Guide Offers Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Resources

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 15, 2007 – After watching her own son return home from combat with post-traumatic stress disorder, an Army mom wants to share the lessons she learned -- and resources she found -- with others who find themselves faced with the same challenges. Emily Afuola said she'll never forget the emotions that tugged at her and her family when they learned that Pvt. Matthew Afuola had been diagnosed with PTSD during his deployment to Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division.

"When families find out about this, they're scared and worried. They're in a state of shock and a state of panic," she said.

Afuola sought out every resource she could find to get answers and allay her and her families' concerns. "Initially, it was very, very hard," she said. "But I found that people were out there who wanted to help."

Afuola recognized that other families are confronting the same circumstances and wanted to share what she learned. She joined together with several other members of Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc., to produce a 17-page "Guide to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" to help them.

"We knew that other families are going through the same thing we did, and we're hoping that through this, they won't have to walk the same path," she said.

The guide offers basic, easy-to-understand information about what causes PTSD and symptoms to look for, as well as advice for getting treatment. It recognizes the effect a servicemember's PTSD has on family members, and the role they can play in helping their loved one deal with the affliction.

One of the guide's most valuable resources is an extensive list of places to turn to for help.

Afuola emphasized that the guide wasn't compiled by mental health professionals and isn't designed to replace the services they offer. "We just realized a need for something like this, and wanted to help make things a little easier for the people affected," she said.

Initially, the Blue Star Mothers had planned to roll out the guide during the group's annual convention in August. But so many people were seeking the information, Afuola said, organizers decided to publish it as quickly as possible. "We realized that there was a need to do something now, not to wait," she said.

Afuola said she's hopeful the guide will help reduce uncertainty surrounding PTSD and encourage more people who have it, or whose loved ones have it, to step forward. "We want to change some of the stigma so people can come forward without fear of retribution," she said.

The guide is available online at the Blue Star Mothers Web site, www.bluestarmothers.org. Afuola also includes her e-mail and phone number in hope that servicemembers or families in crisis will contact her directly.

The message she hopes servicemembers and their families take away from the guide is simple, she said. "There is hope, and people out here who care about you," she said. "We want them to know that even when they can't stand up for themselves, we will stand up for them."

Blue Star Mothers Inc. is a non-partisan, non-political organization committed to supporting servicemembers and their families. It is a partner in the Defense Department's America Supports You program that showcases initiatives groups, companies and individuals nationwide are undertaking to support America's men and women in uniform and their families.

Pace Speaks About Jointness, Moral Courage

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

June 15, 2007 – U.S. armed services frequently work together in joint operations, and military officers also need to represent their own services in joint environments, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday at the Joint Forces Staff College here. Pace delivered the Henry Clay Hofheimer Lecture to students, faculty and guests of the college. Most of the students are young officers who will move on to joint service assignments around the world.

"This is a joint school, a joint and combined environment and I like that a lot," Marine Gen. Peter Pace said. "But I ask you to not forget what uniform you wear."

The military has successfully embraced jointness, he said, and the campaign into Iraq in March and April 2003 proved the worth of the joint approach. But officers may be too quick to embrace the concept.

Pace said he knows a lot about the Marine Corps, having grown up in the culture from second lieutenant fresh out of the Naval Academy. "What I need around me are officers who will tell me what it is about the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard that I do not know, and if I did know, I could make a better decision," he said.

An Air Force officer going to a joint meeting has the responsibility to represent his service as part of his input to the meeting. "When you walk in that room, don't be bashful about explaining to the other people why certain things in your service are the way they are," Pace said. "At the end of the day, when the decision is made, of course, we all get on board and row together."

He said keeping an open mind is part of the process. It is important to articulate the service's position, but an officer needs to understand it is only one way of looking at that problem.

"Understand that you know part of the truth, not all of the truth, and listen to the folks around you," Pace said. "Then become part of the team that solves the problem."

The chairman said military personnel readily understand physical courage, but he has really come to understand moral courage.

"I have come in my last six years to appreciate and value the courage that comes with having to stand up and speak your mind when others are thinking differently," he said. "If you are wrong in combat, you might die. If you are wrong intellectually you have to live with it."

With seniority comes membership in more powerful groups, he noted. "As discussions are going in one direction, it becomes more and more difficult to say 'I see it a bit differently.' But I will tell you that the more senior you become the more critical it is that you be the person at the table who does that," he said.

Pace also spoke about the value of saying "no" to senior officials. Pace said the word "no" has an unusual effect on people. He said if there is a roll call around a table and someone says, "No" everything stops.

"Everybody listens," he said. "You will not always carry the day. But you will always be welcome at the next meeting, because people know you will always speak your mind."

The chairman also told the students that it is important to "grow where you are planted." He said some students in the class are going to assignments they would not have chosen for themselves. But, they have to give some credit to the services. The services know what they want in officers and what type of experiences they need for their officers.

"In my case, if I had done everything I had wanted to do in the Marine Corps and everything I presumed I was best-qualified for, I would long be retired," he said. "The service put me places that gave me the experiences that allowed me to compete for higher and higher jobs."

"More important than that," he told the students, "every place that we could possibly send you, there are great young men and women in uniform who need your leadership, who deserve the best you can give them. And as you already know if you take care of the folks in your charge the trip your on is amazingly rewarding and your unit just performs beyond anything you imagined."

Reducing Stigma Provides Key to Better Mental Health, Officials Say

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

June 15, 2007 – The key to improving mental health care in the military and in America is to reduce the stigma associated with seeking help, Defense Department medical officials said today. The officials spoke during the release of the latest department Mental Health Task Force Report at the Pentagon.

Ward Casscells, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said the issue of reducing stigma associated with servicemembers and their families seeking mental health help is crucial to success in this effort.

"We need all the input we can get," Casscells said. "We're out there talking to soldiers, line commanders, people in the corporate world, people in the university world, Institute of Medicine. We've got two eyes open, two ears open, a lot of eyes and ears open, so we're looking for ideas on that."

Casscells said the message he is trying to get to commanders and troops is that it is all right to seek help. He said many famous people in history have suffered from depression.

"Martin Luther, Gandhi, Beethoven, Sigmund Freud, Patton, Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, every one of them had bouts of depression through their life, and every one of them became a great success in some way," he said. "Now you wouldn't have wanted a weapon in Mozart's hands, but he made enormous contributions."

Better screening of servicemembers for possible mental health problems is part of the effort, Casscells said.

"We've got these post-deployment questionnaires that you fill out when you leave theater," he said. "When I left Iraq, I filled out a questionnaire and said: Were you near an IED that went off? Are you having trouble sleeping? Are you having trouble controlling your feelings? And so forth, and so on. A lot of people check 'no' because they want to get home."

New methods seek to assure troops that "even if they check 'yes,' they're going to get home and get the care when they get home, that they can fill this thing out honestly," he said.

Another issue is follow-up care.

"We are getting some retired soldiers, including chaplains and psychologists, who are going to make it their business to contact people at six months and say, 'I just want you to know that we haven't forgotten your service. I'm a veteran. And don't forget there are all these things available to you. And by the way, I'm here to talk to you. I struggled with this or that. And you can call me confidentially because I'm not in the chain of command,'" Casscells said.

"But we want to make sure that at six months, we've got everybody contacted," he said. "And so we are working toward that goal."

Rear Adm. John Mateczun, Navy deputy surgeon general, said the stigma of mental health problems is a pervasive problem. "We hope to find new ways to be able to deal with the questions that people have in their mind about seeking mental health support," he said.

The admiral said the Navy is reviewing policies about care for mental health and what that means for deployment.

"We have a lot of people who may not seek mental health care appropriately," Mateczun said. "One of the results of Operation Desert Storm and the reviews that went on about mental health care after that conflict was that there were a number of people that actually deployed with diagnoses, with medications that they had received from private practitioners that we didn't know anything about."

The services need to make sure that people with diagnoses who are able to deploy, are given the proper medications and treatment, Mateczun said.

"We've reviewed our weapons qualifications policies and ... have modified our physical qualifications criteria so that those people who are on routine medications and doing well can continue to qualify and bear arms."

Ease of access to care concerns the Maj. Gen. Gale S. Pollock, commander of U.S. Army Medical Command.

"One of the changes that we've made is a program that we've called respect.mil," she said. "Instead of requiring the soldiers or the family members to go to a designated location because you're getting behavioral health care, it's now done inside the primary care area so that we can do the assessment, and people can just come to the clinic for behavioral health issues the same as they would come for any physical health."

Navy Vice Adm. Donald Arthur, co-chairman of the task force, said the group has finished its work and represented the finished report to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. The Defense Department will have six months to develop and begin to implement an action plan.

Other officials and experts who spoke today were: Maj. Gen. Bruce Green, Air Force deputy surgeon general; Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, psychiatry consultant to the Army Surgeon General; Ellen Embrey, deputy assistant secretary of defense for force health protection and readiness; and Shelley MacDermid, professor of child development and family studies at Purdue University.

Officials Hope to Rekindle Interest in Immigration Bill Provision

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 11, 2007 – A senior defense official expressed hope today that a provision in the stalled immigration bill that would have allowed some undocumented aliens to join the military won't fall off the radar screen. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM, provision in the immigration bill was expected to help boost military recruiting, Bill Carr, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy, said today during a telephone conference with veterans' group representatives.

The DREAM provision offered a way for high-achieving children of undocumented or illegal residents to join the military and, ultimately, become citizens, Carr explained.

"In other words, if you had come across (the border) with your parents, yet you were a minor child and have been in the U.S. school system for a number of years, then you could be eligible to enlist," he said. "And at the end of that enlistment, then you would be eligible to become a citizen."

Because the provision would have applied only to the "cream of the crop" of students who have demonstrated top aptitude, it would have been "very appealing" to the military, Carr said. "It would have been good for readiness," he said.

While President Bush returns to Washington to help revive the stalled immigration reform package, Carr said talk is already taking place to see if at least the DREAM provision of the stalled bill can proceed.

At this point, he said, "we are not sure if the Congress would be interested in resurrecting that segment of the bill."

Certain non-citizens have been eligible to enlist in the military since the Revolutionary War. Today, about 35,000 non-citizens serve in the military, and about 8,000 permanent resident aliens enlist every year, said Marine Maj. Stuart Upton, a Pentagon spokesman.

The 2006 National Defense Authorization Act established uniform citizenship or residency requirements for enlisting in the military. President Bush's executive order allowing non-citizens to apply for citizenship after only one day of active-duty military service remains in effect, Upton said.

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Bush Thanks General Who Oversaw Iraqi Training

By Meghan Vittrup
American Forces Press Service

June 14, 2007 – President Bush welcomed the former commander for Iraqi military training to the White House today to hear his assessments and thank him for his service and commitment to Iraq. Bush met with Army Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, former commander of Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq, to evaluate the effectiveness of the training.

He noted that Dempsey recently returned from Iraq, where he oversaw efforts to train and equip Iraq's security forces "to prepare them for the day when they will be responsible for the security of their country."

Bush also thanked Dempsey for his service. "It's an extraordinary country where people volunteer to go into combat zones to protect the security of the United States of America," he said. "(There is) no more important mission for our military than Iraq and Afghanistan."

Earlier this week, Dempsey told Pentagon reporters that Iraqi troops have made significant progress in being able to support themselves. However, he said, they still need more troops to make up for the lack of technology required to defend their country.
The training in Iraq is "all about helping them move from a force that is today very firmly focused on internal security," he said.

This will be a vital step toward the day when "they'll need to protect themselves against external threat, as well," Dempsey said.

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Defense Department Supports Afghan Poppy Eradication

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

June 14, 2007 – A top priority for U.S. government officials working in Afghanistan is eradicating poppy plants and creating alternative livelihoods for farmers, a Defense Department counternarcotics official said today. Richard Douglas, deputy assistant secretary of defense for counternarcotics, counterproliferation and global threats, spoke to military analysts in a teleconference from Kabul, Afghanistan. He said the Defense Department is working with U.S. Central Command, the U.S. State Department, and the British government to combat the narcotics problem in Afghanistan.

"It's Afghanistan's future and their fight, but we do what we can to support the combatant commander as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration in carrying out the effort here," Douglas said. "It's a very important effort. As you are well aware, there are some huge challenges here, but we're doing what we can to help (Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of Central Command) and his folks here get their arms around it and make a contribution."

The State Department is leading a reassessment of the approach to poppy eradication, Douglas said, including a focus on creating viable alternative crops for farmers. The partner agencies also are looking at attacking the money that comes from the narcotics trade in Afghanistan and funds drug traffickers and the Taliban, he said.

"I think it's pretty clear at this point that the Taliban and other armed insurgents have awakened to the value to them of this source of income, and part of our challenge here is to help the combatant commander help other actors over here, both from the United States and from other countries, get a better handle on where this money's going, because as we've learned in our own hemisphere, an important way to hurt the drug trafficker and to hurt the terrorists that work hand in glove with them is to go after the money," Douglas said.

This is Douglas' fourth trip to Afghanistan since taking office in January 2006. He said there are challenges on the ground, but he sees progress in the fight against drugs in Afghanistan.

"It's not an easy problem to solve, but I do believe that the State Department and the British government appreciate the nature of the challenge," he said. "I think they've been taking a serious approach not only to the strategy but also reassessing the best way to go about this."

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Afghan, Coalition Enlisted Leaders Hold Seminar

By Navy Petty Officer 1st Class David Votroubek
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 13, 2007 – Senior enlisted leaders from the Afghan National Army and coalition forces met in May for the first ANA Sergeant Major of the Army Combat Leadership Training Seminar. Command sergeants major and other senior enlisted leaders attended the two-day seminar to associate and train with their peers.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robert E. Durbin, commander of Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, made opening statements on the first day. He recalled his experiences with senior enlisted leaders earlier in his career and challenged the attendees to put themselves in their soldiers' places.

He concluded by telling them, "Now you need to get blisters on your hands and get your hands dirty, because that's what great leaders do."

Durbin was followed by the combined command's top enlisted member, Army Command Sgt. Maj. Ruben Espinoza, who reminded the noncommissioned officers of their duty to enforce standards and train subordinates.

"Success on the battlefield is not an accident; it is the result of training by senior NCOs," he said.

The seminar's featured speaker was retired Command Sgt. Maj. Of the Army Jack Tilley, who served in the U.S. Army's top enlisted position from June 23, 2000, to Jan. 15, 2004. He reminded the enlisted leaders that they are role models, and stressed the importance of their relationship with commanding officers and of their duty to mentor all soldiers.

"Don't just talk about being a good soldier; be a good soldier every day of your life" he said.

The seminar also featured concurrent training sessions. The attendees were divided into small groups to participate in group discussions on "Escalation of Force," "Risk Management" and "Command Sergeant Major Duties and Responsibilities." The discussion on risk management was particularly important to Afghanistan's sergeant major of the army, Safi Roshan.

"There should be many changes because of this," he said while watching the safety videos.

The first day concluded with a presentation and discussion on re-enlistment and promotion policies by Afghan National Army Col. Mohd Amin, who sought input from the enlisted leaders.

Training and taking time to develop relationships were both benefits of the seminar. The ANA's medical command sergeant major, Shaker Noori, said both aspects were of equal value.

"It has been good, because we lack this experience," he said.

Similar seminars will be held twice a year to continue providing opportunities for the ANA and the coalition to network and mentor each other, officials said.

(Navy Petty Officer 1st Class David Votroubek is assigned to Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan Public Affairs.)

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Walter Reed Prosthetic Technician 'Pulls' for Troops

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

June 12, 2007 – For prosthetic technician Jared Scott McClure, it's all about the "pull." He's referring to the process in which he pulls a hot sheet of plastic over the plaster mold of an amputee's residual limb to make a test socket for the patient's prosthetic leg.

"The pull is everything," he said, admiring his latest work, a test socket for a female patient who is an amputee at the ankle.

McClure said the goal is to get the plastic consistent, but heavier in specific pressure points. How well he does his job determines the fit and function of the permanent socket and, ultimately, how well servicemembers perform with their prostheses.

This is his second attempt at this test socket. The first was not good enough, he said.

A Navy veteran, McClure said he always wanted to work in the medical field but didn't care for hospitals. "I like to get my hands dirty. I like working with hammers and tools and stuff," he said.

As a prosthetic technician, his job is part science, part art, and a lot of muscle.

McClure said he was struggling in college after leaving the Navy, and wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He learned about the school from his Veterans Affairs counselor. McClure said he was hesitant at first, but was sold after talking to the staff there.
"Within five minutes of talking to the instructor, I knew. I was like 'Wow, this is it. Where do I sign up?' And here it is, three years later, I'm in D.C. working at Walter Reed fitting legs on guys who went to war," he said.

To make a test socket, McClure suspends a sheet of hard plastic nearly a half-inch thick in a convection oven set at 370 degrees Fahrenheit. The plastic heats for about 10 minutes and begins drooping in the center. McClure takes it out of the oven when the plastic droops equal to about half of the height of the mold. With the help of another technician, McClure then drapes it over the mold, kneading the plastic as he goes to remove air from between the plastic and the plaster. When finished, he prefers to have at least one-quarter-inch thickness throughout the socket.

Once it cools and re-hardens, the test socket is trimmed using a small circular hand saw, the rough edges are ground and sanded, and it is rubbed with a chemical solution that smoothes the test socket to a glass-like finish. The whole process takes McClure about three hours. He makes about 16 test sockets a week, he said.

McClure has been a prosthetic technician for nearly a year and has worked at Walter Reed for just more than a month. He lives with his cousin in the District of Columbia. From a small town Oklahoma, McClure said he came to D.C. looking for an adventure. What he found was a job that he loves.

"It's so morally gratifying. I'm proud of it," he said. "I put 110 percent into everything I do because of who it's going on. I try to give these guys a new kind of life -- show them they are not limited by whatever appendage they may have or may not have."

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Groups, Individuals Reap Environmental Awards

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

June 8, 2007 – Environmental stewardship is not a separate Defense Department mission, but rather is the fabric of the department, a top defense official said during the 2006 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards here yesterday. Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Kenneth J. Krieg honored award-winning teams and individuals here for their "extraordinary contributions" in sustaining and protecting the roughly 30 million acres of land the department uses.

"Your efforts to integrate environmental sustainability into all aspects of mission planning, acquisition and the day-to-day defense operations of the department help the department exceed our goals for habitat restoration, pollution reduction and energy conservation," he said.

Krieg listed the following Defense Department accomplishments for fiscal 2006:

-- Reduced energy consumption by 5.5 percent, exceeding its goal of 3 percent;

-- Implemented energy-efficient, sustainable design principles into Defense Department construction;

-- Converted 9.5 percent of overall energy demand to land, wave and ocean geothermal energy;

-- Reduce water consumption by 29 percent through conservation, recycling and other reclamation efforts;.

-- Diverted 3.7 million tons of solid waste and 132 million tons of hazardous waste from landfills; and

-- Provided refuge to 319 of the 1,311 threatened or endangered plant and animal species, and committed $40 million to protecting them.

"I am proud of each and every one of you for your efforts," Krieg said. "I thank you for your dedication to the environment, and I thank you for your sustained dedication to the men and women who volunteer to be on the front lines of the world protecting and defending the freedom of America."

The environmental award winners honored yesterday were:

-- Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn., in the Large Installation Natural Resources Conservation category;

-- Fort Drum, N.Y., in the Installation Cultural Resources Management category;

-- Gary M. O'Donnell, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, in the Individual/Team Cultural Resources Management category;

-- Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., in the Industrial Installation Environmental Quality category;

-- Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, Japan, in the Overseas Installation Environmental Quality category;

-- Marine Corps Base Hawaii, in the Non-Industrial Installation Pollution Prevention category;

-- Pollution Prevention Afloat Team, Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., in the Individual/Team Pollution Prevention category; and

-- Dover Air Force Base, Del., in the Installation Environmental Restoration category.

The secretary of defense has been recognizing installations, teams and individuals for outstanding achievement in environmental management each year since 1962.

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Award-Winning Combat Videographer Keys In on People

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

June 8, 2007 – Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gary W. Burdett's videography documents the up-close-and-personal actions of America's fighting forces around the world. Burdett, a 16-year military veteran and a member of the 1st Combat Camera Squadron at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., is the Defense Department's Military Videographer of the Year for 2007. This is the first time he's been honored as the department's best military moving-picture shooter.

Burdett served in Iraq from May through September 2006, documenting U.S. soldiers performing combat patrols and other duty in Baghdad.

Videotaping combat missions in Iraq and elsewhere helps senior Pentagon leaders to stay abreast of far-flung military operations and also can be employed for evidence purposes, Burdett said.

"If we didn't shoot it, who is to say it happened or didn't happen? We try to shoot things as truthfully, naked and raw as possible," Burdett said.

Shooting action in Iraq means "you have to get in there" and learn about the servicemembers' personalities, the Stuttgart, Ark., native said.

"If you don't get to know the people, you're not going to have a story," the 37-year-old combat videographer explained. "It's all about the people."

Burdett shot a video sequence in August that depicts an Iraqi being questioned by U.S. soldiers in Baghdad's Hamiyah district. The Iraqi was questioned, Burdett said, because a search of the man's house had produced a quantity of unauthorized weapons.

"He had a lot of weapons. This guy's house was set up like a gun dealership, so they were asking him a couple questions," Burdett recalled. The Americans confiscated many of the weapons, Burdett said, but he added that he didn't know what became of the Iraqi man.

Another example of Burdett's award-winning work, titled "Delta Sick Call," depicts U.S. military medics treating Iraqi citizens near Kut, Iraq, in July.

"We had gone to Camp Delta, which was a Polish camp where the Iraqi security forces' training academy was based," Burdett recalled.

One of the U.S. servicemembers helping to train the Iraqis was Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Malloy, a U.S. Army medic. Malloy "was teaching the Iraqi army recruits combat lifesaver skills," Burdett said, adding that the medic also treated local Iraqis living near Camp Delta.

"Probably 90 percent of the people he saw were kids," Burdett said. "That's stuff you don't normally see on the news."

The videographer attributes the relative scarcity of mainstream-media coverage of such uplifting stories from Iraq to the "boogieman on the news" syndrome that favors coverage of war's violence and gore.

Burdett relied on his Sony PD-150 video camera to document action in Iraq. The camera weighs less than 5 pounds.

Capturing the appropriate sound to accompany his moving images is an equally important element of his work, the videographer pointed out.

"Sound is huge," Burdett said. "Sound will carry a piece, because people will look at bad pictures with really good sound, but they won't watch really good pictures with bad sound."

Burdett also carried a spare video camera in Iraq, as well as an M-16 rifle. He said he didn't spend a lot of time dwelling on the danger.

"Because, if you did, there's no way you could work," he said.

Burdett recalled varying circumstances when he recorded images and sound during his tour in Iraq. For example, he saw Iraqis reacting with joy at having their electric power restored or when obtaining water service thanks to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' reconstruction projects.

And U.S. servicemembers on patrol would often be welcomed into Iraqi homes and be offered food or tea, he said.

"Other times, you'd go into a house to check for weapons and all the women would start crying," Burdett recalled. "And, I've learned that when that happens, there's probably something in that house or the man of the house is involved in some not-nice things."

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Command Needs Reservists for Headquarters Core Elements

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

June 8, 2007 – U.S. Joint Forces Command, with headquarters in Norfolk, Va., is recruiting 240 reservists to serve in Standing Joint Force Headquarters Core Element teams. Navy Rear Adm. M. Stewart O'Bryan said in a recent interview that the command needs reservists in grades E-7 to O-6 from all components who think "joint." O'Bryan commands the Standing Joint Force Headquarters Core Element.

"In the past, joint task force headquarters were formed on an ad hoc basis," O"Bryan said. "The thinking was that there had to be a better way to do it, and the standing joint task force headquarters was the way to go."

The combatant commands have their own standing joint force headquarters. In practice, that organization would likely be the "first responder" if needed for an operation or to respond to a natural disaster.

"If the event required an additional capability, or a second event occurred in that command, that commander could ask Joint Forces Command to deploy one of the core element teams," O'Bryan said.

If there was an earthquake, for example, and the combatant commander designated a Navy expeditionary strike group as the lead, the Joint Forces Command core element would fall in on the command ashore or afloat.

"That core element could marry up and give them the joint expertise and bring together the team to focus on the mission," the admiral said.

If the event turned into an enduring mission, then the core element would have the expertise to develop the joint manning documents, and serve in the headquarters until permanent personnel arrived. "The core element would then return to Norfolk and would reset for the next event," O'Bryan said.

Those accepted for the unit would be on-call and be ready to report within 48 hours and deploy within 72 hours of notification, O'Bryan said.

Each core element team is a mix of 37 active duty and 20 reserve component personnel. There are six reserve teams. The teams will provide expertise in joint operational planning.

For reservists, it is a big commitment. They must commit to 67 days per year - 24 drill days, 14 days of annual training and 29 additional days. To be selected, reservists must have a secret clearance and be eligible for top secret.

O'Bryan said there is an emphasis on joint experience for reservists. Ideally, officials would like reservists to have taken joint professional military education courses and have experience at large joint headquarters.

Once accepted, the reservists will receive specific training both online and in person for their jobs, O'Bryan said. The core groups will be based in Norfolk, but recruiting isn't limited to the area.

O'Bryan said he has already received 75 applications, and has six people under orders. The reserve portion has an initial operational capacity date of Oct. 1, with full operational capability set for December 2008, "but the sooner the better," he said.

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America Supports You: Singer Makes Injured Seabee's Life Easier

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 8, 2007 – After having breakfast with some of her fans in Nashville, Tenn., yesterday, country music singer LeAnn Rimes, as one of her songs says, had absolutely "Nothin' Better to Do" than present a handicap-accessible van to a severely injured veteran. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Peter Reid and his wife, Michele, attended Rimes' fan club breakfast, part of the Country Music Association's annual Music Festival. Little did they suspect the award-winning singer had more than an autographed photo for them.

"We were sitting by the table, and LeAnn Rimes walked up and introduced herself, like we didn't know who she was," Peter said. "She said she had a surprise for us outside."

Waiting for them outside was a Chevrolet Uplander equipped with an automatic door and ramp, and other systems necessary to accommodate Peter's wheelchair. Rimes presented them with the keys, then signed the back window of the vehicle.

The nautical blue vehicle has "all the goodies," Peter said. A Chevrolet representative told the crowd and media gathered for the event that the vehicle had everything Peter needed to ride in comfort.

Peter, a Seebee with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 14, was severely injured in May 2004 while serving in Anbar, Iraq. He suffered a severe brain injury, paralysis to the left side of his body and several blood clots caused by shrapnel lodged in his brain from the mortar attack, which killed five fellow Seabees and wounded 34 others.

Previously it took the Reids nearly 30 minutes to get Peter in and out of their other vehicle. This one, donated by General Motors, will cut that time to less than five minutes, Michele said.

"We have been pretty much housebound for the last three years," she said. "Now ... I can open up the doors and have him ride the wheelchair right in. I can strap him down and we can go.

"It's going to make a big difference in our lives," she added.

But first, it was off to treat the people who made this possible - Coalition to Salute America's Heroes officials - to a thank-you lunch, Peter said.

"I told them it's up to them. They can pick any place they want. We got nice transportation, you know," he said with a chuckle. "It's got OnStar, so it's not like we're gonna get lost."

The Reids learned of the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes more than a year ago through the organization's emergency financial relief. They now serve as national spokesmen for the group, which brought Rimes, a supporter of the coalition, and Chevrolet together to present the new vehicle.

"This is what (the coalition) is all about, reintegrating wounded (servicemembers) back into society when they come home," Rimes said in an interview for Chevrolet after the event. "All they want is a chance at a normal life again.

"I kind of feel like no matter where you stand politically, we need to support these men and women coming home from the war," she added.

The coalition, a member of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, provides assistance to veterans wounded and disabled in the global war on terrorism. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

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Gates Recommends Mullen to Replace Pace as Chairman

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

June 8, 2007 – To avoid a contentious reconfirmation process, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will recommend that President Bush nominate Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael G. Mullen to replace Marine Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In a Pentagon news conference today, Gates said he also will recommend Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright for the position of vice chairman. Cartwright is the commander of U.S. Strategic Command. Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr., the current vice chairman, announced his decision to retire last week.

"I have become well acquainted with Admiral Mullen over the last six months and believe he has the strategic insight, experience and integrity to lead America's armed forces," Gates said.

Gates said he intended to re-nominate Pace and Giambastiani but after consulting with senators of both parties came to the conclusions "that because General Pace has served as chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the last six years, the focus of his confirmation process would have been on the past rather than the future."

He said the confirmation process would have the possibility of being quite contentious. "I am no stranger to contentious confirmations, and I do not shrink from them," Gates said. "However, I have decided at this moment in our history, the nation, our men and women in uniform, and General Pace himself would not be well-served by a divisive ordeal in selecting the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

Pace will continue to serve as chairman until his term ends Sept. 30. He is the first Marine to hold the position.

Pace, a 1967 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, served as a rifle platoon leader in Vietnam and commanded at all levels of the Marine Corps. He was serving as the commander of U.S. Southern Command when nominated to be the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2001. He took office weeks after the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

In 2005, he was nominated to be the chairman. The chairman serves as the principle military advisor to the president, secretary of defense and the National Security Council.

Mullen is a 1968 graduate of the Naval Academy. He is surface-warfare qualified and has commanded three ships: the USS Noxabee, the USS Goldsborough and the USS Yorktown. As a flag officer he commanded the USS George Washington Battle Group and served as the commander of U.S. 2nd Fleet/NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic.

Gates said that Pace has served as a Marine for more than 40 years. "He deserves the deepest thanks of the American people for a lifetime of service to our country and for his leadership," Gates said. "I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him, trust him completely, and value his candor and willingness to speak his mind."

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Military, Hollywood Team Up To Create Realism, Drama on Big Screen

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 8, 2007 – When the DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures live-action film "Transformers" opens at movie houses nationwide July 4, the scenes with F-117 Nighthawk aircraft, CV-22 Osprey troop transports and airmen running across the scene will look so convincing, viewers will swear they're the real deal. And they'll be right.

Much of the action for the film, in which dueling robots from outer space bring their battle to Earth, was filmed months ago at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. About 300 airmen and soldiers whose images dot the screen will be real servicemembers. And the action will take place alongside real-life military aircraft, including the Osprey and F-22 Raptor, both making their Hollywood debuts.

Based on the animated 1980s TV series of the same name, the "Transformers" movie will showcase the latest in computer-generated imagery -- and a level of realism filmmakers say they couldn't get without Defense Department support.

The 1927 film "Wings" set the standard for that cooperation, Phil Strub, who heads the department's film and TV liaison office at the Pentagon, said. In that classic silent-movie production, filmmakers used actual Army aircraft, soldiers, and real estate to reenact World War I training and combat operations.

The result was so authentic that the picture became a big box office hit and the first movie to win an Oscar for best picture.

The production was a win-win situation, Strub said. As Hollywood got realism, the military got the chance to show the American public something important about military people, equipment and missions.

Strub said that's the same reason filmmakers keep asking for military cooperation to this day and why, in many cases, the Defense Department supports their requests.

In another recent example of that cooperation, Edwards Air Force Base hosted movie director Jon Favreau.

As he spent three days at Edwards filming "Iron Man," which Marvel studio hopes will become its next superhero blockbuster, Favreau raved about the realism the base's dazzling array of aircraft brought to his fantasy story. "This is the best back lot you could ever have," he said. "Every angle you shoot is authentic: desert, dry lake beds, hangars."

Some of the most popular TV series, including the Fox Broadcasting Company thriller "24," tap into this realism, too.

Fans of "24" might remember the scene when a military honor guard attended President Palmer's coffin in the Season 5 finale, or when Jack Bauer frantically worked to foil a terrorist plot involving a nuclear submarine.

Robert Cochran, the program's cofounder, said the military support used to create these and other military-related scenes lends a tremendous dimension to the program. "It makes it bigger. It makes it more interesting. It makes it more real," he said.

Meanwhile, Cochran said, it underscores the "high-stakes" theme of the program. "When you see an F-18 streaking across the sky and dropping a bomb on an enemy helicopter, that visually tells you this is real, this is important, this is big stuff," he said.

Howard Gordon, lead writer for the show, said he's often amazed just how far the military will go to support storylines he and his fellow writers come up with. "I'll say, 'There's no way they are going to do this, but we will negotiate a way to do something like it, but much more modestly'," he said. "Then, they come back with a 'yes.'"

But before giving that "yes," officials from the Pentagon and the military services portrayed get a chance to review the script, Strub explained. They negotiate to increase the realism and historical accuracy of the military scenes, recognizing the leeway needed for artistic license. Sometimes they require script changes as a condition of providing support.

Whether they provide support, and how much, depends largely on what's needed in the production and how available it is in light of real-world requirements, Strub said. Movie and TV producers reimburse the government for the cost of supporting a production. One of the biggest costs comes from reimbursing squadrons for flight operations specifically for a movie production, as in the movies "Top Gun" and "Black Hawk Down."

But Strub said Defense Department support for a production boils down to something less tangible than hardware: how the production portrays the military and the men and women in uniform.

When reviewing a script, Strub said, he tries to put himself in the place of a servicemember who would see the movie. "I try to imagine myself sitting in a theater or the big screen, and how it makes me feel seeing how I'm being portrayed," he said.

Air Force Capt. Christian Hodge, who has served as the Defense Department's project officer on both "Transformers" and "Iron Man," said military people typically enjoy seeing their services on screen. "It's good for morale," he said.

Hodge said there's no way to measure the true impact Hollywood productions have on recruiting. But he said it's hard to dismiss the message a big-screen production like "Iron Man" sends.

"This movie is going to be fantastic," he said. "The Air Force is going to come off looking like rock stars."

Strub said he hopes audiences viewing these programs see past the action and high-tech hardware to fundamentals that make the military stand apart from much of society. "We're talking about self-sacrifice, duty and commitment to something beyond oneself," he said. "These are values that we hope come through."

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Additional Units Stand Up to Assist Wounded Warriors

By Bernard S. Little
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 8, 2007 – Walter Reed Army Medical Center officials yesterday activated the second and third companies focused solely on overseeing the health, welfare and morale of "warriors in transition." Walter Reed officials activated Battle Company and Chosen Battery of the Warrior Transition Brigade, while the much-maligned Medical Hold Company was deactivated, during a ceremony.

Battle Company and Chosen Battery join Able Troop, which was activated April 27, as part of the new Warrior Transition Brigade "to facilitate the healing process of warriors in transition and their families physically, mentally and spiritually," said Army Col. Terrence McKenrick, the brigade's commander.

The Warrior Transition Brigade was conceived of and implemented after a critical series of media reports highlighted shortcomings in outpatient care at Walter Reed. A series of reviews found several faults in the former Medical Hold Company concept. Consequently, such units are being phased out.

The Warrior Transition Brigade provides command and control, primary care, and case management for servicemembers receiving treatment for wounds suffered deployed in the war on terror. The unit works to "promote their timely return to the force or transition to civilian life," McKenrick said.

"Your mission is to heal," he said to the warriors in transition, as wounded soldiers are referred to around Walter Reed.

During the ceremony, Capt. Aaron J. Braxton II, commander of Medical Hold Company, encased the company's colors, indicating its deactivation, while Maj. Christopher Ballard and Capt. Christopher H. Clyde, uncased the colors for Battle Company and Chosen Battery, respectively, activating those companies.

Col. Ronald Hamilton, commander of the Medical Center Brigade which included Medical Hold Company, called yesterday's events "another milestone in the history of the Army Medical Department."

More than 230 years ago, the Continental Congress created a medical service for the 20,000-member Continental Army, Hamilton said. Eighty-six years later, during the Civil War, medical technology was not ready for the severity of wounds nor associated diseases suffered by those fighting in that conflict, he added.

But the history of the Army Medical Department indicates numerous enhancements in care and technology during each conflict that's involved U.S. forces, he said. Today, servicemembers are surviving wounds that would have been fatal if experienced during previous conflicts.

Hamilton said the medical support provided those troops and their families seeks to ensure they have a healing environment with appropriate command and control and resources. Previously, this was done in the Medical Hold Company.

Hamilton praised the job done by Braxton as the Medical Hold Company commander. He called Braxton's leadership and command team "superb."

"I've been impressed with what they accomplished with limited resources," he said. "(They) set the stage to keep it right for the future leaders taking that mission today."

McKenrick said Ballard and Clyde are good fits to command Battle Company and Chosen Battery, and he urged the new company commanders "to never underestimate the impact you will have on the lives entrusted to your care."

Ballard, an infantry officer who has completed Airborne and Ranger schools, earned a Purple Heart Medal for injuries he suffered in Iraq from a roadside bomb while leading a convoy. "He understands the pain and frustration that can accompany the recovery process," McKenrick said.

Clyde, a former National Guardsman, is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot who served two combat tours in Iraq.

(Bernard S. Little is command information officer in the Walter Reed Strategic Communications Office.)

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Army Path Takes Amputee Soldier to Forefront of Amputee Care

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

June 8, 2007 – Army Maj. David Rozelle walked with difficultly up the steep dirt path that cuts through the grass and away from a concrete sidewalk running along the north side of Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. He apologized for his awkwardness.

"I'm trying on a new foot today," he said. "I like it. But any time you get a new foot, you've got to get used to it."

As an armored cavalry troop commander, Rozelle lost his right foot to an anti-tank mine in Iraq in 2003.

Since then, he has been cutting new paths for amputees in the Army. Rozelle is an expert skier, a tri-athlete, and one of the first Iraq war amputees to be deemed fit to return to active duty. Only a little more than a year after losing his foot, Rozelle stepped back in front of an armored cavalry formation as commander and led his troops back to the same battlefield that claimed his foot, almost cost him his Army career, and nearly took his life.

And, as fate would have it, Rozelle later returned to the very medical center that gave him back his foot, his Army career and, for the most part, his life as he enjoyed it before his injury.

Now, the two-time Iraq-war veteran is walking another path that takes him to the forefront of amputee care.

This path leads up and around a chain-linked fence to the front of a construction site -- his construction site.

As deputy to the program manager for amputee care at Walter Reed, Rozelle is in charge of construction of the new Amputee Care Center. When finished, its only equal will be the likes of the Center for the Intrepid -- a $50 million, 65,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art physical rehabilitation center recently opened on Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

This building will be smaller, about 30,000 square feet, but will boast many of the same amenities as the Center for the Intrepid. These include upper- and lower-body-specific training rooms, prosthetic adjustments, an indoor running track, a climbing and rappelling wall, and other exercise facilities aimed at getting patients to the "highest level of recovery and rehabilitation," Rozelle said.

More than just amputees will benefit from the facility, he said. Those suffering from traumatic brain injuries and others with severe injuries will undergo rehabilitation there.

Two sides of the building will be built with glass walls, allowing sunlight to penetrate throughout the upper indoor track area and down into the lower-level exercise rooms.

"It gives them hope as they are working out. They can look up and out and see the sunlight and think, 'You know, I'm on my way to being back outside,'" Rozelle said. "If they're up on the track running, they will see people on the road running right next to them. That will give them hope to take that running outside."

When finished, the center will offer "the world's best equipment and the world's best therapists and the world's best therapy," he said.

"These guys and girls are going back to active duty, and on to world-class athlete sports programs, and off to college. We get them back to where they deserve to be, and that's at the highest level of physical training and ability," Rozelle said.

Rozelle was handpicked for the job because of his passion and commitment to amputee care, he said. "Who better to help guide the engineers and the builders on this project than an amputee who would use this facility?" Rozelle said.

"I think some people initially thought that I was here just to be to be kind of a feel-good guy on staff and walk around and shake hands, but I've been working really hard since I got here to get this building up and get the program straight inside the building. I like to think that I've been integral in a lot of different things, but obviously my blood and sweat goes into this project here," he said.

Rozelle's job is to build the center, help develop policy and programs for the center, and to act as a mentor for injured soldiers.

He reported to work at the center in August 2005, but the Base Realignment and Closure process delayed the project's start. After a handful of reviews by Army lawyers and Congress, eight months later the project was under way.

"Once we got started, we've been rolling. And we've not slowed down a bit," Rozelle said.

In the past six months, builders have gone from clearing the ground to "vertical" construction -- the placement of water pipes, air ducts, water, etc. Rozelle said he hopes to open the doors for business by October.

"Any day that this facility is not open is a day that we don't have the best care for our veterans," he said. "It's going to be a world class facility." Rozelle said that the Army has come a long way in breaking the previous models on how it treats and rehabilitates amputees. Care plans used to focus on getting the patient to the level of using crutches or a wheelchair and then turning them over to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the remaining rehabilitation. Patient feedback at the center has shown troops prefer to rehabilitate with the same doctors and therapy teams that begin their care.

Also before, there was very little discussion about the servicemember's option of returning to duty after an amputation. Rozelle said officials first tried to push him into that model.

"The VA came to my room and gave me my separation paperwork. I kept saying, 'What's this separation thing? Just because I am an amputee? You guys are telling me about all of these prosthetic legs and stuff. I can continue to serve,'" Rozelle said. "So, I was one of the first to break the mold."

In all, 63 amputees have returned to active duty across the services, he said.

Rozelle admitted he had to make some accommodations to serve as a commander in Iraq, but wouldn't say that his service was "difficult."

"It depends on how you define difficulty. I just had to plan things a little better. I had to have a back-up foot in my backpack. I had to always carry back-up parts," Rozelle said. "You have mechanical failures that you wouldn't normally worry about with your body."

Rozelle is now trying a new prosthesis. A recent surgery made more prosthetic feet available to him.

The liner he is testing is one of only three being used on a socket with a unique foot. It is an original running leg model with an attached high activity foot. It is designed to be more dynamic, allowing for more mobility and activity without having to change the foot.

"It's pretty amazing. I can actually bend my knee all the way back," he said.

Now, Rozelle has to change feet to match his activity. He swims with no prosthetic, changes to a high-energy foot for cycling and a different foot for running.

Having finished his command-time requirement, Rozelle is now waiting for a seat at the Intermediate Level Education course, formerly the Command and General Staff Officer Course, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, while working on his building project. He hopes to finish the building before having to report to class.

If Rozelle doesn't get a class date before finishing his project here, he is very matter-of-fact about the next path he expects to take next.

"As soon as this is done, I'll go back to the Cav, ... back to Iraq ... and keep fighting," he said.

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Defense Undersecretary to Step Down

American Forces Press Service

June 7, 2007 – The Defense Department's top acquisition official announced yesterday that he is stepping down. Kenneth J. Krieg, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics is leaving the department to spend more time with his family, officials said in a release.

The resignation becomes effective July 20 or upon the confirmation of his successor, whichever comes first, Defense Department officials said.

President Bush nominated Krieg for the Defense Department's top acquisition, technology and logistics position, and the Senate confirmed him to this position in June 2005.

In this role, Krieg has been responsible for advising the secretary and deputy secretary of defense on all matters relating to the department's acquisition system, research and development, advanced technology, and developmental testing and evaluation.

He also has overseen production; logistics; installation management; military construction; procurement; environmental security; and nuclear, chemical and biological matters. Krieg also has advised on policy relating to the logistics process used to deliver technology and other equipment to warfighters.

In a statement, Krieg thanked Bush for "giving me the opportunity to serve the best customers I will ever have -- the men and women who volunteer to serve our nation in uniform."

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CENTCOM Official: Actions Must Match Words in Africa, Middle East

By Tim Kilbride
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 7, 2007 – Behind the spotlight on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command is working to bring about "a secure, stable, partnered region" in the Middle East and Horn of Africa, a senior officer in the command said yesterday. In a call with online journalists and military "bloggers," Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert Holmes, deputy director of operations for U.S. Central Command, identified five focus areas for the region laid out by CENTCOM commander Navy Adm. William Fallon.

They include:

-- "Set the conditions for stability in Iraq" by engaging states throughout the region, while managing U.S. interagency relationships to support the needs of Multinational Force Iraq;

-- "Expand governance and security in Afghanistan" through similar regional and U.S. engagements as with Iraq;

-- "Degrade violent extremist networks and operations" with a priority on defeating al Qaeda;

-- "Strengthen the relationship and influence the states within our region," while also working with organizations that contribute to regional stability and the free flow of international commerce; and

-- "Posture a force within Central Command that can build and sustain joint and combined warfighting capability and readiness."

As a combatant command, CENTCOM's focus is regionwide, Holmes said.

"A lot of times I think folks forget that," he said. "That region provides some ungoverned space where bad actors, extreme actors want to grow and do what they can to destabilize the region and ultimately destabilize the international community."

Because of the size of the area of responsibility and the complexity of the issues facing it, Holmes said, partnerships with states in the region become essential to promoting governance and defeating terrorism in a sustainable fashion.

To that end, he explained, CENTCOM has adopted an outreach regimen to engage "the military and the leaders in the more moderate states" with the aim of increasing the prospects for long-term stability.

Emphasizing the commonality of the threats and challenges facing the region is necessary to ensure success there, Holmes said. Groups like the Gulf Cooperation Council become needed participants in the effort, he said.

"The key is very vocal support and advocacy that we're committed as a partner in the region," Holmes explained. "It's not to put a stamp, 'Made in the USA.'"

Rather, he said, "I think the encouraging thing we see is dialogue -- with the U.S. being a partner in that dialogue -- for regional actors to bring their powers to bear in the region."

The U.S. message to the Middle East and Horn of Africa states thus becomes, "We're not here to do it for you. We're here to assist and partner," Holmes said.

Military partnerships, in particular, serve as force multipliers, Holmes explained. As states in the region develop capable military forces and gain the tools necessary to better govern their territories, he said, they can begin to take the lead in killing or capturing terrorists and high-value individuals.

At the same time, Holmes said, humanitarian-relief efforts build bonds of trust with local communities and do their own part toward enabling stable governance.

Regarding the Horn of Africa in particular, he said, "I think it's very important that we engage there. And the foot in the door there, honestly, is humanitarian operations. I think we cannot understate the importance of the immediate needs of people when they are without governance."

To assist in that mission, the general explained, 1,300 U.S. military personnel are stationed in the Horn of Africa, working closely with the U.S. embassies there to identify and answer humanitarian challenges.

"Ultimately that is ... a softer instrument of military power, which then over time builds capacity with regard to combating terrorism and other challenges," Holmes said.

"It's a very effective use of the full range of military capacity," he added. "I think as we look at the region, you will see Central Command saying, 'Look, use all of my instruments of power. Don't just look at me for my kinetics.'"

Given the challenge of religious extremism prevalent in the region, Holmes said, supporting centrist leaders in the target populations is another factor in promoting long-term stability.

When looking for the center of gravity in the fight, he said, "it's not either or Iraq or Afghanistan. Ultimately it is the moderate voice of the people of the region."

Neither war front can swing the regional pendulum in favor of freedom and democracy without a more general effort to forge bonds with every country there, Holmes said. The U.S. is committed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, he clarified, but winning in one country without partnering with the region would be "short-sighted."

Part of that regional message, however, needs to be a commitment to staying in Iraq and Afghanistan until a stable outcome is reached, Holmes said. Our actions there help set the tone for regional relations overall, he observed.

"I'll be very honest with you," he said. "I'm not so naive as to think that there (aren't) many eyes watching from our partners in the Middle East in the CENTCOM region that are saying, 'What will the U.S. do? What will the military do?'"

Communicating our commitment to the target populations is the function of public diplomacy and strategic communications, involving a joint effort between Central Command and the State Department, Holmes said. This communication also includes the use of information operations as a counter to extremist propaganda, he noted.

"This is an enemy that is extreme; it is violent, and it is going to use information to serve its purpose," he explained. "On our hand, we look at how we counter that violent information or that propaganda with truthful information."

The challenge placed before the United States is having our policy and operations match the messages we put to the Middle Eastern and North African audiences, Holmes said, describing a lesson he picked up from the Eugene Burdick, William Lederer novel "The Ugly American."

"We have to look at what we do and what we say, and they have to be in synch with each other," Holmes said. "And for years maybe we haven't done that very well."

Thus U.S. Central Command's current doctrine, he said, is to communicate its priorities and stick by them.

(Tim Kilbride is assigned to New Media, American Forces Information Service.)

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Combat Photographer Braves Bullets to Tell Military's Story

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

June 7, 2007 – An award-winning Air Force photographer routinely braves bullets and bombs to tell the military's story through the lenses of his Nikon cameras. Combat photographer Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock is the Defense Department's Military Photographer of the Year for 2007. Lock also earned that honor in 2002 and 2005.

The 15-year Air Force veteran is assigned to the 1st Combat Camera Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. Lock has photographed U.S. servicemembers in action during multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Combat camera photographers document military operations from around the world, and their photos are routinely viewed by senior Pentagon leaders, Lock said. "We're the eyes and ears of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," he explained.

Lock's photos have appeared in major publications, including the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

His photos also are featured in the book titled, "A Day in the Life of the United States' Armed Forces," along with work by 125 of the world's-best photojournalists.

"A good photo will tell the whole story in a split-second of a frame," Lock said. "It leaves a lasting impression and will be etched into your mind."

Combat photographers "are pretty much given free rein" wherever they're sent, the 36-year-old Lock said. Working in Iraq last summer, Lock took photos of military operations in Mosul and Ramadi.

"We go and search out stories" to photograph, the Dayton, Ohio, native said, noting that combat photographers are normally paired with military combat videographers and embedded with units as they perform their missions.

Lock employs two Nikon D2X digital cameras, one fitted with a wide-angle lens, the other with a telephoto, when he photographs combat-zone actions of U.S. servicemembers during "patrols, raids, whatever."

One of Lock's most poignant photos among his award-winning portfolio was taken in Iraq in August 2006. The image depicts a grimacing Iraqi citizen sprawled across a Ramadi street. The Iraqi was caught in the middle of a firefight between U.S. troops and insurgents, he said.

"We really don't know who shot him," Lock recalled. "We did a traffic control stop, and right before we mounted up, one of our soldiers took a bullet to the back and we got into a gunfight. After searching houses, this guy was found lying wounded on his side."

The Iraqi had been hit in the hip, Lock said, noting the injured man received medical treatment by U.S. medics and survived.

The wounded Iraqi's photo was intentionally taken from an angle, Lock noted.

"I just tried to show the viewer something different than what the normal eye would see," the veteran photographer explained.

Lock carries a 9 mm Beretta automatic pistol along with his Nikons, "so that when we're put on a team with the Army, Marines and Special Forces, we become an asset, not a hindrance." Combat troops and their photographers take turns "watching each others' backs," he noted.

Lock said he has been shot at "quite a few times" during his war-zone tours, but has emerged unscathed. He admits that his blood pressure rises during such situations.

During firefights, "adrenalin starts rushing, and your training kicks in," Lock explained. "I tend not to be scared until the night before a mission or just afterward."

Despite the danger, combat photographers have "the best job in the military," Lock emphasized.

"If I want to go flying in a plane one day, I can do that; if I want to go ride in a tank the next day, I can do that," he explained. "We have the freedom to be creative and tell stories about many, many people."

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Vice Chairman Provides Guidance to NDU Graduates
By Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 7, 2007 – The United States and its allies are engaged in a long war that will require continuing international partnerships, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today. Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani addressed more than 1,000 people in attendance at the National Defense University Graduation, including the 559 combined U.S. and international graduates from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, the National War College and the School for National Security Executive Education.

"This long war engages us with allies and partners around the world, beginning with our continuing mission in Afghanistan against al Qaeda and the Taliban," Giambastiani said. "But it extends far beyond Afghanistan now.

"In Iraq with our coalition partners, we are engaged in a continuing struggle to establish a decent society at peace with itself and with its neighbors in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world."

The admiral said it is critical to build alliances to respond to a wide range of possible contingencies.

"We are working around the world to build partner capacity to eliminate terrorist and criminal safe havens, to respond to natural disasters and humanitarian crises, and to extend the rule of law and the blessings of liberty," he said.

The "long war" is also a much different war than what transpired during the latter half of the 20th century, he said.

"It is, in my view, much more challenging than the relative certainties of the Cold War in which I grew up professionally," he said. "In those good old days, so to speak, we faced an identified enemy and a well-understood threat. Today, our enemy wears no uniform and defends no borders, avoids the responsibilities of government, flouts the laws of armed conflict, and employs technological know-how and operational agility informed by a ruthless intent, while at the same time sowing the seeds of doubt in our populace."

The admiral said this type of war presents enormous challenges that a year at National Defense University will help the graduates face with more knowledge and better skills.

"We need you to get back to this hard work before us, invigorated by a year of reflection, armed with new ways of thought and sustained by the camaraderie you have built during your year here."

To accomplish this, there needs to be strong cooperation throughout government and with "application of all our instruments of capability, power and influence," he said.

"Without these, we may win each tactical engagement but unable to win the peace and prosperity that is our strategic goal."

For the U.S. servicemembers, Giambastiani said most of them had been battle tested already and will leave to serve as combat commanders, which will require them to use the tools they learned at NDU.

"All of you will have to think hard about how your efforts contribute to the campaign; about how to achieve the effects desired; and - indeed - to think fundamentally about what outcomes we can and should achieve in our military operations around the world," the admiral said. "We have a thinking, adaptive and ruthless enemy. You must outthink him and you must outfight him even as you maintain the values of our nation and uphold the honorable traditions of our United States armed forces."

The admiral also had a distinct message for the allied members of the audience.

"I have consistently maintained that in operations around the world, the United States military will need capable and committed partners," Giambastiani said. "I think this is even more true today. The knowledge you take back with you will be critical to our ability to work together on common problems, with a common framework, in a professional and productive manner. Even more importantly, the relationships of trust and confidence that you have built will pay enormous dividends for all of our nations in the future."

For all the class to succeed, he said, the graduates will require an ability to convey complex ideas in a clear, compelling and straightforward manner.

"The essence of effective communications is a radical simplicity that enlightens, rather than a mass of detail that simply confuses," Giambastiani said. "The audiences you will need to communicate too are wider and more diverse than ever before and include your fellow citizens, national leaders, media representatives and the troops you have been privileged to lead. And without such an ability to communicate, the lessons you have learned here at the National Defense University and throughout your career can't be applied effectively, if at all."

(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump is assigned to the Joint Staff public affairs office.)

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