to Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael Bryant, a special agent for the Office of Special Investigations who helped capture 200 insurgents near Kirkuk, Iraq, and protected coalition forces during a terrorist attack on a convoy traveling near Kirkuk Air Base.
Bryant said it felt "a little overwhelming" to be honored so publicly by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and downplayed his personal role in the actions he was honored for. "I really, truly owe this to my team's actions and our training," he said. "When you're in a situation like that, your training takes over. It's an instinct. And we reacted as a team, just like we are supposed to do."
Pace, Giambastiani and Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, Pace's senior enlisted advisor, offered special honors to several servicemembers at last night's event:
-- Retired Army Col. Jack Hyde, who served in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II and stopped Gen. George Patton from going through a roadblock, saving his life;
-- Air Force Sgt. Eric Ezell, who lost an eye in Iraq while serving with the 20th Special Operations Squadron but will remain on active duty after his discharge next week from Walter Reed;
-- Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Patrick Hyde, who was hit by an improvised explosive device while assigned to Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq, but ignored his injuries to help save his comrades;
-- Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven Ruth, who braved eight- to 10-foot seas and 30 knot winds to save a woman being battered at the base of a rocky cliff during a thunderstorm from drowning;
-- Army Sgt. David John Brown, who served as a USO volunteer while recovering at Walter Reed from injuries received from a roadside bomb near an Iraqi police station; and
-- Marine Cpl. Dylan Gray, who lost both legs to an IED attack during his third tour in Iraq and completed his final surgery at the National Naval Medical Center earlier this week before being transferred to Walter Reed for rehabilitation.
Pace also recognized the troops' families, who accompanied them to the gala. "These are the unsung heroes, whose support is so vital," he said.
As the evening drew to a close, Nicholson presented the 2007 USO of Metropolitan Washington Merit Award to country music legend Trace Adkins for his participation in USO tours and ongoing support for U.S. servicemembers.
Adkins said he felt the award was the second time in his career he received recognition he felt he didn't deserve. The first, he said, was when he awarded entry into the Grand Ole Opry.
He acknowledges that he sometimes gets tired of hearing people say they support the troops simply because it's the popular thing to say, but without any real conviction. "I support the troops, ... I support what they do," he said, rousing the group to a standing ovation. I support their mission."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – First lady Laura Bush joined military leaders and other luminaries here last night in praising the United Service Organizations for its support for the military as she accepted the 2007 USO of Metropolitan Washington Service Award. The first lady joined Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson and the top brass from the military services at the USO of Metropolitan Washington's 25th annual awards dinner. The star-studded gala, which featured Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson, longtime USO star Connie Stevens, country music stars Michael Peterson and Trace Adkins, and American tenor Daniel Rodriguez, raised $500,000 for USO-Metro programs, officials announced.
"Americans have a responsibility to support our troops, and certainly, no one does it better than the USO," Bush told some 650 attendees at the dinner in Arlington, Va.'s Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
"For 66 years, the USO has lifted the spirits of our troops," she said, recalling the organization's long history of bringing entertainers from Bob Hope and Rita Hayworth to Marilyn Monroe and Ann-Margret to combat zones.
Pace joined the first lady in praising the USO for its long history of supporting U.S. troops around the world. He and Nicholson shared memories of what the USO offered them personally during their military careers, particularly when they served in Vietnam.
The chairman told the audience he remembered what it meant to him, while deployed during the Christmas of 1972, to have Bob Hope and Connie Stevens visit him and his fellow Marines during a USO tour. "It was incredible, a little bit of home," he said.
Addressing Stevens, Pace added with a laugh, "You made a young captain's heart beat pretty hard."
That support for the troops continues today, with the USO providing troops around the world a cup of coffee and someone to talk to when they feel far from home, Pace said. "In so many ways, the USO has taken great care of all of us in uniform, and we are grateful for that," he said.
Bush said the USO's support is more important than ever as an all-volunteer military fights the war on terror. She noted USO-Metro's huge outreach to more than half a million servicemembers and their families, with support ranging from troop-appreciation events to job fairs for military spouses to free phone cards "so that the reassuring voices of loved ones can reach our troops deployed overseas."
Last year alone, USO-Metro volunteers gave 60,000 hours of service. "In every capacity, they've gone above and beyond for our troops," the first lady said.
She described one particular incident in which a Marine returning home from Iraq on emergency leave after learning that his mother had died found himself stranded at the USO lounge in Thurgood Marshall Baltimore-Washington International Airport. "After 42 hours of travel, the Marine arrived at BWI with no tickets or money and too late at night to make travel plans," Bush said.
A quick-thinking USO volunteer wasn't going to let those circumstances stop the Marine from getting home in time for his mother's funeral, Bush said. The volunteer got on the phone and arranged for Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey state troopers to drive the Marine home. "Thanks to these police officers -- and to a resourceful USO volunteer -- the Marine arrived in time to comfort his family, and pay his respects to his mother," she said.
Bush recognized the USO's extensive work visiting wounded servicemembers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., arranging for them to attend sporting events and concerts and bringing celebrity entertainers to cheer them. Even more importantly, she said, the group provides free housing for visiting families to ensure "no soldier has to face the recovery process without their moms and dads, sons and daughters, wives or husbands by their side."
The USO also provides critical emotional support, the first lady said. She noted an exceptional incident in which the USO arranged for Joe Grady, a Marine who lost his arm to a roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq, and his wife, Ashley, who he married while hospitalized, take a honeymoon to the Mexican Rivera. "Throughout Joe's recovery, Ashley recalls the kindness and the support of USO volunteers and staff was overwhelming," Bush said.
"Our armed forces are filled with courageous young people like Joe Grady. They're supported by loving parents, children and spouses like Ashley," she said. "By supporting organizations like the USO, the American people can show their gratitude to these troops and families, who sacrifice so much to keep us safe."
Pace said a common question he and other military leaders get when they visit deployed troops is if the American people are still behind them. "And I always, with great pride, smile and say, 'Your USO is the prime example of how the American people support you.'
"That support is a real, tangible part of saying, 'Yes, the American people are behind us. They are there to help support our servicemembers and their families. ... They have always been there for us, (and they) make a huge impact on our troops."
"The most important thing we can do as Americans is to make sure they know how much they are appreciated for their service and their sacrifice," Nicholson agreed. "That goes the same for those who reach out and support them, ... and the USO does that because it gives a lot of Americans a chance to say thank you."
Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called last night's gala a way to recognize the USO's service to the military.
"The USO is important because it recognizes all the wonderful armed services personnel and what they contribute to the country," he said. "It's a great organization."
During the gala, USO and military officials honored several servicemembers and longtime USO supporters.
Air Force Master Sgt. David Glinski II, who serves with the White House Communications Agency, received the 2007 C. Haskell Small Award and a $1,000 Savings Bond for volunteerism as a firefighter with the Dumfries-Triangle Volunteer Fire Department, in Prince William County, Va.
"It's a humbling experience," Glinski said of last night's recognition. "Volunteering isn't something I do for recognition. It comes from the heart. It's an honor to serve my country and my community."
Pace presented a Bronze Star with "V" device for valor to Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael Bryant, a special agent for the Office of Special Investigations who helped capture 200 insurgents near Kirkuk, Iraq, and protected coalition forces during a terrorist attack on a convoy traveling near Kirkuk Air Base.
Bryant said it felt "a little overwhelming" to be honored so publicly by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and downplayed his personal role in the actions he was honored for. "I really, truly owe this to my team's actions and our training," he said. "When you're in a situation like that, your training takes over. It's an instinct. And we reacted as a team, just like we are supposed to do."
Pace, Giambastiani and Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, Pace's senior enlisted advisor, offered special honors to several servicemembers at last night's event:
-- Retired Army Col. Jack Hyde, who served in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II and stopped Gen. George Patton from going through a roadblock, saving his life;
-- Air Force Sgt. Eric Ezell, who lost an eye in Iraq while serving with the 20th Special Operations Squadron but will remain on active duty after his discharge next week from Walter Reed;
-- Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Patrick Hyde, who was hit by an improvised explosive device while assigned to Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq, but ignored his injuries to help save his comrades;
-- Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven Ruth, who braved eight- to 10-foot seas and 30 knot winds to save a woman being battered at the base of a rocky cliff during a thunderstorm from drowning;
-- Army Sgt. David John Brown, who served as a USO volunteer while recovering at Walter Reed from injuries received from a roadside bomb near an Iraqi police station; and
-- Marine Cpl. Dylan Gray, who lost both legs to an IED attack during his third tour in Iraq and completed his final surgery at the National Naval Medical Center earlier this week before being transferred to Walter Reed for rehabilitation.
Pace also recognized the troops' families, who accompanied them to the gala. "These are the unsung heroes, whose support is so vital," he said.
As the evening drew to a close, Nicholson presented the 2007 USO of Metropolitan Washington Merit Award to country music legend Trace Adkins for his participation in USO tours and ongoing support for U.S. servicemembers.
Adkins said he felt the award was the second time in his career he received recognition he felt he didn't deserve. The first, he said, was when he awarded entry into the Grand Ole Opry.
He acknowledges that he sometimes gets tired of hearing people say they support the troops simply because it's the popular thing to say, but without any real conviction. "I support the troops, ... I support what they do," he said, rousing the group to a standing ovation. I support their mission."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have written books.
Defense Department Emphasizes Employee Safety, Occupational Health
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – Safety is critical to readiness, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness told safety officers attending the Voluntary Protection Program conference here yesterday. "Every asset we keep in peacetime is an asset we can apply against the enemy in war," Joseph Angello said. "Every person we keep healthy and fit is a person in our unit who is serving against the enemy."
DoD spends more than $3 billion in direct costs associated with aviation and ground accidents, military injuries, and civilian worker compensation, Angello told the audience. "Those are resources we could be using for systems and people to defend our country."
Defense officials are pushing for leaders to better understand the importance of safety and are aiming for a 75 percent accident reduction rate throughout the force, Angello said.
For a second year, DoD is participating in the Voluntary Protection Program, designed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to improve safety records and readiness of its civilian and military personnel.
The program is recognized as an accident reduction "best practice" for the private sector to improve safety in industrial operations and has been adopted by the Defense Safety Oversight Council's Installations Task Force, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment Safety and Occupational Health Tad Davis said.
Private sector VPP participants have seen a 60 percent reduction in injuries, 20 percent reduction in worker's compensation costs, and a 150 percent return on investments, program officials said.
"We saw VPP as one of private industry's best practices," Davis said. "Our needs are similar but unique compared to the private sector."
Army safety officials, with Davis in the lead, created the DoD VPP Center of Excellence to ensure that 40 new installations each year work to implement injury reduction throughout the armed forces.
"If we can apply lessons learned from the first two years, then we'll have insights that will allow us to do it smarter, quicker and more economically at these installations down the road," Davis said.
The focus of the two-day conference is to acknowledge good work that has been done thus far on installations and gain insights from the installations that have already implemented the program, he said. Participants also came together to discuss ways to improve the processes installations are using to prevent injuries and improve mishap prevention.
Panel members and speakers repeatedly expressed the importance of senior military and installation leaders championing safety efforts and filtering that information down to each individual. "People don't really care what you have to say until you show you care about them," Navy Capt. Mike McKinnon, commander or Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., said. "The key to success is the leadership at the top."
McKinnon said the key to VPP success is attitude. "It's not just eight hours while you're at work; it's 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," he said.
To date, four Navy bases and an Army installation have been recognized by OSHA as attaining "star status" for their safety efforts. DoD has set the goal of participating VPP installations to achieve this status within two years of joining the program.
By incorporating leadership and employees into worksite analysis, hazard prevention, and safety and health training, officials hope ultimately to save DoD billions of dollars.
"The lynchpin has been the tremendous support from senior leadership," Davis said. "This has to start at the top and permeate down to individual soldiers, civilians and contractors."
"The Department of Defense is a world-class organization," Angello said. "We're going to demonstrate our commitment to this program where the rubber meets the rank."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – Safety is critical to readiness, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness told safety officers attending the Voluntary Protection Program conference here yesterday. "Every asset we keep in peacetime is an asset we can apply against the enemy in war," Joseph Angello said. "Every person we keep healthy and fit is a person in our unit who is serving against the enemy."
DoD spends more than $3 billion in direct costs associated with aviation and ground accidents, military injuries, and civilian worker compensation, Angello told the audience. "Those are resources we could be using for systems and people to defend our country."
Defense officials are pushing for leaders to better understand the importance of safety and are aiming for a 75 percent accident reduction rate throughout the force, Angello said.
For a second year, DoD is participating in the Voluntary Protection Program, designed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to improve safety records and readiness of its civilian and military personnel.
The program is recognized as an accident reduction "best practice" for the private sector to improve safety in industrial operations and has been adopted by the Defense Safety Oversight Council's Installations Task Force, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment Safety and Occupational Health Tad Davis said.
Private sector VPP participants have seen a 60 percent reduction in injuries, 20 percent reduction in worker's compensation costs, and a 150 percent return on investments, program officials said.
"We saw VPP as one of private industry's best practices," Davis said. "Our needs are similar but unique compared to the private sector."
Army safety officials, with Davis in the lead, created the DoD VPP Center of Excellence to ensure that 40 new installations each year work to implement injury reduction throughout the armed forces.
"If we can apply lessons learned from the first two years, then we'll have insights that will allow us to do it smarter, quicker and more economically at these installations down the road," Davis said.
The focus of the two-day conference is to acknowledge good work that has been done thus far on installations and gain insights from the installations that have already implemented the program, he said. Participants also came together to discuss ways to improve the processes installations are using to prevent injuries and improve mishap prevention.
Panel members and speakers repeatedly expressed the importance of senior military and installation leaders championing safety efforts and filtering that information down to each individual. "People don't really care what you have to say until you show you care about them," Navy Capt. Mike McKinnon, commander or Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., said. "The key to success is the leadership at the top."
McKinnon said the key to VPP success is attitude. "It's not just eight hours while you're at work; it's 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," he said.
To date, four Navy bases and an Army installation have been recognized by OSHA as attaining "star status" for their safety efforts. DoD has set the goal of participating VPP installations to achieve this status within two years of joining the program.
By incorporating leadership and employees into worksite analysis, hazard prevention, and safety and health training, officials hope ultimately to save DoD billions of dollars.
"The lynchpin has been the tremendous support from senior leadership," Davis said. "This has to start at the top and permeate down to individual soldiers, civilians and contractors."
"The Department of Defense is a world-class organization," Angello said. "We're going to demonstrate our commitment to this program where the rubber meets the rank."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have written books.
U.S. Marines Thank Lebanese Military for Efforts
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – The commander of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit today honored the Lebanese army for its assistance in the largest evacuation of U.S. civilians from a foreign country. In a Pentagon ceremony, U.S. Marine Col. Ron Johnson expressed his appreciation to the Lebanese armed forces for their assistance in evacuating 15,000 Americans from the country in July following an eruption in violence when the militant group Hezbollah kidnapped an Israeli soldier.
"The Lebanese armed forces and international security forces performed superbly and gave us everything we needed to get our mission accomplished," Johnson said. "I thought it important that our Lebanese friends know just how much we appreciate their cooperation during the evacuation."
Due to the heightened tension following the kidnapping, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon authorized the departure of embassy personnel from the country July 15. Since Beirut International Airport had been bombed, military assistance was required to transport U.S. citizens to safety by other means.
Johnson, whose unit was conducting a training exercise in the Jordanian desert at the time, sent a detachment of more than 100 Marines and three helicopters to the island of Cyprus to lay the groundwork for the arrival of the rest of the unit to assist in civilian evacuation efforts.
Within 24 hours, the Marines secured the U.S. Embassy and airlifted the first group of citizens to Cyprus.
The Lebanese military's assistance was imperative, Johnson said. "We didn't have access to a port, but the Lebanese not only secured a beach for us, they assisted by providing security along evacuation routes and debarkation points."
By working with embassy officials and using a combination of aircraft and sea vessels, the 24th MEU and the USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group worked to assist 15,000 U.S. citizens to safety within two weeks of the start of evacuation efforts.
"Thanks in no small part to (Lebanese) efforts, the operation concluded without a single loss of life or serious injury," Johnson said.
"I am very proud to hear such praise from a U.S. officer," said Brig. Gen. Abdul Hamid Darwich, Lebanese defense attache to the United States. "It was our duty to get all our American guests out of the country to safety."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – The commander of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit today honored the Lebanese army for its assistance in the largest evacuation of U.S. civilians from a foreign country. In a Pentagon ceremony, U.S. Marine Col. Ron Johnson expressed his appreciation to the Lebanese armed forces for their assistance in evacuating 15,000 Americans from the country in July following an eruption in violence when the militant group Hezbollah kidnapped an Israeli soldier.
"The Lebanese armed forces and international security forces performed superbly and gave us everything we needed to get our mission accomplished," Johnson said. "I thought it important that our Lebanese friends know just how much we appreciate their cooperation during the evacuation."
Due to the heightened tension following the kidnapping, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon authorized the departure of embassy personnel from the country July 15. Since Beirut International Airport had been bombed, military assistance was required to transport U.S. citizens to safety by other means.
Johnson, whose unit was conducting a training exercise in the Jordanian desert at the time, sent a detachment of more than 100 Marines and three helicopters to the island of Cyprus to lay the groundwork for the arrival of the rest of the unit to assist in civilian evacuation efforts.
Within 24 hours, the Marines secured the U.S. Embassy and airlifted the first group of citizens to Cyprus.
The Lebanese military's assistance was imperative, Johnson said. "We didn't have access to a port, but the Lebanese not only secured a beach for us, they assisted by providing security along evacuation routes and debarkation points."
By working with embassy officials and using a combination of aircraft and sea vessels, the 24th MEU and the USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group worked to assist 15,000 U.S. citizens to safety within two weeks of the start of evacuation efforts.
"Thanks in no small part to (Lebanese) efforts, the operation concluded without a single loss of life or serious injury," Johnson said.
"I am very proud to hear such praise from a U.S. officer," said Brig. Gen. Abdul Hamid Darwich, Lebanese defense attache to the United States. "It was our duty to get all our American guests out of the country to safety."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have written books.
Angles on Corrections
Editor's Note: One of the writers is a former airborne.
Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books, added three writers who give different perspectives on the corrections system; one is a cop who is an expert in conducting investigations in prisons; one is a cop who went to prison; and, the third wrote a thriller were the offenders skip the prison experience.
William Bell comes from a family whose involvement with law enforcement dates back to the Civil War. His own education and career spans more than thirty years. Greatly influenced by his father, a retired Police Inspector, he began with the Dearborn Police Department (Michigan) where his responsibilities included work in road patrol, SWAT, undercover narcotics, and pattern crime. For nearly twenty years the author has been employed by the Colorado Department of Corrections, where he ultimately gained his expertise with the Criminal Investigation Division. He is noted for taking the investigation of prison crime into the streets. He reflects is practical as well as academic excellence in his book, Practical Criminal Investigations in Correctional Facilities.
Lines Crossed is the true story of Alex Richardson, a Lake County Sheriff’s Department (Indiana) a narcotics detective who was ultimately sentenced to federal prison for taking a bribe from a drug dealer. His book, Lines Crossed: the True Story of an Undercover Cop, describes the activities of the County drug task force; and, “he also reveals his gambling habit, and the corruption that takes place while working narcotics.”
Alex Richardson grew up in Gary, Indiana. He left at the age of 18, joining the Army where he was a military policeman. He graduated Airborne School becoming a paratrooper, then finished his enlistment by serving in a special operations unit at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. After his military duties he served as a patrolman on the Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Department before serving over two years as an undercover detective on the Lake County Drug Task Force.
Mark Osterman, a Detroit Police Department police officer wrote two crime thrillers: Happiness is a Green Light and Justifiable Homicide. According to the book description from Justifiable Homicide, “In this sad aftermath, Jack began his secret war on crime. He joined the Detroit Police Department and rose through the ranks to become a detective. However, Jack's after-hours activities included a different method for reducing crime statistics. This one-man crusade served as judge, jury and executioner.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 429 police officers (representing 189 police departments) and their 908 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books, added three writers who give different perspectives on the corrections system; one is a cop who is an expert in conducting investigations in prisons; one is a cop who went to prison; and, the third wrote a thriller were the offenders skip the prison experience.
William Bell comes from a family whose involvement with law enforcement dates back to the Civil War. His own education and career spans more than thirty years. Greatly influenced by his father, a retired Police Inspector, he began with the Dearborn Police Department (Michigan) where his responsibilities included work in road patrol, SWAT, undercover narcotics, and pattern crime. For nearly twenty years the author has been employed by the Colorado Department of Corrections, where he ultimately gained his expertise with the Criminal Investigation Division. He is noted for taking the investigation of prison crime into the streets. He reflects is practical as well as academic excellence in his book, Practical Criminal Investigations in Correctional Facilities.
Lines Crossed is the true story of Alex Richardson, a Lake County Sheriff’s Department (Indiana) a narcotics detective who was ultimately sentenced to federal prison for taking a bribe from a drug dealer. His book, Lines Crossed: the True Story of an Undercover Cop, describes the activities of the County drug task force; and, “he also reveals his gambling habit, and the corruption that takes place while working narcotics.”
Alex Richardson grew up in Gary, Indiana. He left at the age of 18, joining the Army where he was a military policeman. He graduated Airborne School becoming a paratrooper, then finished his enlistment by serving in a special operations unit at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. After his military duties he served as a patrolman on the Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Department before serving over two years as an undercover detective on the Lake County Drug Task Force.
Mark Osterman, a Detroit Police Department police officer wrote two crime thrillers: Happiness is a Green Light and Justifiable Homicide. According to the book description from Justifiable Homicide, “In this sad aftermath, Jack began his secret war on crime. He joined the Detroit Police Department and rose through the ranks to become a detective. However, Jack's after-hours activities included a different method for reducing crime statistics. This one-man crusade served as judge, jury and executioner.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 429 police officers (representing 189 police departments) and their 908 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Congress Honors Tuskegee Airmen With Its Most Distinguished Civilian Award
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
March 29, 2007 – Before a U.S. aircraft broke the sound barrier, the Tuskegee Airmen overcame a daunting social hurdle: breaking the Air Force's color barrier. In the Capitol Rotunda here today, President Bush and Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen, more than 60 years after the 332nd Fighter Group's World War II achievements that were made bittersweet by the racial discrimination they endured after returning home.
"I thank you for the honor you have brought to our country, and the medal you are about to receive means that our country honors you," Bush said to the roughly 300-member audience of surviving airmen, Tuskegee Airmen widows and other relatives, before presenting the congressional award.
Bush said he has a strong interest in World War II airmen because one raised him.
"(My father) flew with a group of brave young men who endured difficult times in the defense of our country. Yet for all they sacrificed and all they lost, in a way they were very fortunate," he said. "They never had the burden of having their every mission, their every success, their every failure viewed through the color of their skin; ... nobody refused their salutes."
The Tuskegee Airmen fought two wars -- one in the European theater and another in the hearts and minds of the nation's citizens, he said.
Saying he wanted to "offer a gesture to help atone for all the unreturned salutes and unforgivable indignities," Bush held his straightened right hand to his brow and saluted the airmen. After returning his salute, the airmen remained standing and applauded.
Speaking on behalf of the Tuskegee Airmen, Dr. Roscoe Brown, a former commander of the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, thanked Bush and the House and Senate for "voting unanimously to award this medal collectively to the pilots, bombardiers, the navigators, the mechanics, the ground officers, the enlisted men and women who served with the Tuskegee Airmen."
"Over 60 years ago we were flying in the skies over Europe defending our country, and at the same time fighting the battle against racial segregation," he said. "Because of our great record and our persistence, we inspired revolutionary reform which led to integration in the armed forces in 1948. As the president said, (this) provided a symbol for America that all people can contribute to this country and be treated fairly."
Brown, a Distinguished Flying Cross recipient and the first U.S. pilot to down a German Messerschmitt jet, said that the Tuskegee Airmen are very pleased to have been in the forefront of the struggle for freedom and justice in this country.
Sen. Carl Levin and Rep. Charles Rangel were the chief congressional champions in the House and Senate to get the medal awarded to the airmen.
"Nobody, white or black, in this country can understand how God has given you so much courage," Rangel said, addressing the airmen. "From a nation that had rejected you because of your color, said you couldn't fly, said you just weren't worthy, you had to go out there and prove to them just how wrong they were.
"And how tragic was it to see, ... after you came back to this great country, how German prisoners of war were treated better than you were on your return?" he said. "But somehow, whatever God had given you, it didn't cause you to stop. Every one of you in the different towns that I've been to are still continuing to protect this great country, though perhaps not in the skies, but in the battles on the streets, talking to the kids, giving them self-esteem."
Levis listed some of the airmen's feats: 15,000 combat sorties flown, 260 enemy aircraft destroyed, 1,000 black pilots flew missions, 150 Flying Crosses and Legions of Merit earned, and more than 700 Air Medals and clusters earned.
Recognizing other African-American groundbreakers, former U.S. Secretary of State and retired Gen. Colin L. Powell named the Golden 13, the Montford Point Marines and the 555th Paratroopers -- the Tuskegee Airmen's naval, Marine, and Army counterparts, respectively.
"I benefited from what you and so many others did. It is a rich history," he said. "I stand so proudly before you today but I know in the depth of my heart that the only reason I'm able to stand proudly before you today is because you stood proudly for America 60 years ago."
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
American Forces Press Service
March 29, 2007 – Before a U.S. aircraft broke the sound barrier, the Tuskegee Airmen overcame a daunting social hurdle: breaking the Air Force's color barrier. In the Capitol Rotunda here today, President Bush and Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen, more than 60 years after the 332nd Fighter Group's World War II achievements that were made bittersweet by the racial discrimination they endured after returning home.
"I thank you for the honor you have brought to our country, and the medal you are about to receive means that our country honors you," Bush said to the roughly 300-member audience of surviving airmen, Tuskegee Airmen widows and other relatives, before presenting the congressional award.
Bush said he has a strong interest in World War II airmen because one raised him.
"(My father) flew with a group of brave young men who endured difficult times in the defense of our country. Yet for all they sacrificed and all they lost, in a way they were very fortunate," he said. "They never had the burden of having their every mission, their every success, their every failure viewed through the color of their skin; ... nobody refused their salutes."
The Tuskegee Airmen fought two wars -- one in the European theater and another in the hearts and minds of the nation's citizens, he said.
Saying he wanted to "offer a gesture to help atone for all the unreturned salutes and unforgivable indignities," Bush held his straightened right hand to his brow and saluted the airmen. After returning his salute, the airmen remained standing and applauded.
Speaking on behalf of the Tuskegee Airmen, Dr. Roscoe Brown, a former commander of the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, thanked Bush and the House and Senate for "voting unanimously to award this medal collectively to the pilots, bombardiers, the navigators, the mechanics, the ground officers, the enlisted men and women who served with the Tuskegee Airmen."
"Over 60 years ago we were flying in the skies over Europe defending our country, and at the same time fighting the battle against racial segregation," he said. "Because of our great record and our persistence, we inspired revolutionary reform which led to integration in the armed forces in 1948. As the president said, (this) provided a symbol for America that all people can contribute to this country and be treated fairly."
Brown, a Distinguished Flying Cross recipient and the first U.S. pilot to down a German Messerschmitt jet, said that the Tuskegee Airmen are very pleased to have been in the forefront of the struggle for freedom and justice in this country.
Sen. Carl Levin and Rep. Charles Rangel were the chief congressional champions in the House and Senate to get the medal awarded to the airmen.
"Nobody, white or black, in this country can understand how God has given you so much courage," Rangel said, addressing the airmen. "From a nation that had rejected you because of your color, said you couldn't fly, said you just weren't worthy, you had to go out there and prove to them just how wrong they were.
"And how tragic was it to see, ... after you came back to this great country, how German prisoners of war were treated better than you were on your return?" he said. "But somehow, whatever God had given you, it didn't cause you to stop. Every one of you in the different towns that I've been to are still continuing to protect this great country, though perhaps not in the skies, but in the battles on the streets, talking to the kids, giving them self-esteem."
Levis listed some of the airmen's feats: 15,000 combat sorties flown, 260 enemy aircraft destroyed, 1,000 black pilots flew missions, 150 Flying Crosses and Legions of Merit earned, and more than 700 Air Medals and clusters earned.
Recognizing other African-American groundbreakers, former U.S. Secretary of State and retired Gen. Colin L. Powell named the Golden 13, the Montford Point Marines and the 555th Paratroopers -- the Tuskegee Airmen's naval, Marine, and Army counterparts, respectively.
"I benefited from what you and so many others did. It is a rich history," he said. "I stand so proudly before you today but I know in the depth of my heart that the only reason I'm able to stand proudly before you today is because you stood proudly for America 60 years ago."
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
'Salute Our Services' Supports GIs, Families
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – A northern-Virginia-based nonprofit organization has provided worldwide assistance to families of deployed U.S. servicemembers for the past six years. Founded in mid-2001, Salute Our Services augments existing military family support programs by providing information and services for spouses and children of deployed military members, Patricia Johnson, the group's chief executive officer, said from her office in Reston, Va., during a phone interview with American Forces Press Service.
Sharing information and concerns with other military spouses who've experienced times when their spouses were deployed "provides you with perspective and makes you better prepared and equipped to handle it in a good way," Johnson, a military spouse herself, explained.
Johnson recalled feeling isolated years ago when her husband was away on deployments. Family members belonging to his Maryland-based Army reserve unit were dispersed across several states, she noted.
Johnson's unease was made worse, she said, because, "I wasn't part of a crowd that had military experience."
An SOS-sponsored virtual family readiness group Internet site was established in 2002, Johnson said. It provided spouses of deployed servicemembers who may live hundreds of miles apart the ability to share information of mutual interest.
Today, those secure sites are managed by U.S. Army Community and Family Services, she said, and they service at least 1,000 Army units across the United States.
SOS is proud to partner with America Supports You, a Defense-Department sponsored program highlighting the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers, Johnson said.
"America Supports You has been great," Johnson said. Association with the DoD program has helped her organization obtain assistance from high-profile celebrities such as National Basketball Association superstar Shaquille O'Neal, she said.
The SOS group manages a mentorship program that connects military family members experiencing a spouse's deployment for the first time with someone who's already been through that experience, Johnson said.
SOS-provided assistance for military families also includes grants and other programs, Johnson said. For example, one initiative provides military families with deployed spouses living in Fairfax County, Va., with free admission to county-provided recreational activities.
Other programs offer family outings to local professional sporting events, Johnson said. And O'Neal is participating in the SOS-sponsored "A Thousand Thanks to Military Children" program. The Miami Heat player is helping to send out thank you letters to children of deployed servicemembers.
Each letter is personalized "so that the child realizes that Dad or Mom, whoever is deployed, is thinking about them," Johnson said.
Studies show military members perform better during deployments if they're not distracted by family issues from back home, she said.
"If they don't have to worry about us back home, then they are better able to do their jobs," Johnson pointed out.
Karen McCoy, 42, the wife of a Virginia Army National Guard staff sergeant, obtained SOS grants for her son and daughter after her husband deployed in December 2005 for more than a year of duty in Kosovo.
McCoy used one grant for ballet lessons for her then-11-year-old daughter, she said. The other grant, she added, paid for her then-10-year-old actor son's voice lessons. These after-school activities, McCoy explained, helped to keep her children engaged in positive activities while their father was away.
SOS offers much-appreciated assistance for military families, McCoy, a Herndon, Va., resident, said. Organization representatives "were always asking if there was anything more that they could provide," she recalled.
"Salute Our Services was very responsive," McCoy said. "They are full of energy and very helpful."
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – A northern-Virginia-based nonprofit organization has provided worldwide assistance to families of deployed U.S. servicemembers for the past six years. Founded in mid-2001, Salute Our Services augments existing military family support programs by providing information and services for spouses and children of deployed military members, Patricia Johnson, the group's chief executive officer, said from her office in Reston, Va., during a phone interview with American Forces Press Service.
Sharing information and concerns with other military spouses who've experienced times when their spouses were deployed "provides you with perspective and makes you better prepared and equipped to handle it in a good way," Johnson, a military spouse herself, explained.
Johnson recalled feeling isolated years ago when her husband was away on deployments. Family members belonging to his Maryland-based Army reserve unit were dispersed across several states, she noted.
Johnson's unease was made worse, she said, because, "I wasn't part of a crowd that had military experience."
An SOS-sponsored virtual family readiness group Internet site was established in 2002, Johnson said. It provided spouses of deployed servicemembers who may live hundreds of miles apart the ability to share information of mutual interest.
Today, those secure sites are managed by U.S. Army Community and Family Services, she said, and they service at least 1,000 Army units across the United States.
SOS is proud to partner with America Supports You, a Defense-Department sponsored program highlighting the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers, Johnson said.
"America Supports You has been great," Johnson said. Association with the DoD program has helped her organization obtain assistance from high-profile celebrities such as National Basketball Association superstar Shaquille O'Neal, she said.
The SOS group manages a mentorship program that connects military family members experiencing a spouse's deployment for the first time with someone who's already been through that experience, Johnson said.
SOS-provided assistance for military families also includes grants and other programs, Johnson said. For example, one initiative provides military families with deployed spouses living in Fairfax County, Va., with free admission to county-provided recreational activities.
Other programs offer family outings to local professional sporting events, Johnson said. And O'Neal is participating in the SOS-sponsored "A Thousand Thanks to Military Children" program. The Miami Heat player is helping to send out thank you letters to children of deployed servicemembers.
Each letter is personalized "so that the child realizes that Dad or Mom, whoever is deployed, is thinking about them," Johnson said.
Studies show military members perform better during deployments if they're not distracted by family issues from back home, she said.
"If they don't have to worry about us back home, then they are better able to do their jobs," Johnson pointed out.
Karen McCoy, 42, the wife of a Virginia Army National Guard staff sergeant, obtained SOS grants for her son and daughter after her husband deployed in December 2005 for more than a year of duty in Kosovo.
McCoy used one grant for ballet lessons for her then-11-year-old daughter, she said. The other grant, she added, paid for her then-10-year-old actor son's voice lessons. These after-school activities, McCoy explained, helped to keep her children engaged in positive activities while their father was away.
SOS offers much-appreciated assistance for military families, McCoy, a Herndon, Va., resident, said. Organization representatives "were always asking if there was anything more that they could provide," she recalled.
"Salute Our Services was very responsive," McCoy said. "They are full of energy and very helpful."
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
Inspector General Nominee Finds Inspiration in Deployed Troops
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – Retired Army Lt. Gen. Claude M. "Mick" Kicklighter was in Afghanistan leading an assessment team for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in December when he was asked to consider being nominated by President Bush to be the Defense Department's inspector general. Kicklighter, who was a sergeant in the Army Reserve when he graduated from college and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, said past and present servicemembers have inspired him to continue a life of public service since he retired from the Army in 1991.
"I spent almost 36 years on active duty," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday at his confirmation hearing. "And as I was retiring, I was asked to plan and lead and oversee the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of World War II and assist our nation in thanking and honoring the men and women in the greatest generation, who saved not only this nation but literally saved the world."
This led to other jobs in the State, Defense and Veterans Affairs departments over the next 15 years, he said, and the opportunity to see today's military in action made him readily accept the challenge of becoming DoD's new IG.
"Having been on the ground a number of times in Iraq and Afghanistan with these magnificent men and women fighting this global war against terrorism," he said, "it is impossible for me not to want to do all I can to support this, another great generation of Americans."
Kicklighter promised to bring "leadership, management skills and a broad-gauge approach" to the position.
"There's no doubt there's much that I have to learn and relearn," he acknowledged. "But if confirmed, I look forward to joining the IG family, and together we'll continue to build the IG team that our troops, their families, the Department of Defense and this Congress and the American people have a right to expect."
He pledged that the IG's office would remain independent and objective and would keep keep Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the Congress "fully and currently informed."
Kicklighter currently serves as director of the Iraq-Afghanistan Transition Planning Group. Prior to this, he served as chief of staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Earlier in his career, he served as special advisor for stabilization and security operations in Iraq and Afghanistan at the State Department.
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – Retired Army Lt. Gen. Claude M. "Mick" Kicklighter was in Afghanistan leading an assessment team for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in December when he was asked to consider being nominated by President Bush to be the Defense Department's inspector general. Kicklighter, who was a sergeant in the Army Reserve when he graduated from college and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, said past and present servicemembers have inspired him to continue a life of public service since he retired from the Army in 1991.
"I spent almost 36 years on active duty," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday at his confirmation hearing. "And as I was retiring, I was asked to plan and lead and oversee the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of World War II and assist our nation in thanking and honoring the men and women in the greatest generation, who saved not only this nation but literally saved the world."
This led to other jobs in the State, Defense and Veterans Affairs departments over the next 15 years, he said, and the opportunity to see today's military in action made him readily accept the challenge of becoming DoD's new IG.
"Having been on the ground a number of times in Iraq and Afghanistan with these magnificent men and women fighting this global war against terrorism," he said, "it is impossible for me not to want to do all I can to support this, another great generation of Americans."
Kicklighter promised to bring "leadership, management skills and a broad-gauge approach" to the position.
"There's no doubt there's much that I have to learn and relearn," he acknowledged. "But if confirmed, I look forward to joining the IG family, and together we'll continue to build the IG team that our troops, their families, the Department of Defense and this Congress and the American people have a right to expect."
He pledged that the IG's office would remain independent and objective and would keep keep Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the Congress "fully and currently informed."
Kicklighter currently serves as director of the Iraq-Afghanistan Transition Planning Group. Prior to this, he served as chief of staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Earlier in his career, he served as special advisor for stabilization and security operations in Iraq and Afghanistan at the State Department.
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
Missile Defense System Protects United States, Allies
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – The United States has been fielding a missile defense system aimed toward defending itself, its deployed forces and its allies against emerging threats, a top military official said today. “We initially turned our attention to North Korea, because we felt that that had the higher sense of urgency, and we believe that that was somewhat justified by the activities last summer," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry A. "Trey" Obering III, director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, referring to North Korea's July 2006 missile tests.
"We have since begun to turn our attention to Iran, as well," he told reporters at a State Department foreign press briefing here on missile defense and Europe.
Obering said he's briefed the NATO-Russia Council and has opened discussions with German, French and Ukrainian officials in their respective European capitals. Talks with the Czech Republic and Poland are ongoing, and visits to Spain, Turkey, Greece and Hungary to discuss missile defense issues will take place in coming weeks, he said.
During these discussions, Obering said has been asked several recurring questions.
"I get asked, 'Well, first of all, doesn't this upset the balance that we've achieved in the past between deterrence? And what about arms control? Doesn't this contradict arms control measures?'" he said.
Obering said he reminds European officials that missile defense is part of a spectrum.
"It's part of an entire toolbox that we try to use to address the ballistic missile threat," he said. "At one end of that spectrum you have deterrence, and we believe that that is still a very viable concept.
"We also believe, though, that we may come into contact with nation-states or non-state actors that are not deterrable, that are not affected by arms control measures," he continued. "And when you have warheads flying in the air, it is a moral obligation to do something about that for the population (rather) than turning around and just saying, 'Sorry, we can't do anything about that.'"
Obering said ballistic missiles, which have proliferated for many years around the world, would be made less valuable by a global missile defense system.
"If you begin to deploy defensive capabilities to where you can negate these missiles, it begins to devalue them ... to the nations or to the organizations (that have them), because we believe we can render them ineffective," he said.
Obering emphasized that missile defense weapons are "defensive assets."
"These are not offensive missiles. They do not even carry warheads. There are no explosives on these missiles," he said. "We operate on a hit-to-kill technology, which is we actually drive a very small kill vehicle into an enemy warhead to destroy it."
This method is effective, Obering said, because the missiles used are so small and fast, they destroy enemy warheads with kinetic energy. "In fact, the kill vehicles that we're talking about that would be placed on the interceptors in Poland are no more than about 70 to 75 kilograms," he said.
Listing the system's recent benchmarks, Obering said that since 2001, the United States has had 24 successful hit-to-kill intercepts in about 32 attempts, including about 15 consecutive successful intercepts, over roughly the past two and a half years.
"We have had very good success in the past two and a half years with respect to testing of this system," he said. "It is a capability that does work, and that we will rely on as we move into this 21st century."
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
American Forces Press Service
March 28, 2007 – The United States has been fielding a missile defense system aimed toward defending itself, its deployed forces and its allies against emerging threats, a top military official said today. “We initially turned our attention to North Korea, because we felt that that had the higher sense of urgency, and we believe that that was somewhat justified by the activities last summer," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry A. "Trey" Obering III, director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, referring to North Korea's July 2006 missile tests.
"We have since begun to turn our attention to Iran, as well," he told reporters at a State Department foreign press briefing here on missile defense and Europe.
Obering said he's briefed the NATO-Russia Council and has opened discussions with German, French and Ukrainian officials in their respective European capitals. Talks with the Czech Republic and Poland are ongoing, and visits to Spain, Turkey, Greece and Hungary to discuss missile defense issues will take place in coming weeks, he said.
During these discussions, Obering said has been asked several recurring questions.
"I get asked, 'Well, first of all, doesn't this upset the balance that we've achieved in the past between deterrence? And what about arms control? Doesn't this contradict arms control measures?'" he said.
Obering said he reminds European officials that missile defense is part of a spectrum.
"It's part of an entire toolbox that we try to use to address the ballistic missile threat," he said. "At one end of that spectrum you have deterrence, and we believe that that is still a very viable concept.
"We also believe, though, that we may come into contact with nation-states or non-state actors that are not deterrable, that are not affected by arms control measures," he continued. "And when you have warheads flying in the air, it is a moral obligation to do something about that for the population (rather) than turning around and just saying, 'Sorry, we can't do anything about that.'"
Obering said ballistic missiles, which have proliferated for many years around the world, would be made less valuable by a global missile defense system.
"If you begin to deploy defensive capabilities to where you can negate these missiles, it begins to devalue them ... to the nations or to the organizations (that have them), because we believe we can render them ineffective," he said.
Obering emphasized that missile defense weapons are "defensive assets."
"These are not offensive missiles. They do not even carry warheads. There are no explosives on these missiles," he said. "We operate on a hit-to-kill technology, which is we actually drive a very small kill vehicle into an enemy warhead to destroy it."
This method is effective, Obering said, because the missiles used are so small and fast, they destroy enemy warheads with kinetic energy. "In fact, the kill vehicles that we're talking about that would be placed on the interceptors in Poland are no more than about 70 to 75 kilograms," he said.
Listing the system's recent benchmarks, Obering said that since 2001, the United States has had 24 successful hit-to-kill intercepts in about 32 attempts, including about 15 consecutive successful intercepts, over roughly the past two and a half years.
"We have had very good success in the past two and a half years with respect to testing of this system," he said. "It is a capability that does work, and that we will rely on as we move into this 21st century."
Article sponsored by military and police personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Law Enforcement Jobs
So, you’re seriously considering a job in law enforcement. But, you have questions – What’s the job really like? How do I apply? Where can I find openings? What is the process like? How can I score the highest possible?
These are important questions. Indeed, anyone who has gone through the application process for a law enforcement job knows it is critical to score as high as possible. It’s your score that gets you in the door. Remember – the highest scores are passed on to the next phase of the application process for a law enforcement job and they are the ones who ultimately become the cop on the beat, the homicide detective, SWAT or tactical officer; or, even a future chief of police.
But, those dreams never happen if you don’t score as well as possible. Every cop gets asked these questions and two of them have taken the time to write down the answers. First, the Police Officer Exam, 3rd Edition, was edited by Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA. Many of the questions were updated to reflect current testing. More importantly, entire passages were re-written or developed to give you practical, down-to-earth advice on the process. Detective Lieutenant Barry Baker, Baltimore Police Department (ret.), has written “Becoming a Police Officer: An Insider’s Guide to a Career in Law Enforcement.” Lieutenant Baker’s book not only helps you with the process, but helps to visualize your career and to make that career happen.
Lieutenants Foster and Baker give you a coast-to-coast perspective on a career in law enforcement and the one-two punch you need to score high, get the job and begin your career. You need both books to be successful. Order both books today!
Click here for more information on the books
These are important questions. Indeed, anyone who has gone through the application process for a law enforcement job knows it is critical to score as high as possible. It’s your score that gets you in the door. Remember – the highest scores are passed on to the next phase of the application process for a law enforcement job and they are the ones who ultimately become the cop on the beat, the homicide detective, SWAT or tactical officer; or, even a future chief of police.
But, those dreams never happen if you don’t score as well as possible. Every cop gets asked these questions and two of them have taken the time to write down the answers. First, the Police Officer Exam, 3rd Edition, was edited by Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA. Many of the questions were updated to reflect current testing. More importantly, entire passages were re-written or developed to give you practical, down-to-earth advice on the process. Detective Lieutenant Barry Baker, Baltimore Police Department (ret.), has written “Becoming a Police Officer: An Insider’s Guide to a Career in Law Enforcement.” Lieutenant Baker’s book not only helps you with the process, but helps to visualize your career and to make that career happen.
Lieutenants Foster and Baker give you a coast-to-coast perspective on a career in law enforcement and the one-two punch you need to score high, get the job and begin your career. You need both books to be successful. Order both books today!
Click here for more information on the books
Police-Writers.com now hosts 420 police officers (representing 183 police departments) and their 894 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Ohio Police Writers
Editor's Note: One writer is Vietnam Veteran
March 27, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books, added three police writers from departments in the state of Ohio.
Drafted into the United States Army at age 19, and the height of the 1968 Tet offensive in Vietnam, Joseph Reass found himself suddenly transformed from a naïve teenager into a rifleman in the 25th Infantry Division, 9th Infantry Regiment. Arriving in Vietnam as a Private First Class, he survived a year of combat with the famed “Manchu” Regiment and returned to the United States with the rank of Sergeant. Back at home, he readjusted to civilian life by continuing his education. Earning a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Capital University and a master’s degree from Ohio University in Political Science, Joe put the war behind him and reentered the world.
After a 25 year career with Columbus Police Department (Ohio), including 13 years as a criminal investigator, he retired in 1997. Returning to Ohio University as a member of the faculty, he currently teaches in the Bachelor of Criminal Justice Program and is the director of the Southern Ohio Police Training Institute.
Joseph Reass’ first novel is Dragon Men. According to the book description, “In it he depicts real events pulled from long clouded memories of his combat experiences in Vietnam. Pieced together and told by a fictitious protagonist, David Reno, the story brings into perspective, true events, honest, tragic and even humorous that young men of Charlie Company, 4th Brigade, 9th Regiment, faced in the unconventional combat of the Vietnam War.
Along with graphic descriptions of combat and death, there are insights into men who served and how they coped with difficult situations of surviving not only the fighting, but the arduous life in the boonies. Live with young soldiers who deal with extreme situations of war, weather and military life.
It is an honest story that will interest anyone who served in combat, who want an unglorified glimpse of combat life or anyone who likes personal adventures told by real characters.”
David Swords is a retired Police Lieutenant, having served thirty years with the Springfield Police Department (Ohio). Nearly half of his police career was spent as an investigator, working on cases ranging from simple vandalisms to armed robberies and murders. His varied experience has given him a unique understanding of human nature; an understanding that brings the characters of “Shadows on the Soul” to life in the mind of the reader.
In David Swords’ book his proposes the questions what would have happened in the Nazis had won and the United States was occupied territory. According to his book description, “the story takes you with John as he tries his best to live a normal life as a government official in the 1960’s America that might have been - Nazi occupied America. John’s normal life is disrupted as he reluctantly helps a prisoner who has escaped from a labor camp; a man imprisoned for no crime, except the color of his skin.”
Edward A. Stein, Sr., a 35 year veteran of the Cleveland Police Department published an autobiography entitled My Badge is My Intergity.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 420 police officers (representing 183 police departments) and their 894 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
March 27, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books, added three police writers from departments in the state of Ohio.
Drafted into the United States Army at age 19, and the height of the 1968 Tet offensive in Vietnam, Joseph Reass found himself suddenly transformed from a naïve teenager into a rifleman in the 25th Infantry Division, 9th Infantry Regiment. Arriving in Vietnam as a Private First Class, he survived a year of combat with the famed “Manchu” Regiment and returned to the United States with the rank of Sergeant. Back at home, he readjusted to civilian life by continuing his education. Earning a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Capital University and a master’s degree from Ohio University in Political Science, Joe put the war behind him and reentered the world.
After a 25 year career with Columbus Police Department (Ohio), including 13 years as a criminal investigator, he retired in 1997. Returning to Ohio University as a member of the faculty, he currently teaches in the Bachelor of Criminal Justice Program and is the director of the Southern Ohio Police Training Institute.
Joseph Reass’ first novel is Dragon Men. According to the book description, “In it he depicts real events pulled from long clouded memories of his combat experiences in Vietnam. Pieced together and told by a fictitious protagonist, David Reno, the story brings into perspective, true events, honest, tragic and even humorous that young men of Charlie Company, 4th Brigade, 9th Regiment, faced in the unconventional combat of the Vietnam War.
Along with graphic descriptions of combat and death, there are insights into men who served and how they coped with difficult situations of surviving not only the fighting, but the arduous life in the boonies. Live with young soldiers who deal with extreme situations of war, weather and military life.
It is an honest story that will interest anyone who served in combat, who want an unglorified glimpse of combat life or anyone who likes personal adventures told by real characters.”
David Swords is a retired Police Lieutenant, having served thirty years with the Springfield Police Department (Ohio). Nearly half of his police career was spent as an investigator, working on cases ranging from simple vandalisms to armed robberies and murders. His varied experience has given him a unique understanding of human nature; an understanding that brings the characters of “Shadows on the Soul” to life in the mind of the reader.
In David Swords’ book his proposes the questions what would have happened in the Nazis had won and the United States was occupied territory. According to his book description, “the story takes you with John as he tries his best to live a normal life as a government official in the 1960’s America that might have been - Nazi occupied America. John’s normal life is disrupted as he reluctantly helps a prisoner who has escaped from a labor camp; a man imprisoned for no crime, except the color of his skin.”
Edward A. Stein, Sr., a 35 year veteran of the Cleveland Police Department published an autobiography entitled My Badge is My Intergity.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 420 police officers (representing 183 police departments) and their 894 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Enlisted Advisor's Presence in China Visits Highlights NCO Importance
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
March 27, 2007 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff emphasized just how important U.S. military leaders believe noncommissioned officers are by including his senior enlisted advisor in all his talks with senior Japanese and Chinese leaders. Marine Gen. Peter Pace made sure that Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey was in on every meeting, dinner and exercise during the weeklong trip March 19-27.
"It raised some eyebrows, especially with the Chinese," a Joint Staff official traveling with Pace said. "They are not used to enlisted personnel being anything more than technicians."
The general sees Gainey's participation as a plus for all involved. He gets another set of eyes examining problems, and the foreign military leaders get a firsthand look at what NCOs bring to the table.
"I think the Chinese have a much better understanding (of the role of NCOs in the U.S. military)," Pace said during an interview. "But because they don't have that concept in their military, they still don't have a complete understanding of what our NCO corps is all about."
Pace took every opportunity to talk about the sergeant major and his place in the NCO corps and how important the U.S. NCO corps is to American military success.
"I think that resonated with the Chinese," he said. "Having him side by side with me was a projection to the Chinese of the whole cloth of the leadership of our armed forces."
The chairman wants more military-to-military contacts between the United States and China. For his part, Gainey wants to see that some of those contacts are between NCOs.
The sergeant major offered to sponsor a senior Chinese NCO during the next Chinese delegation to visit Washington. "I hope they will allow the NCO to visit me, and I will have him meet with a group of U.S. NCOs," Gainey said during an interview. "It's important we create understanding between the militaries. The NCO corps is basic to understanding the U.S. military."
In China, NCOs are not trainers as they are in the United States.
"I had a full briefing on their NCO and enlisted policies by their (chief of personnel)," he said. "The general and I talked about how he could establish an NCO corps. He was taken aback by how General Pace would allow me to have as much authority. They were very open about it. The general told me that he could not understand it.
"I explained to him that General Pace delegates authority, but he cannot delegate responsibility," Gainey continued.
Gainey accompanied Pace to a military exercise at Dalian Military Training Area. The sergeant major, an Army scout, noticed that every tank or armored personnel carrier was commanded by an officer. "In our tank platoon, we have one officer and the tank commanders are NCOs," he said.
Follow-up will be interesting, Gainey said. He said he plans to work with the chairman and the Joint Staff to promote military-to-military contacts.
"I think we learned a lot from each other, and I think we broke some new, very positive ground," he said of the Chinese. "We need to keep moving."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
March 27, 2007 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff emphasized just how important U.S. military leaders believe noncommissioned officers are by including his senior enlisted advisor in all his talks with senior Japanese and Chinese leaders. Marine Gen. Peter Pace made sure that Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey was in on every meeting, dinner and exercise during the weeklong trip March 19-27.
"It raised some eyebrows, especially with the Chinese," a Joint Staff official traveling with Pace said. "They are not used to enlisted personnel being anything more than technicians."
The general sees Gainey's participation as a plus for all involved. He gets another set of eyes examining problems, and the foreign military leaders get a firsthand look at what NCOs bring to the table.
"I think the Chinese have a much better understanding (of the role of NCOs in the U.S. military)," Pace said during an interview. "But because they don't have that concept in their military, they still don't have a complete understanding of what our NCO corps is all about."
Pace took every opportunity to talk about the sergeant major and his place in the NCO corps and how important the U.S. NCO corps is to American military success.
"I think that resonated with the Chinese," he said. "Having him side by side with me was a projection to the Chinese of the whole cloth of the leadership of our armed forces."
The chairman wants more military-to-military contacts between the United States and China. For his part, Gainey wants to see that some of those contacts are between NCOs.
The sergeant major offered to sponsor a senior Chinese NCO during the next Chinese delegation to visit Washington. "I hope they will allow the NCO to visit me, and I will have him meet with a group of U.S. NCOs," Gainey said during an interview. "It's important we create understanding between the militaries. The NCO corps is basic to understanding the U.S. military."
In China, NCOs are not trainers as they are in the United States.
"I had a full briefing on their NCO and enlisted policies by their (chief of personnel)," he said. "The general and I talked about how he could establish an NCO corps. He was taken aback by how General Pace would allow me to have as much authority. They were very open about it. The general told me that he could not understand it.
"I explained to him that General Pace delegates authority, but he cannot delegate responsibility," Gainey continued.
Gainey accompanied Pace to a military exercise at Dalian Military Training Area. The sergeant major, an Army scout, noticed that every tank or armored personnel carrier was commanded by an officer. "In our tank platoon, we have one officer and the tank commanders are NCOs," he said.
Follow-up will be interesting, Gainey said. He said he plans to work with the chairman and the Joint Staff to promote military-to-military contacts.
"I think we learned a lot from each other, and I think we broke some new, very positive ground," he said of the Chinese. "We need to keep moving."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Arizona Group Honors One of State's Soldiers
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
March 27, 2007 – A letter from a soldier added bittersweet importance to Packages From Home's participation in Tucson Navy Week's weekend activities at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and an Arizona Diamondbacks preseason baseball game. Kathleen Lewis, founder of the Phoenix-based troop-support group, received a letter March 15 from Army Staff Sgt. Darrel Kasson thanking her for the last of the three care packages the group had sent him in Iraq. The letter touched Lewis, and she planned to send the soldier a "really, really great box" the following Saturday.
"Friday morning I got the call, and he had been killed in action with (a roadside bomb)," Lewis said. "What we decided to do was take our weekend -- Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- and dedicate it to him."
It seemed appropriate, since Kasson was from the Tucson area and the group would be spending March 16-18 there, she said. The group offered those who attended the Tucson Navy Week a chance to leave personal messages to Kasson's family at both venues.
"We had lines at our booth ... for people to sign their sentiments to both our troops and to Staff Sergeant Kasson and his family," she said. "The same was true at the Diamondbacks' game."
In addition, Packages From Home included a note in each box packed that weekend indicating the package was being sent in his honor and memory, Lewis said.
"It's never easy to hear when you lose one of your soldiers," she said. "With Sergeant Kasson, I had his letter ... on my counter and I had big plans for him.
"So we did things a little bit differently," she added.
Packages From Home is a member of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which highlights what Americans and the corporate sector are doing to support the nation's military members and their families.
While honoring Kasson, Lewis said, she and her volunteers also got to spread the word about how others could help support servicemembers like him. At times, 10 to 20 people were at the booth, curious to learn more about Packages From Home and America Supports You.
With so many visitors to the state in the spring, it was a golden opportunity, she said
"Someone might come to our booth and (think Packages From Home is just an Arizona group)," she said. "We wanted to say, ... 'You can go to America Supports You and find out where in your state you can join a group like ours.'"
Packages From Home also was able to arrange a public service announcement about the group and America Supports You during a pre-season game. Lewis said the group hopes to work with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the state's hockey team, the Coyotes, in the future to help encourage fans to support the troops.
"As I've said a thousand times, the best of America is in Iraq and Afghanistan today," Lewis said. "That's where our best citizens are, and I love them so much."
That love is evident in the more than 85,000 packages the group has shipped to deployed servicemembers since March 2004, she said.
Tucson Navy Week, which took place March 14-20, is a weeklong series of awareness events held in conjunction with Major League Baseball Spring Training and Aerospace & Arizona Days. Twenty-six Navy weeks are planned across the country to show Americans the investment they have made in their Navy and increase awareness in cities that do not have a significant everyday Navy presence.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
March 27, 2007 – A letter from a soldier added bittersweet importance to Packages From Home's participation in Tucson Navy Week's weekend activities at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and an Arizona Diamondbacks preseason baseball game. Kathleen Lewis, founder of the Phoenix-based troop-support group, received a letter March 15 from Army Staff Sgt. Darrel Kasson thanking her for the last of the three care packages the group had sent him in Iraq. The letter touched Lewis, and she planned to send the soldier a "really, really great box" the following Saturday.
"Friday morning I got the call, and he had been killed in action with (a roadside bomb)," Lewis said. "What we decided to do was take our weekend -- Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- and dedicate it to him."
It seemed appropriate, since Kasson was from the Tucson area and the group would be spending March 16-18 there, she said. The group offered those who attended the Tucson Navy Week a chance to leave personal messages to Kasson's family at both venues.
"We had lines at our booth ... for people to sign their sentiments to both our troops and to Staff Sergeant Kasson and his family," she said. "The same was true at the Diamondbacks' game."
In addition, Packages From Home included a note in each box packed that weekend indicating the package was being sent in his honor and memory, Lewis said.
"It's never easy to hear when you lose one of your soldiers," she said. "With Sergeant Kasson, I had his letter ... on my counter and I had big plans for him.
"So we did things a little bit differently," she added.
Packages From Home is a member of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which highlights what Americans and the corporate sector are doing to support the nation's military members and their families.
While honoring Kasson, Lewis said, she and her volunteers also got to spread the word about how others could help support servicemembers like him. At times, 10 to 20 people were at the booth, curious to learn more about Packages From Home and America Supports You.
With so many visitors to the state in the spring, it was a golden opportunity, she said
"Someone might come to our booth and (think Packages From Home is just an Arizona group)," she said. "We wanted to say, ... 'You can go to America Supports You and find out where in your state you can join a group like ours.'"
Packages From Home also was able to arrange a public service announcement about the group and America Supports You during a pre-season game. Lewis said the group hopes to work with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the state's hockey team, the Coyotes, in the future to help encourage fans to support the troops.
"As I've said a thousand times, the best of America is in Iraq and Afghanistan today," Lewis said. "That's where our best citizens are, and I love them so much."
That love is evident in the more than 85,000 packages the group has shipped to deployed servicemembers since March 2004, she said.
Tucson Navy Week, which took place March 14-20, is a weeklong series of awareness events held in conjunction with Major League Baseball Spring Training and Aerospace & Arizona Days. Twenty-six Navy weeks are planned across the country to show Americans the investment they have made in their Navy and increase awareness in cities that do not have a significant everyday Navy presence.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
USS John C. Stennis Now Operating in Persian Gulf
American Forces Press Service
March 27, 2007 – The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis entered the Persian Gulf today escorted by the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam. While in the gulf, the flagship of the USS John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group and its air wing, Carrier Air Wing 9, will conduct a dual-carrier exercise with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group. This marks the first time the Stennis and Eisenhower strike groups have operated together in a joint exercise while deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.
"This exercise demonstrates the importance of both strike groups' ability to plan and conduct dual task force operations as part of the U.S. long-standing commitment to maintaining maritime security and stability in this region," officials said.
Two air wings from the aircraft carriers will conduct air warfare exercises, while the surface components will conduct exercises in three general disciplines: anti-submarine, anti-surface and mine warfare.
John C. Stennis left its homeport of Bremerton, Wash., on Jan. 16 for deployment and began operating alongside coalition maritime forces in the region Feb. 19. After arriving, the strike group began conducting maritime security operations and providing direct support to coalition ground forces participating in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. During the 33 days of operations over Afghanistan, Carrier Air Wing 9 provided close-air support and reconnaissance to International Security Assistance Force troops on the ground.
Maritime security operations help set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment, as well as complement counterterrorism and security efforts of regional nations. These operations deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material, officials said.
The Carrier Air Wing 9 squadrons include the "Black Knights" of Strike Fighter Squadron 154, "Blue Diamonds" of Strike Fighter Squadron 146, "Argonauts" of Strike Fighter Squadron 147, "Death Rattlers" of Marine Strike Fighter Squadron 323, "Yellowjackets" of Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 138, "Golden Hawks" of Carrier Early Warning Squadron 112, "Topcats" of Sea Control Squadron 31, "Eightballers" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 8, and "Providers" of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30.
The John C. Stennis Strike Group includes John C. Stennis, Carrier Air Wing 9, Destroyer Squadron 21, USS Antietam, the guided-missile destroyers USS O'Kane and USS Preble, and the fast combat-support ship USNS Bridge. More than 6,500 sailors and Marines are assigned to the strike group.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
March 27, 2007 – The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis entered the Persian Gulf today escorted by the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam. While in the gulf, the flagship of the USS John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group and its air wing, Carrier Air Wing 9, will conduct a dual-carrier exercise with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group. This marks the first time the Stennis and Eisenhower strike groups have operated together in a joint exercise while deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.
"This exercise demonstrates the importance of both strike groups' ability to plan and conduct dual task force operations as part of the U.S. long-standing commitment to maintaining maritime security and stability in this region," officials said.
Two air wings from the aircraft carriers will conduct air warfare exercises, while the surface components will conduct exercises in three general disciplines: anti-submarine, anti-surface and mine warfare.
John C. Stennis left its homeport of Bremerton, Wash., on Jan. 16 for deployment and began operating alongside coalition maritime forces in the region Feb. 19. After arriving, the strike group began conducting maritime security operations and providing direct support to coalition ground forces participating in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. During the 33 days of operations over Afghanistan, Carrier Air Wing 9 provided close-air support and reconnaissance to International Security Assistance Force troops on the ground.
Maritime security operations help set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment, as well as complement counterterrorism and security efforts of regional nations. These operations deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material, officials said.
The Carrier Air Wing 9 squadrons include the "Black Knights" of Strike Fighter Squadron 154, "Blue Diamonds" of Strike Fighter Squadron 146, "Argonauts" of Strike Fighter Squadron 147, "Death Rattlers" of Marine Strike Fighter Squadron 323, "Yellowjackets" of Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 138, "Golden Hawks" of Carrier Early Warning Squadron 112, "Topcats" of Sea Control Squadron 31, "Eightballers" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 8, and "Providers" of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30.
The John C. Stennis Strike Group includes John C. Stennis, Carrier Air Wing 9, Destroyer Squadron 21, USS Antietam, the guided-missile destroyers USS O'Kane and USS Preble, and the fast combat-support ship USNS Bridge. More than 6,500 sailors and Marines are assigned to the strike group.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
U.S.-Turkey Relationship Vital to National Security, Gates Says
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
March 27, 2007 – The U.S. relationship with Turkey is "under valued and under appreciated" and the country's geographical position is vitally important to security challenges facing the U.S., Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today told the American-Turkish Council. Gates spoke to about 500 attendees at a D.C. luncheon during the council's annual conference. The ATC is a business association that promotes commercial, defense, technology and cultural relations between the two countries.
In the 20-minute speech, the defense secretary acknowledged that U.S.-Turkey relations have had struggles in recent years, but added, "Our military, economic, political and personal ties remain strong."
He heralded Turkey's $175 million role in the Joint Strike Fighter program. The country has agreed to buy 100 of the F-35 Lightning II supersonic stealth fighters in development.
Gates also commended the country for allowing 16 U.S. Navy ships to make port calls there in 2006.
In support of the war on terror, Turkey has commanded two rotations of NATO's International Security Assistance Force and a provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan, and has provided the U.S. access to Iraq through an air base in Turkey. Without that access, Gates said, operations in Iraq would be "exceedingly more difficult and vastly more expensive."
Still, all relationships need work to remain strong, the secretary said.
"The two nations should oppose measures and rhetoric that needlessly and destructively antagonize each other. That includes symbolic resolutions by the United States Congress as well as the type of anti-American and extremist rhetoric that sometimes finds a home in Turkey's political discourse," Gates said.
Gates conceded that the war in Iraq is a point of contention for Turkey, as well as many of America's allies. Adding to the tension is fighting on the Turkey-Iraq border against fighters for the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as PKK.
"The situation on Turkey's border with Iraq's Kurdish region is of particular concern," Gates said. "Every Turkey citizen killed by the PKK is a setback for success in Iraq and a setback in our relationship with Turkey."
Gates said he has tapped former NATO supreme allied commander in Europe Air Force Gen. Joseph W. Ralston as special envoy for countering the PKK, but acknowledged, "We know more needs to be done."
Regarding the situation in Iraq, Army Gen. David Petraeus, the new Multinational Force Iraq commander, is applying "sound counterinsurgency principles" that are aimed at giving the newly established Iraqi government breathing room, Gates said. Coalition forces are securing and holding neighborhoods, and the Iraqi government has committed the forces need to secure its capitol, he added.
He said, though, that Iraq's disposition will not be finally determined by military action, but by the political influence of its neighbors in the region.
"Whatever disagreements we might have over how we got to this point in Iraq, the consequences of a failed state in Iraq, of chaos there, will adversely affect every member of the Atlantic alliance and none more so than Turkey," he said.
"Iraq's neighbors will need to play a constructive role going forward even if they haven't done so in the past -- especially in encouraging political reconciliation and a reduction in violence within Iraq. This is certainly the case with Syria and Iran. They have not been helpful," Gates said.
He called recent talks in Baghdad "a good start," but said that the U.S. is "open to higher level exchanges."
Finally, Gates called Iraq's future an interest and a responsibility "that we will not abandon."
"Abandoning Iraq and leaving regional chaos in the wake clearly would be an offense to our interests as well as our values and a set back for the cause of freedom as well as the goal of stability," Gates said.
"In this strategic environment we have to be willing to spend the resources, absorb the costs, take the risks and meet the commitments we make to one another. It means having the creditability, ingenuity and skill to dissuade and divide our potential adversaries while reassuring and uniting our friends."
Gates closed his remarks with the Turkish proverb, "A wise man remembers his friends at all times, a fool only when he has need of them."
"The United States and Turkey have wisely remembered our friendship at all times," he said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
March 27, 2007 – The U.S. relationship with Turkey is "under valued and under appreciated" and the country's geographical position is vitally important to security challenges facing the U.S., Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today told the American-Turkish Council. Gates spoke to about 500 attendees at a D.C. luncheon during the council's annual conference. The ATC is a business association that promotes commercial, defense, technology and cultural relations between the two countries.
In the 20-minute speech, the defense secretary acknowledged that U.S.-Turkey relations have had struggles in recent years, but added, "Our military, economic, political and personal ties remain strong."
He heralded Turkey's $175 million role in the Joint Strike Fighter program. The country has agreed to buy 100 of the F-35 Lightning II supersonic stealth fighters in development.
Gates also commended the country for allowing 16 U.S. Navy ships to make port calls there in 2006.
In support of the war on terror, Turkey has commanded two rotations of NATO's International Security Assistance Force and a provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan, and has provided the U.S. access to Iraq through an air base in Turkey. Without that access, Gates said, operations in Iraq would be "exceedingly more difficult and vastly more expensive."
Still, all relationships need work to remain strong, the secretary said.
"The two nations should oppose measures and rhetoric that needlessly and destructively antagonize each other. That includes symbolic resolutions by the United States Congress as well as the type of anti-American and extremist rhetoric that sometimes finds a home in Turkey's political discourse," Gates said.
Gates conceded that the war in Iraq is a point of contention for Turkey, as well as many of America's allies. Adding to the tension is fighting on the Turkey-Iraq border against fighters for the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as PKK.
"The situation on Turkey's border with Iraq's Kurdish region is of particular concern," Gates said. "Every Turkey citizen killed by the PKK is a setback for success in Iraq and a setback in our relationship with Turkey."
Gates said he has tapped former NATO supreme allied commander in Europe Air Force Gen. Joseph W. Ralston as special envoy for countering the PKK, but acknowledged, "We know more needs to be done."
Regarding the situation in Iraq, Army Gen. David Petraeus, the new Multinational Force Iraq commander, is applying "sound counterinsurgency principles" that are aimed at giving the newly established Iraqi government breathing room, Gates said. Coalition forces are securing and holding neighborhoods, and the Iraqi government has committed the forces need to secure its capitol, he added.
He said, though, that Iraq's disposition will not be finally determined by military action, but by the political influence of its neighbors in the region.
"Whatever disagreements we might have over how we got to this point in Iraq, the consequences of a failed state in Iraq, of chaos there, will adversely affect every member of the Atlantic alliance and none more so than Turkey," he said.
"Iraq's neighbors will need to play a constructive role going forward even if they haven't done so in the past -- especially in encouraging political reconciliation and a reduction in violence within Iraq. This is certainly the case with Syria and Iran. They have not been helpful," Gates said.
He called recent talks in Baghdad "a good start," but said that the U.S. is "open to higher level exchanges."
Finally, Gates called Iraq's future an interest and a responsibility "that we will not abandon."
"Abandoning Iraq and leaving regional chaos in the wake clearly would be an offense to our interests as well as our values and a set back for the cause of freedom as well as the goal of stability," Gates said.
"In this strategic environment we have to be willing to spend the resources, absorb the costs, take the risks and meet the commitments we make to one another. It means having the creditability, ingenuity and skill to dissuade and divide our potential adversaries while reassuring and uniting our friends."
Gates closed his remarks with the Turkish proverb, "A wise man remembers his friends at all times, a fool only when he has need of them."
"The United States and Turkey have wisely remembered our friendship at all times," he said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
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