By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 27, 2007 - Securing continued civil, military and commercial access to cyberspace and space-based domains will be a major challenge to the next commander of U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton said during his confirmation hearing today. Increased U.S. dependence on cyberspace and space-based capabilities makes securing these domains "crucial to our national security," President Bush's nominee to lead STRATCOM told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Cyberspace and space have become "global commons" that Chilton called "vitally important to our daily way of life and the economic well-being of our nation and the world." As a result, he said in a written response to the committee's questions, "attacks impacting our freedom to operate in space and cyberspace pose serious strategic threats."
Meanwhile, the threat of state-terrorist groups gaining control of and using weapons of mass destruction against the homeland looms as the largest strategic threat confronting the country, he said.
Chilton, who currently serves as commander of Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., said that if he's confirmed, he will address these challenges as STRATCOM commander by identifying capability gaps within the organization and ensuring they're corrected. The next step, he said, will be to ensure the command has the right organizational structure, command relations and tools in place to carry out its missions and support other combatant commands.
"I think we need to ... make sure that we have the right command-and-control structures in place, the right information in place, the right command relationships in place, to provide the support that all our forces around the world have become dependent upon," he said during testimony today.
If confirmed, Chilton said, he will pursue several priorities for the command, including:
-- Deliver space capabilities to support joint operations around the globe;
-- Provide a global deterrent capability and synchronize Defense Department efforts to prevent potential adversaries from acquiring or using weapons of mass destruction; and
-- Maximize the application and use of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, space, cyberspace, global strike and other Defense Department resources to support decisive kinetic and non-kinetic combat effects.
These priorities are critical, he said, as potential adversaries have been able to leverage information and space technologies to threaten the United States and its interests.
President Bush named Chilton in July for appointment as STRATCOM commander. If confirmed, he will replace Air Force Lt. Gen. C. Robert Kehler, who has served as interim commander since August, when the former commander, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, became the eighth vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
A former astronaut who flew three space shuttle missions, Chilton is a 1976 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. He conducted weapons testing in various models of the F-4 and F-15 aircraft before joining the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1987.
The nominee also served on the Air Force Space Command Staff, the Joint Staff and the Air Staff, and commanded the 9th Reconnaissance Wing. Immediately before taking on his current assignment, he commanded 8th Air Force and served as STRATCOM's joint functional component commander for space and global strike.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Admiral Details Tenets for New Maritime Strategy
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 27, 2007 - Any new U.S. maritime strategy must have at its core joint military capability, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command said here today. World reliance on the maritime domain is only going to increase, Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating told attendees at the 37th Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis Fletcher National Security Conference.
"Each year almost 20 million containers move on the water between Asia and the United States, and 15 million between the United States and Europe," Keating said.
More than 70,000 ships each year pass through the Straits of Malacca. These ships carry a third of global trade volume and more than a third of global oil trade, he said.
Pacific Command is covers the largest geographic area of any combatant command. It stretches from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. Most of the command is water, and it has always been regarded as a "naval" command. Some of the most vigorous economic powers of the world are in the command: Japan, China, South Korea, the Southeast Asian nations and India, to name just a few. They understand that continued progress in the region depends on continued security and stability in the maritime domain, Keating said.
These nations have taken to heart the lessons of sea power. "They understand the direct link between the maritime domain and prosperity," he said. The nations have the money to spend on developing naval power, and they have vital interests they want to protect on the seas.
Keating said any new strategy must be built on four tenets. The first emphasizes the importance of joint warfighting. "Our new strategy must integrate and leverage our great power of our joint military capability," Keating said. "American sea power is more than just Navy," and it has been that way since Battle of Manila in 1898.
The admiral stressed that real American sea power "is, and must remain, fully joint." Pacific Command, out of necessity, focuses on the seas, oceans and waterways that dominate the region. Yet, "success in the maritime battle space is ... fundamentally found in joint military power: naval, air and land power projection combined around the clock."
Second, he said, any new strategy must be designed around continued U.S. military dominance across the full spectrum of operations. "We must retain the powerful overmatch we currently enjoy," Keating said.
That overmatch can be based on numbers, capabilities or a combination of the two, but it is needed so the United States retains "the ability to dominate in any scenario in all environments without exception."
This covers all aspects of capabilities from full-scale war to humanitarian operations. It also must contain guidance for countering weapons of mass destruction and proliferation and defending against ballistic-missile attacks.
While military force plays a large role in strategy, "truly winning the maritime domain requires much more from us," the admiral said. The United States and U.S. Pacific Command encourage peace and stability in the area through cooperation, collaboration and good will.
The United States must always "be prepared to act decisively and, if necessary, alone," he said. "We also understand it is in the best interest of all nations to act together and in a common cause in pursuit of the goals that most reasonable nations seek."
Opportunities to act together on the sea, in the air, or on the land abound, Keating said, adding that the United States has excellent bilateral relations with many Pacific nations. The United States is a treaty ally of Japan, South Korea and Thailand; U.S. forces and the forces of South Korea and Thailand regularly participate in exercises and operations; and the U.S. military is also expanding exercises and operations with the Japanese Self-Defense Force.
"We begin by enhancing strong bilateral relations with our allies," Keating said. "We intend to build on these relations as we expand toward broad collaborative multinational interactions, exchanges, exercises and operations."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 27, 2007 - Any new U.S. maritime strategy must have at its core joint military capability, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command said here today. World reliance on the maritime domain is only going to increase, Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating told attendees at the 37th Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis Fletcher National Security Conference.
"Each year almost 20 million containers move on the water between Asia and the United States, and 15 million between the United States and Europe," Keating said.
More than 70,000 ships each year pass through the Straits of Malacca. These ships carry a third of global trade volume and more than a third of global oil trade, he said.
Pacific Command is covers the largest geographic area of any combatant command. It stretches from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. Most of the command is water, and it has always been regarded as a "naval" command. Some of the most vigorous economic powers of the world are in the command: Japan, China, South Korea, the Southeast Asian nations and India, to name just a few. They understand that continued progress in the region depends on continued security and stability in the maritime domain, Keating said.
These nations have taken to heart the lessons of sea power. "They understand the direct link between the maritime domain and prosperity," he said. The nations have the money to spend on developing naval power, and they have vital interests they want to protect on the seas.
Keating said any new strategy must be built on four tenets. The first emphasizes the importance of joint warfighting. "Our new strategy must integrate and leverage our great power of our joint military capability," Keating said. "American sea power is more than just Navy," and it has been that way since Battle of Manila in 1898.
The admiral stressed that real American sea power "is, and must remain, fully joint." Pacific Command, out of necessity, focuses on the seas, oceans and waterways that dominate the region. Yet, "success in the maritime battle space is ... fundamentally found in joint military power: naval, air and land power projection combined around the clock."
Second, he said, any new strategy must be designed around continued U.S. military dominance across the full spectrum of operations. "We must retain the powerful overmatch we currently enjoy," Keating said.
That overmatch can be based on numbers, capabilities or a combination of the two, but it is needed so the United States retains "the ability to dominate in any scenario in all environments without exception."
This covers all aspects of capabilities from full-scale war to humanitarian operations. It also must contain guidance for countering weapons of mass destruction and proliferation and defending against ballistic-missile attacks.
While military force plays a large role in strategy, "truly winning the maritime domain requires much more from us," the admiral said. The United States and U.S. Pacific Command encourage peace and stability in the area through cooperation, collaboration and good will.
The United States must always "be prepared to act decisively and, if necessary, alone," he said. "We also understand it is in the best interest of all nations to act together and in a common cause in pursuit of the goals that most reasonable nations seek."
Opportunities to act together on the sea, in the air, or on the land abound, Keating said, adding that the United States has excellent bilateral relations with many Pacific nations. The United States is a treaty ally of Japan, South Korea and Thailand; U.S. forces and the forces of South Korea and Thailand regularly participate in exercises and operations; and the U.S. military is also expanding exercises and operations with the Japanese Self-Defense Force.
"We begin by enhancing strong bilateral relations with our allies," Keating said. "We intend to build on these relations as we expand toward broad collaborative multinational interactions, exchanges, exercises and operations."
Gates Praises Retiring Pace; Chairman Thanks Troops, Families, Media
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 27, 2007 - Retiring Marine Gen. Peter Pace received high praise from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today during the general's last news conference as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and he thanked servicemembers, families and the media for the vital roles they play. Gates lauded Pace as "a man who has been my mentor and my friend these last 10 months" since Gates took office in December.
"For four decades, General Pace has served our country with dedication and distinction through times of peace and times of war, (and) during periods of great transition," Gates said.
He noted that Pace "cut his teeth on the battlefields of Vietnam, made his way up through the ranks during the Cold War, and these past few years, has led our military in a very different, very complex war against jihadist terrorism."
Through it all, Gates said, Pace "has never once forgotten about the individual men and women who make up our armed forces, and he has never forgotten where he comes from."
Gates recalled comments Pace made earlier this month at a dinner honoring military families who had lost a loved one. Pace told the group that Marines know fear in combat but are driven to carry out their mission because of a fear bigger than the enemy they face. "What makes Marines get up and do their job is a greater fear that we will not measure up to those who have gone before, that somehow we will let down the Marine on our left and on our right," the secretary said, quoting Pace.
"General Pace has always been and will always be the epitome not only of a Marine, but of anyone who has ever had the honor of wearing our nation's uniform, from the bottom ranks to the very top," Gates said.
Pace took the opportunity to thank U.S. servicemembers for the contribution they make to the United States. "They freely give more than anybody could ever demand," he said. "And I certainly -- we all -- owe them a great debt of gratitude."
The general paid tribute to military families, too, who he said "sit at home and worry" about their loved ones and pray for them when they're deployed. Then, family members "stand in the background when (the troops) come home and get awards and decorations and promotions, pretending the families had nothing to do with it," he said.
"Our families are serving this nation as well as anybody who has ever worn the uniform, and we thank them," the general said, repeating an observation he's made frequently during his term as chairman.
Pace expressed thanks to the Pentagon press corps, as well, calling a free press "absolutely vital" to the country's freedom. "There is no freedom in any country around the world that does not have a free press," he said, noting that if he had to pick between a free press and a strong military, he'd pick the free press.
"You need them both," he told reporters. "But I can tell you, despite the fact that at times the questions have not been comfortable, I have considered it a privilege to participate in the dialogue."
Pace said he always considered it his responsibility to tell the media the truth as he knew it, to the limits of classification. The media, in turn, had the responsibility to check out the facts and report the truth as its members knew it. "If we both do our jobs, this country is going to be in great shape for a long time to come," he said.
Following the news conference, Pentagon workers got their chance to say goodbye to the chairman. They lined the hallway outside the briefing studio, applauding the chairman as he exited.
In traditional Pace style, the chairman stopped to shake each and every hand as he walked back to his Pentagon office.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 27, 2007 - Retiring Marine Gen. Peter Pace received high praise from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today during the general's last news conference as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and he thanked servicemembers, families and the media for the vital roles they play. Gates lauded Pace as "a man who has been my mentor and my friend these last 10 months" since Gates took office in December.
"For four decades, General Pace has served our country with dedication and distinction through times of peace and times of war, (and) during periods of great transition," Gates said.
He noted that Pace "cut his teeth on the battlefields of Vietnam, made his way up through the ranks during the Cold War, and these past few years, has led our military in a very different, very complex war against jihadist terrorism."
Through it all, Gates said, Pace "has never once forgotten about the individual men and women who make up our armed forces, and he has never forgotten where he comes from."
Gates recalled comments Pace made earlier this month at a dinner honoring military families who had lost a loved one. Pace told the group that Marines know fear in combat but are driven to carry out their mission because of a fear bigger than the enemy they face. "What makes Marines get up and do their job is a greater fear that we will not measure up to those who have gone before, that somehow we will let down the Marine on our left and on our right," the secretary said, quoting Pace.
"General Pace has always been and will always be the epitome not only of a Marine, but of anyone who has ever had the honor of wearing our nation's uniform, from the bottom ranks to the very top," Gates said.
Pace took the opportunity to thank U.S. servicemembers for the contribution they make to the United States. "They freely give more than anybody could ever demand," he said. "And I certainly -- we all -- owe them a great debt of gratitude."
The general paid tribute to military families, too, who he said "sit at home and worry" about their loved ones and pray for them when they're deployed. Then, family members "stand in the background when (the troops) come home and get awards and decorations and promotions, pretending the families had nothing to do with it," he said.
"Our families are serving this nation as well as anybody who has ever worn the uniform, and we thank them," the general said, repeating an observation he's made frequently during his term as chairman.
Pace expressed thanks to the Pentagon press corps, as well, calling a free press "absolutely vital" to the country's freedom. "There is no freedom in any country around the world that does not have a free press," he said, noting that if he had to pick between a free press and a strong military, he'd pick the free press.
"You need them both," he told reporters. "But I can tell you, despite the fact that at times the questions have not been comfortable, I have considered it a privilege to participate in the dialogue."
Pace said he always considered it his responsibility to tell the media the truth as he knew it, to the limits of classification. The media, in turn, had the responsibility to check out the facts and report the truth as its members knew it. "If we both do our jobs, this country is going to be in great shape for a long time to come," he said.
Following the news conference, Pentagon workers got their chance to say goodbye to the chairman. They lined the hallway outside the briefing studio, applauding the chairman as he exited.
In traditional Pace style, the chairman stopped to shake each and every hand as he walked back to his Pentagon office.
Chief of Naval Operations Nominee Cites Future Needs, Challenges
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 27, 2007 - Maintaining the U.S. Navy's sea and air deterrent and recruiting and retaining enough qualified sailors to man the fleet are among the U.S. Navy's top challenges in the years ahead, the officer nominated to lead that force told a Senate panel here today. Adm. Gary Roughead, selected by President Bush to become the next chief of naval operations, appeared on Capitol Hill before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The admiral is the current commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, which organizes, mans, trains and equips U.S. naval forces for assignment to combatant commanders.
"Maintaining our current readiness gives us the ability to be an effective force anywhere in the world," Roughead told committee members at his confirmation hearing today.
Building tomorrow's Navy requires responsibility, accountability and an obligation "to clearly and thoughtfully define how we will fight and what we need -- not want -- to be able to do that," he told committee members.
In his current position, Roughead provides key advice to current naval chief Adm. Michael G. Mullen, who on Oct. 1 is slated to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing Marine Gen. Peter Pace.
Today's Navy plays an important role in the U.S. military's joint-force concept, Roughead reported, noting that sailors and naval aviators are deployed worldwide with members of their sister services in support of the war against terrorism.
Naval forces also serve alongside other U.S. military forces posted in other regions vital to national security interests, such as South America and Africa, Roughead reported.
It's paramount that America's Navy maintains its forward-leaning warfighting posture, in line with the force's Fleet Response Plan concept that stresses force agility embodied by rapid-deployment capabilities, Roughead said. The Fleet Response Plan calls for agile, robust U.S. naval forces that can quickly respond to any contingency.
Being ready and responsive to carry out a range of diverse missions requires new approaches to delivering operational capability at the best cost, the admiral explained.
Technology is ever-changing, therefore, the Navy must also ensure that its equipment is the most advanced in the world to deter possible future enemies, Roughead reported.
U.S. naval ships, submarines, aircraft, weapons and networks must outpace potential adversaries, the admiral said in written responses to questions from the committee. However, rising costs of advanced technology are challenging the Navy's ability to provide a balanced force, he added.
In addition, the Navy's sailors and pilots constitute the bedrock of that service, Roughead emphasized in his written response, noting that the Navy is facing increasing competition from the civilian workplace in meeting its recruiting goals. Attracting and retaining a diverse, high-quality force of sailors and Navy civilians must remain a high priority, the admiral pointed out.
"Our policies must enable us to recruit, to retain, and to fulfill the young men and women of America, and the Navy must reflect the demographic of our diverse nation," the admiral said at today's hearing.
If he is confirmed as the nation's top sailor, Roughead said he'd labor to address what he considers to be the Navy's three most serious problems:
-- Properly balancing current resources needed to sustain, train and equip the Navy;
-- Obtaining resources necessary to build and man the future Navy; and
-- Ensuring continuity among the Navy's requirements, resourcing and acquisition realms in conjunction with the service's planning, programming, budgeting and execution processes.
To address and solve these vital issues, Roughead said, he'd work closely with senior Navy leaders, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the chairman, the secretary of the Navy, the secretary of defense, and the U.S. Congress.
The Navy's current 277-ship fleet is adequate to meet today's warfighting missions, Roughead reported to the committee. However, the Navy's fleet will need to grow to 313 vessels to meet envisioned needs in the next decade or so, he added.
"I believe that the shipbuilding plan that we have in place right now is giving us the balanced fleet that we need," Roughead told committee members today at the hearing.
The Navy has stated that it envisioned a 48-vessel attack-submarine fleet for service over the next decade or so, Roughead reported. However, new projections based on the impact of newer models, rehabilitation work and lengthened deployments, he noted, have reduced the number of subs needed, which could fall to as low as 40 and remain below 48 subs over the next 10 years.
Roughead said he supports U.S. participation in the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention. Joining that compact would benefit the U.S. Navy through ensuring the sovereignty of American warships and stipulating the right-of-passage of U.S. vessels through strategic straits used for international navigation, he reported.
"Our operations at sea will be enhanced by the Law of the Sea Treaty," Roughead emphasized at the confirmation hearing.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 27, 2007 - Maintaining the U.S. Navy's sea and air deterrent and recruiting and retaining enough qualified sailors to man the fleet are among the U.S. Navy's top challenges in the years ahead, the officer nominated to lead that force told a Senate panel here today. Adm. Gary Roughead, selected by President Bush to become the next chief of naval operations, appeared on Capitol Hill before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The admiral is the current commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, which organizes, mans, trains and equips U.S. naval forces for assignment to combatant commanders.
"Maintaining our current readiness gives us the ability to be an effective force anywhere in the world," Roughead told committee members at his confirmation hearing today.
Building tomorrow's Navy requires responsibility, accountability and an obligation "to clearly and thoughtfully define how we will fight and what we need -- not want -- to be able to do that," he told committee members.
In his current position, Roughead provides key advice to current naval chief Adm. Michael G. Mullen, who on Oct. 1 is slated to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing Marine Gen. Peter Pace.
Today's Navy plays an important role in the U.S. military's joint-force concept, Roughead reported, noting that sailors and naval aviators are deployed worldwide with members of their sister services in support of the war against terrorism.
Naval forces also serve alongside other U.S. military forces posted in other regions vital to national security interests, such as South America and Africa, Roughead reported.
It's paramount that America's Navy maintains its forward-leaning warfighting posture, in line with the force's Fleet Response Plan concept that stresses force agility embodied by rapid-deployment capabilities, Roughead said. The Fleet Response Plan calls for agile, robust U.S. naval forces that can quickly respond to any contingency.
Being ready and responsive to carry out a range of diverse missions requires new approaches to delivering operational capability at the best cost, the admiral explained.
Technology is ever-changing, therefore, the Navy must also ensure that its equipment is the most advanced in the world to deter possible future enemies, Roughead reported.
U.S. naval ships, submarines, aircraft, weapons and networks must outpace potential adversaries, the admiral said in written responses to questions from the committee. However, rising costs of advanced technology are challenging the Navy's ability to provide a balanced force, he added.
In addition, the Navy's sailors and pilots constitute the bedrock of that service, Roughead emphasized in his written response, noting that the Navy is facing increasing competition from the civilian workplace in meeting its recruiting goals. Attracting and retaining a diverse, high-quality force of sailors and Navy civilians must remain a high priority, the admiral pointed out.
"Our policies must enable us to recruit, to retain, and to fulfill the young men and women of America, and the Navy must reflect the demographic of our diverse nation," the admiral said at today's hearing.
If he is confirmed as the nation's top sailor, Roughead said he'd labor to address what he considers to be the Navy's three most serious problems:
-- Properly balancing current resources needed to sustain, train and equip the Navy;
-- Obtaining resources necessary to build and man the future Navy; and
-- Ensuring continuity among the Navy's requirements, resourcing and acquisition realms in conjunction with the service's planning, programming, budgeting and execution processes.
To address and solve these vital issues, Roughead said, he'd work closely with senior Navy leaders, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the chairman, the secretary of the Navy, the secretary of defense, and the U.S. Congress.
The Navy's current 277-ship fleet is adequate to meet today's warfighting missions, Roughead reported to the committee. However, the Navy's fleet will need to grow to 313 vessels to meet envisioned needs in the next decade or so, he added.
"I believe that the shipbuilding plan that we have in place right now is giving us the balanced fleet that we need," Roughead told committee members today at the hearing.
The Navy has stated that it envisioned a 48-vessel attack-submarine fleet for service over the next decade or so, Roughead reported. However, new projections based on the impact of newer models, rehabilitation work and lengthened deployments, he noted, have reduced the number of subs needed, which could fall to as low as 40 and remain below 48 subs over the next 10 years.
Roughead said he supports U.S. participation in the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention. Joining that compact would benefit the U.S. Navy through ensuring the sovereignty of American warships and stipulating the right-of-passage of U.S. vessels through strategic straits used for international navigation, he reported.
"Our operations at sea will be enhanced by the Law of the Sea Treaty," Roughead emphasized at the confirmation hearing.
Gates Likely to Approve Accelerated Army Plus-up
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 27, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today he's "inclined to approve" an Army request to expand its end strength faster than initially planned to reduce stress on the force. Recognizing the "cumulative effect of years of deployments in terms of their impact on the force," Gates began early in his term as defense secretary to promote plans to increase the active Army to 547,000 soldiers by 2012, he said today. The Army announced in January that it would add the additional end strength within five years, but service leaders now hope to reduce that to four years.
Gates told Pentagon reporters today that he recognizes why Army Secretary Pete Geren wants to speed up the timetable for increasing active and reserve forces by 74,000 troops. But Gates said he wonders if the Army can achieve this goal without lowering standards.
The secretary said he has been "very explicit that, at least as long as I am here, I will not allow them to lower the standards."
Gates noted that the percentage of new Army recruits with high school diplomas is about 76 percent. "And we'd like to see that get back up," he said.
He said he "doesn't like" waivers for recruits, particularly those with criminal records, and would like to see fewer granted. But he told reporters there's a misconception that the military is "going out and getting people out of prison or felons who have committed crimes of violence."
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, emphasized that the department has not changed its policies regarding minimum academic, moral and other standards it will accept for new recruits.
All services remain within a prescribed "band" of acceptable standards, Pace said, but he noted that the Army has dropped from very high in that band to about 77 or 78 percent. "You always want to be going for the highest quality that you can get, even though within that band, you are still within the parameters that the Defense Department has set for us," he said.
Gates said another consideration in approving the Army's plan is whether the service will have enough junior leaders in place at the unit level to lead the additional soldiers. "They are confident that they can do that" and have put together programs to support it, he said.
"And I am probably going to recommend that they go ahead and give it a try, but I am also asking for periodic reports in how they are doing against some of these concerns that I have," The secretary said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 27, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today he's "inclined to approve" an Army request to expand its end strength faster than initially planned to reduce stress on the force. Recognizing the "cumulative effect of years of deployments in terms of their impact on the force," Gates began early in his term as defense secretary to promote plans to increase the active Army to 547,000 soldiers by 2012, he said today. The Army announced in January that it would add the additional end strength within five years, but service leaders now hope to reduce that to four years.
Gates told Pentagon reporters today that he recognizes why Army Secretary Pete Geren wants to speed up the timetable for increasing active and reserve forces by 74,000 troops. But Gates said he wonders if the Army can achieve this goal without lowering standards.
The secretary said he has been "very explicit that, at least as long as I am here, I will not allow them to lower the standards."
Gates noted that the percentage of new Army recruits with high school diplomas is about 76 percent. "And we'd like to see that get back up," he said.
He said he "doesn't like" waivers for recruits, particularly those with criminal records, and would like to see fewer granted. But he told reporters there's a misconception that the military is "going out and getting people out of prison or felons who have committed crimes of violence."
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, emphasized that the department has not changed its policies regarding minimum academic, moral and other standards it will accept for new recruits.
All services remain within a prescribed "band" of acceptable standards, Pace said, but he noted that the Army has dropped from very high in that band to about 77 or 78 percent. "You always want to be going for the highest quality that you can get, even though within that band, you are still within the parameters that the Defense Department has set for us," he said.
Gates said another consideration in approving the Army's plan is whether the service will have enough junior leaders in place at the unit level to lead the additional soldiers. "They are confident that they can do that" and have put together programs to support it, he said.
"And I am probably going to recommend that they go ahead and give it a try, but I am also asking for periodic reports in how they are doing against some of these concerns that I have," The secretary said.
Airman Missing In Action From WWII is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. He is 1st Lt. James W. Blose, U.S. Army Air Forces, of Sharpsville, Pa. He will be buried Sept. 29 in Hermitage, Pa.
Representatives from the Army met with Blose's next-of-kin in her hometown to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
On April 22, 1942, Blose and another pilot, 2nd Lt. William S. Shaw, departed Nausori, Airdrome, Viti Levu Island, Fiji, on an airborne alert mission. Soon after takeoff, bad weather forced the pilots to fly below the level of several mountaintops in the area and land their P-39D Airacobras at Nandi Airdrome. Shaw successfully landed his plane, but Blose was not seen or heard from again. Initial ground searches in the thick jungles and rugged terrain were unsuccessful.
In late 2004, a Fiji citizen reported to a U.S. official in Fiji that he located possible aircraft wreckage on Viti Levu Island. The official visited the site and saw the wreckage bearing a data plate that correlated to Blose's plane. The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) investigated the crash site in early 2005 and collected additional data plate information.
In 2006, a JPAC team excavated the site and recovered human remains and other items including a pilot's microphone electrical plug with Blose's initials on it. Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC also used dental comparisons in the identification of Blose's remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/ orcall (703) 699-1169.
Representatives from the Army met with Blose's next-of-kin in her hometown to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
On April 22, 1942, Blose and another pilot, 2nd Lt. William S. Shaw, departed Nausori, Airdrome, Viti Levu Island, Fiji, on an airborne alert mission. Soon after takeoff, bad weather forced the pilots to fly below the level of several mountaintops in the area and land their P-39D Airacobras at Nandi Airdrome. Shaw successfully landed his plane, but Blose was not seen or heard from again. Initial ground searches in the thick jungles and rugged terrain were unsuccessful.
In late 2004, a Fiji citizen reported to a U.S. official in Fiji that he located possible aircraft wreckage on Viti Levu Island. The official visited the site and saw the wreckage bearing a data plate that correlated to Blose's plane. The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) investigated the crash site in early 2005 and collected additional data plate information.
In 2006, a JPAC team excavated the site and recovered human remains and other items including a pilot's microphone electrical plug with Blose's initials on it. Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC also used dental comparisons in the identification of Blose's remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/ orcall (703) 699-1169.
Mattis Cites Joint Forces, NATO Issues at Hill Hearing
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 27, 2007 - Providing ready, jointly-trained U.S. forces to combatant commanders engaged in the war on terrorism is a priority task for the U.S. military, a top general said here today. Marine Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis has been selected to receive his fourth star and become the leader of U.S. Joint Forces Command, based at Norfolk, Va. He appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee today in a confirmation hearing.
If he is confirmed for the job, Mattis pledged, Joint Force Command will continue to provide trained and ready forces to serve worldwide in the war on terrorism.
"Should you confirm me, my first priority will be to support NATO and our combatant commanders in active operations against the enemy," Mattis said at today's hearing. "My second priority will be preparing our NATO forces and the U.S. joint team to defeat future enemies."
However, fielding those troops according to a stable, predictable schedule that provides unit refit, training and rest time between deployments, while minimizing stress on military families will remain a challenge, Mattis noted earlier in written responses to committee questions.
Top defense civilian and military leaders have observed that the U.S. armed forces, particularly the Army, have been stretched while successfully performing overseas missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and other areas of the world.
The fact that a stretched American military continues to accomplish its worldwide missions is indicative of a force "that has never been willing to say, 'no,' when it came to a test of our resolve to defend this country," Mattis said at the hearing.
However, continued development and implementation of "jointness" and transformation across the U.S. military may become compromised in the future, as those stretched forces continue to perform wartime commitments, Mattis reported.
"But, we need to have a balancing act here, where we can candidly and openly share with you what we need to do our job, and recognize sometimes we simply don't have the forces to do something," Mattis told Senate panel members.
Mattis also has been recommended by NATO to become its next supreme allied commander for transformation. U.S. and NATO troops are engaged in battle against Taliban and al Qaeda militants seeking to topple Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government. Both positions are presently filled by Air Force Gen. Lance L. Smith, who has announced his impending retirement.
In discussing his potential new duties as the top U.S. military leader at NATO, Mattis told committee members that ongoing U.S., NATO and coalition efforts to assist the Afghan government in confronting terrorists and other criminals "are on target."
Yet, the growth and sale of poppies that are used to make opium and heroin threatens to undermine the Afghan government, the general said.
"We need a dramatic leap in our interagency (and) in our international partners' efforts to reduce drug demand, to come up with substitute crops, and the kind of supporting infrastructure that allows those crops to become viable," Mattis explained at the hearing.
Preparation of NATO forces operating in Afghanistan can also help to mitigate the drug issue there, he added. Yet, Afghanistan's poppy production is "a larger problem than just the military preparation of the troops," Mattis acknowledged at the hearing. He pledged to the committee that he'd devote "as much work as much as I can" toward solving Afghanistan's poppy problem.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 27, 2007 - Providing ready, jointly-trained U.S. forces to combatant commanders engaged in the war on terrorism is a priority task for the U.S. military, a top general said here today. Marine Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis has been selected to receive his fourth star and become the leader of U.S. Joint Forces Command, based at Norfolk, Va. He appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee today in a confirmation hearing.
If he is confirmed for the job, Mattis pledged, Joint Force Command will continue to provide trained and ready forces to serve worldwide in the war on terrorism.
"Should you confirm me, my first priority will be to support NATO and our combatant commanders in active operations against the enemy," Mattis said at today's hearing. "My second priority will be preparing our NATO forces and the U.S. joint team to defeat future enemies."
However, fielding those troops according to a stable, predictable schedule that provides unit refit, training and rest time between deployments, while minimizing stress on military families will remain a challenge, Mattis noted earlier in written responses to committee questions.
Top defense civilian and military leaders have observed that the U.S. armed forces, particularly the Army, have been stretched while successfully performing overseas missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and other areas of the world.
The fact that a stretched American military continues to accomplish its worldwide missions is indicative of a force "that has never been willing to say, 'no,' when it came to a test of our resolve to defend this country," Mattis said at the hearing.
However, continued development and implementation of "jointness" and transformation across the U.S. military may become compromised in the future, as those stretched forces continue to perform wartime commitments, Mattis reported.
"But, we need to have a balancing act here, where we can candidly and openly share with you what we need to do our job, and recognize sometimes we simply don't have the forces to do something," Mattis told Senate panel members.
Mattis also has been recommended by NATO to become its next supreme allied commander for transformation. U.S. and NATO troops are engaged in battle against Taliban and al Qaeda militants seeking to topple Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government. Both positions are presently filled by Air Force Gen. Lance L. Smith, who has announced his impending retirement.
In discussing his potential new duties as the top U.S. military leader at NATO, Mattis told committee members that ongoing U.S., NATO and coalition efforts to assist the Afghan government in confronting terrorists and other criminals "are on target."
Yet, the growth and sale of poppies that are used to make opium and heroin threatens to undermine the Afghan government, the general said.
"We need a dramatic leap in our interagency (and) in our international partners' efforts to reduce drug demand, to come up with substitute crops, and the kind of supporting infrastructure that allows those crops to become viable," Mattis explained at the hearing.
Preparation of NATO forces operating in Afghanistan can also help to mitigate the drug issue there, he added. Yet, Afghanistan's poppy production is "a larger problem than just the military preparation of the troops," Mattis acknowledged at the hearing. He pledged to the committee that he'd devote "as much work as much as I can" toward solving Afghanistan's poppy problem.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Nominee Vows to Bring Unified Focus to African Continent
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 27, 2007 - The new U.S. Africa Command will bring a more unified focus to the African continent and help strengthen stability and security in the region, the general nominated to stand up and lead the new command told the Senate Armed Services Committee today. Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward, who currently serves as deputy commander of U.S. European Command, told the senators during his confirmation hearing that he will build on U.S. efforts already under way to solidify relationships and develop capabilities of African nations.
If confirmed, Ward said, he will help bring AFRICOM to initial operational capacity as a command subordinate to EUCOM by October. AFRICOM is slated to be established as a separate unified command by Sept. 30, 2008, consolidating efforts currently being conducted by EUCOM, Pacific Command and Central Command.
"I see the establishment of AFRICOM as a wonderful opportunity to efficiently and effectively apply the elements of U.S. national power in ways that help the Africans develop and implement their solutions to African concerns," Ward said in his written response to questions raised by the senators.
The new command will enable the Defense Department "to view all of Africa through a single lens of a single unified command, allowing us to maximize our participation as a partner in pursuit of our mutual interests for peace, prosperity, and stability," he said during today's testimony.
Ward noted that the African continent is linked to the United States by history, culture, economics and geostrategic significance. Meanwhile, its importance in global affairs has increased tremendously, he said.
After traveling extensively through the region, Ward said, he has concluded that "our assistance to existing and emerging African security institutions is most effective when it fosters African solutions to African challenges."
Many African leaders and organizations such as the African Union have committed to working toward a safe and secure environment on the continent to promote effective development and governance, Ward told the senators.
He said he will build on the "great strides" the U.S. European, Central and Pacific commands have made in working with African militaries to enhance African security through military exercises, humanitarian programs, training events and support to peacekeeping operations.
"Much of their success stems from listening to the Africans and getting their perspectives and applying the solutions in accordance with their stated needs and within our means," he said.
Ward acknowledged that establishing the new command and transferring responsibilities to it will be complex. He noted that three unified commands and AFRICOM's transition team have been working together to ensure no disruption or confusion in continuing ongoing Defense Department efforts on the continent.
"My goal is to make the transition of operations and activities to AFRICOM's responsibility as seamless as possible," he said. "I will reinforce the excellent work currently being done on the continent and the strong relationships already established."
Meanwhile, Ward said, he will build on existing coordination among the Defense Department, State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development and various non-governmental organizations in Africa.
As a reflection of that interagency relationship, Ward's command will have two deputy commanders. In addition to a military flag officer to focus on military operations, AFRICOM will have a deputy to the commander for civil-military activities, a position to be filled by a senior State Department Foreign Service officer.
The Foreign Service official will direct the command's plans and programs associated with health, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian mine action, disaster response and security-sector reform.
This team will work together to help build a stable security environment that enables Africans to pursue broader goals such as economic security, Ward told the committee. He described a three-pronged approach toward this objective, with the Defense Department advancing U.S. military goals and activities, the State Department conducting diplomacy, and USAID carrying out development work.
AFRICOM will lead these efforts as it focuses on conducting security cooperation to build partnership capabilities in areas ranging from peacekeeping to maritime security to border security to counter terrorism, he said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 27, 2007 - The new U.S. Africa Command will bring a more unified focus to the African continent and help strengthen stability and security in the region, the general nominated to stand up and lead the new command told the Senate Armed Services Committee today. Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward, who currently serves as deputy commander of U.S. European Command, told the senators during his confirmation hearing that he will build on U.S. efforts already under way to solidify relationships and develop capabilities of African nations.
If confirmed, Ward said, he will help bring AFRICOM to initial operational capacity as a command subordinate to EUCOM by October. AFRICOM is slated to be established as a separate unified command by Sept. 30, 2008, consolidating efforts currently being conducted by EUCOM, Pacific Command and Central Command.
"I see the establishment of AFRICOM as a wonderful opportunity to efficiently and effectively apply the elements of U.S. national power in ways that help the Africans develop and implement their solutions to African concerns," Ward said in his written response to questions raised by the senators.
The new command will enable the Defense Department "to view all of Africa through a single lens of a single unified command, allowing us to maximize our participation as a partner in pursuit of our mutual interests for peace, prosperity, and stability," he said during today's testimony.
Ward noted that the African continent is linked to the United States by history, culture, economics and geostrategic significance. Meanwhile, its importance in global affairs has increased tremendously, he said.
After traveling extensively through the region, Ward said, he has concluded that "our assistance to existing and emerging African security institutions is most effective when it fosters African solutions to African challenges."
Many African leaders and organizations such as the African Union have committed to working toward a safe and secure environment on the continent to promote effective development and governance, Ward told the senators.
He said he will build on the "great strides" the U.S. European, Central and Pacific commands have made in working with African militaries to enhance African security through military exercises, humanitarian programs, training events and support to peacekeeping operations.
"Much of their success stems from listening to the Africans and getting their perspectives and applying the solutions in accordance with their stated needs and within our means," he said.
Ward acknowledged that establishing the new command and transferring responsibilities to it will be complex. He noted that three unified commands and AFRICOM's transition team have been working together to ensure no disruption or confusion in continuing ongoing Defense Department efforts on the continent.
"My goal is to make the transition of operations and activities to AFRICOM's responsibility as seamless as possible," he said. "I will reinforce the excellent work currently being done on the continent and the strong relationships already established."
Meanwhile, Ward said, he will build on existing coordination among the Defense Department, State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development and various non-governmental organizations in Africa.
As a reflection of that interagency relationship, Ward's command will have two deputy commanders. In addition to a military flag officer to focus on military operations, AFRICOM will have a deputy to the commander for civil-military activities, a position to be filled by a senior State Department Foreign Service officer.
The Foreign Service official will direct the command's plans and programs associated with health, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian mine action, disaster response and security-sector reform.
This team will work together to help build a stable security environment that enables Africans to pursue broader goals such as economic security, Ward told the committee. He described a three-pronged approach toward this objective, with the Defense Department advancing U.S. military goals and activities, the State Department conducting diplomacy, and USAID carrying out development work.
AFRICOM will lead these efforts as it focuses on conducting security cooperation to build partnership capabilities in areas ranging from peacekeeping to maritime security to border security to counter terrorism, he said.
Admiral Describes Evolving U.S.-Asia Relations, 21st Century Maritime Strategy
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 26, 2007 - Warm and transparent relationships with emerging Asian nations are key in today's global ideological struggle, and a forthcoming U.S. maritime strategy will consider the modern security and economic landscape, a top military official said today. During a conference on National Security Strategy and Policy at the Ronald Reagan Building here, Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chief of naval operations, addressed an auditorium packed with military and private-sector members and reporters.
Mullen said he hosted his Chinese naval counterpart in the U.S. in April and traveled to China in August to enhance the nations' military-to-military relationship.
To diversify its force structure from a ground-heavy force to one with increased air and sea power, China is investing in high-end technology that will greatly expand its naval capabilities there in 10 to 20 years.
The admiral expressed trepidation over the level of China's military investment and said that an anti-satellite missile China launched in January also is cause for concern.
He acknowledged that, as a sovereign nation, China is acting within its right to beef up military might. "But what we've asked for is more transparency and more of a strategic understanding of why these capabilities are being developed, (and) what their expectations are for the use of those capabilities down the road," Mullen said.
Mullen said a dialogue between the United States and China, possibly spurned on by military relations, could prevent strategic miscalculations and help the U.S. better understand the emerging Asian power and the implications of such growth.
"The peaceful evolution of China -- being the huge economic engine that it is -- is a good thing not just for the Chinese people or for the region, but for the world," he added.
Speaking about U.S. relations with other Asian countries, Mullen called Japan a "very critical partner." Like the United States, Japan supports global stability and economic prosperity. He added that Japanese military officials share his "uncertainty" over China's aggressive investment in new military technologies.
The admiral said he is encouraged by recent joint maritime operations with Japan and India. A benefit of such operations, Mullen said, is that young servicemembers of various nationalities are able to interact.
"(These operations) speak to the idea of many different countries working with each other on the military side across the full spectrum," he said. "When I'm in these countries, one of the things I try emphasize with every leader is the need to have exchanges with our young officers.
"We invest there now so that when they become more senior, they're not working for the first time to establish relationships," he continued.
The admiral said such international exchanges are the result of globalization, or the notion that the world's nations and people have become -- and continue to grow -- more interdependent. In this shifting environment, Mullen said, cooperation within the international economy likely will create partnerships in the field of global security.
The cumbersome foreign military system, a complex procurement mechanism that delivers private-sector supplies to foreign buyers, is inhibiting smooth exchanges on the United States' end of global production, Mullen said. He added that he advocates making a simpler system to foster enhanced economic partnering.
Mullen alluded to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman's book, "The World is Flat," in which the author posits that just as democratic nations abstain from fighting each other, nations that cooperate in a global economy, or supply-chain, will not fight. The motive that pacifies such partners, Mullen said, is that neither desires to disrupt a common value system.
Such shifting security and economic considerations will factor into a doctrine outlining U.S. maritime strategy, Mullen said. The doctrine will be presented next month at the International Seapower Symposium in Newport News, Va.
Mullen called the strategy a work in progress that's in its final stages and said the doctrine represents input from hundreds of experts representing combatant commands and joint partners, including the U.S. Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
"(Such expertise) helps us look above and beyond," Mullen said. "That is, to get our heads above operations and tactics and look well beyond the horizon."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 26, 2007 - Warm and transparent relationships with emerging Asian nations are key in today's global ideological struggle, and a forthcoming U.S. maritime strategy will consider the modern security and economic landscape, a top military official said today. During a conference on National Security Strategy and Policy at the Ronald Reagan Building here, Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chief of naval operations, addressed an auditorium packed with military and private-sector members and reporters.
Mullen said he hosted his Chinese naval counterpart in the U.S. in April and traveled to China in August to enhance the nations' military-to-military relationship.
To diversify its force structure from a ground-heavy force to one with increased air and sea power, China is investing in high-end technology that will greatly expand its naval capabilities there in 10 to 20 years.
The admiral expressed trepidation over the level of China's military investment and said that an anti-satellite missile China launched in January also is cause for concern.
He acknowledged that, as a sovereign nation, China is acting within its right to beef up military might. "But what we've asked for is more transparency and more of a strategic understanding of why these capabilities are being developed, (and) what their expectations are for the use of those capabilities down the road," Mullen said.
Mullen said a dialogue between the United States and China, possibly spurned on by military relations, could prevent strategic miscalculations and help the U.S. better understand the emerging Asian power and the implications of such growth.
"The peaceful evolution of China -- being the huge economic engine that it is -- is a good thing not just for the Chinese people or for the region, but for the world," he added.
Speaking about U.S. relations with other Asian countries, Mullen called Japan a "very critical partner." Like the United States, Japan supports global stability and economic prosperity. He added that Japanese military officials share his "uncertainty" over China's aggressive investment in new military technologies.
The admiral said he is encouraged by recent joint maritime operations with Japan and India. A benefit of such operations, Mullen said, is that young servicemembers of various nationalities are able to interact.
"(These operations) speak to the idea of many different countries working with each other on the military side across the full spectrum," he said. "When I'm in these countries, one of the things I try emphasize with every leader is the need to have exchanges with our young officers.
"We invest there now so that when they become more senior, they're not working for the first time to establish relationships," he continued.
The admiral said such international exchanges are the result of globalization, or the notion that the world's nations and people have become -- and continue to grow -- more interdependent. In this shifting environment, Mullen said, cooperation within the international economy likely will create partnerships in the field of global security.
The cumbersome foreign military system, a complex procurement mechanism that delivers private-sector supplies to foreign buyers, is inhibiting smooth exchanges on the United States' end of global production, Mullen said. He added that he advocates making a simpler system to foster enhanced economic partnering.
Mullen alluded to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman's book, "The World is Flat," in which the author posits that just as democratic nations abstain from fighting each other, nations that cooperate in a global economy, or supply-chain, will not fight. The motive that pacifies such partners, Mullen said, is that neither desires to disrupt a common value system.
Such shifting security and economic considerations will factor into a doctrine outlining U.S. maritime strategy, Mullen said. The doctrine will be presented next month at the International Seapower Symposium in Newport News, Va.
Mullen called the strategy a work in progress that's in its final stages and said the doctrine represents input from hundreds of experts representing combatant commands and joint partners, including the U.S. Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
"(Such expertise) helps us look above and beyond," Mullen said. "That is, to get our heads above operations and tactics and look well beyond the horizon."
Acro Announces Technology Agreement with LSRI
Acro to provide multi- type explosive tester for commercial and military explosives, complementing its existing peroxide explosive tester
New York, NY – September 26, 2007 – Acro, Inc. (OTC BB:ACRI), a developer of explosive detection solutions, today announced the conclusion of the negotiations of a technology agreement with LSRI – Life Science Research Israel Ltd., a subsidiary of IIBR – Israel Institute for Biological Research.
Under the terms of the agreement, LSRI will license the long-proven technology of IIBR's explosives testing kit (ETK) to Acro, for incorporation into Acro's pen-like device, allowing the detection of commercial and military explosives. The agreement is subject to minimum annual revenues to be achieved by Acro and royalties to be paid to LSRI. The technical appendix of the agreement will be signed in the next few weeks.
The new device will complement Acro's ACRO-P.E.T., the company’s peroxide explosive tester for the detection of improvised explosives.
"The agreement with LSRI will allow Acro to provide unique, reliable and easy-to-use explosive testers for the entire spectrum of military, commercial and improvised explosives, using the company's patented pen-like tool," said Acro Chairman and CEO Gadi Aner. "This is an important milestone in Acro's evolution as a company offering a full array of explosive testers providing immediate detection in the field."
IIBR's ETK is a portable micro-laboratory for rapid field detection of explosives. It is used by many security forces around the world.
ACRO-P.E.T. is designed for rapid field detection of peroxide-based explosives, such as triacetone triperoxide (TATP). Its main advantages include high sensitivity, high selectivity, fast response, simple operation, small size and cost effectiveness.
About LSRI - Life Science Research Israel Ltd.
LSRI focuses on the commercialization of IIBR’s novel technologies and scientific achievements. Established in 1979, LSRI’s mandate is to promote biomedical projects and market IIBR-developed products and services. LSRI represents IIBR in the establishment of all forms of collaboration, joint ventures and partnerships with private and public companies. For more information about LSRI, visit www.iibr.gov.il/LSRI.asp
About Acro, Inc.
Acro, Inc. develops explosives detection technologies. The company has developed a unique patented technology for identifying peroxide-based explosives, such as TATP. Acro’s Advisory Board includes Prof. K. Barry Sharpless, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, and Prof. Richard A. Lerner, President and CEO of The Scripps Research Institute, considered one of the world’s most influential scientific institutes. For more information about Acro, visit www.acrosec.com.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning our marketing and operations plans. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made based on management's current expectations and estimates, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, risks related to the evolving homeland security market, our ability to successfully market and sell our TATP Explosive Tester product worldwide and ETK licensed from LSRI, the results of the technology agreement with LSRI, our ability to satisfy the minimum annual revenues set in the agreement with LSRI, and the ability to successfully demonstrate solutions to governmental national security agencies and national police forces, and additional orders from the US military, general economic conditions and other risk factors. Acro does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements made herein.
Media contact:
David Kanaan
Kanaan Public Relations
Tel: +972-3-540-8188
E-mail:david@kanaan.co.il
New York, NY – September 26, 2007 – Acro, Inc. (OTC BB:ACRI), a developer of explosive detection solutions, today announced the conclusion of the negotiations of a technology agreement with LSRI – Life Science Research Israel Ltd., a subsidiary of IIBR – Israel Institute for Biological Research.
Under the terms of the agreement, LSRI will license the long-proven technology of IIBR's explosives testing kit (ETK) to Acro, for incorporation into Acro's pen-like device, allowing the detection of commercial and military explosives. The agreement is subject to minimum annual revenues to be achieved by Acro and royalties to be paid to LSRI. The technical appendix of the agreement will be signed in the next few weeks.
The new device will complement Acro's ACRO-P.E.T., the company’s peroxide explosive tester for the detection of improvised explosives.
"The agreement with LSRI will allow Acro to provide unique, reliable and easy-to-use explosive testers for the entire spectrum of military, commercial and improvised explosives, using the company's patented pen-like tool," said Acro Chairman and CEO Gadi Aner. "This is an important milestone in Acro's evolution as a company offering a full array of explosive testers providing immediate detection in the field."
IIBR's ETK is a portable micro-laboratory for rapid field detection of explosives. It is used by many security forces around the world.
ACRO-P.E.T. is designed for rapid field detection of peroxide-based explosives, such as triacetone triperoxide (TATP). Its main advantages include high sensitivity, high selectivity, fast response, simple operation, small size and cost effectiveness.
About LSRI - Life Science Research Israel Ltd.
LSRI focuses on the commercialization of IIBR’s novel technologies and scientific achievements. Established in 1979, LSRI’s mandate is to promote biomedical projects and market IIBR-developed products and services. LSRI represents IIBR in the establishment of all forms of collaboration, joint ventures and partnerships with private and public companies. For more information about LSRI, visit www.iibr.gov.il/LSRI.asp
About Acro, Inc.
Acro, Inc. develops explosives detection technologies. The company has developed a unique patented technology for identifying peroxide-based explosives, such as TATP. Acro’s Advisory Board includes Prof. K. Barry Sharpless, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, and Prof. Richard A. Lerner, President and CEO of The Scripps Research Institute, considered one of the world’s most influential scientific institutes. For more information about Acro, visit www.acrosec.com.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning our marketing and operations plans. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made based on management's current expectations and estimates, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, risks related to the evolving homeland security market, our ability to successfully market and sell our TATP Explosive Tester product worldwide and ETK licensed from LSRI, the results of the technology agreement with LSRI, our ability to satisfy the minimum annual revenues set in the agreement with LSRI, and the ability to successfully demonstrate solutions to governmental national security agencies and national police forces, and additional orders from the US military, general economic conditions and other risk factors. Acro does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements made herein.
Media contact:
David Kanaan
Kanaan Public Relations
Tel: +972-3-540-8188
E-mail:david@kanaan.co.il
Army Leaders Urge Congressional Support to Meet Current, Future Demands
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 26, 2007 - The Army, stressed and stretched by six years of conflict, needs continued and uninterrupted support and resourcing to maintain its current operational levels while preparing for the future, its top civilian and military leaders told Congress today. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. outlined four imperatives for the House Armed Services Committee that he called critical to the Army's ability to restore balance and maintain the all-volunteer force:
-- Improving the way the Army sustains soldiers, families and civilians;
-- Preparing troops for success in the current conflict;
-- Resetting troops and equipment for future deployments; and
-- Transforming the force for the 21st century.
Casey urged committee members to support these efforts into the next fiscal year, and to ensure there's no funding gap after Oct. 1 that could slow efforts under way.
"The Army is the best in the world at what it does, because of our values, our ethos, our people and your support," he said.
Keeping that standard, he said, will require more hard sacrifices by soldiers and their families and clear recognition by national leaders of the threat the country faces and the need to maintain an Army able to face it.
Calling soldiers "our ultimate asymmetric advantage" in the war on terror, he said the Army needs to continue improving the way it recruits, trains and retains them.
While increasing the readiness of the force, the Army also must increase the quality of life it provides its members as well as their families, he said.
Army Secretary Pete Geren noted that the Army's focus has moved from pay issues that dominated the 1970s and housing issues that dominated the 1990s. Today, in an era of persistent conflict that's expected to continue into the foreseeable future, the big emphasis must be on taking care of families, he said.
"Twelve months (deployed overseas) was asking a lot of those families, and 15 months is asking more," he said.
Casey said the Army needs to ensure that the quality of life it provides its soldiers and their families "is commensurate with the quality of service" they are providing.
Meanwhile, the Army must continue to prepare its troops to succeed in the current conflict, he said. The Army has made "great strides," continually adapting as the operational environment changes, he said.
It's also committed to providing the best equipment possible to give soldiers the technological advantage on the battlefield, he said, as well as tough, demanding training at their home stations that ensures they have the skills and confidence to win.
"Military success is tied to the capabilities of our leaders and soldiers," Casey said, promising that the Army won't fail them.
To keep that promise, the Army must focus on resetting the force, he said. Resetting means more than simply fixing or replacing equipment that's being used at five times its programmed rate, he told the committee. It also means giving soldiers and their families time to regroup between deployments.
Geren noted that the current Army force is carrying the lion's share of the third-longest conflict in U.S. history. Not since the Revolutionary War has the country asked this much of an all-volunteer force for this long, he told the committee.
And as the country faces what is expected to continue to be an era of persistent conflict, it must take care of its troops and their families to ensure the all-volunteer force remains strong, he said.
Today's Army is the best-led, best-equipped and best-trained force that's ever been to the field, Geren said. He expressed hope that with congressional support and funding, the Army will be able to continue making that claim five, 10, even 20 years into the future.
So as the Army focuses on the current conflict, it must keep looking ahead as well to ensure it's ready to face future threats, Casey said. This involves fielding the best new equipment to fighting forces, incorporating new techniques and fielding the Army's future combat systems to brigade combat teams to ensure the Army has a decisive advantage on the battlefield.
The Army's transformation is "a holistic effort" that affects the way it fights, trains and modernizes, he said. "It's a journey for us, not a destination," Casey told the lawmakers.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 26, 2007 - The Army, stressed and stretched by six years of conflict, needs continued and uninterrupted support and resourcing to maintain its current operational levels while preparing for the future, its top civilian and military leaders told Congress today. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. outlined four imperatives for the House Armed Services Committee that he called critical to the Army's ability to restore balance and maintain the all-volunteer force:
-- Improving the way the Army sustains soldiers, families and civilians;
-- Preparing troops for success in the current conflict;
-- Resetting troops and equipment for future deployments; and
-- Transforming the force for the 21st century.
Casey urged committee members to support these efforts into the next fiscal year, and to ensure there's no funding gap after Oct. 1 that could slow efforts under way.
"The Army is the best in the world at what it does, because of our values, our ethos, our people and your support," he said.
Keeping that standard, he said, will require more hard sacrifices by soldiers and their families and clear recognition by national leaders of the threat the country faces and the need to maintain an Army able to face it.
Calling soldiers "our ultimate asymmetric advantage" in the war on terror, he said the Army needs to continue improving the way it recruits, trains and retains them.
While increasing the readiness of the force, the Army also must increase the quality of life it provides its members as well as their families, he said.
Army Secretary Pete Geren noted that the Army's focus has moved from pay issues that dominated the 1970s and housing issues that dominated the 1990s. Today, in an era of persistent conflict that's expected to continue into the foreseeable future, the big emphasis must be on taking care of families, he said.
"Twelve months (deployed overseas) was asking a lot of those families, and 15 months is asking more," he said.
Casey said the Army needs to ensure that the quality of life it provides its soldiers and their families "is commensurate with the quality of service" they are providing.
Meanwhile, the Army must continue to prepare its troops to succeed in the current conflict, he said. The Army has made "great strides," continually adapting as the operational environment changes, he said.
It's also committed to providing the best equipment possible to give soldiers the technological advantage on the battlefield, he said, as well as tough, demanding training at their home stations that ensures they have the skills and confidence to win.
"Military success is tied to the capabilities of our leaders and soldiers," Casey said, promising that the Army won't fail them.
To keep that promise, the Army must focus on resetting the force, he said. Resetting means more than simply fixing or replacing equipment that's being used at five times its programmed rate, he told the committee. It also means giving soldiers and their families time to regroup between deployments.
Geren noted that the current Army force is carrying the lion's share of the third-longest conflict in U.S. history. Not since the Revolutionary War has the country asked this much of an all-volunteer force for this long, he told the committee.
And as the country faces what is expected to continue to be an era of persistent conflict, it must take care of its troops and their families to ensure the all-volunteer force remains strong, he said.
Today's Army is the best-led, best-equipped and best-trained force that's ever been to the field, Geren said. He expressed hope that with congressional support and funding, the Army will be able to continue making that claim five, 10, even 20 years into the future.
So as the Army focuses on the current conflict, it must keep looking ahead as well to ensure it's ready to face future threats, Casey said. This involves fielding the best new equipment to fighting forces, incorporating new techniques and fielding the Army's future combat systems to brigade combat teams to ensure the Army has a decisive advantage on the battlefield.
The Army's transformation is "a holistic effort" that affects the way it fights, trains and modernizes, he said. "It's a journey for us, not a destination," Casey told the lawmakers.
Navy to Unveil New Maritime Strategy
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 26, 2007 - The U.S. Navy will unveil a new maritime strategy next month that will address the demands of a globalizing world, a top military official said here today. Navy Vice Adm. John G. Morgan, deputy chief of naval operations for information, plans and strategy, spoke to a group gathered at the Ronald Reagan Building for a conference on National Security Strategy and Policy.
He told the audience that during the International Seapower Symposium next month in Newport News, Va., the Navy will present a new maritime strategy to some 91 heads of allied navies, Marines and coast guard. The doctrine, which took some 16 months to complete, is the Navy's first attempt to document a seapower strategy since the 1980s.
"If you contrast the last time we made an effort to write a maritime strategy in the 1980s, you'd agree that the world today looks a lot different," he said.
Globalization -- the notion that the world's nations and people have become, and continue to grow, more interdependent -- was in its early stages during the drafting of the last strategy. Since that time, important maritime milestones have occurred. Russia recently placed a flag on the floor of the North Pole, Morgan said, and the Northwest Passage, a sea route through the Arctic Ocean along the North American coast, has opened for the first time.
Furthermore, climate change is altering the planet's shape and the number of navigable areas. The growing human population is moving closer to coastlines and into urban centers, and as a result, people are moving goods around the world by sea more than ever before, Morgan said.
Morgan declined to describe in full detail the elements of the new strategy, but said that it addresses the changing 21st century world. Furthermore, strategy planners tried to anticipate what Morgan called the key uncertainty: what the United States' grand military strategy and foreign policy will be in the next few decades.
"Instead of looking for a specific answer, what we did was consider a range of options: primacy, cooperative security, selective engagement and offshore balance," he said.
These paradigms commonly are used by military planners to measure the quality of strategic components against hypothetical challenges. In addition to these theoretic structures, the Navy added "concert of power," or the idea that major world powers will work in concert with the United States to preserve a mutually beneficial status quo. In contrast, planners introduced the "coalition of denial," a paradigm pitting all major players against strategic interests sought by the United States.
From the six hypothetical paradigms, Morgan said, a team that comprises hundreds of American and foreign experts drafted five possible maritime strategies. The experts then whittled the five strategies down to three.
Morgan's team traveled to seven locations around the country to present the strategies to American citizens. In what was dubbed "the conversation with the country," Morgan and his team used Americans' feedback and helped shape one strategy, which currently is a work in progress in its final stages.
"This has been an open and loose process," he said. "We are creating an unclassified document, one with significant international flavor, informed by constructive dialogue with friends around the world."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 26, 2007 - The U.S. Navy will unveil a new maritime strategy next month that will address the demands of a globalizing world, a top military official said here today. Navy Vice Adm. John G. Morgan, deputy chief of naval operations for information, plans and strategy, spoke to a group gathered at the Ronald Reagan Building for a conference on National Security Strategy and Policy.
He told the audience that during the International Seapower Symposium next month in Newport News, Va., the Navy will present a new maritime strategy to some 91 heads of allied navies, Marines and coast guard. The doctrine, which took some 16 months to complete, is the Navy's first attempt to document a seapower strategy since the 1980s.
"If you contrast the last time we made an effort to write a maritime strategy in the 1980s, you'd agree that the world today looks a lot different," he said.
Globalization -- the notion that the world's nations and people have become, and continue to grow, more interdependent -- was in its early stages during the drafting of the last strategy. Since that time, important maritime milestones have occurred. Russia recently placed a flag on the floor of the North Pole, Morgan said, and the Northwest Passage, a sea route through the Arctic Ocean along the North American coast, has opened for the first time.
Furthermore, climate change is altering the planet's shape and the number of navigable areas. The growing human population is moving closer to coastlines and into urban centers, and as a result, people are moving goods around the world by sea more than ever before, Morgan said.
Morgan declined to describe in full detail the elements of the new strategy, but said that it addresses the changing 21st century world. Furthermore, strategy planners tried to anticipate what Morgan called the key uncertainty: what the United States' grand military strategy and foreign policy will be in the next few decades.
"Instead of looking for a specific answer, what we did was consider a range of options: primacy, cooperative security, selective engagement and offshore balance," he said.
These paradigms commonly are used by military planners to measure the quality of strategic components against hypothetical challenges. In addition to these theoretic structures, the Navy added "concert of power," or the idea that major world powers will work in concert with the United States to preserve a mutually beneficial status quo. In contrast, planners introduced the "coalition of denial," a paradigm pitting all major players against strategic interests sought by the United States.
From the six hypothetical paradigms, Morgan said, a team that comprises hundreds of American and foreign experts drafted five possible maritime strategies. The experts then whittled the five strategies down to three.
Morgan's team traveled to seven locations around the country to present the strategies to American citizens. In what was dubbed "the conversation with the country," Morgan and his team used Americans' feedback and helped shape one strategy, which currently is a work in progress in its final stages.
"This has been an open and loose process," he said. "We are creating an unclassified document, one with significant international flavor, informed by constructive dialogue with friends around the world."
Plan Calls for Sweeping Changes to Mental Health Care Services
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 26, 2007 - Servicemembers and their families can expect sweeping changes throughout the Defense Department's mental health care services during the next year. A plan submitted to Congress this month details hundreds of proposed actions that officials hope will make the system more patient-focused. Many of the major changes are slated to be in place by as early as May 2008.
The plan is based on 95 recommendations for change that the department's Task Force on Mental Health reported to Congress in June.
Congressionally directed and funded last year, the task force reported that stigma attached to mental health care, difficult access, bureaucracy and a lack of resources contributed to a lack of adequate care for servicemembers and their families.
Congress provided $900 million for improvements in mental health care services, some funds specifically for advancements in traumatic brain injury and psychological health research, development and services.
The department responded by partnering with the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services to develop a plan to work through each of the recommendations, in many cases crossing the bureaucratic borders of each organization, to refocus the delivery of care to the patient's point of view.
This is a paradigm shift for military medicine, said Ellen Embrey, deputy assistant secretary of defense for force health protection and readiness.
"Patient centered-care is a standard of practice in some of the more effective health systems around the country. For large federal systems like the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, patient-center care being imposed on a large number of specialty departments requires a significant commitment to understanding what the patient has to go through and making sure that the providers in that system keep that in mind," Embrey said. "We are absolutely committed to doing what's best for the patient."
The changes also call for a shift in how the department has traditionally focused its mental health care, she said.
"If you look at how the department is currently organized to provide care, ... overall our focus in the past has been on diagnosis and treatment. The shift ... is to help people understand that prevention, and helping people maintain their health, is as important," Embrey said.
This calls for education and training for leaders, providers and patients, she said. The new plan also includes more research.
"That shift requires everyone in the system to understand what psychological health is, how to recognize when it's starting to falter, and what you can do yourself or what resources are available to you," Embrey said.
Probably one of the most visible changes in the system will be streamlined mental and physical evaluation board processes that will offer more consistency between Defense Department and VA assessments, Embrey said. A pilot of the new system will be conducted in the next few weeks, she said. A final system is to be in place by May.
Also key in the plan is ensuring servicemembers and their families receive a full continuum of care during transitions, especially from military to civilian life. Most of the changes have to do with recordkeeping and working to improve provider "hand-offs" of patient information. This is critical, officials said, as patient information often is recorded on the battlefield and passed successfully to military hospitals for care, but sometimes there are gaps as the patient transitions to Veterans Affairs or to a civilian provider.
Officials are also working to bring mental health care access policies more in line with those of primary care access policies. For example, officials want policies across the system to provide initial mental health care services to a patient within seven days of contact, or fewer if the situation requires. This is the standard for primary care access. But in the past, mental health care was always perceived as specialty care, and the standard for receiving an appointment was 30 days.
"Psychological health and fitness must be placed on an equal footing with physical health and fitness," Embrey said. "We have a responsibility to effectively identify and treat all psychological health conditions and ill effects of war, and are committed to accomplishing that through a consistently excellent standard of care across DoD."
Many changes will revise department policies to reflect a more current knowledge of psychological health. And part of the plan is an anti-stigma public education campaign targeting servicemembers and family members who neglect or postpone treatment.
The aggressive timeline for implementing the changes reflects the department's commitment to timely change to the mental health care system, Embrey said.
"This has the attention of our senior leadership, and they are committed to making these necessary changes," she said. "Our families and our servicemembers are the most important part of our ability to do our mission and they deserve the very best treatment."
Since the initial recommendations went to Congress in June, senior Defense Department officials have met weekly. Many changes were already implemented as officials developed the overall plan, officials said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 26, 2007 - Servicemembers and their families can expect sweeping changes throughout the Defense Department's mental health care services during the next year. A plan submitted to Congress this month details hundreds of proposed actions that officials hope will make the system more patient-focused. Many of the major changes are slated to be in place by as early as May 2008.
The plan is based on 95 recommendations for change that the department's Task Force on Mental Health reported to Congress in June.
Congressionally directed and funded last year, the task force reported that stigma attached to mental health care, difficult access, bureaucracy and a lack of resources contributed to a lack of adequate care for servicemembers and their families.
Congress provided $900 million for improvements in mental health care services, some funds specifically for advancements in traumatic brain injury and psychological health research, development and services.
The department responded by partnering with the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services to develop a plan to work through each of the recommendations, in many cases crossing the bureaucratic borders of each organization, to refocus the delivery of care to the patient's point of view.
This is a paradigm shift for military medicine, said Ellen Embrey, deputy assistant secretary of defense for force health protection and readiness.
"Patient centered-care is a standard of practice in some of the more effective health systems around the country. For large federal systems like the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, patient-center care being imposed on a large number of specialty departments requires a significant commitment to understanding what the patient has to go through and making sure that the providers in that system keep that in mind," Embrey said. "We are absolutely committed to doing what's best for the patient."
The changes also call for a shift in how the department has traditionally focused its mental health care, she said.
"If you look at how the department is currently organized to provide care, ... overall our focus in the past has been on diagnosis and treatment. The shift ... is to help people understand that prevention, and helping people maintain their health, is as important," Embrey said.
This calls for education and training for leaders, providers and patients, she said. The new plan also includes more research.
"That shift requires everyone in the system to understand what psychological health is, how to recognize when it's starting to falter, and what you can do yourself or what resources are available to you," Embrey said.
Probably one of the most visible changes in the system will be streamlined mental and physical evaluation board processes that will offer more consistency between Defense Department and VA assessments, Embrey said. A pilot of the new system will be conducted in the next few weeks, she said. A final system is to be in place by May.
Also key in the plan is ensuring servicemembers and their families receive a full continuum of care during transitions, especially from military to civilian life. Most of the changes have to do with recordkeeping and working to improve provider "hand-offs" of patient information. This is critical, officials said, as patient information often is recorded on the battlefield and passed successfully to military hospitals for care, but sometimes there are gaps as the patient transitions to Veterans Affairs or to a civilian provider.
Officials are also working to bring mental health care access policies more in line with those of primary care access policies. For example, officials want policies across the system to provide initial mental health care services to a patient within seven days of contact, or fewer if the situation requires. This is the standard for primary care access. But in the past, mental health care was always perceived as specialty care, and the standard for receiving an appointment was 30 days.
"Psychological health and fitness must be placed on an equal footing with physical health and fitness," Embrey said. "We have a responsibility to effectively identify and treat all psychological health conditions and ill effects of war, and are committed to accomplishing that through a consistently excellent standard of care across DoD."
Many changes will revise department policies to reflect a more current knowledge of psychological health. And part of the plan is an anti-stigma public education campaign targeting servicemembers and family members who neglect or postpone treatment.
The aggressive timeline for implementing the changes reflects the department's commitment to timely change to the mental health care system, Embrey said.
"This has the attention of our senior leadership, and they are committed to making these necessary changes," she said. "Our families and our servicemembers are the most important part of our ability to do our mission and they deserve the very best treatment."
Since the initial recommendations went to Congress in June, senior Defense Department officials have met weekly. Many changes were already implemented as officials developed the overall plan, officials said.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Military-Diplomatic Relationship as Critical in Pacific as Middle East
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 26, 2007 - With a big emphasis in Iraq on getting diplomatic and economic progress to catch up with security progress, officials here say U.S. military-diplomatic cooperation is just as important here, half a world away in the Pacific. The so-called "DIME" principle of applying all elements of national power –– diplomatic, information, military and economic -- to U.S. foreign policy goals is as key to maintaining stability in this region as everywhere else in the world, Ambassador Gene B. Christy told American Forces Press Service.
As the full-time foreign policy advisor to Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, Christy provides a vital communication link among PACOM, the State Department and U.S. ambassadors in the region.
The goal, he said, is to ensure that as the United States engages with countries in the region, it leverages its diplomatic and military efforts in a coordinated, unified way. It's an effort he said has improved significantly since Sept. 11, 2001, and continues to be more synchronized.
At the simplest level, diplomacy takes the lead in assuring friends and allies of U.S. support, or deterring aggression and of dissuading excessive military buildups that could threaten them, he said. "It's the part you want to have most active, most engaged and most successful, so you don't face having to implement the 'M,'" or military force, he explained.
But at the same time, Christy said, diplomacy can't be fully effective without military power backing it up. "You have to have the 'M' to make the other parts credible," he said. "Deterrence will deter no one if you have no capability to deter and to move onto the next stage."
U.S. military power adds another dimension to the diplomatic equation, Christy said. It's often the major catalyst in building partnerships, alliances and coalitions. Particularly in small and relatively vulnerable countries, a strong relationship with the United States offers an assurance "that in the event of trouble, there would be a friend in a position to come to your assistance," he said. "And in that case, the United States is a pretty good friend to have."
Military-to-military relationships offer other, more immediate benefits as well. For example, he said, some countries welcome the political message and the deterrence value that comes when a U.S. ship visits its port. Many view exercises with the U.S. military as an opportunity to enhance their own military skills and capabilities. Still others, like tiny Tonga, which recently sent its second 55-member troop contingent to Iraq to serve in Multinational Force Iraq, take strong national pride in contributing to a coalition effort alongside the United States.
Ambassador Larry Dinger, U.S. ambassador to Tonga as well as Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati and Nauru, said the military component has always been important toward diplomatic efforts around the world. "The military does the warfighting, but everything else that goes after it and around the edges of it needs both (military and diplomatic) systems contributing," he said.
The military contribution has become increasingly important in recent years in the Pacific Island nations, particularly as U.S. Agency for International Development funding for the region has dried up. That, he said, makes military programs one of the most important tools in his diplomatic toolbox.
"When we can provide the Tongans with some ammunition and equipment and training and exercises, it's a big deal," he said. "It is really appreciated, and it strengthens the relationship. It works."
Another benefit to the region is the humanitarian assistance missions the U.S. military regularly carries out. These range from teams delivering critically needed medical and dental care to construction crews building schools and clinics to servicemembers visiting orphanages or performing concerts.
Dinger cited a recent humanitarian exercise in which teams of U.S. military reservists carried out week-long medical-support and construction missions in Kiribati and Nauru. "The people-to-people aspect was phenomenal," he said. The troops involved "reconfirmed U.S. engagement with this region and with each country."
Christy called this "soft power" application of military capabilities an important aspect of diplomatic efforts in the region. It helps to win hearts and minds as it builds new relationships or repairs strained ones, he said.
Few examples of the healing effect of this soft power compare to the U.S. military response following the December 2004 tsunami that devastated Ache, Indonesia. U.S.-Indonesian relations were at a low ebb at the time when U.S. forces rushed in to offer relief.
"Here were soldiers rescuing babies, delivering food, doing things that demonstrated a great deal of sympathy and empathy," Christy said.
Even less dramatic personal interactions go a long way toward supporting diplomatic efforts, he said. A Foreign Service officer who's reached the apex of his career and earned the title "ambassador," Christy hesitates to call U.S. servicemembers ambassadors as they interface with foreign militaries and citizens. But he acknowledges that in many ways, these troops serve as the embodiment of U.S. values overseas.
Whether volunteering for a civic-action program or simply shopping at a local market, they give foreign nationals the opportunity to "put a human face on American soldiers and sailors," Christy said. That's particularly important, he added, in cases where people have never met an American personally and might have preconceived and possibly negative notions about Americans.
"There's a lot of misappreciation of the United States, and one of the most effective ways to overcome that is through people-to-people contacts," Christy said. In this way, he explained, individual soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines "are becoming part of the 'D'" application of the DIME principle.
"They play a very active role in diplomacy by their presence, their behaviors, their openness, their willingness to engage with people and satisfy their curiosity," he said. "They are diplomats. They are ambassadors. They are showing what America is all about," he said.
As important as this relationship is to the Pacific, Dinger said, it's important to the United States, too, as friends and allies become stronger partners in the security of the region and beyond. There's "no doubt that the military role in this region is important," Dinger said. "And it's encouraging that even in the midst of huge military investment in the Middle East, we are clearly seeing more within this region, too."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 26, 2007 - With a big emphasis in Iraq on getting diplomatic and economic progress to catch up with security progress, officials here say U.S. military-diplomatic cooperation is just as important here, half a world away in the Pacific. The so-called "DIME" principle of applying all elements of national power –– diplomatic, information, military and economic -- to U.S. foreign policy goals is as key to maintaining stability in this region as everywhere else in the world, Ambassador Gene B. Christy told American Forces Press Service.
As the full-time foreign policy advisor to Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, Christy provides a vital communication link among PACOM, the State Department and U.S. ambassadors in the region.
The goal, he said, is to ensure that as the United States engages with countries in the region, it leverages its diplomatic and military efforts in a coordinated, unified way. It's an effort he said has improved significantly since Sept. 11, 2001, and continues to be more synchronized.
At the simplest level, diplomacy takes the lead in assuring friends and allies of U.S. support, or deterring aggression and of dissuading excessive military buildups that could threaten them, he said. "It's the part you want to have most active, most engaged and most successful, so you don't face having to implement the 'M,'" or military force, he explained.
But at the same time, Christy said, diplomacy can't be fully effective without military power backing it up. "You have to have the 'M' to make the other parts credible," he said. "Deterrence will deter no one if you have no capability to deter and to move onto the next stage."
U.S. military power adds another dimension to the diplomatic equation, Christy said. It's often the major catalyst in building partnerships, alliances and coalitions. Particularly in small and relatively vulnerable countries, a strong relationship with the United States offers an assurance "that in the event of trouble, there would be a friend in a position to come to your assistance," he said. "And in that case, the United States is a pretty good friend to have."
Military-to-military relationships offer other, more immediate benefits as well. For example, he said, some countries welcome the political message and the deterrence value that comes when a U.S. ship visits its port. Many view exercises with the U.S. military as an opportunity to enhance their own military skills and capabilities. Still others, like tiny Tonga, which recently sent its second 55-member troop contingent to Iraq to serve in Multinational Force Iraq, take strong national pride in contributing to a coalition effort alongside the United States.
Ambassador Larry Dinger, U.S. ambassador to Tonga as well as Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati and Nauru, said the military component has always been important toward diplomatic efforts around the world. "The military does the warfighting, but everything else that goes after it and around the edges of it needs both (military and diplomatic) systems contributing," he said.
The military contribution has become increasingly important in recent years in the Pacific Island nations, particularly as U.S. Agency for International Development funding for the region has dried up. That, he said, makes military programs one of the most important tools in his diplomatic toolbox.
"When we can provide the Tongans with some ammunition and equipment and training and exercises, it's a big deal," he said. "It is really appreciated, and it strengthens the relationship. It works."
Another benefit to the region is the humanitarian assistance missions the U.S. military regularly carries out. These range from teams delivering critically needed medical and dental care to construction crews building schools and clinics to servicemembers visiting orphanages or performing concerts.
Dinger cited a recent humanitarian exercise in which teams of U.S. military reservists carried out week-long medical-support and construction missions in Kiribati and Nauru. "The people-to-people aspect was phenomenal," he said. The troops involved "reconfirmed U.S. engagement with this region and with each country."
Christy called this "soft power" application of military capabilities an important aspect of diplomatic efforts in the region. It helps to win hearts and minds as it builds new relationships or repairs strained ones, he said.
Few examples of the healing effect of this soft power compare to the U.S. military response following the December 2004 tsunami that devastated Ache, Indonesia. U.S.-Indonesian relations were at a low ebb at the time when U.S. forces rushed in to offer relief.
"Here were soldiers rescuing babies, delivering food, doing things that demonstrated a great deal of sympathy and empathy," Christy said.
Even less dramatic personal interactions go a long way toward supporting diplomatic efforts, he said. A Foreign Service officer who's reached the apex of his career and earned the title "ambassador," Christy hesitates to call U.S. servicemembers ambassadors as they interface with foreign militaries and citizens. But he acknowledges that in many ways, these troops serve as the embodiment of U.S. values overseas.
Whether volunteering for a civic-action program or simply shopping at a local market, they give foreign nationals the opportunity to "put a human face on American soldiers and sailors," Christy said. That's particularly important, he added, in cases where people have never met an American personally and might have preconceived and possibly negative notions about Americans.
"There's a lot of misappreciation of the United States, and one of the most effective ways to overcome that is through people-to-people contacts," Christy said. In this way, he explained, individual soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines "are becoming part of the 'D'" application of the DIME principle.
"They play a very active role in diplomacy by their presence, their behaviors, their openness, their willingness to engage with people and satisfy their curiosity," he said. "They are diplomats. They are ambassadors. They are showing what America is all about," he said.
As important as this relationship is to the Pacific, Dinger said, it's important to the United States, too, as friends and allies become stronger partners in the security of the region and beyond. There's "no doubt that the military role in this region is important," Dinger said. "And it's encouraging that even in the midst of huge military investment in the Middle East, we are clearly seeing more within this region, too."
Award-Winning Actor Visits Wounded Troops
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 26, 2007 - Award-winning actor Robert Duvall certainly wasn't gone in 60 seconds when he stopped at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here yesterday to visit wounded servicemembers. He did discover, however, that his 2000 movie "Gone in 60 Seconds," was a favorite with those he talked to. "What is it with that movie?" he asked after talking with several troops who said they loved the film.
"I think 'Gone in 60 Seconds' was on (Turner Network Television) the other day, so I just watched it," Army Spc. Brent Hendrix, a Walter Reed outpatient, said in providing a possible explanation.
Duvall's visit was a welcome surprise, said Hendrix, whose right leg was amputated below the knee after his Stryker combat vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Iraq's Anbar province on June 27, 2006.
"I'm all about him," he said. "Most times you sit there, and you think about celebrities, ... and you wouldn't ever think they'd come by here and see us. They really do appreciate what we do and what we continue to do."
That sentiment was echoed throughout the physical therapy room as Duvall worked his way around amid the hubbub of on-going rehabilitation sessions.
Duvall was sincere and heartfelt, said Marine Cpl. Kenny Lyon, also a Walter Reed outpatient, who lost his left leg above the knee when his operating post north of Fallujah, Iraq, was hit by a mortar May 1, 2006.
"I really enjoy it when people visit," he said. "It's just good for the patients and other people who have been here less time than me. Some of them think this really sucks and they see people come in. It really puts a sparkle in their eye, and it's nice to see."
Despite repeatedly being stopped in the halls by those wanting to meet the screen legend, Duvall also managed to visit servicemembers in the occupational therapy rooms and in Ward 57, an in patient ward housing mostly orthopedic patients. Most of the amputees are treated there.
"We have so many people coming to visit – VIPs, general officers – it just seems like sometimes people walking in off the streets to say, 'Hi,'" said Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer Dan Cordell after visiting with Duvall in his Ward 57 room. "It's nice that people care."
Cordell was injured while working as a contractor in Iraq.
Duvall played down the significance of his visit, saying it was an "honor and a privilege" to be able to talk with these "wonderful young people," and that he's impressed with the care they're receiving.
"I'm just a layman. I don't really understand the specifics of what you have here, but it seems wonderful what's being done and the treatment these people are getting," the actor said. "It's very thorough and scientific, specific, and loving at the same time."
The son of a career Navy officer, Duvall marveled at the persistence the wounded warriors displayed. "So many of these young men and women, they want to go back," he said. "They want to go back to the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's amazing."
Amazing perhaps, but very telling, said Alan Geoffrion, who accompanied Duvall and his wife, Luciana Pedraza.
Geoffrion, who wrote the western novel "Broken Trail," said he and his father-in-law, both Vietnam veterans, once had doubts about an all-volunteer military.
"Last night we both ... agreed that this is probably -- well, not even probably -- this is the best military our country has ever fielded," he said. "They're brighter, smarter (and) more skilled. They need to keep them back in active duty. I think it's terrific that the services are willing to do that."
The former Navy signalman also wrote the screenplay for the television movie version of his book, which recently garnered Duvall an Emmy award for outstanding leading actor.
"I wanted to come and do this," Geoffrion said. "You come here thinking you're going to help them, and you wind up they help you a lot more."
Celebrity visits really do help the servicemembers and their families, though, Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch said.
Lynch spent yesterday at the hospital visiting about 50 of his wounded soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division, which he commands out of Fort Stewart, Ga. He'll soon head back to his other position as commander of Multinational Division Center in Iraq.
"I think -- and I'm a fan of Robert Duvall, as well -- when they see him on the screen and see him in person they can relate, because he's always doing action adventures," Lynch said. "At least on the screen, he's doing what we do in life. To me, it's personally inspirational that he takes the time to come and visit these great soldiers."
Duvall wrapped up his visit with a tour of the new Military Advanced Training Center, which was officially opened during a Sept. 13 ceremony.
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 26, 2007 - Award-winning actor Robert Duvall certainly wasn't gone in 60 seconds when he stopped at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here yesterday to visit wounded servicemembers. He did discover, however, that his 2000 movie "Gone in 60 Seconds," was a favorite with those he talked to. "What is it with that movie?" he asked after talking with several troops who said they loved the film.
"I think 'Gone in 60 Seconds' was on (Turner Network Television) the other day, so I just watched it," Army Spc. Brent Hendrix, a Walter Reed outpatient, said in providing a possible explanation.
Duvall's visit was a welcome surprise, said Hendrix, whose right leg was amputated below the knee after his Stryker combat vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Iraq's Anbar province on June 27, 2006.
"I'm all about him," he said. "Most times you sit there, and you think about celebrities, ... and you wouldn't ever think they'd come by here and see us. They really do appreciate what we do and what we continue to do."
That sentiment was echoed throughout the physical therapy room as Duvall worked his way around amid the hubbub of on-going rehabilitation sessions.
Duvall was sincere and heartfelt, said Marine Cpl. Kenny Lyon, also a Walter Reed outpatient, who lost his left leg above the knee when his operating post north of Fallujah, Iraq, was hit by a mortar May 1, 2006.
"I really enjoy it when people visit," he said. "It's just good for the patients and other people who have been here less time than me. Some of them think this really sucks and they see people come in. It really puts a sparkle in their eye, and it's nice to see."
Despite repeatedly being stopped in the halls by those wanting to meet the screen legend, Duvall also managed to visit servicemembers in the occupational therapy rooms and in Ward 57, an in patient ward housing mostly orthopedic patients. Most of the amputees are treated there.
"We have so many people coming to visit – VIPs, general officers – it just seems like sometimes people walking in off the streets to say, 'Hi,'" said Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer Dan Cordell after visiting with Duvall in his Ward 57 room. "It's nice that people care."
Cordell was injured while working as a contractor in Iraq.
Duvall played down the significance of his visit, saying it was an "honor and a privilege" to be able to talk with these "wonderful young people," and that he's impressed with the care they're receiving.
"I'm just a layman. I don't really understand the specifics of what you have here, but it seems wonderful what's being done and the treatment these people are getting," the actor said. "It's very thorough and scientific, specific, and loving at the same time."
The son of a career Navy officer, Duvall marveled at the persistence the wounded warriors displayed. "So many of these young men and women, they want to go back," he said. "They want to go back to the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's amazing."
Amazing perhaps, but very telling, said Alan Geoffrion, who accompanied Duvall and his wife, Luciana Pedraza.
Geoffrion, who wrote the western novel "Broken Trail," said he and his father-in-law, both Vietnam veterans, once had doubts about an all-volunteer military.
"Last night we both ... agreed that this is probably -- well, not even probably -- this is the best military our country has ever fielded," he said. "They're brighter, smarter (and) more skilled. They need to keep them back in active duty. I think it's terrific that the services are willing to do that."
The former Navy signalman also wrote the screenplay for the television movie version of his book, which recently garnered Duvall an Emmy award for outstanding leading actor.
"I wanted to come and do this," Geoffrion said. "You come here thinking you're going to help them, and you wind up they help you a lot more."
Celebrity visits really do help the servicemembers and their families, though, Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch said.
Lynch spent yesterday at the hospital visiting about 50 of his wounded soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division, which he commands out of Fort Stewart, Ga. He'll soon head back to his other position as commander of Multinational Division Center in Iraq.
"I think -- and I'm a fan of Robert Duvall, as well -- when they see him on the screen and see him in person they can relate, because he's always doing action adventures," Lynch said. "At least on the screen, he's doing what we do in life. To me, it's personally inspirational that he takes the time to come and visit these great soldiers."
Duvall wrapped up his visit with a tour of the new Military Advanced Training Center, which was officially opened during a Sept. 13 ceremony.
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.
750 Police Officers
Police-Writers.com is a website that lists 750 state and local police officers who have written books. The 750th law enforcement official listed was Lieutenant Lee Ballenger, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
In 1951 and at the Age of 17, Lee Ballenger enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. During his first year in the Marine Corps he trained with the 3rd Tank Battalion. Shortly after his 18th birthday, Lee Ballenger was shipped out to Korea, arriving in January 1953. After a short stint “with the 1st Reconnaissance Company, he returned to tanks in time to participate in the Nevada Cities fighting at the end of March.” Lee Ballenger continued as a tank crewman until the end of fighting in Korea. He re-enlisted in the Marine Corps and served as a military police officer until his discharge in 1957.
After his discharge Lee Ballenger began his law enforcement career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He retired in 1989 at the rank of Lieutenant. Lee Ballenger is the author of a two volume set on the Korean War: The Outpost War: U.S. Marine Corps in Korea, 1952 and The Final Crucible: U.S. Marines in Korea, 1953.
According to David Alperstein of Library Journal, “In his first book, Ballenger succeeds in presenting a lucid account of the 1st Marine Division in western Korea in 1952, a period of the war (June 1950-July 1953) he describes as a "stalemate" while also pointing out that 40 percent of all Marine casualties occurred after April 1952. Ballenger argues that this period is ignored by historians. This book is actually the first of a two-part set whose second volume will cover 1953 and the final bloody months of the war. The author uses the personal experiences and insights he gained while serving in the 1st Division Reconnaissance Company and the 1st Tank Battalion as well as his battalion command diaries and other sources to write a concise, readable study of what he calls the "Unknown War." The tactics and strategies used by the Marines, Chinese, and Korean (North and South) are described and analyzed. The appendixes provide a detailed list of the many hills, outposts, and military sites relevant to the 1st Division's story. The book is not meant to be a detailed historical study, but it is an intelligent look at one phase of the Korean War. Recommended for public and academic libraries, this will be of special interest to veterans and military history buffs.”
According to Roland Green, in Booklist, “In his second volume on marine operations during the Korean War's last years, Ballenger continues to be a military historian equally useful to the scholar and the casual buff. The fighting centered on outposts, as each side sought to obtain the best positions to influence the peace negotiations through numerous small operations, occasional larger ones, and many raids, patrols, and outbursts of harassing fire. Highlighted in this volume are one of the largest raids, of Ungok; the bloody ambush at Gray Rock; the long fight for a complex of outposts named after Nevada cities; and the worst battle of 1953, for Boulder City--the last marine engagement in Korea. Lee Ballenger continues to provide model accounts of small-unit actions, to enlighten readers on the value of tanks in infantry support (a high-velocity tank gun is good backup), and to be none too charitable toward what is described as the army's tendency to leave the marines holding the bag. Like its companion, The Outpost War (2000), this is a nearly indispensable Korean War history”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 750 police officers (representing 346 police departments) and their 1599 police books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
In 1951 and at the Age of 17, Lee Ballenger enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. During his first year in the Marine Corps he trained with the 3rd Tank Battalion. Shortly after his 18th birthday, Lee Ballenger was shipped out to Korea, arriving in January 1953. After a short stint “with the 1st Reconnaissance Company, he returned to tanks in time to participate in the Nevada Cities fighting at the end of March.” Lee Ballenger continued as a tank crewman until the end of fighting in Korea. He re-enlisted in the Marine Corps and served as a military police officer until his discharge in 1957.
After his discharge Lee Ballenger began his law enforcement career with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He retired in 1989 at the rank of Lieutenant. Lee Ballenger is the author of a two volume set on the Korean War: The Outpost War: U.S. Marine Corps in Korea, 1952 and The Final Crucible: U.S. Marines in Korea, 1953.
According to David Alperstein of Library Journal, “In his first book, Ballenger succeeds in presenting a lucid account of the 1st Marine Division in western Korea in 1952, a period of the war (June 1950-July 1953) he describes as a "stalemate" while also pointing out that 40 percent of all Marine casualties occurred after April 1952. Ballenger argues that this period is ignored by historians. This book is actually the first of a two-part set whose second volume will cover 1953 and the final bloody months of the war. The author uses the personal experiences and insights he gained while serving in the 1st Division Reconnaissance Company and the 1st Tank Battalion as well as his battalion command diaries and other sources to write a concise, readable study of what he calls the "Unknown War." The tactics and strategies used by the Marines, Chinese, and Korean (North and South) are described and analyzed. The appendixes provide a detailed list of the many hills, outposts, and military sites relevant to the 1st Division's story. The book is not meant to be a detailed historical study, but it is an intelligent look at one phase of the Korean War. Recommended for public and academic libraries, this will be of special interest to veterans and military history buffs.”
According to Roland Green, in Booklist, “In his second volume on marine operations during the Korean War's last years, Ballenger continues to be a military historian equally useful to the scholar and the casual buff. The fighting centered on outposts, as each side sought to obtain the best positions to influence the peace negotiations through numerous small operations, occasional larger ones, and many raids, patrols, and outbursts of harassing fire. Highlighted in this volume are one of the largest raids, of Ungok; the bloody ambush at Gray Rock; the long fight for a complex of outposts named after Nevada cities; and the worst battle of 1953, for Boulder City--the last marine engagement in Korea. Lee Ballenger continues to provide model accounts of small-unit actions, to enlighten readers on the value of tanks in infantry support (a high-velocity tank gun is good backup), and to be none too charitable toward what is described as the army's tendency to leave the marines holding the bag. Like its companion, The Outpost War (2000), this is a nearly indispensable Korean War history”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 750 police officers (representing 346 police departments) and their 1599 police books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Foundation Gives Back to Military Families
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 25, 2007 - Military families have a new partner in their efforts to understand and cope with having a loved one in a battle zone. The Blewitt Foundation focuses on helping children experiencing loss, serious injury or related anxiety or fear.
"Our primary mission is to provide special comfort, enjoyment and enrichment opportunities for U.S. military families ... through partnerships with unique recreational and educational programs," said Joe Cantafio, the foundation's vice president of programs.
"The cornerstone of our family-based program is fun, but not just any kind of fun," he said. "The Blewitt Foundation provides all-expense-paid resort-style fun."
The Virginia-based Blewitt Foundation recently held its first "Destination R&R," its main effort. The week-long program centered on recreation and leisure activities for family members of all ages, Cantafio said.
This inaugural event, held in August at Maryland's Turf Valley Resort, included activities like computer training, European spa treatments, Baltimore Orioles baseball games, and trips to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. It also included swimming, pony rides, arts and crafts, and games for the children.
The foundation has partnered with the National Military Family Association, University of Maryland University College, and the Josephson Institute of Ethics in its troop-support endeavors. "Our collective support transforms fun into sharing, connections and healing for families and among families," Cantafio said.
The Blewitt Foundation recently became a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"The Blewitt Foundation will benefit tremendously from our relationship with America Supports You," Cantafio said. "As a new foundation, the exposure, along with the credibility America Supports You (lends), will be a tremendous asset to what we are doing for our servicemembers and their families."
The National Military Family Association also is a supporter of the America Supports You program.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 25, 2007 - Military families have a new partner in their efforts to understand and cope with having a loved one in a battle zone. The Blewitt Foundation focuses on helping children experiencing loss, serious injury or related anxiety or fear.
"Our primary mission is to provide special comfort, enjoyment and enrichment opportunities for U.S. military families ... through partnerships with unique recreational and educational programs," said Joe Cantafio, the foundation's vice president of programs.
"The cornerstone of our family-based program is fun, but not just any kind of fun," he said. "The Blewitt Foundation provides all-expense-paid resort-style fun."
The Virginia-based Blewitt Foundation recently held its first "Destination R&R," its main effort. The week-long program centered on recreation and leisure activities for family members of all ages, Cantafio said.
This inaugural event, held in August at Maryland's Turf Valley Resort, included activities like computer training, European spa treatments, Baltimore Orioles baseball games, and trips to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. It also included swimming, pony rides, arts and crafts, and games for the children.
The foundation has partnered with the National Military Family Association, University of Maryland University College, and the Josephson Institute of Ethics in its troop-support endeavors. "Our collective support transforms fun into sharing, connections and healing for families and among families," Cantafio said.
The Blewitt Foundation recently became a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"The Blewitt Foundation will benefit tremendously from our relationship with America Supports You," Cantafio said. "As a new foundation, the exposure, along with the credibility America Supports You (lends), will be a tremendous asset to what we are doing for our servicemembers and their families."
The National Military Family Association also is a supporter of the America Supports You program.
National Guard Redefines Meaning of 'United States'
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 25, 2007 - The U.S. state of Georgia and the Republic of Georgia in Eastern Europe might seem like strange strategic partners. But since 1993, the National Guard has breached barriers between American states and international states with positive results. The mission of the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program is to buttress bilateral relations with burgeoning U.S. allies.
"The program is a long-term, enduring relationship between a state in the United States and one of the international countries that's either emerging or wants to establish a relationship with the United States," said Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau.
During an interview with the Pentagon Channel here yesterday, Blum said the State Partnership Program lays the groundwork for lasting strategic connections.
The tale of two Georgias, for instance, began in May 1995, when a Georgia National Guard representative accompanied the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on a visit to the Republic of Georgia. After this initial trip, the chairman invited a small group of Georgian government and military officials for a jaunt to the Peach State.
In the ensuing 12-year relationship, Georgia's National Guard has helped integrate the former Soviet bloc country into the U.S. European Command strategy of fostering stability and democracy in Eastern Europe.
"This partnership helps the combatant commander and the U.S. ambassador's team in country have another source of military-to-military engagements for the theater security cooperation activities of the combatant commander," Blum said.
The general said bilateral alliances created through program aren't confined to strict military-to-military relations. On the contrary, some partnerships have evolved to the point where military bodies work in concert with civilians.
"It all depends on our two partnering states, our country team and the combatant commander," Blum said of the partnership's shape and function.
In some cases, U.S. civilians have worked directly with their foreign partner's civilian government.
Illinois and Poland partnered in 2003 also under EUCOM's purview, but they agreed their relationship would be based primarily on non-military ties. The Eastern European country of some 38.5 million people was interested in learning about programs the Illinois National Guard established for at-risk youth in cities like Chicago -- fitting, considering that except for the Polish capital of Warsaw, Chicago's Polish population is second only to the southern Polish city of Krakow.
As a result, the U.S. ambassador to Poland sought a U.S.-Poland exchange of ideas about youth outreach. To date, Poland has hosted representatives from Illinois' National Guard three times in different cities to discuss setting up youth programs similar to those in Illinois' urban centers.
In coordination with the U.S. Southern Command, unlikely partnership couples thrive. Ecuador conducts counternarcotics ops with Kentucky, while West Virginia military officials woo Peru.
In 2005, New Hampshire's National Guard exchanged platoons with El Salvador to swap artillery expertise. According to a Web site describing the partnership, the states are planning future exchanges.
"The SPP is set up so ... that we have a way to have partnerships that are long-enduring rather than periodic," Blum said. "We need something that's sustained over time, and we've shown great success with that."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 25, 2007 - The U.S. state of Georgia and the Republic of Georgia in Eastern Europe might seem like strange strategic partners. But since 1993, the National Guard has breached barriers between American states and international states with positive results. The mission of the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program is to buttress bilateral relations with burgeoning U.S. allies.
"The program is a long-term, enduring relationship between a state in the United States and one of the international countries that's either emerging or wants to establish a relationship with the United States," said Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau.
During an interview with the Pentagon Channel here yesterday, Blum said the State Partnership Program lays the groundwork for lasting strategic connections.
The tale of two Georgias, for instance, began in May 1995, when a Georgia National Guard representative accompanied the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on a visit to the Republic of Georgia. After this initial trip, the chairman invited a small group of Georgian government and military officials for a jaunt to the Peach State.
In the ensuing 12-year relationship, Georgia's National Guard has helped integrate the former Soviet bloc country into the U.S. European Command strategy of fostering stability and democracy in Eastern Europe.
"This partnership helps the combatant commander and the U.S. ambassador's team in country have another source of military-to-military engagements for the theater security cooperation activities of the combatant commander," Blum said.
The general said bilateral alliances created through program aren't confined to strict military-to-military relations. On the contrary, some partnerships have evolved to the point where military bodies work in concert with civilians.
"It all depends on our two partnering states, our country team and the combatant commander," Blum said of the partnership's shape and function.
In some cases, U.S. civilians have worked directly with their foreign partner's civilian government.
Illinois and Poland partnered in 2003 also under EUCOM's purview, but they agreed their relationship would be based primarily on non-military ties. The Eastern European country of some 38.5 million people was interested in learning about programs the Illinois National Guard established for at-risk youth in cities like Chicago -- fitting, considering that except for the Polish capital of Warsaw, Chicago's Polish population is second only to the southern Polish city of Krakow.
As a result, the U.S. ambassador to Poland sought a U.S.-Poland exchange of ideas about youth outreach. To date, Poland has hosted representatives from Illinois' National Guard three times in different cities to discuss setting up youth programs similar to those in Illinois' urban centers.
In coordination with the U.S. Southern Command, unlikely partnership couples thrive. Ecuador conducts counternarcotics ops with Kentucky, while West Virginia military officials woo Peru.
In 2005, New Hampshire's National Guard exchanged platoons with El Salvador to swap artillery expertise. According to a Web site describing the partnership, the states are planning future exchanges.
"The SPP is set up so ... that we have a way to have partnerships that are long-enduring rather than periodic," Blum said. "We need something that's sustained over time, and we've shown great success with that."
Despite Commitments, U.S. Forces Ready For Any Contingency
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 25, 2007 - The commitment of ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan is heavy, but the U.S. military has ample forces to respond to any other contingency that may arise, the general in charge of planning for the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today. About 490,000 military members are forward-deployed around the world, with 234,000 in Southwest and Central Asia, about 139,000 in the Pacific, about 96,000 in the European theater, and a little more than 4,000 in Latin and Central America and the Caribbean, Army Maj. Gen. Richard Sherlock, director of operational planning for the Joint Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon.
While that may seem like a big number, it includes units that are stationed in Korea, Germany, Japan and other places, which are technically forward-deployed but are available for combat deployments, he said.
"If need be, the American armed forces will respond to whatever requirements are laid on it by the secretary of defense and the president," Sherlock said. "If you have forces that are available -- again, whether they're in the U.S., whether they may have just redeployed, or whether they're forward-stationed -- they may be available, depending on what theoretical contingency would occur."
In Iraq, U.S. forces are focused on building the efforts of the Iraqi security forces, Sherlock said. Last week, 744 new police officers from Abu Ghraib graduated, and this week, 800 more will graduate. Over the next six months, 12,000 Iraqi security personnel will be trained, he said.
"While it will take some time to season those personnel, it again is a clear indication of the dedication of the Iraqi people to the security of their nation," Sherlock said.
As the U.S. military is acting on troop-level decisions President Bush made based on recommendations from commanders on the ground, the Army is working to increase time at home between deployments for soldiers, Sherlock said. The ideal situation would be to give soldiers 12 months at home for every 12 months they spend deployed, but moving to that system will depend on conditions in Iraq and the need for forces, he said.
Sherlock also emphasized that the movement of troops from Iraq will depend on conditions there. The president announced that a Marine expeditionary unit, a brigade and two battalions will leave Iraq before the end of the year. The Marine expeditionary unit is in the process of redeploying, but decisions about the battalions and brigade have not been made yet, Sherlock said.
"You have to make sure what you don't do is give up gains that you've made in an area to move forces around," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 25, 2007 - The commitment of ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan is heavy, but the U.S. military has ample forces to respond to any other contingency that may arise, the general in charge of planning for the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today. About 490,000 military members are forward-deployed around the world, with 234,000 in Southwest and Central Asia, about 139,000 in the Pacific, about 96,000 in the European theater, and a little more than 4,000 in Latin and Central America and the Caribbean, Army Maj. Gen. Richard Sherlock, director of operational planning for the Joint Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon.
While that may seem like a big number, it includes units that are stationed in Korea, Germany, Japan and other places, which are technically forward-deployed but are available for combat deployments, he said.
"If need be, the American armed forces will respond to whatever requirements are laid on it by the secretary of defense and the president," Sherlock said. "If you have forces that are available -- again, whether they're in the U.S., whether they may have just redeployed, or whether they're forward-stationed -- they may be available, depending on what theoretical contingency would occur."
In Iraq, U.S. forces are focused on building the efforts of the Iraqi security forces, Sherlock said. Last week, 744 new police officers from Abu Ghraib graduated, and this week, 800 more will graduate. Over the next six months, 12,000 Iraqi security personnel will be trained, he said.
"While it will take some time to season those personnel, it again is a clear indication of the dedication of the Iraqi people to the security of their nation," Sherlock said.
As the U.S. military is acting on troop-level decisions President Bush made based on recommendations from commanders on the ground, the Army is working to increase time at home between deployments for soldiers, Sherlock said. The ideal situation would be to give soldiers 12 months at home for every 12 months they spend deployed, but moving to that system will depend on conditions in Iraq and the need for forces, he said.
Sherlock also emphasized that the movement of troops from Iraq will depend on conditions there. The president announced that a Marine expeditionary unit, a brigade and two battalions will leave Iraq before the end of the year. The Marine expeditionary unit is in the process of redeploying, but decisions about the battalions and brigade have not been made yet, Sherlock said.
"You have to make sure what you don't do is give up gains that you've made in an area to move forces around," he said.
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