By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 25, 2007 – A childhood dream became reality when a missionary couple's daughter joined the U.S. Marine Corps four years ago. “I fell in love with the thought of being a Marine when I was 14 years old," Sgt. Paula Payne said.
Payne is one of eight servicemembers selected by the Defense Department to participate in the "Why We Serve" outreach program to share their personal experiences with the American public. Program participants are traveling throughout the nation to speak to veterans organizations, schools and business groups.
The 23-year-old, who lived outside of the United States for the first 15 years of her life, said she realized at a young age that she needed to find a way to pay for her secondary education.
"Being missionaries, my parents didn't make a lot of money," Payne said. "Since going to college was important to me, I knew I had to find a way to pay for it."
After talking to her father about several options and doing a lot of research, Payne said, the natural choice for her was to join the Marine Corps to pay for schooling down the road; so she signed up for the Delayed Entry Program while still in high school.
Within seven months of being assigned to the 1st Marine Division, at Camp Pendleton, Calif., she deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraq Freedom.
While deployed, Payne was one of the first female Marines to man checkpoints in Operation Lioness. Up until that point, Iraqi women were passing through checkpoints without being searched due to cultural sensitivities. Payne said some were being used as "mules" to traffic drugs and weapons.
"The experience was great," the radio operator said. "That's when I realized being able to have contact with another culture was really awesome."
She said she was surprised that many of the Iraqis coming through the checkpoints seem to love Americans. "They let their kids out (of the cars) to come and see us," Payne said. "The kids always wanted to be held, and mothers wanted us to kiss their babies."
Payne said she was also surprised at how giving many of the Iraqis are. "They were always giving us fruit, baklava and candy," she said.
Mission work and military service may seem to be opposite ends of the spectrum, but Payne said they have much in common.
"My childhood up-bringing and the Marine Corps go hand-in-hand," she said. "Being a missionary kid and pastor's daughter, I was taught to care about others, be humble and self-sacrificing."
Payne said those are principles that play a large role in being a Marine.
Marines take care of their fellow troops, they care for the people they are trying to protect, and they are willing to lay down their lives for their country, she said.
"A lot of the values and morals I learned as a child really have carried over to the Marine Corps," Payne said. "I've been able to apply my childhood experience to my current job."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Civilian Leaders Meet Sailors Working Aboard Navy Carrier in Gulf
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 25, 2007 – Members of the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference today walked, or catapulted, away from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower with a greater appreciation for what sailors are doing for their nation and the global war on terror. Forty-five civic and business leaders who are traveling in the Central Command's area of responsibility were introduced to sailors manning the nuclear-powered, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier the day before it headed back to its home port in Norfolk, Va., following a six-month deployment to the Arabian Sea.
Joint Civilian Orientation Conference participants arrived to the carrier via Navy C-2A "Greyhound" cargo plane where they were "recovered" by one of four arrestor wires on the 1,092-foot deck. Each of the three cargo planes came to a jolting stop on the ship's deck resulting in applause and cheers from its passengers.
After a brief introduction to the ship's senior leaders, participants had lunch in the ship's aft mess decks with junior sailors from the 5,000-member crew.
Sailors were quizzed by the participants on their jobs, the reason they joined the Navy and how they felt about their mission in the global war on terror.
By climbing seemingly endless staircases, visitors were allowed the rare opportunity of touring the ship's bridge and primary flight control areas to see how the carrier's crew orchestrates the 70 plus daily missions performed by the "Ike."
The ship's "Air Boss" and his staff controlled launches, recoveries and the location of all aircraft within a 10-mile radius while explaining to the visitors the steps of the seamless operations onboard.
After watching the process from high above the carrier's deck, participants were allowed to go onto the ship's bridge where they stood mere feet away from the four catapults that launched F-18C "Hornets," F-18E "Super Hornets" and E-2C "Hawkeyes" onto training missions.
The participants watched in awe when they were allowed to stand by the arrestor wires as aircraft approached the 4.5-acre flight deck at full throttle until their tail hooks caught the wires to come to a complete stop within seconds of touching down.
Before leaving the Eisenhower, the ship's commander Navy Capt. Dan Cloyd presented the participants with a certificate naming them honorary "tailhookers" for their landing earlier on the ship's deck.
"I hope you leave us with a sense of how incredibly talented, inspiring and talented our young people are on the Eisenhower," he told the guests resulting in applause, whistling and cheering. "Their satisfaction and pride in a job well-done is the highest I've seen during my 28 years in the Navy."
The carrier strike group commander echoed his sentiments.
"They joined the service to make a difference," Navy Rear Adm. Allen Myers said, "and that's exactly what they do each and every day."
Our sailors make a difference by launching aircraft and providing security in the region, Myers told the group. They truly believe in what they are doing, he said.
"The level of skill and capability of sailors is amazing," said JCOC participant Kellie Johnson, who is the president of ACE Clearwater Enterprises in Torrance, Calif. "It takes a certain kind of person to be in the Navy; I am in awe."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 25, 2007 – Members of the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference today walked, or catapulted, away from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower with a greater appreciation for what sailors are doing for their nation and the global war on terror. Forty-five civic and business leaders who are traveling in the Central Command's area of responsibility were introduced to sailors manning the nuclear-powered, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier the day before it headed back to its home port in Norfolk, Va., following a six-month deployment to the Arabian Sea.
Joint Civilian Orientation Conference participants arrived to the carrier via Navy C-2A "Greyhound" cargo plane where they were "recovered" by one of four arrestor wires on the 1,092-foot deck. Each of the three cargo planes came to a jolting stop on the ship's deck resulting in applause and cheers from its passengers.
After a brief introduction to the ship's senior leaders, participants had lunch in the ship's aft mess decks with junior sailors from the 5,000-member crew.
Sailors were quizzed by the participants on their jobs, the reason they joined the Navy and how they felt about their mission in the global war on terror.
By climbing seemingly endless staircases, visitors were allowed the rare opportunity of touring the ship's bridge and primary flight control areas to see how the carrier's crew orchestrates the 70 plus daily missions performed by the "Ike."
The ship's "Air Boss" and his staff controlled launches, recoveries and the location of all aircraft within a 10-mile radius while explaining to the visitors the steps of the seamless operations onboard.
After watching the process from high above the carrier's deck, participants were allowed to go onto the ship's bridge where they stood mere feet away from the four catapults that launched F-18C "Hornets," F-18E "Super Hornets" and E-2C "Hawkeyes" onto training missions.
The participants watched in awe when they were allowed to stand by the arrestor wires as aircraft approached the 4.5-acre flight deck at full throttle until their tail hooks caught the wires to come to a complete stop within seconds of touching down.
Before leaving the Eisenhower, the ship's commander Navy Capt. Dan Cloyd presented the participants with a certificate naming them honorary "tailhookers" for their landing earlier on the ship's deck.
"I hope you leave us with a sense of how incredibly talented, inspiring and talented our young people are on the Eisenhower," he told the guests resulting in applause, whistling and cheering. "Their satisfaction and pride in a job well-done is the highest I've seen during my 28 years in the Navy."
The carrier strike group commander echoed his sentiments.
"They joined the service to make a difference," Navy Rear Adm. Allen Myers said, "and that's exactly what they do each and every day."
Our sailors make a difference by launching aircraft and providing security in the region, Myers told the group. They truly believe in what they are doing, he said.
"The level of skill and capability of sailors is amazing," said JCOC participant Kellie Johnson, who is the president of ACE Clearwater Enterprises in Torrance, Calif. "It takes a certain kind of person to be in the Navy; I am in awe."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Two Cops, a Fed and a Civilian
Editor's Note: Three of the four are former military.
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. The website added to state and local police officers, one federal law enforcement officer and a civilian police writer.
Shane Moore is a detective with the Gillespie Police Department (Illinois). His debut novel is A Prisoner's Welcome. Shane Moore describes his work as a fantasy similar to Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, but with much heavier writing and themes which are best suited for the adult reader.
One reader/reviewer of Shane Moore’s novel said, “A Prisoner's Welcome is a rare fantasy that lacks the troupes of almost every fantasy novel out there. It starts out with young Lancalion searching for a person to read some parchments that are supposed to detail the murder of his parents-an orphan with power trying to discover the one responsible for his parents murder-SAME OLD troupe! That is where it all changes. Moore takes us on a whirlwind ride with politics, deceit, trickery, and backstabbing on a grand scale.”
Michael Levine, called “America’s top undercover agent” by 60 Minutes, is one of the Drug Enforcement Administrations most highly decorated officers and the author of New York Times best-seller Deep Cover and national bestsellers The Big White Lie, Fight Back and Triangle of Death. During his 30 year law enforcement career he served as a military police officer, Treasury Agent, DEA Agent and with the Barnstable County Sheriffs Department (Massachusetts) as the Director of Drug Bureau.
He is also a world recognized court-qualified expert witness, trial consultant and lecturer in all matters relating to undercover work, narcotics trafficking and the handling of criminal informants. He has testified as an expert in over 250 civil and criminal trials internationally and domestically. Michael Levine is currently the host of New York City’s Expert Witness Radio Show which can be heard on 99.5 FM.
Special Agent Raymond Sherrard (ret.), of the United States Treasury Department, is the author of Encyclopedia of Federal Law Enforcement Patches and Federal Law Enforcement Patches: An Illustrated Reference Manual. He co-authored The Centurions Shield: Badges of the LAPD with retired LAPD Command Keith Bushey; and, co-authored Badges of the United States Marshals, with retired Deputy United States Marshal George Stumpf.
In 1951, William L. Childers joined the United States Marine Corps. He served in Korea from 1951 to 1952 at a gunner on an M46 tank. In 1954, after discharge he attended Southern Methodist University and graduated in 1961 as Methodist Minister. William L. Childers entered into the Navy Chaplain Corps; Later, from 1968 to 1969, he served as the Chaplain for the 2BN, 9th Marines in Vietnam. He completed his career as a Methodist Minister and spent 11 years as an Administrative Hearing Officer for the City of Dallas. In 2003, William L. Childers became a volunteer chaplain for the Dallas Police Department.
In addition to writing poetry, William L. Childers published Integrity of the Spirit...Escaping the Mind-Game!
Police-Writers.com now hosts 503 police officers (representing 210 police departments) and their 1061 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. The website added to state and local police officers, one federal law enforcement officer and a civilian police writer.
Shane Moore is a detective with the Gillespie Police Department (Illinois). His debut novel is A Prisoner's Welcome. Shane Moore describes his work as a fantasy similar to Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, but with much heavier writing and themes which are best suited for the adult reader.
One reader/reviewer of Shane Moore’s novel said, “A Prisoner's Welcome is a rare fantasy that lacks the troupes of almost every fantasy novel out there. It starts out with young Lancalion searching for a person to read some parchments that are supposed to detail the murder of his parents-an orphan with power trying to discover the one responsible for his parents murder-SAME OLD troupe! That is where it all changes. Moore takes us on a whirlwind ride with politics, deceit, trickery, and backstabbing on a grand scale.”
Michael Levine, called “America’s top undercover agent” by 60 Minutes, is one of the Drug Enforcement Administrations most highly decorated officers and the author of New York Times best-seller Deep Cover and national bestsellers The Big White Lie, Fight Back and Triangle of Death. During his 30 year law enforcement career he served as a military police officer, Treasury Agent, DEA Agent and with the Barnstable County Sheriffs Department (Massachusetts) as the Director of Drug Bureau.
He is also a world recognized court-qualified expert witness, trial consultant and lecturer in all matters relating to undercover work, narcotics trafficking and the handling of criminal informants. He has testified as an expert in over 250 civil and criminal trials internationally and domestically. Michael Levine is currently the host of New York City’s Expert Witness Radio Show which can be heard on 99.5 FM.
Special Agent Raymond Sherrard (ret.), of the United States Treasury Department, is the author of Encyclopedia of Federal Law Enforcement Patches and Federal Law Enforcement Patches: An Illustrated Reference Manual. He co-authored The Centurions Shield: Badges of the LAPD with retired LAPD Command Keith Bushey; and, co-authored Badges of the United States Marshals, with retired Deputy United States Marshal George Stumpf.
In 1951, William L. Childers joined the United States Marine Corps. He served in Korea from 1951 to 1952 at a gunner on an M46 tank. In 1954, after discharge he attended Southern Methodist University and graduated in 1961 as Methodist Minister. William L. Childers entered into the Navy Chaplain Corps; Later, from 1968 to 1969, he served as the Chaplain for the 2BN, 9th Marines in Vietnam. He completed his career as a Methodist Minister and spent 11 years as an Administrative Hearing Officer for the City of Dallas. In 2003, William L. Childers became a volunteer chaplain for the Dallas Police Department.
In addition to writing poetry, William L. Childers published Integrity of the Spirit...Escaping the Mind-Game!
Police-Writers.com now hosts 503 police officers (representing 210 police departments) and their 1061 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.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
U.S., Polish Defense Leaders: Missile Defense Will Enhance Security
By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – U.S. and Polish defense leaders agree that basing ground-based, missile defense interceptors in Poland will enhance the country's security. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met with Polish Minister of National Defense Aleksander Szczyglo here today to discuss the planned deployment, along with Poland's participation in Iraq and Afghanistan.
U.S. defense officials have begun negotiations with Poland and the Czech Republic to host long-range, ground-based interceptors and missile defense radar on their territories. These defense assets would counter possible missile attacks from such rogue nations as Iran or other sources in the Middle East or Southwest Asia.
While the Czech Republic has formally agreed to host the U.S. radar base, Poland has not yet agreed, a senior defense official traveling with the secretary said on background.
Following their meeting, Szczyglo told U.S. and Polish reporters the two men "came to the common conclusion that this U.S. project should increase the level of security in Europe, in this case specifically in Poland."
Gates said it was a pleasure to be back in Warsaw, noting that he first visited the city in 1975 on an advance trip for President Ford's visit. "All I can say is that Warsaw is a very different and very much better place today than it was in 1975," the secretary commented.
Gates reported that he had good talks with his Polish counterpart, and he expressed his condolences to the Polish people for the Polish soldier killed a few days ago in Iraq.
He said he reviewed with Szczyglo U.S. thinking on basing the missile defenses in Europe, as well as the "constructive conversations" he'd had in Moscow, including U.S. proposals for cooperation with Russia that were presented to NATO and Russia last week and then again discussed yesterday in Moscow. He also told the Polish defense leader that the United States and Russia would set up an expert group to continue looking at the subject.
Gates acknowledged that differences remain between the United States and Russia, especially on the technical characteristics and limitations of the system and Russia's concerns on the future capabilities of the system. He said the Russians have some misunderstandings about the systems.
"To alleviate that uncertainty," Gates said, "I invited the Russians to Alaska to see our interceptors and also to California to see what the radar would look like. Clearly they have questions about the capabilities of the system, and those are questions I think we can answer."
The secretary said he assured Szczyglo that constructive dialogue with Russia would continue. "We also agreed that any arrangement on missile defense with Poland should enhance Poland's overall security," Gates said.
"I do not believe Russia is a military threat to Poland - now, nor should we deploy a missile defense," the secretary said. "One of the points I made in Russia is that ... we're not talking about tomorrow or next year, but rather thinking about what the world might look like in 10 or 20 years.
"As I mentioned in my meeting with the minister," he said, "when I visited here in 1975, I never would have dreamed that 14 years later Poland would be free and that shortly after that the Cold War would be over.
"The world changes in dramatic ways," he said, "and what we're talking about here is indivisible security for the Unites States and our NATO allies. We would like to extend that umbrella to Russia and partner with Russia, have Russia be with us as we extend that program."
Gates thanked the minister for the robust Polish effort in Iraq and in Afghanistan. There are just fewer than 1,000 Polish troops in Iraq, and in response to NATO's plea for more troops, a combat battalion of 400 troops is now deploying to Afghanistan.
Gates said he looks forward to meeting with Poland's president and foreign minister tomorrow.
From Warsaw, the secretary is stopping in Germany to brief local leaders there before heading back to the United States.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – U.S. and Polish defense leaders agree that basing ground-based, missile defense interceptors in Poland will enhance the country's security. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met with Polish Minister of National Defense Aleksander Szczyglo here today to discuss the planned deployment, along with Poland's participation in Iraq and Afghanistan.
U.S. defense officials have begun negotiations with Poland and the Czech Republic to host long-range, ground-based interceptors and missile defense radar on their territories. These defense assets would counter possible missile attacks from such rogue nations as Iran or other sources in the Middle East or Southwest Asia.
While the Czech Republic has formally agreed to host the U.S. radar base, Poland has not yet agreed, a senior defense official traveling with the secretary said on background.
Following their meeting, Szczyglo told U.S. and Polish reporters the two men "came to the common conclusion that this U.S. project should increase the level of security in Europe, in this case specifically in Poland."
Gates said it was a pleasure to be back in Warsaw, noting that he first visited the city in 1975 on an advance trip for President Ford's visit. "All I can say is that Warsaw is a very different and very much better place today than it was in 1975," the secretary commented.
Gates reported that he had good talks with his Polish counterpart, and he expressed his condolences to the Polish people for the Polish soldier killed a few days ago in Iraq.
He said he reviewed with Szczyglo U.S. thinking on basing the missile defenses in Europe, as well as the "constructive conversations" he'd had in Moscow, including U.S. proposals for cooperation with Russia that were presented to NATO and Russia last week and then again discussed yesterday in Moscow. He also told the Polish defense leader that the United States and Russia would set up an expert group to continue looking at the subject.
Gates acknowledged that differences remain between the United States and Russia, especially on the technical characteristics and limitations of the system and Russia's concerns on the future capabilities of the system. He said the Russians have some misunderstandings about the systems.
"To alleviate that uncertainty," Gates said, "I invited the Russians to Alaska to see our interceptors and also to California to see what the radar would look like. Clearly they have questions about the capabilities of the system, and those are questions I think we can answer."
The secretary said he assured Szczyglo that constructive dialogue with Russia would continue. "We also agreed that any arrangement on missile defense with Poland should enhance Poland's overall security," Gates said.
"I do not believe Russia is a military threat to Poland - now, nor should we deploy a missile defense," the secretary said. "One of the points I made in Russia is that ... we're not talking about tomorrow or next year, but rather thinking about what the world might look like in 10 or 20 years.
"As I mentioned in my meeting with the minister," he said, "when I visited here in 1975, I never would have dreamed that 14 years later Poland would be free and that shortly after that the Cold War would be over.
"The world changes in dramatic ways," he said, "and what we're talking about here is indivisible security for the Unites States and our NATO allies. We would like to extend that umbrella to Russia and partner with Russia, have Russia be with us as we extend that program."
Gates thanked the minister for the robust Polish effort in Iraq and in Afghanistan. There are just fewer than 1,000 Polish troops in Iraq, and in response to NATO's plea for more troops, a combat battalion of 400 troops is now deploying to Afghanistan.
Gates said he looks forward to meeting with Poland's president and foreign minister tomorrow.
From Warsaw, the secretary is stopping in Germany to brief local leaders there before heading back to the United States.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Group Fosters Employer Understanding of Military
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve has worked to gain and maintain the support of America's employers for the nation's National Guardsmen and reservists since 1972. ESGR is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
"ESGR was formed (because) the secretary of defense and the president of the United States recognized that we were going to an all-volunteer force ... and that we were going to depend more on the Guard and Reserve," Air Force Reserve Maj. Robert Palmer, the national committee's chief of strategic communications, said. "(They also realized) that there needed to be a DoD organization whose mission was to foster good relations with employers."
ESGR has a three-pronged approach to succeeding at its mission, Palmer said. It conducts outreach activities to familiarize employers with the role and the mission of the reserve components.
The organization also offers informal mediation for employers or employees needing assistance resolving issues pertaining to employees' military service and the 1994 Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act, he said.
"We have volunteers trained in what the law says as well as dispute resolution," Palmer said. "If we can resolve problems quickly and easily for a Guardsman and reservist, that's a value to both the (servicemember) and the employer."
To reward employers who go above and beyond what USERRA requires from an employer in support of military employees, ESGR operates an awards program, he said. "We recognize employers that go above and beyond what the law requires," Palmer said
Each year state ESGR committees can present Above and Beyond Awards and Pro Patria Awards to employers who excel in supporting their military employees. At the national level, employee-nominated employers can earn Patriot Awards.
"Our highest honor ... is the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award," Palmer said. "Up to 15 employers are recognized each year with the Freedom Award."
Award recipients are categorized as large private employers, small private employers, and public-sector employers, he said. Some notable Freedom Award recipients include American Express, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Harley Davidson, Wachovia Bank.
"Harley Davidson always resonates with the military crowd," Palmer added.
Supporting the military certainly resonates with the American public, but occasionally Palmer said he receives offers to support troops that ESGR can't make use of. That's when the organization's America Supports You membership and the networking opportunities it provides, comes into play.
"If someone contacts me and we're unable to use their help, I know that I can turn to America Supports You (to) plug them in," Palmer said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve has worked to gain and maintain the support of America's employers for the nation's National Guardsmen and reservists since 1972. ESGR is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
"ESGR was formed (because) the secretary of defense and the president of the United States recognized that we were going to an all-volunteer force ... and that we were going to depend more on the Guard and Reserve," Air Force Reserve Maj. Robert Palmer, the national committee's chief of strategic communications, said. "(They also realized) that there needed to be a DoD organization whose mission was to foster good relations with employers."
ESGR has a three-pronged approach to succeeding at its mission, Palmer said. It conducts outreach activities to familiarize employers with the role and the mission of the reserve components.
The organization also offers informal mediation for employers or employees needing assistance resolving issues pertaining to employees' military service and the 1994 Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act, he said.
"We have volunteers trained in what the law says as well as dispute resolution," Palmer said. "If we can resolve problems quickly and easily for a Guardsman and reservist, that's a value to both the (servicemember) and the employer."
To reward employers who go above and beyond what USERRA requires from an employer in support of military employees, ESGR operates an awards program, he said. "We recognize employers that go above and beyond what the law requires," Palmer said
Each year state ESGR committees can present Above and Beyond Awards and Pro Patria Awards to employers who excel in supporting their military employees. At the national level, employee-nominated employers can earn Patriot Awards.
"Our highest honor ... is the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award," Palmer said. "Up to 15 employers are recognized each year with the Freedom Award."
Award recipients are categorized as large private employers, small private employers, and public-sector employers, he said. Some notable Freedom Award recipients include American Express, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Harley Davidson, Wachovia Bank.
"Harley Davidson always resonates with the military crowd," Palmer added.
Supporting the military certainly resonates with the American public, but occasionally Palmer said he receives offers to support troops that ESGR can't make use of. That's when the organization's America Supports You membership and the networking opportunities it provides, comes into play.
"If someone contacts me and we're unable to use their help, I know that I can turn to America Supports You (to) plug them in," Palmer said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Defense Department Dedicates Myers Portrait Legacy Board
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – The Defense Department honored the 15th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today, unveiling retired Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers' portrait and legacy board on The Chairman's Corridor in the Pentagon. Current Chairman Marine Gen. Peter Pace said it was his great fortune to work with Myers for six years - two as Myers' deputy in Japan, and four as the vice chairman.
"You get to know a man pretty well in that time," he said. "He truly, honestly cares for those in his charge."
Pace said Myers' service as chairman was particularly noteworthy. "I admired the way he served as chairman," he said. "Afghanistan, Iraq, tsunami relief in the Pacific, etc., etc. I don't know if there has been a more turbulent time than the time Dick Myers spent as chairman. And I don't know if we could have been served any better than with the talents that he brought to the leadership and to the military advice he has given."
The retired chairman's wife, Mary Jo Myers, and the entire Myers family attended the ceremony. Former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and his wife, Joyce, also attended.
In his remarks, Myers thanked those in attendance, and called for a special round of applause for Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the Army chief of staff who served as commander of Multinational Force Iraq for 33 months. "There's not a finer soldier in the United States Army or a finer officer in the military than George Casey," Myers said.
Myers said the portrait and the legacy board remind him of the people who made his tenure as chairman possible. He called his service as chairman challenging, but fulfilling.
"(It was) fulfilling because you get to represent the men and women of the United States military," he said. "Is there a better group in this country to represent than those who wear the uniform? I don't think so. They are the last ones to ever let you down. If we screw it up, it's going to be our fault, not their fault."
The portrait, by Kansas City artist John B. Martin, shows Myers in his Pentagon office. Beside him is the chairman's flag, and on the desk next to him is a model of an F-4B Phantom II - the aircraft Myers flew over North Vietnam.
In the background are depictions of significant events during Myers' term as chairman. The artist portrayed the Pentagon in ruins after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. Next to that is the general speaking with troops in Iraq.
The legacy board shows the general inspecting Chinese troops in Beijing, at a news conference with Rumsfeld, meeting with President Bush and the National Security Council at the White House, flying an aircraft and on his retirement day with his wife.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – The Defense Department honored the 15th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today, unveiling retired Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers' portrait and legacy board on The Chairman's Corridor in the Pentagon. Current Chairman Marine Gen. Peter Pace said it was his great fortune to work with Myers for six years - two as Myers' deputy in Japan, and four as the vice chairman.
"You get to know a man pretty well in that time," he said. "He truly, honestly cares for those in his charge."
Pace said Myers' service as chairman was particularly noteworthy. "I admired the way he served as chairman," he said. "Afghanistan, Iraq, tsunami relief in the Pacific, etc., etc. I don't know if there has been a more turbulent time than the time Dick Myers spent as chairman. And I don't know if we could have been served any better than with the talents that he brought to the leadership and to the military advice he has given."
The retired chairman's wife, Mary Jo Myers, and the entire Myers family attended the ceremony. Former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and his wife, Joyce, also attended.
In his remarks, Myers thanked those in attendance, and called for a special round of applause for Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the Army chief of staff who served as commander of Multinational Force Iraq for 33 months. "There's not a finer soldier in the United States Army or a finer officer in the military than George Casey," Myers said.
Myers said the portrait and the legacy board remind him of the people who made his tenure as chairman possible. He called his service as chairman challenging, but fulfilling.
"(It was) fulfilling because you get to represent the men and women of the United States military," he said. "Is there a better group in this country to represent than those who wear the uniform? I don't think so. They are the last ones to ever let you down. If we screw it up, it's going to be our fault, not their fault."
The portrait, by Kansas City artist John B. Martin, shows Myers in his Pentagon office. Beside him is the chairman's flag, and on the desk next to him is a model of an F-4B Phantom II - the aircraft Myers flew over North Vietnam.
In the background are depictions of significant events during Myers' term as chairman. The artist portrayed the Pentagon in ruins after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. Next to that is the general speaking with troops in Iraq.
The legacy board shows the general inspecting Chinese troops in Beijing, at a news conference with Rumsfeld, meeting with President Bush and the National Security Council at the White House, flying an aircraft and on his retirement day with his wife.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Officials Visit African Nations, Discuss New Command With Leaders
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – Defense Department officials recently met with leaders in six African countries and had "fruitful" discussions about U.S. Africa Command, the new unified combatant command the department is establishing, a senior department official told reporters at the Pentagon yesterday. U.S. officials from several government agencies met with African leaders in various nations and discussed U.S. reasons for setting up a command with responsibility for Africa, the organization of the command, possible mission areas, and the future location of the AFRICOM headquarters, said Ryan Henry, principal undersecretary of defense for policy.
"The message that we took to those who we consulted with was that we were entering into a dialogue," Henry said. "We found that that dialogue was generally positive, very cordial, with varying degrees of frankness, and we were able to answer questions and concerns."
Defense Department officials joined representatives from the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, and the AFRICOM transition team in their visits to Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, the African Union, Ghana and Senegal.
The Defense Department chose to have these consultation meetings before the command is established because AFRICOM will be like no other combatant command. It will be composed of members from several government agencies, and its primary function will be to support African nations and their indigenous leadership efforts, Henry said. The department plans several more trips like this to meet with other African nations and foster a continuing dialogue, he said.
"I think we have an understanding," Henry said of the results of the meetings. "We were not aware of any specific resistance to the idea. We do have a sensitivity, though, that AFRICOM will be better by conducting consultations such as this, getting the Africans' opinions, and (will) obviously be much more acceptable to the Africans."
AFRICOM, which President Bush announced Feb. 6, will stand up as a sub-unified command this fall and will reach full operational capacity by about September 2008, Henry said. The ultimate goal is to base AFRICOM headquarters somewhere in Africa, but no decisions have been made about its location yet, he said. However, he said, the commander of AFRICOM, who has yet to be named, will be based in Africa, probably even before the command becomes fully operational.
This trip gave the U.S. representatives a chance to clear up a few misconceptions about AFRICOM, Henry said. One, the creation of this command will not mean additional U.S. forces on the African continent or an increase in resources from the U.S. government. Henry noted that the U.S. already invests significantly in Africa, and AFRICOM's role will be to coordinate the Defense Department's efforts with the rest of the U.S. government.
The U.S. officials also assured the African leaders that the decisions about AFRICOM have not been finalized, and they are seeking input from African nations about how to proceed, Henry said. He also stressed that AFRICOM is not being stood up in response to Chinese presence on the continent or to secure natural resources, but solely to enhance counterterrorism efforts. "While some of these may be part of the formula, the reason AFRICOM is being stood up is (that) Africa is emerging on the world scene as a strategic player, and we need to deal with it as a continent," he said.
AFRICOM will have a different mission set than other combatant commands, focusing heavily on security cooperation and building partner capacity of African nations, Henry said. Military exercises will be conducted on the continent, but the command's role in kinetic operations has not been determined, he said.
"There is a mission for the military there," he said. "Sometimes, not very often, it is in the lead; normally, it will be supporting other elements of the U.S. government."
The exact make-up of AFRICOM headquarters has not been determined, Henry said, but more than half of the personnel will probably be from the Defense Department. He noted that creating a true interagency command will be a challenge for everyone; while other commands usually just have liaison officers from other governmental agencies, AFRICOM will have action officers from those agencies directly involved in running the command.
"This is not something we're used to doing," he said. "We are not used to putting our civilian forces forward as part of a unified command, so it will be a lot of learning on all parts of the U.S. government, and hopefully we'll be able to support each other."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – Defense Department officials recently met with leaders in six African countries and had "fruitful" discussions about U.S. Africa Command, the new unified combatant command the department is establishing, a senior department official told reporters at the Pentagon yesterday. U.S. officials from several government agencies met with African leaders in various nations and discussed U.S. reasons for setting up a command with responsibility for Africa, the organization of the command, possible mission areas, and the future location of the AFRICOM headquarters, said Ryan Henry, principal undersecretary of defense for policy.
"The message that we took to those who we consulted with was that we were entering into a dialogue," Henry said. "We found that that dialogue was generally positive, very cordial, with varying degrees of frankness, and we were able to answer questions and concerns."
Defense Department officials joined representatives from the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, and the AFRICOM transition team in their visits to Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, the African Union, Ghana and Senegal.
The Defense Department chose to have these consultation meetings before the command is established because AFRICOM will be like no other combatant command. It will be composed of members from several government agencies, and its primary function will be to support African nations and their indigenous leadership efforts, Henry said. The department plans several more trips like this to meet with other African nations and foster a continuing dialogue, he said.
"I think we have an understanding," Henry said of the results of the meetings. "We were not aware of any specific resistance to the idea. We do have a sensitivity, though, that AFRICOM will be better by conducting consultations such as this, getting the Africans' opinions, and (will) obviously be much more acceptable to the Africans."
AFRICOM, which President Bush announced Feb. 6, will stand up as a sub-unified command this fall and will reach full operational capacity by about September 2008, Henry said. The ultimate goal is to base AFRICOM headquarters somewhere in Africa, but no decisions have been made about its location yet, he said. However, he said, the commander of AFRICOM, who has yet to be named, will be based in Africa, probably even before the command becomes fully operational.
This trip gave the U.S. representatives a chance to clear up a few misconceptions about AFRICOM, Henry said. One, the creation of this command will not mean additional U.S. forces on the African continent or an increase in resources from the U.S. government. Henry noted that the U.S. already invests significantly in Africa, and AFRICOM's role will be to coordinate the Defense Department's efforts with the rest of the U.S. government.
The U.S. officials also assured the African leaders that the decisions about AFRICOM have not been finalized, and they are seeking input from African nations about how to proceed, Henry said. He also stressed that AFRICOM is not being stood up in response to Chinese presence on the continent or to secure natural resources, but solely to enhance counterterrorism efforts. "While some of these may be part of the formula, the reason AFRICOM is being stood up is (that) Africa is emerging on the world scene as a strategic player, and we need to deal with it as a continent," he said.
AFRICOM will have a different mission set than other combatant commands, focusing heavily on security cooperation and building partner capacity of African nations, Henry said. Military exercises will be conducted on the continent, but the command's role in kinetic operations has not been determined, he said.
"There is a mission for the military there," he said. "Sometimes, not very often, it is in the lead; normally, it will be supporting other elements of the U.S. government."
The exact make-up of AFRICOM headquarters has not been determined, Henry said, but more than half of the personnel will probably be from the Defense Department. He noted that creating a true interagency command will be a challenge for everyone; while other commands usually just have liaison officers from other governmental agencies, AFRICOM will have action officers from those agencies directly involved in running the command.
"This is not something we're used to doing," he said. "We are not used to putting our civilian forces forward as part of a unified command, so it will be a lot of learning on all parts of the U.S. government, and hopefully we'll be able to support each other."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Musician Champions Recognition of Soldiers' Sacrifice
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – A Cleveland-based musician and songwriter is hoping one of his newest works will raise the country's collective awareness of the sacrifices its servicemembers are making every day. "Our Sacrifice" offers musical support to servicemembers and their families, Mark Reis said. "After I wrote the song, I started looking at the lyrics and the meaning behind it. I knew that it was intended to support (servicemembers) and their families and what they're going through."
"Our Sacrifice" was recorded in Nashville with Frank Camp and Nicole Cuglewski singing vocals. For a year, Reis said, he didn't really do anything with the song. And though the song's intent was clear, its true purpose came to light only recently.
Working in the entertainment business has Reis in and out of airports frequently. During a two-hour layover in Dallas, he took advantage of the beautiful weather and wandered outside.
"There was this woman and she was standing there and she was thanking this young soldier who was on his way to Iraq," he said.
But that woman's actions were the exception to the norm, he said he discovered during his two hours in Dallas.
"I watched soldiers coming by, and they were just being passed by by businessmen and women ... and nobody's actually thanking them," Reis said. "That kind of struck me as odd."
Reis said he's trying, through "Our Sacrifice" and its accompanying video, to raise the country's awareness of how important it is for Americans to support their servicemembers regardless of their views on the war.
"That's pretty much what the real goal is, to remind people that we have a patriotic duty to support and honor our brave servicemen and women and their families," Reis said. "They're making sacrifices -- some of them are making the ultimate sacrifices -- to defend us (and) protect our freedom."
He said he hopes that eventually "Our Sacrifice" will be "embraced as the national theme for all Americans to show their support for troops and their families."
To help make that happen, he has turned to major corporations in hopes of getting one to come on board and use the song and video in its advertisement campaign. This, he said, will raise awareness to the next level.
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to 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 24, 2007 – A Cleveland-based musician and songwriter is hoping one of his newest works will raise the country's collective awareness of the sacrifices its servicemembers are making every day. "Our Sacrifice" offers musical support to servicemembers and their families, Mark Reis said. "After I wrote the song, I started looking at the lyrics and the meaning behind it. I knew that it was intended to support (servicemembers) and their families and what they're going through."
"Our Sacrifice" was recorded in Nashville with Frank Camp and Nicole Cuglewski singing vocals. For a year, Reis said, he didn't really do anything with the song. And though the song's intent was clear, its true purpose came to light only recently.
Working in the entertainment business has Reis in and out of airports frequently. During a two-hour layover in Dallas, he took advantage of the beautiful weather and wandered outside.
"There was this woman and she was standing there and she was thanking this young soldier who was on his way to Iraq," he said.
But that woman's actions were the exception to the norm, he said he discovered during his two hours in Dallas.
"I watched soldiers coming by, and they were just being passed by by businessmen and women ... and nobody's actually thanking them," Reis said. "That kind of struck me as odd."
Reis said he's trying, through "Our Sacrifice" and its accompanying video, to raise the country's awareness of how important it is for Americans to support their servicemembers regardless of their views on the war.
"That's pretty much what the real goal is, to remind people that we have a patriotic duty to support and honor our brave servicemen and women and their families," Reis said. "They're making sacrifices -- some of them are making the ultimate sacrifices -- to defend us (and) protect our freedom."
He said he hopes that eventually "Our Sacrifice" will be "embraced as the national theme for all Americans to show their support for troops and their families."
To help make that happen, he has turned to major corporations in hopes of getting one to come on board and use the song and video in its advertisement campaign. This, he said, will raise awareness to the next level.
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to 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.
Louisville Troop Support Shines Bright
By Petty Officer 1st Class Lucinda Thierry, USN
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – A senior Navy leader lauded Louisville for its "America Supports You" spirit as hundreds of sailors participated in Louisville Navy Week, April 16-21. America Supports You is a Defense Department program that spotlights and facilitates support for the nation's servicemembers by the American public and the corporate sector. "The Navy and Louisville enjoyed a busy six days, culminating in Thunder Over Louisville," a six-hour air show capped by the largest annual fireworks show in America, said Navy Rear Adm. Michael C. Vitale, who commands Strike Group Two aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
"Louisville can be very proud of its military as a whole, realizing these servicemembers are serving around the world with pride and honor," the University of Louisville graduate added.
Navy Week events included tours, speaking engagements and media appearances, along with visits to local Navy commands. Vitale and Petty Officer 1st Class Virginia D. Mayo, a hospital corpsman who recently returned from Iraq duty with the U.S. Marines, threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Louisville Bats vs. Norfolk Tides triple-A International League baseball game.
"The goal is to lift up troops serving in harm's way around the globe, about 12,000 of (whom) are sailors in ground jobs serving alongside Army and Marine troops in Iraq and Afghanistan," Vitale said. The stadium also held a moment of silence for the Virginia Tech tragedy, with sailors in dress whites lining the baselines.
The USS Louisville crew came in from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to add to community awareness and recruiting efforts by visiting local schools, meeting corporate leaders, attending receptions and viewing local attractions.
"We'll definitely come back again," said Cmdr. John A. Sager, Louisville commanding officer. The sub crew had not made a visit to its namesake city in nearly three years.
The Navy Band Midsouth's "Freedom" band performed all week at high schools and at downtown's "Fourth Street Live!"
"We pan the audience to determine how to connect with our music," said Chief Petty Officer Christopher Griffin. "We played rock and roll, from old school funk to U2," he said. Judging from the dancing in the street and at all the schools, the band hit the mark.
The Navy Parachute Team's Leap Frogs also jumped, landing inside school stadiums, Louisville Slugger Field and the Great Lawn along the Ohio River banks to bring in the flag and open Thunder Over Louisville.
With perfect weather and roaring audiences, the Navy Seals master jumpers wowed crowds all week at area schools. The team includes Chief Warrant Officer Larry Summerfield II, who was wounded three years ago on an Afghanistan mission and received the Purple Heart. His shipmate, Petty Officer 1st Class Dave Fisher, had a proud moment when he brought in the "America Supports You" banner to start Thunder Over Louisville in front of a record crowd of about 800,000.
"Louisville has been one of our best weeks ever," said Fisher. "The patriotism of this town is in our face. Everywhere we go, people call out to us, 'Thank you for serving."
(Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Lucinda Thierry is assigned to the Navy Office of Community Outreach.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – A senior Navy leader lauded Louisville for its "America Supports You" spirit as hundreds of sailors participated in Louisville Navy Week, April 16-21. America Supports You is a Defense Department program that spotlights and facilitates support for the nation's servicemembers by the American public and the corporate sector. "The Navy and Louisville enjoyed a busy six days, culminating in Thunder Over Louisville," a six-hour air show capped by the largest annual fireworks show in America, said Navy Rear Adm. Michael C. Vitale, who commands Strike Group Two aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
"Louisville can be very proud of its military as a whole, realizing these servicemembers are serving around the world with pride and honor," the University of Louisville graduate added.
Navy Week events included tours, speaking engagements and media appearances, along with visits to local Navy commands. Vitale and Petty Officer 1st Class Virginia D. Mayo, a hospital corpsman who recently returned from Iraq duty with the U.S. Marines, threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Louisville Bats vs. Norfolk Tides triple-A International League baseball game.
"The goal is to lift up troops serving in harm's way around the globe, about 12,000 of (whom) are sailors in ground jobs serving alongside Army and Marine troops in Iraq and Afghanistan," Vitale said. The stadium also held a moment of silence for the Virginia Tech tragedy, with sailors in dress whites lining the baselines.
The USS Louisville crew came in from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to add to community awareness and recruiting efforts by visiting local schools, meeting corporate leaders, attending receptions and viewing local attractions.
"We'll definitely come back again," said Cmdr. John A. Sager, Louisville commanding officer. The sub crew had not made a visit to its namesake city in nearly three years.
The Navy Band Midsouth's "Freedom" band performed all week at high schools and at downtown's "Fourth Street Live!"
"We pan the audience to determine how to connect with our music," said Chief Petty Officer Christopher Griffin. "We played rock and roll, from old school funk to U2," he said. Judging from the dancing in the street and at all the schools, the band hit the mark.
The Navy Parachute Team's Leap Frogs also jumped, landing inside school stadiums, Louisville Slugger Field and the Great Lawn along the Ohio River banks to bring in the flag and open Thunder Over Louisville.
With perfect weather and roaring audiences, the Navy Seals master jumpers wowed crowds all week at area schools. The team includes Chief Warrant Officer Larry Summerfield II, who was wounded three years ago on an Afghanistan mission and received the Purple Heart. His shipmate, Petty Officer 1st Class Dave Fisher, had a proud moment when he brought in the "America Supports You" banner to start Thunder Over Louisville in front of a record crowd of about 800,000.
"Louisville has been one of our best weeks ever," said Fisher. "The patriotism of this town is in our face. Everywhere we go, people call out to us, 'Thank you for serving."
(Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Lucinda Thierry is assigned to the Navy Office of Community Outreach.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Extended Deployments Should Lessen Army Stress, Commander Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – Extended overseas deployments affecting soldiers serving in Afghanistan and other locales overseen by U.S. Central Command should help to alleviate the stress on the Army, a senior U.S. officer in Afghanistan told Pentagon reporters today. "I'm absolutely confident that that's going to work and that'll manage the pressure and the stress on the force," Army Col. Martin Schweitzer, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, said during a satellite-carried news conference.
All active U.S. Army units already operating within U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, including Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa, or en route there "will deploy for not more than 15 months and return home for not less than 12 months," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced April 11 at a Pentagon news conference.
The change automatically increased the length of soldiers' overseas tours in those areas from 12 to 15 months.
A 22-year Army veteran, Schweitzer is on his second tour in Afghanistan, having previously served there in 2002. The colonel began his current tour of duty in Afghanistan in January.
The 4th Brigade Combat Team operates in Paktika, Paktia, Lowgar, Ghazni and Khost provinces in the southeastern part of Afghanistan, Schweitzer said, noting this is the brigade's first overseas deployment.
The 15-month deployments are needed to ensure that the Army retains the capacity to sustain the deployed force, Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, said April 13 from Baghdad during a teleconference with Pentagon reporters.
The tour extensions will provide more predictability and stability for soldiers and their families, Odierno said, noting the policy "will ensure 12 months at home station between rotations."
Schweitzer acknowledged difficulty in measuring how the extended deployment affects individual soldiers under his command. However, he expressed strong support for the personnel decisions made by senior defense department and Army leaders.
The Pentagon's civilian and military leaders "put a lot of rigor and analytical analysis into this (tour extension) to determine what is best for the service and what is sustainable," Schweitzer said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – Extended overseas deployments affecting soldiers serving in Afghanistan and other locales overseen by U.S. Central Command should help to alleviate the stress on the Army, a senior U.S. officer in Afghanistan told Pentagon reporters today. "I'm absolutely confident that that's going to work and that'll manage the pressure and the stress on the force," Army Col. Martin Schweitzer, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, said during a satellite-carried news conference.
All active U.S. Army units already operating within U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, including Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa, or en route there "will deploy for not more than 15 months and return home for not less than 12 months," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced April 11 at a Pentagon news conference.
The change automatically increased the length of soldiers' overseas tours in those areas from 12 to 15 months.
A 22-year Army veteran, Schweitzer is on his second tour in Afghanistan, having previously served there in 2002. The colonel began his current tour of duty in Afghanistan in January.
The 4th Brigade Combat Team operates in Paktika, Paktia, Lowgar, Ghazni and Khost provinces in the southeastern part of Afghanistan, Schweitzer said, noting this is the brigade's first overseas deployment.
The 15-month deployments are needed to ensure that the Army retains the capacity to sustain the deployed force, Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, said April 13 from Baghdad during a teleconference with Pentagon reporters.
The tour extensions will provide more predictability and stability for soldiers and their families, Odierno said, noting the policy "will ensure 12 months at home station between rotations."
Schweitzer acknowledged difficulty in measuring how the extended deployment affects individual soldiers under his command. However, he expressed strong support for the personnel decisions made by senior defense department and Army leaders.
The Pentagon's civilian and military leaders "put a lot of rigor and analytical analysis into this (tour extension) to determine what is best for the service and what is sustainable," Schweitzer said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Airmen Missing In Action From Vietnam War Are Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors. They are Col. Norman D. Eaton, of Weatherford, Okla., and Lt. Col. Paul E. Getchell, of Portland, Maine, both U.S. Air Force. Eaton will be buried April 25 at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., and Getchell will be buried later this spring at Arlington.
On Jan. 13, 1969, Eaton and Getchell crewed a B-57B Canberra bomber participating in a nighttime attack on targets in Salavan Province, Laos. The target area was illuminated by flares from a C-130 aircraft; however, the flares dimmed as the B-57 began its third bombing run on the target. The crew was low on fuel, but decided to continue the attack run without illumination. The C-130 crew received a radio transmission indicating that the B-57 was off target and seconds later, the plane crashed. Eaton and Getchell could not be recovered at the time of the incident.
In 1995, a joint U.S.-Lao People's Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident and interviewed a Laotian citizen who recalled the crash. Another joint U.S.-L.P.D.R. team surveyed the site and found wreckage and crew-related materials consistent with the citizen's report.
In 2003, a joint U.S.-L.P.D.R. team excavated the crash site and recovered Eaton's identification tag. The team was unable to complete the recovery and subsequent teams re-visited the site five more times between 2004 and 2005 before the recovery was complete. As a result, the teams found Getchell's identification tag, human remains and additional crew-related items.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from 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 leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
On Jan. 13, 1969, Eaton and Getchell crewed a B-57B Canberra bomber participating in a nighttime attack on targets in Salavan Province, Laos. The target area was illuminated by flares from a C-130 aircraft; however, the flares dimmed as the B-57 began its third bombing run on the target. The crew was low on fuel, but decided to continue the attack run without illumination. The C-130 crew received a radio transmission indicating that the B-57 was off target and seconds later, the plane crashed. Eaton and Getchell could not be recovered at the time of the incident.
In 1995, a joint U.S.-Lao People's Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident and interviewed a Laotian citizen who recalled the crash. Another joint U.S.-L.P.D.R. team surveyed the site and found wreckage and crew-related materials consistent with the citizen's report.
In 2003, a joint U.S.-L.P.D.R. team excavated the crash site and recovered Eaton's identification tag. The team was unable to complete the recovery and subsequent teams re-visited the site five more times between 2004 and 2005 before the recovery was complete. As a result, the teams found Getchell's identification tag, human remains and additional crew-related items.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from 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 leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Civic, Business Leaders Learn About Africa Operations
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – Eroding extremism, securing borders and coastlines, and helping African nations prevent a terrorist resurgence is the goal of troops stationed in Djibouti, the commander of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa told a group of visiting business and civic leaders today. "We're not about dropping bombs here, we're about preventing conflict," Navy Rear Adm. James Hart told participants in the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference. "We're here with our coalition partners to keep from having to come here and fight some day."
Hart's command in Africa is one he said is under the "tyranny of distance." The 100-acre camp hosts 2,000 joint U.S. forces, but has a geographical challenge of covering nearly 12 million square miles over 53 countries.
Tensions based on religion, tribes or colonial borders affect nearly every country on the continent, Hart said. But by working with their coalition partners, the joint task force works daily to prevent conflict, promote regional stability, protect coalition interests, and prevail against extremist groups.
"The work we do is about eroding extremism and changing regional perspectives," Hart said. "The people we are most trying to affect are the school-age children. We want to teach young Africans how to take care of African problems."
Hart said empowering Africans to solve their own problems will set the stage for long-term success in the area.
"We want to continue our effort to sustain military training, civil affairs and humanitarian efforts because this is all about Africans helping Africa," Hart said.
Hart's senior enlisted advisor, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. John Harris, said that by taking one hour out of the day to develop friendships with Africans, U.S. servicemembers can make great headway in their efforts.
"This is really a hearts and minds tour," Harris said. "This is very rewarding for our troops. By helping drill wells, start schools and build relationships with local children they are getting instant gratification for their efforts."
From U.S. Army soldiers working to drill wells in Kenya to U.S. Navy Seabees helping build schools in neighboring countries, task force troops are operating in every African country except for Eritrea and Somalia to work with other U.S. agencies to provide humanitarian relief, offer civil affairs assistance and provide military-to-military training.
The visitors to the camp had the opportunity to step off the installation to see some military training first hand. U.S. Army soldiers were working to train Djiboutian soldiers on how to conduct traffic control points to check personnel and vehicles for car bombs and weapons.
"With practice comes perfection," said Army Staff Sgt. Joseph Fausto, as he explained the procedures Djiboutian soldiers were demonstrating for the spectators. He said the soldiers were seasoned veterans who picked up on American techniques very quickly.
Fausto and his team have been training the soldiers primarily how to conduct defensive measures, such as personal security details and responding to enemy contact, but they were also showing the Djiboutians how to perform hand-to-hand combat.
This is very significant training, said Joint Civilian Orientation Conference co-host Army Brig. Gen. Susan Lawrence, director of communications for U.S. Central Command, explaining to the group that soldiers are at their most vulnerable while they are manning vehicle checkpoints. Insurgents can easily detonate bombs, injuring or killing soldiers conducting sweeps. That makes it even more important for the correct implementation of anti-terrorism measures.
Troops from Special Operations Command Central and Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command also are taking a large part in the planning and implementation of efforts in the region.
"This war isn't defined by geographic boundaries, but by ideologies," said Army Lt. Col. Louis Leto. He said that special operations soldiers have to take a different approach in dealing with it.
While maintaining current operations, he said special operators are hoping to help build lasting peace on the continent.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 24, 2007 – Eroding extremism, securing borders and coastlines, and helping African nations prevent a terrorist resurgence is the goal of troops stationed in Djibouti, the commander of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa told a group of visiting business and civic leaders today. "We're not about dropping bombs here, we're about preventing conflict," Navy Rear Adm. James Hart told participants in the Defense Department's Joint Civilian Orientation Conference. "We're here with our coalition partners to keep from having to come here and fight some day."
Hart's command in Africa is one he said is under the "tyranny of distance." The 100-acre camp hosts 2,000 joint U.S. forces, but has a geographical challenge of covering nearly 12 million square miles over 53 countries.
Tensions based on religion, tribes or colonial borders affect nearly every country on the continent, Hart said. But by working with their coalition partners, the joint task force works daily to prevent conflict, promote regional stability, protect coalition interests, and prevail against extremist groups.
"The work we do is about eroding extremism and changing regional perspectives," Hart said. "The people we are most trying to affect are the school-age children. We want to teach young Africans how to take care of African problems."
Hart said empowering Africans to solve their own problems will set the stage for long-term success in the area.
"We want to continue our effort to sustain military training, civil affairs and humanitarian efforts because this is all about Africans helping Africa," Hart said.
Hart's senior enlisted advisor, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. John Harris, said that by taking one hour out of the day to develop friendships with Africans, U.S. servicemembers can make great headway in their efforts.
"This is really a hearts and minds tour," Harris said. "This is very rewarding for our troops. By helping drill wells, start schools and build relationships with local children they are getting instant gratification for their efforts."
From U.S. Army soldiers working to drill wells in Kenya to U.S. Navy Seabees helping build schools in neighboring countries, task force troops are operating in every African country except for Eritrea and Somalia to work with other U.S. agencies to provide humanitarian relief, offer civil affairs assistance and provide military-to-military training.
The visitors to the camp had the opportunity to step off the installation to see some military training first hand. U.S. Army soldiers were working to train Djiboutian soldiers on how to conduct traffic control points to check personnel and vehicles for car bombs and weapons.
"With practice comes perfection," said Army Staff Sgt. Joseph Fausto, as he explained the procedures Djiboutian soldiers were demonstrating for the spectators. He said the soldiers were seasoned veterans who picked up on American techniques very quickly.
Fausto and his team have been training the soldiers primarily how to conduct defensive measures, such as personal security details and responding to enemy contact, but they were also showing the Djiboutians how to perform hand-to-hand combat.
This is very significant training, said Joint Civilian Orientation Conference co-host Army Brig. Gen. Susan Lawrence, director of communications for U.S. Central Command, explaining to the group that soldiers are at their most vulnerable while they are manning vehicle checkpoints. Insurgents can easily detonate bombs, injuring or killing soldiers conducting sweeps. That makes it even more important for the correct implementation of anti-terrorism measures.
Troops from Special Operations Command Central and Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command also are taking a large part in the planning and implementation of efforts in the region.
"This war isn't defined by geographic boundaries, but by ideologies," said Army Lt. Col. Louis Leto. He said that special operations soldiers have to take a different approach in dealing with it.
While maintaining current operations, he said special operators are hoping to help build lasting peace on the continent.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Methamphetamine Driven Combat Operations
Based on combat observations and medical studies by the US and British military it is becoming apparent that methamphetamine use among the terrorist population is on a dramatic increase. Used as a strategic tool methamphetamine offers those in the Iraqi Area of Operations a whole new trend of issues that compromise the safety of those combating terrorism. Whether operating as a contractor or a soldier the dangers associated with methamphetamine use among those you are fighting need to be addressed.
First reports of the drug appear to have come out of the Basra area. Known as “pinkies” the stimulant was in the form of a tablet.
Stimulants in the combat zone are nothing new. The fact that we are encountering them in the “War on Terror” should not surprise us in the least. The Germans used methamphetamine during World War II. We all heard of the blitzkrieg conducted by German forces during the early days of the war. German soldiers would march for days taking up large pieces of land and conquering everything in their wake. Everyone thought that the German soldier was some sort of “super” soldier that could not be stopped. They marched, fought and destroyed with little food or rest.
READ ON
First reports of the drug appear to have come out of the Basra area. Known as “pinkies” the stimulant was in the form of a tablet.
Stimulants in the combat zone are nothing new. The fact that we are encountering them in the “War on Terror” should not surprise us in the least. The Germans used methamphetamine during World War II. We all heard of the blitzkrieg conducted by German forces during the early days of the war. German soldiers would march for days taking up large pieces of land and conquering everything in their wake. Everyone thought that the German soldier was some sort of “super” soldier that could not be stopped. They marched, fought and destroyed with little food or rest.
READ ON
Gates Expresses Condolences on Death of Yeltsin
By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service
April 23, 2007 – U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, here for meetings with Russian leaders, expressed his sympathies on today's death of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin. "He was an important man in Russian history," Gates told U.S. and Russian reporters here.
Gates is in Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian leaders to discuss U.S. plans to deploy missile defense assets in Eastern Europe. From here, the secretary is slated to travel to Poland and Germany to meet with senior leaders on the topic.
Yeltsin was the first president of the Russian Federation. He served from July 1991 until December 1999.
"No Americans at least will forget seeing him standing on the tank outside the (Russian) White House resisting the coup attempt," Gates said, referring to the former president's public defiance of a communist coup just a month after he took office.
Gates noted that Yeltsin received him in the Kremlin during a 1992 visit.
"I think he was an important figure in Russia's evolution toward democracy," the secretary said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 23, 2007 – U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, here for meetings with Russian leaders, expressed his sympathies on today's death of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin. "He was an important man in Russian history," Gates told U.S. and Russian reporters here.
Gates is in Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian leaders to discuss U.S. plans to deploy missile defense assets in Eastern Europe. From here, the secretary is slated to travel to Poland and Germany to meet with senior leaders on the topic.
Yeltsin was the first president of the Russian Federation. He served from July 1991 until December 1999.
"No Americans at least will forget seeing him standing on the tank outside the (Russian) White House resisting the coup attempt," Gates said, referring to the former president's public defiance of a communist coup just a month after he took office.
Gates noted that Yeltsin received him in the Kremlin during a 1992 visit.
"I think he was an important figure in Russia's evolution toward democracy," the secretary said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
VoTech Grads to Pour Into Iraqi Labor Pool
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 23, 2007 – Graduates from Iraq's vocational and technical centers are creating a "pool of skilled laborers" that officials hope will reduce the country's staggering unemployment rates. The Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division and the U.S. Agency for International Development have teamed with Iraq's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to revitalize the VoTech centers, where students learn trades like electrical installation, computer operation, auto mechanics, welding and other construction trades.
"They take people that are unemployed currently, train them in a skill, and then provide them a job after they complete their training so they can continue to work and improve the economy," Navy Cmdr. Stuart Satterwhite, an operations officer in the Gulf Region Division, told reporters during an April 21 roundtable discussion in Iraq.
A vocational program was in place before Operation Iraq Freedom, and U.S. efforts to re-implement the system "have not done as well as we hoped," Satterwhite said. According to USAID, 20 percent of Iraqis are totally unemployed and 30 percent are "underemployed," working 15 or fewer hours per week.
But the Corps of Engineers and Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs are working to "bring the (VoTech) program back on line" to combat Iraq's "acute shortage of skilled labor," he said. "USAID currently runs three sites, and they've made great progress there already.
"There's a great opportunity for the construction trades to develop here in Iraq as rebuilding (occurs) throughout the country," Satterwhite added.
Upon graduating, students are piped into labor and service markets, bringing their technical expertise to construction sites, or receive micro-loans that help Iraqi entrepreneurs finance new businesses. Satterwhite gave a hypothetical example of an Iraqi student who studies sewing at the VoTech, then receives a micro-loan to set up her own seamstress shop after graduating.
To date, about 8,000 Iraqis have matriculated at the country's 23 VoTech centers, 11 of which are located in Baghdad. "If we were to take each of the vocational training centers right now and run one shift of classes per day, ... we could run 25,000 students through in a year," Satterwhite said.
"(We are) trying to maximize the capacity to develop a national vocational training program that's open to all Iraqis, so that everyone has that benefit to learn a skill so they can go out and be able to work in the economy and be able to provide for their families," he said.
Navy Cmdr. George Milla, deputy director with the 358th Civil Affairs Brigade, said efforts to modernize VoTech sites are occurring in southern Iraq.
"Our approach is to work with the minister of labor and social affairs at the national level and work with school directors at each site," Milla said. "(Directors) identify what their equipment requirements are, what their shortfalls or needs are, both in equipment they need to conduct the classes, and ... equipment or building rehabilitations they need to do in order to improve the site."
Site rehabilitation and other modernization projects will be bid to local Iraqi contractors, Milla said, stimulating economic competition among laborers within each district.
"We want the contractors from those districts to make the improvements to these sites," he said. "It helps the economy locally in that facet, along with assisting in the marketability of the Iraqi people who are going to those schools."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 23, 2007 – Graduates from Iraq's vocational and technical centers are creating a "pool of skilled laborers" that officials hope will reduce the country's staggering unemployment rates. The Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division and the U.S. Agency for International Development have teamed with Iraq's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to revitalize the VoTech centers, where students learn trades like electrical installation, computer operation, auto mechanics, welding and other construction trades.
"They take people that are unemployed currently, train them in a skill, and then provide them a job after they complete their training so they can continue to work and improve the economy," Navy Cmdr. Stuart Satterwhite, an operations officer in the Gulf Region Division, told reporters during an April 21 roundtable discussion in Iraq.
A vocational program was in place before Operation Iraq Freedom, and U.S. efforts to re-implement the system "have not done as well as we hoped," Satterwhite said. According to USAID, 20 percent of Iraqis are totally unemployed and 30 percent are "underemployed," working 15 or fewer hours per week.
But the Corps of Engineers and Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs are working to "bring the (VoTech) program back on line" to combat Iraq's "acute shortage of skilled labor," he said. "USAID currently runs three sites, and they've made great progress there already.
"There's a great opportunity for the construction trades to develop here in Iraq as rebuilding (occurs) throughout the country," Satterwhite added.
Upon graduating, students are piped into labor and service markets, bringing their technical expertise to construction sites, or receive micro-loans that help Iraqi entrepreneurs finance new businesses. Satterwhite gave a hypothetical example of an Iraqi student who studies sewing at the VoTech, then receives a micro-loan to set up her own seamstress shop after graduating.
To date, about 8,000 Iraqis have matriculated at the country's 23 VoTech centers, 11 of which are located in Baghdad. "If we were to take each of the vocational training centers right now and run one shift of classes per day, ... we could run 25,000 students through in a year," Satterwhite said.
"(We are) trying to maximize the capacity to develop a national vocational training program that's open to all Iraqis, so that everyone has that benefit to learn a skill so they can go out and be able to work in the economy and be able to provide for their families," he said.
Navy Cmdr. George Milla, deputy director with the 358th Civil Affairs Brigade, said efforts to modernize VoTech sites are occurring in southern Iraq.
"Our approach is to work with the minister of labor and social affairs at the national level and work with school directors at each site," Milla said. "(Directors) identify what their equipment requirements are, what their shortfalls or needs are, both in equipment they need to conduct the classes, and ... equipment or building rehabilitations they need to do in order to improve the site."
Site rehabilitation and other modernization projects will be bid to local Iraqi contractors, Milla said, stimulating economic competition among laborers within each district.
"We want the contractors from those districts to make the improvements to these sites," he said. "It helps the economy locally in that facet, along with assisting in the marketability of the Iraqi people who are going to those schools."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Gates Asks Russia to Partner on Missile Defense Development
By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service
April 23, 2007 – The United States intends to be prepared for future threats and is inviting Russia to become a partner in a defensive endeavor, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. "We now face new threats that require new strategy for both deterrence and defense," Gates told U.S. and Russian reporters. "Moreover, the ever-increasing pace of technological innovation, combined with the proliferation of mass destruction and delivery systems, means the threats we face now may be much more ominous in 10 to 20 years.
"Indeed, who can say in 2007, what states or groups may have such capabilities in 2017?" he asked.
Gates came to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior defense leaders to discuss U.S. plans to deploy missile defense assets in Eastern Europe. He said the main focus of his trip was to continue developing responses to the challenges posed by weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile proliferation.
Following his first meeting with Defense Minister Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov at the Russian Ministry of Defense, Gates said he would reiterate in all his meetings that the United States is willing to "explore cooperation with Russia across a full spectrum of missile defense activities."
"We could potentially work together," he said, "to experiment with new concepts and technology, conduct research and development on missile defense systems and components, to share early warning data, to promote stability and to improve the capabilities of our forces to conduct successful, cooperative missile defense operations during peacekeeping or other joint military operation."
Gates reassured the Russian defense minister that the U.S. plan for missile defense is not aimed at Russia or any particular country.
"They are oriented against potential aggressors in the Middle East and Southwest Asia whose leaders could someday use a handful of ballistic missiles in an attempt to blackmail Europe and America and sow chaos and sap our collective will," he said.
President Bush believes "the deployment of missile defense is an essential element of our broader efforts to transform our defense and deterrence policies and capabilities to meet the new threats we face," Gates said. "To that end, the United States is responding with a comprehensive political, diplomatic and military strategy that includes working with our allies and partners in other countries.
"We invite Russia to join our defensive endeavor as a partner," he said. "We've agreed an expert group will continue our discussions on ballistic missile defense and other subjects of mutual interest and concern."
Gates thanked the Russian defense minister for hosting their first meeting. The secretary said he found it "to be quite valuable as we engaged in honest and frank discussion of current challenges and opportunities in the world and the ways in which we can jointly address them."
"The days of the Cold War are over," he said, "and no one can seek to return to them. In today's post-Cold War yet still challenging world, no longer is it presumed that one side must win and one side must lose when addressing specific issues. When both the United States and Russia work together, both countries and others win. The inverse is just as true: When we fail to work together, both countries may lose."
Serdyukov said he hopes the negotiations with Gates would make a significant contribution to the further improvement of regional and global security.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 23, 2007 – The United States intends to be prepared for future threats and is inviting Russia to become a partner in a defensive endeavor, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. "We now face new threats that require new strategy for both deterrence and defense," Gates told U.S. and Russian reporters. "Moreover, the ever-increasing pace of technological innovation, combined with the proliferation of mass destruction and delivery systems, means the threats we face now may be much more ominous in 10 to 20 years.
"Indeed, who can say in 2007, what states or groups may have such capabilities in 2017?" he asked.
Gates came to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior defense leaders to discuss U.S. plans to deploy missile defense assets in Eastern Europe. He said the main focus of his trip was to continue developing responses to the challenges posed by weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile proliferation.
Following his first meeting with Defense Minister Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov at the Russian Ministry of Defense, Gates said he would reiterate in all his meetings that the United States is willing to "explore cooperation with Russia across a full spectrum of missile defense activities."
"We could potentially work together," he said, "to experiment with new concepts and technology, conduct research and development on missile defense systems and components, to share early warning data, to promote stability and to improve the capabilities of our forces to conduct successful, cooperative missile defense operations during peacekeeping or other joint military operation."
Gates reassured the Russian defense minister that the U.S. plan for missile defense is not aimed at Russia or any particular country.
"They are oriented against potential aggressors in the Middle East and Southwest Asia whose leaders could someday use a handful of ballistic missiles in an attempt to blackmail Europe and America and sow chaos and sap our collective will," he said.
President Bush believes "the deployment of missile defense is an essential element of our broader efforts to transform our defense and deterrence policies and capabilities to meet the new threats we face," Gates said. "To that end, the United States is responding with a comprehensive political, diplomatic and military strategy that includes working with our allies and partners in other countries.
"We invite Russia to join our defensive endeavor as a partner," he said. "We've agreed an expert group will continue our discussions on ballistic missile defense and other subjects of mutual interest and concern."
Gates thanked the Russian defense minister for hosting their first meeting. The secretary said he found it "to be quite valuable as we engaged in honest and frank discussion of current challenges and opportunities in the world and the ways in which we can jointly address them."
"The days of the Cold War are over," he said, "and no one can seek to return to them. In today's post-Cold War yet still challenging world, no longer is it presumed that one side must win and one side must lose when addressing specific issues. When both the United States and Russia work together, both countries and others win. The inverse is just as true: When we fail to work together, both countries may lose."
Serdyukov said he hopes the negotiations with Gates would make a significant contribution to the further improvement of regional and global security.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Medical Transcription Ideal Career for Military Spouses, Navy Vet Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
April 22, 2007 – When Leslie Slusarski got out of the Navy in 1979, her fast-paced military lifestyle didn't change. Her husband, Walter, was a weapons officer for submarines, so her family still had to move every 18 months or so. Slusarski was able to find a rewarding career that meshed well with her lifestyle -- medical transcription, which she says other military spouses should consider.
Medical transcription is an in-demand, technically oriented career field that can be done from almost anywhere, said Slusarski, who has worked in the career field for 28 years.
"I was able to be at home with my kids, and I always had a job," Slusarski recalled of her medical transcription career while her husband served in the Navy.
Medical transcription "worked out great for me," she said.
People in the medical transcription field translate and transcribe patient medical records, including diagnoses, treatments, prognoses and outcomes from oral to written form on paper or electronically, according to the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, formerly known as the American Association for Medical Transcription.
Slusarski, an 18-year resident of Bremerton, Wash., served five years as a Navy corpsman. Her husband retired after 25 years in the Navy, many of those spent aboard a submarine.
After leaving the Navy as a petty officer 2nd class, Slusarski found administrative work -- and her medical transcription career -- at a doctor's office.
"They just asked me to transcribe some tapes one day, and it went from there," she recalled.
Slusarski performed medical transcription work at doctors' offices and hospitals for the first part of her career, she recalled. Later, the interfacing of computers and the Internet enabled her to work from home.
The medical transcription field has evolved from a time when practitioners would use audiocassette tapes, typewriters and carbon paper, Slusarski said.
"Now we use a digital dictation system, (and) everything is done over the Internet," she said. "It's all routed and printed electronically."
Today, during her daily at-home work routine, Slusarski accesses a secure computer connection to transcribe medical records from physicians' real-time audio notations. Completed transcriptions are automatically moved into electronic medical records files and printed, she said.
"You press the 'finished' key and the computer takes care of it from there," Slusarski said. "The server routes it to printers and to electronic folders, as needed."
The medical transcription career field is especially attractive to military spouses who experience frequent moves, she said, because they can take their jobs with them. "You can continue with your company when you move and won't have to start all over again," Slusarski pointed out.
And, since most companies allow employees to complete their daily transcription work within 12 hours, time-conscious military spouses usually have plenty of time to attend to their children's needs and other business.
Military spouses interested in the medical transcription career field should contact the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity or other medical transcription associations and get a mentor, Slusarski suggested.
"Being involved with the local association, you're able to meet other transcriptionists and military spouses in the same situation that you're in," she said. "It helps that there's somebody there who understands the military lifestyle."
The departments of Defense and Labor are collaborating with the AHDI and the Medical Transcription Industry Association to promote the medical transcription field as a viable career for military spouses.
Leslye A. Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, discussed how education and networking with other government and civilian organizations can assist military spouses in obtaining satisfying, rewarding careers at a medical transcription association and education seminar last night in Jacksonville, Fla.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 22, 2007 – When Leslie Slusarski got out of the Navy in 1979, her fast-paced military lifestyle didn't change. Her husband, Walter, was a weapons officer for submarines, so her family still had to move every 18 months or so. Slusarski was able to find a rewarding career that meshed well with her lifestyle -- medical transcription, which she says other military spouses should consider.
Medical transcription is an in-demand, technically oriented career field that can be done from almost anywhere, said Slusarski, who has worked in the career field for 28 years.
"I was able to be at home with my kids, and I always had a job," Slusarski recalled of her medical transcription career while her husband served in the Navy.
Medical transcription "worked out great for me," she said.
People in the medical transcription field translate and transcribe patient medical records, including diagnoses, treatments, prognoses and outcomes from oral to written form on paper or electronically, according to the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, formerly known as the American Association for Medical Transcription.
Slusarski, an 18-year resident of Bremerton, Wash., served five years as a Navy corpsman. Her husband retired after 25 years in the Navy, many of those spent aboard a submarine.
After leaving the Navy as a petty officer 2nd class, Slusarski found administrative work -- and her medical transcription career -- at a doctor's office.
"They just asked me to transcribe some tapes one day, and it went from there," she recalled.
Slusarski performed medical transcription work at doctors' offices and hospitals for the first part of her career, she recalled. Later, the interfacing of computers and the Internet enabled her to work from home.
The medical transcription field has evolved from a time when practitioners would use audiocassette tapes, typewriters and carbon paper, Slusarski said.
"Now we use a digital dictation system, (and) everything is done over the Internet," she said. "It's all routed and printed electronically."
Today, during her daily at-home work routine, Slusarski accesses a secure computer connection to transcribe medical records from physicians' real-time audio notations. Completed transcriptions are automatically moved into electronic medical records files and printed, she said.
"You press the 'finished' key and the computer takes care of it from there," Slusarski said. "The server routes it to printers and to electronic folders, as needed."
The medical transcription career field is especially attractive to military spouses who experience frequent moves, she said, because they can take their jobs with them. "You can continue with your company when you move and won't have to start all over again," Slusarski pointed out.
And, since most companies allow employees to complete their daily transcription work within 12 hours, time-conscious military spouses usually have plenty of time to attend to their children's needs and other business.
Military spouses interested in the medical transcription career field should contact the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity or other medical transcription associations and get a mentor, Slusarski suggested.
"Being involved with the local association, you're able to meet other transcriptionists and military spouses in the same situation that you're in," she said. "It helps that there's somebody there who understands the military lifestyle."
The departments of Defense and Labor are collaborating with the AHDI and the Medical Transcription Industry Association to promote the medical transcription field as a viable career for military spouses.
Leslye A. Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, discussed how education and networking with other government and civilian organizations can assist military spouses in obtaining satisfying, rewarding careers at a medical transcription association and education seminar last night in Jacksonville, Fla.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Wounded Warriors Hit Links in Full Swing
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 22, 2007 – In golf jargon, a "handicap" refers to the number of strokes that separates an amateur golfer from a pro. On the Woodmont Country Club driving range here April 20, the term described a more literal disadvantage. "It's just an obstacle," said Tom Willard, a novelist and a former Army paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division whose left arm was amputated after he was shot five times in Vietnam. With the aid of the "Amputee Golf Grip," a prosthetic device Willard invented, he has continued driving, pitching and putting through the years.
"You can go over the obstacle, under it, around it or through it," he said. "And 'through' is the best way to go."
Several disabled golf instructors like Willard joined Disabled Sports USA with its partner program Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project in offering 10 wounded servicemembers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington, D.C., the "First Swing" golf seminar here. In 2007, the partnered programs will sponsor more than 70 events in 19 different sports in 14 states.
"There is no tool better than sports to get people active again, self-confident again and to believe in themselves again after they've become disabled," said Kirk M. Bauer, executive director of Disabled Sports USA, who lost his leg in Vietnam when a grenade detonated nearby.
"(Wounded servicemembers) teach all of us that no matter what life throws at you, if you've got the right opportunities and the right attitude, you can overcome that and go on and lead a very active and a very successful life," he said. "But you have to move forward, and you have to believe in yourself. That's what they're teaching all of us."
In the country club ballroom, wounded vets listened as Bob Buck, the executive director of Eastern Amputee Golf Association, explained various prosthetic golfing devices and adaptive equipment. He suggested putter extensions for above-knee amputees who have difficulty bending over, specially-designed gloves for golfers with hand injuries, and clubs with swiveling heads that allow a golfer to swing from a seated position if necessary.
Buck said the Eastern Amputee Golf Association has a 3,000-person mailing list that includes 1,100 amputees, sponsors eight 36-hole tournaments, conducts golf clinics around the country, and currently gives 18 scholarships to amputee servicemembers or their children. Through a donation by Buck's associate, Don Boyd, each of the wounded vets would receive a set of clubs as a parting gift and as incentive to keep swinging.
Having received a prosthetic right leg in 1970 after a car accident, Buck is proof that amputee golfers can excel on the links. "I was about a 12 handicap before I lost my leg at age 28, and I've been as low as a four since then. My swing has probably improved," he said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class David Cook, from Westchester, Ill., said he was excited to try golfing for the first time since his right leg was amputated below the knee five weeks ago. Sitting in a wheelchair with his amputation site wrapped in a bandage, Cook had set his sights low.
"I wish I had my prosthetic so I could stand up and hit the ball," Cook said. "I'm just looking forward to getting back out there. Realistically, I'm not going to be able to hit the ball since I don't have the other foot yet."
"You'll be surprised," Buck interjected.
In a convoy of golf carts, the disabled veterans and their instructors wheeled around freshly cut fairways, and onto the driving range that overlooked a lightly down-sloping pitch. During the sunny afternoon, flags indicating various distances downrange flapped in the breeze.
Cook drove his "Golf Xpress" single-rider cart to a spot on the range next to a shiny pyramid of golf balls, and then rotated his seat 90 degrees to face the stack. Rising from the seat, Cook hopped on his left foot and used a six-iron to fish a ball from the top of the pyramid. Then he hopped into swinging position.
"I've never done this before," he said, still hopping. Balancing himself, Cook began his backswing. His club shaft was nearly parallel to the ground before he drove the iron toward the ball.
Upon contact, a large earthy divot flew almost as far as the ball. Then Cook launched a low line drive that hooked into the trees just off the fairway for his second shot.
On his third swing, Cook hit a picture-perfect iron shot that sailed straight down the range and rolled near the black-and-white checkered flag marking 120 yards.
"Now I liked that one," Cook said after firing off an equally clean drive that breezed well past the checkered flag. "I could do this every day."
Willard took a break from instructing to sneak in a few shots using a six-iron he gripped with his prosthetic device. He then stepped back and observed the other golfers' progress. "It's not here or here that's important," Willard said, pointing to his arm then to his leg.
Motioning towards his heart, he said, "It's about what's in here."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 22, 2007 – In golf jargon, a "handicap" refers to the number of strokes that separates an amateur golfer from a pro. On the Woodmont Country Club driving range here April 20, the term described a more literal disadvantage. "It's just an obstacle," said Tom Willard, a novelist and a former Army paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division whose left arm was amputated after he was shot five times in Vietnam. With the aid of the "Amputee Golf Grip," a prosthetic device Willard invented, he has continued driving, pitching and putting through the years.
"You can go over the obstacle, under it, around it or through it," he said. "And 'through' is the best way to go."
Several disabled golf instructors like Willard joined Disabled Sports USA with its partner program Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project in offering 10 wounded servicemembers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington, D.C., the "First Swing" golf seminar here. In 2007, the partnered programs will sponsor more than 70 events in 19 different sports in 14 states.
"There is no tool better than sports to get people active again, self-confident again and to believe in themselves again after they've become disabled," said Kirk M. Bauer, executive director of Disabled Sports USA, who lost his leg in Vietnam when a grenade detonated nearby.
"(Wounded servicemembers) teach all of us that no matter what life throws at you, if you've got the right opportunities and the right attitude, you can overcome that and go on and lead a very active and a very successful life," he said. "But you have to move forward, and you have to believe in yourself. That's what they're teaching all of us."
In the country club ballroom, wounded vets listened as Bob Buck, the executive director of Eastern Amputee Golf Association, explained various prosthetic golfing devices and adaptive equipment. He suggested putter extensions for above-knee amputees who have difficulty bending over, specially-designed gloves for golfers with hand injuries, and clubs with swiveling heads that allow a golfer to swing from a seated position if necessary.
Buck said the Eastern Amputee Golf Association has a 3,000-person mailing list that includes 1,100 amputees, sponsors eight 36-hole tournaments, conducts golf clinics around the country, and currently gives 18 scholarships to amputee servicemembers or their children. Through a donation by Buck's associate, Don Boyd, each of the wounded vets would receive a set of clubs as a parting gift and as incentive to keep swinging.
Having received a prosthetic right leg in 1970 after a car accident, Buck is proof that amputee golfers can excel on the links. "I was about a 12 handicap before I lost my leg at age 28, and I've been as low as a four since then. My swing has probably improved," he said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class David Cook, from Westchester, Ill., said he was excited to try golfing for the first time since his right leg was amputated below the knee five weeks ago. Sitting in a wheelchair with his amputation site wrapped in a bandage, Cook had set his sights low.
"I wish I had my prosthetic so I could stand up and hit the ball," Cook said. "I'm just looking forward to getting back out there. Realistically, I'm not going to be able to hit the ball since I don't have the other foot yet."
"You'll be surprised," Buck interjected.
In a convoy of golf carts, the disabled veterans and their instructors wheeled around freshly cut fairways, and onto the driving range that overlooked a lightly down-sloping pitch. During the sunny afternoon, flags indicating various distances downrange flapped in the breeze.
Cook drove his "Golf Xpress" single-rider cart to a spot on the range next to a shiny pyramid of golf balls, and then rotated his seat 90 degrees to face the stack. Rising from the seat, Cook hopped on his left foot and used a six-iron to fish a ball from the top of the pyramid. Then he hopped into swinging position.
"I've never done this before," he said, still hopping. Balancing himself, Cook began his backswing. His club shaft was nearly parallel to the ground before he drove the iron toward the ball.
Upon contact, a large earthy divot flew almost as far as the ball. Then Cook launched a low line drive that hooked into the trees just off the fairway for his second shot.
On his third swing, Cook hit a picture-perfect iron shot that sailed straight down the range and rolled near the black-and-white checkered flag marking 120 yards.
"Now I liked that one," Cook said after firing off an equally clean drive that breezed well past the checkered flag. "I could do this every day."
Willard took a break from instructing to sneak in a few shots using a six-iron he gripped with his prosthetic device. He then stepped back and observed the other golfers' progress. "It's not here or here that's important," Willard said, pointing to his arm then to his leg.
Motioning towards his heart, he said, "It's about what's in here."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Pace Speaks With Servicemembers in Afghanistan
By Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher, USAF
American Forces Press Service
April 22, 2007 – Extensions, training and congressional support topped the list of topics discussed at a town hall meeting here yesterday with Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace and his senior enlisted advisor, Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, addressed servicemembers from all service branches and answered questions as part of a visit to the air base.
The chairman began the meeting by congratulating the troops and commending them on their actions during the Taliban's attempted spring offensive. "This year's spring offensive, you all have them trying to figure out what they're going to do next," Pace said.
He took questions on a variety of topics and attempted to settle concerns about media and congressional support for the troops and the war effort. "The American people are with you," he said. "There are Americans who support the war and Americans who do not. They all support you.
"If you go all the way back to 2001 and remember the initial attacks on Afghanistan and in 2003 the attacks on Iraq, there was 24-hour coverage," he continued. "Over time, the amount of time on TV allocated to the war has gone down. What gets on television is the bombs going off, not the well being dug. We can either wring our hands about this or realize what the environment is and adjust to it."
Despite what troops might hear on television, Congress continues to support them in the field, Pace said. "Our Congress has continued to fund everything we ask for," he said. "They will come to whatever compromise they need to come to, to give us what we need. That's why you're here: to protect the right to have those kinds of debate."
The chairman said troops can help shape that debate by talking to people when their deployments are complete. "When you come home, talk to some group in your hometown," he encouraged. "If all of us do that, there will be more Americans who get a bit of information here and bit there."
Pace also addressed the recently announced extensions that soldiers in U.S. Central Command, which includes Afghanistan, will now serve. "We did it to stop the just-in-time decisions," he told the troops, "to stop telling people they'll be home for 12 months and then nipping away at that."
The general added that he understands the sacrifices soldiers and their families are making. "It really is the families sacrificing the most here," he said. "You know when you're in danger. They don't, so they think about you in danger a lot."
At the end of the town hall meeting, Pace shook all the servicemembers' hand and thanked them for their sacrifices. "I don't know how to thank you properly," he said. "You're making a difference."
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher is assigned to the Regional Command East Public Affairs Office.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 22, 2007 – Extensions, training and congressional support topped the list of topics discussed at a town hall meeting here yesterday with Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace and his senior enlisted advisor, Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, addressed servicemembers from all service branches and answered questions as part of a visit to the air base.
The chairman began the meeting by congratulating the troops and commending them on their actions during the Taliban's attempted spring offensive. "This year's spring offensive, you all have them trying to figure out what they're going to do next," Pace said.
He took questions on a variety of topics and attempted to settle concerns about media and congressional support for the troops and the war effort. "The American people are with you," he said. "There are Americans who support the war and Americans who do not. They all support you.
"If you go all the way back to 2001 and remember the initial attacks on Afghanistan and in 2003 the attacks on Iraq, there was 24-hour coverage," he continued. "Over time, the amount of time on TV allocated to the war has gone down. What gets on television is the bombs going off, not the well being dug. We can either wring our hands about this or realize what the environment is and adjust to it."
Despite what troops might hear on television, Congress continues to support them in the field, Pace said. "Our Congress has continued to fund everything we ask for," he said. "They will come to whatever compromise they need to come to, to give us what we need. That's why you're here: to protect the right to have those kinds of debate."
The chairman said troops can help shape that debate by talking to people when their deployments are complete. "When you come home, talk to some group in your hometown," he encouraged. "If all of us do that, there will be more Americans who get a bit of information here and bit there."
Pace also addressed the recently announced extensions that soldiers in U.S. Central Command, which includes Afghanistan, will now serve. "We did it to stop the just-in-time decisions," he told the troops, "to stop telling people they'll be home for 12 months and then nipping away at that."
The general added that he understands the sacrifices soldiers and their families are making. "It really is the families sacrificing the most here," he said. "You know when you're in danger. They don't, so they think about you in danger a lot."
At the end of the town hall meeting, Pace shook all the servicemembers' hand and thanked them for their sacrifices. "I don't know how to thank you properly," he said. "You're making a difference."
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher is assigned to the Regional Command East Public Affairs Office.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
500th Police Officer Author
Editor's Note: Two of the authors are former military.
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. With the Jack Sullivan, Mary Sullivan and Joe Sanchez, Police-Writers.com now lists over 500 state and local police officers who have written books. Command Jack Sullivan, USN(r) is the 500th Writer added to the list.
Commander Jack Sullivan, United States Navy (R), was called to active duty in three wars: World War II; Korean War; and, Vietnam War. He was also called to active during the Cuban Missile Crisis. His book, Shields of Honor, “tells of his part in these wars and realistically portrays the role the Reserve Component of the Navy played in each. He combines the lighter parts of his life in the Navy with his role in combat. His characters are portrayed with true service humor, but also depict their sincere dedication to duty as well. It's an interesting read for anyone who had a friend or relative in the Reserve or National Guard.” When he wasn’t serving his county in the Navy, Jack Sullivan was a detective for the New York Police Department.
According to Lona Manning, New York Police Department, “policewoman Mary Sullivan was banished from the undercover assignments she loved, to a succession of dreary station-houses, doing the usual woman’s work – looking after lost children and guarding female suspects. It was the height of the Roaring Twenties, there were plenty of bootleggers, drug traffickers and fake fortune-tellers to apprehend, and Sullivan, a young widow with a friendly Irish manner, impressed her superiors with her ability to transform herself into a dance hall girl or a society dame looking for a good speakeasy.” Mary Sullivan’s Biography, My Double Life: The Story of a New York Policewoman, was originally published in 1938 and re-released in 1983.
Joe Sanchez is a former New York Police Department police officer who lived the life and times he writes about in his book A Tale of Police Omerta from the NYPD. The stories are his, and though they're fiction, he has drawn on his on-the-job experience for their inspiration. He returned from Vietnam as a combat-wounded veteran to embark on a law enforcement career that included the Port Author of New York City, the New York Police Department and the New York Department of Corrections.
According to the book description, Joe Sanchez “has been trying to tell this story for some time. It’s his story, but not his alone. It’s also the story of those who lived and died alongside him, in Viet Nam and in that other battle, for justice and safety under the shield of the law, that is fought daily in the streets of every big city by every honest cop. In his case, the city was the Naked City and the cop was a Latino. And the battle was neither for the civilians alone, nor just against the bad guys in the street. Sometimes the bad guys were in the Department. And sometimes the people who needed protection were the honest cops.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 501 police officers (representing 208 police departments) and their 1057 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 Jack Sullivan, Mary Sullivan and Joe Sanchez, Police-Writers.com now lists over 500 state and local police officers who have written books. Command Jack Sullivan, USN(r) is the 500th Writer added to the list.
Commander Jack Sullivan, United States Navy (R), was called to active duty in three wars: World War II; Korean War; and, Vietnam War. He was also called to active during the Cuban Missile Crisis. His book, Shields of Honor, “tells of his part in these wars and realistically portrays the role the Reserve Component of the Navy played in each. He combines the lighter parts of his life in the Navy with his role in combat. His characters are portrayed with true service humor, but also depict their sincere dedication to duty as well. It's an interesting read for anyone who had a friend or relative in the Reserve or National Guard.” When he wasn’t serving his county in the Navy, Jack Sullivan was a detective for the New York Police Department.
According to Lona Manning, New York Police Department, “policewoman Mary Sullivan was banished from the undercover assignments she loved, to a succession of dreary station-houses, doing the usual woman’s work – looking after lost children and guarding female suspects. It was the height of the Roaring Twenties, there were plenty of bootleggers, drug traffickers and fake fortune-tellers to apprehend, and Sullivan, a young widow with a friendly Irish manner, impressed her superiors with her ability to transform herself into a dance hall girl or a society dame looking for a good speakeasy.” Mary Sullivan’s Biography, My Double Life: The Story of a New York Policewoman, was originally published in 1938 and re-released in 1983.
Joe Sanchez is a former New York Police Department police officer who lived the life and times he writes about in his book A Tale of Police Omerta from the NYPD. The stories are his, and though they're fiction, he has drawn on his on-the-job experience for their inspiration. He returned from Vietnam as a combat-wounded veteran to embark on a law enforcement career that included the Port Author of New York City, the New York Police Department and the New York Department of Corrections.
According to the book description, Joe Sanchez “has been trying to tell this story for some time. It’s his story, but not his alone. It’s also the story of those who lived and died alongside him, in Viet Nam and in that other battle, for justice and safety under the shield of the law, that is fought daily in the streets of every big city by every honest cop. In his case, the city was the Naked City and the cop was a Latino. And the battle was neither for the civilians alone, nor just against the bad guys in the street. Sometimes the bad guys were in the Department. And sometimes the people who needed protection were the honest cops.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 501 police officers (representing 208 police departments) and their 1057 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 21, 2007
113 NYPD Cops
Note: One of the writers is a former US Marine.
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. With the addition of Kendall J. Matthews, Cliff Mariani and William J. McCullough, the number of New York Police Department police officers who have written books is 113.
Kendall J. Matthews is a former United States Marine who served in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, the horn of Africa. He’s a graduate of Virginia State University and Hunter College’s Graduate School of Urban Affairs and Planning. Kendall is a member of the New York Police Department, currently assigned to the Housing Bureau in the South Bronx. He also volunteers as a tutor at the East Harlem Tutorial Program. His first book, Mommy I want to be a Cop, is a children’s book.
According to Kendall Matthews’ book description, “this book is about a neighborhood boy who had dreams of becoming a cop. Considering how dangerous of a job a Police Officer can be his mommy took him out for a day to see if she could change his mind of becoming a cop to a less dangerous profession. At the end of the day, and after experiencing what it would be like to wear the hats of different professions, the boy sticks to his dream of someday wearing the hat of a Police Officer.”
For over 25 years, Cliff Mariani was a member of the New York Police Department. Cliff Mariani began his writing career in the early 1970's. With an eye for detail and a skill with words, he wrote unique and innovative study and reference publications for the law enforcement community. In addition to being a police officer and writer, he has been a researcher and editor. Cliff Mariani is the author of a number of books for the law enforcement and criminal justice community: Domestic Violence Survival Guide; Terrorism Prevention and Response: The Definitive Law Enforcement Guide to Prepare for Terrorist Activity; Police Supervisor's Test Manual; New Jersey Motor Vehicles - Condensed Guide; A.B.C. Manual For Law Enforcement Officials; and, Connecticut Motor Vehicles - Condensed Guide. Additionally, he has published a number of promotional and operational materials geared toward New York Police Department police officers.
William J. McCullough, is a retired New York Police Department captain. He is the author of Pistol Instruction Handbook, How to Become a Police Officer and Police Promotional Manual. According to the book description of Police Promotional Manual it is “a promotional preparation cornerstone for more than 30 years! More than 750 true/false and multiple choice questions designed to inform, instruct and challenge! This extensive study aid has been a law enforcement favorite for more than three decades. Overflowing with the exact information you need to climb the ranks—from key police management principles and crucial supervisory skills to the ins and outs of criminal law and the elements of successful field operations—this is your ticket to top performance both in the classroom and on the street!”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 495 police officers (representing 208 police departments) and their 1046 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 Kendall J. Matthews, Cliff Mariani and William J. McCullough, the number of New York Police Department police officers who have written books is 113.
Kendall J. Matthews is a former United States Marine who served in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, the horn of Africa. He’s a graduate of Virginia State University and Hunter College’s Graduate School of Urban Affairs and Planning. Kendall is a member of the New York Police Department, currently assigned to the Housing Bureau in the South Bronx. He also volunteers as a tutor at the East Harlem Tutorial Program. His first book, Mommy I want to be a Cop, is a children’s book.
According to Kendall Matthews’ book description, “this book is about a neighborhood boy who had dreams of becoming a cop. Considering how dangerous of a job a Police Officer can be his mommy took him out for a day to see if she could change his mind of becoming a cop to a less dangerous profession. At the end of the day, and after experiencing what it would be like to wear the hats of different professions, the boy sticks to his dream of someday wearing the hat of a Police Officer.”
For over 25 years, Cliff Mariani was a member of the New York Police Department. Cliff Mariani began his writing career in the early 1970's. With an eye for detail and a skill with words, he wrote unique and innovative study and reference publications for the law enforcement community. In addition to being a police officer and writer, he has been a researcher and editor. Cliff Mariani is the author of a number of books for the law enforcement and criminal justice community: Domestic Violence Survival Guide; Terrorism Prevention and Response: The Definitive Law Enforcement Guide to Prepare for Terrorist Activity; Police Supervisor's Test Manual; New Jersey Motor Vehicles - Condensed Guide; A.B.C. Manual For Law Enforcement Officials; and, Connecticut Motor Vehicles - Condensed Guide. Additionally, he has published a number of promotional and operational materials geared toward New York Police Department police officers.
William J. McCullough, is a retired New York Police Department captain. He is the author of Pistol Instruction Handbook, How to Become a Police Officer and Police Promotional Manual. According to the book description of Police Promotional Manual it is “a promotional preparation cornerstone for more than 30 years! More than 750 true/false and multiple choice questions designed to inform, instruct and challenge! This extensive study aid has been a law enforcement favorite for more than three decades. Overflowing with the exact information you need to climb the ranks—from key police management principles and crucial supervisory skills to the ins and outs of criminal law and the elements of successful field operations—this is your ticket to top performance both in the classroom and on the street!”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 495 police officers (representing 208 police departments) and their 1046 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 20, 2007
Movie Exhibition Industry Shows Gratitude to Military
American Forces Press Service
April 20, 2007 – Servicemembers and their families are being treated to free movies and refreshments, thanks to a member of the motion picture exhibition industry. National Amusements has teamed up with the United Service Organizations of Metropolitan New York to offer free movies, popcorn and small drinks to active-duty military personnel and their families through April 30.
Beginning May 1, all National Amusements movie theaters in the United States will continue to show their appreciation to military personnel by offering a discounted general admission rate of $7, with $5 rates for matinees and children.
The partnership with the movie theaters is the single largest donation the metropolitan New York USO has ever received, said Brian Whiting, USO executive director.
The ability for military and their loved ones to receive complimentary movie admission, popcorn and refreshments is an immeasurable contribution and will make a direct impact on the lives of our servicemen and women, he said.
"This program will serve thousands of our armed forces and their families who sacrifice so much for our country," Whiting said. "Allowing military members to get back in touch with family after a long stretch in combat is an experience that can't be matched."
"The USO excels at providing the programs and services that the military and their families need for recreation, entertainment and to build community and keep families connected in challenging situations," said Shari Redstone, president of National Amusements.
National Amusements wanted to continue that tradition, and what better way to offer enjoyment and relaxation, and to keep families together, than with the magic of movies, Redstone said.
"We are very excited to offer this program to our men and women in uniform, and their families," Redstone said, "as a small token of the appreciation and respect we feel for those who serve our country and put their lives at risk on a daily basis."
National Amusements theaters are located in the following states: California, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia. More information about specific locations can be found at www.nationalamusemements.com.
(Compiled from a National Amusements news release.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
April 20, 2007 – Servicemembers and their families are being treated to free movies and refreshments, thanks to a member of the motion picture exhibition industry. National Amusements has teamed up with the United Service Organizations of Metropolitan New York to offer free movies, popcorn and small drinks to active-duty military personnel and their families through April 30.
Beginning May 1, all National Amusements movie theaters in the United States will continue to show their appreciation to military personnel by offering a discounted general admission rate of $7, with $5 rates for matinees and children.
The partnership with the movie theaters is the single largest donation the metropolitan New York USO has ever received, said Brian Whiting, USO executive director.
The ability for military and their loved ones to receive complimentary movie admission, popcorn and refreshments is an immeasurable contribution and will make a direct impact on the lives of our servicemen and women, he said.
"This program will serve thousands of our armed forces and their families who sacrifice so much for our country," Whiting said. "Allowing military members to get back in touch with family after a long stretch in combat is an experience that can't be matched."
"The USO excels at providing the programs and services that the military and their families need for recreation, entertainment and to build community and keep families connected in challenging situations," said Shari Redstone, president of National Amusements.
National Amusements wanted to continue that tradition, and what better way to offer enjoyment and relaxation, and to keep families together, than with the magic of movies, Redstone said.
"We are very excited to offer this program to our men and women in uniform, and their families," Redstone said, "as a small token of the appreciation and respect we feel for those who serve our country and put their lives at risk on a daily basis."
National Amusements theaters are located in the following states: California, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia. More information about specific locations can be found at www.nationalamusemements.com.
(Compiled from a National Amusements news release.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
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