By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 10, 2007 - The Defense Department reported strong recruiting numbers for fiscal 2007 today, as all four active-duty components met their goals for the year. When the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, the Army and Navy had attained 101 percent of their recruiting goals with 80,407 and 37,361 recruits, respectively. The Marine Corps and Air Force were at 100 percent, with 35,603 and 27,801 recruits, respectively.
Four of the six reserve components met their recruiting goals. The Marine Corps Reserve finished the year at 110 percent of its goal, with 7,959 recruits. The Air Force Reserve followed with 104 percent, or 7,110 recruits. The Army and Navy reserves came in at 101 and 100 percent, respectively, with 35,734 and 10,627 recruits.
Among the reserve components, only the Army and Air National Guard reported not meeting recruiting goals, but that number is somewhat deceptive, defense officials said. In both services, they explained, retention was higher than expected, which reduced the number of recruits needed.
In fact, the Army National Guard had to curtail recruiting because its retention numbers were so high that it wouldn't have had the funds to pay for the likely overage to its authorized end-strength if recruiting continued at the originally projected pace.
The Army Guard finished the year at 101 percent of its planned 350,000-soldier end-strength – nearly 3,000 troops above that target and almost 6,500 more soldiers than it started the year with. The Air Guard finished the fiscal year at 99.3 percent of its targeted 107,000-airman end-strength.
The quality of recruits remains high, said David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Briefing Pentagon reporters today, Chu said the Defense Department standards are that 90 percent of its new recruits have a high school diploma and 60 percent score higher than average on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, a series of tests given to prospective recruits. Also, no more than 4 percent of those who score in Mental Category IV – between the 10th and 30th percentile in the nation – are allowed to enlist.
"In other words, we aim for the military to draw an above-average slice of America into its enlisted ranks," Chu said.
In the active components, all but the Army reported meeting those standards. Only 79 percent of the Army's non-prior service recruits had a high school diploma, Chu said, but he noted that's about the same percentage as American society at large.
Five of the six reserve components met the high school diploma goal. The Army Reserve came in at 86 percent. Four of the six made the testing goal of 60 percent or higher, while the Army National Guard and Reserve came in just under the mark at 57 percent. All reserve components met the goal of no more than 4 percent of recruits having Category IV test scores.
Retention numbers were not released, but Chu reported that all four active components met their retention goals and all six reserve components were within the Defense Department's expectations.
The recruiting successes are needed for a force that has plans to grow in the next five years. The Army expects to grow to 547,000 and the Marine Corps to 202,000 by as early as 2010. The Navy and Air Force plan to reduce their forces.
Officials can't say exactly how many recruits will be needed each year, because retention and attrition also affect end-strength, but the Army expects to add about 7,000 annually and the Marines 5,000.
Chu reported that a downward trend in support by community influencers toward military service has leveled off, and that officials hope to see it take a more positive turn.
"I think it's important for all citizens to support the choices of young people, and this is one of the ironies we've seen in this extended conflict -- that the young people are willing to step forward, but the more senior members of our society ... are less willing to applaud that choice when they do so," Chu said.
Chu did not report on the number of recruits who required waivers to be admitted into the military, but, when questioned, said that waiver submissions were at a historically high level, about equal to last year. But, Chu said, that includes medical and conduct waivers.
Chu said the military takes a "whole person" stance on waivers and will grant a conduct waiver for a recruit who may have committed a misdemeanor or sampled illegal drugs, but otherwise is qualified and has not continued the illegal behaviors.
"We certainly are not going to accept for enlistment anyone with a serious criminal record, but the services ask questions, as they should, of new entrants that try to ensure we know whom we're recruiting," Chu said. "We want to know who that whole person is."
Chu said the number of recruits admitted with a criminal record is a "small number" of the force.
Army Maj. Gen. Thomas Bostick, commander of the Army's Recruiting Command, said that 85 percent of those enlisting in the Army did not need a waiver. Of the 15 percent who needed waivers, 87 percent were for misdemeanors, or "small infractions," he said, such as joy riding, breaking curfew or using a false ID.
"So we're not bringing in murderers, criminals, drug dealers, felons. Those people are not coming into the United States Army," Bostick said. "This is a very high-quality Army. I served in combat side by side with them. Many of the recruiters are combat veterans. They're going to go back to the force and serve next to these soldiers. They want them to be the highest quality."
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Army Works to Accelerate Leader Development
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 10, 2007 - The Army is exploring new ways to accelerate the development of leaders prepared for the broad challenges they'll face in what's expected to be an era of persistent conflict, the Army's chief of staff said here yesterday. "We are committed to investing in our officer, warrant officer, noncommissioned officer and civilian leaders," Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. told attendees at the annual Association of the U.S. Army convention. "In this era of persistent conflict, it is absolutely essential that we develop leaders that can handle the challenges of full-spectrum operations."
Full-spectrum operations include the broad range of missions soldiers can be called on to carry out: from supporting peacetime operations to conducting major combat operations, and everything in between.
This operating environment requires agile, adaptive leaders, able to shift quickly and smoothly between missions, Casey said.
"Our leaders in the 21st century must be competent in their core competencies, broad enough to operate across the full spectrum of conflict, able to operate in joint, interagency and combined environments, at home in other cultures and courageous enough to see and exploit opportunities in the complex environments they will be operating in," he said.
Just as warfare has changed, so too has the way the Army develops leaders, Army Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV, commander of the Army's Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., said during a panel discussion about accelerating leader development.
"We don't want to teach you what to think," he said. "We want to teach you how to think."
This effort extends throughout the Army's education and professional development system, through a blend of formal education, operational experience and guided self-development, Caldwell said.
Officer candidates are getting more field and operational experience, Maj. Gen. W. Montague Winfield, commander of U.S. Army Cadet Command, told attendees. Officers are getting more educational opportunities and more access to joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational training, Brig. Gen. Mark O'Neill, deputy commandant of the Army's Command and General Staff College, told the group.
Warrant officers are attending more officer training courses, said Col. Mark Jones, command of the Army Warrant Officer Career Center. And recognizing that its enlisted force is "taking on more responsibility earlier in their careers than ever before, the Army is adapting its training programs so they're better prepared, said Col. Donald Gentry, commandant of the Army Sergeants Major Academy.
Meanwhile, the Army is tapping into best practices from the private and public sectors to accelerate training and development of its civilian work force that's filling critical positions and maintaining continuity, said Volney "Jim" Warner, director of the Army's Civilian Development Office.
How well the Army develops soldiers and leaders able to operate effectively and efficiently in an era of persistent conflict will have far-reaching impact on the force and its ability to succeed, the officials agreed.
"Soldiers are the strength of this Army, and they make this Army the strength of this nation," Casey said. "It will be our soldiers who lead us to victory over the nation's enemies, and it will be soldiers who preserve the peace for us and for our allies."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 10, 2007 - The Army is exploring new ways to accelerate the development of leaders prepared for the broad challenges they'll face in what's expected to be an era of persistent conflict, the Army's chief of staff said here yesterday. "We are committed to investing in our officer, warrant officer, noncommissioned officer and civilian leaders," Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. told attendees at the annual Association of the U.S. Army convention. "In this era of persistent conflict, it is absolutely essential that we develop leaders that can handle the challenges of full-spectrum operations."
Full-spectrum operations include the broad range of missions soldiers can be called on to carry out: from supporting peacetime operations to conducting major combat operations, and everything in between.
This operating environment requires agile, adaptive leaders, able to shift quickly and smoothly between missions, Casey said.
"Our leaders in the 21st century must be competent in their core competencies, broad enough to operate across the full spectrum of conflict, able to operate in joint, interagency and combined environments, at home in other cultures and courageous enough to see and exploit opportunities in the complex environments they will be operating in," he said.
Just as warfare has changed, so too has the way the Army develops leaders, Army Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV, commander of the Army's Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., said during a panel discussion about accelerating leader development.
"We don't want to teach you what to think," he said. "We want to teach you how to think."
This effort extends throughout the Army's education and professional development system, through a blend of formal education, operational experience and guided self-development, Caldwell said.
Officer candidates are getting more field and operational experience, Maj. Gen. W. Montague Winfield, commander of U.S. Army Cadet Command, told attendees. Officers are getting more educational opportunities and more access to joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational training, Brig. Gen. Mark O'Neill, deputy commandant of the Army's Command and General Staff College, told the group.
Warrant officers are attending more officer training courses, said Col. Mark Jones, command of the Army Warrant Officer Career Center. And recognizing that its enlisted force is "taking on more responsibility earlier in their careers than ever before, the Army is adapting its training programs so they're better prepared, said Col. Donald Gentry, commandant of the Army Sergeants Major Academy.
Meanwhile, the Army is tapping into best practices from the private and public sectors to accelerate training and development of its civilian work force that's filling critical positions and maintaining continuity, said Volney "Jim" Warner, director of the Army's Civilian Development Office.
How well the Army develops soldiers and leaders able to operate effectively and efficiently in an era of persistent conflict will have far-reaching impact on the force and its ability to succeed, the officials agreed.
"Soldiers are the strength of this Army, and they make this Army the strength of this nation," Casey said. "It will be our soldiers who lead us to victory over the nation's enemies, and it will be soldiers who preserve the peace for us and for our allies."
Decision Point Approaches in Kosovo, NATO Chief Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 10, 2007 - With elections nearing and the question of independence uncertain, the next few months will be a "telling time" for people in the breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo, NATO's top military officer said at a Pentagon news conference today. Army Gen. Bantz J. Craddock, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe, said the Balkan province is the No. 2 issue he works on, second only to Afghanistan.
Craddock said Kosovo's elections are scheduled for Nov. 17. Kosovars will elect 120 members of the national assembly. The parliament members will then elect a new president and prime minister. For the first time, voters also will directly elect mayors in the province's 30 towns.
NATO leads the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. Its 16,000-member Kosovo Force provides security and stability. NATO soldiers moved in following a 78-day NATO air campaign that began in March 1999 in response to Serbian moves to expel the Albanian population of the area. Kosovo is 90 percent ethnic Albanian.
The vast majority of Kosovars want independence from Serbia. Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who served as a special United Nations negotiator in Kosovo, recommended the country become independent of Serbia – a move the Serbs vigorously oppose.
"I think right now I would tell you that in Kosovo there is uncertainty," Craddock said today. "There's impatience (among the Kosovars), because they want a decision. I think that December will be a telling time, and I think that there is some angst right now in Kosovo, and impatience and uncertainty."
The decision in Kosovo is about employment and the economy, the general said. "And it's about getting electricity every day, because that's a terrible situation right now," he said. There has been a drought in the province, and water is a concern. All these things are "front-burner issues" for Kosovars, and NATO will have to watch the process closely in December, Craddock said.
Craddock said NATO's Kosovo Force is extremely well-trained. National caveats that had limited how some countries' forces could be used are now gone, Craddock said. NATO commanders in the province have the flexibility they need, and NATO officials have been making prudent and wide-ranging plans, he said.
Roughly 1,600 Texas National Guardsmen are part of the force in Kosovo. They're due to rotate home soon, to be replaced by a National Guard unit from New Jersey.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 10, 2007 - With elections nearing and the question of independence uncertain, the next few months will be a "telling time" for people in the breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo, NATO's top military officer said at a Pentagon news conference today. Army Gen. Bantz J. Craddock, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe, said the Balkan province is the No. 2 issue he works on, second only to Afghanistan.
Craddock said Kosovo's elections are scheduled for Nov. 17. Kosovars will elect 120 members of the national assembly. The parliament members will then elect a new president and prime minister. For the first time, voters also will directly elect mayors in the province's 30 towns.
NATO leads the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. Its 16,000-member Kosovo Force provides security and stability. NATO soldiers moved in following a 78-day NATO air campaign that began in March 1999 in response to Serbian moves to expel the Albanian population of the area. Kosovo is 90 percent ethnic Albanian.
The vast majority of Kosovars want independence from Serbia. Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who served as a special United Nations negotiator in Kosovo, recommended the country become independent of Serbia – a move the Serbs vigorously oppose.
"I think right now I would tell you that in Kosovo there is uncertainty," Craddock said today. "There's impatience (among the Kosovars), because they want a decision. I think that December will be a telling time, and I think that there is some angst right now in Kosovo, and impatience and uncertainty."
The decision in Kosovo is about employment and the economy, the general said. "And it's about getting electricity every day, because that's a terrible situation right now," he said. There has been a drought in the province, and water is a concern. All these things are "front-burner issues" for Kosovars, and NATO will have to watch the process closely in December, Craddock said.
Craddock said NATO's Kosovo Force is extremely well-trained. National caveats that had limited how some countries' forces could be used are now gone, Craddock said. NATO commanders in the province have the flexibility they need, and NATO officials have been making prudent and wide-ranging plans, he said.
Roughly 1,600 Texas National Guardsmen are part of the force in Kosovo. They're due to rotate home soon, to be replaced by a National Guard unit from New Jersey.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
XIX Annual Strategy Conference: "Rebalancing the Instruments of National Power"
April 8-10, 2008
U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle, PA, United States
Open to the General Public
Registration Fee: $TBD
“Rebalancing the Instruments of National Power” will be the theme for the XIX Annual Strategy Conference at historic Carlisle Barracks in Carlisle, PA. Beginning with a reception on the evening of April 8th, the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College will host this year’s conference, giving participants an opportunity to explore what is perhaps the most critical set of strategic issues facing the United States today, namely those related to what we actually do in response to and anticipation of the threats, challenges and opportunities posed by the extant and future international security environments.
The theme does not presuppose that an “imbalance” among those instruments presently exists. Rather, it reflects a core question at the heart of many current debates about strategy and security today: Are we as a country properly organized and equipped to conduct effective security strategy in the 21st century? If not, what do we need to do to address any gaps and shortcomings? If we are, how do we effectively coordinate, blend, and focus the instruments so as to achieve strategic success? Is the primary issue one of structure and process or is it perhaps more related to individuals and leadership? Through a combination of keynote addresses and panel presentations, this year’s Strategy Conference will explore such questions and stimulate debate and discussion. Panel topics and presentations will include: --the historical background for understanding --the national security architecture and how it forges and wields the instruments of national power; --the interagency process as a focus for change; --individuals and leadership as critical elements in blending the instruments; and --the political, fiscal, and practical challenges of getting the balance "right." Over the course of the two-day colloquium, participants will raise critical questions and identify key components of the way ahead for “getting strategy right” in the 21st century. But rather than focusing solely on organizational or institutional reform, this year’s Strategy Conference seeks to address the tools we need in order to conduct an effective security strategy, and the ways in which we can develop and apply them toward the pursuit of strategic objectives. Our goal is to produce a set of key questions and concrete actions that national security practitioners and opinion leaders need to know as we approach the end of the first decade of the new century.
Sponsors: Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College
U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle, PA, United States
Open to the General Public
Registration Fee: $TBD
“Rebalancing the Instruments of National Power” will be the theme for the XIX Annual Strategy Conference at historic Carlisle Barracks in Carlisle, PA. Beginning with a reception on the evening of April 8th, the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College will host this year’s conference, giving participants an opportunity to explore what is perhaps the most critical set of strategic issues facing the United States today, namely those related to what we actually do in response to and anticipation of the threats, challenges and opportunities posed by the extant and future international security environments.
The theme does not presuppose that an “imbalance” among those instruments presently exists. Rather, it reflects a core question at the heart of many current debates about strategy and security today: Are we as a country properly organized and equipped to conduct effective security strategy in the 21st century? If not, what do we need to do to address any gaps and shortcomings? If we are, how do we effectively coordinate, blend, and focus the instruments so as to achieve strategic success? Is the primary issue one of structure and process or is it perhaps more related to individuals and leadership? Through a combination of keynote addresses and panel presentations, this year’s Strategy Conference will explore such questions and stimulate debate and discussion. Panel topics and presentations will include: --the historical background for understanding --the national security architecture and how it forges and wields the instruments of national power; --the interagency process as a focus for change; --individuals and leadership as critical elements in blending the instruments; and --the political, fiscal, and practical challenges of getting the balance "right." Over the course of the two-day colloquium, participants will raise critical questions and identify key components of the way ahead for “getting strategy right” in the 21st century. But rather than focusing solely on organizational or institutional reform, this year’s Strategy Conference seeks to address the tools we need in order to conduct an effective security strategy, and the ways in which we can develop and apply them toward the pursuit of strategic objectives. Our goal is to produce a set of key questions and concrete actions that national security practitioners and opinion leaders need to know as we approach the end of the first decade of the new century.
Sponsors: Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College
American Grand Strategy for Latin America in the Age of Resentment
A healthy Latin America is of critical value to the United States as a global power. It is besieged by a powerful force of resentment engendered by a combination of weak states, social exclusion, criminal violence, and corruption. In the context of attack by radical populism against democratic values, the United States needs a new grand strategy that addresses the causes rather than the symptoms of the malaise. The author argues that such a strategy must strengthen the effectiveness of the democratic state in providing security, justice, and governance, as well as effectively engender a linkage of the 40 percent of the population presently excluded from the social and economic benefits of democracy to the national and international economy. Unless current trends reverse, Latin American countries will be poor security partners and a continuing menace for international security. The author recommends imaginative courses of action for the grand strategy.
READ THE REPORT
READ THE REPORT
ASEAN and Its Security Offspring: Facing New Challenges
Southeast Asian states within ASEAN agree that security relations with the great powers are best achieved by enmeshing the latter in ASEAN procedures. The primary goal of ASEAN is that China, Japan, the United States, and India commit to maintaining Southeast Asia's autonomy, integrity, and prosperity. ASEAN is less successful in resolving conflicts internal to the region including human rights in Burma, transnational terrorism, environmental concerns, human trafficking, and illegal arms trade. Sovereignty protection frequently trumps cooperation on these issues.
READ THE REPORT
READ THE REPORT
China's Expansion into and U.S. Withdrawal from Argentina's Telecommunications and Space Industries and the Implications for U.S. National Security
Chinese involvement in the Latin American telecommunications and space industries has implications for U.S. national security. Unlike other commercial activities geared toward supplying raw materials to China’s 1.3 billion inhabitants, Chinese investment in space and telecommunications implies broader commercial and strategic interests that potentially put the Chinese into Western Hemisphere air and space. At present, Chinese activity in these industries is growing as U.S. engagement is diminishing. Globalization, advances in information technology, and China’s growing capacity and interest in Information Warfare make the United States particularly vulnerable should it abandon international telecommunications and space industries. In order to mitigate future threats, the United States should step up its commerce, aid. and diplomacy with Argentina and the region as a whole.
READ THE REPORT
READ THE REPORT
The Reserve Policies of Nations: A Comparative Analysis
Throughout the world, military reserves are changing. National governments are transforming the relationships between their active and reserve components, the allocation of roles and responsibilities among reserve forces, and the way they train, equip, and employ reservists. Nations no longer consider their reservists as primarily a strategic asset for mobilization during major wars. This increased reliance on reserve components presents national defense planners with many challenges. Recruiting and retaining reservists has become more difficult as many individuals have concluded they cannot meet the increased demands of reserve service. Reservists are increasingly deployed on foreign missions at a time when expectations regarding their contributions to the management of terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other domestic emergencies are growing. Defense planners must also continue to refine the optimal distribution of skills and assets between regular and reserve forces. Finally, national governments must find the resources to sustain the increased use of reservists without bankrupting their defense budgets or undermining essential employer support for the concept of part-time soldiers with full-time civilian jobs. The author analyzes the innovative responses countries have adopted to manage these challenges.
READ THE REPORT
READ THE REPORT
Servicemembers Near and Far Participate in Army Ten-Miler
By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 9, 2007 - Thousands of U.S. servicemembers took to the streets of the nation's capital and to makeshift routes laid out on military outposts around the world during the Army Ten-Miler on Oct. 7. "This is the first 10-miler I've ever run," Army Spc. Matthew Davis said after completing a "shadow" event at Logistics Support Area Adder, about 225 miles south of Baghdad. "It's probably one of the most awesome feelings I've ever felt."
About 200 soldiers, airmen and civilians took part in the Adder run, as did servicemembers deployed to Forward Operating Base Hammer and Camp Victory, in Iraq, during similar events held there and at other smaller posts across the country. More than 250 runners from 24 countries took part in a shadow race at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo
"I felt pretty happy that they put on the event," Army 1st Lt. Anthony Calingo said after winning the LSA Adder race. "This is my 6th Army Ten-Miler and second one in Iraq. It's something I like doing every year, and to be able to continue doing it while deployed is definitely a good thing."
"It makes the deployment feel as if we were back in the rear, a little bit more normal," Army 2nd Lt. Ann Ayers said after her victory at Adder. "I was impressed with my time because I really can't run a whole lot while I'm here, because I'm always out on convoys. This was a real morale booster for me."
A record 26,000 runners lined up at the Pentagon early Oct. 7 and faced record heat that actually rivaled that of Iraq as they followed a 10-mile course along the National Mall. A team of runners from Fort Hood, Texas, took the coveted "Commander's Cup" for top active-duty military men's division in the Washington race, while a team from 8th U.S. Army Korea took this year's cup in the active-duty women's division.
Dozens of military amputees, known collectively by their tongue-in-cheek name "Missing Parts in Action," raced the 10-mile D.C. course led by Army 1st Lt. Ivan Castro, who lost his right eye and was blinded in his left during an attack last year in Iraq. Tethered to his training partner, the active duty soldier averaged just over eight and a half minutes per mile.
"These men and women are those that went forward into the breech and fought, and they've come back and they've gone back into that breech -- not necessarily back in the breech of combat yet, but they're prepared for that," said Army Maj. David Rozelle, who organized the amputee team after recovering from a 2003 mine blast in Iraq that cost him his right foot. He finished the Army Ten-Miler in Washington just three minutes behind his fellow soldier and team member Castro.
Shadow or satellite editions of events like the Army Ten-Miler and Marine Corps Marathon have become increasingly popular at overseas outposts in Iraq, Afghanistan and anywhere servicemembers want to take part in such unique shared experiences.
"It's something that I'm glad to be able to do," said Army 1st Lt. Adrian White, who organized the LSA Adder race. "The soldiers work hard, and on their down time they want to release their stress, and the marathons and 10-milers allow them to do that, and they enjoy it. They really like to do these runs. If there is anything that I can do to make their stay here a little bit more enjoyable, I'm more than glad to do it."
(David Mays works for the New Media branch of American Forces Information Service.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 9, 2007 - Thousands of U.S. servicemembers took to the streets of the nation's capital and to makeshift routes laid out on military outposts around the world during the Army Ten-Miler on Oct. 7. "This is the first 10-miler I've ever run," Army Spc. Matthew Davis said after completing a "shadow" event at Logistics Support Area Adder, about 225 miles south of Baghdad. "It's probably one of the most awesome feelings I've ever felt."
About 200 soldiers, airmen and civilians took part in the Adder run, as did servicemembers deployed to Forward Operating Base Hammer and Camp Victory, in Iraq, during similar events held there and at other smaller posts across the country. More than 250 runners from 24 countries took part in a shadow race at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo
"I felt pretty happy that they put on the event," Army 1st Lt. Anthony Calingo said after winning the LSA Adder race. "This is my 6th Army Ten-Miler and second one in Iraq. It's something I like doing every year, and to be able to continue doing it while deployed is definitely a good thing."
"It makes the deployment feel as if we were back in the rear, a little bit more normal," Army 2nd Lt. Ann Ayers said after her victory at Adder. "I was impressed with my time because I really can't run a whole lot while I'm here, because I'm always out on convoys. This was a real morale booster for me."
A record 26,000 runners lined up at the Pentagon early Oct. 7 and faced record heat that actually rivaled that of Iraq as they followed a 10-mile course along the National Mall. A team of runners from Fort Hood, Texas, took the coveted "Commander's Cup" for top active-duty military men's division in the Washington race, while a team from 8th U.S. Army Korea took this year's cup in the active-duty women's division.
Dozens of military amputees, known collectively by their tongue-in-cheek name "Missing Parts in Action," raced the 10-mile D.C. course led by Army 1st Lt. Ivan Castro, who lost his right eye and was blinded in his left during an attack last year in Iraq. Tethered to his training partner, the active duty soldier averaged just over eight and a half minutes per mile.
"These men and women are those that went forward into the breech and fought, and they've come back and they've gone back into that breech -- not necessarily back in the breech of combat yet, but they're prepared for that," said Army Maj. David Rozelle, who organized the amputee team after recovering from a 2003 mine blast in Iraq that cost him his right foot. He finished the Army Ten-Miler in Washington just three minutes behind his fellow soldier and team member Castro.
Shadow or satellite editions of events like the Army Ten-Miler and Marine Corps Marathon have become increasingly popular at overseas outposts in Iraq, Afghanistan and anywhere servicemembers want to take part in such unique shared experiences.
"It's something that I'm glad to be able to do," said Army 1st Lt. Adrian White, who organized the LSA Adder race. "The soldiers work hard, and on their down time they want to release their stress, and the marathons and 10-milers allow them to do that, and they enjoy it. They really like to do these runs. If there is anything that I can do to make their stay here a little bit more enjoyable, I'm more than glad to do it."
(David Mays works for the New Media branch of American Forces Information Service.)
Software Giant Lends Support to Troops
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 9, 2007 - As part of its continued commitment to honoring servicemembers and their families, software giant Microsoft Corp. announced today that it has become a corporate supporter of the Defense Department's America Supports You program. The America Supports You program connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"As the demands of service continue to challenge and strain America's armed forces, domestic efforts to support soldiers and their families grow increasingly important," said Curt Kolcun, vice president of Microsoft's Federal Division. "Joining America Supports You is a key part of Microsoft's commitment to our troops and provides our company with an effective way to plug into sustaining efforts that touch hundreds of thousands of families."
Microsoft's engagement with America Supports You is a natural extension of the company's existing work with troop-support groups affiliated with the program, such as the United Service Organizations.
"We know there are countless Americans across the country asking what they can do to show their support for our troops and their families," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public liaison and internal communications. She also is the architect of the America Supports You initiative. "By spreading the word about America Supports You, corporations like Microsoft help educate Americans and communities on tangible ways to show support for members of the U.S. armed forces."
In September, Microsoft announced that it would partner with the USO to show its appreciation for America's military community through creation of the "Above and Beyond Awards" honoring those who serve military personnel.
Nominations of individuals who go above and beyond to brighten the lives of servicemembers and their families are being accepted through the software company's Web site through Oct. 15. Nominations can be made in one of five categories:
-- Outstanding effort in supporting U.S. troops;
-- Dedication to providing superior medical attention to wounded troops;
-- Outstanding impact and success in generating promotional support of the USO;
-- Making a difference in a small way to improve quality of life of servicemembers; and
-- Youth leaders who champion and represent outstanding support of U.S. troops.
The award winners will be honored during a ceremony at New York's storied Rainbow Room. They also will join more than 5,000 active servicemembers for a private, complimentary performance of the 75th celebration of the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular."
Through another venture with the USO, Microsoft is equipping USO service centers around the world with Xbox consoles and the Xbox Live online game service. This will enable tens of thousands of servicemembers to play video games with friends and family across a high-speed connection. Thanks to the Xbox 360 headset, servicemembers can catch up with family and friends while playing games.
Oct. 9, 2007 - As part of its continued commitment to honoring servicemembers and their families, software giant Microsoft Corp. announced today that it has become a corporate supporter of the Defense Department's America Supports You program. The America Supports You program connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"As the demands of service continue to challenge and strain America's armed forces, domestic efforts to support soldiers and their families grow increasingly important," said Curt Kolcun, vice president of Microsoft's Federal Division. "Joining America Supports You is a key part of Microsoft's commitment to our troops and provides our company with an effective way to plug into sustaining efforts that touch hundreds of thousands of families."
Microsoft's engagement with America Supports You is a natural extension of the company's existing work with troop-support groups affiliated with the program, such as the United Service Organizations.
"We know there are countless Americans across the country asking what they can do to show their support for our troops and their families," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public liaison and internal communications. She also is the architect of the America Supports You initiative. "By spreading the word about America Supports You, corporations like Microsoft help educate Americans and communities on tangible ways to show support for members of the U.S. armed forces."
In September, Microsoft announced that it would partner with the USO to show its appreciation for America's military community through creation of the "Above and Beyond Awards" honoring those who serve military personnel.
Nominations of individuals who go above and beyond to brighten the lives of servicemembers and their families are being accepted through the software company's Web site through Oct. 15. Nominations can be made in one of five categories:
-- Outstanding effort in supporting U.S. troops;
-- Dedication to providing superior medical attention to wounded troops;
-- Outstanding impact and success in generating promotional support of the USO;
-- Making a difference in a small way to improve quality of life of servicemembers; and
-- Youth leaders who champion and represent outstanding support of U.S. troops.
The award winners will be honored during a ceremony at New York's storied Rainbow Room. They also will join more than 5,000 active servicemembers for a private, complimentary performance of the 75th celebration of the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular."
Through another venture with the USO, Microsoft is equipping USO service centers around the world with Xbox consoles and the Xbox Live online game service. This will enable tens of thousands of servicemembers to play video games with friends and family across a high-speed connection. Thanks to the Xbox 360 headset, servicemembers can catch up with family and friends while playing games.
Casey Urges Imperatives So Army Remains 'Strength of the Nation'
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 9, 2007 - Borrowing from the theme of this year's Association of the U.S. Army convention, the Army chief of staff told attendees today the Army must focus on four critical imperatives it if is to remain "The Strength of the Nation." Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr., six months into the job as the Army's senior officer, said six years of war has taxed the Army's soldiers, their equipment and their families.
The Army is "out of balance," he said, with current demands exceeding what the Army can sustain, he said. "We are consuming our readiness as quickly as we are building it."
But with global terrorism and extremist ideology continuing to loom as a threat to America's ideals, Casey said the Army must posture itself as a versatile, agile force able to confront an era of "persistent conflict."
Casey identified four imperatives he said are critical for the Army to maintain its current operational levels as it prepares for future demands:
-- Sustain the force through recruiting and retention. Calling soldiers "our asymmetric advantage" in the war on terror, Casey said the Army must do a better job of providing them and their families a quality of life that's commensurate with their sacrifices and makes them want to continue serving.
-- Prepare troops for success in the current conflict. The Army must continue adapting its training and equipment to give soldiers the edge over the enemy they face, Casey said. He assured soldiers he will work to provide them the best equipment that gives them the technological advantage on the battlefield and tough training that ensures they have the skills and confidence to win. "Military success is tied to the capabilities of our leaders and soldiers," he said.
-- Reset the force to prepare for future deployments and contingencies. Resetting involves more than fixing and upgrading equipment, Casey said. "You have to revitalize soldiers," giving them and their families time to regroup between deployments.
-- Advance modernization efforts that are transforming the Army. The Army must continue fielding the best new equipment as rapidly as possible, Casey said, 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. He called this transformation a holistic effort that transcends the way the force trains and fights. "It's a journey," he said. "It's not a destination."
After touring an array of equipment on display at the Washington Convention Center for the AUSA meeting, Casey said he's impressed by new equipment and systems in the acquisition pipeline, as well as those being developed. "The scope of what it takes to support this Army is absolutely mind-boggling," he said.
But even more impressive, he said, is the quality of the men and women serving in the Army. Casey shared the story of Staff Sgt. Kenneth Thomas from the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry, who completely exposed himself to enemy fire in Iraq as he used wire cutters to cut through an electric fence so his squad could escape. Despite receiving multiple electric jolts, Thomas continued cutting until every member of his squad had passed through the fence and moved toward safety.
Casey praised soldiers who put their service and fellow soldiers above themselves, remaining physically tough and mentally adaptive while continuing to live up to the warrior ethos.
"Soldiers are the strength of this Army that makes it the strength of our nation," he said. "Your Army, while stretched, is unquestionably the best in the world."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 9, 2007 - Borrowing from the theme of this year's Association of the U.S. Army convention, the Army chief of staff told attendees today the Army must focus on four critical imperatives it if is to remain "The Strength of the Nation." Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr., six months into the job as the Army's senior officer, said six years of war has taxed the Army's soldiers, their equipment and their families.
The Army is "out of balance," he said, with current demands exceeding what the Army can sustain, he said. "We are consuming our readiness as quickly as we are building it."
But with global terrorism and extremist ideology continuing to loom as a threat to America's ideals, Casey said the Army must posture itself as a versatile, agile force able to confront an era of "persistent conflict."
Casey identified four imperatives he said are critical for the Army to maintain its current operational levels as it prepares for future demands:
-- Sustain the force through recruiting and retention. Calling soldiers "our asymmetric advantage" in the war on terror, Casey said the Army must do a better job of providing them and their families a quality of life that's commensurate with their sacrifices and makes them want to continue serving.
-- Prepare troops for success in the current conflict. The Army must continue adapting its training and equipment to give soldiers the edge over the enemy they face, Casey said. He assured soldiers he will work to provide them the best equipment that gives them the technological advantage on the battlefield and tough training that ensures they have the skills and confidence to win. "Military success is tied to the capabilities of our leaders and soldiers," he said.
-- Reset the force to prepare for future deployments and contingencies. Resetting involves more than fixing and upgrading equipment, Casey said. "You have to revitalize soldiers," giving them and their families time to regroup between deployments.
-- Advance modernization efforts that are transforming the Army. The Army must continue fielding the best new equipment as rapidly as possible, Casey said, 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. He called this transformation a holistic effort that transcends the way the force trains and fights. "It's a journey," he said. "It's not a destination."
After touring an array of equipment on display at the Washington Convention Center for the AUSA meeting, Casey said he's impressed by new equipment and systems in the acquisition pipeline, as well as those being developed. "The scope of what it takes to support this Army is absolutely mind-boggling," he said.
But even more impressive, he said, is the quality of the men and women serving in the Army. Casey shared the story of Staff Sgt. Kenneth Thomas from the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry, who completely exposed himself to enemy fire in Iraq as he used wire cutters to cut through an electric fence so his squad could escape. Despite receiving multiple electric jolts, Thomas continued cutting until every member of his squad had passed through the fence and moved toward safety.
Casey praised soldiers who put their service and fellow soldiers above themselves, remaining physically tough and mentally adaptive while continuing to live up to the warrior ethos.
"Soldiers are the strength of this Army that makes it the strength of our nation," he said. "Your Army, while stretched, is unquestionably the best in the world."
Fort Hood Brigade Notified for Iraq Deployment
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 9, 2007 - Defense Department officials announced today that 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, will deploy to Iraq in summer 2008. The deployment of the Fort Hood, Texas, unit is part of the normal rotation of forces, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. There are about 3,500 soldiers in the brigade.
Before deploying to Iraq, the unit will re-flag and become 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. "This could cause some confusion, because the 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry, is already in Iraq," Whitman said.
That unit, based at Fort Bliss, Texas, is due to redeploy back to the United States by the end of 2007. It, too, will re-flag upon redeployment as part of 1st Armored Division. Army officials cannot say which brigade it will become.
"This all has to do with the Army reflagging and the brigade modularization of its brigade combat teams," Whitman said. "Nobody in Iraq today is getting orders to go back to Iraq next summer.
"This does not reflect a change in the level of effort that has been articulated as a result of the assessment and the decisions that the president made," Whitman said. "This is a routine replacement of forces for one brigade going in for duty in Iraq in the summer of 2008."
If conditions permit, when the brigade goes into Iraq it will be one of 15 U.S. brigades in the country. Twenty U.S. combat brigades are currently in Iraq, with one due to return home by the end of this year. Four more will redeploy by summer 2008, officials said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 9, 2007 - Defense Department officials announced today that 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, will deploy to Iraq in summer 2008. The deployment of the Fort Hood, Texas, unit is part of the normal rotation of forces, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. There are about 3,500 soldiers in the brigade.
Before deploying to Iraq, the unit will re-flag and become 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. "This could cause some confusion, because the 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry, is already in Iraq," Whitman said.
That unit, based at Fort Bliss, Texas, is due to redeploy back to the United States by the end of 2007. It, too, will re-flag upon redeployment as part of 1st Armored Division. Army officials cannot say which brigade it will become.
"This all has to do with the Army reflagging and the brigade modularization of its brigade combat teams," Whitman said. "Nobody in Iraq today is getting orders to go back to Iraq next summer.
"This does not reflect a change in the level of effort that has been articulated as a result of the assessment and the decisions that the president made," Whitman said. "This is a routine replacement of forces for one brigade going in for duty in Iraq in the summer of 2008."
If conditions permit, when the brigade goes into Iraq it will be one of 15 U.S. brigades in the country. Twenty U.S. combat brigades are currently in Iraq, with one due to return home by the end of this year. Four more will redeploy by summer 2008, officials said.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
HERO'S NEVER DIE
Written by: Thomas A. Tully (Reserve Captain, Westwego Police Department)
A time will come when you're called away
To serve your Country day by day.
You joined the Marines the Proud the Brave
To fight for this Country known as the USA.
READ ON
http://www.police-writers.com/heros_never_die.html
A time will come when you're called away
To serve your Country day by day.
You joined the Marines the Proud the Brave
To fight for this Country known as the USA.
READ ON
http://www.police-writers.com/heros_never_die.html
Operation Story
Operation Story is a foundation that is currently was formed by two moms who want to make sure that the stories of our nations heroes, our soldiers’ stories are told and preserved for future generations. We are interested in helping three main groups:
1. Active duty soldiers – by helping their families create books (custom, hardbound with letters, drawings and photos) to send to them while they are deployed. The active duty soldiers could even create a brag book while deployed to tell their families how much they miss them.
2. The children of the deployed – by helping them to create a book of their parent or loved one to ease the hardship of their separation.
3. Injured soldiers- Injured soldiers could feel some healing power through writing their
stories.
4. Widows/widowers – write the story of their fallen hero so they are never forgotten.
For the active duty soldiers, the books we are talking about creating are 5x5 inches and about 1/3 inch thick, so they are portable and lightweight. Obviously the books would be done at no cost to the recipients.
We will organize Story Days at military bases where we will go and have access to a computer lab where they can help families put together a book for their serviceman. We will also have photographers to donate their time - they will take pictures of the family right there so they can be included in the books. Also, we will have "art stations" where the children will create artwork and write letters to be scanned and placed in the book.
When the books are published, the ones that are not being sent to the deployed will be brought to the base to be delivered. On this day, we will be having a “Memory Day” party. We will have volunteers to serve coffee & and cake or lunch, along with having activities for the children.
On Memory Days, one of our goals will be to promote support for our troops. We will be anticipating and arranging for local as well as national coverage. We believe that promoting support for the troops is of utmost importance.
We will also work through hospitals like Walter Reed where soldiers are recovering from their wounds and help them write their story - if they want to.
With the injured soldiers, we realize that some of them might not psychologically be willing or able to write their stories, while for others it could be a healing process. If an injured soldier does work with us, a copy of their story is donated to the hospital where the soldier received treatment.
We feel it is important that the stories these men and women have – of quiet courage and fortitude – are documented. We remember the World War II generation and of all the little things that were not documented because it was just a part of normal life then, and how interesting it would be for us now. We have an opportunity to make sure that the sacrifices that are made and the great deeds that are being done by our military are recorded and celebrated.
We are able to do this for no charge to the members of the military.
If you would like to find out more about our organization, please feel free to contact me at OperationStory@yahoo.com
1. Active duty soldiers – by helping their families create books (custom, hardbound with letters, drawings and photos) to send to them while they are deployed. The active duty soldiers could even create a brag book while deployed to tell their families how much they miss them.
2. The children of the deployed – by helping them to create a book of their parent or loved one to ease the hardship of their separation.
3. Injured soldiers- Injured soldiers could feel some healing power through writing their
stories.
4. Widows/widowers – write the story of their fallen hero so they are never forgotten.
For the active duty soldiers, the books we are talking about creating are 5x5 inches and about 1/3 inch thick, so they are portable and lightweight. Obviously the books would be done at no cost to the recipients.
We will organize Story Days at military bases where we will go and have access to a computer lab where they can help families put together a book for their serviceman. We will also have photographers to donate their time - they will take pictures of the family right there so they can be included in the books. Also, we will have "art stations" where the children will create artwork and write letters to be scanned and placed in the book.
When the books are published, the ones that are not being sent to the deployed will be brought to the base to be delivered. On this day, we will be having a “Memory Day” party. We will have volunteers to serve coffee & and cake or lunch, along with having activities for the children.
On Memory Days, one of our goals will be to promote support for our troops. We will be anticipating and arranging for local as well as national coverage. We believe that promoting support for the troops is of utmost importance.
We will also work through hospitals like Walter Reed where soldiers are recovering from their wounds and help them write their story - if they want to.
With the injured soldiers, we realize that some of them might not psychologically be willing or able to write their stories, while for others it could be a healing process. If an injured soldier does work with us, a copy of their story is donated to the hospital where the soldier received treatment.
We feel it is important that the stories these men and women have – of quiet courage and fortitude – are documented. We remember the World War II generation and of all the little things that were not documented because it was just a part of normal life then, and how interesting it would be for us now. We have an opportunity to make sure that the sacrifices that are made and the great deeds that are being done by our military are recorded and celebrated.
We are able to do this for no charge to the members of the military.
If you would like to find out more about our organization, please feel free to contact me at OperationStory@yahoo.com
Monday, October 08, 2007
Bush Calls Ramadan Time to Unite in Confronting Extremism
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - The United States stands with mainstream citizens across the Middle East in facing off with an enemy intent on destroying not just American society, but also the advance of freedom in Muslim societies around the world, President Bush said during a Ramadan dinner last night at the White House. Bush hosted American Muslim leaders and ambassadors and representatives from Muslim nations for the iftar dinner to mark the Muslim holy month. An iftar is a meal served after a day of fasting during Ramadan, which began Sept. 13 this year and continues through Oct. 12.
Noting that Ramadan is a time of prayer, fasting and reflection, Bush said it's also a time for Americans of all faiths to reflect on values they share with Muslims: love of family, gratitude to God, devotion to community and a commitment to religious freedom.
Muslims and people of other faiths also share a common enemy in violent extremists seeking to "tear the fabric of our society" and stop the advance of freedom in Muslim societies, the president said.
"They attack holy sites, destroy mosques and minarets, and kill innocent men, women and children -- including Muslims who do not share their radical views," he said. "They believe that by spreading chaos and violence, they can frustrate the desire of Muslims to live in freedom and peace.
"We say to them: 'You don't represent Muslims. You do not represent Islam, and you will not succeed,'" Bush said.
The United States stands with citizens throughout the broader Middle East to oppose these enemies, the president said. Such citizens include nearly 12 million Iraqis who voted for a democratic future, Afghans defending their young democracy against the Taliban and al Qaeda, and Lebanese people who raised the banner of a Cedar Revolution to reclaim freedom and independence.
"We're standing with all who seek the blessings of liberty and the peace that freedom brings," the president said. "Americans have a history of standing with Muslims facing suffering and hardship, and it's a proud history."
Americans defended Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo after Yugoslavia dissolved, he noted. They supported Kuwait after Saddam Hussein invaded it. They came to the aid of victims of devastating earthquakes in Pakistan, India and Iran. They responded with urgency and compassion after a tsunami devastated Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Meanwhile, Bush said, the United States is rallying the world to confront genocide and deliver aid in Sudan, while supporting a Palestinian democracy that lives side by side and at peace with Israel.
The president urged attendees at the iftar dinner to renew their faith in the universality of freedom. "Let us celebrate the millions of Muslims that we are proud to call American citizens," he said. "And let us honor the many Muslim nations that America is proud to call friends."
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Abuhena M. Saifulislam, one of just 10 Muslim chaplains serving in the U.S. military, offered the evening prayer before guests feasted on a traditional menu of squash soup with lavash flatbread, spiced rack of lamb, cucumber-tomato salad with minted yogurt dressing, and baklava with pomegranate.
"On this day and days to come, by all our differences, by all our aspiration, by fear by sorrow and joy in life and death, teach us and lead us nearer to you," he said.
Saifulislam started his prayer by explaining that Mohammed said anyone who invites another to break the fast with him during Ramadan gets the same spiritual benefit. "Mr. President, we've got you covered," Saifulislam told Bush.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - The United States stands with mainstream citizens across the Middle East in facing off with an enemy intent on destroying not just American society, but also the advance of freedom in Muslim societies around the world, President Bush said during a Ramadan dinner last night at the White House. Bush hosted American Muslim leaders and ambassadors and representatives from Muslim nations for the iftar dinner to mark the Muslim holy month. An iftar is a meal served after a day of fasting during Ramadan, which began Sept. 13 this year and continues through Oct. 12.
Noting that Ramadan is a time of prayer, fasting and reflection, Bush said it's also a time for Americans of all faiths to reflect on values they share with Muslims: love of family, gratitude to God, devotion to community and a commitment to religious freedom.
Muslims and people of other faiths also share a common enemy in violent extremists seeking to "tear the fabric of our society" and stop the advance of freedom in Muslim societies, the president said.
"They attack holy sites, destroy mosques and minarets, and kill innocent men, women and children -- including Muslims who do not share their radical views," he said. "They believe that by spreading chaos and violence, they can frustrate the desire of Muslims to live in freedom and peace.
"We say to them: 'You don't represent Muslims. You do not represent Islam, and you will not succeed,'" Bush said.
The United States stands with citizens throughout the broader Middle East to oppose these enemies, the president said. Such citizens include nearly 12 million Iraqis who voted for a democratic future, Afghans defending their young democracy against the Taliban and al Qaeda, and Lebanese people who raised the banner of a Cedar Revolution to reclaim freedom and independence.
"We're standing with all who seek the blessings of liberty and the peace that freedom brings," the president said. "Americans have a history of standing with Muslims facing suffering and hardship, and it's a proud history."
Americans defended Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo after Yugoslavia dissolved, he noted. They supported Kuwait after Saddam Hussein invaded it. They came to the aid of victims of devastating earthquakes in Pakistan, India and Iran. They responded with urgency and compassion after a tsunami devastated Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Meanwhile, Bush said, the United States is rallying the world to confront genocide and deliver aid in Sudan, while supporting a Palestinian democracy that lives side by side and at peace with Israel.
The president urged attendees at the iftar dinner to renew their faith in the universality of freedom. "Let us celebrate the millions of Muslims that we are proud to call American citizens," he said. "And let us honor the many Muslim nations that America is proud to call friends."
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Abuhena M. Saifulislam, one of just 10 Muslim chaplains serving in the U.S. military, offered the evening prayer before guests feasted on a traditional menu of squash soup with lavash flatbread, spiced rack of lamb, cucumber-tomato salad with minted yogurt dressing, and baklava with pomegranate.
"On this day and days to come, by all our differences, by all our aspiration, by fear by sorrow and joy in life and death, teach us and lead us nearer to you," he said.
Saifulislam started his prayer by explaining that Mohammed said anyone who invites another to break the fast with him during Ramadan gets the same spiritual benefit. "Mr. President, we've got you covered," Saifulislam told Bush.
Stellar Students Learn About National Security Careers
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - About 40 exceptional students from high schools nationwide assembled at the Pentagon yesterday to learn about national security careers. The students are participants in the National Youth Leadership Forum's career-preparation program, said Glen O. Hawkins, a faculty advisor for the tuition-based educational organization.
Hawkins said the forum helps young people explore careers in the fields of national security, diplomacy, law, medicine and other professions. Program participants are high achievers with grade-point averages of 3.7 or above, he said.
"The one we're participating in now deals with national security," Hawkins explained at the Pentagon. The students received briefings by Army, Air Force, Marine and Navy officers.
About 400 high school students are attending various forum-run career programs held across the Washington area from now through the end of October, Hawkins said.
The Defense Department portion concludes with a mock national security exercise at a local hotel, Hawkins said.
"I wanted to see the Pentagon and hear from people who serve" in the military, said Kathleen C. Rubin, an 18-year-old senior from Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio.
The Texas teenager said she perceived passion in the speakers' voices as they discussed their military duties. "They really care about what they do," Rubin observed.
Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Marine 1st Lt. David W. Bradt was among the officers who briefed the students. The Marine said he fielded students' questions about his wartime experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder, battlefield ethics and other topics.
"The kids impressed me. They are very well informed and the majority had good questions that demanded well-thought-out answers," said Bradt, who recently completed a nationwide speaking tour as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public-outreach program.
Defense-oriented briefings will be provided each week to other students in the program through the end of the month, Pentagon spokeswoman Adrien F.C. Starks said.
"The National Youth Leadership Forum is a group of very young and bright kids," Starks noted. "They've asked some very valid questions."
The students also received a guided tour of the Pentagon, including a visit to the Army Operations Center, and learned about the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, which connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"We're letting them know that there is a Department of Defense program in place that connects the American public with our servicemembers and family members," Starks said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - About 40 exceptional students from high schools nationwide assembled at the Pentagon yesterday to learn about national security careers. The students are participants in the National Youth Leadership Forum's career-preparation program, said Glen O. Hawkins, a faculty advisor for the tuition-based educational organization.
Hawkins said the forum helps young people explore careers in the fields of national security, diplomacy, law, medicine and other professions. Program participants are high achievers with grade-point averages of 3.7 or above, he said.
"The one we're participating in now deals with national security," Hawkins explained at the Pentagon. The students received briefings by Army, Air Force, Marine and Navy officers.
About 400 high school students are attending various forum-run career programs held across the Washington area from now through the end of October, Hawkins said.
The Defense Department portion concludes with a mock national security exercise at a local hotel, Hawkins said.
"I wanted to see the Pentagon and hear from people who serve" in the military, said Kathleen C. Rubin, an 18-year-old senior from Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio.
The Texas teenager said she perceived passion in the speakers' voices as they discussed their military duties. "They really care about what they do," Rubin observed.
Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Marine 1st Lt. David W. Bradt was among the officers who briefed the students. The Marine said he fielded students' questions about his wartime experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder, battlefield ethics and other topics.
"The kids impressed me. They are very well informed and the majority had good questions that demanded well-thought-out answers," said Bradt, who recently completed a nationwide speaking tour as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public-outreach program.
Defense-oriented briefings will be provided each week to other students in the program through the end of the month, Pentagon spokeswoman Adrien F.C. Starks said.
"The National Youth Leadership Forum is a group of very young and bright kids," Starks noted. "They've asked some very valid questions."
The students also received a guided tour of the Pentagon, including a visit to the Army Operations Center, and learned about the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, which connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"We're letting them know that there is a Department of Defense program in place that connects the American public with our servicemembers and family members," Starks said.
Military Amputees Find Greater Opportunities to Serve Again
By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - Servicemembers who lose limbs should be enabled to resume active duty, the administrator of Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Amputee Care Center said yesterday. "When you get severely injured, and you look down and you're missing your foot or your leg or your arm, you think that your life is going to be very different," Army Maj. David Rozelle told online journalists and "bloggers" during a conference call. "You can't let that slow you down."
On June 21, 2003, Rozelle was preparing to train a group of Iraqi police recruits in the city of Hit when his vehicle ran over a land mine, blowing off his right foot. After months of intense therapy, Rozelle reassumed his command in Iraq, making him the first amputee to return to the same battlefield on which he was injured since the Civil War.
"My oath of office didn't have an expiration date on it, and I wanted to continue to serve no matter what," Rozelle said. "If I am physically capable to continue to serve, then why not continue to serve, even as a severely injured warrior?"
Rozelle has been a public face in the crusade to allow severely wounded servicemembers to continue their military service. He has called for cutting-edge medical treatment and rehabilitation, as well as policy changes.
"I helped change the model of how we take care of our veterans," Rozelle said. "At one time, we'd patch them up ... get the infection under control ... send them to the VA and send them back home and let Mama take care of them, and, you know, that was a great model back in the 70s, but it doesn't fit our population."
The average age of today's military amputees is 35, Rozelle explained. Another statistic he likes to mention is the suicide rate among amputees from operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom: zero.
"Out of 701 amputees, all 701 are still alive today, and we're very proud of that," Rozelle said.
New facilities like the Military Advanced Training Center at Walter Reed, which features state-of-the-art computers and video systems, help enhance the recovery process of wounded servicemembers, Rozelle pointed out. Vast improvements in prosthetics also have allowed those with even above-the-knee amputations to do what once was considered impossible, he explained, like distance running.
"This is our commitment: to advance training and to advance rehabilitation, to get folks back healed," Rozelle said. "So they can show up to the unit and say, 'Hey, I'm fit to fight! I just ran the Army Ten-Miler!,' and it's a great example of the achievement we have."
Rozelle is team captain of "Missing Parts in Action," the tongue-in-cheek name for a group of military athletes recovering here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; Brooke Army Medical Center, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and San Diego Navy Medical Center, in California. Thirty of the team's members will compete Oct. 7 in the 23rd running of the Army Ten-Miler at the Pentagon, along with a record 26,000 runners, many of them military members running with their respective units.
"To run by units and have people pass you and pat you on the back or to pass people and pat them on the back really is great for our wounded warriors as they heal," Rozelle said. "It's this normalizing process."
Rozelle said he believes advances that have allowed him and other military amputees to reclaim normal lives and even report back to active duty will help other severely wounded members to do the same.
"I see a future where our spinal cord injuries also could come back on active duty," he said. "Hopefully, the research and development can get to the point where (people with) all of these injuries can return to the battlefield if they want."
On Oct. 7, the battlefield will be a 10-mile route on the streets of Washington, where Rozelle and his team of amputee runners will fight to the finish.
"When you've been injured by a combatant, the message you want to send back to your enemy is that I'm still stronger than you. I am not beat," Rozelle said. "We send that message worldwide whenever we get our picture on the cover of the newspaper or a magazine or the television and it gets around the world; people look at that and say, 'Look at these great American warriors. Even when we blow them up and beat them down, they'll stand up and run again and fight again.' And, you know, we're Americans and that's what we're all about."
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - Servicemembers who lose limbs should be enabled to resume active duty, the administrator of Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Amputee Care Center said yesterday. "When you get severely injured, and you look down and you're missing your foot or your leg or your arm, you think that your life is going to be very different," Army Maj. David Rozelle told online journalists and "bloggers" during a conference call. "You can't let that slow you down."
On June 21, 2003, Rozelle was preparing to train a group of Iraqi police recruits in the city of Hit when his vehicle ran over a land mine, blowing off his right foot. After months of intense therapy, Rozelle reassumed his command in Iraq, making him the first amputee to return to the same battlefield on which he was injured since the Civil War.
"My oath of office didn't have an expiration date on it, and I wanted to continue to serve no matter what," Rozelle said. "If I am physically capable to continue to serve, then why not continue to serve, even as a severely injured warrior?"
Rozelle has been a public face in the crusade to allow severely wounded servicemembers to continue their military service. He has called for cutting-edge medical treatment and rehabilitation, as well as policy changes.
"I helped change the model of how we take care of our veterans," Rozelle said. "At one time, we'd patch them up ... get the infection under control ... send them to the VA and send them back home and let Mama take care of them, and, you know, that was a great model back in the 70s, but it doesn't fit our population."
The average age of today's military amputees is 35, Rozelle explained. Another statistic he likes to mention is the suicide rate among amputees from operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom: zero.
"Out of 701 amputees, all 701 are still alive today, and we're very proud of that," Rozelle said.
New facilities like the Military Advanced Training Center at Walter Reed, which features state-of-the-art computers and video systems, help enhance the recovery process of wounded servicemembers, Rozelle pointed out. Vast improvements in prosthetics also have allowed those with even above-the-knee amputations to do what once was considered impossible, he explained, like distance running.
"This is our commitment: to advance training and to advance rehabilitation, to get folks back healed," Rozelle said. "So they can show up to the unit and say, 'Hey, I'm fit to fight! I just ran the Army Ten-Miler!,' and it's a great example of the achievement we have."
Rozelle is team captain of "Missing Parts in Action," the tongue-in-cheek name for a group of military athletes recovering here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; Brooke Army Medical Center, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and San Diego Navy Medical Center, in California. Thirty of the team's members will compete Oct. 7 in the 23rd running of the Army Ten-Miler at the Pentagon, along with a record 26,000 runners, many of them military members running with their respective units.
"To run by units and have people pass you and pat you on the back or to pass people and pat them on the back really is great for our wounded warriors as they heal," Rozelle said. "It's this normalizing process."
Rozelle said he believes advances that have allowed him and other military amputees to reclaim normal lives and even report back to active duty will help other severely wounded members to do the same.
"I see a future where our spinal cord injuries also could come back on active duty," he said. "Hopefully, the research and development can get to the point where (people with) all of these injuries can return to the battlefield if they want."
On Oct. 7, the battlefield will be a 10-mile route on the streets of Washington, where Rozelle and his team of amputee runners will fight to the finish.
"When you've been injured by a combatant, the message you want to send back to your enemy is that I'm still stronger than you. I am not beat," Rozelle said. "We send that message worldwide whenever we get our picture on the cover of the newspaper or a magazine or the television and it gets around the world; people look at that and say, 'Look at these great American warriors. Even when we blow them up and beat them down, they'll stand up and run again and fight again.' And, you know, we're Americans and that's what we're all about."
Army Celebrates Recruiting Success in Fiscal 2007
By Elizabeth M. Lorge
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard A. Cody swore in six new recruits and re-enlisted six soldiers in a ceremony yesterday celebrating the service's success in recruiting and retention for fiscal 2007. Although the numbers won't be available for another week, the Army met all Active, National Guard and Reserve recruiting goals, according to Army officials. The ceremony also kicked off the 2008 recruiting campaign.
On the steps of the Jefferson Memorial, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren reminded the audience that the American soldier is responsible for every freedom Thomas Jefferson outlined in the Declaration of Independence.
"Were it not for the American soldier, the Declaration of Independence likely would have been exhibit one in Thomas Jefferson's trial for treason in a British courtroom," he said. "Were it not for the American soldier, George Washington would likely be remembered as the most famous traitor to Mother England, and were it not for the indomitable American soldier, we would remember Abraham Lincoln as a failed president who lost the Union. All of you today join or rejoin generations of men and women who have answered when our nation called."
Building the right force is crucial for success. Cody said only 35 percent of males between 18 and 34 meet the Army's minimum mental, physical and moral qualifications.
He praised soldiers' selflessness and said he believes this is the best the Army has ever been and that history will call this America's "Strongest Generation."
"To re-enlist at a time of war is a powerful commitment," Cody said. "It says a great deal about these noncommissioned officers and our Army. Soldiers don't re-enlist in an Army at war for incentives or college benefits. They do it because they believe in the mission, because they trust in themselves, their units and their leaders. They do it because they don't want to leave their buddies and because they believe in you -- the future soldiers.
"You new recruits raised your right hand today and said, 'America, in your time of need, send me. I will defend you,'" he said. "That takes personal courage and a sense of duty that we should all respect and take pride in."
Many might ask why anyone would volunteer knowing they will probably deploy to a war zone, but to new recruit Logan Bilyeu, the answer is simple.
"To the soldiers I say, I think we all know," Bilyeu told the crowd. "Look at the soldiers next to you. To everybody else, I say, it's not about the people or a certain person, it's about the flag. We all have to fight for our rights and what we believe. We have a lot of liberties that not a lot of people enjoy, and I joined to earn those rights and to follow the footsteps of my father, my grandfather and my great-grandfather."
"It's what I do. Civilians have their jobs; this is my job," said Staff Sgt. Christopher A. Brown of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, known as the "Old Guard."
He deployed during the initial phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and had some advice for the new recruits: "Believe in your team and the person standing next to you. Trust your NCOs, because your NCOs will not lead you wrong. Fight for what you believe is right. Make it what you want it to be. Take advantage of all the education. Use that and prepare yourself for when you do decide to get out."
Staff Sgt. Ken Kercado and Army-wife Yanitza Lopez-Guerrero also are prepared to deploy, but said they re-enlisted and enlisted today because of the way the Army has cared for their families.
Daniel Otugare is from Nigeria and joins a group of 15,000 immigrants in the Army. "I was so excited because I like the Army, and I'm proud to serve a country like this. I see the equality," he said with a smile.
(Elizabeth M. Lorge works for Army News Service.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard A. Cody swore in six new recruits and re-enlisted six soldiers in a ceremony yesterday celebrating the service's success in recruiting and retention for fiscal 2007. Although the numbers won't be available for another week, the Army met all Active, National Guard and Reserve recruiting goals, according to Army officials. The ceremony also kicked off the 2008 recruiting campaign.
On the steps of the Jefferson Memorial, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren reminded the audience that the American soldier is responsible for every freedom Thomas Jefferson outlined in the Declaration of Independence.
"Were it not for the American soldier, the Declaration of Independence likely would have been exhibit one in Thomas Jefferson's trial for treason in a British courtroom," he said. "Were it not for the American soldier, George Washington would likely be remembered as the most famous traitor to Mother England, and were it not for the indomitable American soldier, we would remember Abraham Lincoln as a failed president who lost the Union. All of you today join or rejoin generations of men and women who have answered when our nation called."
Building the right force is crucial for success. Cody said only 35 percent of males between 18 and 34 meet the Army's minimum mental, physical and moral qualifications.
He praised soldiers' selflessness and said he believes this is the best the Army has ever been and that history will call this America's "Strongest Generation."
"To re-enlist at a time of war is a powerful commitment," Cody said. "It says a great deal about these noncommissioned officers and our Army. Soldiers don't re-enlist in an Army at war for incentives or college benefits. They do it because they believe in the mission, because they trust in themselves, their units and their leaders. They do it because they don't want to leave their buddies and because they believe in you -- the future soldiers.
"You new recruits raised your right hand today and said, 'America, in your time of need, send me. I will defend you,'" he said. "That takes personal courage and a sense of duty that we should all respect and take pride in."
Many might ask why anyone would volunteer knowing they will probably deploy to a war zone, but to new recruit Logan Bilyeu, the answer is simple.
"To the soldiers I say, I think we all know," Bilyeu told the crowd. "Look at the soldiers next to you. To everybody else, I say, it's not about the people or a certain person, it's about the flag. We all have to fight for our rights and what we believe. We have a lot of liberties that not a lot of people enjoy, and I joined to earn those rights and to follow the footsteps of my father, my grandfather and my great-grandfather."
"It's what I do. Civilians have their jobs; this is my job," said Staff Sgt. Christopher A. Brown of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, known as the "Old Guard."
He deployed during the initial phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and had some advice for the new recruits: "Believe in your team and the person standing next to you. Trust your NCOs, because your NCOs will not lead you wrong. Fight for what you believe is right. Make it what you want it to be. Take advantage of all the education. Use that and prepare yourself for when you do decide to get out."
Staff Sgt. Ken Kercado and Army-wife Yanitza Lopez-Guerrero also are prepared to deploy, but said they re-enlisted and enlisted today because of the way the Army has cared for their families.
Daniel Otugare is from Nigeria and joins a group of 15,000 immigrants in the Army. "I was so excited because I like the Army, and I'm proud to serve a country like this. I see the equality," he said with a smile.
(Elizabeth M. Lorge works for Army News Service.)
America Supports You: Opry to Send 'World's Largest Care Package'
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - Country music fans soon will be invited to join top country artists and the Grand Ole Opry in creating the "World's Largest Care Package" for troops serving overseas. "We feel like this is a great way to thank (servicemembers) and recognize the sacrifices that they made to serve our country and defend our freedom," said Pete Fisher, Opry vice president and general manager. "This just seemed like a great idea that we thought would catch people's attention and put some smiles on some faces overseas."
The Grand Ole Opry, with the United States Postal Service and the Defense Department's America Supports You program, will unveil the World's Largest Care Package during its televised "Grand Ole Opry Live" show on Oct. 6. The project is part of the theater's 82nd birthday activities.
America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad. "(America Supports You) is a campaign we believe very strongly in," Fisher said. "We also think it's important to provide an opportunity ... for country music fans and Opry fans to express their support (for the troops). So America Supports You is always on our mind."
That opportunity comes in a box large enough to contain 1,000 individual packages, exactly the number of boxes the U.S. Postal Service donated, Fisher said. Those boxes, which carry the Grand Ole Opry and America Supports You logos, will be filled with letters from Opry fans, as well as gifts from musicians and record labels and some of America's most recognized corporate brands.
"We're welcoming (fans) to drop off letters," Fisher said. "What we will really emphasize is really to share their thoughts in a letter."
Fan letters will be accepted through the end of October. The packages will be shipped by Nov. 11 so troops serving overseas will receive them by Thanksgiving, Fisher said.
"Mail is a great morale booster for our troops," Joanne Giordano, Postal Service vice president for public affairs and communications, said in a joint Opry, Postal Service, America Supports You news release. "We're proud to be part of an effort to connect our brave men and women in uniform with their friends and family back home."
Support for the project has been widespread, including fans who participated in an Opry online auction that netted $10,000 to ship the packages. Volunteers from the nonprofit group Tennessee Marine Family will pack the boxes with goodies that are collected.
Donna Clemons, the mother of a Marine who has served three tours in Iraq, founded the group, which also supports the America Supports You program.
"The way all these organizations have come together, I believe, is truly representative of the support of our mission for our military family, and we're grateful for their generosity," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communication and public liaison. "The partnership between the Grand Ole Opry, one of our earliest supporters, and the U.S. Postal Service is an excellent example of how organizations can come together through the America Supports You program."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 5, 2007 - Country music fans soon will be invited to join top country artists and the Grand Ole Opry in creating the "World's Largest Care Package" for troops serving overseas. "We feel like this is a great way to thank (servicemembers) and recognize the sacrifices that they made to serve our country and defend our freedom," said Pete Fisher, Opry vice president and general manager. "This just seemed like a great idea that we thought would catch people's attention and put some smiles on some faces overseas."
The Grand Ole Opry, with the United States Postal Service and the Defense Department's America Supports You program, will unveil the World's Largest Care Package during its televised "Grand Ole Opry Live" show on Oct. 6. The project is part of the theater's 82nd birthday activities.
America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad. "(America Supports You) is a campaign we believe very strongly in," Fisher said. "We also think it's important to provide an opportunity ... for country music fans and Opry fans to express their support (for the troops). So America Supports You is always on our mind."
That opportunity comes in a box large enough to contain 1,000 individual packages, exactly the number of boxes the U.S. Postal Service donated, Fisher said. Those boxes, which carry the Grand Ole Opry and America Supports You logos, will be filled with letters from Opry fans, as well as gifts from musicians and record labels and some of America's most recognized corporate brands.
"We're welcoming (fans) to drop off letters," Fisher said. "What we will really emphasize is really to share their thoughts in a letter."
Fan letters will be accepted through the end of October. The packages will be shipped by Nov. 11 so troops serving overseas will receive them by Thanksgiving, Fisher said.
"Mail is a great morale booster for our troops," Joanne Giordano, Postal Service vice president for public affairs and communications, said in a joint Opry, Postal Service, America Supports You news release. "We're proud to be part of an effort to connect our brave men and women in uniform with their friends and family back home."
Support for the project has been widespread, including fans who participated in an Opry online auction that netted $10,000 to ship the packages. Volunteers from the nonprofit group Tennessee Marine Family will pack the boxes with goodies that are collected.
Donna Clemons, the mother of a Marine who has served three tours in Iraq, founded the group, which also supports the America Supports You program.
"The way all these organizations have come together, I believe, is truly representative of the support of our mission for our military family, and we're grateful for their generosity," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communication and public liaison. "The partnership between the Grand Ole Opry, one of our earliest supporters, and the U.S. Postal Service is an excellent example of how organizations can come together through the America Supports You program."
New Commander Speaks of Military's Newest Combatant Command
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - Members of the new U.S. Africa Command are going to listen to the people of the continent and help them realize their plans, the first commander of the organization said here yesterday. In a news conference at the State Department's Foreign Press Center, Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward said he was honored to be selected and confirmed as AFRICOM's first commander.
"I think this is a good time for the establishment of the command," he said. "I think the economic, political and social importance of the African continent in global affairs continues to grow."
The command is based in Stuttgart, Germany, for now but will move to Africa in the future. Africa has enormous historic, cultural and geostrategic significance to the United States, and the establishment of the command reinforces the U.S. commitment to the continent, Ward said.
Responsibility for operations on the African continent was divided among three combatant commands: U.S. European Command, which had responsibility for most of the nations in the African mainland except in the Horn of Africa; U.S. Central Command, which had responsibility for Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya; and U.S. Pacific Command, which had responsibility for Madagascar, the Seychelles and the Indian Ocean area off the African coast.
Egypt and Yemen will remain as part of U.S. Central Command.
Ward served as the deputy commander of U.S. European Command. "I traveled extensively in Africa," he said at the press center. "One of my observations is our assistance to existing and emerging African security institutions is most effective when it offers African solutions to African challenges."
He said the command will be committed to helping African nations and regional African organizations, like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, develop and maintain security, allowing effective development.
The command will work with nations of the continent to develop exercises, humanitarian programs, training events and support to peacekeepers.
Africa Command offers a chance to "harmonize U.S. government efforts in the region especially with (the Department of) State and the Agency for International Development and other agencies," Ward said.
He said the U.S. State Department will lead policy development for the command. Officials at the command will rely heavily on the expertise of USAID workers and employees of other government agencies -- such as the departments of Treasury, Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Justice -- as they plan for the future.
"We at AFRICOM recognize the leading role these U.S. agencies (play) for policy, diplomacy and development and will draw on their expertise as well as non-governmental, private companies and international organizations," he said.
Ward said he has three main priorities. First, like doctors, the command will endeavor to "do no harm." He said the command is not on the continent to disrupt or confuse efforts in Africa. "Our intent is to make (the transition) as seamless as possible from three existing commands to one unified command," he said.
Second, Ward said officials want to add value to ongoing efforts on the continent. The command will focus on helping African nations build security structures that work for Africans. These will include military, police, border guards and other services nations require to protect their citizens.
"Third, we believe AFRICOM will enable African solutions," he said.
The general said the command will continue to strive to build bilateral relationships and work to build multinational working groups. "We will take time to listen and collaborate with partners," he said, adding that the command will work with African nations to provide for their own security and export security across the continent.
However, there are some things that the command definitely will not be, Ward said. AFRICOM will not be a large command with large bases and large numbers of American troops. "The idea of a command with large bases and a lot of forces is just wrong," he said. "At some point in time, we will move the headquarters or pieces of the headquarters (from Stuttgart) to the continent."
There have been no negotiations on this yet, and whatever is done will be done deliberately and only after discussions with African allies, Ward said.
Ward stressed that the command is not just a Defense Department organization. Senior State Department officials will be included, and the deputy to the commander -- a three-star equivalent -- will be a senior Foreign Service officer. "As we develop as an organization, we will be trying something for the first time," Ward said. "It's an evolutionary construct, and when things aren't achieving the things we want to achieve, we will change it. The collective work of us all is for stability. That's what we need to move towards."
Marine Corps Exceeds Recruiting, Retention Numbers
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - The Marine Corps announced today that it exceeded its recruiting and retention expectations for the year, marking the first milestone in a push to significantly expand the overall force by 2011. During a background briefing at the Pentagon today, Marine Corps officials told reporters that the Corps' end strength stands at 186,000 Marines, some 2,000 more than officials expected when fiscal 2007 ended Sept. 30.
"At a time of unprecedented challenges to the all-volunteer force, to achieve such a growth so quickly and without compromising our high standards, it is an enormous credit to our Marines and to the young patriots who continue to step forward to serve," a Marine Corps official said.
Officials declined to release an official figure but said that the corps exceeded its fiscal 2007 recruiting goal to enlist 35,576 recruits. Thirty-one percent of eligible Marines in their first term re-enlisted during that time, up from 22 percent in 2006. From the career force, 70 percent reenlisted, compared to 65 percent last year.
In one notable two-week period in July, 1,025 Marines re-enlisted while serving in Iraq. This figure more than tripled the amount of re-enlistments that occurred during prior visits by manpower representatives to Marines deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"The numbers tell us that we are offering the right mix of incentives to reach our retention goals," the official said. "While money and duty-station incentives help, the most important reason cited by re-enlisting Marines is the sense that they're making a difference.
"Marines are proud of what they're doing for their corps and their country," he added.
The year's figures are encouraging, the official said, but the corps is focused on its goal to increase end strength to 202,000 Marines by the year 2011. "While reaching the initial goal is gratifying, our eye is on the final objective: a properly sized, balanced and resourced Marine Corps capable of sustaining operations across the spectrum of conflict," the official said.
Greater numbers of Marines will relieve strains on those serving extended or repeated deployments. An increased force size also will allow the corps to create additional units to participate in a "long war" that extends beyond Iraq's and Afghanistan's borders, the official said.
"While additional personnel will have a positive effect on relieving the strain of our Marines and families," the official said, "a larger Marine Corps is vital if we are to both sustain current operations and remain fully prepared to respond to future challenges."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - The Marine Corps announced today that it exceeded its recruiting and retention expectations for the year, marking the first milestone in a push to significantly expand the overall force by 2011. During a background briefing at the Pentagon today, Marine Corps officials told reporters that the Corps' end strength stands at 186,000 Marines, some 2,000 more than officials expected when fiscal 2007 ended Sept. 30.
"At a time of unprecedented challenges to the all-volunteer force, to achieve such a growth so quickly and without compromising our high standards, it is an enormous credit to our Marines and to the young patriots who continue to step forward to serve," a Marine Corps official said.
Officials declined to release an official figure but said that the corps exceeded its fiscal 2007 recruiting goal to enlist 35,576 recruits. Thirty-one percent of eligible Marines in their first term re-enlisted during that time, up from 22 percent in 2006. From the career force, 70 percent reenlisted, compared to 65 percent last year.
In one notable two-week period in July, 1,025 Marines re-enlisted while serving in Iraq. This figure more than tripled the amount of re-enlistments that occurred during prior visits by manpower representatives to Marines deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"The numbers tell us that we are offering the right mix of incentives to reach our retention goals," the official said. "While money and duty-station incentives help, the most important reason cited by re-enlisting Marines is the sense that they're making a difference.
"Marines are proud of what they're doing for their corps and their country," he added.
The year's figures are encouraging, the official said, but the corps is focused on its goal to increase end strength to 202,000 Marines by the year 2011. "While reaching the initial goal is gratifying, our eye is on the final objective: a properly sized, balanced and resourced Marine Corps capable of sustaining operations across the spectrum of conflict," the official said.
Greater numbers of Marines will relieve strains on those serving extended or repeated deployments. An increased force size also will allow the corps to create additional units to participate in a "long war" that extends beyond Iraq's and Afghanistan's borders, the official said.
"While additional personnel will have a positive effect on relieving the strain of our Marines and families," the official said, "a larger Marine Corps is vital if we are to both sustain current operations and remain fully prepared to respond to future challenges."
U.S. to Strengthen Defense Relationship with Chile
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - The U.S. military will strengthen its relationship with Chile by encouraging the country's peacekeeping efforts in the region and increasing interoperability with more foreign military exchanges and bilateral operations, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. On the third stop of his week-long tour of Latin America, Gates met this morning with Chilean Defense Minister Jose Mario Goni. This is the first time Gates has visited the country as secretary of defense, though he has traveled here in previous government capacities. Gates also will meet with the country's president, Michelle Bachelet, today.
Gates and Goni signed a reciprocal health agreement between the two countries that provides servicemembers and families access to host-country military health care facilities. Gates said the agreement "reflects a maturing defense relationship" with Chile.
Seated next to Goni during a news conference, Gates lauded Chile's regional peacekeeping efforts, especially those in Haiti, and called the country a "great friend" of the United States.
"Our bilateral relationship is strong because it is based on our shared values of democracy, our economy and our commitment to social justice and human rights," Gates said. "These values strengthen our countries and result in better governments, growing economies, lowering poverty rates and a more effective defense against today's challenges and threats."
Gates committed to working to increase interoperability with Chile's military and to sharing knowledge of military modernization.
The secretary said there would likely be further exchanges between the two countries' military academies and educational institutions, further cooperation on demining, and more military exercises together. He also said the Chileans expressed interest in "specialized" training, but he didn't elaborate.
The secretary said Chile's contributions to peacekeeping efforts beyond Haiti offer promise as the country explores "new and different ways of doing peacekeeping." Chile has more than 500 peacekeepers in Haiti, and several in other countries.
"Chile's participation in peacekeeping operations makes a significant contribution both to regional and global stability and the growth of democracy," Gates said. "The United States is especially grateful for Chile's efforts in Haiti. Your leadership and bond with the Haitian people has fostered stability and created space for institutions to grow."
During a question-and-answer session, a local reporter asked Gates if his five-country trip to Latin America was an effort to provide an allied front against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has made anti-American statements. Gates has called Chavez's recent weapons purchases discouraging, considering the resources could have been spent reviving his country's poor economy. But, Gates said today, no specific country has been discussed during his trip. He said this is a fact-finding trip to learn ways to strengthen relationships with partners in the region.
"The focus has really been, throughout, on what we can do bilaterally to strengthen our relationships and on regional security issues," Gates said. "The focus of the conversation has been on narcotraffickers, gang warfare -- these kinds of problems. We really haven't focused on other countries, but really more on what we can do together in these areas."
In response to a media question about Iraq's recent order of $100 million in weapons from China, Gates said he was not concerned that Iraq was buying weapons from China, but that the U.S. foreign military sales system is too cumbersome to respond to fast-delivery, short-term demands.
Iraqi officials have expressed similar concerns. Still, Gates said, the first request by Iraq to the United States for weapons was in January, and the U.S. already has delivered $600 million worth of weapons. Another $2 to $3 billion worth of weapons is on order, he said.
"We are looking into ways in which we can abbreviate or accelerate the process by which we provide weapons under the FMS programs to Iraq and, in fact, ... that was an issue that was discussed here in Chile this morning," Gates said.
He said the system needs to be more responsive and able to react more quickly to requirements of "our friends."
"Unfortunately the FMS program was set up in such a way it was not intended to provide sort of emergency or short-term supplies as in the case of Iraq," he said. "We're trying to figure out how to do that better."
Gates said officials have opened offices in Baghdad to establish a day-to-day dialogue with Iraqi government officials and receive and process the country's requirements more quickly.
The secretary also was questioned about his stand on closing the detainee facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Gates said he would like to see the facility closed, but that legal and safety issues must be worked through before it would be possible. More than 300 detainees are housed at the facility.
"What we are looking into is how to do that in a way that provides for appropriate rights for those who are being detained, but, at the same time, protects Americans and, frankly, others in the world from terrorists who are at Guantanamo (and who) if released there is no question that they would return to plotting against us and others, and we have no doubt of that because they told us that," Gates said.
He said that government officials in the executive and legislative branches are examining legal issues of closing the facility.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - The U.S. military will strengthen its relationship with Chile by encouraging the country's peacekeeping efforts in the region and increasing interoperability with more foreign military exchanges and bilateral operations, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. On the third stop of his week-long tour of Latin America, Gates met this morning with Chilean Defense Minister Jose Mario Goni. This is the first time Gates has visited the country as secretary of defense, though he has traveled here in previous government capacities. Gates also will meet with the country's president, Michelle Bachelet, today.
Gates and Goni signed a reciprocal health agreement between the two countries that provides servicemembers and families access to host-country military health care facilities. Gates said the agreement "reflects a maturing defense relationship" with Chile.
Seated next to Goni during a news conference, Gates lauded Chile's regional peacekeeping efforts, especially those in Haiti, and called the country a "great friend" of the United States.
"Our bilateral relationship is strong because it is based on our shared values of democracy, our economy and our commitment to social justice and human rights," Gates said. "These values strengthen our countries and result in better governments, growing economies, lowering poverty rates and a more effective defense against today's challenges and threats."
Gates committed to working to increase interoperability with Chile's military and to sharing knowledge of military modernization.
The secretary said there would likely be further exchanges between the two countries' military academies and educational institutions, further cooperation on demining, and more military exercises together. He also said the Chileans expressed interest in "specialized" training, but he didn't elaborate.
The secretary said Chile's contributions to peacekeeping efforts beyond Haiti offer promise as the country explores "new and different ways of doing peacekeeping." Chile has more than 500 peacekeepers in Haiti, and several in other countries.
"Chile's participation in peacekeeping operations makes a significant contribution both to regional and global stability and the growth of democracy," Gates said. "The United States is especially grateful for Chile's efforts in Haiti. Your leadership and bond with the Haitian people has fostered stability and created space for institutions to grow."
During a question-and-answer session, a local reporter asked Gates if his five-country trip to Latin America was an effort to provide an allied front against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has made anti-American statements. Gates has called Chavez's recent weapons purchases discouraging, considering the resources could have been spent reviving his country's poor economy. But, Gates said today, no specific country has been discussed during his trip. He said this is a fact-finding trip to learn ways to strengthen relationships with partners in the region.
"The focus has really been, throughout, on what we can do bilaterally to strengthen our relationships and on regional security issues," Gates said. "The focus of the conversation has been on narcotraffickers, gang warfare -- these kinds of problems. We really haven't focused on other countries, but really more on what we can do together in these areas."
In response to a media question about Iraq's recent order of $100 million in weapons from China, Gates said he was not concerned that Iraq was buying weapons from China, but that the U.S. foreign military sales system is too cumbersome to respond to fast-delivery, short-term demands.
Iraqi officials have expressed similar concerns. Still, Gates said, the first request by Iraq to the United States for weapons was in January, and the U.S. already has delivered $600 million worth of weapons. Another $2 to $3 billion worth of weapons is on order, he said.
"We are looking into ways in which we can abbreviate or accelerate the process by which we provide weapons under the FMS programs to Iraq and, in fact, ... that was an issue that was discussed here in Chile this morning," Gates said.
He said the system needs to be more responsive and able to react more quickly to requirements of "our friends."
"Unfortunately the FMS program was set up in such a way it was not intended to provide sort of emergency or short-term supplies as in the case of Iraq," he said. "We're trying to figure out how to do that better."
Gates said officials have opened offices in Baghdad to establish a day-to-day dialogue with Iraqi government officials and receive and process the country's requirements more quickly.
The secretary also was questioned about his stand on closing the detainee facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Gates said he would like to see the facility closed, but that legal and safety issues must be worked through before it would be possible. More than 300 detainees are housed at the facility.
"What we are looking into is how to do that in a way that provides for appropriate rights for those who are being detained, but, at the same time, protects Americans and, frankly, others in the world from terrorists who are at Guantanamo (and who) if released there is no question that they would return to plotting against us and others, and we have no doubt of that because they told us that," Gates said.
He said that government officials in the executive and legislative branches are examining legal issues of closing the facility.
Navy Muslim Chaplain to Help Lead White House Iftar Dinner
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - When Muslim U.S. servicemembers join other Muslim-American citizens and representatives of Washington's diplomatic community at an iftar dinner tonight at the White House, one of just 10 Muslim chaplains serving in the U.S. military will have the honors of administering the call to prayer and leading prayers. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Abuhena M. Saifulislam will lead the call to prayer at tonight's iftar, hosted by President Bush to commemorate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and encourage a renewal of friendly ties between the U.S. and the Muslim world.
An iftar is a meal served at the day's end during Ramadan, which began Sept. 13 this year and continues through Oct. 12.
Ramadan is the Islamic faith's holiest time and commemorates the revelation of the Koran to the prophet Muhammad, Bush noted in his presidential message issued Sept. 7. Through fasting, prayer and worship, Muslims reflect on their spiritual lives and their dependence on God as they strengthen family and community ties.
Tonight, as the president hosts his seventh iftar since taking office, he is expected to reiterate the words of his presidential message: "May the holy days of Ramadan remind us all to seek a culture of compassion and serve others in charity."
Saifulislam said he considers it an honor to help share that message of sharing and understanding.
He led a similar celebration at the Pentagon Oct. 1 and called it an important way to open communication lines between Americans and Muslims. "It's a privilege to work in these capacities, to help create an atmosphere where we can learn to live together," he said. "It's not a choice. It's a necessity."
A native of Bangladesh, Saifulislam had a lot of firsts in his 15-year Navy career, the last eight years served as a Muslim chaplain. He was the first Muslim chaplain to be assigned to the Marine Corps, at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He helped organize the Marines' first iftar, in 2005. He was the first Muslim chaplain to be sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to administer to detainees there.
Sailfulislam said he works year-round to promote understanding and break down misconceptions that exist on both sides of the aisle. He educates Christians about Muslim beliefs and works to dispel views that "Islam is evil."
Similarly, he works to erase some Muslims' perception that "America is against Islam" and encourages Muslim-Americans to play a more active role in communicating to the Muslim world what America represents. "It's a two-way process," he said. "The more we learn about each other, the more understanding and acceptance there will be."
Sailfulislam said he's proud to be among an estimated 5,000 Muslim-Americans who serve in the U.S. military. "America Muslims are a part of America, and we have documentation that they have fought for this country since the Revolutionary War," he said.
Muslims have served and died for the United States in every conflict it's ever been involved in, including the war on terror, Sailfulislam said. He's personally attended funerals at Arlington National Cemetery for several Muslim servicemembers killed in Iraq.
Sailfulislam said he sees no conflict between his Muslim faith and his military calling in the United States.
"I'm an American. My wife is an American. My daughter is an American, and my sister and my nieces and nephews," he said. "If I am not willing to defend them, then who will be?"
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - When Muslim U.S. servicemembers join other Muslim-American citizens and representatives of Washington's diplomatic community at an iftar dinner tonight at the White House, one of just 10 Muslim chaplains serving in the U.S. military will have the honors of administering the call to prayer and leading prayers. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Abuhena M. Saifulislam will lead the call to prayer at tonight's iftar, hosted by President Bush to commemorate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and encourage a renewal of friendly ties between the U.S. and the Muslim world.
An iftar is a meal served at the day's end during Ramadan, which began Sept. 13 this year and continues through Oct. 12.
Ramadan is the Islamic faith's holiest time and commemorates the revelation of the Koran to the prophet Muhammad, Bush noted in his presidential message issued Sept. 7. Through fasting, prayer and worship, Muslims reflect on their spiritual lives and their dependence on God as they strengthen family and community ties.
Tonight, as the president hosts his seventh iftar since taking office, he is expected to reiterate the words of his presidential message: "May the holy days of Ramadan remind us all to seek a culture of compassion and serve others in charity."
Saifulislam said he considers it an honor to help share that message of sharing and understanding.
He led a similar celebration at the Pentagon Oct. 1 and called it an important way to open communication lines between Americans and Muslims. "It's a privilege to work in these capacities, to help create an atmosphere where we can learn to live together," he said. "It's not a choice. It's a necessity."
A native of Bangladesh, Saifulislam had a lot of firsts in his 15-year Navy career, the last eight years served as a Muslim chaplain. He was the first Muslim chaplain to be assigned to the Marine Corps, at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He helped organize the Marines' first iftar, in 2005. He was the first Muslim chaplain to be sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to administer to detainees there.
Sailfulislam said he works year-round to promote understanding and break down misconceptions that exist on both sides of the aisle. He educates Christians about Muslim beliefs and works to dispel views that "Islam is evil."
Similarly, he works to erase some Muslims' perception that "America is against Islam" and encourages Muslim-Americans to play a more active role in communicating to the Muslim world what America represents. "It's a two-way process," he said. "The more we learn about each other, the more understanding and acceptance there will be."
Sailfulislam said he's proud to be among an estimated 5,000 Muslim-Americans who serve in the U.S. military. "America Muslims are a part of America, and we have documentation that they have fought for this country since the Revolutionary War," he said.
Muslims have served and died for the United States in every conflict it's ever been involved in, including the war on terror, Sailfulislam said. He's personally attended funerals at Arlington National Cemetery for several Muslim servicemembers killed in Iraq.
Sailfulislam said he sees no conflict between his Muslim faith and his military calling in the United States.
"I'm an American. My wife is an American. My daughter is an American, and my sister and my nieces and nephews," he said. "If I am not willing to defend them, then who will be?"
SemperComm Accepting 2008 Award Nominations
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - The SemperComm Foundation is accepting award nominations from the military community for its 2008 SemperComm Award, which recognizes extraordinary efforts by military members to boost the morale of their fellow servicemembers while stationed at remote locations. This award is open to military personnel from all branches of the U.S. armed forces.
Nominees will be judged based on three criteria: what actions the individual took to boost morale; the duty station's size and remoteness; and the nominee's willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty.
The SemperComm Foundation is dedicated to supplying morale-boosting communications and entertainment equipment, software and services to small, overseas remote U.S. military bases.
The group is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
SemperComm receives major support from Computer Systems Center Inc., a defense-oriented software-development company, and Stars For Stripes, a nonprofit group that brings celebrity entertainers to U.S. troops.
Award winners will be invited to bring one guest to the SemperComm Gala on April 10, 2008, in Arlington, Va., where awards will be presented. Travel and lodging will be provided for each winner and guest by the SemperComm Foundation.
Nomination forms are available on the SemperComm Web site, at www.sempercomm.org, and will be accepted until Jan. 28, 2008.
Contact Alix Hornig at 703-923-7610 or by e-mail at ahornig@sempercomm.org for additional information about the award.
Oct. 4, 2007 - The SemperComm Foundation is accepting award nominations from the military community for its 2008 SemperComm Award, which recognizes extraordinary efforts by military members to boost the morale of their fellow servicemembers while stationed at remote locations. This award is open to military personnel from all branches of the U.S. armed forces.
Nominees will be judged based on three criteria: what actions the individual took to boost morale; the duty station's size and remoteness; and the nominee's willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty.
The SemperComm Foundation is dedicated to supplying morale-boosting communications and entertainment equipment, software and services to small, overseas remote U.S. military bases.
The group is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
SemperComm receives major support from Computer Systems Center Inc., a defense-oriented software-development company, and Stars For Stripes, a nonprofit group that brings celebrity entertainers to U.S. troops.
Award winners will be invited to bring one guest to the SemperComm Gala on April 10, 2008, in Arlington, Va., where awards will be presented. Travel and lodging will be provided for each winner and guest by the SemperComm Foundation.
Nomination forms are available on the SemperComm Web site, at www.sempercomm.org, and will be accepted until Jan. 28, 2008.
Contact Alix Hornig at 703-923-7610 or by e-mail at ahornig@sempercomm.org for additional information about the award.
Record Number of Military Amputees Set to Run Army Ten Miler
By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - Dozens of military amputees will be part of a record crowd of 26,000 to run the Army Ten-Miler on Oct. 7 at the Pentagon. "It's hard to believe we are on our fourth year," Army Maj. David Rozelle said. "Our first year it was just a few of us, our second was 12, and last year we doubled to 24. This year we will be our strongest yet with 30."
Rozelle is team captain of "Missing Parts in Action," the tongue-in-cheek name for a group of military athletes recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here; Brook Army Medical Center, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and San Diego Navy Medical Center, in California.
"We are proud to continue to represent our fellow amputees," he said.
Rozelle lost his right foot to an anti-tank mine in Iraq in June 2003. After nine months of rehabilitation, he was declared fit for duty and sent back to Iraq to command Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Rozelle now administers the Amputee Care Center at Walter Reed.
Other team members include a Special Forces soldier who lost his right eye and was blinded in his left during an attack last year in Iraq and will run tethered to his training partner from Fort Bragg, N.C. Another wounded soldier who lost part of his hand during combat said he's running the ten-miler to represent not only the Army but also his friends serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Servicemembers deployed overseas will participate in "shadow" versions of the race, traversing 10-mile courses often consisting of multiple loops on such forward installations as camps Victory and Taji, Al Asad Air Base and Logistics Support Area Adder. Runners there prepare not just for heat and dehydration, but also the ever-present possibility of mortar attacks.
Thirty-seven women whose husbands have deployed to Iraq, some for the third time, will run the race in Washington to honor sacrifices of their loved ones and to raise awareness about what families of deployed servicemembers experience.
"I think it's important to have groups like ours out there so that people don't forget that for every soldier serving, there's a family he or she left behind," explained Gabriele Winton, whose husband is on his second combat tour in Iraq. "Those families are making a huge sacrifice too."
Hundreds of military teams from across the country and around the world will descend on the Pentagon to compete in what has become the largest 10-mile race in the United States. More than 50 teams will set up support stations in the Pentagon south parking area and compete in the "HOOAH Tent Zone," during which demonstrating the best "Army spirit" is the criteria for victory.
The 23rd running of the Army Ten-Miler begins Oct. 7 at 8 a.m. Eastern Time and will take runners on a scenic tour along the National Mall. The race is organized every year by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - Dozens of military amputees will be part of a record crowd of 26,000 to run the Army Ten-Miler on Oct. 7 at the Pentagon. "It's hard to believe we are on our fourth year," Army Maj. David Rozelle said. "Our first year it was just a few of us, our second was 12, and last year we doubled to 24. This year we will be our strongest yet with 30."
Rozelle is team captain of "Missing Parts in Action," the tongue-in-cheek name for a group of military athletes recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here; Brook Army Medical Center, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and San Diego Navy Medical Center, in California.
"We are proud to continue to represent our fellow amputees," he said.
Rozelle lost his right foot to an anti-tank mine in Iraq in June 2003. After nine months of rehabilitation, he was declared fit for duty and sent back to Iraq to command Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Rozelle now administers the Amputee Care Center at Walter Reed.
Other team members include a Special Forces soldier who lost his right eye and was blinded in his left during an attack last year in Iraq and will run tethered to his training partner from Fort Bragg, N.C. Another wounded soldier who lost part of his hand during combat said he's running the ten-miler to represent not only the Army but also his friends serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Servicemembers deployed overseas will participate in "shadow" versions of the race, traversing 10-mile courses often consisting of multiple loops on such forward installations as camps Victory and Taji, Al Asad Air Base and Logistics Support Area Adder. Runners there prepare not just for heat and dehydration, but also the ever-present possibility of mortar attacks.
Thirty-seven women whose husbands have deployed to Iraq, some for the third time, will run the race in Washington to honor sacrifices of their loved ones and to raise awareness about what families of deployed servicemembers experience.
"I think it's important to have groups like ours out there so that people don't forget that for every soldier serving, there's a family he or she left behind," explained Gabriele Winton, whose husband is on his second combat tour in Iraq. "Those families are making a huge sacrifice too."
Hundreds of military teams from across the country and around the world will descend on the Pentagon to compete in what has become the largest 10-mile race in the United States. More than 50 teams will set up support stations in the Pentagon south parking area and compete in the "HOOAH Tent Zone," during which demonstrating the best "Army spirit" is the criteria for victory.
The 23rd running of the Army Ten-Miler begins Oct. 7 at 8 a.m. Eastern Time and will take runners on a scenic tour along the National Mall. The race is organized every year by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.
Outreach Program Puts Human Face on Military Service
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - Sharing military experiences with the American public injects a human element into events often conveyed through the cold glare of television's nightly news, a group of well-spoken servicemembers said here Oct. 2. "The numbers that you hear on TV of soldiers dying, the numbers that you hear that we're going to bring 30,000 (troops) home, ... I just put a face to those numbers, and we all do," Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jeffery Duncan told American Forces Press Service.
Duncan, a 40-year-old senior aircraft maintenance supervisor with 21 years of service, completed a five-month deployment to the Middle East in May. He's one of a group of eight military members who've completed a week-long nationwide speaking tour featuring 20-30 engagements as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public-outreach program.
Audiences at his speaking engagements love the military, Duncan observed, noting he told listeners how much he enjoys the camaraderie inherent across the armed forces. "We are one team, and that's what we do," Duncan emphasized, adding that his speaking tour was an awesome experience.
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace started the Why We Serve program in the fall of 2006. Duncan's group constituted the fourth iteration of the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Why We Serve duty tours are about 90 days. Participants are selected by their individual services and talk to schools, veterans organizations and business groups.
Why We Serve program director Marine Maj. Chris Devine praised Duncan and his fellow speakers in the fourth group for their professionalism and energy.
"They have the high bar for others to knock off," Devine said. "I think they've done extremely well, not only in their venues, but representing their services, as well."
The previous eight-member groups were comprised of two selectees from each military service, Devine noted. However, the next, fifth group will feature 10 speakers, he said.
The Why We Serve program has matured, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Dorrance Smith has decided to "take it to the next level," Devine explained.
"What this program is doing is helping us win the 'war on narratives,' especially in the mainstream media," Devine noted. The program, he added, offers a different perspective about the war on terrorism, from the viewpoints of military members who've served in Afghanistan, Iraq or the Horn of Africa.
Another Why We Serve member in Duncan's group, Marine 1st Lt. David Bradt, served two tours in Iraq. The 26-year-old combat engineer said he enjoyed telling people about his Iraq experiences.
Bradt noted his experiences in Iraq were varied, from "full-scale infantry missions to cache sweeps to more of a support role."
The Marine said he was emotionally moved when people thanked him for his military service during his speaking tour. "Almost at every single venue a number of people would come up and thank you," Bradt recalled. "We don't need gifts; we don't need medals. Just come up and say, 'Thank you.'"
Bradt said he is impressed with the Why We Serve program. "They should fund as many of these (speaking tours) as they can possibly afford," he urged.
Meeting one-on-one with the American public helps to combat misperceptions about the U.S. effort in Iraq, he said. "It's a new fight. It's a very, very powerful information war," Bradt explained.
Another Why We Serve speaker, Air Force Master Sgt. Howard Watkins, accompanied supply convoys from Kuwait into Iraq during his overseas tour of duty from March to December 2006.
Many people he met during his speaking tour stops weren't aware of the fact that that the Air Force is doing convoys for the Army and has been for the last three or four years, Watkins observed.
He called the Why We Serve program a worthy endeavor . "The best thing that I have gotten from the program was seeing that there are still people out there that have the same ideals and beliefs that I have," Watkins said. "There's so much negative media."
Navy Lt. Judith Lemley served a seven-month tour in Afghanistan before she embarked on her speaking tour. Lemley said she relished urging veterans groups members to keep supporting servicemembers. "It's so much easier for us to focus on our jobs knowing that so many of these people back home" are working to take care of the nation's military veterans, she said.
Lemley said she also told audiences that the military is truly an equal-opportunity employer. "I've never been held back because I'm a female," she said. "I've been given the same opportunities as everyone else."
Lemley, who traveled across Afghanistan to train the country's soldiers, described the often dangerous, gritty conditions she'd experienced to her audiences.
Despite the arduous conditions in Afghanistan, Lemley told her speaking-tour audiences that she didn't complain. "Because I do what I love," she said.
Army Sgt. Daniel Alvarado recalled telling audiences about his wartime experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq. "I could tell I was having an impact on them," Alvarado, a combat engineer, observed.
Asked if he'd volunteer for another hitch in the Why We Serve program, Alvarado replied: "I'd do it in a heart beat."
Other members of the fourth group of Why We Serve speaking-tour participants are: Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeremy de Vries, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Caleb Duke, and; Army Sgt. 1st Class Steven Adams, who had to leave the program due to a family issue.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 4, 2007 - Sharing military experiences with the American public injects a human element into events often conveyed through the cold glare of television's nightly news, a group of well-spoken servicemembers said here Oct. 2. "The numbers that you hear on TV of soldiers dying, the numbers that you hear that we're going to bring 30,000 (troops) home, ... I just put a face to those numbers, and we all do," Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jeffery Duncan told American Forces Press Service.
Duncan, a 40-year-old senior aircraft maintenance supervisor with 21 years of service, completed a five-month deployment to the Middle East in May. He's one of a group of eight military members who've completed a week-long nationwide speaking tour featuring 20-30 engagements as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public-outreach program.
Audiences at his speaking engagements love the military, Duncan observed, noting he told listeners how much he enjoys the camaraderie inherent across the armed forces. "We are one team, and that's what we do," Duncan emphasized, adding that his speaking tour was an awesome experience.
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace started the Why We Serve program in the fall of 2006. Duncan's group constituted the fourth iteration of the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Why We Serve duty tours are about 90 days. Participants are selected by their individual services and talk to schools, veterans organizations and business groups.
Why We Serve program director Marine Maj. Chris Devine praised Duncan and his fellow speakers in the fourth group for their professionalism and energy.
"They have the high bar for others to knock off," Devine said. "I think they've done extremely well, not only in their venues, but representing their services, as well."
The previous eight-member groups were comprised of two selectees from each military service, Devine noted. However, the next, fifth group will feature 10 speakers, he said.
The Why We Serve program has matured, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Dorrance Smith has decided to "take it to the next level," Devine explained.
"What this program is doing is helping us win the 'war on narratives,' especially in the mainstream media," Devine noted. The program, he added, offers a different perspective about the war on terrorism, from the viewpoints of military members who've served in Afghanistan, Iraq or the Horn of Africa.
Another Why We Serve member in Duncan's group, Marine 1st Lt. David Bradt, served two tours in Iraq. The 26-year-old combat engineer said he enjoyed telling people about his Iraq experiences.
Bradt noted his experiences in Iraq were varied, from "full-scale infantry missions to cache sweeps to more of a support role."
The Marine said he was emotionally moved when people thanked him for his military service during his speaking tour. "Almost at every single venue a number of people would come up and thank you," Bradt recalled. "We don't need gifts; we don't need medals. Just come up and say, 'Thank you.'"
Bradt said he is impressed with the Why We Serve program. "They should fund as many of these (speaking tours) as they can possibly afford," he urged.
Meeting one-on-one with the American public helps to combat misperceptions about the U.S. effort in Iraq, he said. "It's a new fight. It's a very, very powerful information war," Bradt explained.
Another Why We Serve speaker, Air Force Master Sgt. Howard Watkins, accompanied supply convoys from Kuwait into Iraq during his overseas tour of duty from March to December 2006.
Many people he met during his speaking tour stops weren't aware of the fact that that the Air Force is doing convoys for the Army and has been for the last three or four years, Watkins observed.
He called the Why We Serve program a worthy endeavor . "The best thing that I have gotten from the program was seeing that there are still people out there that have the same ideals and beliefs that I have," Watkins said. "There's so much negative media."
Navy Lt. Judith Lemley served a seven-month tour in Afghanistan before she embarked on her speaking tour. Lemley said she relished urging veterans groups members to keep supporting servicemembers. "It's so much easier for us to focus on our jobs knowing that so many of these people back home" are working to take care of the nation's military veterans, she said.
Lemley said she also told audiences that the military is truly an equal-opportunity employer. "I've never been held back because I'm a female," she said. "I've been given the same opportunities as everyone else."
Lemley, who traveled across Afghanistan to train the country's soldiers, described the often dangerous, gritty conditions she'd experienced to her audiences.
Despite the arduous conditions in Afghanistan, Lemley told her speaking-tour audiences that she didn't complain. "Because I do what I love," she said.
Army Sgt. Daniel Alvarado recalled telling audiences about his wartime experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq. "I could tell I was having an impact on them," Alvarado, a combat engineer, observed.
Asked if he'd volunteer for another hitch in the Why We Serve program, Alvarado replied: "I'd do it in a heart beat."
Other members of the fourth group of Why We Serve speaking-tour participants are: Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeremy de Vries, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Caleb Duke, and; Army Sgt. 1st Class Steven Adams, who had to leave the program due to a family issue.
Privatization Brings Homes, Not Housing to Army Installation
By Melina Rodriguez
Special to American Forces Press Service
FORT BELVOIR, Va., Oct. 3, 2007 - Army Secretary Pete Geren visited homes on Fort Belvoir, Va., today and talked with Army families about the privatized housing initiative on the installation. "In order to have a healthy Army, we've got to have healthy soldiers, and we have to have a healthy Army family, as well," Geren said. "If you ask a soldier, ask anyone, about what goes into their thinking about what makes a good quality of life ... it would be housing, the home they live in, the neighborhood they live in. It's no different if you're a soldier, a spouse or if you're a private citizen."
In addition to Army soldiers, members of other military services in the Military District of Washington also reside in Fort Belvoir housing.
In December 2003, the Residential Communities Initiative's initial development period began on Fort Belvoir when existing homes were turned over to a private housing development company. The company will soon complete its 1,000th home on Fort Belvoir, and will eventually demolish and replace a total of 1,630 homes and renovate 170 homes. When construction is complete, the company will manage 2,070 Fort Belvoir homes.
So far, 36 military installations have transferred to privatized housing, with 78,000 homes under private management. Residential community intiative projects have built 11,000 new homes and renovated 10,000 homes with a goal of eventually managing nearly 90,000 homes, said Geren.
Geren said the Army has spent more than $1 billion on the initiative.
"Through this RCI initiative, we've been helping to leverage government assets, $1 billion worth of government assets, and invest $10 billion in quality of life for our soldiers and our families."
Geren discussed upcoming initiatives and the recently approved $100 million in funding for more than 50 existing morale, welfare and recreation programs and services affected by the Army's current deployment cycles.
Fort Belvoir programs will receive $135,000 of the recently approved funding for two new full-time positions at Army Community Service. Over the next five years, more funds will be designated for family and Soldier support programs and services.
"RCI, and more importantly the privatized housing initiative, where you're standing now, and the houses around you are what right looks like and a very important aspect of our military to continue to improve the quality of life for Soldiers and families," said Installation Commander Col. Brian Lauritzen. "But, it is one of many initiatives."
Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark Wiggins and his wife Coretta attended the event and discussed their home in Lewis Village, where they've lived for more than a year. They have a detached three-bedroom home with a two-car garage.
"This is more of a community, not Army housing," said Coretta, who also grew up as an Army child. "You can see the difference."
"As long as my family is happy, it makes it easier for me to go to work," said Mark, a chaplain's assistant for the Army Reserve's Military Intelligence Readiness Command.
Sgt. Tony and Robyn Persina came to Belvoir on a compassionate reassignment for one of their two children. They have lived in Herryford Village for two years in an Americans with Disabilities Act home. The single-level home has three bedrooms, with oversized doors and hallways.
"Your house isn't just a house, it's a home," said Tony. "It's a lot more comfortable, our families visit all the time."
Five percent of the new homes built at Belvoir are approved under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Special to American Forces Press Service
FORT BELVOIR, Va., Oct. 3, 2007 - Army Secretary Pete Geren visited homes on Fort Belvoir, Va., today and talked with Army families about the privatized housing initiative on the installation. "In order to have a healthy Army, we've got to have healthy soldiers, and we have to have a healthy Army family, as well," Geren said. "If you ask a soldier, ask anyone, about what goes into their thinking about what makes a good quality of life ... it would be housing, the home they live in, the neighborhood they live in. It's no different if you're a soldier, a spouse or if you're a private citizen."
In addition to Army soldiers, members of other military services in the Military District of Washington also reside in Fort Belvoir housing.
In December 2003, the Residential Communities Initiative's initial development period began on Fort Belvoir when existing homes were turned over to a private housing development company. The company will soon complete its 1,000th home on Fort Belvoir, and will eventually demolish and replace a total of 1,630 homes and renovate 170 homes. When construction is complete, the company will manage 2,070 Fort Belvoir homes.
So far, 36 military installations have transferred to privatized housing, with 78,000 homes under private management. Residential community intiative projects have built 11,000 new homes and renovated 10,000 homes with a goal of eventually managing nearly 90,000 homes, said Geren.
Geren said the Army has spent more than $1 billion on the initiative.
"Through this RCI initiative, we've been helping to leverage government assets, $1 billion worth of government assets, and invest $10 billion in quality of life for our soldiers and our families."
Geren discussed upcoming initiatives and the recently approved $100 million in funding for more than 50 existing morale, welfare and recreation programs and services affected by the Army's current deployment cycles.
Fort Belvoir programs will receive $135,000 of the recently approved funding for two new full-time positions at Army Community Service. Over the next five years, more funds will be designated for family and Soldier support programs and services.
"RCI, and more importantly the privatized housing initiative, where you're standing now, and the houses around you are what right looks like and a very important aspect of our military to continue to improve the quality of life for Soldiers and families," said Installation Commander Col. Brian Lauritzen. "But, it is one of many initiatives."
Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark Wiggins and his wife Coretta attended the event and discussed their home in Lewis Village, where they've lived for more than a year. They have a detached three-bedroom home with a two-car garage.
"This is more of a community, not Army housing," said Coretta, who also grew up as an Army child. "You can see the difference."
"As long as my family is happy, it makes it easier for me to go to work," said Mark, a chaplain's assistant for the Army Reserve's Military Intelligence Readiness Command.
Sgt. Tony and Robyn Persina came to Belvoir on a compassionate reassignment for one of their two children. They have lived in Herryford Village for two years in an Americans with Disabilities Act home. The single-level home has three bedrooms, with oversized doors and hallways.
"Your house isn't just a house, it's a home," said Tony. "It's a lot more comfortable, our families visit all the time."
Five percent of the new homes built at Belvoir are approved under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
