By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2007 – President Bush today reiterated his call for Congress to pass an Iraq war supplemental appropriations bill and called for a meeting with congressional leaders from both parties to move the process ahead. Speaking to American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax, Va., the president called for a session next week to work toward a bill that's not bogged down with pork-barrel projects and "arbitrary deadlines" for a withdrawal from Iraq.
"We can discuss the way forward on ... a clean bill ... that funds our troops without artificial timetables for withdrawal and without handcuffing our generals on the ground," he said.
He urged Congress not to use the funding issue to make a political statement that ultimately hurts the troops. "I know we have our differences over the best course in Iraq," he said. "These differences should not prevent us from getting our troops the funding they need without withdrawal and without giving our commanders flexibility," he said.
Bush said further delays in passing a bill he can sign will soon put the brakes on military training and equipping and could cause deployed troops to have their tours extended.
"The clock is ticking for our troops in the field," he said.
Military leaders will be forced to notify Congress in the days ahead that they need to transfer $1.6 billion from other military accounts to cover the funding shortfall. "That means our military will have to take money from personnel accounts so they can continue to fund U.S. Army operations in Iraq and elsewhere," Bush said.
This transfer comes on the heels of another $1.7 billion transferred last month from money designated for weapons and communications systems and military personnel accounts. Bush said that money had to be redirected so the military could continue funding programs to protect troops from improvised explosive devices and send hundreds of mine-resistant vehicles to front-line troops.
These actions are just the beginning of what's to come if an emergency-spending bill isn't passed soon, he said. "And the longer Congress delays," he continued, "the worse the impact on the men and women of the armed forces will be."
Bush reminded the group that Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently testified that if Congress doesn't pass a bill by mid-April, the Army will be forced to consider curtailing other major efforts.
Among programs that could suffer: equipment repair and quality-of-life initiatives for Guard and reserve forces and stateside training for reserve-component units. "This would reduce their readiness and could delay their availability to mobilize for missions in Iraq and Afghanistan," the president said.
"If Congress fails to pass a bill I can sign by mid-May, the problems grow even more acute," he said.
The Army will have to consider slowing or even freezing funds for its depots, delaying or curtailing active-force training and putting the brakes on forming its new brigade combat teams. These measures would have serious consequences for the troops, Bush said. Forces now deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq might need to be extended because other units aren't ready to take their places.
"The bottom line is this:" Bush said, "Congress' failure to fund our troops will mean that some of our military families could wait longer for their loves ones to return from the front lines. Others could see their loved ones headed back to war sooner than anticipated."
That's unacceptable all around, he said, expressing hope that next week's meeting with congressional leaders will break the logjam.
"When it comes to funding our troops, we have no time to waste," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Casey Takes Over Army Helm
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2007 – After nearly four decades of military service, Gen. Peter Schoomaker today handed the reins of Army chief of staff to Gen. George W. Casey Jr., who most recently served as commander of Multinational Forces Iraq. Casey became the 36th Army chief of staff.
This was the second time Schoomaker has retired from Army life; he first retired in 2000 but was asked to return in 2003 to serve in the Army's top billet.
"Every so often an institution needs a leader to remind it of its core values," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said of Schoomaker. "He's done that by emphasizing the Warrior Ethos, focusing on physical fitness and basic skills like marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat."
Gates said this has led to a renewal of timeless values like personal courage and pride in one's physical and mental strength. "These are integral parts of the moral fiber and institutional memory that has, throughout history, made our military so effective against our enemies and so respected by our friends," the secretary said.
Top defense officials have credited Schoomaker with engineering the Army's greatest reorganization since World War II, as well as revamping training protocol across the force, all while the Army was engaged in combat.
The general led the transformation from a division-based to brigade-based Army that provided a fully modular force that was not only lighter but also more lethal, Gates said. The timetable to deploy brigades has become days or weeks, rather than months under Schoomaker's leadership, he said.
Gates said Schoomaker showed remarkable ability in leading individuals as well as institutions during his more than 30 years in the military. "He prepared our forces for the kinds of wars we are fighting and the ones we many be called upon to fight in the future," Gates said. "It is a difficult task in an environment that requires a rifleman and a smart bomb, an unconventional approach as well as conventional power."
As he said farewell to the Army, he took the opportunity to pass along words of advice to the many top military brass and political leaders in attendance. "I believe that this is the most dangerous period of my lifetime," Schoomaker said. "We are still closer to the beginning than the end of this fight."
He told the audience the pace of the Army's transformation and adaptation must accelerate, as well as the pace of conflict in Iraq. "Although the burden of the long war is slowly beginning to shift to a more balanced approach using all elements of our nation's power," he said, "the road ahead will not be easy, and the stakes couldn't be higher."
The general, both the son and father of soldiers, quoted former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Creighton Abrams as saying, "People are not in the Army, they are the Army."
"My four years as Army chief have only affirmed that soldiers are our greatest strength because war is fought in human dimensions, and the men and women both in and out of uniform who are willing to put their boots on the ground are absolutely essential," he said.
Schoomaker said that while the technology of the Army has changed in its nearly 232-year history, the dedication to duty, patriotism and steely-eyed resolve of its soldiers has not.
"I have looked into the eyes of today's warriors, and I am proud to report that they continue to exceed every expectation for courage, dedication and selfless service," he said. "They are the heart of all we do; they are our future."
"Our Army is strong today and every soldier is a warrior because of your vision and leadership," Casey told Schoomaker during the ceremony.
Casey, who has spent 30 months as the commander of forces in Iraq, said that U.S. combat veterans have been baptized by fire and blood, but they have come out as strong as steel. He said he takes great pride in now being their leader.
He said the next decade will likely be one of persistent conflict. "We've been at war for over five years, fighting for our freedom, our security and our future as a nation," Casey said. "We have made hard sacrifices, and we will be called on to make more."
Casey said the quality of the men and women of the Army is the best he's seen in his 36 years of service. "The remarkable men and women of our all-volunteer force, supported by their families, are a national treasure and will be cared for accordingly," he said.
He added that soldiers' care and quality of life should be commensurate with the magnificent service they render the American people. "I want to renew my personal commitment to ensure these standards are met and maintained for our soldiers, civilians and their families," Casey said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2007 – After nearly four decades of military service, Gen. Peter Schoomaker today handed the reins of Army chief of staff to Gen. George W. Casey Jr., who most recently served as commander of Multinational Forces Iraq. Casey became the 36th Army chief of staff.
This was the second time Schoomaker has retired from Army life; he first retired in 2000 but was asked to return in 2003 to serve in the Army's top billet.
"Every so often an institution needs a leader to remind it of its core values," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said of Schoomaker. "He's done that by emphasizing the Warrior Ethos, focusing on physical fitness and basic skills like marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat."
Gates said this has led to a renewal of timeless values like personal courage and pride in one's physical and mental strength. "These are integral parts of the moral fiber and institutional memory that has, throughout history, made our military so effective against our enemies and so respected by our friends," the secretary said.
Top defense officials have credited Schoomaker with engineering the Army's greatest reorganization since World War II, as well as revamping training protocol across the force, all while the Army was engaged in combat.
The general led the transformation from a division-based to brigade-based Army that provided a fully modular force that was not only lighter but also more lethal, Gates said. The timetable to deploy brigades has become days or weeks, rather than months under Schoomaker's leadership, he said.
Gates said Schoomaker showed remarkable ability in leading individuals as well as institutions during his more than 30 years in the military. "He prepared our forces for the kinds of wars we are fighting and the ones we many be called upon to fight in the future," Gates said. "It is a difficult task in an environment that requires a rifleman and a smart bomb, an unconventional approach as well as conventional power."
As he said farewell to the Army, he took the opportunity to pass along words of advice to the many top military brass and political leaders in attendance. "I believe that this is the most dangerous period of my lifetime," Schoomaker said. "We are still closer to the beginning than the end of this fight."
He told the audience the pace of the Army's transformation and adaptation must accelerate, as well as the pace of conflict in Iraq. "Although the burden of the long war is slowly beginning to shift to a more balanced approach using all elements of our nation's power," he said, "the road ahead will not be easy, and the stakes couldn't be higher."
The general, both the son and father of soldiers, quoted former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Creighton Abrams as saying, "People are not in the Army, they are the Army."
"My four years as Army chief have only affirmed that soldiers are our greatest strength because war is fought in human dimensions, and the men and women both in and out of uniform who are willing to put their boots on the ground are absolutely essential," he said.
Schoomaker said that while the technology of the Army has changed in its nearly 232-year history, the dedication to duty, patriotism and steely-eyed resolve of its soldiers has not.
"I have looked into the eyes of today's warriors, and I am proud to report that they continue to exceed every expectation for courage, dedication and selfless service," he said. "They are the heart of all we do; they are our future."
"Our Army is strong today and every soldier is a warrior because of your vision and leadership," Casey told Schoomaker during the ceremony.
Casey, who has spent 30 months as the commander of forces in Iraq, said that U.S. combat veterans have been baptized by fire and blood, but they have come out as strong as steel. He said he takes great pride in now being their leader.
He said the next decade will likely be one of persistent conflict. "We've been at war for over five years, fighting for our freedom, our security and our future as a nation," Casey said. "We have made hard sacrifices, and we will be called on to make more."
Casey said the quality of the men and women of the Army is the best he's seen in his 36 years of service. "The remarkable men and women of our all-volunteer force, supported by their families, are a national treasure and will be cared for accordingly," he said.
He added that soldiers' care and quality of life should be commensurate with the magnificent service they render the American people. "I want to renew my personal commitment to ensure these standards are met and maintained for our soldiers, civilians and their families," Casey said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Bush Thanks Troops, Legionnaires
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2007 – President Bush today praised the troops defending the United States and the veterans who set a powerful example and continue to support them. Bush traveled to American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax, Va., to recognize the spirit of service and volunteerism he said makes the United States a shining example for the rest of the world. "There's something to be said for a country where people serve something greater than themselves, where people in this era volunteer in the face of danger to defend" it, he said.
The president said it's difficult facing the personal losses the war on terror has inflicted. "We've lost some fantastic young men and women," he said. "And we honor their service and their sacrifice by completing the mission, by helping a generation of Americans grow up in a peaceful world."
Bush said he prays for the families of the fallen troops and recognizes the pain they're enduring. "And it's very important for me to make it clear to them that I believe the sacrifice is necessary to achieve the peace we all long for," he said.
The president thanked the Legionnaires who, like today's troops, sacrificed for the country. They provide inspiration for those in uniform today, he said, and continue to serve through their long tradition of support to the military.
Bush noted that World War I veterans gathered in November 1944 to found the Fairfax post as a way to rally support for those in uniform. "These veterans understood what it meant to be in war, what it meant to be far from home, and they provided necessary support for our troops," he said.
It's a tradition the group continues today, from visiting wounded troops in military hospitals to awarding ROTC scholarships at nearby George Mason University.
Bush also thanked the group for taking the time to send care packages to deployed troops Iraq and Afghanistan "to remind those who wear the uniform that you support them."
These and other efforts the country is making send a solid message of support to troops far from home and the lift they sometimes need, he told them. "It matters," he said.
The American Legion is among myriad groups, corporations and private citizens around the country showing support for the men and women in uniform. These efforts are showcased through the Defense Department's America Supports You program. Launched in November 2004, the program helps directly connect military members to the support of the America people and offers ways the general public can find meaningful ways to support the military community.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 10, 2007 – President Bush today praised the troops defending the United States and the veterans who set a powerful example and continue to support them. Bush traveled to American Legion Post 177 in Fairfax, Va., to recognize the spirit of service and volunteerism he said makes the United States a shining example for the rest of the world. "There's something to be said for a country where people serve something greater than themselves, where people in this era volunteer in the face of danger to defend" it, he said.
The president said it's difficult facing the personal losses the war on terror has inflicted. "We've lost some fantastic young men and women," he said. "And we honor their service and their sacrifice by completing the mission, by helping a generation of Americans grow up in a peaceful world."
Bush said he prays for the families of the fallen troops and recognizes the pain they're enduring. "And it's very important for me to make it clear to them that I believe the sacrifice is necessary to achieve the peace we all long for," he said.
The president thanked the Legionnaires who, like today's troops, sacrificed for the country. They provide inspiration for those in uniform today, he said, and continue to serve through their long tradition of support to the military.
Bush noted that World War I veterans gathered in November 1944 to found the Fairfax post as a way to rally support for those in uniform. "These veterans understood what it meant to be in war, what it meant to be far from home, and they provided necessary support for our troops," he said.
It's a tradition the group continues today, from visiting wounded troops in military hospitals to awarding ROTC scholarships at nearby George Mason University.
Bush also thanked the group for taking the time to send care packages to deployed troops Iraq and Afghanistan "to remind those who wear the uniform that you support them."
These and other efforts the country is making send a solid message of support to troops far from home and the lift they sometimes need, he told them. "It matters," he said.
The American Legion is among myriad groups, corporations and private citizens around the country showing support for the men and women in uniform. These efforts are showcased through the Defense Department's America Supports You program. Launched in November 2004, the program helps directly connect military members to the support of the America people and offers ways the general public can find meaningful ways to support the military community.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Ohio Group Supports Marines, Families
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 6, 2007 – Members of a troop-support group are using their experience as parents of servicemembers to offer support to other military families in Ohio. The Marine Corps Family Support Community began two years ago when a group of parents in Columbus, Ohio, came together for mutual support as their children left for Marine boot camp around the same time.
"We were bursting with pride, but scared to death at the same time," said Michele Gire, current secretary of the organization. "We didn't know anything about the military."
Since Marine bases are located primarily near the East or West Coast, she said, family members in the Mid-west don't typically have places to turn when they have questions about military life.
Gire said that parents and spouses have gathered to support each other through the different phases of their Marine's life. From boot camp to permanent duty stations to deployments, the group has learned about each stage together.
The non-profit group now offers their expanding knowledge base to others.
"We support anyone who supports military families," she said. "This results in fewer worries for our Marines. If they know their families are being taken care of they can focus on their mission."
Gire said her organization is constantly disseminating information about veteran's benefits, boot camp, deployments and education benefits to family members.
"We have people that either know the answer or know where to get it," she said.
Although the group first started as a support network for Ohio-based Marine families, they have since branched out to assist Marines and their families throughout the world.
Over the past two years the organization has sent more than 1,100 packages to troops overseas. In addition to sending those to individual Marines, the group also sends packages monthly to hospitals and public affairs offices in the war zone for distribution.
The Marine Corps Family Support Community is a member of America Supports You, the Defense Department's program connecting grassroots groups with servicemembers and their families at home and abroad.
"We couldn't have done any of this without being a member of America Supports You," Gire said. Since they joined the DoD program, they have gotten thousands of visits to their Web site from across the nation resulting in more support for the men and women overseas.
People started writing to ask how they could help, Gire said. She started a letter writing campaign where supporters could "adopt" a Marine if they promised to write them on a weekly basis for the duration of their deployment. More than 150 individuals have signed up to be dedicated letter writers.
"Marines love getting letters," she said. "Unfortunately they aren't always able to write back, but it means so much to them to get letters of support from back home."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online and police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 6, 2007 – Members of a troop-support group are using their experience as parents of servicemembers to offer support to other military families in Ohio. The Marine Corps Family Support Community began two years ago when a group of parents in Columbus, Ohio, came together for mutual support as their children left for Marine boot camp around the same time.
"We were bursting with pride, but scared to death at the same time," said Michele Gire, current secretary of the organization. "We didn't know anything about the military."
Since Marine bases are located primarily near the East or West Coast, she said, family members in the Mid-west don't typically have places to turn when they have questions about military life.
Gire said that parents and spouses have gathered to support each other through the different phases of their Marine's life. From boot camp to permanent duty stations to deployments, the group has learned about each stage together.
The non-profit group now offers their expanding knowledge base to others.
"We support anyone who supports military families," she said. "This results in fewer worries for our Marines. If they know their families are being taken care of they can focus on their mission."
Gire said her organization is constantly disseminating information about veteran's benefits, boot camp, deployments and education benefits to family members.
"We have people that either know the answer or know where to get it," she said.
Although the group first started as a support network for Ohio-based Marine families, they have since branched out to assist Marines and their families throughout the world.
Over the past two years the organization has sent more than 1,100 packages to troops overseas. In addition to sending those to individual Marines, the group also sends packages monthly to hospitals and public affairs offices in the war zone for distribution.
The Marine Corps Family Support Community is a member of America Supports You, the Defense Department's program connecting grassroots groups with servicemembers and their families at home and abroad.
"We couldn't have done any of this without being a member of America Supports You," Gire said. Since they joined the DoD program, they have gotten thousands of visits to their Web site from across the nation resulting in more support for the men and women overseas.
People started writing to ask how they could help, Gire said. She started a letter writing campaign where supporters could "adopt" a Marine if they promised to write them on a weekly basis for the duration of their deployment. More than 150 individuals have signed up to be dedicated letter writers.
"Marines love getting letters," she said. "Unfortunately they aren't always able to write back, but it means so much to them to get letters of support from back home."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online and police and military personnel who have authored books.
Bush: Troops Need Funds, Resources, Equipment to do Their Jobs
By Melinda L. Larson
American Forces Press Service
April 7, 2007 – One of our greatest blessings as Americans is that we have brave citizens who step forward to defend us, President Bush said during his weekly radio address today. "Every man or woman who wears our nation's uniform is a volunteer, a patriot who has made the noble decision to serve a cause larger than self," Bush said the day before Easter. "This weekend, many of our service men and women are celebrating the holidays far from home."
Noting that men and women in uniform deserve the gratitude of every American, Bush stressed military members need the funds, resources, and equipment to do their jobs. An emergency war spending bill will provide the funds troops urgently need, he said.
Bush submitted a defense budget request Feb. 5 that includes a $93.4 billion emergency supplemental measure to cover the cost of operations in the war on terror for fiscal year 2007. Congress subsequently added several additional spending measures to the bill.
"Yet for our men and women in uniform, this emergency war spending bill is not a political statement it is a source of critical funding that has a direct impact on their daily lives," Bush said.
Bush said Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently testified before Congress and warned the military will be forced to make cuts in other areas if troops on the front lines are not funded.
"The Army will be forced to consider slowing or even freezing funding for depots where pivotal equipment is repaired, delaying or curtailing the training of some active duty forces, and delaying the formation of new brigade combat teams," Bush said.
Noting that a delay in funding could mean a delay in troops coming home, Bush called it "unacceptable."
"The bottom line is that Congress's failure to fund our troops 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 war sooner than they need to," Bush said. "That is unacceptable to me, and I believe it is unacceptable to the American people."
Bush added that he will veto a bill that imposes restrictions on military commanders, sets an arbitrary date for withdrawal from Iraq, and funds domestic spending that has nothing to do with the war. Congress needs to work on a bill that gives troops the funds they need, without strings and without further delay, he said.
"We have our differences in Washington, D.C., but our troops should not be caught in the middle. All who serve in elected office have a solemn responsibility to provide for our men and women in uniform. We need to put partisan politics aside, and do our duty to those who defend us," Bush concluded.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online and police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 7, 2007 – One of our greatest blessings as Americans is that we have brave citizens who step forward to defend us, President Bush said during his weekly radio address today. "Every man or woman who wears our nation's uniform is a volunteer, a patriot who has made the noble decision to serve a cause larger than self," Bush said the day before Easter. "This weekend, many of our service men and women are celebrating the holidays far from home."
Noting that men and women in uniform deserve the gratitude of every American, Bush stressed military members need the funds, resources, and equipment to do their jobs. An emergency war spending bill will provide the funds troops urgently need, he said.
Bush submitted a defense budget request Feb. 5 that includes a $93.4 billion emergency supplemental measure to cover the cost of operations in the war on terror for fiscal year 2007. Congress subsequently added several additional spending measures to the bill.
"Yet for our men and women in uniform, this emergency war spending bill is not a political statement it is a source of critical funding that has a direct impact on their daily lives," Bush said.
Bush said Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently testified before Congress and warned the military will be forced to make cuts in other areas if troops on the front lines are not funded.
"The Army will be forced to consider slowing or even freezing funding for depots where pivotal equipment is repaired, delaying or curtailing the training of some active duty forces, and delaying the formation of new brigade combat teams," Bush said.
Noting that a delay in funding could mean a delay in troops coming home, Bush called it "unacceptable."
"The bottom line is that Congress's failure to fund our troops 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 war sooner than they need to," Bush said. "That is unacceptable to me, and I believe it is unacceptable to the American people."
Bush added that he will veto a bill that imposes restrictions on military commanders, sets an arbitrary date for withdrawal from Iraq, and funds domestic spending that has nothing to do with the war. Congress needs to work on a bill that gives troops the funds they need, without strings and without further delay, he said.
"We have our differences in Washington, D.C., but our troops should not be caught in the middle. All who serve in elected office have a solemn responsibility to provide for our men and women in uniform. We need to put partisan politics aside, and do our duty to those who defend us," Bush concluded.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online and police and military personnel who have authored books.
'Sixteen-Star Letter' Calls for Supplemental Passage
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
April 9, 2007 – In a "16-star letter" to Congress, the services' uniformed leaders are urging a quick passage of the fiscal 2007 emergency supplemental request.
The four service chiefs, all four-star generals, signed the letter. The request will fund operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa through the end of the fiscal year.
The letter, signed by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael G. Mullen, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley and Marine Commandant Gen. James T. Conway, asks Congress to "expeditiously complete its work" on the supplemental.
DoD requested $93.4 billion to fund operations in the combat zones. Both the Senate and House 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.
The Senate has come back from recess, but the House will remain 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, White House officials said.
"Without approval of the supplemental funds in April, the armed services will be forced to take increasingly disruptive measures in order to sustain combat operations," the four general and flag officers wrote in their letter. "The impacts on readiness and quality of life could be profound. We will have to implement spending restrictions and reprogram billions of dollars."
The uniformed leaders said such reprogramming is an inefficient solution that wastes money.
The spending restrictions could also slow or halt training for follow-on units. With no supplemental by April 15, 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 also 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 and police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 9, 2007 – In a "16-star letter" to Congress, the services' uniformed leaders are urging a quick passage of the fiscal 2007 emergency supplemental request.
The four service chiefs, all four-star generals, signed the letter. The request will fund operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa through the end of the fiscal year.
The letter, signed by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael G. Mullen, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley and Marine Commandant Gen. James T. Conway, asks Congress to "expeditiously complete its work" on the supplemental.
DoD requested $93.4 billion to fund operations in the combat zones. Both the Senate and House 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.
The Senate has come back from recess, but the House will remain 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, White House officials said.
"Without approval of the supplemental funds in April, the armed services will be forced to take increasingly disruptive measures in order to sustain combat operations," the four general and flag officers wrote in their letter. "The impacts on readiness and quality of life could be profound. We will have to implement spending restrictions and reprogram billions of dollars."
The uniformed leaders said such reprogramming is an inefficient solution that wastes money.
The spending restrictions could also slow or halt training for follow-on units. With no supplemental by April 15, 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 also 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 and police and military personnel who have authored books.
Iraq PRTs to Double in Number by Year's End, Official Says
American Forces Press Service
April 9, 2007 – Plans are under way to double the number of provincial reconstruction teams now operating in Iraq by the end of the year, a senior U.S. official said during a news conference in Iraq today. "We will both double the number of PRTs and we will double the number of individuals who are working in the PRTs," said Rick Olson, chief of the national coordination team in charge of provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq.
According to plans, the number of PRTs will increase from 10 to 20, Olson noted, while numbers of PRT personnel will expand from 300 to 600 individuals.
"We expect to be at that level by the end of the year," he said. Core members of the new teams are undergoing training now, he said. Afterward, the new teams will be embedded into brigade-level combat units.
Six of the new PRTs will be established in Baghdad province, three in Anbar and one in northern Babil province, he said.
The 10 PRTs now operating in Iraq serve as a conduit between the Iraqi government and its people, Olson said. Of these, seven are U.S.-led, he said, while coalition partners South Korea, Italy and the United Kingdom manage the other three.
"We do projects and reconstruction, but that's not our primary purpose," Olson said of the PRTs' activities in Iraq. "We do primarily capacity building and institution building in the area of government, economics, rule of law, infrastructure and public diplomacy."
American-led PRTs receive technical support from experts with the U.S. military, various U.S. government agencies, and the private sector, to include the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. departments of Justice and Agriculture, and others.
"PRTs are important in achieving our counterinsurgency strategy," Olson said. "They're also critical in terms of the long-term future of Iraq, building institutions, (and) enabling Iraq to become master of its own destiny and able to rise to the level that they once were able to achieve."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online and police and military personnel who have authored books.
April 9, 2007 – Plans are under way to double the number of provincial reconstruction teams now operating in Iraq by the end of the year, a senior U.S. official said during a news conference in Iraq today. "We will both double the number of PRTs and we will double the number of individuals who are working in the PRTs," said Rick Olson, chief of the national coordination team in charge of provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq.
According to plans, the number of PRTs will increase from 10 to 20, Olson noted, while numbers of PRT personnel will expand from 300 to 600 individuals.
"We expect to be at that level by the end of the year," he said. Core members of the new teams are undergoing training now, he said. Afterward, the new teams will be embedded into brigade-level combat units.
Six of the new PRTs will be established in Baghdad province, three in Anbar and one in northern Babil province, he said.
The 10 PRTs now operating in Iraq serve as a conduit between the Iraqi government and its people, Olson said. Of these, seven are U.S.-led, he said, while coalition partners South Korea, Italy and the United Kingdom manage the other three.
"We do projects and reconstruction, but that's not our primary purpose," Olson said of the PRTs' activities in Iraq. "We do primarily capacity building and institution building in the area of government, economics, rule of law, infrastructure and public diplomacy."
American-led PRTs receive technical support from experts with the U.S. military, various U.S. government agencies, and the private sector, to include the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. departments of Justice and Agriculture, and others.
"PRTs are important in achieving our counterinsurgency strategy," Olson said. "They're also critical in terms of the long-term future of Iraq, building institutions, (and) enabling Iraq to become master of its own destiny and able to rise to the level that they once were able to achieve."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online and police and military personnel who have authored books.
Ten Missing WWII Airmen are Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of ten U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are 2nd Lt. Raymond A. Cooley, of Leary, Texas; 2nd Lt. Dudley R. Ives, of Ingleside, Texas; 2nd Lt. George E. Archer, of Cushing, Okla.; 2nd Lt. Donald F. Grady, of Harrisburg, Pa.; Tech. Sgt. Richard R. Sargent, of North Girard, Pa.; Tech. Sgt. Steve Zayac, of Cleveland, Ohio; Staff Sgt. Joseph M. King, of Detroit, Mich.; Staff Sgt. Thomas G. Knight, of Brookfield, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Norman L. Nell, of Tarkio, Mo.; and Staff Sgt. Blair W. Smith, of Nu Mine, Pa.; all U.S. Army Air Forces. The dates and locations of the funerals are being set by their families.
Representatives from the Army met with the next-of-kin of these men in their hometowns to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the secretary of the Army.
On April 16, 1944, a B-24 Liberator crewed by these airmen was returning to the aerodrome at Nadzab, New Guinea, after bombing enemy targets near Hollandia. The aircraft was altering course due to bad weather and was proceeding to the aerodrome at Saidor, but it never returned to friendly lines.
In late 2001, the U.S. Embassy in Papua New Guinea notified the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command that wreckage of a World War II bomber had been found in Morobe Province. Early the next year, a JPAC team surveyed the site and found aircraft wreckage and remains. They also collected more remains and Grady's identification tag from local villagers who had found the items at the crash site.
Later in 2002, a JPAC team began excavating the crash site and recovered remains and crew-related items, including identification tags for Knight and Smith. The team was unable to complete the recovery, and another JPAC team re-visited the site two weeks later to complete the excavation. The team found additional remains and identification tags for Sargent and King.
Among dental records, other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of the remains. For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online and police and military personnel who have authored books.
They are 2nd Lt. Raymond A. Cooley, of Leary, Texas; 2nd Lt. Dudley R. Ives, of Ingleside, Texas; 2nd Lt. George E. Archer, of Cushing, Okla.; 2nd Lt. Donald F. Grady, of Harrisburg, Pa.; Tech. Sgt. Richard R. Sargent, of North Girard, Pa.; Tech. Sgt. Steve Zayac, of Cleveland, Ohio; Staff Sgt. Joseph M. King, of Detroit, Mich.; Staff Sgt. Thomas G. Knight, of Brookfield, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Norman L. Nell, of Tarkio, Mo.; and Staff Sgt. Blair W. Smith, of Nu Mine, Pa.; all U.S. Army Air Forces. The dates and locations of the funerals are being set by their families.
Representatives from the Army met with the next-of-kin of these men in their hometowns to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the secretary of the Army.
On April 16, 1944, a B-24 Liberator crewed by these airmen was returning to the aerodrome at Nadzab, New Guinea, after bombing enemy targets near Hollandia. The aircraft was altering course due to bad weather and was proceeding to the aerodrome at Saidor, but it never returned to friendly lines.
In late 2001, the U.S. Embassy in Papua New Guinea notified the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command that wreckage of a World War II bomber had been found in Morobe Province. Early the next year, a JPAC team surveyed the site and found aircraft wreckage and remains. They also collected more remains and Grady's identification tag from local villagers who had found the items at the crash site.
Later in 2002, a JPAC team began excavating the crash site and recovered remains and crew-related items, including identification tags for Knight and Smith. The team was unable to complete the recovery, and another JPAC team re-visited the site two weeks later to complete the excavation. The team found additional remains and identification tags for Sargent and King.
Among dental records, other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of the remains. For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online and police and military personnel who have authored books.
Wounded Warrior Earns Purple Heart and Heads Home
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 6, 2007 – Purple Heart recipient Spc. Joseph D. Bacani will embark on 45 days of much-deserved convalescent leave in his hometown of Tustin, Calif., tomorrow, but he says he'd rather be elsewhere. "I wish I was still in Iraq with my scout brothers," Bacani said today onstage here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Joel Auditorium after being pinned with a Purple Heart medal.
Bacani was a cavalry scout assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment , from of Fort Hood, Texas, when he was wounded March 20 during a sniper attack while conducting an IED reconnaissance mission in southwest Baghdad.
"I was shot in the tailbone and it came out of my pelvis," said Bacani, who now sits in a wheelchair. Doctors are optimistic Bacani will be fully mobile again, he said.
Bacani said courage he displayed during combat and his subsequent recovery, came from "being around his brothers."
"The courage is contagious," he said. "If somebody is being strong it will spread throughout the whole platoon.
"We trained for Iraq together for a whole year," he said. "Once we arrived in Iraq, we struggled through multiple (improvised explosive devices) and losses of the lives of our friends," Bacani told American Forces Press Service. "There's no word to explain how strong that bond is."
The Purple Heart, awarded to U.S. servicemembers wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy, is one of the most recognized and respected military decorations. Bacani also received the Combat Action Badge today, which is awarded for actively engaging, or being engaged by, enemy forces.
On hand to see Bacani receive his decorations were his parents, Noberto and Rosita, and his sister Jacquie.
"I can't tell you how much it means to me that he has come home," Jacquie said. "He's one of the lucky ones."
Jacquie said that during Joseph's deployment, she and her parents, Noberto and Rosita, got on their knees and prayed for Bacani's safety every night. "I know that not a lot of people are able to come home, and I'm just so grateful," Jacquie said as she sat next to her brother.
"I'm proud of him," she said about seeing her brother earn the Purple Heart. "It's a mixed blessing, but I really value that they recognize my brother ... for what he's done for his country. It's really his courage that has earned it."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online and police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 6, 2007 – Purple Heart recipient Spc. Joseph D. Bacani will embark on 45 days of much-deserved convalescent leave in his hometown of Tustin, Calif., tomorrow, but he says he'd rather be elsewhere. "I wish I was still in Iraq with my scout brothers," Bacani said today onstage here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Joel Auditorium after being pinned with a Purple Heart medal.
Bacani was a cavalry scout assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment , from of Fort Hood, Texas, when he was wounded March 20 during a sniper attack while conducting an IED reconnaissance mission in southwest Baghdad.
"I was shot in the tailbone and it came out of my pelvis," said Bacani, who now sits in a wheelchair. Doctors are optimistic Bacani will be fully mobile again, he said.
Bacani said courage he displayed during combat and his subsequent recovery, came from "being around his brothers."
"The courage is contagious," he said. "If somebody is being strong it will spread throughout the whole platoon.
"We trained for Iraq together for a whole year," he said. "Once we arrived in Iraq, we struggled through multiple (improvised explosive devices) and losses of the lives of our friends," Bacani told American Forces Press Service. "There's no word to explain how strong that bond is."
The Purple Heart, awarded to U.S. servicemembers wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy, is one of the most recognized and respected military decorations. Bacani also received the Combat Action Badge today, which is awarded for actively engaging, or being engaged by, enemy forces.
On hand to see Bacani receive his decorations were his parents, Noberto and Rosita, and his sister Jacquie.
"I can't tell you how much it means to me that he has come home," Jacquie said. "He's one of the lucky ones."
Jacquie said that during Joseph's deployment, she and her parents, Noberto and Rosita, got on their knees and prayed for Bacani's safety every night. "I know that not a lot of people are able to come home, and I'm just so grateful," Jacquie said as she sat next to her brother.
"I'm proud of him," she said about seeing her brother earn the Purple Heart. "It's a mixed blessing, but I really value that they recognize my brother ... for what he's done for his country. It's really his courage that has earned it."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online and police and military personnel who have authored books.
1000 Pages of Cop Information
Editor's Note: One of the authors is a former military police officer.
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. With the addition of three police officers turned authors, Ray Biondi, William Delaney and Grady Morrison, the website now contains over 1000 pages of information on 463 police officers, their 968 books and their nearly 200 departments.
Ray Biondi retired from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department as Lieutenant. During his career he headed up the homicide bureau. He is the author of two crime books: All his father's sins: The trail of terrifying horror that led to Gerald & Charlene Gallego and Dracula Killer. Publisher’s Weekly said of Dracula Killer, “when he graduated to murder, he not only shot his victims but sexually mutilated them. Former Sacramento homicide detective Biondi supplies inside information on the investigation, such as a television crew's discovery of evidence overlooked by police. In addition, he and Hecox produce crime bulletins issued by police and the surprisingly accurate psychological profile detectives prepared of the killer. Luck combined with old-fashioned detective work flushed out Chase, who initially would admit only to killing dogs. But Chase told a fellow prisoner that he drank victims' blood, and after he took the stand in his own defense, jurors decided not to find him insane.”
William Delaney is a former military policeman, San Francisco City College Campus Police Officer, San Francisco Police Department police officer, and candidate for Sheriff of Adams County in Colorado. A graduate of San Francisco City College, San Francisco State University, and attended The University of Texas at Arlington's Graduate School of Criminal Justice, and Urban Affairs, Chabot College in Hayward, California, The University of Maryland Overseas Extension, and The University of California Berkeley's San Francisco Extension.
He has held a California Community College Instructors Certificate since 1972, did extensive undergraduate research in behavior modification, and social learning theory, and has taught at The Community College of Denver, Arapahoe Community College, AT&T, ARCO Coal Company, The U.S. Army Reserve School, and for Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics. He is the author of three books: How to Avoid being a Chicken Head; Black N Blue; and, his most recent Counterfeit Democracy.
Grady Morrison was a Baltimore Police Department police officer for eleven years. According to the book description of his book, Understanding Police Officers and Staying Out of Trouble, “Reading this book takes the reader up close and personal with understanding the police officer and why it is worth the extra effort to avoid trouble. The author brings this understanding to the reader through facts, discussions, and personal examples from his eleven-year police officer experience. Open the book and read why learning to understand the police officer is much better than fearing and fighting him. The author explains this through strong facts and analogies such as, “having more common sense than to light a match while pumping gas into your vehicle.” This book also serves as a reminder to the reader that learning to stay out of trouble should be a personal goal just like any other worthwhile adventure.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 463 police officers (representing 195 police departments) and their 968 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. With the addition of three police officers turned authors, Ray Biondi, William Delaney and Grady Morrison, the website now contains over 1000 pages of information on 463 police officers, their 968 books and their nearly 200 departments.
Ray Biondi retired from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department as Lieutenant. During his career he headed up the homicide bureau. He is the author of two crime books: All his father's sins: The trail of terrifying horror that led to Gerald & Charlene Gallego and Dracula Killer. Publisher’s Weekly said of Dracula Killer, “when he graduated to murder, he not only shot his victims but sexually mutilated them. Former Sacramento homicide detective Biondi supplies inside information on the investigation, such as a television crew's discovery of evidence overlooked by police. In addition, he and Hecox produce crime bulletins issued by police and the surprisingly accurate psychological profile detectives prepared of the killer. Luck combined with old-fashioned detective work flushed out Chase, who initially would admit only to killing dogs. But Chase told a fellow prisoner that he drank victims' blood, and after he took the stand in his own defense, jurors decided not to find him insane.”
William Delaney is a former military policeman, San Francisco City College Campus Police Officer, San Francisco Police Department police officer, and candidate for Sheriff of Adams County in Colorado. A graduate of San Francisco City College, San Francisco State University, and attended The University of Texas at Arlington's Graduate School of Criminal Justice, and Urban Affairs, Chabot College in Hayward, California, The University of Maryland Overseas Extension, and The University of California Berkeley's San Francisco Extension.
He has held a California Community College Instructors Certificate since 1972, did extensive undergraduate research in behavior modification, and social learning theory, and has taught at The Community College of Denver, Arapahoe Community College, AT&T, ARCO Coal Company, The U.S. Army Reserve School, and for Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics. He is the author of three books: How to Avoid being a Chicken Head; Black N Blue; and, his most recent Counterfeit Democracy.
Grady Morrison was a Baltimore Police Department police officer for eleven years. According to the book description of his book, Understanding Police Officers and Staying Out of Trouble, “Reading this book takes the reader up close and personal with understanding the police officer and why it is worth the extra effort to avoid trouble. The author brings this understanding to the reader through facts, discussions, and personal examples from his eleven-year police officer experience. Open the book and read why learning to understand the police officer is much better than fearing and fighting him. The author explains this through strong facts and analogies such as, “having more common sense than to light a match while pumping gas into your vehicle.” This book also serves as a reminder to the reader that learning to stay out of trouble should be a personal goal just like any other worthwhile adventure.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 463 police officers (representing 195 police departments) and their 968 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, April 07, 2007
3 BCGF
Editor's Note: Two of the authors are prior military.
April 6, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. The website added three big city gunfighters to the growing list of state and local police officers who have written books.
Arthur Niederhoffer was born in New York City, graduated from Erasmus High School and Brooklyn College, received his LL.B from Brooklyn Law School in 1939 and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1940. From 1940 through 1961 he was a member of the New York Police Department. He began by "pounding a beat" and retired with the rank of Lieutenant. In 1963 he received his PH.D. in sociology from New York University. He has taught at Hofstra University and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York. He is the author of five academic books on policing, the most famous of which is likely Behind the Shield: The Police in Urban Society.
Louis Gervasio was a New York State Police Trooper from 1953 to 1956. He then joined the New York Police Department in 1956. He retired in 1978 at the rank of Lieutenant. Additionally, he served in the United States Army from 1951 through 1953. According to the book description of Louis Gervasio’s book, Not In My Memo Book, “is a compilation of over 50 humorous short stories about the New York Police Department from 1956 through 1978. It includes a few about the NY State Police prior to 1956. The title evolves from the memo books the New York Police Department were mandated to carry to enter their assignments and any incidents. Many police actions involved "unorthodox methods" used by police officers when dealing with the public, boredom, the elements or merely because of their sense of humor.”
John E. McLaughlin, author of Just a Cop, became a police officer by accident. A former US Marine, John wondered what life held in store for him when he realized that the military no longer needed his services. He was invited to join the Fairmount Park Guard, a private police force then guarding Philadelphia's largest public park. His time in the Guard marked the start of a 25 year career in the city, and when the Guard was finally merged with the Philadelphia Police Department, John was merged with them.
According to the book description, “this book tells, in hilarious fashion, the way the ordinary cop worked his beat, dealt with troublesome Senior officers, and handled criminal - everything, in fact, from thieves to killers to rioters. Told in a simple, down to earth way, this book will delight anyone keen on police memoirs, and will undoubtedly bring a demand for more.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 449 police officers (representing 191 police departments) and their 944 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 6, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. The website added three big city gunfighters to the growing list of state and local police officers who have written books.
Arthur Niederhoffer was born in New York City, graduated from Erasmus High School and Brooklyn College, received his LL.B from Brooklyn Law School in 1939 and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1940. From 1940 through 1961 he was a member of the New York Police Department. He began by "pounding a beat" and retired with the rank of Lieutenant. In 1963 he received his PH.D. in sociology from New York University. He has taught at Hofstra University and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York. He is the author of five academic books on policing, the most famous of which is likely Behind the Shield: The Police in Urban Society.
Louis Gervasio was a New York State Police Trooper from 1953 to 1956. He then joined the New York Police Department in 1956. He retired in 1978 at the rank of Lieutenant. Additionally, he served in the United States Army from 1951 through 1953. According to the book description of Louis Gervasio’s book, Not In My Memo Book, “is a compilation of over 50 humorous short stories about the New York Police Department from 1956 through 1978. It includes a few about the NY State Police prior to 1956. The title evolves from the memo books the New York Police Department were mandated to carry to enter their assignments and any incidents. Many police actions involved "unorthodox methods" used by police officers when dealing with the public, boredom, the elements or merely because of their sense of humor.”
John E. McLaughlin, author of Just a Cop, became a police officer by accident. A former US Marine, John wondered what life held in store for him when he realized that the military no longer needed his services. He was invited to join the Fairmount Park Guard, a private police force then guarding Philadelphia's largest public park. His time in the Guard marked the start of a 25 year career in the city, and when the Guard was finally merged with the Philadelphia Police Department, John was merged with them.
According to the book description, “this book tells, in hilarious fashion, the way the ordinary cop worked his beat, dealt with troublesome Senior officers, and handled criminal - everything, in fact, from thieves to killers to rioters. Told in a simple, down to earth way, this book will delight anyone keen on police memoirs, and will undoubtedly bring a demand for more.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 449 police officers (representing 191 police departments) and their 944 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.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Wounded Marine Makes New Discoveries at Winter Sports Clinic
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 5, 2007 – U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Nick Bennett said he'll take away lifetime memories and new discoveries from his experience here at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. He said the experience will steel him through his upcoming-and 27th--surgery since he was wounded in Mamadiyah, Iraq. The 37-year-old Marine Corps Reservist said he'll always remember the thrill of skiing down Snowmass Mountain and trying out all the other winter sports opened to him here. He'll remember the friends he made here and the support of people who made this clinic possible. The clinic is co-sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Disabled American Veterans.
But the most important takeaway of all, he said, will be his chance to prove to himself, and to his family, what he can still do despite extensive shoulder, spinal, hand and leg injuries.
Bennett acknowledges he's lucky to be alive after a 107mm rocket came careening over his Indianapolis unit's base wall, only partially detonating. It should have flattened everything within a football field's distance, he said.
While living through the blast, Bennett said a piece of him died that day-ironically, Veterans Day of 2004.
As he went through surgery after surgery to repair what medical officials call "polytrauma injuries," it wasn't the pain or the tedious rehabilitation that troubled him the most. It was thinking about what he could no longer do.
He remembered the joy he felt as a young boy playing softball with his dad, and realized he would never share that with his own children.
"To rob that of my kids just killed me," he said. "It's easy to sit around and feel sorry for yourself and feel like your life is over."
His family rallied around him and did everything they could to care of him as he went through the long, difficult healing process. In some ways, he said they tried too hard to protect him.
"I liken it to a flower in a flowerpot," Bennett said, turning philosophical. "At first, the people who love us the most don't want to transfer us to a bigger pot. But our roots are still growing, and if we don't move into that bigger pot, we're going to end up dying."
Coming here to the winter sports clinic was part of Bennett's transplant into that bigger flowerpot.
As he swooshed down the mountain in his adaptive ski equipment, his 17-year-old son was on the same slope, learning to snowboard. "This is great because now I've found an activity that we can do together," Bennett said.
Now he sees all kinds of possibilities ahead and activities he can share with his family. "Just because I'm injured doesn't mean there aren't things we can do together as a family," he said. "There's still a whole lot I can do."
That's a revelation Bennett knows he's sharing with other severely wounded troops and disabled veterans here, particularly those recently back from Iraq and Afghanistan.
"They don't have a clue how much they will change this week, or how many doors are going to open for them," he said.
Three years after his injury, Bennett said he's still overwhelmed by the "fragility of life."
He said he knows he and the other wounded troops here still have a long road ahead as they go through the healing process and face the next step in their lives.
"I'm taking one day at a time because nobody can predict what the future holds," Bennett said. "I am going to wait and see what doors open up."
As he prepares for April 13 surgery at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Bennett said he'll take his experiences from the winter sports clinic along with him.
"This is my last big adventure for a bit," he said as he rested on the slopeside, awaiting his next run down the mountain. "That's why it's pretty cool."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 5, 2007 – U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Nick Bennett said he'll take away lifetime memories and new discoveries from his experience here at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. He said the experience will steel him through his upcoming-and 27th--surgery since he was wounded in Mamadiyah, Iraq. The 37-year-old Marine Corps Reservist said he'll always remember the thrill of skiing down Snowmass Mountain and trying out all the other winter sports opened to him here. He'll remember the friends he made here and the support of people who made this clinic possible. The clinic is co-sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Disabled American Veterans.
But the most important takeaway of all, he said, will be his chance to prove to himself, and to his family, what he can still do despite extensive shoulder, spinal, hand and leg injuries.
Bennett acknowledges he's lucky to be alive after a 107mm rocket came careening over his Indianapolis unit's base wall, only partially detonating. It should have flattened everything within a football field's distance, he said.
While living through the blast, Bennett said a piece of him died that day-ironically, Veterans Day of 2004.
As he went through surgery after surgery to repair what medical officials call "polytrauma injuries," it wasn't the pain or the tedious rehabilitation that troubled him the most. It was thinking about what he could no longer do.
He remembered the joy he felt as a young boy playing softball with his dad, and realized he would never share that with his own children.
"To rob that of my kids just killed me," he said. "It's easy to sit around and feel sorry for yourself and feel like your life is over."
His family rallied around him and did everything they could to care of him as he went through the long, difficult healing process. In some ways, he said they tried too hard to protect him.
"I liken it to a flower in a flowerpot," Bennett said, turning philosophical. "At first, the people who love us the most don't want to transfer us to a bigger pot. But our roots are still growing, and if we don't move into that bigger pot, we're going to end up dying."
Coming here to the winter sports clinic was part of Bennett's transplant into that bigger flowerpot.
As he swooshed down the mountain in his adaptive ski equipment, his 17-year-old son was on the same slope, learning to snowboard. "This is great because now I've found an activity that we can do together," Bennett said.
Now he sees all kinds of possibilities ahead and activities he can share with his family. "Just because I'm injured doesn't mean there aren't things we can do together as a family," he said. "There's still a whole lot I can do."
That's a revelation Bennett knows he's sharing with other severely wounded troops and disabled veterans here, particularly those recently back from Iraq and Afghanistan.
"They don't have a clue how much they will change this week, or how many doors are going to open for them," he said.
Three years after his injury, Bennett said he's still overwhelmed by the "fragility of life."
He said he knows he and the other wounded troops here still have a long road ahead as they go through the healing process and face the next step in their lives.
"I'm taking one day at a time because nobody can predict what the future holds," Bennett said. "I am going to wait and see what doors open up."
As he prepares for April 13 surgery at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., Bennett said he'll take his experiences from the winter sports clinic along with him.
"This is my last big adventure for a bit," he said as he rested on the slopeside, awaiting his next run down the mountain. "That's why it's pretty cool."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
USS Cleveland Hosts Naturalization Ceremony
By Petty Officer 2nd Class Brooke Raffaele, USN
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 5, 2007 – The United States gained 59 new citizens here yesterday, as 59 servicemembers took the oath of citizenship aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Cleveland. With retention and recruitment at the highest levels in recent history, officials said the Navy can now afford to focus on shaping the force to ensure the best-qualified, most diverse candidates are challenged to seek leadership roles in the senior enlisted and officer ranks of the future.
"Our true strength comes from our nation's diversity," said Rear Adm. Leendert "Len" Hering Sr., commander of Navy Region Southwest and keynote speaker at the ceremony. "The United States has been built upon diversity, and today's ceremony represents our country on what it stands upon."
During the ceremony, sailors, Marines and a lone soldier from various local commands became American citizens. They represent native countries from around the globe, including: Australia, Barbados, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ghana, India, Kenya, Mexico, Micronesia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Palau, Philippines, and South Korea.
The ceremony -- co-hosted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Commander, Navy Region Southwest; and USS Cleveland -- marked the first all-military naturalization ceremony held in the San Diego region this year.
Seven USS Cleveland crewmembers who were among the group of America's newest citizens sworn in yesterday joined more than 50 fellow crewmembers who already had completed the citizenship process.
Last year, four such ceremonies were held in San Diego, resulting in more than 240 servicemembers becoming U.S. citizens.
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Brooke Raffaele is assigned to Commander Naval Surface Forces Public Affairs.)
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 5, 2007 – The United States gained 59 new citizens here yesterday, as 59 servicemembers took the oath of citizenship aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Cleveland. With retention and recruitment at the highest levels in recent history, officials said the Navy can now afford to focus on shaping the force to ensure the best-qualified, most diverse candidates are challenged to seek leadership roles in the senior enlisted and officer ranks of the future.
"Our true strength comes from our nation's diversity," said Rear Adm. Leendert "Len" Hering Sr., commander of Navy Region Southwest and keynote speaker at the ceremony. "The United States has been built upon diversity, and today's ceremony represents our country on what it stands upon."
During the ceremony, sailors, Marines and a lone soldier from various local commands became American citizens. They represent native countries from around the globe, including: Australia, Barbados, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ghana, India, Kenya, Mexico, Micronesia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Palau, Philippines, and South Korea.
The ceremony -- co-hosted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Commander, Navy Region Southwest; and USS Cleveland -- marked the first all-military naturalization ceremony held in the San Diego region this year.
Seven USS Cleveland crewmembers who were among the group of America's newest citizens sworn in yesterday joined more than 50 fellow crewmembers who already had completed the citizenship process.
Last year, four such ceremonies were held in San Diego, resulting in more than 240 servicemembers becoming U.S. citizens.
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Brooke Raffaele is assigned to Commander Naval Surface Forces Public Affairs.)
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
Department Works to Improve Acquisition Process
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service
April 5, 2007 – Defense Department officials work every day to ensure service requirements and resources are integrated, and to improve the overall acquisition process, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today. Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani addressed a crowd of active and retired servicemembers, defense industry officials and other civilian professionals at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space Exposition. Giambastiani summarized the different groups with which he works on acquisition, and the initiatives they're pursuing.
"Our business within the Pentagon is complex, and it's a highly interrelated business," Giambastiani said. "You have to overcome a variety of stovepipes erected in what I'll call the requirements world, in the acquisition world, and also within the resourcing and budget world."
Giambastiani said he is one of the only leaders who has a say in all three communities - requirements, acquisition and resourcing. This gives him an opportunity to work to integrate all three areas, making the entire process run more smoothly, he said.
Giambastiani serves as the chairman of the joint requirements oversight council, which by law is made up of him and the four service vice chiefs. However, to better inform the council's debates and to increase trust and confidence, the group has opened its discussions and debates to combatant commanders, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, defense agencies, other federal agencies and other cabinet departments, he said.
Another improvement is that the joint requirements oversight council now considers cost risk at the beginning of the acquisition process, rather than letting the services deal with the results of their decisions later, Giambastiani said. This includes assessing programs' technology readiness levels, which were developed by NASA and help identify if a program is ready for implementation, he said.
If programs project large cost growths, the council will revisit its requirements and make necessary changes, Giambastiani said. This happened in the case of the Joint Tactical Radio Program and the National Polar Orbiting Operational Environment Satellite System, a multi-department weather system, he noted.
The council also has a joint rapid acquisition cell, which meets urgent needs with off-the-shelf products, Giambastiani said. This cell works to supply the services with things like the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles that are in heavy demand from the Army and Marine Corps in Iraq.
"Let's face it, we're in a war, so responding to urgent combatant commanders ... is exceptionally important," he said.
The defense acquisition board, which Giambastiani co-chairs with Kenneth Krieg, undersecretary of defense for acquisitions, technology and logistics, works to ensure proper execution of each individual acquisition program, Giambastiani said. When the board reviews programs, it looks at differences in cost estimation between DoD and industry groups, funding stability, and the gradual escalation of capability a program delivers, he said.
"We work closely to align the acquisitions, requirements and resource communities at the individual program level," he said.
Giambastiani is also co-chairman of the deputy's advisory working group with Gordon England, deputy secretary of defense. This group, which meets at least twice a week, grew out of the senior oversight group for the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review and works to implement the strategic vector set by the QDR, he said.
"This group has been particularly key in resource decisions on a day-to-day basis," Giambastiani said. "We do this every day; we don't leave these decisions till the 11th hour."
The business of acquisition, requirements and resources is complex, Giambastiani acknowledged, but fixing the problems in the system is vital for commanders on the ground, who want to ensure their troops have everything they need to accomplish the mission.
"Working acquisition issues as well as related resource and requirements issues is one of the key reasons, frankly, why I came back to Washington as the vice chairman," Giambastiani said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 5, 2007 – Defense Department officials work every day to ensure service requirements and resources are integrated, and to improve the overall acquisition process, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today. Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani addressed a crowd of active and retired servicemembers, defense industry officials and other civilian professionals at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space Exposition. Giambastiani summarized the different groups with which he works on acquisition, and the initiatives they're pursuing.
"Our business within the Pentagon is complex, and it's a highly interrelated business," Giambastiani said. "You have to overcome a variety of stovepipes erected in what I'll call the requirements world, in the acquisition world, and also within the resourcing and budget world."
Giambastiani said he is one of the only leaders who has a say in all three communities - requirements, acquisition and resourcing. This gives him an opportunity to work to integrate all three areas, making the entire process run more smoothly, he said.
Giambastiani serves as the chairman of the joint requirements oversight council, which by law is made up of him and the four service vice chiefs. However, to better inform the council's debates and to increase trust and confidence, the group has opened its discussions and debates to combatant commanders, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, defense agencies, other federal agencies and other cabinet departments, he said.
Another improvement is that the joint requirements oversight council now considers cost risk at the beginning of the acquisition process, rather than letting the services deal with the results of their decisions later, Giambastiani said. This includes assessing programs' technology readiness levels, which were developed by NASA and help identify if a program is ready for implementation, he said.
If programs project large cost growths, the council will revisit its requirements and make necessary changes, Giambastiani said. This happened in the case of the Joint Tactical Radio Program and the National Polar Orbiting Operational Environment Satellite System, a multi-department weather system, he noted.
The council also has a joint rapid acquisition cell, which meets urgent needs with off-the-shelf products, Giambastiani said. This cell works to supply the services with things like the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles that are in heavy demand from the Army and Marine Corps in Iraq.
"Let's face it, we're in a war, so responding to urgent combatant commanders ... is exceptionally important," he said.
The defense acquisition board, which Giambastiani co-chairs with Kenneth Krieg, undersecretary of defense for acquisitions, technology and logistics, works to ensure proper execution of each individual acquisition program, Giambastiani said. When the board reviews programs, it looks at differences in cost estimation between DoD and industry groups, funding stability, and the gradual escalation of capability a program delivers, he said.
"We work closely to align the acquisitions, requirements and resource communities at the individual program level," he said.
Giambastiani is also co-chairman of the deputy's advisory working group with Gordon England, deputy secretary of defense. This group, which meets at least twice a week, grew out of the senior oversight group for the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review and works to implement the strategic vector set by the QDR, he said.
"This group has been particularly key in resource decisions on a day-to-day basis," Giambastiani said. "We do this every day; we don't leave these decisions till the 11th hour."
The business of acquisition, requirements and resources is complex, Giambastiani acknowledged, but fixing the problems in the system is vital for commanders on the ground, who want to ensure their troops have everything they need to accomplish the mission.
"Working acquisition issues as well as related resource and requirements issues is one of the key reasons, frankly, why I came back to Washington as the vice chairman," Giambastiani said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
Rules Change for Free, Reduced-Price School Lunches Overseas
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – Defense Department Education Activity officials are encouraging families of children attending its overseas schools to reapply for free and reduced price school lunches. Earlier this year, DoDEA requested an increase in the reimbursement rate the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides for school lunches. The USDA approved the request and also authorized the use of the Alaska Income Eligibility Guidelines in qualifying families to participate in the program.
As a result, more families may qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, DoDEA officials said.
This change applies to families of children attending DoDEA schools overseas in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Azores, Turkey, Korea, Japan, and Okinawa. It does not include families of children attending DoDEA schools in Puerto Rico or Guam, who fall under their state Department of Education programs.
The Army and Air Force Exchange Service, the Navy Exchange Service Command and Marine Corps Community Services are designated school food authorities for the Department of Defense Dependents Schools overseas.
AAFES is the largest school food authority, providing USDA-approved school meals to students on Army and Air Force installations in nine countries throughout Europe and the Pacific.
The school lunch program is designed to meet federal requirements for nutritionally balanced meals and to offer free or reduced price meals to eligible children.
Installation commanders operate and maintain the program by providing instructions on how to apply for the program, determining eligibility of applicants and maintaining and updating a list of students enrolled in the program.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
April 4, 2007 – Defense Department Education Activity officials are encouraging families of children attending its overseas schools to reapply for free and reduced price school lunches. Earlier this year, DoDEA requested an increase in the reimbursement rate the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides for school lunches. The USDA approved the request and also authorized the use of the Alaska Income Eligibility Guidelines in qualifying families to participate in the program.
As a result, more families may qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, DoDEA officials said.
This change applies to families of children attending DoDEA schools overseas in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Azores, Turkey, Korea, Japan, and Okinawa. It does not include families of children attending DoDEA schools in Puerto Rico or Guam, who fall under their state Department of Education programs.
The Army and Air Force Exchange Service, the Navy Exchange Service Command and Marine Corps Community Services are designated school food authorities for the Department of Defense Dependents Schools overseas.
AAFES is the largest school food authority, providing USDA-approved school meals to students on Army and Air Force installations in nine countries throughout Europe and the Pacific.
The school lunch program is designed to meet federal requirements for nutritionally balanced meals and to offer free or reduced price meals to eligible children.
Installation commanders operate and maintain the program by providing instructions on how to apply for the program, determining eligibility of applicants and maintaining and updating a list of students enrolled in the program.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
New Program Connects Iraq-Deployed Troops to U.S. Public
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – American military members serving in Iraq have an additional opportunity to share their experiences with the U.S. public, thanks to a new public outreach initiative, a senior U.S. military officer said today in Baghdad. "The 'Share the Story' initiative is a new program that's designed to connect U.S. military personnel with organizations and groups like yours," Navy Rear Adm. Mark I. Fox, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, told stateside-based representatives of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Reserve Officers' Association and others during a telephone conference call.
Military members of all ranks and service branches serving in Iraq who are slated to return stateside for leave or duty rotation "will have an excellent opportunity to share their story with the folks who want to hear it," Fox said.
The Multinational Force Iraq Web site, www.mnf-iraq.com, provides a "Share the Story" link where interested Iraq-deployed servicemembers register to participate in the program, Fox said. Servicemembers can choose to discuss their Iraq experiences with interested groups while on leave in their hometowns, he said, or with organizations situated near upcoming stateside assignments.
"Share the Story" is managed by Multinational Force Iraq, Fox said, noting the new initiative supplements the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program that was introduced last fall.
Fox likened the "Share the Story" Web link to "a virtual tool" that connects veterans groups and other interested organizations to servicemembers who can provide their unique, individual perspectives on military service in Iraq.
The admiral said he's excited about the new program's potential to tell interested groups about servicemembers' experiences in Iraq, Fox said.
"We understand the nature of the (public) curiosity and desire to know about what we're about and our mission," the admiral said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – American military members serving in Iraq have an additional opportunity to share their experiences with the U.S. public, thanks to a new public outreach initiative, a senior U.S. military officer said today in Baghdad. "The 'Share the Story' initiative is a new program that's designed to connect U.S. military personnel with organizations and groups like yours," Navy Rear Adm. Mark I. Fox, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, told stateside-based representatives of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Reserve Officers' Association and others during a telephone conference call.
Military members of all ranks and service branches serving in Iraq who are slated to return stateside for leave or duty rotation "will have an excellent opportunity to share their story with the folks who want to hear it," Fox said.
The Multinational Force Iraq Web site, www.mnf-iraq.com, provides a "Share the Story" link where interested Iraq-deployed servicemembers register to participate in the program, Fox said. Servicemembers can choose to discuss their Iraq experiences with interested groups while on leave in their hometowns, he said, or with organizations situated near upcoming stateside assignments.
"Share the Story" is managed by Multinational Force Iraq, Fox said, noting the new initiative supplements the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program that was introduced last fall.
Fox likened the "Share the Story" Web link to "a virtual tool" that connects veterans groups and other interested organizations to servicemembers who can provide their unique, individual perspectives on military service in Iraq.
The admiral said he's excited about the new program's potential to tell interested groups about servicemembers' experiences in Iraq, Fox said.
"We understand the nature of the (public) curiosity and desire to know about what we're about and our mission," the admiral said.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
Officials Emphasize Zero Tolerance of Sexual Assault
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – Sexual assault is a crime that is incompatible with military values and will not be tolerated within the Defense Department, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness said here yesterday. David S.C. Chu kicked off the month-long DoD observance of sexual assault prevention during a ceremony at the Women in the Military for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
"Sexual assault is devastating to the individuals it victimizes," Chu said. "It weakens trust and creates strife within our units. It undermines the state of readiness of the armed forces as a whole."
Sexual assault is one of the nation's most underreported crimes. National statistics show that an assault occurs every 90 seconds. One in every six women and one in every 33 men will be the victims of rape or attempted rape in their lifetime.
"Sexual assault remains a troubling issue in America," Chu said. "Since the military reflects the society it serves, the issue faces the Department of Defense as well."
This year's DoD campaign is promoting a climate of respect that encourages every servicemember to join in a cooperative effort to end sexual violence, said Kaye Whitley, director for the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office.
SAPRO is the Defense Department's single point of accountability for sexual assault policy matters. The organization develops policy and programs to improve prevention efforts, enhance victim support, and increase offender accountability by collaborating closely with each military branch.
Whitley said the goals of this year's campaign are three-fold: fostering awareness of the impact of sexual assault on victims, encouraging community-wide prevention, and facilitating awareness of the availability of health services to care and support victims.
In an effort to create a "climate of confidence," the Defense Department has changed reporting options for sexual assault victims. Beginning in 2005, victims were given an option of restricted or unrestricted reporting.
When filing a restricted report, victims could receive medical care and counseling for assaults without alerting their chain of command or triggering an investigation. DoD officials attribute a 65 percent increase in reporting to this change.
In 2006 there were 756 restricted reports of sexual assault, Chu said. These were victims who might not have come forward under the old policy, he noted. After receiving initial medical treatment and counseling, Chu added, 86 of those changed their reports to unrestricted status, allowing the pursuit of those who acted against them.
DoD officials continue to focus on providing education and training for its more than 1 million active-duty servicemembers. During a worldwide conference held by the department this year, more that 350 troops were trained to be "first responders" for victims on their installations.
"We believe that the numbers of reports will continue to rise because we are changing a culture," Whitley said. "While these numbers make an initial rise, we hope to see a leveling off and eventual elimination of assaults within the department."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – Sexual assault is a crime that is incompatible with military values and will not be tolerated within the Defense Department, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness said here yesterday. David S.C. Chu kicked off the month-long DoD observance of sexual assault prevention during a ceremony at the Women in the Military for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
"Sexual assault is devastating to the individuals it victimizes," Chu said. "It weakens trust and creates strife within our units. It undermines the state of readiness of the armed forces as a whole."
Sexual assault is one of the nation's most underreported crimes. National statistics show that an assault occurs every 90 seconds. One in every six women and one in every 33 men will be the victims of rape or attempted rape in their lifetime.
"Sexual assault remains a troubling issue in America," Chu said. "Since the military reflects the society it serves, the issue faces the Department of Defense as well."
This year's DoD campaign is promoting a climate of respect that encourages every servicemember to join in a cooperative effort to end sexual violence, said Kaye Whitley, director for the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office.
SAPRO is the Defense Department's single point of accountability for sexual assault policy matters. The organization develops policy and programs to improve prevention efforts, enhance victim support, and increase offender accountability by collaborating closely with each military branch.
Whitley said the goals of this year's campaign are three-fold: fostering awareness of the impact of sexual assault on victims, encouraging community-wide prevention, and facilitating awareness of the availability of health services to care and support victims.
In an effort to create a "climate of confidence," the Defense Department has changed reporting options for sexual assault victims. Beginning in 2005, victims were given an option of restricted or unrestricted reporting.
When filing a restricted report, victims could receive medical care and counseling for assaults without alerting their chain of command or triggering an investigation. DoD officials attribute a 65 percent increase in reporting to this change.
In 2006 there were 756 restricted reports of sexual assault, Chu said. These were victims who might not have come forward under the old policy, he noted. After receiving initial medical treatment and counseling, Chu added, 86 of those changed their reports to unrestricted status, allowing the pursuit of those who acted against them.
DoD officials continue to focus on providing education and training for its more than 1 million active-duty servicemembers. During a worldwide conference held by the department this year, more that 350 troops were trained to be "first responders" for victims on their installations.
"We believe that the numbers of reports will continue to rise because we are changing a culture," Whitley said. "While these numbers make an initial rise, we hope to see a leveling off and eventual elimination of assaults within the department."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
Disabled Veterans Aim for Paralympic Dreams
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – For some participants at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here, it's not enough simply to make it down the mountain. They've set their sights on conquering it - and any other obstacle that stands between them and the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team. Mark Mix is among about a dozen veterans at the six-day clinic, the only one of the group wounded in Iraq, who have set their sights on becoming accomplished racers and even making the 2010 Paralympic team.
"My goal is to knock him off the podium," Mix said, pointing to fellow disabled veteran Chris Devlin-Young, head coach for the clinic's Alpine race and development program.
That's a lofty goal, considering that Devlin-Young is a three-time Paralympian with two gold and two silver medals under his belt. He's also the first U.S. athlete to win gold medals in two disability categories.
And like Mix, he got his first taste of skiing at the winter sports clinic here.
Devlin-Young, a Coast Guard veteran, said he reluctantly agreed to participate in the first clinic in 1985, three years after a C-130 aircraft crash left him a paraplegic. He was mad at the world at the time about losing use of his legs and had little interest in trying out skiing, he said.
But the first time down the hill, he was hooked. "It gave me adrenaline and control. It gave me my life back," he said.
Now Devlin-Young is helping to bring that exhilaration to other disabled veterans bent on pushing their limits on the slopes.
"A lot of these guys want to be racers, and a lot want to be better skiers," he said. "They want to master the mountain in a way they never imagined."
He said he sees a lot of potential in Mix, a Navy veteran and former Seabee who was paralyzed from the waist down by a mortar blast in Baghdad in 2004. "Does he have the potential? Yes," Devlin-Young said. "Does he have the ambition? Yes. Does he have the drive? Yes."
Three years ago, Devlin-Young might have assessed Mix differently. Mix was a self-proclaimed "couch potato" whose sporting life centered on watching drag racing and NASCAR on TV.
He'd never been on skis before finding himself in a wheelchair, and tried it out for the first time during the 2005 winter sports clinic.
After that, there was no turning back. "The freedom you feel when you're out there takes the disability away and makes you feel like you're able-bodied again," he said.
Mix said he quickly tried to get on with his life after being wounded.
"I didn't sit back and pout. My wife wouldn't let me!" he said. Instead, he set his sights on becoming a role model for his children and showing them that "being in a wheelchair doesn't stop you from anything."
In fact, it's pushing the 36-year-old to levels he never thought he would attain. He's among three Iraqi Freedom veterans in the U.S. Olympic Committee's Veterans' Paralympic Performance Program Alpine Skiing program, based here, and has set his sights on the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Games.
The VPPP program, a partnership between the U.S. Olympic Committee, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Challenge Aspen, helps groom disabled veterans for national and international ski competitions, explained Houston Cowan, founder and chief executive officer of Challenge Aspen.
Other Iraqi Freedom veterans participating in the program are Keith Calhoun, an Army staff sergeant who had both legs amputated when a rocket-propelled grenade hit in convoy in November 2003, and Casey Owens, a Marine Corps corporal who lost both legs when his Humvee hit a land mine.
Mix is taking the lessons he's learning through the program and pushing forward with his dream. He returned last week from one of a long string of competitions toward qualifying for the Paralympics: the 2007 Hartford U.S. Disabled Alpine Championships in Waterville Valley, N.H. "I didn't make it to the podium, but I held my own," he said.
"He not only held his own, he made a huge statement of what's to come," Houston said.
Other veterans at the winter sports clinic here share Mix's aspirations of refining their skiing technique and becoming champion racers.
Peter Axelson, who raced on the U.S. Disabled Ski Team from 1985 to 1982 and is here working with group, said reaching that goal requires more than just the ability to ski fast.
"It takes strength and a mindset to want to push through limits. It also takes patience and a willingness to do drills over and over. It's very physical, and it's very mental," he said.
Bruce Gibbings, a Vietnam-era Army veteran, said he's taking in all the lessons Axelson, Devlin-Young and the other instructors here have to offer.
At age 60, Gibbons acknowledges that making the Paralympic Ski Team may be a long shot. But he insists it's not a dream he's willing to abandon just yet.
"I might be the oldest member of the Paralympic team, but I want to see if I can get myself there," he said. Gibbings said he feels up to the rigors of the training.
"I'm healthier and stronger than I've ever been," he said. "God blessed me with a lot of energy, I still have a lot of the use of my body, and I've taken my skiing to a level I never dreamed of."
Terry Smutney, an Army veteran who was disabled due to chemical exposure in northern Iraq during Operation Desert Storm, said he, too, is all ears to the lessons he's getting here.
Now an adaptive ski instructor himself in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., Smutney frequently works with wounded troops returning from combat. He said the pointers he's picking up here are helping make him a better skier, racer and teacher to other disabled skiers.
Smutney remembers his first time on skis after his injury, in December 2004, as a life-changing experience. "I was on 12 different medications, four of them narcotics for pain control. I was smoking. I was doing everything wrong," he said.
Within four months, Smutney was skiing every time he got the opportunity and had tossed away all his medications, as well as his cigarettes. "The only drug I was on was the mountain," he said.
Now 50, Smutney said he's too old to think about the Paralympics, but said wants to continue progressing and sharing the joy of skiing and racing with other disabled veterans, especially those just back from combat.
"That's my way of giving back what I've been given," he said. "To see the frowns and wonderment on their faces turn to smiles and relaxation, well, that's just not something you can put in a bottle. You have to be here and experience it, because if you can come down that mountain, you can do anything."
Devlin-Young agreed that it's gratifying to help disabled skiers stretch beyond their comfort zones to become more confident and more capable. "My goal is to give back some of what skiing gave to me," he said.
And while he'd love to see some of the veterans he's working with here achieve their Paralympic dreams, he said what's happening here on Snowmass Mountain is about a lot more than racing.
"This is the next level: mastering the mountain," he said. "When you do that, you will be confident and safe-anytime, anyplace and in any condition. And ultimately, that's what this is all about."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – For some participants at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here, it's not enough simply to make it down the mountain. They've set their sights on conquering it - and any other obstacle that stands between them and the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team. Mark Mix is among about a dozen veterans at the six-day clinic, the only one of the group wounded in Iraq, who have set their sights on becoming accomplished racers and even making the 2010 Paralympic team.
"My goal is to knock him off the podium," Mix said, pointing to fellow disabled veteran Chris Devlin-Young, head coach for the clinic's Alpine race and development program.
That's a lofty goal, considering that Devlin-Young is a three-time Paralympian with two gold and two silver medals under his belt. He's also the first U.S. athlete to win gold medals in two disability categories.
And like Mix, he got his first taste of skiing at the winter sports clinic here.
Devlin-Young, a Coast Guard veteran, said he reluctantly agreed to participate in the first clinic in 1985, three years after a C-130 aircraft crash left him a paraplegic. He was mad at the world at the time about losing use of his legs and had little interest in trying out skiing, he said.
But the first time down the hill, he was hooked. "It gave me adrenaline and control. It gave me my life back," he said.
Now Devlin-Young is helping to bring that exhilaration to other disabled veterans bent on pushing their limits on the slopes.
"A lot of these guys want to be racers, and a lot want to be better skiers," he said. "They want to master the mountain in a way they never imagined."
He said he sees a lot of potential in Mix, a Navy veteran and former Seabee who was paralyzed from the waist down by a mortar blast in Baghdad in 2004. "Does he have the potential? Yes," Devlin-Young said. "Does he have the ambition? Yes. Does he have the drive? Yes."
Three years ago, Devlin-Young might have assessed Mix differently. Mix was a self-proclaimed "couch potato" whose sporting life centered on watching drag racing and NASCAR on TV.
He'd never been on skis before finding himself in a wheelchair, and tried it out for the first time during the 2005 winter sports clinic.
After that, there was no turning back. "The freedom you feel when you're out there takes the disability away and makes you feel like you're able-bodied again," he said.
Mix said he quickly tried to get on with his life after being wounded.
"I didn't sit back and pout. My wife wouldn't let me!" he said. Instead, he set his sights on becoming a role model for his children and showing them that "being in a wheelchair doesn't stop you from anything."
In fact, it's pushing the 36-year-old to levels he never thought he would attain. He's among three Iraqi Freedom veterans in the U.S. Olympic Committee's Veterans' Paralympic Performance Program Alpine Skiing program, based here, and has set his sights on the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Games.
The VPPP program, a partnership between the U.S. Olympic Committee, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Challenge Aspen, helps groom disabled veterans for national and international ski competitions, explained Houston Cowan, founder and chief executive officer of Challenge Aspen.
Other Iraqi Freedom veterans participating in the program are Keith Calhoun, an Army staff sergeant who had both legs amputated when a rocket-propelled grenade hit in convoy in November 2003, and Casey Owens, a Marine Corps corporal who lost both legs when his Humvee hit a land mine.
Mix is taking the lessons he's learning through the program and pushing forward with his dream. He returned last week from one of a long string of competitions toward qualifying for the Paralympics: the 2007 Hartford U.S. Disabled Alpine Championships in Waterville Valley, N.H. "I didn't make it to the podium, but I held my own," he said.
"He not only held his own, he made a huge statement of what's to come," Houston said.
Other veterans at the winter sports clinic here share Mix's aspirations of refining their skiing technique and becoming champion racers.
Peter Axelson, who raced on the U.S. Disabled Ski Team from 1985 to 1982 and is here working with group, said reaching that goal requires more than just the ability to ski fast.
"It takes strength and a mindset to want to push through limits. It also takes patience and a willingness to do drills over and over. It's very physical, and it's very mental," he said.
Bruce Gibbings, a Vietnam-era Army veteran, said he's taking in all the lessons Axelson, Devlin-Young and the other instructors here have to offer.
At age 60, Gibbons acknowledges that making the Paralympic Ski Team may be a long shot. But he insists it's not a dream he's willing to abandon just yet.
"I might be the oldest member of the Paralympic team, but I want to see if I can get myself there," he said. Gibbings said he feels up to the rigors of the training.
"I'm healthier and stronger than I've ever been," he said. "God blessed me with a lot of energy, I still have a lot of the use of my body, and I've taken my skiing to a level I never dreamed of."
Terry Smutney, an Army veteran who was disabled due to chemical exposure in northern Iraq during Operation Desert Storm, said he, too, is all ears to the lessons he's getting here.
Now an adaptive ski instructor himself in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., Smutney frequently works with wounded troops returning from combat. He said the pointers he's picking up here are helping make him a better skier, racer and teacher to other disabled skiers.
Smutney remembers his first time on skis after his injury, in December 2004, as a life-changing experience. "I was on 12 different medications, four of them narcotics for pain control. I was smoking. I was doing everything wrong," he said.
Within four months, Smutney was skiing every time he got the opportunity and had tossed away all his medications, as well as his cigarettes. "The only drug I was on was the mountain," he said.
Now 50, Smutney said he's too old to think about the Paralympics, but said wants to continue progressing and sharing the joy of skiing and racing with other disabled veterans, especially those just back from combat.
"That's my way of giving back what I've been given," he said. "To see the frowns and wonderment on their faces turn to smiles and relaxation, well, that's just not something you can put in a bottle. You have to be here and experience it, because if you can come down that mountain, you can do anything."
Devlin-Young agreed that it's gratifying to help disabled skiers stretch beyond their comfort zones to become more confident and more capable. "My goal is to give back some of what skiing gave to me," he said.
And while he'd love to see some of the veterans he's working with here achieve their Paralympic dreams, he said what's happening here on Snowmass Mountain is about a lot more than racing.
"This is the next level: mastering the mountain," he said. "When you do that, you will be confident and safe-anytime, anyplace and in any condition. And ultimately, that's what this is all about."
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
Why We Serve: Air Force Captain Relates Afghanistan Experience
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – An Air Force logistics officer essentially traded in his blue uniform for Army green during his stint as a convoy commander in Afghanistan. Air Force Capt. Michael J. Frasco, 35, who hails from Albuquerque, N.M., volunteered to be a supply convoy commander during a tour in Afghanistan in 2006, a job traditionally performed by an Army officer. He also served as a trainer for the Afghan National Army.
Frasco is among a group of eight servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community, business, veterans' and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
The "Why We Serve" program, initially the idea of Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, began last fall, noted Air Force Maj. Ann N. Biggers, the program's director. Eight military members, two from each service, are selected to participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments, she explained.
"We know that the American public is hungry to hear about what these young men and women have been during," 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."
Looking for challenges and an opportunity to serve his country, Frasco enlisted in the Air Force in 1992. A decade later, he had earned a degree at the University of Oklahoma and an officer's commission through the school's ROTC program.
After receiving two months of Army ground-combat skills and convoy training at Camp Shelby, Miss., Frasco headed to Afghanistan in early 2006, he said.
"I stepped off of that airplane ready to go and confident enough that there was nothing that I couldn't go out and do," recalled Frasco, who's now assigned at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
Frasco commanded more than 90 supply convoys that traversed thousands of miles of dangerous, rugged terrain across Afghanistan. His vehicles successfully delivered more than 100 passengers and more than 70,000 tons of cargo.
"We got from Point A to Point B successfully and accomplished whatever mission that we had to accomplish and got home safely," Frasco said, noting he'd commanded soldiers and Marines, as well as airmen.
Challenges facing military convoys in Afghanistan include washed-out roads and the possibility of roadside bombs and ambushes, Frasco said.
Frasco's leadership philosophy boils down to "while taking care of the people, we take care of the mission." He saluted the "amazing" ability and stamina possessed by the servicemembers he commanded, as well as the high caliber of his superiors.
Asked if he'd volunteer for convoy duty again, Frasco responded: "Absolutely. I'd do it tomorrow."
Frasco's Army ground combat training was also put to use when civil unrest erupted in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital city. The Air Force captain led a platoon that rescued a group of airmen who had been stranded outside Camp Eggers during the violence.
The Air Force officer also mentored Afghan National Army noncommissioned officers and officers as an embedded trainer. That mission, he said, was "to get them to a point where they are proficient and can defend their own country."
Helping Afghans to remain free from the Taliban "in turn, protects America," Frasco pointed out.
Frasco remembers working 30 consecutive 16-hour days during his first month in Afghanistan. However, he said, it's worth the effort to help the Afghans get back onto their feet after enduring years of brutal rule under the Taliban.
"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.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – An Air Force logistics officer essentially traded in his blue uniform for Army green during his stint as a convoy commander in Afghanistan. Air Force Capt. Michael J. Frasco, 35, who hails from Albuquerque, N.M., volunteered to be a supply convoy commander during a tour in Afghanistan in 2006, a job traditionally performed by an Army officer. He also served as a trainer for the Afghan National Army.
Frasco is among a group of eight servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community, business, veterans' and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
The "Why We Serve" program, initially the idea of Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, began last fall, noted Air Force Maj. Ann N. Biggers, the program's director. Eight military members, two from each service, are selected to participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments, she explained.
"We know that the American public is hungry to hear about what these young men and women have been during," 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."
Looking for challenges and an opportunity to serve his country, Frasco enlisted in the Air Force in 1992. A decade later, he had earned a degree at the University of Oklahoma and an officer's commission through the school's ROTC program.
After receiving two months of Army ground-combat skills and convoy training at Camp Shelby, Miss., Frasco headed to Afghanistan in early 2006, he said.
"I stepped off of that airplane ready to go and confident enough that there was nothing that I couldn't go out and do," recalled Frasco, who's now assigned at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
Frasco commanded more than 90 supply convoys that traversed thousands of miles of dangerous, rugged terrain across Afghanistan. His vehicles successfully delivered more than 100 passengers and more than 70,000 tons of cargo.
"We got from Point A to Point B successfully and accomplished whatever mission that we had to accomplish and got home safely," Frasco said, noting he'd commanded soldiers and Marines, as well as airmen.
Challenges facing military convoys in Afghanistan include washed-out roads and the possibility of roadside bombs and ambushes, Frasco said.
Frasco's leadership philosophy boils down to "while taking care of the people, we take care of the mission." He saluted the "amazing" ability and stamina possessed by the servicemembers he commanded, as well as the high caliber of his superiors.
Asked if he'd volunteer for convoy duty again, Frasco responded: "Absolutely. I'd do it tomorrow."
Frasco's Army ground combat training was also put to use when civil unrest erupted in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital city. The Air Force captain led a platoon that rescued a group of airmen who had been stranded outside Camp Eggers during the violence.
The Air Force officer also mentored Afghan National Army noncommissioned officers and officers as an embedded trainer. That mission, he said, was "to get them to a point where they are proficient and can defend their own country."
Helping Afghans to remain free from the Taliban "in turn, protects America," Frasco pointed out.
Frasco remembers working 30 consecutive 16-hour days during his first month in Afghanistan. However, he said, it's worth the effort to help the Afghans get back onto their feet after enduring years of brutal rule under the Taliban.
"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.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
Elmo Helps Military Kids Through Deployments
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – Sesame Street's Elmo and his friends at Sesame Workshop are helping military children deal with a parent's deployment through a new project called "Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Families During Military Deployment." Sesame Workshop and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., an America Supports You corporate team member, launched the project last August, with additional support from New York State Office of Mental Health and the Military Child Education Coalition.
America Supports You is a Defense Department program that highlights ways in which American individuals, home front groups and companies are supporting U.S. troops and their families.
Talk, Listen and Connect was created to help military families cope with the challenges of deployment when research showed a true need for outreach to military pre-school children.
"The emotional toll that the conflict and the deployments overseas have on families is what inspired us to try to deal with the 700,000 (military) pre-school children," Gary Knell, president and chief executive officer of Sesame Workshop said. "When we heard about the statistic, we felt that there was a way in which we could connect the almost four decades ... of Sesame Street and Sesame Workshop's work to this important cause."
The Talk, Listen, Connect project offers families a kit with materials in English and Spanish to help them better cope with deployments. That kit provides parents a DVD featuring Elmo and his dad who preparing to deploy, a poster that explains some of the ways Elmo is dealing with the his father's absence, and a magazine for parents and caregivers.
"What we found ... is that the kit provides parents with strategies to help their preschoolers cope with deployment," Lawrence Hooper, a partner with Russell Research, which helped conduct an impact study of the kit, said. "The strategies (are) to answer your child completely, do things to feel normal, have age-appropriate chores to foster independence, and do things to keep the child busy."
The results of the impact study were presented at a luncheon here yesterday. Hooper said the results were all positive and revealed that the kit was appealing, easy to understand and provided useful activities and strategies that were easy to implement.
"As importantly, it helped parents and kids feel better ... and prepared them for future deployment," he said.
Joanna Lopez, whose family is featured on the DVD, agrees with the findings. Stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., she is the mother of three children, ages 10, 6, and 4 months. Her husband, Army Staff Sgt. Ernesto Lopez, is on his third deployment to Iraq.
"The video helped me a lot," she said about appearing in and watching the video. "It was wonderful for me and my kids that we are going to share our activities and out ability to stay calm when our dad is deployed."
Lopez, a Spanish-speaking day care provider for military children, said her family's goal in appearing in the video was to help parents help their children understand the deployment, that dad or mom are working, and that it's not forever. She also learned that staying busy is key.
Leslye Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, said the kit was a much-needed addition to her office's arsenal of literature.
"The materials themselves filled a very important gap in the literature and in the tools that we had for military families," she said. "We know a lot about the effects of deployment and of the stages around deployment, but we really didn't have very many materials for pre-school children, and we didn't have very many supports for pre-school parents."
The Listen, Talk, Connect materials, which Arsht described as groundbreaking, helped parents as much as it did the children. It also served as a boost for Military OneSource, an online resource for military families. The site, www.militaryonesource.com, is one of the methods by which military families can acquire the Talk, Listen, Connect kit.
"By using Military OneSource as a mechanism for distributing this wonderful tool, we've also raised its profile and its availability ... so that other things that we have available to support (military families) are also more accessible," Arsht said. "On all of those grounds, I would say this has been a terrific asset and addition for helping families cope with their military lifestyle."
Military families have requested about 250,000 kits since August, Knell said. With support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, "When Parents are Deployed" will air April 9, on PBS stations across the country, and Maryland Public Television will air the piece twice during Memorial Day weekend, Knell added.
Editor's Note: Military families can also avail themselves of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which highlights home-front groups across the nation that are providing a variety of services and support to troops and their families. A listing of these groups and information about their efforts is available at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 4, 2007 – Sesame Street's Elmo and his friends at Sesame Workshop are helping military children deal with a parent's deployment through a new project called "Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Families During Military Deployment." Sesame Workshop and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., an America Supports You corporate team member, launched the project last August, with additional support from New York State Office of Mental Health and the Military Child Education Coalition.
America Supports You is a Defense Department program that highlights ways in which American individuals, home front groups and companies are supporting U.S. troops and their families.
Talk, Listen and Connect was created to help military families cope with the challenges of deployment when research showed a true need for outreach to military pre-school children.
"The emotional toll that the conflict and the deployments overseas have on families is what inspired us to try to deal with the 700,000 (military) pre-school children," Gary Knell, president and chief executive officer of Sesame Workshop said. "When we heard about the statistic, we felt that there was a way in which we could connect the almost four decades ... of Sesame Street and Sesame Workshop's work to this important cause."
The Talk, Listen, Connect project offers families a kit with materials in English and Spanish to help them better cope with deployments. That kit provides parents a DVD featuring Elmo and his dad who preparing to deploy, a poster that explains some of the ways Elmo is dealing with the his father's absence, and a magazine for parents and caregivers.
"What we found ... is that the kit provides parents with strategies to help their preschoolers cope with deployment," Lawrence Hooper, a partner with Russell Research, which helped conduct an impact study of the kit, said. "The strategies (are) to answer your child completely, do things to feel normal, have age-appropriate chores to foster independence, and do things to keep the child busy."
The results of the impact study were presented at a luncheon here yesterday. Hooper said the results were all positive and revealed that the kit was appealing, easy to understand and provided useful activities and strategies that were easy to implement.
"As importantly, it helped parents and kids feel better ... and prepared them for future deployment," he said.
Joanna Lopez, whose family is featured on the DVD, agrees with the findings. Stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., she is the mother of three children, ages 10, 6, and 4 months. Her husband, Army Staff Sgt. Ernesto Lopez, is on his third deployment to Iraq.
"The video helped me a lot," she said about appearing in and watching the video. "It was wonderful for me and my kids that we are going to share our activities and out ability to stay calm when our dad is deployed."
Lopez, a Spanish-speaking day care provider for military children, said her family's goal in appearing in the video was to help parents help their children understand the deployment, that dad or mom are working, and that it's not forever. She also learned that staying busy is key.
Leslye Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, said the kit was a much-needed addition to her office's arsenal of literature.
"The materials themselves filled a very important gap in the literature and in the tools that we had for military families," she said. "We know a lot about the effects of deployment and of the stages around deployment, but we really didn't have very many materials for pre-school children, and we didn't have very many supports for pre-school parents."
The Listen, Talk, Connect materials, which Arsht described as groundbreaking, helped parents as much as it did the children. It also served as a boost for Military OneSource, an online resource for military families. The site, www.militaryonesource.com, is one of the methods by which military families can acquire the Talk, Listen, Connect kit.
"By using Military OneSource as a mechanism for distributing this wonderful tool, we've also raised its profile and its availability ... so that other things that we have available to support (military families) are also more accessible," Arsht said. "On all of those grounds, I would say this has been a terrific asset and addition for helping families cope with their military lifestyle."
Military families have requested about 250,000 kits since August, Knell said. With support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, "When Parents are Deployed" will air April 9, on PBS stations across the country, and Maryland Public Television will air the piece twice during Memorial Day weekend, Knell added.
Editor's Note: Military families can also avail themselves of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which highlights home-front groups across the nation that are providing a variety of services and support to troops and their families. A listing of these groups and information about their efforts is available at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership as well as police officers and military personnel who have authored books.
Group Puts Flags in Servicemembers' Pockets
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.
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.
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