By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
June 21, 2007 – A typical-looking 747 aircraft on the tarmac here today -- distinguishable from other 747s only by its glass, bulb-shaped nose -- could one day be the silver bullet that shoots ballistic missiles out of the sky. But what's revolutionary about the prototype Airborne Laser aircraft, which arrived last night after its first nonstop cross-country flight, is that it won't use bullets to take out its target, explained Air Force Col. John Daniels, program director.
It will use light.
"What makes this revolutionary is that you can engage targets at the speed of light - 186,000 miles per second," Daniels said. "So we can go from New York to Los Angeles before you can blink your eye. Think about that. You can't blink your eye faster than this weapon system or a beam of light goes across the country."
The Airborne Laser is being developed as an integral part of the ballistic missile defense system to protect the United States, its allies and its deployed troops against a ballistic missile attack, he explained. An advanced detection-and-tracking system, state-of-the-art optics and a high-energy laser would detect a missile launch and track it during the boost phase.
The world's largest turret assembly, encased in the glass-enclosed aircraft nose, would track the missile and determine a precise aim point. A laser would measure disturbances in the atmosphere and adjust the on-board optics to account for them.
Another laser would fire a beam - technically, a "megawatt-class chemical oxygen iodine laser beam" - to zap the missile until it breaks apart.
As futuristic as this concept sounds, the Airborne Laser project is moving steadily forward. Flight tests on the Airborne Laser are slated to wrap up this summer at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
The chemical laser has had more than 70 successful firings over the past three years, and will be installed aboard the aircraft starting later this year in preparation for the first shootdown of a ballistic missile target, scheduled in mid-2009.
"We are going to put that big laser in the back ... and then we're ready to shoot a missile down," Daniels said. "So it's a pretty exciting time to be on the program. The biggest challenge we have right now is integration. The optics system is working. The battle management system works well. We even tracked an (intercontinental ballistic missile) with the sensors on the airplane. ... The laser works well on the ground."
Putting all that capability together and having it operate effectively is a much more significant step, he said.
"When you put those big pieces together, and you get the software talking to each other and the systems, that's not trivial. It's really an integration challenge," he said. "No miracles are needed, but the integration step is not easy."
Lessons learned from this initial prototype, with the tail number "0001," will be incorporated into a "production representative" model that is easier to operate and maintain and less expensive to build, he said. "That's the whole purpose of this plane, to give us those lessons learned so we know what to do different on the second airplane."
Ultimately, the Air Force hopes to have seven Airborne Laser aircraft. Plans call for them to be based in the United States, at a base with a long runway and the infrastructure needed to support large aircraft, Daniels said.
"But they would be forward-operated, depending upon the threat," Daniels aid. "If you had threats in multiple parts of the world, it is probably commonsensical that a commander may decide to send a few planes one place and a few planes somewhere else."
Aircraft would take off loaded with enough chemicals that, with aerial refueling, could get where they needed to be quickly and be able to operate for as long as possible. A single chemical load would be able to destroy "many, many missiles," Daniels said.
The Missile Defense Agency manages the Airborne Laser program, which is based at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
The Airborne Laser is slated to return tonight to Edwards for more testing.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Camp Humphreys Development Rises from Rice Paddies
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
June 21, 2007 – As the U.S. military transforms its forces from a cold-war formation in South Korea, nowhere is the growth more visible than here, in what used to be considered a "sleepy little camp with not much happening," officials here said. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, toured the camp today, talking to troops, reviewing the camp's building progress and receiving an update on its plans for growth.
As one of only two planned "enduring hubs," Camp Humphreys is expected to grow by as much as 500 percent by 2012, rocketing from its current 3,500-troop population to more than 17,000, and making it the largest installation on the peninsula.
Combined with family members, civilian staff and contractors, the population is expected to grow to more than 44,000, according to official estimates.
Camp Humphreys is in Pyeongtaek City, about 55 miles, or a two-hour bus ride, south of Seoul. It's home to U.S. Army Garrison Command and the Area III Support Activity of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command Korea.
Nicknamed "The Hump," until about five years ago, the installation offered little to the troops serving here. Most of the troops traveled about 25 miles north to Osan Air Base for the nicer amenities.
Now, the biggest problem the camp faces is not being able to build fast enough. In Rubik's-cube fashion, engineers have to plan which buildings to tear down and which to build to maintain consistency in services. Nearly 95 percent of the current buildings will be torn down and replaced, said Fred Davis Jr., who is assigned to the Korea Relocation Program Office of the Army Relocation Branch for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Far East District.
Already in the past handful of years, troops serving on the aviation installation have seen new family housing, new barracks, a water park and a new post exchange and commissary complex. The intent, officials here said, is to turn the installation into a "tour of choice."
This would be a drastic turn from a decade ago, when it was largely a single-servicemember's tour, offering family housing only to those in senior leadership.
Under the transformation plan, all U.S. troops in South Korea will move south of Seoul. Officials will turn over to the South Korean government 104 camps and bases scattered across the country. Overall, by 2012, officials plan to reduce the 48,000-acre U.S. footprint in the country by two-thirds and reduce the number of troops from 37,500 to about 25,000.
New barracks are springing up on the installation where once only tents existed for training exercises. Because of the condensed population, official are building high-rise complexes designed for servicemembers to live, work, eat and play all within walking distance.
By 2008, officials will have consolidated much of the 2nd Infantry Division, closed 36 camps and bases, and started developing the two enduring hubs. Camp Humphreys will be one hub combined with neighboring Osan Air Base, and Daegu to the southeast will be the other, with its neighboring Marine Camp Mujuk and the Navy's fleet activities base at Chinhae.
Camp Humphreys will become home to both U.S. Forces Korea and 8th U.S. Army headquarters, as well as a host of other tenant units.
Joint training facilities are planned for Kunsan Air Base in the lower southwest portion of South Korea, two just south of Seoul and one to the north near the demilitarized zone.
The Camp Humphreys family member population is expected to grow by almost 1,000 percent, from about 1,400 to more than 13,000.
In response, engineers are planning multiple housing projects that will offer parks, shopping, dining and entertainment, also all within walking distance.
Two apartment-style family housing units opened recently, with one more scheduled to open in September. Future housing plans call for 33 more 12-story buildings housing up to 72 families each.
Three elementary schools are planned, as well as a middle school and a high school. Currently, the camp has an elementary school and a middle school. High school students ride buses north to Osan.
Seventeen building projects worth more than $542 million are in design at Camp Humphreys. Fourteen projects now under construction are worth more than $215 million.
The cost of the relocation is largely being paid for by the by Republic of Korean government. It is shelling out half of the $8.25 billion needed for the planned 630 new facilities at Camp Humphreys. Other Korean government funding will pay another 22 percent, and private investments make up about 21 percent. The U.S. military construction costs are just under 10 percent.
In exchange, the Korean government is getting back prime real estate in and around Seoul and in other hot spots in the country.
Camp Humphreys sits on about 1,200 acres now, but in three phases of land-use agreements, it's expected to grow to more than 3,500 acres. All agreements are in the works, officials said, and the deals should be closed by the end of summer.
Military officials believe these changes, combined with extended tours and more authorized family accompaniments will help remove the decades-old image of isolated duty in run-down camps and will encourage servicemembers and families to welcome a tour of duty here.
"The move to Camp Humphreys, the consolidation of U.S. forces here in Korea, will allow us to concentrate our precious resources and increase the quality of life of our servicemembers a hundredfold," said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Barry C. Wheeler, U.S. Forces Korea and 8th U.S. Army command sergeant major.
Wheeler first came to Korea in 1975 and has returned over the years to serve in various positions here, including as the 2nd Infantry Division command sergeant major. When he was first stationed here, Wheeler said, he stayed in open-bay Quonset huts with "35 of his closest friends."
He said the best thing about serving here is the warmth and hospitality of the Korean people.
"If you ever get a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine to Korea, they don't want to leave. It's because of the warmth of the people," he said. "They understand why we are here. They want us to be here."
Wheeler said there is nothing hard about serving in Korea, except for being without your family and possibly your vehicle.
In response, USFK officials are expected to soon ask the Defense Department for more than double the allowance for current command-sponsored families, from 2,800 to nearly 6,000. Some 3,000 non-command-sponsored families already are here, Wheeler said. Still, more than 90 percent of the troops serving here do so unaccompanied.
Congress has to authorize lengthening the tours here, and the Korean government also has a say.
Wheeler said many servicemembers don't want to add another one-year tour away from their families after serving tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"When our servicemembers get back from a deployment from Iraq or Afghanistan and then find themselves on orders for Korea, they are going to (want to) bring their families. We may as well get it ready for them," Wheeler said.
"They are bringing them because the country is a great place to serve. And they are electing with their pocketbooks to expend those resources to bring their families because they are not going to be without them," he said.
Non-command-sponsored family members are not authorized family housing and are placed in other military programs on a space-available basis. There are also other health care benefit differences between command-sponsored family members and unsponsored ones.
"Not a day goes by that we don't think about the quality of life for our servicemembers," Wheeler said. "Our men and women serving here should know that the concern their leaders should have for their family members is there, and we look for ways to improve it every opportunity we get."
American Forces Press Service
June 21, 2007 – As the U.S. military transforms its forces from a cold-war formation in South Korea, nowhere is the growth more visible than here, in what used to be considered a "sleepy little camp with not much happening," officials here said. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, toured the camp today, talking to troops, reviewing the camp's building progress and receiving an update on its plans for growth.
As one of only two planned "enduring hubs," Camp Humphreys is expected to grow by as much as 500 percent by 2012, rocketing from its current 3,500-troop population to more than 17,000, and making it the largest installation on the peninsula.
Combined with family members, civilian staff and contractors, the population is expected to grow to more than 44,000, according to official estimates.
Camp Humphreys is in Pyeongtaek City, about 55 miles, or a two-hour bus ride, south of Seoul. It's home to U.S. Army Garrison Command and the Area III Support Activity of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command Korea.
Nicknamed "The Hump," until about five years ago, the installation offered little to the troops serving here. Most of the troops traveled about 25 miles north to Osan Air Base for the nicer amenities.
Now, the biggest problem the camp faces is not being able to build fast enough. In Rubik's-cube fashion, engineers have to plan which buildings to tear down and which to build to maintain consistency in services. Nearly 95 percent of the current buildings will be torn down and replaced, said Fred Davis Jr., who is assigned to the Korea Relocation Program Office of the Army Relocation Branch for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Far East District.
Already in the past handful of years, troops serving on the aviation installation have seen new family housing, new barracks, a water park and a new post exchange and commissary complex. The intent, officials here said, is to turn the installation into a "tour of choice."
This would be a drastic turn from a decade ago, when it was largely a single-servicemember's tour, offering family housing only to those in senior leadership.
Under the transformation plan, all U.S. troops in South Korea will move south of Seoul. Officials will turn over to the South Korean government 104 camps and bases scattered across the country. Overall, by 2012, officials plan to reduce the 48,000-acre U.S. footprint in the country by two-thirds and reduce the number of troops from 37,500 to about 25,000.
New barracks are springing up on the installation where once only tents existed for training exercises. Because of the condensed population, official are building high-rise complexes designed for servicemembers to live, work, eat and play all within walking distance.
By 2008, officials will have consolidated much of the 2nd Infantry Division, closed 36 camps and bases, and started developing the two enduring hubs. Camp Humphreys will be one hub combined with neighboring Osan Air Base, and Daegu to the southeast will be the other, with its neighboring Marine Camp Mujuk and the Navy's fleet activities base at Chinhae.
Camp Humphreys will become home to both U.S. Forces Korea and 8th U.S. Army headquarters, as well as a host of other tenant units.
Joint training facilities are planned for Kunsan Air Base in the lower southwest portion of South Korea, two just south of Seoul and one to the north near the demilitarized zone.
The Camp Humphreys family member population is expected to grow by almost 1,000 percent, from about 1,400 to more than 13,000.
In response, engineers are planning multiple housing projects that will offer parks, shopping, dining and entertainment, also all within walking distance.
Two apartment-style family housing units opened recently, with one more scheduled to open in September. Future housing plans call for 33 more 12-story buildings housing up to 72 families each.
Three elementary schools are planned, as well as a middle school and a high school. Currently, the camp has an elementary school and a middle school. High school students ride buses north to Osan.
Seventeen building projects worth more than $542 million are in design at Camp Humphreys. Fourteen projects now under construction are worth more than $215 million.
The cost of the relocation is largely being paid for by the by Republic of Korean government. It is shelling out half of the $8.25 billion needed for the planned 630 new facilities at Camp Humphreys. Other Korean government funding will pay another 22 percent, and private investments make up about 21 percent. The U.S. military construction costs are just under 10 percent.
In exchange, the Korean government is getting back prime real estate in and around Seoul and in other hot spots in the country.
Camp Humphreys sits on about 1,200 acres now, but in three phases of land-use agreements, it's expected to grow to more than 3,500 acres. All agreements are in the works, officials said, and the deals should be closed by the end of summer.
Military officials believe these changes, combined with extended tours and more authorized family accompaniments will help remove the decades-old image of isolated duty in run-down camps and will encourage servicemembers and families to welcome a tour of duty here.
"The move to Camp Humphreys, the consolidation of U.S. forces here in Korea, will allow us to concentrate our precious resources and increase the quality of life of our servicemembers a hundredfold," said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Barry C. Wheeler, U.S. Forces Korea and 8th U.S. Army command sergeant major.
Wheeler first came to Korea in 1975 and has returned over the years to serve in various positions here, including as the 2nd Infantry Division command sergeant major. When he was first stationed here, Wheeler said, he stayed in open-bay Quonset huts with "35 of his closest friends."
He said the best thing about serving here is the warmth and hospitality of the Korean people.
"If you ever get a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine to Korea, they don't want to leave. It's because of the warmth of the people," he said. "They understand why we are here. They want us to be here."
Wheeler said there is nothing hard about serving in Korea, except for being without your family and possibly your vehicle.
In response, USFK officials are expected to soon ask the Defense Department for more than double the allowance for current command-sponsored families, from 2,800 to nearly 6,000. Some 3,000 non-command-sponsored families already are here, Wheeler said. Still, more than 90 percent of the troops serving here do so unaccompanied.
Congress has to authorize lengthening the tours here, and the Korean government also has a say.
Wheeler said many servicemembers don't want to add another one-year tour away from their families after serving tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"When our servicemembers get back from a deployment from Iraq or Afghanistan and then find themselves on orders for Korea, they are going to (want to) bring their families. We may as well get it ready for them," Wheeler said.
"They are bringing them because the country is a great place to serve. And they are electing with their pocketbooks to expend those resources to bring their families because they are not going to be without them," he said.
Non-command-sponsored family members are not authorized family housing and are placed in other military programs on a space-available basis. There are also other health care benefit differences between command-sponsored family members and unsponsored ones.
"Not a day goes by that we don't think about the quality of life for our servicemembers," Wheeler said. "Our men and women serving here should know that the concern their leaders should have for their family members is there, and we look for ways to improve it every opportunity we get."
Walter Reed Weapons Training System Gets Troops Back to Shooting
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
June 21, 2007 – Marine Lance Corporal Eric Frazier, a reservist out of Nashville Tenn., thought his life had stopped -- not when his humvee was hit by a bomb in Iraq last year, but when he woke up and saw his arm in a cast and his legs gone. For the lanky country boy who had hunted the hills of Tennessee since he was old enough to carry a Red Ryder BB gun, being outside -- in the woods, walking the trails -- was his life.
"The first thing I woke up and I seen my arm was in a big ol' Styrofoam holder thing and I had lost my legs I was like, 'I'm just not going to be able to shoot,'" Frazier said.
"Your life kind of stops. You're like, 'What am I going to now?'" he said.
But across the street from the bustling physical and occupational therapy rooms at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, there is a small metal building where Frazier was able to learn to shoot again and to gain at least that part of his life back.
The Fire Arms Training System is part of occupational therapy at the center. It teaches servicemembers how to adjust to their injuries and how to fire military weapons despite new limitations. A computer system runs scenarios, and servicemembers fire a variety of electronically integrated weapons at a large screen. The results are digitally tallied in a computer, and progress is charted.
With its combat-based scenarios, the system helps some feel like soldiers and Marines again, but for Frazier and others who grew up shooting, it also provides an opportunity to feel normal again.
The program was the first therapeutic program with fire arms for military medicine, program manager Barry Yancosek said.
"From the research that we've done, we're using the best system to provide the most advanced therapy that the military is offering with firearms," he said.
Until recently, Walter Reed was the only site offering the program, but now the newly opened Center for the Intrepid at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, also offers the same therapy.
The program started as a pilot in June 2005, costing only about $100,000. The Fire Arms Training System is a commercial program sold worldwide. Each software package is tailored for the purchaser. The Army's qualification standards and pop-up target ranges are built into the program for the center, as well as some video-based combat scenarios.
Patients start with basic marksmanship training and practice shooting a "zero," or a close three-round shot grouping, then move on to the Army standard pop-up target lanes.
Yancosek said he initially wanted to see if soldiers suffering upper extremity injuries could learn to re-qualify with their weapons, a basic common task in the Army.
After 10 hours of training using the system, the first patients participating showed a 30 percent increase in their overall score, hitting an average of 90 percent of the targets. Only one in the program failed to qualify to the Army standard, Yancosek said.
"A lot of them say that this is one therapy that makes them feel like a soldier or a Marine again," he said.
An avid outdoorsman for more than 30 years, Yancosek said he found hunting was a common interest among most of the shooters. That led to taking groups of patients on hunting trips as part of their occupational therapy.
"A lot of these young men were hunters long before they said, 'I do' to the service, so it was a natural progression for them to want to go out and hunt," Yancosek said.
In the past two years, groups of patients have gone on many hunts, including duck, goose, elk, antelope, turkey and deer hunts, he said.
"That's the awesome thing about this," Frazier said. "It lets me know that ... I can still shoot even like I am now, and I'm not even healed yet."
Frazier recently bought parts to make his own 1,000-yard rifle. A competitive shooter before he joined the Marine Corps, Frazier was the top shot in his company at boot camp. Now, despite his injuries, he plans to return to the land owned by his great grandmother and return to the sport he loves.
American Forces Press Service
June 21, 2007 – Marine Lance Corporal Eric Frazier, a reservist out of Nashville Tenn., thought his life had stopped -- not when his humvee was hit by a bomb in Iraq last year, but when he woke up and saw his arm in a cast and his legs gone. For the lanky country boy who had hunted the hills of Tennessee since he was old enough to carry a Red Ryder BB gun, being outside -- in the woods, walking the trails -- was his life.
"The first thing I woke up and I seen my arm was in a big ol' Styrofoam holder thing and I had lost my legs I was like, 'I'm just not going to be able to shoot,'" Frazier said.
"Your life kind of stops. You're like, 'What am I going to now?'" he said.
But across the street from the bustling physical and occupational therapy rooms at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, there is a small metal building where Frazier was able to learn to shoot again and to gain at least that part of his life back.
The Fire Arms Training System is part of occupational therapy at the center. It teaches servicemembers how to adjust to their injuries and how to fire military weapons despite new limitations. A computer system runs scenarios, and servicemembers fire a variety of electronically integrated weapons at a large screen. The results are digitally tallied in a computer, and progress is charted.
With its combat-based scenarios, the system helps some feel like soldiers and Marines again, but for Frazier and others who grew up shooting, it also provides an opportunity to feel normal again.
The program was the first therapeutic program with fire arms for military medicine, program manager Barry Yancosek said.
"From the research that we've done, we're using the best system to provide the most advanced therapy that the military is offering with firearms," he said.
Until recently, Walter Reed was the only site offering the program, but now the newly opened Center for the Intrepid at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, also offers the same therapy.
The program started as a pilot in June 2005, costing only about $100,000. The Fire Arms Training System is a commercial program sold worldwide. Each software package is tailored for the purchaser. The Army's qualification standards and pop-up target ranges are built into the program for the center, as well as some video-based combat scenarios.
Patients start with basic marksmanship training and practice shooting a "zero," or a close three-round shot grouping, then move on to the Army standard pop-up target lanes.
Yancosek said he initially wanted to see if soldiers suffering upper extremity injuries could learn to re-qualify with their weapons, a basic common task in the Army.
After 10 hours of training using the system, the first patients participating showed a 30 percent increase in their overall score, hitting an average of 90 percent of the targets. Only one in the program failed to qualify to the Army standard, Yancosek said.
"A lot of them say that this is one therapy that makes them feel like a soldier or a Marine again," he said.
An avid outdoorsman for more than 30 years, Yancosek said he found hunting was a common interest among most of the shooters. That led to taking groups of patients on hunting trips as part of their occupational therapy.
"A lot of these young men were hunters long before they said, 'I do' to the service, so it was a natural progression for them to want to go out and hunt," Yancosek said.
In the past two years, groups of patients have gone on many hunts, including duck, goose, elk, antelope, turkey and deer hunts, he said.
"That's the awesome thing about this," Frazier said. "It lets me know that ... I can still shoot even like I am now, and I'm not even healed yet."
Frazier recently bought parts to make his own 1,000-yard rifle. A competitive shooter before he joined the Marine Corps, Frazier was the top shot in his company at boot camp. Now, despite his injuries, he plans to return to the land owned by his great grandmother and return to the sport he loves.
Vice Chairman Answers Soldiers' Questions
By Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
June 21, 2007 – The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division here yesterday, thanking them for their service and telling them better equipment is on the way. Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani met with the soldiers to find out if they had the tools needed to do their job and to answer questions about issues in Iraq.
After having breakfast with the soldiers, Giambastiani started off by thanking them for what they do every day.
"You're doing incredibly important work and, as you can imagine, the world is watching exactly what's going on here," he said. "They're watching literally every minute of the day. ... It's not just bad folks watching, but all the folks back home who want to know how you're doing."
In addition to being there to thank them, the admiral said, he wanted to see if the troops had the right equipment to help them be successful.
One of the issues the admiral was asked about was the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, or MRAP, vehicle. Giambastiani, who led a May trip by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., to observe MRAP testing, said the vehicles were on the way to the theater as quickly as they could be procured. He said the vehicles will come via air at first, then, when production increases, by a 27-day shipping process.
The admiral also addressed a question from a soldier who was concerned the MRAP might simply go to the lowest bidder.
"I sign the military requirements for MRAP," Giambastiani said. "It doesn't say anything in there about going to the cheapest bidder. It says you have to pass certain tests."
Giambastiani also cautioned that the vehicle is not an end-all solution: "I think the human eyeball and, to be frank with you, the day-to-day patrolling soldier is still the most effective weapon" against insurgents.
The admiral said the Defense Department is working on various other projects, to include providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance techniques, unmanned aerial vehicles and manned aircraft to go after targets, track bomb makers and interdict weapons delivery.
Giambastiani said the department also is procuring a number of 106-foot towers to be used for persistent surveillance. The towers, which have a generator and can be towed by a 5-ton truck, provide the capability of using infrared to "look out" for the enemy, he said.
The admiral also talked about translation software that is currently being tested that will allow users to speak English into a handheld device and get Arabic translation.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump is assigned to the Joint Staff public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
June 21, 2007 – The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division here yesterday, thanking them for their service and telling them better equipment is on the way. Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani met with the soldiers to find out if they had the tools needed to do their job and to answer questions about issues in Iraq.
After having breakfast with the soldiers, Giambastiani started off by thanking them for what they do every day.
"You're doing incredibly important work and, as you can imagine, the world is watching exactly what's going on here," he said. "They're watching literally every minute of the day. ... It's not just bad folks watching, but all the folks back home who want to know how you're doing."
In addition to being there to thank them, the admiral said, he wanted to see if the troops had the right equipment to help them be successful.
One of the issues the admiral was asked about was the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, or MRAP, vehicle. Giambastiani, who led a May trip by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., to observe MRAP testing, said the vehicles were on the way to the theater as quickly as they could be procured. He said the vehicles will come via air at first, then, when production increases, by a 27-day shipping process.
The admiral also addressed a question from a soldier who was concerned the MRAP might simply go to the lowest bidder.
"I sign the military requirements for MRAP," Giambastiani said. "It doesn't say anything in there about going to the cheapest bidder. It says you have to pass certain tests."
Giambastiani also cautioned that the vehicle is not an end-all solution: "I think the human eyeball and, to be frank with you, the day-to-day patrolling soldier is still the most effective weapon" against insurgents.
The admiral said the Defense Department is working on various other projects, to include providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance techniques, unmanned aerial vehicles and manned aircraft to go after targets, track bomb makers and interdict weapons delivery.
Giambastiani said the department also is procuring a number of 106-foot towers to be used for persistent surveillance. The towers, which have a generator and can be towed by a 5-ton truck, provide the capability of using infrared to "look out" for the enemy, he said.
The admiral also talked about translation software that is currently being tested that will allow users to speak English into a handheld device and get Arabic translation.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump is assigned to the Joint Staff public affairs office.)
'Virtual Installation' Aims to Extend Big-Base Support to Small-Town America
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
June 21, 2007 – Laura Stultz may have never been in the military herself, but she's had lots of experience holding down the home front, far from the nearest military installation, when her soldier deploys. Now, with her soldier-husband serving as chief of the Army Reserve, Stultz feels a personal responsibility to make things smoother for other Army Reserve spouses who keep the home fires burning during deployments.
One way she hopes to do that is through a concept she's dubbed "the virtual installation." The idea, Army Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz explained, is to make the information, services and support offered at big bases available to families either through the Internet or through local soldier support centers.
The general acknowledged that all spouses face hardships when their loved ones deploy - regardless of whether they're active-duty, National Guard or Reserve. But unlike active-duty families who can turn to their local post for help if they need it, Army Reserve families often live far from an Army post and don't know how to tap into the services offered, Laura reminded her husband.
"She said, 'If I am living on an installation, I have Army Community Services, child and youth services, legal support, medical support, the Red Cross. I can go to Army Emergency Relief if I need to get help," Stultz said. He paused, then continued her point: "But if I am in Pocatella, Idaho, who do I turn to?"
That quandary led Laura Stultz to come up with the virtual installation concept.
"In our vision, we are really community-based, not installation-based," Stultz said. "And (Laura) says every community needs to be a virtual installation. She says, 'I want everybody living in small-town America to have the same support as if they were living on an installation.'"
Stultz sees two ways the virtual installation concept might work. It could be Internet-based, enabling Army Reserve families to use their computers to get the information, support and services they'd find at an Army post.
Another idea is to set up offices around the country, staffed by volunteers to assist military families. Stultz said he envisions "soldier support centers" around the country, possibly sharing space with the local American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars or other organization.
"Everybody in the community would know where the soldier support center is, and they'd know that if you're in the military and you need help, that's where you go," he said.
Stultz said the virtual installation would service active-duty as well as reserve-component families from all branches of the military.
"It's bigger than the Army Reserve," Stultz said, noting that families of active-duty troops often leave their post and return to their hometowns when their loved one is deployed. "The idea would be, if you're in the military and in that community, that's where you can go to get help," he said.
Stultz called the virtual installation an important step toward his goal of taking better care of Army Reserve families. After all, he said, the Army Reserve recruits soldiers, but it retains families. "And we have to do a better job of reaching out to those families," he said.
And if anybody understands families' needs, it's someone who's been in their shoes, like his own wife.
"She has lived it," Stultz said. "She has had to be the one at home to take care of the kids and all at various stages when they were growing up. So she has lived it."
Since Stultz left active duty to join the Army Reserve in 1979, he was deployed for Operation Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991, for Operation Joint Endeavor in 1997 and for operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom from 2002 to 2004.
Each time, Laura Stultz took on the household chores her husband typically handled and singlehandedly cared for the couple's four children.
"And now that she's the wife of the chief of the Army Reserve, she says, 'I have an obligation, because I want to make it better for the wives of the soldiers out there than it was for me," Stultz said of his wife.
American Forces Press Service
June 21, 2007 – Laura Stultz may have never been in the military herself, but she's had lots of experience holding down the home front, far from the nearest military installation, when her soldier deploys. Now, with her soldier-husband serving as chief of the Army Reserve, Stultz feels a personal responsibility to make things smoother for other Army Reserve spouses who keep the home fires burning during deployments.
One way she hopes to do that is through a concept she's dubbed "the virtual installation." The idea, Army Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz explained, is to make the information, services and support offered at big bases available to families either through the Internet or through local soldier support centers.
The general acknowledged that all spouses face hardships when their loved ones deploy - regardless of whether they're active-duty, National Guard or Reserve. But unlike active-duty families who can turn to their local post for help if they need it, Army Reserve families often live far from an Army post and don't know how to tap into the services offered, Laura reminded her husband.
"She said, 'If I am living on an installation, I have Army Community Services, child and youth services, legal support, medical support, the Red Cross. I can go to Army Emergency Relief if I need to get help," Stultz said. He paused, then continued her point: "But if I am in Pocatella, Idaho, who do I turn to?"
That quandary led Laura Stultz to come up with the virtual installation concept.
"In our vision, we are really community-based, not installation-based," Stultz said. "And (Laura) says every community needs to be a virtual installation. She says, 'I want everybody living in small-town America to have the same support as if they were living on an installation.'"
Stultz sees two ways the virtual installation concept might work. It could be Internet-based, enabling Army Reserve families to use their computers to get the information, support and services they'd find at an Army post.
Another idea is to set up offices around the country, staffed by volunteers to assist military families. Stultz said he envisions "soldier support centers" around the country, possibly sharing space with the local American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars or other organization.
"Everybody in the community would know where the soldier support center is, and they'd know that if you're in the military and you need help, that's where you go," he said.
Stultz said the virtual installation would service active-duty as well as reserve-component families from all branches of the military.
"It's bigger than the Army Reserve," Stultz said, noting that families of active-duty troops often leave their post and return to their hometowns when their loved one is deployed. "The idea would be, if you're in the military and in that community, that's where you can go to get help," he said.
Stultz called the virtual installation an important step toward his goal of taking better care of Army Reserve families. After all, he said, the Army Reserve recruits soldiers, but it retains families. "And we have to do a better job of reaching out to those families," he said.
And if anybody understands families' needs, it's someone who's been in their shoes, like his own wife.
"She has lived it," Stultz said. "She has had to be the one at home to take care of the kids and all at various stages when they were growing up. So she has lived it."
Since Stultz left active duty to join the Army Reserve in 1979, he was deployed for Operation Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991, for Operation Joint Endeavor in 1997 and for operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom from 2002 to 2004.
Each time, Laura Stultz took on the household chores her husband typically handled and singlehandedly cared for the couple's four children.
"And now that she's the wife of the chief of the Army Reserve, she says, 'I have an obligation, because I want to make it better for the wives of the soldiers out there than it was for me," Stultz said of his wife.
Walter Reed Gait Laboratory Puts Amputee Troops Back in Step
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – As today's highly active servicemember amputees push their prosthetic devices to the limits, a lab at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here is gathering data that will help designers make the prostheses better, while enabling faster, more efficient recoveries for patients. At the Gait Lab, patient information is gathered using a high-tech, state-of-the-art computer system that combines reflective markers and cameras to gather data on how amputees move using their prostheses. Using oxygen and heart-rate monitors, the lab also can gather data on how much energy it takes for amputees to walk using prostheses.
"The patients want to put on a prosthesis and be able to feel comfortable walking, transition to running if they need to, and do whatever other activities they want," said Barri Schnall, the physical therapist at the lab. "At this point, if they want to sprint or they want to run, they need to change out of their walking prosthesis and into their running leg or foot. When we give feedback to the prosthetic companies, they can use the data that we have and the information that we are providing to help achieve the goal of providing a universal type of prosthesis."
To gather the movement data, reflective markers are placed at key joints on the patient, including the legs, arms and hips. Encircling the room are eight specialized cameras with light-emitting diodes, known as LEDs, that flash at 120 times per second and record in true three-dimensional volume the reflections of the markers in the various positions as the patient walks. The angle and position of every joint -- ankles, hips, arms, pelvis, etc. -- is recorded in real time and expressed on a stick figure rendition of the patient walking.
In addition, two force plates in the floor collect "kinetic" data, recording how hard the patient's feet land on the floor and how much power is generated.
All measurements are taken in an area that is about 20 feet long, 6 feet wide and 7 feet high.
Once the data is collected in the computer, it can be compared to the motion of a non-amputee, or even data from the patient's non-amputee side, allowing better analysis by the rehabilitation team.
"We can tell what deviations they have and what compensations they are using to help them walk," lab engineer Brian Baum said. "We take this information and then sit down with the patient, the prosthetist, the physical therapist and the physicians to give them more objective information on ways they can better treat the patient."
The team members work together to decide if it is better to change the alignment of the prosthesis, change out a component, make changes to the patient's physical therapy, or a combination of the approaches.
A digital video camera also records the patient's movements allowing a third-person view of movement patterns. Schnall said the variety of data and media is looked at individually and collectively to best help the patient.
"Everybody has a different way of learning," Schnall said. "For some patients, the graphs really hit home. They'll say, 'Oh, my physical therapist has been telling me this, but thought I was doing it right.'
"Some people find the video is helpful. They have never seen themselves walk as an amputee other than in the mirror, but that really doesn't hit home sometimes," she said.
Patients' movements are typically recorded and monitored over the course of three or more visits. The first is when the patient starts walking using a prosthesis, the second is when they are walking independently, and then finally just before the patient's discharge. Patients can be evaluated on an as-needed basis as well, if, for example, they are having pain during walking. Gait analysis can help narrow the source and identify possible solutions.
The system is accurate in identifying where the reflective markers are to within one millimeter. This helps when detecting finer movement trends, Baum said.
"Our eyes can't pick up that little movement. This system can. "(At first) you can pick up large issues, but when they start walking pretty well, this system really takes over and can look at the finishing touches," Baum said.
More information is better when it comes down to helping patients learn how to use their prosthesis in active lifestyles, he said.
"We're just trying to take as much information as possible from everybody, ... put it all together, ... and then use this information to help treat them and improve the rehabilitation process," he said.
"This group is really pushing the envelope and really pushing the prosthetic companies to design more robust and more functional prostheses because these guys want to return to duty. They want to return to a very active lifestyle. They want to run marathons. They want to do things that a lot of amputees haven't been able to do in the past, partly because of the technological limitations," Baum said.
A new lab being built in the Amputee Care Center at the hospital will offer a much larger space with greater flexibility, allowing more data to be collected from activities such as running. The new lab will include a virtual-reality system with a large free-moving platform that allows patients to work through on-screen simulations such as standing in a boat or riding on a subway. This will help patients learn to develop muscles needed to function in the normal world, Baum said.
Data gathered by the lab allows experts to analyze, develop solutions, improve rehab processes, and improve prosthetic designs and orthopedic interventions, Schnall said. She said the investment in the technology is a small price compared to sacrifices the servicemembers have made and that using this technology to expedite their rehab process is critical.
"We owe them the best technology and the best opportunity to return in a timely fashion to be able to do whatever they want to do and whatever they were able to do (pre-injury)," she said.
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – As today's highly active servicemember amputees push their prosthetic devices to the limits, a lab at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here is gathering data that will help designers make the prostheses better, while enabling faster, more efficient recoveries for patients. At the Gait Lab, patient information is gathered using a high-tech, state-of-the-art computer system that combines reflective markers and cameras to gather data on how amputees move using their prostheses. Using oxygen and heart-rate monitors, the lab also can gather data on how much energy it takes for amputees to walk using prostheses.
"The patients want to put on a prosthesis and be able to feel comfortable walking, transition to running if they need to, and do whatever other activities they want," said Barri Schnall, the physical therapist at the lab. "At this point, if they want to sprint or they want to run, they need to change out of their walking prosthesis and into their running leg or foot. When we give feedback to the prosthetic companies, they can use the data that we have and the information that we are providing to help achieve the goal of providing a universal type of prosthesis."
To gather the movement data, reflective markers are placed at key joints on the patient, including the legs, arms and hips. Encircling the room are eight specialized cameras with light-emitting diodes, known as LEDs, that flash at 120 times per second and record in true three-dimensional volume the reflections of the markers in the various positions as the patient walks. The angle and position of every joint -- ankles, hips, arms, pelvis, etc. -- is recorded in real time and expressed on a stick figure rendition of the patient walking.
In addition, two force plates in the floor collect "kinetic" data, recording how hard the patient's feet land on the floor and how much power is generated.
All measurements are taken in an area that is about 20 feet long, 6 feet wide and 7 feet high.
Once the data is collected in the computer, it can be compared to the motion of a non-amputee, or even data from the patient's non-amputee side, allowing better analysis by the rehabilitation team.
"We can tell what deviations they have and what compensations they are using to help them walk," lab engineer Brian Baum said. "We take this information and then sit down with the patient, the prosthetist, the physical therapist and the physicians to give them more objective information on ways they can better treat the patient."
The team members work together to decide if it is better to change the alignment of the prosthesis, change out a component, make changes to the patient's physical therapy, or a combination of the approaches.
A digital video camera also records the patient's movements allowing a third-person view of movement patterns. Schnall said the variety of data and media is looked at individually and collectively to best help the patient.
"Everybody has a different way of learning," Schnall said. "For some patients, the graphs really hit home. They'll say, 'Oh, my physical therapist has been telling me this, but thought I was doing it right.'
"Some people find the video is helpful. They have never seen themselves walk as an amputee other than in the mirror, but that really doesn't hit home sometimes," she said.
Patients' movements are typically recorded and monitored over the course of three or more visits. The first is when the patient starts walking using a prosthesis, the second is when they are walking independently, and then finally just before the patient's discharge. Patients can be evaluated on an as-needed basis as well, if, for example, they are having pain during walking. Gait analysis can help narrow the source and identify possible solutions.
The system is accurate in identifying where the reflective markers are to within one millimeter. This helps when detecting finer movement trends, Baum said.
"Our eyes can't pick up that little movement. This system can. "(At first) you can pick up large issues, but when they start walking pretty well, this system really takes over and can look at the finishing touches," Baum said.
More information is better when it comes down to helping patients learn how to use their prosthesis in active lifestyles, he said.
"We're just trying to take as much information as possible from everybody, ... put it all together, ... and then use this information to help treat them and improve the rehabilitation process," he said.
"This group is really pushing the envelope and really pushing the prosthetic companies to design more robust and more functional prostheses because these guys want to return to duty. They want to return to a very active lifestyle. They want to run marathons. They want to do things that a lot of amputees haven't been able to do in the past, partly because of the technological limitations," Baum said.
A new lab being built in the Amputee Care Center at the hospital will offer a much larger space with greater flexibility, allowing more data to be collected from activities such as running. The new lab will include a virtual-reality system with a large free-moving platform that allows patients to work through on-screen simulations such as standing in a boat or riding on a subway. This will help patients learn to develop muscles needed to function in the normal world, Baum said.
Data gathered by the lab allows experts to analyze, develop solutions, improve rehab processes, and improve prosthetic designs and orthopedic interventions, Schnall said. She said the investment in the technology is a small price compared to sacrifices the servicemembers have made and that using this technology to expedite their rehab process is critical.
"We owe them the best technology and the best opportunity to return in a timely fashion to be able to do whatever they want to do and whatever they were able to do (pre-injury)," she said.
Army Secretary Nominee Affirms Commitment to Troops, Families
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – With more than 140,000 soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, "we can never take our eye off the ball," the Army secretary designate told a Senate committee yesterday, but he also reaffirmed that taking care of soldiers and families remains his top priority. Pete Geren, acting secretary of the Army since March, told the Senate Armed Services Committee he's committed to being an advocate for the men and women in uniform and the families who stand by them and to "make sure their voices are heard."
"I've watched soldiers, sailors and airmen go off to war, and I've watched the families stand steadfast and unwavering in their support of their departed loved ones and live with the uncertainty of whether he or she would return home," he said.
The certainty they live with, he said, is knowing that they'll miss celebrating birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, graduations and other important events as a family, as well as the regular ups and downs of everyday life. It was difficult when deployments were 12 months, he said, and even more so with extensions to 15 months. Geren said he's too often watched families live with the loss of their loved one who didn't return. "I've been inspired by the selfless service of our soldiers and humbled by the sacrifice in their families," he said.
The country "cannot do enough" to support these troops and their families, Geren said, and he promised to continue working on their behalf as Army secretary.
"When I came before you seeking confirmation as undersecretary of the Army (in February 2006), I told you my top priority would be taking care of soldiers and their families," he told the committee. "I reaffirm that commitment today with a greater understanding of that responsibility."
Part of that promise, he said, means ensuring troops get the training, equipment and leadership they need to wage the war on terror and defend themselves.
"They count on their Army leadership back home to move the bureaucracy on the home front," he said. "They count on their secretary and their chief to stand up for them, get them what they need when they need it.
"We must act with urgency every day to meet their needs," he said.
That's particularly important, he said, at a time when "we must expect that our future offers an era of persistent conflict."
"We will continue to ask much of the Army family," he said, noting that more than half of all soldiers are married, and more than 700,000 children have soldier parents.
"We must meet the needs of our families - provide them with a quality of life comparable to the quality of their service and sacrifice," he said. "It's the right thing to do, and the future of our all-volunteer force depends on it."
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – With more than 140,000 soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, "we can never take our eye off the ball," the Army secretary designate told a Senate committee yesterday, but he also reaffirmed that taking care of soldiers and families remains his top priority. Pete Geren, acting secretary of the Army since March, told the Senate Armed Services Committee he's committed to being an advocate for the men and women in uniform and the families who stand by them and to "make sure their voices are heard."
"I've watched soldiers, sailors and airmen go off to war, and I've watched the families stand steadfast and unwavering in their support of their departed loved ones and live with the uncertainty of whether he or she would return home," he said.
The certainty they live with, he said, is knowing that they'll miss celebrating birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, graduations and other important events as a family, as well as the regular ups and downs of everyday life. It was difficult when deployments were 12 months, he said, and even more so with extensions to 15 months. Geren said he's too often watched families live with the loss of their loved one who didn't return. "I've been inspired by the selfless service of our soldiers and humbled by the sacrifice in their families," he said.
The country "cannot do enough" to support these troops and their families, Geren said, and he promised to continue working on their behalf as Army secretary.
"When I came before you seeking confirmation as undersecretary of the Army (in February 2006), I told you my top priority would be taking care of soldiers and their families," he told the committee. "I reaffirm that commitment today with a greater understanding of that responsibility."
Part of that promise, he said, means ensuring troops get the training, equipment and leadership they need to wage the war on terror and defend themselves.
"They count on their Army leadership back home to move the bureaucracy on the home front," he said. "They count on their secretary and their chief to stand up for them, get them what they need when they need it.
"We must act with urgency every day to meet their needs," he said.
That's particularly important, he said, at a time when "we must expect that our future offers an era of persistent conflict."
"We will continue to ask much of the Army family," he said, noting that more than half of all soldiers are married, and more than 700,000 children have soldier parents.
"We must meet the needs of our families - provide them with a quality of life comparable to the quality of their service and sacrifice," he said. "It's the right thing to do, and the future of our all-volunteer force depends on it."
Teens' Program Keeps Troops Connected
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – Two Massachusetts teens are working to turn Americans' unwanted cell phones into more than 12 million minutes of prepaid talk time for the nation's troops. "Cell Phones for Soldiers is the original (cell phone) recycling program created to benefit the troops and provide free prepaid calling cards and communication assistance to military members and their families," said Brittany Bergquist, one of the group's founders.
Brittany, 16, and her brother, Robbie, 15, began this endeavor in April 2004 with $21 of their own savings. Since then, they've provided more than 250,000 prepaid calling cards, equivalent to 2.5 million minutes of talk time, mainly with the cash they receive by recycling unwanted cell phones.
"Ultimately, we would like to provide free satellite phones for all military personnel serving throughout the world so that they don't have to rely on getting to a landline to call home," Brittany said.
The duo has discovered their goal will be costly. They're hoping to raise more than $9 million in the next five years to fund this and other new programs. One such program would provide video phones so deployed servicemembers and their families can see each other on a more regular basis.
Since the teens have been collecting phones for recycling, Liberty Tax has come on board, offering its nationwide locations as phone drop-off sites. The tax preparer's locations are just some of the more than 5,000 sites where donors can drop off unwanted phones. Communications giant AT&T will begin collecting phones at all of its company-owned wireless stores in the United States on July 4.
In their effort to support the troops, the Bergquists discovered their program benefits the world as a whole, Brittany said.
"The great thing about Cell Phones for Soldiers has been a boost to the morale of the troops, and it has also kept toxic chemicals out of our landfills throughout the country," she said. "It's an easy way for people to do a great thing for our military while protecting our environment."
Cell Phone for Soldiers is a member of America Supports You, and has realized many benefits from its membership in the Defense Department program. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"America Supports You has helped to spread the word about Cell Phone for Soldiers through (its) newsletter and articles on (its) Web site," Brittany said, adding America Supports You also has helped her and her brother make important military connections.
"When we needed a contact in the Coast Guard, (America Supports You) was able to put us in touch with top level officials who could help us distribute our phone cards," she said.
The Bergquists know their group has shown that no matter how people feel about the war, "We all care about our troops and the sacrifices that they're making."
"We will continue Cell Phone for Soldiers as long as there are troops deployed so that they can communicate with their loved ones for free," Brittany said.
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – Two Massachusetts teens are working to turn Americans' unwanted cell phones into more than 12 million minutes of prepaid talk time for the nation's troops. "Cell Phones for Soldiers is the original (cell phone) recycling program created to benefit the troops and provide free prepaid calling cards and communication assistance to military members and their families," said Brittany Bergquist, one of the group's founders.
Brittany, 16, and her brother, Robbie, 15, began this endeavor in April 2004 with $21 of their own savings. Since then, they've provided more than 250,000 prepaid calling cards, equivalent to 2.5 million minutes of talk time, mainly with the cash they receive by recycling unwanted cell phones.
"Ultimately, we would like to provide free satellite phones for all military personnel serving throughout the world so that they don't have to rely on getting to a landline to call home," Brittany said.
The duo has discovered their goal will be costly. They're hoping to raise more than $9 million in the next five years to fund this and other new programs. One such program would provide video phones so deployed servicemembers and their families can see each other on a more regular basis.
Since the teens have been collecting phones for recycling, Liberty Tax has come on board, offering its nationwide locations as phone drop-off sites. The tax preparer's locations are just some of the more than 5,000 sites where donors can drop off unwanted phones. Communications giant AT&T will begin collecting phones at all of its company-owned wireless stores in the United States on July 4.
In their effort to support the troops, the Bergquists discovered their program benefits the world as a whole, Brittany said.
"The great thing about Cell Phones for Soldiers has been a boost to the morale of the troops, and it has also kept toxic chemicals out of our landfills throughout the country," she said. "It's an easy way for people to do a great thing for our military while protecting our environment."
Cell Phone for Soldiers is a member of America Supports You, and has realized many benefits from its membership in the Defense Department program. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"America Supports You has helped to spread the word about Cell Phone for Soldiers through (its) newsletter and articles on (its) Web site," Brittany said, adding America Supports You also has helped her and her brother make important military connections.
"When we needed a contact in the Coast Guard, (America Supports You) was able to put us in touch with top level officials who could help us distribute our phone cards," she said.
The Bergquists know their group has shown that no matter how people feel about the war, "We all care about our troops and the sacrifices that they're making."
"We will continue Cell Phone for Soldiers as long as there are troops deployed so that they can communicate with their loved ones for free," Brittany said.
Defense Official: No Plans to Extend Army Deployments
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – A senior defense official cautioned today against reading too much into Army secretary nominee Pete Geren's statement yesterday that the Army hasn't ruled out extending deployments for troops in Iraq. Bryan Whitman, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, emphasized today that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' deployment policy stands. Gates announced April 11 that all soldiers in the U.S. Central Command area of operations "will deploy for not more than 15 months and return home for not less than 12 months."
"And at this point, there is no plan to deviate from the policy," Whitman said.
Whitman responded to reporters' questions about statements Geren made during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
When asked by senators how long the Army will maintain the 15-month deployment policy, and if there's any chance it could be extended longer, Geren said the Army leadership is evaluating a wide range of options for Iraq. "It's too early to look into the next year, but for the Army, we have to begin to plan," he told the committee. "We have to look into our options."
Extending combat tours in Iraq is one option, Geren said, but others include relying more heavily on Army Reserve and National Guard members or other services.
Geren said the Army is committed to meeting requirements set forth by Adm. William J. "Fox" Fallon, the U.S. Central Command commander. "We have been able to do so up until now, and we will continue to do so," he said.
Whitman said today that the Army secretary has to balance the requirements of recruiting, training and equipping forces for the combatant commander, while also sustaining the force over an extended period of time.
Recognizing that it's impossible to predict conclusively what any one combatant commander will need - let alone multiple combatant commanders - the services must plan for "any number of contingencies at any time," Whitman said.
That planning looks at every conceivable possibility -- "worst-case scenarios, best-case scenarios, most dangerous scenarios, most likely scenarios" - and applies force management concepts to all, he said.
"I would tell you that you would be hard-pressed to find somebody that is going to rule out anything, as we are a nation at war with a certain amount of uncertainty with respect to what the requirements may be in the future," Whitman said.
Geren called the decision to extend deployments to 15 months "the better of two tough choices." Far worse, he told the Senate committee, would have been to wait until the last minute, when troops were about to return home, to extend them.
That's what happened last summer, when the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team - since reflagged as the 25th Infantry Division's 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team - got word that they were being extended. The brigade was in the throes of redeploying, and some unit members had already returned home to Alaska when they learned that the Army extended their deployment four months.
Geren acknowledged yesterday that longer tours are difficult for soldiers as well as their families. "I appreciate the burden that it puts on soldiers and their families," he said. "We were asking a lot before. With this, we're asking more."
That makes it all the more important, he said, that the Army ensures it meets their needs and looks out for their quality of life. "You can destroy an army by burning the soldier out or burning the family out," he said.
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – A senior defense official cautioned today against reading too much into Army secretary nominee Pete Geren's statement yesterday that the Army hasn't ruled out extending deployments for troops in Iraq. Bryan Whitman, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, emphasized today that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' deployment policy stands. Gates announced April 11 that all soldiers in the U.S. Central Command area of operations "will deploy for not more than 15 months and return home for not less than 12 months."
"And at this point, there is no plan to deviate from the policy," Whitman said.
Whitman responded to reporters' questions about statements Geren made during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
When asked by senators how long the Army will maintain the 15-month deployment policy, and if there's any chance it could be extended longer, Geren said the Army leadership is evaluating a wide range of options for Iraq. "It's too early to look into the next year, but for the Army, we have to begin to plan," he told the committee. "We have to look into our options."
Extending combat tours in Iraq is one option, Geren said, but others include relying more heavily on Army Reserve and National Guard members or other services.
Geren said the Army is committed to meeting requirements set forth by Adm. William J. "Fox" Fallon, the U.S. Central Command commander. "We have been able to do so up until now, and we will continue to do so," he said.
Whitman said today that the Army secretary has to balance the requirements of recruiting, training and equipping forces for the combatant commander, while also sustaining the force over an extended period of time.
Recognizing that it's impossible to predict conclusively what any one combatant commander will need - let alone multiple combatant commanders - the services must plan for "any number of contingencies at any time," Whitman said.
That planning looks at every conceivable possibility -- "worst-case scenarios, best-case scenarios, most dangerous scenarios, most likely scenarios" - and applies force management concepts to all, he said.
"I would tell you that you would be hard-pressed to find somebody that is going to rule out anything, as we are a nation at war with a certain amount of uncertainty with respect to what the requirements may be in the future," Whitman said.
Geren called the decision to extend deployments to 15 months "the better of two tough choices." Far worse, he told the Senate committee, would have been to wait until the last minute, when troops were about to return home, to extend them.
That's what happened last summer, when the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team - since reflagged as the 25th Infantry Division's 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team - got word that they were being extended. The brigade was in the throes of redeploying, and some unit members had already returned home to Alaska when they learned that the Army extended their deployment four months.
Geren acknowledged yesterday that longer tours are difficult for soldiers as well as their families. "I appreciate the burden that it puts on soldiers and their families," he said. "We were asking a lot before. With this, we're asking more."
That makes it all the more important, he said, that the Army ensures it meets their needs and looks out for their quality of life. "You can destroy an army by burning the soldier out or burning the family out," he said.
Scam Claiming Red Cross Connection Targets Military Families
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers about an identity-theft scam targeting families of military members. A caller, claiming to work for the Red Cross, notifies an individual that their family member has been injured while on duty. To get immediate aid to the injured servicemember, the caller says, paperwork must be completed, and personal information must be verified.
The FTC, the nation's consumer protection agency, says this scheme is a variation of "phishing" - a technique identity thieves use to get personal or financial information from unwary consumers. The identity thief claims to represent a trusted source - a bank, a government agency, or in this case, the American Red Cross - to get someone to divulge their personal information.
American Red Cross representatives typically do not contact military members or dependents directly and almost always go through a commander or first sergeant. Officials urge military family members not to give out any personal information over the phone if contacted by unknown individuals, including confirmation that their spouse is deployed.
Red Cross representatives contact military members or dependents directly only in response to an emergency message initiated by a family member. The Red Cross does not report any type of casualty information to family members; the Defense Department will contact families directly about family members' injuries.
(Compiled from Federal Trade Commission and American Red Cross news releases.)
June 20, 2007 – The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers about an identity-theft scam targeting families of military members. A caller, claiming to work for the Red Cross, notifies an individual that their family member has been injured while on duty. To get immediate aid to the injured servicemember, the caller says, paperwork must be completed, and personal information must be verified.
The FTC, the nation's consumer protection agency, says this scheme is a variation of "phishing" - a technique identity thieves use to get personal or financial information from unwary consumers. The identity thief claims to represent a trusted source - a bank, a government agency, or in this case, the American Red Cross - to get someone to divulge their personal information.
American Red Cross representatives typically do not contact military members or dependents directly and almost always go through a commander or first sergeant. Officials urge military family members not to give out any personal information over the phone if contacted by unknown individuals, including confirmation that their spouse is deployed.
Red Cross representatives contact military members or dependents directly only in response to an emergency message initiated by a family member. The Red Cross does not report any type of casualty information to family members; the Defense Department will contact families directly about family members' injuries.
(Compiled from Federal Trade Commission and American Red Cross news releases.)
Soldier Gets His Kicks on Tae Kwon Do Team
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – Like most other soldiers, Army Sgt. Jessie Jones gets up about 5:30 a.m. every day for Army physical training with his unit. A brisk three-mile run and some push-ups and sit-ups get his morning going. But for Jones and his unit, morning PT is only a warm-up. After everyone else has hit the showers and gone to work, Jones and his team are back in the gym - for their real workout.
Jones is the team captain for an elite 2nd Infantry Division Tae Kwon Do demonstration team that will spend the rest of the day kicking, jumping, flipping and punching, sweating bucket-loads and going home in pain.
Boards are broken using their heads, hands and feet, and the stunts they perform are circus-like in their acrobatic performances.
A mortar man in the Army, Korea is the first assignment for Jones. He has been in for more than three years and has spent time on a few of the Army camps north of Seoul and about two months in the demilitarized zone.
The 23-year-old from a small country town east of Charlotte, N.C., joined the Army looking for adventure. He never dreamed he could spend his days practicing his first love - the martial arts.
"I have to admit, I was one of those crazy martial arts kids," he said. "It's one thing that I just really loved."
Jones has been learning martial arts since he was 10 years old and holds a third-degree black belt in Shotokan, a street form of karate. He also has a couple of years of kickboxing under his belt.
"I can't imagine me doing much else. It's not just learning self-defense or how to beat people up. It's about self-improvement," he said.
The 23-member team is made up of soldiers from across the division, representing all battalions. It has one female soldier as a member, as well as four Korean soldiers who serve alongside U.S. troops. They're known as KATUSA soldiers - shorthand for a program called Korean Augmentation to the United States Army.
The team is part of the U.S. Forces Korea's Good Neighbor Program and hosts demonstrations for U.S. and Korean dignitaries, local communities and even performs side by side with Republic of Korea Tae Kwon Do teams. Tae Kwon Do is Korea's national sport.
Today, the team performed a demonstration for Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during his visit here to talk with troops.
In the morning, the team concentrates its training on competition fighting and sparring, and the afternoon is dedicated to acrobatics, fight scenes and learning to flip and fall. The team works out six days a week, but normally only a half day on Saturdays.
Jones has served on the team for more than a year and has worked his way up to team captain. His talent and hard work pushed him up through the ranks until he was working directly for the team captain. When the team captain left, Jones was selected by the grand master to lead the team. Jones said he prefers martial arts to other sports because it can be tailored to the individual.
"Sometimes what works for me is not going to work for another guy," he said.
As a boy, Jones said, he left the marks of his training on the walls of his house a few times when he let his temper get the best of him.
"I had a few little temper tantrums. I tested my stuff on the walls. (My parents) weren't too happy about that," he said and laughed.
"My dad said, 'That's not why I put you in that martial arts stuff,'" he recalled.
But his skills didn't give him an edge when bullying his little sister. She, too, holds a black belt in karate.
"I got a kick in the head once or twice," he said, laughing again.
Soldiers can request to try out for the team, or sometimes they are hand-picked from the units. Most have familiarity with the martial arts, but that is not a prerequisite.
"If a soldier is motivated and ready to learn, they can pick it up pretty fast," Jones said.
But, if they think it is all fun and games, they're wrong, Jones said.
"They're going to be hurting the first few weeks. They are going to be sore. This is like five or more hours of PT -- sometimes every day," he said.
The hardest part is working through the daily aches and pains. You have to learn which pains to work through, and which to nurse, he said.
"Just because we get a little bruise or a sprain or a headache, we can't quit working out," he said.
In two to three months, candidates can have some "good skills" and do some of the more basic moves. In about six months, with hard work and training, they can do some of the advanced moves, Jones said.
Jones said he joined the military because it was something he always wanted to do. After high school, he said, he was in a "slump" and wasn't getting what he wanted out of college.
"Life was a little tedious -- a little boring. I knew college was important, but I felt like I needed something more," Jones said. "To me, it doesn't get more honorable than serving your country," he said.
His parents' reaction was split between pride and concern.
"Mom was scared to death when I joined, but Dad couldn't be more proud," Jones said. "It took Mom a little while to adjust that I could be going to a place with bullets flying over my head, but she's calmed down. Now she's very proud of me. They brag about me all the time."
Jones said his martial arts background helped him physically and mentally to get through basic training.
Jones' time in Korea is nearly finished, and he hopes to go to Fort Bragg and to airborne school. While he is still undecided if he will make the military a career, Jones said he has enjoyed it so far and is keeping his options open. He admits he will miss the tight-knit group and the camaraderie that comes with living and training together nearly nonstop.
"We work out 24-7 together. We live in the barracks together. We go through the joys and the pains together," Jones said. "That is something I will definitely miss."
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – Like most other soldiers, Army Sgt. Jessie Jones gets up about 5:30 a.m. every day for Army physical training with his unit. A brisk three-mile run and some push-ups and sit-ups get his morning going. But for Jones and his unit, morning PT is only a warm-up. After everyone else has hit the showers and gone to work, Jones and his team are back in the gym - for their real workout.
Jones is the team captain for an elite 2nd Infantry Division Tae Kwon Do demonstration team that will spend the rest of the day kicking, jumping, flipping and punching, sweating bucket-loads and going home in pain.
Boards are broken using their heads, hands and feet, and the stunts they perform are circus-like in their acrobatic performances.
A mortar man in the Army, Korea is the first assignment for Jones. He has been in for more than three years and has spent time on a few of the Army camps north of Seoul and about two months in the demilitarized zone.
The 23-year-old from a small country town east of Charlotte, N.C., joined the Army looking for adventure. He never dreamed he could spend his days practicing his first love - the martial arts.
"I have to admit, I was one of those crazy martial arts kids," he said. "It's one thing that I just really loved."
Jones has been learning martial arts since he was 10 years old and holds a third-degree black belt in Shotokan, a street form of karate. He also has a couple of years of kickboxing under his belt.
"I can't imagine me doing much else. It's not just learning self-defense or how to beat people up. It's about self-improvement," he said.
The 23-member team is made up of soldiers from across the division, representing all battalions. It has one female soldier as a member, as well as four Korean soldiers who serve alongside U.S. troops. They're known as KATUSA soldiers - shorthand for a program called Korean Augmentation to the United States Army.
The team is part of the U.S. Forces Korea's Good Neighbor Program and hosts demonstrations for U.S. and Korean dignitaries, local communities and even performs side by side with Republic of Korea Tae Kwon Do teams. Tae Kwon Do is Korea's national sport.
Today, the team performed a demonstration for Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during his visit here to talk with troops.
In the morning, the team concentrates its training on competition fighting and sparring, and the afternoon is dedicated to acrobatics, fight scenes and learning to flip and fall. The team works out six days a week, but normally only a half day on Saturdays.
Jones has served on the team for more than a year and has worked his way up to team captain. His talent and hard work pushed him up through the ranks until he was working directly for the team captain. When the team captain left, Jones was selected by the grand master to lead the team. Jones said he prefers martial arts to other sports because it can be tailored to the individual.
"Sometimes what works for me is not going to work for another guy," he said.
As a boy, Jones said, he left the marks of his training on the walls of his house a few times when he let his temper get the best of him.
"I had a few little temper tantrums. I tested my stuff on the walls. (My parents) weren't too happy about that," he said and laughed.
"My dad said, 'That's not why I put you in that martial arts stuff,'" he recalled.
But his skills didn't give him an edge when bullying his little sister. She, too, holds a black belt in karate.
"I got a kick in the head once or twice," he said, laughing again.
Soldiers can request to try out for the team, or sometimes they are hand-picked from the units. Most have familiarity with the martial arts, but that is not a prerequisite.
"If a soldier is motivated and ready to learn, they can pick it up pretty fast," Jones said.
But, if they think it is all fun and games, they're wrong, Jones said.
"They're going to be hurting the first few weeks. They are going to be sore. This is like five or more hours of PT -- sometimes every day," he said.
The hardest part is working through the daily aches and pains. You have to learn which pains to work through, and which to nurse, he said.
"Just because we get a little bruise or a sprain or a headache, we can't quit working out," he said.
In two to three months, candidates can have some "good skills" and do some of the more basic moves. In about six months, with hard work and training, they can do some of the advanced moves, Jones said.
Jones said he joined the military because it was something he always wanted to do. After high school, he said, he was in a "slump" and wasn't getting what he wanted out of college.
"Life was a little tedious -- a little boring. I knew college was important, but I felt like I needed something more," Jones said. "To me, it doesn't get more honorable than serving your country," he said.
His parents' reaction was split between pride and concern.
"Mom was scared to death when I joined, but Dad couldn't be more proud," Jones said. "It took Mom a little while to adjust that I could be going to a place with bullets flying over my head, but she's calmed down. Now she's very proud of me. They brag about me all the time."
Jones said his martial arts background helped him physically and mentally to get through basic training.
Jones' time in Korea is nearly finished, and he hopes to go to Fort Bragg and to airborne school. While he is still undecided if he will make the military a career, Jones said he has enjoyed it so far and is keeping his options open. He admits he will miss the tight-knit group and the camaraderie that comes with living and training together nearly nonstop.
"We work out 24-7 together. We live in the barracks together. We go through the joys and the pains together," Jones said. "That is something I will definitely miss."
Third Freedom Walk Continues New Tradition
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – As the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks approaches, America Supports You is gearing up for its third annual Freedom Walk on Sept. 9 in the nation's capital. America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
The inaugural America Supports You Freedom Walk, created by Pentagon employees to commemorate the attack on the building and honor all the lives lost on 9/11, was held Sept. 11, 2005. Since then, the America Supports You Freedom Walk's message has remained consistent.
"The Freedom Walk continues to be our country's way to commemorate the lives lost on 9/11 -- to really embrace the families and let them know we haven't forgotten about their loss," said Allison Barber, deputy secretary of defense for internal communication and public liaison. "(It's also) to honor our veterans past and present and really recommit ourselves to freedom and what that means to each person on their own level."
Last year, Barber's hope was that a Freedom Walk would take place in every state. While there was at least one walk in each state, no two walks were exactly alike. And that, she said, is precisely the way it should be.
"I really want to communicate to people that Freedom Walks don't have to be complicated. They don't have to be expansive," she said.
In San Diego, the walk was conducted on an open course, and walkers could participate as their schedule allowed. Walkers in St. Louis all wore yellow T-shirts and formed a human "yellow ribbon" in centerfield at Busch Stadium.
The differences were evident right down to the organizers. America Supports You home-front groups organized most of the walks. However, in Sebring, Ohio, Colton Lockner, then 9, organized a walk for more than 2,000 of his town's nearly 5,000 residents.
It's already evident that this year's walks will be as varied as those in the past. In fact, Barber said, a shopping mall is planning a walk for people who walk the mall for exercise.
That's just one of the more than 80 walks in the works so far for this September's observance.
"I think it's important for the American people to know that whatever moment they create in their communities, their schools, their corporations ... is important, because it's all about remembering and honoring," Barber said.
More than 15,000 walkers participated in the 2005 inaugural walk to remember those who lost their lives and honor the nation's veterans. That walk began at the Pentagon and ended on the National Mall with a performance by country singer Clint Black.
The 2006 America Supports You Freedom Walk, which took place on Sept. 10, began on the National Mall with a brief opening program before walkers crossed the Potomac River bound for the Pentagon. In addition to a patriotic program featuring opera singer Denyse Graves, beams of white light shone from the building's center courtyard honoring the people who lost their lives when American Airlines Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon.
This year's America Supports You Freedom Walk will be held on the morning of Sept. 9 and will look similar to its predecessors. Walkers will begin at the Lincoln Memorial and walk to the Pentagon, where, as in years past, they will enjoy a patriotic program.
Those interested in participating in the national walk can register through the America Supports You Freedom Walk Web site, www.americasupportsyou.mil/freedomwalk. The site also helps people find Freedom Walks near their communities, and provides information on how to organize a Freedom Walk.
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – As the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks approaches, America Supports You is gearing up for its third annual Freedom Walk on Sept. 9 in the nation's capital. America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
The inaugural America Supports You Freedom Walk, created by Pentagon employees to commemorate the attack on the building and honor all the lives lost on 9/11, was held Sept. 11, 2005. Since then, the America Supports You Freedom Walk's message has remained consistent.
"The Freedom Walk continues to be our country's way to commemorate the lives lost on 9/11 -- to really embrace the families and let them know we haven't forgotten about their loss," said Allison Barber, deputy secretary of defense for internal communication and public liaison. "(It's also) to honor our veterans past and present and really recommit ourselves to freedom and what that means to each person on their own level."
Last year, Barber's hope was that a Freedom Walk would take place in every state. While there was at least one walk in each state, no two walks were exactly alike. And that, she said, is precisely the way it should be.
"I really want to communicate to people that Freedom Walks don't have to be complicated. They don't have to be expansive," she said.
In San Diego, the walk was conducted on an open course, and walkers could participate as their schedule allowed. Walkers in St. Louis all wore yellow T-shirts and formed a human "yellow ribbon" in centerfield at Busch Stadium.
The differences were evident right down to the organizers. America Supports You home-front groups organized most of the walks. However, in Sebring, Ohio, Colton Lockner, then 9, organized a walk for more than 2,000 of his town's nearly 5,000 residents.
It's already evident that this year's walks will be as varied as those in the past. In fact, Barber said, a shopping mall is planning a walk for people who walk the mall for exercise.
That's just one of the more than 80 walks in the works so far for this September's observance.
"I think it's important for the American people to know that whatever moment they create in their communities, their schools, their corporations ... is important, because it's all about remembering and honoring," Barber said.
More than 15,000 walkers participated in the 2005 inaugural walk to remember those who lost their lives and honor the nation's veterans. That walk began at the Pentagon and ended on the National Mall with a performance by country singer Clint Black.
The 2006 America Supports You Freedom Walk, which took place on Sept. 10, began on the National Mall with a brief opening program before walkers crossed the Potomac River bound for the Pentagon. In addition to a patriotic program featuring opera singer Denyse Graves, beams of white light shone from the building's center courtyard honoring the people who lost their lives when American Airlines Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon.
This year's America Supports You Freedom Walk will be held on the morning of Sept. 9 and will look similar to its predecessors. Walkers will begin at the Lincoln Memorial and walk to the Pentagon, where, as in years past, they will enjoy a patriotic program.
Those interested in participating in the national walk can register through the America Supports You Freedom Walk Web site, www.americasupportsyou.mil/freedomwalk. The site also helps people find Freedom Walks near their communities, and provides information on how to organize a Freedom Walk.
Flexibility Encouraged to Promote Reserve-Component Service
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – More flexibility is needed to encourage Guard and Reserve members to better balance their military and civilian obligations as they contribute to the nation's defense, a senior official told the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves today. Michael Dominguez, principal deputy under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, told commission members the Defense Department has come a long way in changing outdated management practices to encourage Guard and Reserve service.
But it's a delicate balancing act, he noted in his prepared statement. Initiatives that encourage members to leave the service -- educational assistance benefits that kick in after the duty is served, or efforts to reduce the age at which reservists can draw retirement pay, among them -- don't support force-management goals.
Another consideration is the appearance that benefits offered to Guard and Reserve members might be more attractive than those offered for active-duty members, he said.
Dominguez said the challenges facing the Defense Department are two-fold. As it continues working to transition the reserve components into an operational reserve, it's also striving to institutionalize a "continuum of service," he said.
That continuum would allow members to transition routinely and without hitches between the active-duty military, the Guard and Reserve, and Defense Department civil service jobs, Dominguez explained.
To get there, "we need to overcome a system of intersections with stoplights and one-way streets," he said in his prepared testimony. Replacing them, he said, would be "a system of on-ramps and off-ramps."
Under such a system, members might be "on the freeway," as on active duty or as a full-time Defense Department civilian during part of a career, he said. At other times, they might be "cruising along the access road at times" in the Selected Reserve, or "parked in the garage but ready to go" in the Individual Ready Reserve or standby reserve.
"But regardless of personal circumstances that put the individual in that particular lane at that particular time, the system should be able to accommodate movement ... consistent with military requirements and as personal circumstances change," Dominguez said.
Dominquez recommended other initiatives to improve the way reserve-component members are integrated into the total force. Among these are:
-- Increasing the full-time support assigned to reserve-component units to promote readiness in light of increased requirements;
-- Expanding opportunities to receive joint training and qualifications; and
-- Ensuring a robust and competitive compensation package tailored to attracting and retaining high-quality members.
Senior service representatives are slated to address the commission tomorrow.
The independent Commission on the National Guard and Reserves was established under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 to recommend any needed changes in law and policy to ensure that the Guard and Reserves are organized, trained, equipped, compensated and supported to meet U.S. national security requirements.
American Forces Press Service
June 20, 2007 – More flexibility is needed to encourage Guard and Reserve members to better balance their military and civilian obligations as they contribute to the nation's defense, a senior official told the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves today. Michael Dominguez, principal deputy under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, told commission members the Defense Department has come a long way in changing outdated management practices to encourage Guard and Reserve service.
But it's a delicate balancing act, he noted in his prepared statement. Initiatives that encourage members to leave the service -- educational assistance benefits that kick in after the duty is served, or efforts to reduce the age at which reservists can draw retirement pay, among them -- don't support force-management goals.
Another consideration is the appearance that benefits offered to Guard and Reserve members might be more attractive than those offered for active-duty members, he said.
Dominguez said the challenges facing the Defense Department are two-fold. As it continues working to transition the reserve components into an operational reserve, it's also striving to institutionalize a "continuum of service," he said.
That continuum would allow members to transition routinely and without hitches between the active-duty military, the Guard and Reserve, and Defense Department civil service jobs, Dominguez explained.
To get there, "we need to overcome a system of intersections with stoplights and one-way streets," he said in his prepared testimony. Replacing them, he said, would be "a system of on-ramps and off-ramps."
Under such a system, members might be "on the freeway," as on active duty or as a full-time Defense Department civilian during part of a career, he said. At other times, they might be "cruising along the access road at times" in the Selected Reserve, or "parked in the garage but ready to go" in the Individual Ready Reserve or standby reserve.
"But regardless of personal circumstances that put the individual in that particular lane at that particular time, the system should be able to accommodate movement ... consistent with military requirements and as personal circumstances change," Dominguez said.
Dominquez recommended other initiatives to improve the way reserve-component members are integrated into the total force. Among these are:
-- Increasing the full-time support assigned to reserve-component units to promote readiness in light of increased requirements;
-- Expanding opportunities to receive joint training and qualifications; and
-- Ensuring a robust and competitive compensation package tailored to attracting and retaining high-quality members.
Senior service representatives are slated to address the commission tomorrow.
The independent Commission on the National Guard and Reserves was established under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 to recommend any needed changes in law and policy to ensure that the Guard and Reserves are organized, trained, equipped, compensated and supported to meet U.S. national security requirements.
Operation Smile Partners with Navy in Humanitarian Mission
American Forces Press Service
June 19, 2007 – Operation Smile, a worldwide children's medical charity that provides free surgery to children in developing countries born with facial deformities, is participating with the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort's summer humanitarian assistance deployment. The USNS Comfort mission will provide humanitarian services to 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean during a 120-day deployment. These services will include basic surgeries, nursing educational opportunities, public health interventions, veterinary services, and basic infrastructure support and construction.
Operation Smile will be working side by side with the Navy in Nicaragua, Peru and Colombia. The Operation Smile volunteer medical teams are composed of international volunteers in Nicaragua and Peru, while a team of Operation Smile Colombian medical volunteers will conduct a medical mission in a Buenaventura local hospital in that country.
About 125 to 150 children suffering with cleft lips and cleft palates will receive free reconstructive surgery as a result of these three medical missions.
"Operation Smile is honored to participate in the USNS Comfort's deployment to Latin America and the Caribbean Sea region," Dr. Rob Rubin, Operation Smile's chief medical officer, said. "Following our successful participation with Comfort's sister ship, USNS Mercy, in the Pacific last year, we along with our medical volunteers from Nicaragua, Peru and Colombia are excited to join with the Comfort's crew in bringing new smiles to the children of Latin America."
USNS Comfort left here June 15. The first mission stop involving Operation Smile will be in Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua, in mid-July. Operation Smile volunteers will conduct free medical evaluations in local hospitals to identify surgical patients who will then be transported aboard the ship.
Operation Smile medical volunteers will work side by side with Navy personnel and conduct three days of surgery. Post-operative checks for the patients will take place the following week at Hospital España, in Chinandega, a partner facility that Operation Smile uses for its medical missions.
USNS Comfort will move on to Salaverry, Peru, for the next medical mission involving Operation Smile in early August. Operation Smile Peru has conducted several local missions in Trujillo and has worked closely with the local hospital and Ministry of Health. Operation Smile volunteers will conduct free medical evaluations in Hospital Belen to identify surgical patients. The ship will be anchored offshore, and the Peruvian navy and coast guard will transport patients to the ship and back.
Operation Smile's medical team will work with Navy personnel to conduct three days of surgery. Post-operative care will also take place at Hospital Belen in Trujillo the week following surgery.
In late August, Operation Smile medical volunteers from Colombia will work at Hospital Departamental de Buenaventura to provide free medical evaluations and two days of surgery to children.
USNS Comfort is operated and navigated by a crew of 68 civil service mariners from the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command. During its four-month deployment, the ship is scheduled to make port calls in Belize, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
This is the second time Operation Smile has been invited to participate in a Navy hospital ship mission. The first mission took place June 28 to July 5, 2006, and involved nearly 40 Operation Smile volunteers deployed with the U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy to Chittagong, Bangladesh.
The Operation Smile international team provided free medical evaluations at Chittagong Medical College Hospital for more than 140 children and treated 54. This mission marked the first time Operation Smile had treated children from Bangladesh, and officials said the charity plans to conduct future missions in the country.
(From an Operation Smile news release.)
June 19, 2007 – Operation Smile, a worldwide children's medical charity that provides free surgery to children in developing countries born with facial deformities, is participating with the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort's summer humanitarian assistance deployment. The USNS Comfort mission will provide humanitarian services to 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean during a 120-day deployment. These services will include basic surgeries, nursing educational opportunities, public health interventions, veterinary services, and basic infrastructure support and construction.
Operation Smile will be working side by side with the Navy in Nicaragua, Peru and Colombia. The Operation Smile volunteer medical teams are composed of international volunteers in Nicaragua and Peru, while a team of Operation Smile Colombian medical volunteers will conduct a medical mission in a Buenaventura local hospital in that country.
About 125 to 150 children suffering with cleft lips and cleft palates will receive free reconstructive surgery as a result of these three medical missions.
"Operation Smile is honored to participate in the USNS Comfort's deployment to Latin America and the Caribbean Sea region," Dr. Rob Rubin, Operation Smile's chief medical officer, said. "Following our successful participation with Comfort's sister ship, USNS Mercy, in the Pacific last year, we along with our medical volunteers from Nicaragua, Peru and Colombia are excited to join with the Comfort's crew in bringing new smiles to the children of Latin America."
USNS Comfort left here June 15. The first mission stop involving Operation Smile will be in Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua, in mid-July. Operation Smile volunteers will conduct free medical evaluations in local hospitals to identify surgical patients who will then be transported aboard the ship.
Operation Smile medical volunteers will work side by side with Navy personnel and conduct three days of surgery. Post-operative checks for the patients will take place the following week at Hospital España, in Chinandega, a partner facility that Operation Smile uses for its medical missions.
USNS Comfort will move on to Salaverry, Peru, for the next medical mission involving Operation Smile in early August. Operation Smile Peru has conducted several local missions in Trujillo and has worked closely with the local hospital and Ministry of Health. Operation Smile volunteers will conduct free medical evaluations in Hospital Belen to identify surgical patients. The ship will be anchored offshore, and the Peruvian navy and coast guard will transport patients to the ship and back.
Operation Smile's medical team will work with Navy personnel to conduct three days of surgery. Post-operative care will also take place at Hospital Belen in Trujillo the week following surgery.
In late August, Operation Smile medical volunteers from Colombia will work at Hospital Departamental de Buenaventura to provide free medical evaluations and two days of surgery to children.
USNS Comfort is operated and navigated by a crew of 68 civil service mariners from the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command. During its four-month deployment, the ship is scheduled to make port calls in Belize, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
This is the second time Operation Smile has been invited to participate in a Navy hospital ship mission. The first mission took place June 28 to July 5, 2006, and involved nearly 40 Operation Smile volunteers deployed with the U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy to Chittagong, Bangladesh.
The Operation Smile international team provided free medical evaluations at Chittagong Medical College Hospital for more than 140 children and treated 54. This mission marked the first time Operation Smile had treated children from Bangladesh, and officials said the charity plans to conduct future missions in the country.
(From an Operation Smile news release.)
Donation Surprises Paratroopers
By Army Spc. Juliana Morrison
Special to American Forces Press Service
June 19, 2007 – Soldiers here recently received a special gift from a complete stranger who had read about them in a newspaper. Mark Thompson, a resident of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, donated $5,000 to the paratroopers of the 25th Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, after reading an article in a local newspaper.
The article focused on local resident Nancy Allen, whose son, Sgt. Matthew Allen, is deployed in Iraq with the battalion.
"This gift was an unexpected surprise, especially coming from a total stranger in a small town ... where there isn't much military life," the sergeant said.
Thompson said he decided he wanted to do something for soldiers in Iraq and saw Nancy Allen as a link. He contacted her immediately and set up a fund for the donation. Sgt. Allen and HHC 1st Sgt. Terwan Crawley put their heads together and decided how the money should be spent.
"We decided to get company T-shirts made, because it's something all of our troopers can use," Crawley said. Allen came up with a logo to go on the shirts, and Crawley found someone to do the embroidery.
A friend of Crawley's, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Cravis Taybron, owns Taybron's Sweaters Unlimited in Fayetteville, N.C. Taybron was more than happy to make a deal and do the embroidery for the T-shirts.
"It does great things for paratroopers' morale when the American people take the time to do something like this for us," Crawley said.
Paratroopers in HHC came together and took a company picture with the shirts to show their gratitude. They're also sending him a U.S. flag that flew over their forward operating base.
Spc. Stephanie Colomer said she is touched that someone would take the time to be so generous.
"It makes me feel like people actually care about us; not many people would take the time to do something like that," she said.
With the money left over from the donation, the company purchased two X-Box game consoles for soldiers to enjoy in their free time.
Crawley said he's reminded of the act of kindness every time he sees the shirt.
"We're so grateful for Mr. Thompson and his gesture," he said, "and now when we see our company T-shirt, we'll know it came from an act of kindness."
(Army Spc. Juliana Morrison is the public affairs representative for the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
June 19, 2007 – Soldiers here recently received a special gift from a complete stranger who had read about them in a newspaper. Mark Thompson, a resident of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, donated $5,000 to the paratroopers of the 25th Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, after reading an article in a local newspaper.
The article focused on local resident Nancy Allen, whose son, Sgt. Matthew Allen, is deployed in Iraq with the battalion.
"This gift was an unexpected surprise, especially coming from a total stranger in a small town ... where there isn't much military life," the sergeant said.
Thompson said he decided he wanted to do something for soldiers in Iraq and saw Nancy Allen as a link. He contacted her immediately and set up a fund for the donation. Sgt. Allen and HHC 1st Sgt. Terwan Crawley put their heads together and decided how the money should be spent.
"We decided to get company T-shirts made, because it's something all of our troopers can use," Crawley said. Allen came up with a logo to go on the shirts, and Crawley found someone to do the embroidery.
A friend of Crawley's, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Cravis Taybron, owns Taybron's Sweaters Unlimited in Fayetteville, N.C. Taybron was more than happy to make a deal and do the embroidery for the T-shirts.
"It does great things for paratroopers' morale when the American people take the time to do something like this for us," Crawley said.
Paratroopers in HHC came together and took a company picture with the shirts to show their gratitude. They're also sending him a U.S. flag that flew over their forward operating base.
Spc. Stephanie Colomer said she is touched that someone would take the time to be so generous.
"It makes me feel like people actually care about us; not many people would take the time to do something like that," she said.
With the money left over from the donation, the company purchased two X-Box game consoles for soldiers to enjoy in their free time.
Crawley said he's reminded of the act of kindness every time he sees the shirt.
"We're so grateful for Mr. Thompson and his gesture," he said, "and now when we see our company T-shirt, we'll know it came from an act of kindness."
(Army Spc. Juliana Morrison is the public affairs representative for the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion.)
Texas Guard Stands Ready to Assist Flood Relief Efforts
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
June 19, 2007 – Texas National Guard land and air forces are on standby to assist flood-stricken citizens in northern Texas, a Texas Guard official said today.
The Texas towns of Gainesville and Sherman in the northern part of the state were particularly hard hit with torrential rains yesterday that caused water to rapidly overflow creek beds and carry away mobile homes and automobiles.
Six high-riding heavy trucks, three UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters and 38 Guard members are now on standby to render assistance, if requested, Air National Guard Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Moncada reported from the state's Joint Forces Office in Austin. The Texas Guard's soldiers, helicopters and trucks are now assembled in Fort Worth, Moncada confirmed, awaiting orders to move into flood-ravaged areas. At least five people were killed as a result of the flooding in northern Texas, according to news reports.
American Forces Press Service
June 19, 2007 – Texas National Guard land and air forces are on standby to assist flood-stricken citizens in northern Texas, a Texas Guard official said today.
The Texas towns of Gainesville and Sherman in the northern part of the state were particularly hard hit with torrential rains yesterday that caused water to rapidly overflow creek beds and carry away mobile homes and automobiles.
Six high-riding heavy trucks, three UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters and 38 Guard members are now on standby to render assistance, if requested, Air National Guard Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Moncada reported from the state's Joint Forces Office in Austin. The Texas Guard's soldiers, helicopters and trucks are now assembled in Fort Worth, Moncada confirmed, awaiting orders to move into flood-ravaged areas. At least five people were killed as a result of the flooding in northern Texas, according to news reports.
'Rescue Dawn' Premiere Inspires, Provides Example for Today's Troops
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
June 19, 2007 – It was a movie premiere like few others. As the credits rolled down the screen here last night, a Vietnam veteran in the audience -- not the Hollywood star with some 40 credits to his name -- got the louder applause and the standing ovation. Retired Air Force Col. Eugene Deatrick, 82, slowly ambled to the stage of the base theater here after watching the premiere of "Rescue Dawn." There, he joined actor Steve Zahn, who plays Air Force 1st Lt. Duane Martin in the movie, to autograph posters of the movie, scheduled to hit theaters in New York and Los Angeles July 4, then go nationwide July 13.
"Rescue Dawn" is based on the true story of Navy Lt. Dieter Dengler, who was shot down in 1966 during a top-secret mission to destroy Viet Cong strongholds in Laos. Dengler, played by actor Christian Bale, was captured and subjected to brutal torture. He met Martin and four other U.S. and Vietnamese inmates in a makeshift POW camp and began planning an escape.
Five months after Dengler's arrival, the starving and ailing POWs broke free of the camp, then scattered to face another inhospitable enemy in the nearly impenetrable jungle. Dengler and Martin endured the elements and evaded capture together as they worked their way toward freedom.
Twenty-three days after the escape, Dengler was on a rock along a riverbank - alone now, desperate and losing hope -- when an Air Force A-1E "Skyraider" plane flew overhead. He began frantically waving a palm frond at the aircraft, catching the pilot's eye.
That pilot was Deatrick, then a lieutenant colonel, who was on a bombing mission at the time.
"As I banked, I saw him waving," Deatrick recounted during an interview with American Forces Press Service. "I came back around, and he was still waving."
On his third pass, Deatrick realized that Dengler had used discarded chutes from parachute flares to spell out "SOS" on the ground. He called his control aircraft to determine if an American had been shot down in the area, and was told that none had been.
In fact, Dengler was shot down six months earlier, 80 miles away.
"Finding Dieter was an act of God," Deatrick later told the audience - about 200 servicemembers and their families - during a question-and-answer session that followed yesterday's showing of the film.
Deatrick relayed how he took a chance and called in a rescue helicopter, an HH-3 "Jolly Green Giant," to pick up Dengler. He said he watched nervously overhead as Dengler grabbed the rescue harness and was lifted aboard, fearing all the time that he might actually be an enemy soldier. Deatrick said he was "tickled to death" when he learned the truth.
It was months later, when Deatrick was stationed at the Air Force Test Center and School at Edwards Air Force Base and Dengler was at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, both in California, that the two men finally met.
"It was quite a reunion," Deatrick recalled, and it marked the beginning of a close friendship that continued until Dengler died of Lou Gehrig's disease in 2001.
Deatrick downplayed his role in the story last night, praising Dengler for the fortitude he demonstrated to make it through his ordeal.
"Dieter was quite an unusual man," he said. "He was a walking survivalist."
Zahn, better known for playing comedic roles, said he found Dengler's story so compelling that he had to be a part of telling it. "It's so much bigger than life," he said. "Dieter's persona embodies all those great American qualities: perseverance, integrity, the determination to get back up on that horse and be whatever it is you resolve to be. It's an amazing story."
Preparing for the movie was no picnic; Zahn had to drop 40 pounds and work out twice a day to play an emaciated POW. But remembering his boyhood days in Minnesota, where models of World War II planes dotted his bedroom ceiling, Zahn said that "in many ways, I've been preparing for this part all my life."
Forty years after Dengler's dramatic rescue, Deatrick said he's "just delighted that this film came out," and he hopes it inspires men and women serving in a different war today.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Jay Hensley from the 1st Helicopter Squadron said watching Dengler endure one hardship after another "proves that you can overcome just about anything if you have to."
"It shows that you have to have faith and never give up," he said. "The human will is unbelievable with you keep the faith and continue on."
Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer Jerry Featherstone, the senior noncommissioned officer for Naval Air Facility Washington, said he sat riveted to the screen through the movie as he put himself in Dengler's place.
Watching Dengler's actions "made me feel proud to be a part of the military team," Featherstone said. "It was all of us up there on the screen. It wasn't the Air Force, the Navy, the Army or the Marine Corps. It was a serviceman."
Air Force Airman 1st Class Skip Marburger from the 316th Operational Support Squadron agreed. "It shows that everyone in uniform is a team and we look out for each other," he said.
Karen Chambers admitted that when she arrived at the theater to see "Dawn Rescue," she thought she and her girlfriend were about to see a "chick flick." The story turned out to be vastly different and far more personal. Chambers' husband, 1st Lt. Joseph Lee Chambers, was killed in Vietnam in 1970 during a helicopter rescue operation. The 1st Air Cavalry Division soldier had volunteered for a mission very similar to the one that saved Dengler, but died before returning safely to his base camp.
"Seeing this movie really made me proud," Chambers said. "I'll always be proud of what he did and happy to see him recognized. He was a hero, too."
Navy Capt. Marco Cromartie, commander of Naval Air Facility Washington, said the movie underscores the legacy veterans of past wars have left to today's military members. "It's very important for us to go back and relive the success stories of those who served before us," he said.
Cromartie called Dawn Rescue "a story of struggle, of determination, of pride - all those things that make us proud to wear the uniform." He expressed hope that people who see the movie will be inspired by the courage and commitment Dengler drew on to survive and look for that same inner strength within themselves.
"This is a great story that needs to be told," he said. "I hope that every sailor, airmen, soldier and Marine who sees it will stand prouder, taller and more dedicated to the cause because of the rich tradition of those who served before us."
American Forces Press Service
June 19, 2007 – It was a movie premiere like few others. As the credits rolled down the screen here last night, a Vietnam veteran in the audience -- not the Hollywood star with some 40 credits to his name -- got the louder applause and the standing ovation. Retired Air Force Col. Eugene Deatrick, 82, slowly ambled to the stage of the base theater here after watching the premiere of "Rescue Dawn." There, he joined actor Steve Zahn, who plays Air Force 1st Lt. Duane Martin in the movie, to autograph posters of the movie, scheduled to hit theaters in New York and Los Angeles July 4, then go nationwide July 13.
"Rescue Dawn" is based on the true story of Navy Lt. Dieter Dengler, who was shot down in 1966 during a top-secret mission to destroy Viet Cong strongholds in Laos. Dengler, played by actor Christian Bale, was captured and subjected to brutal torture. He met Martin and four other U.S. and Vietnamese inmates in a makeshift POW camp and began planning an escape.
Five months after Dengler's arrival, the starving and ailing POWs broke free of the camp, then scattered to face another inhospitable enemy in the nearly impenetrable jungle. Dengler and Martin endured the elements and evaded capture together as they worked their way toward freedom.
Twenty-three days after the escape, Dengler was on a rock along a riverbank - alone now, desperate and losing hope -- when an Air Force A-1E "Skyraider" plane flew overhead. He began frantically waving a palm frond at the aircraft, catching the pilot's eye.
That pilot was Deatrick, then a lieutenant colonel, who was on a bombing mission at the time.
"As I banked, I saw him waving," Deatrick recounted during an interview with American Forces Press Service. "I came back around, and he was still waving."
On his third pass, Deatrick realized that Dengler had used discarded chutes from parachute flares to spell out "SOS" on the ground. He called his control aircraft to determine if an American had been shot down in the area, and was told that none had been.
In fact, Dengler was shot down six months earlier, 80 miles away.
"Finding Dieter was an act of God," Deatrick later told the audience - about 200 servicemembers and their families - during a question-and-answer session that followed yesterday's showing of the film.
Deatrick relayed how he took a chance and called in a rescue helicopter, an HH-3 "Jolly Green Giant," to pick up Dengler. He said he watched nervously overhead as Dengler grabbed the rescue harness and was lifted aboard, fearing all the time that he might actually be an enemy soldier. Deatrick said he was "tickled to death" when he learned the truth.
It was months later, when Deatrick was stationed at the Air Force Test Center and School at Edwards Air Force Base and Dengler was at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, both in California, that the two men finally met.
"It was quite a reunion," Deatrick recalled, and it marked the beginning of a close friendship that continued until Dengler died of Lou Gehrig's disease in 2001.
Deatrick downplayed his role in the story last night, praising Dengler for the fortitude he demonstrated to make it through his ordeal.
"Dieter was quite an unusual man," he said. "He was a walking survivalist."
Zahn, better known for playing comedic roles, said he found Dengler's story so compelling that he had to be a part of telling it. "It's so much bigger than life," he said. "Dieter's persona embodies all those great American qualities: perseverance, integrity, the determination to get back up on that horse and be whatever it is you resolve to be. It's an amazing story."
Preparing for the movie was no picnic; Zahn had to drop 40 pounds and work out twice a day to play an emaciated POW. But remembering his boyhood days in Minnesota, where models of World War II planes dotted his bedroom ceiling, Zahn said that "in many ways, I've been preparing for this part all my life."
Forty years after Dengler's dramatic rescue, Deatrick said he's "just delighted that this film came out," and he hopes it inspires men and women serving in a different war today.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Jay Hensley from the 1st Helicopter Squadron said watching Dengler endure one hardship after another "proves that you can overcome just about anything if you have to."
"It shows that you have to have faith and never give up," he said. "The human will is unbelievable with you keep the faith and continue on."
Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer Jerry Featherstone, the senior noncommissioned officer for Naval Air Facility Washington, said he sat riveted to the screen through the movie as he put himself in Dengler's place.
Watching Dengler's actions "made me feel proud to be a part of the military team," Featherstone said. "It was all of us up there on the screen. It wasn't the Air Force, the Navy, the Army or the Marine Corps. It was a serviceman."
Air Force Airman 1st Class Skip Marburger from the 316th Operational Support Squadron agreed. "It shows that everyone in uniform is a team and we look out for each other," he said.
Karen Chambers admitted that when she arrived at the theater to see "Dawn Rescue," she thought she and her girlfriend were about to see a "chick flick." The story turned out to be vastly different and far more personal. Chambers' husband, 1st Lt. Joseph Lee Chambers, was killed in Vietnam in 1970 during a helicopter rescue operation. The 1st Air Cavalry Division soldier had volunteered for a mission very similar to the one that saved Dengler, but died before returning safely to his base camp.
"Seeing this movie really made me proud," Chambers said. "I'll always be proud of what he did and happy to see him recognized. He was a hero, too."
Navy Capt. Marco Cromartie, commander of Naval Air Facility Washington, said the movie underscores the legacy veterans of past wars have left to today's military members. "It's very important for us to go back and relive the success stories of those who served before us," he said.
Cromartie called Dawn Rescue "a story of struggle, of determination, of pride - all those things that make us proud to wear the uniform." He expressed hope that people who see the movie will be inspired by the courage and commitment Dengler drew on to survive and look for that same inner strength within themselves.
"This is a great story that needs to be told," he said. "I hope that every sailor, airmen, soldier and Marine who sees it will stand prouder, taller and more dedicated to the cause because of the rich tradition of those who served before us."
Missing Wisconsin Boy Found Dead in Pond
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
June 19, 2007 – A 7-year-old Wood County, Wis., boy who'd been reported missing since June 14 has been found dead, a Wisconsin official said today. Benjamin Heil was the subject of a massive search conducted over the past several days by state and local officials, including Wisconsin and Michigan National Guard helicopters.
Heil's body was discovered by search dogs late this morning in a small pond located not far from his home in Saratoga, Wis., said Keith Tveit, fire service coordinator for the state of Wisconsin's emergency management office.
The outcome of the search for the boy "was not what we were looking for," Tveit said.
Two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters had flown daytime search missions June 15, 16 and 17, and during several hours yesterday, Wisconsin National Guard spokeswoman Jackie Guthrie said during a phone interview with American Forces Press Service earlier today.
The Michigan National Guard provided an OH-58 Kiowa helicopter to search at night, Guthrie said.
A canine search dog took his handler to the pond where Heil was found, Tveit said.
"It was very emotional" when news reached the searchers that Heil's body had been discovered, Tveit said.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, Tveit said.
American Forces Press Service
June 19, 2007 – A 7-year-old Wood County, Wis., boy who'd been reported missing since June 14 has been found dead, a Wisconsin official said today. Benjamin Heil was the subject of a massive search conducted over the past several days by state and local officials, including Wisconsin and Michigan National Guard helicopters.
Heil's body was discovered by search dogs late this morning in a small pond located not far from his home in Saratoga, Wis., said Keith Tveit, fire service coordinator for the state of Wisconsin's emergency management office.
The outcome of the search for the boy "was not what we were looking for," Tveit said.
Two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters had flown daytime search missions June 15, 16 and 17, and during several hours yesterday, Wisconsin National Guard spokeswoman Jackie Guthrie said during a phone interview with American Forces Press Service earlier today.
The Michigan National Guard provided an OH-58 Kiowa helicopter to search at night, Guthrie said.
A canine search dog took his handler to the pond where Heil was found, Tveit said.
"It was very emotional" when news reached the searchers that Heil's body had been discovered, Tveit said.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, Tveit said.
Group's Monkeys Minister to Troops
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
June 18, 2007 – In Chelsea, Ala., offering servicemembers and their families encouragement is just plain monkey business. Since February 2005, Sock Monkey Ministries, Inc. has been letting servicemembers know they're not forgotten with handmade sock monkeys. Each monkey wears a yellow ribbon and carries a message letting recipients know someone back home is thinking of them.
"It's our responsibility as an American people to care and nurture our soldiers as they protect our freedom," Beth VanSickle, founder of Sock Monkey Ministries, said. "We choose to do this by making a handmade treasure with special meaning attached to it."
A card that accompanies the monkey explains its purpose and encourages servicemembers to pass it on to a child who could use a lift. To date, 1,500 volunteers have made 5,200 sock monkeys. The morale-boosting primates have been sent to civilians and servicemembers alike around the world.
In a tribute to the families of the fallen, Sock Monkey Ministries also makes what it calls the "Fallen Hero" sock monkey. This monkey has a U.S. flag embroidered on its chest and carries a special note for its recipient. Simply stated, it offers appreciation and gratitude for the family's sacrifice, VanSickle said.
In addition to providing hope and encouragement to the troops, VanSickle said, her organization accomplishes another goal.
"Our organization provides a means by which many volunteers ... can come together for a single purpose," she said. "We are instilling patriotism in our communities and informing the American people that we still have many lives that are being affected by the global war on terrorism."
VanSickle said she sees evidence the group's efforts are appreciated. She said she receives many e-mails from soldiers and their families sharing the importance of our organization's efforts to bring laughter, encouragement and strength through a simple stuffed toy.
Sock Monkey Ministries recently became a home-front partner in the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
Though Sock Monkey Ministries is a new member of America Supports You, it has already recognized the benefits of that membership, VanSickle said.
"Our organization has worked with another America Supports You group, Operation Homefront," she said. "We sent over 100 sock monkeys to their San Antonio affiliate. They handed these monkeys out to a military hospital as an opportunity to bring cheer as the patients recover from injuries."
American Forces Press Service
June 18, 2007 – In Chelsea, Ala., offering servicemembers and their families encouragement is just plain monkey business. Since February 2005, Sock Monkey Ministries, Inc. has been letting servicemembers know they're not forgotten with handmade sock monkeys. Each monkey wears a yellow ribbon and carries a message letting recipients know someone back home is thinking of them.
"It's our responsibility as an American people to care and nurture our soldiers as they protect our freedom," Beth VanSickle, founder of Sock Monkey Ministries, said. "We choose to do this by making a handmade treasure with special meaning attached to it."
A card that accompanies the monkey explains its purpose and encourages servicemembers to pass it on to a child who could use a lift. To date, 1,500 volunteers have made 5,200 sock monkeys. The morale-boosting primates have been sent to civilians and servicemembers alike around the world.
In a tribute to the families of the fallen, Sock Monkey Ministries also makes what it calls the "Fallen Hero" sock monkey. This monkey has a U.S. flag embroidered on its chest and carries a special note for its recipient. Simply stated, it offers appreciation and gratitude for the family's sacrifice, VanSickle said.
In addition to providing hope and encouragement to the troops, VanSickle said, her organization accomplishes another goal.
"Our organization provides a means by which many volunteers ... can come together for a single purpose," she said. "We are instilling patriotism in our communities and informing the American people that we still have many lives that are being affected by the global war on terrorism."
VanSickle said she sees evidence the group's efforts are appreciated. She said she receives many e-mails from soldiers and their families sharing the importance of our organization's efforts to bring laughter, encouragement and strength through a simple stuffed toy.
Sock Monkey Ministries recently became a home-front partner in the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
Though Sock Monkey Ministries is a new member of America Supports You, it has already recognized the benefits of that membership, VanSickle said.
"Our organization has worked with another America Supports You group, Operation Homefront," she said. "We sent over 100 sock monkeys to their San Antonio affiliate. They handed these monkeys out to a military hospital as an opportunity to bring cheer as the patients recover from injuries."
Top NCO Shares Laughs, Hope with Troops in Korea
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
June 18, 2007 – The Defense Department's top enlisted servicemember today urged hundreds of troops here to live their dreams, because life is short. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he learned this lesson during the 13 months he spent in Iraq before taking his current position advising Marine Gen. Peter Pace on enlisted matters.
Gainey visited servicemembers at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan on the first leg of a weeklong visit to South Korea. This is Gainey's second trip here as Pace's senior enlisted advisor.
During the day, Gainey hosted a live call-in radio show on Armed Forces Network Korea, alongside Army Command Sgt. Maj. Barry C. Wheeler, command sergeant major for 8th U.S. Army. He toured Special Operations Command Korea, lunched with troops from 18th Medical Command, and toured the 121st Combat Support Hospital.
He also held two town hall meetings, with the first for about 50 troops at the hospital and the second for about 150 servicemembers representing units from across Yongsan. There, he explained his role and fielded questions from troops ranging from uniforms and promotions, to how he was selected for his current job.
He also had office calls with U.S. Forces Korea commander Army Gen. Burwell B. Bell and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs for the Republic of Korea military, Gen. Kwan Jin Kim.
Everywhere Gainey went, he talked and joked with troops, passing out coins and advice on how they should live out their dreams and never compromise who they are.
As a litmus test of sorts, Gainey said servicemembers should ask themselves five questions before fulfilling their dreams: Is it illegal? Is it immoral? Will it hurt me? Will it hurt others? Will it disgrace my name or service?
If the answer is 'no' to all five questions, Gainey told the servicemembers to "go for it."
"People are quick to tell you that you can't do something," Gainey said. "Life is very short. Live the best life you can. Fulfill all your dreams."
During the meetings, Gainey also stressed that servicemembers will no longer serve on battlefields with only their respective service, but in a joint environment.
Gainey told servicemembers in the audience to cover the branch -- Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines -- on their uniforms with one finger. "All you have left is us (U.S.)," he said.
Troops are basically the same, only the tactics, techniques and procedures change, Gainey said. "They all have the same hopes, desires and dreams," he said.
Gainey emphasized to troops that, no matter what their jobs, each plays a key role in the nation's defense, and he encouraged them to do their best. "If you're a broom pusher, be the best broom pusher," he said. "Be proud of who you are and what you do." Everyone's role is important, Gainey told the servicemembers. "If you don't think what you are doing is important, you're wrong," he said.
American Forces Press Service
June 18, 2007 – The Defense Department's top enlisted servicemember today urged hundreds of troops here to live their dreams, because life is short. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he learned this lesson during the 13 months he spent in Iraq before taking his current position advising Marine Gen. Peter Pace on enlisted matters.
Gainey visited servicemembers at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan on the first leg of a weeklong visit to South Korea. This is Gainey's second trip here as Pace's senior enlisted advisor.
During the day, Gainey hosted a live call-in radio show on Armed Forces Network Korea, alongside Army Command Sgt. Maj. Barry C. Wheeler, command sergeant major for 8th U.S. Army. He toured Special Operations Command Korea, lunched with troops from 18th Medical Command, and toured the 121st Combat Support Hospital.
He also held two town hall meetings, with the first for about 50 troops at the hospital and the second for about 150 servicemembers representing units from across Yongsan. There, he explained his role and fielded questions from troops ranging from uniforms and promotions, to how he was selected for his current job.
He also had office calls with U.S. Forces Korea commander Army Gen. Burwell B. Bell and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs for the Republic of Korea military, Gen. Kwan Jin Kim.
Everywhere Gainey went, he talked and joked with troops, passing out coins and advice on how they should live out their dreams and never compromise who they are.
As a litmus test of sorts, Gainey said servicemembers should ask themselves five questions before fulfilling their dreams: Is it illegal? Is it immoral? Will it hurt me? Will it hurt others? Will it disgrace my name or service?
If the answer is 'no' to all five questions, Gainey told the servicemembers to "go for it."
"People are quick to tell you that you can't do something," Gainey said. "Life is very short. Live the best life you can. Fulfill all your dreams."
During the meetings, Gainey also stressed that servicemembers will no longer serve on battlefields with only their respective service, but in a joint environment.
Gainey told servicemembers in the audience to cover the branch -- Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines -- on their uniforms with one finger. "All you have left is us (U.S.)," he said.
Troops are basically the same, only the tactics, techniques and procedures change, Gainey said. "They all have the same hopes, desires and dreams," he said.
Gainey emphasized to troops that, no matter what their jobs, each plays a key role in the nation's defense, and he encouraged them to do their best. "If you're a broom pusher, be the best broom pusher," he said. "Be proud of who you are and what you do." Everyone's role is important, Gainey told the servicemembers. "If you don't think what you are doing is important, you're wrong," he said.
Military Family Students Can Still Apply for Trip
American Forces Press Service
June 18, 2007 – A group that recognizes high school students whose lives are affected by extreme circumstances is offering trips to the nation's capital for teens with a deployed parent. The Student Youth and Travel Association has extended of the deadline for its Silver Lining Program to June 25.
This summer's program will take place here July 25-28. It's open to military students ages 14-19 who have a parent serving abroad and who have been affected by the Iraq war, according to an association news release.
The all-expenses-paid travel to Washington is an opportunity for the students to grow intellectually, academically and culturally. The trip also offers the chance for these students to share their similar experiences and form lasting friendships.
Applicants must submit an essay, video presentation, or other media that details how they've demonstrated through their action, intention, or circumstance, the desire to overcome an extreme circumstance with the intention of creating a dramatic life change.
Completed applications can be mailed to the Student and Youth Travel Association Youth Foundation, 3048 W. Clarkston Rd., Lake Orion, MI 48362. Applications also can be faxed to (248) 814-7150.
More information and a program application can be found on the Silver Lining Program Application Web site.
(From a Student and Youth Travel Association news release.)
June 18, 2007 – A group that recognizes high school students whose lives are affected by extreme circumstances is offering trips to the nation's capital for teens with a deployed parent. The Student Youth and Travel Association has extended of the deadline for its Silver Lining Program to June 25.
This summer's program will take place here July 25-28. It's open to military students ages 14-19 who have a parent serving abroad and who have been affected by the Iraq war, according to an association news release.
The all-expenses-paid travel to Washington is an opportunity for the students to grow intellectually, academically and culturally. The trip also offers the chance for these students to share their similar experiences and form lasting friendships.
Applicants must submit an essay, video presentation, or other media that details how they've demonstrated through their action, intention, or circumstance, the desire to overcome an extreme circumstance with the intention of creating a dramatic life change.
Completed applications can be mailed to the Student and Youth Travel Association Youth Foundation, 3048 W. Clarkston Rd., Lake Orion, MI 48362. Applications also can be faxed to (248) 814-7150.
More information and a program application can be found on the Silver Lining Program Application Web site.
(From a Student and Youth Travel Association news release.)
President's Commission Hears From Defense Officials, Wounded Warriors
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service
June 18, 2007 – A special commission appointed by President Bush to examine medical care given to wounded servicemembers held its sixth public meeting here today, receiving testimony from Defense Department officials, wounded warriors and their families, and other experts. Today's hearing of the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors focused on family support and outreach services. The commission, headed by former Kansas Sen. Robert Dole and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, is due to present recommendations on improving the military's care for wounded troops to the president in July.
Olivia Smith, who works for the Defense Department's Office of Military Community and Family Policy, testified about programs the department offers to support severely injured military members and their families. She said department officials strongly believe in the importance of quality of life for all servicemembers, especially those who have been wounded.
"We believe there is a true connection between families being supported and the member being capable of doing the mission they are called to do," Smith said.
Each military service has its own support programs for severely injured servicemembers, and the Defense Department backs up the services and augments them with anything they need, Smith said. In 2005, the department established a military severely injured center, which ties together military support services and services offered by other government agencies, such as the departments of Veterans Affairs and Labor.
One of the Defense Department's biggest successes in this area has been the Hiring Heroes program, Smith said. This program holds small job fairs at military treatment facilities for wounded troops and their families. The companies involved are required to offer jobs on the spot, not just accept resumes, she said, and wounded troops often find themselves in the middle of a bidding war between interested companies. She highlighted one soldier at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here who came out of a job fair with an $85,000 salary.
"We were really thrilled," she said of the incident. "He was thrilled, and I think it was, for all of us, a realization of how valuable these kinds of events are for our young servicemembers and their families, to see how valuable their skills are."
Smith spoke about several other partnerships that have been successful for the Defense Department, such as the database they compiled of non-profit organizations that support injured troops, the "Heroes to Hometowns" program, and the Department of Veterans Affairs' vocational rehabilitation programs. She stressed that there can't be a "cookie cutter" approach to supporting wounded warriors, because each case is different, but there needs to be a focus on getting critical information about benefits and support programs to troops and families when they need it.
The commission also heard from retired Army Col. James A. Martin, an associate professor of social work and social research at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pa. Martin emphasized the importance of community support for America's veterans, past and present. He used the Chapel Hill, N.C., area, where a citizen-soldier support program was created to support National Guard and reserve servicemembers, as an example.
This support program works to inform local organizations about the needs of citizen-soldiers and their families, assist these organizations in planning services to help military families dealing with deployments, and connecting the military members with these services, Martin said.
"The most important overall point is that communities really do care, and I think our citizens care," he said. "The issue often is knowing what to do and how to reach these families."
Martin stressed that opportunities for programs like this exist all over the country, and strong communities are essential in supporting servicemembers in areas where there isn't a large military presence. "The lives of these soldiers, veterans and families are going to be lived in their communities, and it's critical to engage our communities throughout America in this kind of effort," he said.
Sarah Wade was one of the family members to testify before the commission. Her husband, retired Army Sgt. Edward Wade, was injured in a bomb blast in Iraq in February 2004. Wade detailed the problems she and her husband have had with his medical care since his injury, including the loss of essential paperwork that resulted in a lapse in pay and insurance benefits.
The Wades also ran into trouble because Edward has a traumatic brain injury and is an amputee. The amputee care he needs is at Walter Reed, Sarah said, but he can't get the care he needs for his traumatic brain injury in this area. As a result, the couple spends a great deal of time travelling between Chapel Hill, N.C., where they live, and Walter Reed.
Wade had several specific recommendations for the commission, which she based on her experiences trying to navigate her husband's administrative and medical problems. Her recommendations included:
-- Electronic DD-214 forms, which are reports of separation from service;
-- An overlap of active-duty benefits and Veterans Affairs benefits for severely injured servicemembers;
-- Flexible funds to customize rehabilitation plans for different injured troops;
-- Streamlined Medicare and Tricare systems;
-- Better case management continuity, including smaller patient loads for case managers and lifelong tracking of injured troops;
-- Better access to community-based resources for injured servicemembers and their families, so they can stay close to home;
-- Caregiver training, certification and compensation for family members who already are taking care of injured family members; and
-- Improved respite care for traumatic brain injury patients
"Our story is the story of a lot of families, many worse off than ourselves," Wade said. "Though we'll never be able to fully compensate severely injured veterans for the sacrifices they make on our behalf, we could certainly do a better job managing their care and rehabilitating them to their fullest potential in a timely manner to maximize their quality of life."
American Forces Press Service
June 18, 2007 – A special commission appointed by President Bush to examine medical care given to wounded servicemembers held its sixth public meeting here today, receiving testimony from Defense Department officials, wounded warriors and their families, and other experts. Today's hearing of the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors focused on family support and outreach services. The commission, headed by former Kansas Sen. Robert Dole and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, is due to present recommendations on improving the military's care for wounded troops to the president in July.
Olivia Smith, who works for the Defense Department's Office of Military Community and Family Policy, testified about programs the department offers to support severely injured military members and their families. She said department officials strongly believe in the importance of quality of life for all servicemembers, especially those who have been wounded.
"We believe there is a true connection between families being supported and the member being capable of doing the mission they are called to do," Smith said.
Each military service has its own support programs for severely injured servicemembers, and the Defense Department backs up the services and augments them with anything they need, Smith said. In 2005, the department established a military severely injured center, which ties together military support services and services offered by other government agencies, such as the departments of Veterans Affairs and Labor.
One of the Defense Department's biggest successes in this area has been the Hiring Heroes program, Smith said. This program holds small job fairs at military treatment facilities for wounded troops and their families. The companies involved are required to offer jobs on the spot, not just accept resumes, she said, and wounded troops often find themselves in the middle of a bidding war between interested companies. She highlighted one soldier at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here who came out of a job fair with an $85,000 salary.
"We were really thrilled," she said of the incident. "He was thrilled, and I think it was, for all of us, a realization of how valuable these kinds of events are for our young servicemembers and their families, to see how valuable their skills are."
Smith spoke about several other partnerships that have been successful for the Defense Department, such as the database they compiled of non-profit organizations that support injured troops, the "Heroes to Hometowns" program, and the Department of Veterans Affairs' vocational rehabilitation programs. She stressed that there can't be a "cookie cutter" approach to supporting wounded warriors, because each case is different, but there needs to be a focus on getting critical information about benefits and support programs to troops and families when they need it.
The commission also heard from retired Army Col. James A. Martin, an associate professor of social work and social research at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pa. Martin emphasized the importance of community support for America's veterans, past and present. He used the Chapel Hill, N.C., area, where a citizen-soldier support program was created to support National Guard and reserve servicemembers, as an example.
This support program works to inform local organizations about the needs of citizen-soldiers and their families, assist these organizations in planning services to help military families dealing with deployments, and connecting the military members with these services, Martin said.
"The most important overall point is that communities really do care, and I think our citizens care," he said. "The issue often is knowing what to do and how to reach these families."
Martin stressed that opportunities for programs like this exist all over the country, and strong communities are essential in supporting servicemembers in areas where there isn't a large military presence. "The lives of these soldiers, veterans and families are going to be lived in their communities, and it's critical to engage our communities throughout America in this kind of effort," he said.
Sarah Wade was one of the family members to testify before the commission. Her husband, retired Army Sgt. Edward Wade, was injured in a bomb blast in Iraq in February 2004. Wade detailed the problems she and her husband have had with his medical care since his injury, including the loss of essential paperwork that resulted in a lapse in pay and insurance benefits.
The Wades also ran into trouble because Edward has a traumatic brain injury and is an amputee. The amputee care he needs is at Walter Reed, Sarah said, but he can't get the care he needs for his traumatic brain injury in this area. As a result, the couple spends a great deal of time travelling between Chapel Hill, N.C., where they live, and Walter Reed.
Wade had several specific recommendations for the commission, which she based on her experiences trying to navigate her husband's administrative and medical problems. Her recommendations included:
-- Electronic DD-214 forms, which are reports of separation from service;
-- An overlap of active-duty benefits and Veterans Affairs benefits for severely injured servicemembers;
-- Flexible funds to customize rehabilitation plans for different injured troops;
-- Streamlined Medicare and Tricare systems;
-- Better case management continuity, including smaller patient loads for case managers and lifelong tracking of injured troops;
-- Better access to community-based resources for injured servicemembers and their families, so they can stay close to home;
-- Caregiver training, certification and compensation for family members who already are taking care of injured family members; and
-- Improved respite care for traumatic brain injury patients
"Our story is the story of a lot of families, many worse off than ourselves," Wade said. "Though we'll never be able to fully compensate severely injured veterans for the sacrifices they make on our behalf, we could certainly do a better job managing their care and rehabilitating them to their fullest potential in a timely manner to maximize their quality of life."
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