By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – Since 2002, Project Prayer Flag's goal has been to put an American flag into the pocket of every American servicemember fighting in the global war on terrorism. "For us it's very simple," Shawn Black, founder of the Irvine, Calif.-based organization, said. "We've shipped over 220,000 (flags) now to servicemembers."
Those miniature American flags come as part of the "Patriot Packs" the group sends to servicemembers, Black said. The packs also include a letter or a thank you card.
Project Prayer Flag is a member of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which highlights how Americans and the corporate sector are supporting the nation's servicemembers.
The idea for the Patriot Packs started shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, when Black was serving as an undercover federal air marshal. A colleague was deployed to Afghanistan and Black wrote him a letter. But he also remembered the small American flag his grandfather, a veteran of the battle of Normandy, carried with him and had handed down to Black's father.
"I thought, 'What if I take a small American flag, just a little hand-held flag off a stick, and I put it in there with the card and mail it to him?'" Black said. "(It was) just my way of showing appreciation for my friend."
That friend requested enough for the rest of the servicemembers in his unit and, "from there it just grew and grew by word of mouth," he said.
Project Prayer Flag has since started Operation Christmas Care, a program that has a family adopt a unit and send a personalized care package at the holidays. The adopting family is encouraged to keep up correspondence throughout the servicemember's tour.
Those tours are a little more pleasant thanks to some Major League Baseball teams and Project Prayer Flag's Operation Grandslam.
Black initially contacted the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball team with a request for a donation of baseball equipment for the servicemembers fighting in the global war on terrorism. After not making much headway, he turned to Louisville Slugger, a major baseball bat manufacturer. With that move, he was batting a thousand -- $10,000 worth of gloves and bats, to be exact.
"But it got better from there. ... The Angels called me out of the blue one day," Black said. The team donated uniforms, baseballs, bats and batting helmets.
The Colorado Rockies sent thousands of dollars worth of baseball gear recently, and the Atlanta Braves have expressed interest in getting on board with Operation Grandslam, he said.
Additionally, the Rockies sent Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig a letter informing him of Operation Grandslam.
Black said the group's membership in the America Supports You program has opened many doors and lent the group credibility.
"We can't thank America Supports You enough," he said. "With Operation Grandslam ... once they knew we're an America Supports You member, they said, 'Well, I've heard nothing but good things about this group, and I know you guys are legitimate.
"So (membership) kind of separates the wheat from the chaff," Black said.
Black, however, gives a majority of the credit for the program's success to the more than 400 volunteers that make it tick.
"It's the volunteer's project," he said. "We really see the heart of America in the actions here."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Thursday, April 05, 2007
New Regiment Focuses on Wounded Marines, Sailors
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – The U.S. Marine Corps has created a new regiment focused on tracking and assisting wounded Marines and sailors across the nation, the regiment's first commander announced at a Pentagon news conference today. "The mission of the Wounded Warrior Regiment is to provide and facilitate assistance to wounded, ill and injured Marines, sailors and their families throughout the phases of their recovery," said Marine Col. Gregory Boyle.
The Marine Corps has taken care of its own since 1775, Boyle said, and the way the Corps does it is through "caring and concerned leadership - from the commandant down to the individual Marine."
Although taking care of their fellow Marines isn't a new concept, Boyle said, the establishment of the regiment marks the first time the Marine Corps has given oversight in tracking wounded troops to one command.
He said a single data base and tracking system will help streamline the transition process and help Marines cut through red tape.
The Wounded Warrior Regiment plans to support troops as they navigate through medical evaluation boards and assist in the processing of traumatic life insurance claims, Boyle said. Regiment leaders will provide information on charitable organizations to family members and will ensure accountability in the management of non-medical phases of transition.
Boyle also said the regiment will ensure the continuation of care without discrimination to the type of illness, whether it is physical or behavioral.
Leaders within the command will strive to make the transition seamless for wounded sailors and Marines as they go from Defense Department care to that of the Veterans Affairs Department.
Former Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael W. Hagee established similar assistance under the "Marine for Life" program in 2005. Injured Marines and sailors used the nationwide network as a means to transition back to civilian life in their hometowns.
More emphasis was put on the existing program when current Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway made it one of his top priorities March 23 to establish a regiment with battalion headquarters on both the East and West coasts.
The regiment, with headquarters in Quantico, Va., is spending $53 million in new construction for its two battalions -- one on Camp Lejeune, N.C., and one on Camp Pendleton, Calif. Each battalion will have a barracks facility to house outpatient Marines who are recovering before returning to their units or who are transitioning out of the military to civilian life.
The two locations will help eliminate possible seams and cracks for Marines to fall through, Boyle said. Marines will receive the same level of support regardless of their location.
Efforts will first focus on the 370 Marines who are currently on inpatient and outpatient status at military medical centers across the country. After addressing these cases, Boyle said, he plans to widen his efforts.
"My vision is to get in touch with Marines from (Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom) efforts as far back as 2001 on a monthly basis," the colonel said. "The new organization will allow us to give a personal touch to former Marines."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – The U.S. Marine Corps has created a new regiment focused on tracking and assisting wounded Marines and sailors across the nation, the regiment's first commander announced at a Pentagon news conference today. "The mission of the Wounded Warrior Regiment is to provide and facilitate assistance to wounded, ill and injured Marines, sailors and their families throughout the phases of their recovery," said Marine Col. Gregory Boyle.
The Marine Corps has taken care of its own since 1775, Boyle said, and the way the Corps does it is through "caring and concerned leadership - from the commandant down to the individual Marine."
Although taking care of their fellow Marines isn't a new concept, Boyle said, the establishment of the regiment marks the first time the Marine Corps has given oversight in tracking wounded troops to one command.
He said a single data base and tracking system will help streamline the transition process and help Marines cut through red tape.
The Wounded Warrior Regiment plans to support troops as they navigate through medical evaluation boards and assist in the processing of traumatic life insurance claims, Boyle said. Regiment leaders will provide information on charitable organizations to family members and will ensure accountability in the management of non-medical phases of transition.
Boyle also said the regiment will ensure the continuation of care without discrimination to the type of illness, whether it is physical or behavioral.
Leaders within the command will strive to make the transition seamless for wounded sailors and Marines as they go from Defense Department care to that of the Veterans Affairs Department.
Former Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael W. Hagee established similar assistance under the "Marine for Life" program in 2005. Injured Marines and sailors used the nationwide network as a means to transition back to civilian life in their hometowns.
More emphasis was put on the existing program when current Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway made it one of his top priorities March 23 to establish a regiment with battalion headquarters on both the East and West coasts.
The regiment, with headquarters in Quantico, Va., is spending $53 million in new construction for its two battalions -- one on Camp Lejeune, N.C., and one on Camp Pendleton, Calif. Each battalion will have a barracks facility to house outpatient Marines who are recovering before returning to their units or who are transitioning out of the military to civilian life.
The two locations will help eliminate possible seams and cracks for Marines to fall through, Boyle said. Marines will receive the same level of support regardless of their location.
Efforts will first focus on the 370 Marines who are currently on inpatient and outpatient status at military medical centers across the country. After addressing these cases, Boyle said, he plans to widen his efforts.
"My vision is to get in touch with Marines from (Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom) efforts as far back as 2001 on a monthly basis," the colonel said. "The new organization will allow us to give a personal touch to former Marines."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Top Enlisted Soldier at Walter Reed Gets Back to Basics of Soldier Care
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
April 2, 2007 – During the past three weeks, Army Command Sgt. Maj. Althea Green Dixon has done a lot of walking and talking. She's also done a lot of listening. As well as much inspecting, checking, moving and shaking. Sitting in her new office in the command section of the red-bricked Building 1 on the Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus, Dixon is surrounded by blank walls and bare cabinets. Her office is adorned with only the American and Army flags. All of her "stuff" is still in her old office on Fort Detrick, Md., she said.
But that's OK, because the new top NCO over the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command hasn't spent a lot of time in her office since being handpicked for the job at Walter Reed.
"I believe in management by walking around. Just stop in on people and say, 'Hi.' See how they are doing. Check on things," Dixon said.
"I can get a lot done in this office sitting behind that computer, but I can get a lot more done by walking around and interacting with people and really seeing how things are going out there and hearing from folks directly," she said.
Army Maj. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, the new commander of Walter Reed and the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command, chose the 29-year career medical soldier to lead the changes in wounded soldier care at the center and within the command. The center and its previous leadership have been under fire for the past month since media reports of poor outpatient soldier care caught national attention.
Dixon served as Schoomaker's "right hand" on Fort Detrick and Fort Gordon, Ga. She found out March 2 that Schoomaker wanted her to move to Walter Reed with him. The next day, when she was supposed to be packing her bags for a vacation in California, she was instead at the center helping coordinate the packing and moving of soldiers and their belongings out of Building 18. The building was spotlighted in the media for poor living conditions, including moldy walls, faulty plumbing and backed-up maintenance work orders.
"I needed to be here," Dixon said. "Our first priority that weekend was to move our soldiers out of Building 18 and into suitable quarters. And we got that done."
Dixon has taken only one day off since.
A native of Trinidad, Dixon speaks with a pleasant Caribbean accent, soft and sure about the basics of soldier care. Her passion for taking care of troops showed during an interview with American Forces Press Service.
"I hate to talk about the past. I probably shouldn't. But part of the reason that we have this situation that we're in right now is because noncommissioned officers failed to do their jobs," Dixon said.
"They're supposed to check on their soldiers," she added. "They are supposed to know how they are living, what problems they have.
"I'm sorry. I get a little emotional when I talk about that because that's basic stuff and they didn't do it," she said.
For the past three weeks, Dixon has spent countless hours making her rounds across the sprawling 113-acre campus reacquainting the center's NCOs with the basics of soldier care as she sees them.
"I'm about three things: basics, standards and accountability," she said. "Basic things like taking care of soldiers, basic things like checking soldiers' living quarters, basic things like keeping up with your soldiers' whereabouts. If you stick to the basics, you generally end up OK."
Probably the biggest effort she's taken on so far has been making sure all wounded warriors at Walter Reed are housed in "accommodations that are suitable for an American soldier," she said.
Wounded soldiers in outpatient care with families at the center now live in the 280-room Mologne House, which boasts all the amenities of a luxury hotel, as well as Delano Hall and the two popular Fisher Houses.
The 274-room Abrams Hall became the primary facility for unaccompanied soldiers in outpatient care. Each room offers a private bath -- some with tubs -- kitchenette, walk-in closet, a large, flat-screen television mounted on the wall, and a brand new 17-inch iMac computers. Ten of the rooms there are fitted for wheel-chair access. Brightly lit dayrooms sport large-screen televisions and pool, foosball and ping pong tables.
"It's the nicest set of barracks that I've ever seen since I've been in the Army, ... and I've been in a lot of barracks," Dixon said with a laugh as she walked from her office toward Abrams Hall to finish her room inspections.
Abrams Hall is across the street and only a short walk from Dixon's office. The grounds look more like an apartment complex than an Army barracks.
Walking down bright white halls with waxed floors, past the security desk, Dixon lightly quizzed a handful of soldiers on duty about an upcoming town hall meeting.
They told her they knew about it, but not the time or the place.
She kindly set them straight. "Looking forward to seeing you there," Dixon said.
To make room in Abrams hall, some permanent party and student soldiers living there were moved into furnished, two-bedroom apartments off the campus. Each has walk-in closets and private baths. A shuttle is provided for transportation. The Army paid all relocation, utility transfer and hook-up fees, Dixon said.
"We don't want our young soldiers to be subject to any financial liabilities because of decisions that their leadership has made," Dixon said. "I don't think any soldier lost anything in this shuffle."
Both Dixon and her boss have talked regularly to the student soldiers and have received nothing but positive feedback, she said. "I haven't heard any major complaints so far. But we're keeping those lines of communication open. We want to make sure we're doing right by all of our soldiers," she said.
Regular barracks checks help keep her in touch with the soldiers and the NCOs who lead them, Dixon said.
"When a new face comes in they tend to open up a little bit," she said. "When I go over there, ... I try to have a dialogue with them, just to see how they're doing, get an azimuth check on how we're doing and if there are any issues."
Face-to-face communication is a recurring theme in many of the changes that Dixon and Schoomaker have made.
The center now has a weekly orientation for every new soldier-patient and family. On March 21 Schoomaker held his first town hall meeting with the soldier-patients, and more are planned. Schoomaker and Dixon also have held sensing sessions with NCOs and other leaders.
"We are here for the soldier. That's our job. They ought to not feel they are imposing on us if they come to us with an issue. We are here to deal with those issues," Dixon said.
In light of recent changes, Dixon said, morale for wounded soldiers is on an "upswing."
At the same time, Dixon must also focus on the morale of her staff of soldiers. She said that the negative publicity has had an effect on those in uniform serving there. She said she is meeting with staff members to "get their thoughts on how they are doing and what can be done to improve their quality of life," she said.
"Although a lot of the scrutiny has been on the (care of the) patient-soldiers, I want our employees to know that we still care for them," she said. "We are here to take care of them the same as we are here to take care of our patient-soldiers."
Dixon said she is pleased with the changes made already, but acknowledged much work ahead. She said she is receiving support, both from top-level leaders across the Army and DoD, as well as from her NCOs and staff.
The next step is to stand up the Wounded Warrior Transition Brigade, charged with overseeing the health, welfare and morale of patients as they recover. Army combat veterans have been chosen to stand up brigade. Its new top NCO, Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Hartless, has spent time recovering at the center from wounds he suffered while serving in Afghanistan.
About 600 soldiers will make up the three companies in the new brigade. Many officers and NCOs have been given only 30 days notice to report to their new assignments at the center, but haven't complained about the sudden change. There has been "no whining," Dixon said.
"They are just stepping up to the plate," she said.
The three company commanders for the new transition brigade are already on the ground working through issues of furniture, space, personnel restructuring, offices and so forth.
By the end of this month, half of the staff is set to be in place, three-quarters by the end of April, and full staffing for the brigade should be in place by the end of May, Dixon said.
In the meantime, the sergeant major makes no apologies for the standards she sets and said she will continue taking care of soldiers with "high standards with a big heart."
"I can be pretty easy going. But I'm often not, because I have high standards, because I really like people and I really care about people," she said. "Sometimes I have to correct people. I try to be nice about it. Sometimes I'm not so nice about it."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 2, 2007 – During the past three weeks, Army Command Sgt. Maj. Althea Green Dixon has done a lot of walking and talking. She's also done a lot of listening. As well as much inspecting, checking, moving and shaking. Sitting in her new office in the command section of the red-bricked Building 1 on the Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus, Dixon is surrounded by blank walls and bare cabinets. Her office is adorned with only the American and Army flags. All of her "stuff" is still in her old office on Fort Detrick, Md., she said.
But that's OK, because the new top NCO over the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command hasn't spent a lot of time in her office since being handpicked for the job at Walter Reed.
"I believe in management by walking around. Just stop in on people and say, 'Hi.' See how they are doing. Check on things," Dixon said.
"I can get a lot done in this office sitting behind that computer, but I can get a lot more done by walking around and interacting with people and really seeing how things are going out there and hearing from folks directly," she said.
Army Maj. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, the new commander of Walter Reed and the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command, chose the 29-year career medical soldier to lead the changes in wounded soldier care at the center and within the command. The center and its previous leadership have been under fire for the past month since media reports of poor outpatient soldier care caught national attention.
Dixon served as Schoomaker's "right hand" on Fort Detrick and Fort Gordon, Ga. She found out March 2 that Schoomaker wanted her to move to Walter Reed with him. The next day, when she was supposed to be packing her bags for a vacation in California, she was instead at the center helping coordinate the packing and moving of soldiers and their belongings out of Building 18. The building was spotlighted in the media for poor living conditions, including moldy walls, faulty plumbing and backed-up maintenance work orders.
"I needed to be here," Dixon said. "Our first priority that weekend was to move our soldiers out of Building 18 and into suitable quarters. And we got that done."
Dixon has taken only one day off since.
A native of Trinidad, Dixon speaks with a pleasant Caribbean accent, soft and sure about the basics of soldier care. Her passion for taking care of troops showed during an interview with American Forces Press Service.
"I hate to talk about the past. I probably shouldn't. But part of the reason that we have this situation that we're in right now is because noncommissioned officers failed to do their jobs," Dixon said.
"They're supposed to check on their soldiers," she added. "They are supposed to know how they are living, what problems they have.
"I'm sorry. I get a little emotional when I talk about that because that's basic stuff and they didn't do it," she said.
For the past three weeks, Dixon has spent countless hours making her rounds across the sprawling 113-acre campus reacquainting the center's NCOs with the basics of soldier care as she sees them.
"I'm about three things: basics, standards and accountability," she said. "Basic things like taking care of soldiers, basic things like checking soldiers' living quarters, basic things like keeping up with your soldiers' whereabouts. If you stick to the basics, you generally end up OK."
Probably the biggest effort she's taken on so far has been making sure all wounded warriors at Walter Reed are housed in "accommodations that are suitable for an American soldier," she said.
Wounded soldiers in outpatient care with families at the center now live in the 280-room Mologne House, which boasts all the amenities of a luxury hotel, as well as Delano Hall and the two popular Fisher Houses.
The 274-room Abrams Hall became the primary facility for unaccompanied soldiers in outpatient care. Each room offers a private bath -- some with tubs -- kitchenette, walk-in closet, a large, flat-screen television mounted on the wall, and a brand new 17-inch iMac computers. Ten of the rooms there are fitted for wheel-chair access. Brightly lit dayrooms sport large-screen televisions and pool, foosball and ping pong tables.
"It's the nicest set of barracks that I've ever seen since I've been in the Army, ... and I've been in a lot of barracks," Dixon said with a laugh as she walked from her office toward Abrams Hall to finish her room inspections.
Abrams Hall is across the street and only a short walk from Dixon's office. The grounds look more like an apartment complex than an Army barracks.
Walking down bright white halls with waxed floors, past the security desk, Dixon lightly quizzed a handful of soldiers on duty about an upcoming town hall meeting.
They told her they knew about it, but not the time or the place.
She kindly set them straight. "Looking forward to seeing you there," Dixon said.
To make room in Abrams hall, some permanent party and student soldiers living there were moved into furnished, two-bedroom apartments off the campus. Each has walk-in closets and private baths. A shuttle is provided for transportation. The Army paid all relocation, utility transfer and hook-up fees, Dixon said.
"We don't want our young soldiers to be subject to any financial liabilities because of decisions that their leadership has made," Dixon said. "I don't think any soldier lost anything in this shuffle."
Both Dixon and her boss have talked regularly to the student soldiers and have received nothing but positive feedback, she said. "I haven't heard any major complaints so far. But we're keeping those lines of communication open. We want to make sure we're doing right by all of our soldiers," she said.
Regular barracks checks help keep her in touch with the soldiers and the NCOs who lead them, Dixon said.
"When a new face comes in they tend to open up a little bit," she said. "When I go over there, ... I try to have a dialogue with them, just to see how they're doing, get an azimuth check on how we're doing and if there are any issues."
Face-to-face communication is a recurring theme in many of the changes that Dixon and Schoomaker have made.
The center now has a weekly orientation for every new soldier-patient and family. On March 21 Schoomaker held his first town hall meeting with the soldier-patients, and more are planned. Schoomaker and Dixon also have held sensing sessions with NCOs and other leaders.
"We are here for the soldier. That's our job. They ought to not feel they are imposing on us if they come to us with an issue. We are here to deal with those issues," Dixon said.
In light of recent changes, Dixon said, morale for wounded soldiers is on an "upswing."
At the same time, Dixon must also focus on the morale of her staff of soldiers. She said that the negative publicity has had an effect on those in uniform serving there. She said she is meeting with staff members to "get their thoughts on how they are doing and what can be done to improve their quality of life," she said.
"Although a lot of the scrutiny has been on the (care of the) patient-soldiers, I want our employees to know that we still care for them," she said. "We are here to take care of them the same as we are here to take care of our patient-soldiers."
Dixon said she is pleased with the changes made already, but acknowledged much work ahead. She said she is receiving support, both from top-level leaders across the Army and DoD, as well as from her NCOs and staff.
The next step is to stand up the Wounded Warrior Transition Brigade, charged with overseeing the health, welfare and morale of patients as they recover. Army combat veterans have been chosen to stand up brigade. Its new top NCO, Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Hartless, has spent time recovering at the center from wounds he suffered while serving in Afghanistan.
About 600 soldiers will make up the three companies in the new brigade. Many officers and NCOs have been given only 30 days notice to report to their new assignments at the center, but haven't complained about the sudden change. There has been "no whining," Dixon said.
"They are just stepping up to the plate," she said.
The three company commanders for the new transition brigade are already on the ground working through issues of furniture, space, personnel restructuring, offices and so forth.
By the end of this month, half of the staff is set to be in place, three-quarters by the end of April, and full staffing for the brigade should be in place by the end of May, Dixon said.
In the meantime, the sergeant major makes no apologies for the standards she sets and said she will continue taking care of soldiers with "high standards with a big heart."
"I can be pretty easy going. But I'm often not, because I have high standards, because I really like people and I really care about people," she said. "Sometimes I have to correct people. I try to be nice about it. Sometimes I'm not so nice about it."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
President Congratulates Navy Midshipmen for Gridiron Glory
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 2, 2007 – President Bush today congratulated the U.S. Naval Academy football team for its feats on the gridiron, and thanked members for their service to America. Navy ended the season with a 9-3 record, capped off by a Meineke Car Care Bowl appearance against Boston College. The team led the nation in rushing yards, had the highest graduation rate, and for the fourth straight year, the Midshipmen beat Army and Air Force during its season and earned the Commander in Chief's Trophy.
"It seems to me that this is becoming a spring tradition," the president quipped during a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden.
"I appreciate the fact that your class is the first in school history to win four straight Commander in Chief trophies, the first to go 8 and 0 against Army and Air Force, and the first to play in four straight bowl games," Bush told the Navy gridders. "That's a lot of firsts."
Bush said that when the Midshipmen signed up for the Naval Academy, they signed up for more than playing football. "You signed up to become officers in the finest military the world has ever known," he said.
But the finest military the world has ever known can't exist without men and women who volunteer to wear the uniform, the president said.
"You volunteered after Sept. 11, 2001. That's a remarkable decision you have made," Bush said. "I vowed after Sept. 11, 2001, that I would use the full power of our government to protect the American people from harm. And I meant what I said."
Bush said that therefore, anyone who signed up after the Sept. 11 attacks knew what they were getting into.
"It's a remarkable country when people make such a noble decision to serve their country in a time of war," he said. "And I'm proud to be the commander in chief of such decent, honorable, sacrificing men and women."
Lessons that the Midshipmen have learned on the football field and at the Naval Academy, including the importance of teamwork and leadership and having strong personal character, will serve them well on the battlefield, the president said.
"You're going to put those qualities to the highest possible use, and that is to protect the American people and to lay the foundation of peace for generations to come," he said. "The Navy and Marine Corps are on the front line of fighting and winning the war against the extremists (and) radicals who would do this country harm. Every day we're on the offense against an enemy."
The president said he would rather defeat enemy combatants "over there" so that U.S. servicemembers do not have to face them here. "And the Marine Corps and the Navy are helping to lead that charge," he said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 2, 2007 – President Bush today congratulated the U.S. Naval Academy football team for its feats on the gridiron, and thanked members for their service to America. Navy ended the season with a 9-3 record, capped off by a Meineke Car Care Bowl appearance against Boston College. The team led the nation in rushing yards, had the highest graduation rate, and for the fourth straight year, the Midshipmen beat Army and Air Force during its season and earned the Commander in Chief's Trophy.
"It seems to me that this is becoming a spring tradition," the president quipped during a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden.
"I appreciate the fact that your class is the first in school history to win four straight Commander in Chief trophies, the first to go 8 and 0 against Army and Air Force, and the first to play in four straight bowl games," Bush told the Navy gridders. "That's a lot of firsts."
Bush said that when the Midshipmen signed up for the Naval Academy, they signed up for more than playing football. "You signed up to become officers in the finest military the world has ever known," he said.
But the finest military the world has ever known can't exist without men and women who volunteer to wear the uniform, the president said.
"You volunteered after Sept. 11, 2001. That's a remarkable decision you have made," Bush said. "I vowed after Sept. 11, 2001, that I would use the full power of our government to protect the American people from harm. And I meant what I said."
Bush said that therefore, anyone who signed up after the Sept. 11 attacks knew what they were getting into.
"It's a remarkable country when people make such a noble decision to serve their country in a time of war," he said. "And I'm proud to be the commander in chief of such decent, honorable, sacrificing men and women."
Lessons that the Midshipmen have learned on the football field and at the Naval Academy, including the importance of teamwork and leadership and having strong personal character, will serve them well on the battlefield, the president said.
"You're going to put those qualities to the highest possible use, and that is to protect the American people and to lay the foundation of peace for generations to come," he said. "The Navy and Marine Corps are on the front line of fighting and winning the war against the extremists (and) radicals who would do this country harm. Every day we're on the offense against an enemy."
The president said he would rather defeat enemy combatants "over there" so that U.S. servicemembers do not have to face them here. "And the Marine Corps and the Navy are helping to lead that charge," he said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Heroes in the Global War on Terror
The Department of Defense Office of Public Affairs has recently updated its "Heroes in the Global War on Terror" website, which includes profiles of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who have received medals of distinction for their bravery and contributions to fighting the Global War on Terror.
Some of the heroes include Maj. Kim Campbell, aka "Killer Chick," who flew her bullet-riddled Warthog 300 miles back to base after a close engagement with Iraqi Republican Guard soldiers; 1st Lt. Elliott Ackerman, who led his Marines through a series of ambushes and attacks during the battle of Fallujah; and Staff Sgt. Jo Turner and Spc. Cheryl Ivanov, combat medics who, through their skills, eventually earned respect from the Afghan soldiers they served with.
You can find all of our heroes at: http://www.defenselink.mil/home/dodupdate/heroes/index.html.
Some of the heroes include Maj. Kim Campbell, aka "Killer Chick," who flew her bullet-riddled Warthog 300 miles back to base after a close engagement with Iraqi Republican Guard soldiers; 1st Lt. Elliott Ackerman, who led his Marines through a series of ambushes and attacks during the battle of Fallujah; and Staff Sgt. Jo Turner and Spc. Cheryl Ivanov, combat medics who, through their skills, eventually earned respect from the Afghan soldiers they served with.
You can find all of our heroes at: http://www.defenselink.mil/home/dodupdate/heroes/index.html.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Walter Reed Breaks New Ground With 3-D Vision System
By Kristin Ellis
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 3, 2007 – Virtual reality made its way into the operating room last week when an Army doctor performed the military's first three-dimensional minimally invasive surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. Armed with a state-of-the-art helmet, Col. (Dr.) Ernest Lockrow, director of the Telerobotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, used the 3-D capabilities to perform a hysterectomy.
Minimally invasive surgery, also known as laparoscopy, uses tiny incisions to operate and typically involves a telescopic lens that is connected to a video camera. The operation last week was the first time the military has used the 3-D vision system to help visualize and guide the surgeon during a laparoscopic procedure. According to Lockrow, the typical laparoscopy procedure is done with a two-dimensional display. The images from the telescopic lens appear on a monitor, and surgeons use this to guide their way through the operation.
Some of the problems with teaching new surgeons in two-dimension technology are that they can easily miss something while practicing operations until their eyes adjust to the two-dimension view. This lack of depth perception can hamper the surgeon during an operation, Lockrow explained. With the new three-dimensional headset capability, surgeons can precisely get to where they need to be.
"What the three-dimensional procedure now gives is a camera for each eye, so the surgeon can now see just as he was operating in a general, open procedure," Lockrow said. "When you're used to operating in two dimensions and then you go to three dimensions, it just makes it so much easier. We actually had a fellow who has not done a lot of laparoscopic surgery and was able to easily grasp the laparoscopic procedure in three dimensions."
Lockrow is taking the technology a step further by exploring a new realm of telecommunications with the use of this device. Although there are issues associated with transmitting images across a network in terms of signal delay, it could be possible someday to have a doctor use a 3-D helmet in Germany to assist a doctor here who also is wearing the helmet, and vice versa, Lockrow said.
"In military aspects, that's really where we want to go; it's just a long road to get there," he added. Walter Reed now has the facilities that give surgical teams the capability to broadcast the surgery, Lockrow noted.
"We're actually able to take the new technologies and techniques, and we can now televise them to a network or to a classroom," he said. "Now, more than two people can watch a procedure; a whole classroom can watch."
The 3-D laparoscopy device is part of a bigger project involving robotic surgery and minimally invasive surgery in which the Army is trying to incorporate new technologies and make them available at health-care facilities throughout the military. Lockrow's team tested the helmets at the robotic training center lab at Uniform Services University.
A Navy surgeon, Cmdr. (Dr.) Christine Sears, assisted Lockrow in the operating room. An Air Force surgeon, Maj. (Dr.) Chad Hamilton, watched the procedure.
Sears said she's impressed with the new technology. "The 3-D visualization improves the ergonomics of laparoscopy - the image is directly in front of the surgeon at all times," she said. "Rather than looking at a screen which is stationary, the helmet moves with the surgeon's head, improving visualization."
Hamilton said continuing to bring state-of-the-art procedures and methods to military medicine will ensure servicemembers get the best available care. “Incorporation of such technology will allow (the military) to continue offering cutting-edge procedures our beneficiaries have come to expect and keep us in the vanguard of technology and medicine," Hamilton said.
Lockgrow agreed. "I think it's important that we keep exploring these new technologies, because this is great for military medicine," he said.
(Kristin Ellis is a Stripe staff writer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.)
Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 3, 2007 – Virtual reality made its way into the operating room last week when an Army doctor performed the military's first three-dimensional minimally invasive surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. Armed with a state-of-the-art helmet, Col. (Dr.) Ernest Lockrow, director of the Telerobotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery Center, used the 3-D capabilities to perform a hysterectomy.
Minimally invasive surgery, also known as laparoscopy, uses tiny incisions to operate and typically involves a telescopic lens that is connected to a video camera. The operation last week was the first time the military has used the 3-D vision system to help visualize and guide the surgeon during a laparoscopic procedure. According to Lockrow, the typical laparoscopy procedure is done with a two-dimensional display. The images from the telescopic lens appear on a monitor, and surgeons use this to guide their way through the operation.
Some of the problems with teaching new surgeons in two-dimension technology are that they can easily miss something while practicing operations until their eyes adjust to the two-dimension view. This lack of depth perception can hamper the surgeon during an operation, Lockrow explained. With the new three-dimensional headset capability, surgeons can precisely get to where they need to be.
"What the three-dimensional procedure now gives is a camera for each eye, so the surgeon can now see just as he was operating in a general, open procedure," Lockrow said. "When you're used to operating in two dimensions and then you go to three dimensions, it just makes it so much easier. We actually had a fellow who has not done a lot of laparoscopic surgery and was able to easily grasp the laparoscopic procedure in three dimensions."
Lockrow is taking the technology a step further by exploring a new realm of telecommunications with the use of this device. Although there are issues associated with transmitting images across a network in terms of signal delay, it could be possible someday to have a doctor use a 3-D helmet in Germany to assist a doctor here who also is wearing the helmet, and vice versa, Lockrow said.
"In military aspects, that's really where we want to go; it's just a long road to get there," he added. Walter Reed now has the facilities that give surgical teams the capability to broadcast the surgery, Lockrow noted.
"We're actually able to take the new technologies and techniques, and we can now televise them to a network or to a classroom," he said. "Now, more than two people can watch a procedure; a whole classroom can watch."
The 3-D laparoscopy device is part of a bigger project involving robotic surgery and minimally invasive surgery in which the Army is trying to incorporate new technologies and make them available at health-care facilities throughout the military. Lockrow's team tested the helmets at the robotic training center lab at Uniform Services University.
A Navy surgeon, Cmdr. (Dr.) Christine Sears, assisted Lockrow in the operating room. An Air Force surgeon, Maj. (Dr.) Chad Hamilton, watched the procedure.
Sears said she's impressed with the new technology. "The 3-D visualization improves the ergonomics of laparoscopy - the image is directly in front of the surgeon at all times," she said. "Rather than looking at a screen which is stationary, the helmet moves with the surgeon's head, improving visualization."
Hamilton said continuing to bring state-of-the-art procedures and methods to military medicine will ensure servicemembers get the best available care. “Incorporation of such technology will allow (the military) to continue offering cutting-edge procedures our beneficiaries have come to expect and keep us in the vanguard of technology and medicine," Hamilton said.
Lockgrow agreed. "I think it's important that we keep exploring these new technologies, because this is great for military medicine," he said.
(Kristin Ellis is a Stripe staff writer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.)
Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
Bush: Delay in War Funds Will Hurt Military Readiness, Morale
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
April 3, 2007 – Further congressional delay in forwarding an appropriate emergency war spending bill to the White House will damage military readiness and morale as well as endanger the nation, President Bush told reporters today at a White House news conference. Congress's failure to fund our troops on the front lines will mean that some of our military families could wait longer for their loved ones to return from the front lines, and others could see their loved ones headed back to the war sooner than they need to," Bush said.
That scenario is "unacceptable," Bush said, noting he believes the American people would agree with him.
"Members of Congress say they support the troops. Now they need to show that support in deed, as well as in word," Bush said. Congressional debate over the conduct of the war against terrorism "shouldn't come at the expense of funding our troops," the president said.
The Senate and the House of Representatives have both passed emergency war supplemental funding bills providing funding for U.S. troops, but the money is contingent on troops being withdrawn from Iraq according to a set timetable. Each chamber's bill also contains unrelated domestic spending.
The president sent his recommended military spending bill to Congress almost 60 days ago. Bush has rejected the recent Senate and House legislation out of hand, saying he'd veto any military funding bill with set timetables for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
Bush said he'd just received an update on the U.S. troop reinforcement, or surge, to Iraq from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Two of the five additional Army brigades involved in the surge are now operating in Baghdad, Bush noted, with another now making its way into Iraq from Kuwait.
"And the remaining two brigades will deploy in April and in May," the president said. It'll be early June, he said, before all five brigades and other U.S. reinforcements are in place in Iraq.
The U.S. Army brigades already in Baghdad are having a positive effect on reducing violence there, Bush said.
"And as more of those reinforcements arrive in the months ahead, their impact will continue to grow," the president said.
The current House and Senate war spending bills "undercut the troops by substituting the judgment of politicians in Washington for the judgment of our commanders in the ground, setting an arbitrary withdrawal from Iraq, and spending billions of dollars on 'pork barrel' projects completely unrelated to the war," Bush said.
If Congress fails to forward the White House a favorable war spending bill for presidential signature by mid-April, then, "the Army will be forced to consider cutting back on equipment, equipment repair, and quality of life initiatives for our Guard and Reserve forces," Bush said.
Bush said those cuts would become necessary, "because the money would have to be shifted to support the troops on the front lines." The Army also would have to consider cutting training for stateside-assigned Guard and Reserve units, he said.
That scenario would negatively affect unit readiness and might delay the affected units' availability for missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, Bush said.
Additionally, if Congress doesn't pass and forward a favorable war spending bill by mid-May, then potential problems would become more acute, the president said. The Army would be forced to consider slowing or freezing funding for its equipment-repair depots, Bush said, or delay training of some active-duty forces for overseas deployment.
"If this happens, some of the forces now deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq may need to be extended because other units are not ready to take their places," Bush explained. "The Army may also have to delay the formation of new brigade combat teams."
Bush then read from a letter to Congress written by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, who informed legislators of the impending funding crisis for his service: "'Without approval of the supplemental funds in April, we will be forced to take increasingly draconian measures which will impact Army readiness and impose hardships on our soldiers and their families.'"
A shortage of funds, Bush explained, would cause some stateside-based Army units to be unavailable for mobilization to Iraq and Afghanistan to replace units set for rotation back to their home bases.
The president acknowledged that some Americans are concerned about U.S. policy on Iraq, but he emphasized that failure to defeat terrorism there would doom the fledgling Iraqi democracy and endanger U.S. citizens.
American military forces serving in Iraq are providing its young government "breathing room" so that it can eventually defend and sustain itself against its enemies, Bush said.
If U.S. troops leave Iraq too early, it could become a "caldron of chaos, which would embolden" the Sunni, Shiite and other extremists who are now trying to tear the country apart, Bush said. Terrorists could then use Iraq as a safe haven, he pointed out, from which to launch new attacks against America.
Bush said his primary presidential task is to protect the American people.
"And, I firmly believe that if we were to leave (Iraq) before the job is done, the enemy would follow us here," the president said.
Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
AAFES Marks Four Years of Service, Support to Troops in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
April 3, 2007 – The Army and Air Force Exchange Service marks four years of service to deployed troops in Iraq this week. Ared with little more than backpacks and footlockers full of energy drinks, protein bars and baby wipes flown into Iraq aboard a C-130 flying 300 feet off the ground, Craig Sewell and Dennis Hatcher launched AAFES "combat retail" operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom on April 7, 2003.
On that day, AAFES' first mobile exchange in Iraq was actually an old Toyota Landcruiser that Sewell and Hatcher commandeered to follow troops patrolling what was previously an Iraqi airfield south of Baghdad.
"The environment was very austere," said Sewell, AAFES vice president assigned to the Strategic Partnership Directorate. "While there wasn't running water or power, and we had limited shelter," he said, "we understood that we were there to provide service regardless of the conditions.
"With the battle for Baghdad still in full swing, and enemies launching multiple attacks on the airfield during the evening sandstorms," he continued, "this was one of the most challenging missions I have supported in my nearly 30 years of service with the exchange."
Four years later, the footlockers, backpacks and even the Landcruiser have been scrapped in favor of a sophisticated supply chain that leverages air, ground and sea assets to deliver the exchange benefit to soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines throughout the Operation Iraqi Freedom theater.
This logistics pipeline ensures 26 base or post exchange facilities, 24 unit-run exchange operations, 63 name-brand fast food restaurants and hundreds of services, including barber, beauty and laundry, have the goods needed to deliver a slice of Americana to troops called to serve far from home.
"AAFES started with absolutely nothing in Iraq," said Lt. Col. Steven Dean, AAFES chief of contingency operations. "While name-brand fast food was just a distant hope on that April day in 2003, troops deploying today have convenient access not only to BX/PXs, but also dozens of recognizable restaurant brands including Burger King, Taco Bell and Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits."
Making sure the food is hot and exchange shelves are stocked is a force of more than 390 American civilians voluntarily deployed to operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom at any given time. These AAFES associates, many of whom have deployed multiple times, live and work alongside the troops they serve during 6- to 12-month deployments.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, 1,890 AAFES associates have voluntarily left the comforts of their homes and families to extend the exchange benefit to troops craving a well-deserved taste of home.
While long-term, international operations continue in the Middle East, AAFES also is prepared to support natural disaster and contingencies closer to home with a fleet of state-of-the-art mobile retail facilities that come complete with satellite communications, coolers and built-in shelving.
Called tactical field exchanges, or TFEs, these units are often the first resources to be deployed to domestic emergencies. Staged at various locations throughout the United States, including AAFES's sprawling distribution center in Waco, Texas, the TFEs have been redesigned using lessons learned not only in Iraq, but also in operations throughout North America, including support of firefighters in Washington state last summer as well as relief operations in the wake of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005.
Armed with the information that can only be learned in these extreme conditions, AAFES's Waco Facilities Management Office was on the forefront of designing the new TFEs, from the ground up, to better service the field needs of both troops and emergency responders.
"They have everything necessary to be a 'turn-key' operation," Dean said. "These new TFEs give AAFES's commanding general a 48-hour response capability for any contingency occurring in the United States. AAFES has deployed these TFEs to many locations already, with terrific results for our deployed military."
After nearly 112 years in military resale, it is hard to imagine there would be much more the Defense Department's oldest and largest exchange service could learn about retail, but since Sewell and Hatcher ventured out onto Iraq's back roads in 2003, the AAFES team has learned more about its people, services and support than those who created the exchange service in 1895 could have ever imagined.
"Our military and civilian personnel have demonstrated time and again that they are ready, willing and able to go where the troops go for as long as America's armed forces are called to serve in harm's way," Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Bryan Eaton, AAFES senior enlisted advisor, said. "These past four years in Iraq are not only important because of the support we have delivered to those 'on the ground,' but also troops we will serve in the future, because today AAFES is better prepared than ever before to fulfill its motto, 'We Go Where You Go.'"
Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
April 3, 2007 – The Army and Air Force Exchange Service marks four years of service to deployed troops in Iraq this week. Ared with little more than backpacks and footlockers full of energy drinks, protein bars and baby wipes flown into Iraq aboard a C-130 flying 300 feet off the ground, Craig Sewell and Dennis Hatcher launched AAFES "combat retail" operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom on April 7, 2003.
On that day, AAFES' first mobile exchange in Iraq was actually an old Toyota Landcruiser that Sewell and Hatcher commandeered to follow troops patrolling what was previously an Iraqi airfield south of Baghdad.
"The environment was very austere," said Sewell, AAFES vice president assigned to the Strategic Partnership Directorate. "While there wasn't running water or power, and we had limited shelter," he said, "we understood that we were there to provide service regardless of the conditions.
"With the battle for Baghdad still in full swing, and enemies launching multiple attacks on the airfield during the evening sandstorms," he continued, "this was one of the most challenging missions I have supported in my nearly 30 years of service with the exchange."
Four years later, the footlockers, backpacks and even the Landcruiser have been scrapped in favor of a sophisticated supply chain that leverages air, ground and sea assets to deliver the exchange benefit to soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines throughout the Operation Iraqi Freedom theater.
This logistics pipeline ensures 26 base or post exchange facilities, 24 unit-run exchange operations, 63 name-brand fast food restaurants and hundreds of services, including barber, beauty and laundry, have the goods needed to deliver a slice of Americana to troops called to serve far from home.
"AAFES started with absolutely nothing in Iraq," said Lt. Col. Steven Dean, AAFES chief of contingency operations. "While name-brand fast food was just a distant hope on that April day in 2003, troops deploying today have convenient access not only to BX/PXs, but also dozens of recognizable restaurant brands including Burger King, Taco Bell and Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits."
Making sure the food is hot and exchange shelves are stocked is a force of more than 390 American civilians voluntarily deployed to operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom at any given time. These AAFES associates, many of whom have deployed multiple times, live and work alongside the troops they serve during 6- to 12-month deployments.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, 1,890 AAFES associates have voluntarily left the comforts of their homes and families to extend the exchange benefit to troops craving a well-deserved taste of home.
While long-term, international operations continue in the Middle East, AAFES also is prepared to support natural disaster and contingencies closer to home with a fleet of state-of-the-art mobile retail facilities that come complete with satellite communications, coolers and built-in shelving.
Called tactical field exchanges, or TFEs, these units are often the first resources to be deployed to domestic emergencies. Staged at various locations throughout the United States, including AAFES's sprawling distribution center in Waco, Texas, the TFEs have been redesigned using lessons learned not only in Iraq, but also in operations throughout North America, including support of firefighters in Washington state last summer as well as relief operations in the wake of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005.
Armed with the information that can only be learned in these extreme conditions, AAFES's Waco Facilities Management Office was on the forefront of designing the new TFEs, from the ground up, to better service the field needs of both troops and emergency responders.
"They have everything necessary to be a 'turn-key' operation," Dean said. "These new TFEs give AAFES's commanding general a 48-hour response capability for any contingency occurring in the United States. AAFES has deployed these TFEs to many locations already, with terrific results for our deployed military."
After nearly 112 years in military resale, it is hard to imagine there would be much more the Defense Department's oldest and largest exchange service could learn about retail, but since Sewell and Hatcher ventured out onto Iraq's back roads in 2003, the AAFES team has learned more about its people, services and support than those who created the exchange service in 1895 could have ever imagined.
"Our military and civilian personnel have demonstrated time and again that they are ready, willing and able to go where the troops go for as long as America's armed forces are called to serve in harm's way," Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Bryan Eaton, AAFES senior enlisted advisor, said. "These past four years in Iraq are not only important because of the support we have delivered to those 'on the ground,' but also troops we will serve in the future, because today AAFES is better prepared than ever before to fulfill its motto, 'We Go Where You Go.'"
Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
Franchise Helps Group Support Injured Troops
American Forces Press Service
April 3, 2007 – Members of Daniel Acosta's family already had a lot on their minds when he arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio from serving in Iraq with injuries that ultimately cost him an arm. And shortly thereafter, his wife, Sandy, delivered their third child.
To ease part of their burden, Maid Brigade is lending a hand with weekly household cleaning as part of a national partnership with Operation Homefront to serve military families in need.
Operation Homefront is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that highlights the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers.
"This is the best baby gift ever!" Sandy said. "Maid Brigade and Operation Homefront have relieved so much stress from our lives, and the weekly cleaning allows me to spend precious minutes with my children and help my husband recuperate."
After America Supports You officials introduced Operation Homefront and Maid Brigade, the organizations announced in January their partnership to support military families in crisis by offering free cleaning service.
With a mission to provide emergency assistance to troops, military families and wounded warriors, Operation Homefront anticipates many scenarios like this, where Maid Brigade will make a genuine difference to military families.
Working with Operation Homefront is a way of saying "thank you" to the nation's troops and families who have sacrificed so much, Josie Rangel, the San Antonio Maid Brigade franchisee who is assisting the Acostas, said. "It's nice that Operation Homefront gives regular businesses an opportunity to show their support."
"The work these two America Supports You groups are doing is truly outstanding," Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs and architect of the America Supports You program, said. "Something as simple as cleaning a house or an apartment can make a huge difference in the lives of our wounded veterans and their families.
"Operation Homefront and Maid Brigade are a perfect match, and we're so happy we were able to connect them," she added.
In Arlington, Texas, Maid Brigade and Operation Homefront are helping another family as it relocates to San Antonio.
Marvin Williams was an Army National Guard soldier activated to an Austin-based unit when he was injured in a training accident. Operation Homefront is relocating his wife and 11-month-old daughter.
"Our daughter was born one month after I was activated, and she won't even come to me," Williams said. "Because I am being treated for injuries here at (Brooke Army Medical Center), I could not help my wife with the burdens of packing our entire household to prepare for the move.
"Operation Homefront and Maid Brigade helped my wife in ways I could not," he added. "I can't say thank you enough!"
Keith Clem, of the Fort Worth franchise of Maid Brigade, has agreed to clean the apartment once the household items have been moved out.
"Maid Brigade is bringing genuine peace of mind to families who have sacrificed so much," Meredith Leyva, founder of Operation Homefront, said.
"Our many offices throughout the country have eagerly volunteered to help our wounded warriors in many different ways, and we are proud of the way our people have stepped up to assist our ... wounded military who have sacrificed so much," Don Hay, chairman of Maid Brigade, said.
Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
April 3, 2007 – Members of Daniel Acosta's family already had a lot on their minds when he arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio from serving in Iraq with injuries that ultimately cost him an arm. And shortly thereafter, his wife, Sandy, delivered their third child.
To ease part of their burden, Maid Brigade is lending a hand with weekly household cleaning as part of a national partnership with Operation Homefront to serve military families in need.
Operation Homefront is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that highlights the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers.
"This is the best baby gift ever!" Sandy said. "Maid Brigade and Operation Homefront have relieved so much stress from our lives, and the weekly cleaning allows me to spend precious minutes with my children and help my husband recuperate."
After America Supports You officials introduced Operation Homefront and Maid Brigade, the organizations announced in January their partnership to support military families in crisis by offering free cleaning service.
With a mission to provide emergency assistance to troops, military families and wounded warriors, Operation Homefront anticipates many scenarios like this, where Maid Brigade will make a genuine difference to military families.
Working with Operation Homefront is a way of saying "thank you" to the nation's troops and families who have sacrificed so much, Josie Rangel, the San Antonio Maid Brigade franchisee who is assisting the Acostas, said. "It's nice that Operation Homefront gives regular businesses an opportunity to show their support."
"The work these two America Supports You groups are doing is truly outstanding," Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs and architect of the America Supports You program, said. "Something as simple as cleaning a house or an apartment can make a huge difference in the lives of our wounded veterans and their families.
"Operation Homefront and Maid Brigade are a perfect match, and we're so happy we were able to connect them," she added.
In Arlington, Texas, Maid Brigade and Operation Homefront are helping another family as it relocates to San Antonio.
Marvin Williams was an Army National Guard soldier activated to an Austin-based unit when he was injured in a training accident. Operation Homefront is relocating his wife and 11-month-old daughter.
"Our daughter was born one month after I was activated, and she won't even come to me," Williams said. "Because I am being treated for injuries here at (Brooke Army Medical Center), I could not help my wife with the burdens of packing our entire household to prepare for the move.
"Operation Homefront and Maid Brigade helped my wife in ways I could not," he added. "I can't say thank you enough!"
Keith Clem, of the Fort Worth franchise of Maid Brigade, has agreed to clean the apartment once the household items have been moved out.
"Maid Brigade is bringing genuine peace of mind to families who have sacrificed so much," Meredith Leyva, founder of Operation Homefront, said.
"Our many offices throughout the country have eagerly volunteered to help our wounded warriors in many different ways, and we are proud of the way our people have stepped up to assist our ... wounded military who have sacrificed so much," Don Hay, chairman of Maid Brigade, said.
Article sponsored by police and military personnel who have authored books as well as criminal justice online leadership.
Even before that
Editor's Note: One of the writers is prior military.
April 3, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. On April 1st, we published information about the oldest known police writer – Thomas Byrnes. Turns out, we had the right department, but there was a police officer who published a book before Thomas Byrnes’ 1886 work.
In 1845 George Matsell was appointed first Chief of the New York Police Department. In 1859, or thereabouts, he published The Secret Language of Criminals: Vocabulum or The Rouge’s Lexicon. Essentially a dictionary of street slang from the mid-19th Century, it has interesting terms from the era, as well as some insights to our ‘street language’ today. As an example, George Matsell likely printed the first reference to “Dukes” as meaning hands, as in “Put up your Dukes.” In another example, he records that before the Civil War the word “crib” meant someone’s residence, as it does today.
In addition to George Matsell, two other New York City police officers were added to the website.
Jerry Ferguson served in the United States Army from 1961 to 1964. He joined the New York Transit Police Department in 1965, retiring in 1990 after 25 years of service. In 1991, he entered the Federal service, again retiring in 2005. A writer of poetry and short-stories, he is the author of nine books, including Jerry’s Own-Seeds of Wisdom; which according to the book description is “a collection of personal thoughts, expressed usually in one line on the important subject of Wisdom. Each one is numbered and there are 366 of them. Simple ideas which if reflected upon are important criteria’s to living a good life.” His other books, which are available exclusively through the author are: The Sponsor, Spirituality Plus, Subway Blues, The Pusher Case, The Murders of the Century Case, The Case of The Anonymous Souls, The Case of the Missing Prima Ballerina; and, The Case of the New York City Slicer!
James Reardon, a former New York Police Department police officer who published two novels – Big Time Tommy Sloane and Sweet Life of
Police-Writers.com now hosts 442 police officers (representing 191 police departments) and their 932 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.
April 3, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. On April 1st, we published information about the oldest known police writer – Thomas Byrnes. Turns out, we had the right department, but there was a police officer who published a book before Thomas Byrnes’ 1886 work.
In 1845 George Matsell was appointed first Chief of the New York Police Department. In 1859, or thereabouts, he published The Secret Language of Criminals: Vocabulum or The Rouge’s Lexicon. Essentially a dictionary of street slang from the mid-19th Century, it has interesting terms from the era, as well as some insights to our ‘street language’ today. As an example, George Matsell likely printed the first reference to “Dukes” as meaning hands, as in “Put up your Dukes.” In another example, he records that before the Civil War the word “crib” meant someone’s residence, as it does today.
In addition to George Matsell, two other New York City police officers were added to the website.
Jerry Ferguson served in the United States Army from 1961 to 1964. He joined the New York Transit Police Department in 1965, retiring in 1990 after 25 years of service. In 1991, he entered the Federal service, again retiring in 2005. A writer of poetry and short-stories, he is the author of nine books, including Jerry’s Own-Seeds of Wisdom; which according to the book description is “a collection of personal thoughts, expressed usually in one line on the important subject of Wisdom. Each one is numbered and there are 366 of them. Simple ideas which if reflected upon are important criteria’s to living a good life.” His other books, which are available exclusively through the author are: The Sponsor, Spirituality Plus, Subway Blues, The Pusher Case, The Murders of the Century Case, The Case of The Anonymous Souls, The Case of the Missing Prima Ballerina; and, The Case of the New York City Slicer!
James Reardon, a former New York Police Department police officer who published two novels – Big Time Tommy Sloane and Sweet Life of
Police-Writers.com now hosts 442 police officers (representing 191 police departments) and their 932 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.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Troops Embark on 'Why We Serve' Public Outreach Mission
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
April 2, 2007 – Eight servicemembers with duty experience in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa, who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American public, met with Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England here March 30. “It's important and it's vital, particularly now," England told the group of their mission to relate their experiences to the American public. "This is the time to be out with the message of the importance of what you do every day, and all those who serve."
The eight enlisted and commissioned Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps members are participating in the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
The United States has always relied on the courage and selflessness of military members who have fought to preserve America's security, freedoms and way of life since the nation was established, England pointed out.
"What you're doing is hugely important," the deputy defense secretary told the servicemembers as he shook their hands and passed out his personal coins. "And, while you're out there, deliver a great message for America."
The "Why We Serve" program began last fall and was initially the idea of Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The program is conducted in quarterly segments and eight military members, two from each service, are selected to participate, said Air Force Maj. Ann N. Biggers, the program's director.
"We're sending the best of the best from each of the services," Biggers said.
Participants are attached to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs for periods of about 90 days. They travel to communities across the nation to tell their personal stories of military service. Speaking engagements range from veterans organizations to grade schools to business groups.
But first, the servicemembers undergo three days of training consisting of standards of conduct, public speaking, policy and ethics, interview skills, speech preparation and more, Biggers said.
"We know that the American public is hungry to hear about what these young men and women have been doing," Biggers said. "It's important for our speakers, as well, because they are out there serving their country, and they want to be able to tell their stories."
This is the third "Why We Serve" group since the program began, Biggers said. The group members are:
-- Air Force Capt. Michael J. Frasco, 35, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.;
-- Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert P. Jubie, 35, Hill Air Force Base, Utah;
-- Army Capt. Jessica L. Murphy, 28, Fort Drum, N.Y.;
-- Army Staff Sgt. Matt Olson, 25, Fort Jackson, S.C.;
-- Marine 1st Lt. Matthew H. Hilton, 28, Camp Pendleton, Calif.;
-- Marine Sgt. Paula Payne, 23, Camp Pendleton;
-- Navy Lt. Junior Grade Katie Hagen, 24, Norfolk, Va.; and
-- Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Virginia Marie Mayo, 29, Camp Pendleton.
The servicemembers have unique experiences they'd like to share with the American public.
Jubie, a military carpenter who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, recalled helping Afghans to rebuild their homes during his stint with a provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan. He also cited the death of two of his fellow soldiers in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Sept. 8, 2006.
"That really drove home to me to a great desire to continue the mission," Jubie, an Arlington, Wash., native said. "Unfortunately, their lives were ended short, but their legacy lives on through the PRTs."
Frasco, who hails from Albuquerque, N.M., volunteered to be a supply convoy commander during a tour in Afghanistan in 2006, a normally done by an Army officer. He also served as a trainer for the Afghan National Army.
Frasco remembers once working 30 consecutive 16-hour days during his tour in Afghanistan. However, he said, it was worth it to help the Afghans get back onto their feet after enduring years of brutal rule under the Taliban.
However, "despite all the long hours, despite all the hardships that we'd gone through and despite all the difficult things that we'd faced during our deployment, servicemembers are ready to go back" to assist the Afghans to make them stronger, Frasco said.
Servicemembers perform dangerous duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and other far-flung places to preserve America's security and freedoms and to protect loved ones and other Americans back home, Frasco said.
In Iraq, Mayo organized medical triage and movement of casualties and also participated in more than 15 combat-related missions, including convoys and dismounted patrols. She said she wants the American public to know "there are so many opportunities and positions of leadership" available to women in the military.
"If you can do your job and can hold your own, then, there's nothing that can stop you," Mayo, a New Port Richey, Fla., native, noted.
Murphy, a Milwaukee native and military police officer, said she and her soldiers worked closely with local residents during tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We interacted with the community a lot in both countries. It was very rewarding. I've seen how we can affect what is happening on the ground and help people have a better life," Murphy said.
"I know the news kind of portrays the sensational side" of events in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Olson, who hails from Grantsville, Wis. "I'm kind of hoping to get the whole story out there, the good news stuff." Having served two tours in Iraq, Olson recalled participating in humanitarian missions to provide supplies for Iraqi school children.
"Seeing those children's faces was rewarding," the wheeled-vehicle mechanic and noncommissioned officer said.
Hagen, who calls Slidell, La., home, recalled performing anti-pirate missions off the coast of Somalia while deployed on a Navy destroyer in the Arabian Gulf in 2005-2006.
"It's something that I'd never expected. I didn't even know until I got there that there actually were still pirates out there," Hagen said. "It was a pretty unique experience."
Hilton, an intelligence officer who's slated to be the ceremonial ringmaster for an April 4 evening performance of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus at the Patriot Center at George Mason University in his native Fairfax, Va., said he'd share his positive experiences with the Iraqi people during his two tours in Iraq.
"The Iraqi people are great people," said Hilton, who'd served as an advisor to the 7th Iraqi Army Division. "They're very hospitable people, and I think the American people don't get a chance to see the warm, inviting culture that they have, that I was able to experience."
"I think the American people don't get enough (news) about the good things that are happening in Iraq," Payne, a communications noncommissioned officer, said, because of the preponderance of stories that publicize the negative. For example, the Grandville, Mich., native said, it was a routine occurrence to see Iraqi children joyfully accepting educational books and candy from U.S. soldiers and Marines.
"There are wonderful things that are happening over there, and those are the things that need to be covered more," said Payne, served two tours in Iraq, in 2005 and 2006.
For general questions about the "Why We Serve" program, call Maj. Ann Biggers at (703) 695-3845.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military writers.
American Forces Press Service
April 2, 2007 – Eight servicemembers with duty experience in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa, who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American public, met with Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England here March 30. “It's important and it's vital, particularly now," England told the group of their mission to relate their experiences to the American public. "This is the time to be out with the message of the importance of what you do every day, and all those who serve."
The eight enlisted and commissioned Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps members are participating in the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
The United States has always relied on the courage and selflessness of military members who have fought to preserve America's security, freedoms and way of life since the nation was established, England pointed out.
"What you're doing is hugely important," the deputy defense secretary told the servicemembers as he shook their hands and passed out his personal coins. "And, while you're out there, deliver a great message for America."
The "Why We Serve" program began last fall and was initially the idea of Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The program is conducted in quarterly segments and eight military members, two from each service, are selected to participate, said Air Force Maj. Ann N. Biggers, the program's director.
"We're sending the best of the best from each of the services," Biggers said.
Participants are attached to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs for periods of about 90 days. They travel to communities across the nation to tell their personal stories of military service. Speaking engagements range from veterans organizations to grade schools to business groups.
But first, the servicemembers undergo three days of training consisting of standards of conduct, public speaking, policy and ethics, interview skills, speech preparation and more, Biggers said.
"We know that the American public is hungry to hear about what these young men and women have been doing," Biggers said. "It's important for our speakers, as well, because they are out there serving their country, and they want to be able to tell their stories."
This is the third "Why We Serve" group since the program began, Biggers said. The group members are:
-- Air Force Capt. Michael J. Frasco, 35, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.;
-- Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert P. Jubie, 35, Hill Air Force Base, Utah;
-- Army Capt. Jessica L. Murphy, 28, Fort Drum, N.Y.;
-- Army Staff Sgt. Matt Olson, 25, Fort Jackson, S.C.;
-- Marine 1st Lt. Matthew H. Hilton, 28, Camp Pendleton, Calif.;
-- Marine Sgt. Paula Payne, 23, Camp Pendleton;
-- Navy Lt. Junior Grade Katie Hagen, 24, Norfolk, Va.; and
-- Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Virginia Marie Mayo, 29, Camp Pendleton.
The servicemembers have unique experiences they'd like to share with the American public.
Jubie, a military carpenter who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, recalled helping Afghans to rebuild their homes during his stint with a provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan. He also cited the death of two of his fellow soldiers in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Sept. 8, 2006.
"That really drove home to me to a great desire to continue the mission," Jubie, an Arlington, Wash., native said. "Unfortunately, their lives were ended short, but their legacy lives on through the PRTs."
Frasco, who hails from Albuquerque, N.M., volunteered to be a supply convoy commander during a tour in Afghanistan in 2006, a normally done by an Army officer. He also served as a trainer for the Afghan National Army.
Frasco remembers once working 30 consecutive 16-hour days during his tour in Afghanistan. However, he said, it was worth it to help the Afghans get back onto their feet after enduring years of brutal rule under the Taliban.
However, "despite all the long hours, despite all the hardships that we'd gone through and despite all the difficult things that we'd faced during our deployment, servicemembers are ready to go back" to assist the Afghans to make them stronger, Frasco said.
Servicemembers perform dangerous duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and other far-flung places to preserve America's security and freedoms and to protect loved ones and other Americans back home, Frasco said.
In Iraq, Mayo organized medical triage and movement of casualties and also participated in more than 15 combat-related missions, including convoys and dismounted patrols. She said she wants the American public to know "there are so many opportunities and positions of leadership" available to women in the military.
"If you can do your job and can hold your own, then, there's nothing that can stop you," Mayo, a New Port Richey, Fla., native, noted.
Murphy, a Milwaukee native and military police officer, said she and her soldiers worked closely with local residents during tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We interacted with the community a lot in both countries. It was very rewarding. I've seen how we can affect what is happening on the ground and help people have a better life," Murphy said.
"I know the news kind of portrays the sensational side" of events in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Olson, who hails from Grantsville, Wis. "I'm kind of hoping to get the whole story out there, the good news stuff." Having served two tours in Iraq, Olson recalled participating in humanitarian missions to provide supplies for Iraqi school children.
"Seeing those children's faces was rewarding," the wheeled-vehicle mechanic and noncommissioned officer said.
Hagen, who calls Slidell, La., home, recalled performing anti-pirate missions off the coast of Somalia while deployed on a Navy destroyer in the Arabian Gulf in 2005-2006.
"It's something that I'd never expected. I didn't even know until I got there that there actually were still pirates out there," Hagen said. "It was a pretty unique experience."
Hilton, an intelligence officer who's slated to be the ceremonial ringmaster for an April 4 evening performance of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus at the Patriot Center at George Mason University in his native Fairfax, Va., said he'd share his positive experiences with the Iraqi people during his two tours in Iraq.
"The Iraqi people are great people," said Hilton, who'd served as an advisor to the 7th Iraqi Army Division. "They're very hospitable people, and I think the American people don't get a chance to see the warm, inviting culture that they have, that I was able to experience."
"I think the American people don't get enough (news) about the good things that are happening in Iraq," Payne, a communications noncommissioned officer, said, because of the preponderance of stories that publicize the negative. For example, the Grandville, Mich., native said, it was a routine occurrence to see Iraqi children joyfully accepting educational books and candy from U.S. soldiers and Marines.
"There are wonderful things that are happening over there, and those are the things that need to be covered more," said Payne, served two tours in Iraq, in 2005 and 2006.
For general questions about the "Why We Serve" program, call Maj. Ann Biggers at (703) 695-3845.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military writers.
VA Secretary Opens Disabled Winter Sports Clinic, Thanks Veterans
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 2, 2007 – Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson opened the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here last night, offering special thanks to wounded warriors of Iraq and Afghanistan and encouraging them to seize the opportunities that await them here. "There is controversy about this war, but there is no controversy about you," Nicholson told about 100 veterans of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, who joined more than 300 other disabled veterans for this year's clinic.
Nicholson thanked the troops who have served to defend the country against terrorism.
"For those on the line tonight over in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for so many of you that are here who have been on that line, I say again, on behalf of this nation of people that is so free: It is free because of you, and we owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude," he said.
The secretary urged the veterans to take advantage of the opportunities that await them here. During the six-day winter sports clinic, they will learn adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing and get the opportunity to try their hand at rock climbing, scuba diving, trapshooting, snowmobiling, sled hockey, wheelchair fencing and other activities.
The goal is to push disabled veterans' limits and help them discover things they never imagined they could still do, explained Sandy Trombetta, VA's national director for the clinic. He calls the experience a "ride of discovery" that proves life-changing for many participants.
Nicholson said he recalled overhearing Trombetta convincing disabled veterans at last year's clinic that it's OK to fall on the slopes. "He told them he likes it when they fall," Nicholson said. "And do you know why? He said to them, 'Because I love it when you guys get up and start all over again!'
"That's what this clinic is all about," Nicholson said. "It is about starting over, starting something new and eventually winning--winning by putting the emphasis into ability over disability."
That winning attitude has a geometric effect, because it motivates other disabled veterans. They, too, "take the plunge and they learn what other things they can still do," Nicholson said.
Bradley Barton, national commander of the Disabled American Veterans, which cosponsors the clinic with the Department of Veterans Affairs, joined Nicholson in encouraging the country's newest disabled veterans to look beyond their limitations.
Barton, who was paralyzed from the waist down during combat in Vietnam, told the group he's had almost 40 years to face his disability and find a way to succeed in life.
"And to be very honest with you, after having gone through the process of adjusting to life with a disability, it is difficult to see your young men and women returning from another war with scars and wounds and the challenges that injuries bring," he said.
Barton said the winter sports clinic, made possible by generous corporate sponsors and an army of volunteers, gives him hope that the country is moving in the right direction in how it treats its disabled veterans.
"Of course, when you're up on top of that mountain and you look down, there is going to be a chance that you're going to wonder if you are moving in the right direction," Barton quipped. "But never mind that. When you get to the bottom and you look up, my money says you will have a whole new perspective on everything."
Darrell Lawrence, a former 3rd Infantry Division soldier who served in Iraq and was rendered a paraplegic last June, hopes to recapture that perspective this week during his first winter sports clinic.
An accomplished snowboarder before his injury, Lawrence looks forward to getting the rush he once enjoyed on the slopes when he tries out the adaptive sit-ski. "I hear that you can jump with them," he said. "I love flying through the air."
Finding a new sense of independence and freedom is what the winter sports clinic is all about, said Joey Bozik, a former 18th Airborne Division military policeman, who lost his right leg and most of his right arm after being hit with an anti-tank mine in Iraq in October 2004.
Bozik attended last year's clinic and made such a remarkable breakthrough that he was presented the clinic's inspiration award during the closing ceremonies.
"This is a life-changing experience," he said. "You take what you get here with you, and you realize that you're limited only by your mind." Orlando Perez, who was retired from the Army after a tumor spread to his spinal cord and put him in a wheelchair, credits the winter sports clinic with giving him a whole new view of life.
After receiving the novice Alpine skier award at last year's clinic, Perez said he finally realized just how much he's still capable of doing. "You don't have to settle for being disabled, with no hope. There's hope," he said.
"And we have to examples for other people so they can see what's possible and know that great things are going to happen."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military writers.
American Forces Press Service
April 2, 2007 – Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson opened the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here last night, offering special thanks to wounded warriors of Iraq and Afghanistan and encouraging them to seize the opportunities that await them here. "There is controversy about this war, but there is no controversy about you," Nicholson told about 100 veterans of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, who joined more than 300 other disabled veterans for this year's clinic.
Nicholson thanked the troops who have served to defend the country against terrorism.
"For those on the line tonight over in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for so many of you that are here who have been on that line, I say again, on behalf of this nation of people that is so free: It is free because of you, and we owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude," he said.
The secretary urged the veterans to take advantage of the opportunities that await them here. During the six-day winter sports clinic, they will learn adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing and get the opportunity to try their hand at rock climbing, scuba diving, trapshooting, snowmobiling, sled hockey, wheelchair fencing and other activities.
The goal is to push disabled veterans' limits and help them discover things they never imagined they could still do, explained Sandy Trombetta, VA's national director for the clinic. He calls the experience a "ride of discovery" that proves life-changing for many participants.
Nicholson said he recalled overhearing Trombetta convincing disabled veterans at last year's clinic that it's OK to fall on the slopes. "He told them he likes it when they fall," Nicholson said. "And do you know why? He said to them, 'Because I love it when you guys get up and start all over again!'
"That's what this clinic is all about," Nicholson said. "It is about starting over, starting something new and eventually winning--winning by putting the emphasis into ability over disability."
That winning attitude has a geometric effect, because it motivates other disabled veterans. They, too, "take the plunge and they learn what other things they can still do," Nicholson said.
Bradley Barton, national commander of the Disabled American Veterans, which cosponsors the clinic with the Department of Veterans Affairs, joined Nicholson in encouraging the country's newest disabled veterans to look beyond their limitations.
Barton, who was paralyzed from the waist down during combat in Vietnam, told the group he's had almost 40 years to face his disability and find a way to succeed in life.
"And to be very honest with you, after having gone through the process of adjusting to life with a disability, it is difficult to see your young men and women returning from another war with scars and wounds and the challenges that injuries bring," he said.
Barton said the winter sports clinic, made possible by generous corporate sponsors and an army of volunteers, gives him hope that the country is moving in the right direction in how it treats its disabled veterans.
"Of course, when you're up on top of that mountain and you look down, there is going to be a chance that you're going to wonder if you are moving in the right direction," Barton quipped. "But never mind that. When you get to the bottom and you look up, my money says you will have a whole new perspective on everything."
Darrell Lawrence, a former 3rd Infantry Division soldier who served in Iraq and was rendered a paraplegic last June, hopes to recapture that perspective this week during his first winter sports clinic.
An accomplished snowboarder before his injury, Lawrence looks forward to getting the rush he once enjoyed on the slopes when he tries out the adaptive sit-ski. "I hear that you can jump with them," he said. "I love flying through the air."
Finding a new sense of independence and freedom is what the winter sports clinic is all about, said Joey Bozik, a former 18th Airborne Division military policeman, who lost his right leg and most of his right arm after being hit with an anti-tank mine in Iraq in October 2004.
Bozik attended last year's clinic and made such a remarkable breakthrough that he was presented the clinic's inspiration award during the closing ceremonies.
"This is a life-changing experience," he said. "You take what you get here with you, and you realize that you're limited only by your mind." Orlando Perez, who was retired from the Army after a tumor spread to his spinal cord and put him in a wheelchair, credits the winter sports clinic with giving him a whole new view of life.
After receiving the novice Alpine skier award at last year's clinic, Perez said he finally realized just how much he's still capable of doing. "You don't have to settle for being disabled, with no hope. There's hope," he said.
"And we have to examples for other people so they can see what's possible and know that great things are going to happen."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military writers.
Supplemental Funds Vital for Reserves, Deployed Troops
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
April 2, 2007 – Army reserve-component training and equipment reset will be immediately affected if an emergency supplemental funding request isn't signed into law by April 15, Defense Department officials said here today. Further, there will be serious repercussions for deployed servicemembers if the supplemental funding isn't approved by May 15, the officials said.
Both the Senate and House bills have passed bills that provide the funding but contain amendments that call for combat troops to be out of Iraq on a certain timetable. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill containing these provisions.
During his weekly radio address March 31, Bush said the bills undercut U.S. troops, and that they "would substitute the judgment of politicians in Washington for that of our generals on the ground."
He said the bills impose restrictive conditions on U.S. military commanders. "Each bill would also set an arbitrary deadline for surrender and withdrawal in Iraq, and I believe that would have disastrous consequences for our safety here at home," he said.
The veto pledge echoed remarks the president made in a March 28 speech. "If either version comes to my desk, I'm going to veto it," the president said to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
Close votes on the bills in each chamber indicate that neither the House nor the Senate would be able to override a presidential veto, DoD legislative affairs officials said.
The Senate is on recess through April 9, and the House is out through April 13. House and Senate negotiators must meet to reconcile the different portions of their respective bills. If the bill contains the withdrawal provision, it is "dead on arrival" at the president's desk, said White House officials.
With no supplemental funds, the Army will be forced to consider curtailing and suspending home station training for Army Reserve and National Guard units, DoD officials said. The service would slow the training of units slated to deploy next to Iraq and Afghanistan and would cut funding for the upgrade or renovation of barracks and other facilities that support quality of life for troops and their families.
Leaders also would stop the repair of equipment necessary to support pre-deployment training, officials said.
If the supplemental funding is not passed by May 15, the Army would consider reducing depot repair work. The service would delay or curtail the deployment of brigade combat teams for training rotations. This may force the service to extend units in Iraq or Afghanistan, officials said.
No supplemental funding would also delay forming new brigade combat teams, force the service to implement a civilian hiring freeze and prohibit new contracts and service orders officials said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military writers.
American Forces Press Service
April 2, 2007 – Army reserve-component training and equipment reset will be immediately affected if an emergency supplemental funding request isn't signed into law by April 15, Defense Department officials said here today. Further, there will be serious repercussions for deployed servicemembers if the supplemental funding isn't approved by May 15, the officials said.
Both the Senate and House bills have passed bills that provide the funding but contain amendments that call for combat troops to be out of Iraq on a certain timetable. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill containing these provisions.
During his weekly radio address March 31, Bush said the bills undercut U.S. troops, and that they "would substitute the judgment of politicians in Washington for that of our generals on the ground."
He said the bills impose restrictive conditions on U.S. military commanders. "Each bill would also set an arbitrary deadline for surrender and withdrawal in Iraq, and I believe that would have disastrous consequences for our safety here at home," he said.
The veto pledge echoed remarks the president made in a March 28 speech. "If either version comes to my desk, I'm going to veto it," the president said to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
Close votes on the bills in each chamber indicate that neither the House nor the Senate would be able to override a presidential veto, DoD legislative affairs officials said.
The Senate is on recess through April 9, and the House is out through April 13. House and Senate negotiators must meet to reconcile the different portions of their respective bills. If the bill contains the withdrawal provision, it is "dead on arrival" at the president's desk, said White House officials.
With no supplemental funds, the Army will be forced to consider curtailing and suspending home station training for Army Reserve and National Guard units, DoD officials said. The service would slow the training of units slated to deploy next to Iraq and Afghanistan and would cut funding for the upgrade or renovation of barracks and other facilities that support quality of life for troops and their families.
Leaders also would stop the repair of equipment necessary to support pre-deployment training, officials said.
If the supplemental funding is not passed by May 15, the Army would consider reducing depot repair work. The service would delay or curtail the deployment of brigade combat teams for training rotations. This may force the service to extend units in Iraq or Afghanistan, officials said.
No supplemental funding would also delay forming new brigade combat teams, force the service to implement a civilian hiring freeze and prohibit new contracts and service orders officials said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military writers.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Disabled Vets Expecting Miracles as Winter Sports Clinic Opens
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 1, 2007 – Some 450 disabled veterans converging here today -- about 100 of them wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan -- aren't looking for April Fools pranks. They're expecting miracles. The veterans are kicking off the 21st National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, six days jam-packed with activities designed to push them to new heights and enhance their rehabilitation.
Veterans of past clinics -- and the people who have watched them show themselves and the world what they can still do - refer to what happens here as "Miracles on the Mountainside."
Participants will learn Alpine and Nordic skiing and try their hands at rock climbing, scuba diving, trapshooting, snowmobiling, sled hockey, wheelchair fencing and other activities.
In doing so, they'll demonstrate that they're not about to let an amputation, spinal cord injury, visual impairment or other severe disability get in the way of a full, productive life.
Among this year's returnees is 28-year-old Marine Corps veteran David Vidana, already a walking miracle.
Vidana was shot in the head by a sniper in Baghdad in April 2003. He was considered dead for a full 12 hours before his caregivers were able to detect a faint pulse. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's medical correspondent, happened to be embedded with Vidana's unit at the time, and performed the surgery that saved his life. "I know it's a miracle that I'm alive," Vidana said.
His recovery has been miraculous as well. Just one year after teetering on the brink of death, he came to his first winter sports clinic here. "I didn't think I was going to be able to walk, and then a year later, I was snowboarding!" he said.
Bradley Barton, national commander of Disabled American Veterans, which cosponsors the program with the Department of Veterans Affairs, said experiences like Vidana's are common during the winter sports clinic.
"It is truly a miracle to see the transformation take place on the mountain as these men and women push themselves to the limit and rehabilitate both body and mind," he said.
Veterans Affairs Sewcretary Jim Nicholson shared Barton's assessment, calling the participants' courage and determination "examples for us all."
Participants range in age from their late teens to their 80s and served in every conflict since World War II. All receive care from a VA health-care facility.
They understand each other in a special way, and it's that bond as much as the thrills and gratification they get here that keeps many coming back, year after year.
"At previous clinics, I met other Marines from other conflicts with different types of injuries, who shared great insight and perspective," Vidana said as he anticipated this week's clinic. "It helps with meeting people who understand your injury."
Faoa "Ap" Apineru, a Marine who suffered a traumatic brain injury when an improvised explosive device exploded nearby during a road-clearing mission in Iraq in May 2005, is attending his first winter sports clinic and looks forward to that interaction.
"I think it's positive to share something positive and social with other veterans," said Apineru, who was medically retired as a staff sergeant.
"The reason the clinic is important starts with camaraderie," he said. "Events like this boost morale and give us an idea that there truly are people out there who care for us."
Army veteran Joseph Hineman, at 84, is among the oldest participants in this year's clinic, but knows he has a lot to share with younger and more recently disabled veterans.
After surviving the Battle of the Bulge, Hineman was hit by shrapnel from a German mortar in October 1944 while his unit was trying to capture the bridge at Ramagan over the Rhine River. He lost his left leg above the knee.
He said he looks forward to sharing his insights and his positive philosophy with the younger veterans he meets here.
"We share a generational bond, because even through I'm much older, I can identify with them psychologically and physiologically because of our similar injuries," he said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military authors.
American Forces Press Service
April 1, 2007 – Some 450 disabled veterans converging here today -- about 100 of them wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan -- aren't looking for April Fools pranks. They're expecting miracles. The veterans are kicking off the 21st National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, six days jam-packed with activities designed to push them to new heights and enhance their rehabilitation.
Veterans of past clinics -- and the people who have watched them show themselves and the world what they can still do - refer to what happens here as "Miracles on the Mountainside."
Participants will learn Alpine and Nordic skiing and try their hands at rock climbing, scuba diving, trapshooting, snowmobiling, sled hockey, wheelchair fencing and other activities.
In doing so, they'll demonstrate that they're not about to let an amputation, spinal cord injury, visual impairment or other severe disability get in the way of a full, productive life.
Among this year's returnees is 28-year-old Marine Corps veteran David Vidana, already a walking miracle.
Vidana was shot in the head by a sniper in Baghdad in April 2003. He was considered dead for a full 12 hours before his caregivers were able to detect a faint pulse. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's medical correspondent, happened to be embedded with Vidana's unit at the time, and performed the surgery that saved his life. "I know it's a miracle that I'm alive," Vidana said.
His recovery has been miraculous as well. Just one year after teetering on the brink of death, he came to his first winter sports clinic here. "I didn't think I was going to be able to walk, and then a year later, I was snowboarding!" he said.
Bradley Barton, national commander of Disabled American Veterans, which cosponsors the program with the Department of Veterans Affairs, said experiences like Vidana's are common during the winter sports clinic.
"It is truly a miracle to see the transformation take place on the mountain as these men and women push themselves to the limit and rehabilitate both body and mind," he said.
Veterans Affairs Sewcretary Jim Nicholson shared Barton's assessment, calling the participants' courage and determination "examples for us all."
Participants range in age from their late teens to their 80s and served in every conflict since World War II. All receive care from a VA health-care facility.
They understand each other in a special way, and it's that bond as much as the thrills and gratification they get here that keeps many coming back, year after year.
"At previous clinics, I met other Marines from other conflicts with different types of injuries, who shared great insight and perspective," Vidana said as he anticipated this week's clinic. "It helps with meeting people who understand your injury."
Faoa "Ap" Apineru, a Marine who suffered a traumatic brain injury when an improvised explosive device exploded nearby during a road-clearing mission in Iraq in May 2005, is attending his first winter sports clinic and looks forward to that interaction.
"I think it's positive to share something positive and social with other veterans," said Apineru, who was medically retired as a staff sergeant.
"The reason the clinic is important starts with camaraderie," he said. "Events like this boost morale and give us an idea that there truly are people out there who care for us."
Army veteran Joseph Hineman, at 84, is among the oldest participants in this year's clinic, but knows he has a lot to share with younger and more recently disabled veterans.
After surviving the Battle of the Bulge, Hineman was hit by shrapnel from a German mortar in October 1944 while his unit was trying to capture the bridge at Ramagan over the Rhine River. He lost his left leg above the knee.
He said he looks forward to sharing his insights and his positive philosophy with the younger veterans he meets here.
"We share a generational bond, because even through I'm much older, I can identify with them psychologically and physiologically because of our similar injuries," he said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military authors.
April begins with Memoirs and Fiction
Editor's Note: One of the authors is former military
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Leading off the April 2007 additions to the site are two police officers who have written their memoirs as cops; and, one who has written a work of fiction.
In August of 1940, James N. Reaves was sworn in as a police officer for the Philadelphia Police Department. At that time, he was one of the very few African American’s on the department. Writing about Reaves’ book, Black Cops, his publisher said, “There was a swearing in ceremony at City Hall with lots of smiles, handshakes, & photographs, but then Reaves had to report to his new street sergeant, a man who was, of course, White. The sergeant glanced at Reaves coldly, gave him a quick scan up & down, & then said something for which Reaves would never forgive him. "My God," the sergeant hissed, "it gets worse." Reaves shook off the insult & persevered through a remarkable forty-year police career. From walking a beat to protect businesses that wouldn't serve Blacks--while other cops rode in the comfort of White-only patrol cars--to the upper echelons of the department as Philadelphia's first Black police captain, James Reaves saw it all, & now he is going on the record with his story.”
RJ Rice was a police officer for the Philadelphia Police Department for 28 years. His book, I Do Solemnly Swear, is a collection of individual stories about actual events from his career. Speaking about his book, Rice said, “It demonstrates how quickly a quiet moment can turn into a life and death struggle and how police officers must decide in a heart - beat what actions to take. Their decision may define the rest of their careers and their lives as well as the lives of the public they serve.”
Robert Yantorno is a police sergeant with the Narberth Borough Police Department (Pennsylvania). In 1980, after his military service, Robert Yantorno began his law enforcement career. His law enforcement career was briefly interrupted between 1983 and 1985 when he fought as a professional boxer. He is a motor officer, currently assigned as a patrol sergeant. According to his book, Brutal Mercies, explores “the secretive world of the police force and the intimate relationships that lie beneath are exposed as the reader finds themselves entrenched in a world of fear, pain, pride and despair.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 435 police officers (representing 191 police departments) and their 915 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 is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Leading off the April 2007 additions to the site are two police officers who have written their memoirs as cops; and, one who has written a work of fiction.
In August of 1940, James N. Reaves was sworn in as a police officer for the Philadelphia Police Department. At that time, he was one of the very few African American’s on the department. Writing about Reaves’ book, Black Cops, his publisher said, “There was a swearing in ceremony at City Hall with lots of smiles, handshakes, & photographs, but then Reaves had to report to his new street sergeant, a man who was, of course, White. The sergeant glanced at Reaves coldly, gave him a quick scan up & down, & then said something for which Reaves would never forgive him. "My God," the sergeant hissed, "it gets worse." Reaves shook off the insult & persevered through a remarkable forty-year police career. From walking a beat to protect businesses that wouldn't serve Blacks--while other cops rode in the comfort of White-only patrol cars--to the upper echelons of the department as Philadelphia's first Black police captain, James Reaves saw it all, & now he is going on the record with his story.”
RJ Rice was a police officer for the Philadelphia Police Department for 28 years. His book, I Do Solemnly Swear, is a collection of individual stories about actual events from his career. Speaking about his book, Rice said, “It demonstrates how quickly a quiet moment can turn into a life and death struggle and how police officers must decide in a heart - beat what actions to take. Their decision may define the rest of their careers and their lives as well as the lives of the public they serve.”
Robert Yantorno is a police sergeant with the Narberth Borough Police Department (Pennsylvania). In 1980, after his military service, Robert Yantorno began his law enforcement career. His law enforcement career was briefly interrupted between 1983 and 1985 when he fought as a professional boxer. He is a motor officer, currently assigned as a patrol sergeant. According to his book, Brutal Mercies, explores “the secretive world of the police force and the intimate relationships that lie beneath are exposed as the reader finds themselves entrenched in a world of fear, pain, pride and despair.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 435 police officers (representing 191 police departments) and their 915 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.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Giambastiani Lauds Slovenia for Deployment Participation
By Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
March 31, 2007 – Slovenia's deployments to multiple countries for NATO, the United Nations and the European Union drew praise here yesterday from the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani met with Defense Minister Karl Erjavec, Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Albin Gutman and Gutman's deputy, Maj. Gen. Alojz Steiner, at the Defense Ministry of this nation at the crossroads of central Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Balkans.
"Slovenia has contributed substantially to a variety of operations across NATO," the admiral said at a news conference. "Clearly, the most significant that is occurring right now is Kosovo, with a very large presence of a battalion of Slovenian troops there. We're very thankful for that, both from the United States and throughout the alliance."
The battalion is the first large unit deployment from Slovenia to Kosovo, he said. In addition to that deployment, the Slovenian defense forces are making contributions in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
"All of those are very meaningful and are a strong testament to the desire for Slovenia to be a good partner in this alliance," Giambastiani said. "In fact, I would compliment Slovenia on exceeding the troop deployment goals that NATO has set, and Slovenia continues to punch above its weight, and we're very thankful for that."
"In 2006 for example, Slovenia averaged well over 700 troops deployed," he said. "Now that's not the only measure of what a country does as part of our alliance, but what's significant is that there's other deployments in support of the United Nations and of the European Union, and also independent deployments based upon other commitments Slovenia has made. The fact that Slovenian armed forces have come this far in a short period of time is impressive."
Slovenia is slightly smaller than New Jersey, and abolished its military draft in 2003. Its all-volunteer military has about 40,000 members.
During the day's meetings, Slovenian officials briefed Giambastiani on plans for their government to increase the percentage of gross domestic product applied toward national security and NATO commitments. The admiral was also briefed on proposed pay increases and plans for increased training and education.
"That is very important to draw the highest quality people you can," the admiral said.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump is assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff public affairs office.)
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Special to American Forces Press Service
March 31, 2007 – Slovenia's deployments to multiple countries for NATO, the United Nations and the European Union drew praise here yesterday from the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani met with Defense Minister Karl Erjavec, Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Albin Gutman and Gutman's deputy, Maj. Gen. Alojz Steiner, at the Defense Ministry of this nation at the crossroads of central Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Balkans.
"Slovenia has contributed substantially to a variety of operations across NATO," the admiral said at a news conference. "Clearly, the most significant that is occurring right now is Kosovo, with a very large presence of a battalion of Slovenian troops there. We're very thankful for that, both from the United States and throughout the alliance."
The battalion is the first large unit deployment from Slovenia to Kosovo, he said. In addition to that deployment, the Slovenian defense forces are making contributions in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
"All of those are very meaningful and are a strong testament to the desire for Slovenia to be a good partner in this alliance," Giambastiani said. "In fact, I would compliment Slovenia on exceeding the troop deployment goals that NATO has set, and Slovenia continues to punch above its weight, and we're very thankful for that."
"In 2006 for example, Slovenia averaged well over 700 troops deployed," he said. "Now that's not the only measure of what a country does as part of our alliance, but what's significant is that there's other deployments in support of the United Nations and of the European Union, and also independent deployments based upon other commitments Slovenia has made. The fact that Slovenian armed forces have come this far in a short period of time is impressive."
Slovenia is slightly smaller than New Jersey, and abolished its military draft in 2003. Its all-volunteer military has about 40,000 members.
During the day's meetings, Slovenian officials briefed Giambastiani on plans for their government to increase the percentage of gross domestic product applied toward national security and NATO commitments. The admiral was also briefed on proposed pay increases and plans for increased training and education.
"That is very important to draw the highest quality people you can," the admiral said.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump is assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff public affairs office.)
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Department Reaffirms Commitment to Family, Troop Morale Programs
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
March 30, 2007 – It's imperative - especially during wartime - that the Defense Department continues to provide viable family and troop morale programs for servicemembers and their families, a senior Defense Department official said here yesterday. "Our military families are the heart and soul of troops on the battlefield," Leslye A. Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, told the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on military personnel at a Capitol Hill hearing.
The Defense Department "has made family support a priority and redesigned and boosted family support in a number of ways to recognize the crucial role families play in supporting servicemembers" deployed worldwide in support of the war against terrorism, Arsht said.
Military families cite communication with their deployed servicemembers as their No. 1 concern, Arsht said. Among other initiatives, defense officials haves established special computerized communications centers that help keep families and servicemembers connected during deployments, she noted.
Military families also want easy and quick access to information that's important to them, Arsht said, and she cited two Web-based Defense Department initiatives designed to meet that need.
Military OneSource is a 24-hour information and referral service at www.militaryonesource.com that provides information about parenting, child care, educational services, financial information and counseling, Arsht said.
Military Homefront is the department's quality-of-life web portal at www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil that provides useful information about stateside or overseas moving, spouse job information, and more. These services also support National Guard and Reserve military families, Arsht added.
Military family support and assistance centers established across the services "remain the backbone of support provided to families in the military," Arsht said.
The military services also provide counseling support to help families cope with separations due to servicemembers' overseas deployments, Arsht said. Trained family counselors can help families with life management issues such as reunion expectations, loneliness, stress, long separations, effects of deployment on children, loss and grief and more, she said.
The department's commissary, military exchange and child-care systems all provide important support to military families, Arsht said. Military families save more than 30 percent annually on groceries by using their local commissary and save 16 to 20 percent at their local exchange stores, she noted.
About 42 percent of junior enlisted servicemembers who use child care said they were moderately to very concerned about the issue during their last deployment, Arsht said.
Accordingly, the department has provided $228 million in funding for military child care since the start of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, she said, while creating about 7,000 more child care spaces at 37 child care centers. The department has earmarked another $82 million, Arsht said, for expanding existing child care facilities.
Another program, Operation Military Child Care, provides support for the child care needs of geographically dispersed military parents, Arsht said, and is especially helpful for members of the National Guard and Reserve.
The military also provides several no-cost youth activity programs through partnerships with national organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, 4-H Clubs, and the Armed Services YMCA, Arsht said.
Overseas troops regularly enjoy top-name entertainment provided by the Armed Forces Entertainment, Arsht said. In 2006, AFE conducted 118 tours with 1,433 shows in 25 countries, she said. Entertainers include Gary Sinise, Colin Quinn, World Wrestling Entertainment personalities, the Harlem Globetrotters, and many more groups.
Additionally, the Spirit of America tour puts on shows for stateside military audiences, Arsht said. From 2002 to 2006, the Robert and Nina Rosenthal Foundation worked with the country music industry to provide 76 celebrity shows at no cost to military members and their families, she noted.
Defense officials will continue to do their best to support servicemembers and their families as the war against global terrorism continues and the Defense Department restructures itself, Arsht pledged.
"The needs of individual servicemembers and their families must still be met," Arsht said. "The department will continue to explore the most effective means of underwriting support to families and developing innovative new support systems."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
March 30, 2007 – It's imperative - especially during wartime - that the Defense Department continues to provide viable family and troop morale programs for servicemembers and their families, a senior Defense Department official said here yesterday. "Our military families are the heart and soul of troops on the battlefield," Leslye A. Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, told the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on military personnel at a Capitol Hill hearing.
The Defense Department "has made family support a priority and redesigned and boosted family support in a number of ways to recognize the crucial role families play in supporting servicemembers" deployed worldwide in support of the war against terrorism, Arsht said.
Military families cite communication with their deployed servicemembers as their No. 1 concern, Arsht said. Among other initiatives, defense officials haves established special computerized communications centers that help keep families and servicemembers connected during deployments, she noted.
Military families also want easy and quick access to information that's important to them, Arsht said, and she cited two Web-based Defense Department initiatives designed to meet that need.
Military OneSource is a 24-hour information and referral service at www.militaryonesource.com that provides information about parenting, child care, educational services, financial information and counseling, Arsht said.
Military Homefront is the department's quality-of-life web portal at www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil that provides useful information about stateside or overseas moving, spouse job information, and more. These services also support National Guard and Reserve military families, Arsht added.
Military family support and assistance centers established across the services "remain the backbone of support provided to families in the military," Arsht said.
The military services also provide counseling support to help families cope with separations due to servicemembers' overseas deployments, Arsht said. Trained family counselors can help families with life management issues such as reunion expectations, loneliness, stress, long separations, effects of deployment on children, loss and grief and more, she said.
The department's commissary, military exchange and child-care systems all provide important support to military families, Arsht said. Military families save more than 30 percent annually on groceries by using their local commissary and save 16 to 20 percent at their local exchange stores, she noted.
About 42 percent of junior enlisted servicemembers who use child care said they were moderately to very concerned about the issue during their last deployment, Arsht said.
Accordingly, the department has provided $228 million in funding for military child care since the start of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, she said, while creating about 7,000 more child care spaces at 37 child care centers. The department has earmarked another $82 million, Arsht said, for expanding existing child care facilities.
Another program, Operation Military Child Care, provides support for the child care needs of geographically dispersed military parents, Arsht said, and is especially helpful for members of the National Guard and Reserve.
The military also provides several no-cost youth activity programs through partnerships with national organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, 4-H Clubs, and the Armed Services YMCA, Arsht said.
Overseas troops regularly enjoy top-name entertainment provided by the Armed Forces Entertainment, Arsht said. In 2006, AFE conducted 118 tours with 1,433 shows in 25 countries, she said. Entertainers include Gary Sinise, Colin Quinn, World Wrestling Entertainment personalities, the Harlem Globetrotters, and many more groups.
Additionally, the Spirit of America tour puts on shows for stateside military audiences, Arsht said. From 2002 to 2006, the Robert and Nina Rosenthal Foundation worked with the country music industry to provide 76 celebrity shows at no cost to military members and their families, she noted.
Defense officials will continue to do their best to support servicemembers and their families as the war against global terrorism continues and the Defense Department restructures itself, Arsht pledged.
"The needs of individual servicemembers and their families must still be met," Arsht said. "The department will continue to explore the most effective means of underwriting support to families and developing innovative new support systems."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Delaware Group Dedicated to Deployed Troops
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
March 30, 2007 – Running a nonprofit organization can be strain on an individual's time, space and resources. One home-front group's leader says she relies on a specific form of aid through the tough times: divine intervention. Frankie Mayo, founder of Operation AC, said the fund-raising strategy for her troop-support group is prayer.
"When God puts something on your heart to do, you just have to do it," she said. "I pray at night before I go to bed about the issues that have come up, and the next morning God shows me what I'm supposed to do."
Although Mayo's organization has encountered occasional difficulties, it still has managed to send nearly $3 million worth of supplies to troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003.
Operation AC is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program helping home-front groups connect to members of the U.S. military and their families at home and abroad.
The Delaware-based group began when Mayo's son and daughter-in-law were deployed to Iraq. The summer heat was so oppressive that bars of soap melted and cans of shaving cream burst. In an effort to do something positive and help boost the morale of deployed troops, Mayo started purchasing air conditioners to help make their lives a little more bearable.
Although her "kids" returned from their deployments three years ago, Mayo said that her efforts are far from over.
"I feel that whatever my husband and I can do to support the war, it's our responsibility," she said. "These troops are our brothers, sisters and children. They deserve our utmost respect and support."
The family-run group continues to send over occasional batches of air conditioners, but its scope has broadened to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the men and women in uniform who are deployed.
Operation AC's Web site, www.operationac.com, allows users to exchange e-mails and adopt individual servicemembers by purchasing items on their wish lists for "virtual care boxes."
Through bulk mail, the organization helps troops get personal items such as hygiene supplies, music, games and movies, as well as replenishments of Defense Department-approved boots, helmet chin straps and other equipment.
"I would like to say a heartfelt thanks to all of you," one soldier wrote to the group's Web site. "Sometimes getting things from home is the only thing keeping us going."
Mayo's team also has worked on several special projects like "Boots from Bikers," in which a local Harley Davidson store has donated more than 4,200 pairs of combat boots to troops.
Through its Web site, Operation AC also allows individuals to purchase boots for troops at a discounted rate. To date, more than $450,000 worth of footwear has been sent to the troops.
"We buy them for $4 more than we sell them for; God makes up the rest," said Mayo. She said she believes that even though the manufacturer has increased prices, that shouldn't be passed along to the organization's supporters.
In addition to meeting the physical needs of soldiers, the group tries to meet their emotional needs as well.
Thousands of get well cards have been sent to wounded troops in combat support hospitals in Iraq through Operation AC. Mayo's daughter, Olivia, started the effort two years ago when she was 11 years old. By sending cards of support directly to nurses at the hospitals, Olivia is able to get cards in the hands of servicemembers before they are evacuated from the country.
"What you have given blesses these precious men and women," wrote a chaplain who is stationed at one of the hospitals on the Web site. "Your gifts enhance the holistic healthcare we provide for all those who proudly perform their sacred duty."
The kindness of the organization hasn't stopped at the gates of the forward operating bases and camps scattered throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. Operation AC is reaching out to others in need by sending clothing and shoes to Afghan orphanages. Each month, hundreds of boxes "hitch a ride" with the support items going to troops and are then distributed to needy Afghan children.
Vietnam veteran Mike Cormier has been involved with the organization since its inception. He packs every box that makes its way into the hands of soldiers.
"I remember when I was in 'Nam,' we didn't receive the kind of stuff Frankie's doing for troops," he said. "I know from personal experience that it boosts morale to have support from back home. And I won't quit what I'm doing until the last one comes home."
Mayo is straightforward when asked why she continues to carry on this mission.
"I'm not here to have a job for myself; when the war is over, we will go away," she said. "But the whole point is that one person can make a difference, and I have a responsibility to do my part."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
March 30, 2007 – Running a nonprofit organization can be strain on an individual's time, space and resources. One home-front group's leader says she relies on a specific form of aid through the tough times: divine intervention. Frankie Mayo, founder of Operation AC, said the fund-raising strategy for her troop-support group is prayer.
"When God puts something on your heart to do, you just have to do it," she said. "I pray at night before I go to bed about the issues that have come up, and the next morning God shows me what I'm supposed to do."
Although Mayo's organization has encountered occasional difficulties, it still has managed to send nearly $3 million worth of supplies to troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003.
Operation AC is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program helping home-front groups connect to members of the U.S. military and their families at home and abroad.
The Delaware-based group began when Mayo's son and daughter-in-law were deployed to Iraq. The summer heat was so oppressive that bars of soap melted and cans of shaving cream burst. In an effort to do something positive and help boost the morale of deployed troops, Mayo started purchasing air conditioners to help make their lives a little more bearable.
Although her "kids" returned from their deployments three years ago, Mayo said that her efforts are far from over.
"I feel that whatever my husband and I can do to support the war, it's our responsibility," she said. "These troops are our brothers, sisters and children. They deserve our utmost respect and support."
The family-run group continues to send over occasional batches of air conditioners, but its scope has broadened to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the men and women in uniform who are deployed.
Operation AC's Web site, www.operationac.com, allows users to exchange e-mails and adopt individual servicemembers by purchasing items on their wish lists for "virtual care boxes."
Through bulk mail, the organization helps troops get personal items such as hygiene supplies, music, games and movies, as well as replenishments of Defense Department-approved boots, helmet chin straps and other equipment.
"I would like to say a heartfelt thanks to all of you," one soldier wrote to the group's Web site. "Sometimes getting things from home is the only thing keeping us going."
Mayo's team also has worked on several special projects like "Boots from Bikers," in which a local Harley Davidson store has donated more than 4,200 pairs of combat boots to troops.
Through its Web site, Operation AC also allows individuals to purchase boots for troops at a discounted rate. To date, more than $450,000 worth of footwear has been sent to the troops.
"We buy them for $4 more than we sell them for; God makes up the rest," said Mayo. She said she believes that even though the manufacturer has increased prices, that shouldn't be passed along to the organization's supporters.
In addition to meeting the physical needs of soldiers, the group tries to meet their emotional needs as well.
Thousands of get well cards have been sent to wounded troops in combat support hospitals in Iraq through Operation AC. Mayo's daughter, Olivia, started the effort two years ago when she was 11 years old. By sending cards of support directly to nurses at the hospitals, Olivia is able to get cards in the hands of servicemembers before they are evacuated from the country.
"What you have given blesses these precious men and women," wrote a chaplain who is stationed at one of the hospitals on the Web site. "Your gifts enhance the holistic healthcare we provide for all those who proudly perform their sacred duty."
The kindness of the organization hasn't stopped at the gates of the forward operating bases and camps scattered throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. Operation AC is reaching out to others in need by sending clothing and shoes to Afghan orphanages. Each month, hundreds of boxes "hitch a ride" with the support items going to troops and are then distributed to needy Afghan children.
Vietnam veteran Mike Cormier has been involved with the organization since its inception. He packs every box that makes its way into the hands of soldiers.
"I remember when I was in 'Nam,' we didn't receive the kind of stuff Frankie's doing for troops," he said. "I know from personal experience that it boosts morale to have support from back home. And I won't quit what I'm doing until the last one comes home."
Mayo is straightforward when asked why she continues to carry on this mission.
"I'm not here to have a job for myself; when the war is over, we will go away," she said. "But the whole point is that one person can make a difference, and I have a responsibility to do my part."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Chlorine Gas, Child-Borne Bombs Show Enemy's Barbarity
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
March 30, 2007 – Al Qaeda's use of chlorine gas against civilians and use of children as suicide bombers highlights the terror organization's barbarity, a Joint Staff spokesman said here today. Al Qaeda extremists in Iraq are using chlorine canisters and chlorine-carrying trucks to attack civilian targets, said Army Maj. Gen. Michael D. Barbero, Joint Staff deputy director for operations.
On March 23, Barbero said, Iraqi police foiled an attack in Ramadi that could have caused catastrophic casualties. The police intercepted a truck carrying 5,000 gallons of chlorine and two tons of explosives.
On March 28, two chlorine-laden trucks exploded outside the Fallujah military operations center. The attack injured 14 U.S. troops and 57 Iraqis.
"I strongly believe that this use of chlorine should not be dismissed simply as a new tactic or an emerging trend," Barbero said. "Chlorine is a poison gas being used on the Iraqi people. Before these attacks, the last time poison gas was used on the Iraqi people was by Saddam Hussein."
Al Qaeda in Iraq and related Sunni extremists are using this weapon against the Sunni population of Anbar province. "We have Sunni extremists attacking innocent Sunnis with a poison gas," Barbero said.
Coalition officials see the escalation as a response to the Iraqi people's growing sentiment against the terror organization. Al Qaeda is trying to intimidate the people of the province, Barbero said.
Its actions show that al Qaeda in Iraq is not an "honorable resistance" aimed at "driving out the infidels," the general said.
The terrorists continue to use children to launch attacks. On March 28, Iraqi police went after a suspicious vehicle in Haditha. "As they drove past a 12-to14-year-old boy riding a bicycle, a bomb in the boy's backpack detonated, killing him instantly," Barbero said.
"These acts - the use of poison gas and the use of children as weapons - are unacceptable in any civilized society and demonstrate the truly dishonorable nature of this enemy," he 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 – Al Qaeda's use of chlorine gas against civilians and use of children as suicide bombers highlights the terror organization's barbarity, a Joint Staff spokesman said here today. Al Qaeda extremists in Iraq are using chlorine canisters and chlorine-carrying trucks to attack civilian targets, said Army Maj. Gen. Michael D. Barbero, Joint Staff deputy director for operations.
On March 23, Barbero said, Iraqi police foiled an attack in Ramadi that could have caused catastrophic casualties. The police intercepted a truck carrying 5,000 gallons of chlorine and two tons of explosives.
On March 28, two chlorine-laden trucks exploded outside the Fallujah military operations center. The attack injured 14 U.S. troops and 57 Iraqis.
"I strongly believe that this use of chlorine should not be dismissed simply as a new tactic or an emerging trend," Barbero said. "Chlorine is a poison gas being used on the Iraqi people. Before these attacks, the last time poison gas was used on the Iraqi people was by Saddam Hussein."
Al Qaeda in Iraq and related Sunni extremists are using this weapon against the Sunni population of Anbar province. "We have Sunni extremists attacking innocent Sunnis with a poison gas," Barbero said.
Coalition officials see the escalation as a response to the Iraqi people's growing sentiment against the terror organization. Al Qaeda is trying to intimidate the people of the province, Barbero said.
Its actions show that al Qaeda in Iraq is not an "honorable resistance" aimed at "driving out the infidels," the general said.
The terrorists continue to use children to launch attacks. On March 28, Iraqi police went after a suspicious vehicle in Haditha. "As they drove past a 12-to14-year-old boy riding a bicycle, a bomb in the boy's backpack detonated, killing him instantly," Barbero said.
"These acts - the use of poison gas and the use of children as weapons - are unacceptable in any civilized society and demonstrate the truly dishonorable nature of this enemy," he said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police and military writers who have authored books.
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