By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 6, 2007 - The United States and China will move ahead with a strategic dialogue, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said following talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao here. Gates spoke to reporters traveling with him at Beijing's Forbidden City. He said his meeting with Hu at the Great Hall of the People was cordial and constructive.
"We talked a good deal about the military-to-military relationship," Gates said. "He indicated his support for moving forward with a dialogue of strategic military matters of concern to both sides."
The meeting with the president culminated two days of intensive talks with Chinese civilian and military leaders.
He said the talks were "candid and realistic and, I think, in a friendly spirit."
The secretary said areas of "agreement and disagreement" clearly exist between the United States and China. "Talking about both is good for the relationship," he said.
Hu said the parties discussed issues of common interest. The two sides "exchanged ideas very extensively on topics like bilateral relations and on issues of common interests," Hu said through a translator.
He said Gates' visit will be "conducive to deeper trust between us and further the development of state-to-state relations."
"You will have a better understanding of China and vice versa," the president said.
The two sides agreed on a number of specific ways to improve military-to-military contacts between the two nations, Gates said.
The two sides agreed to install a direct telephone link between their respective defense establishments. This is the first time China has agreed to such a contact with any nation, a senior U.S. defense official said on background.
The two militaries are cooperating in a number of other areas, Gates said. They will exchange mid-level and senior officers, and there will be an exchange between military education institutions.
The Chinese have agreed to open their archives to help locate Americans listed as prisoners of war or missing in action before, during and after the Korean War. "So I think we took advantage of the opportunity to expand on those contacts," Gates said.
The secretary also addressed issues of concern to the United States. "In all of the meetings, I expressed our concern with the pace and scope of their strategic modernization programs and the anti-satellite test," he said.
Gates said he has high hopes for continued contacts between the United States and China. "I hope what will come out of these is an ongoing dialogue," he said.
"It's not a matter of just raising it and each side sort of having a set piece response, but rather to enter into a longer-term dialogue about perceptions of threats, about a world that faces the threat of nuclear proliferations and perhaps ways of finding some confidence building measures along the way," Gates said. "But I see this as an ongoing process rather than a one-time event."
Also during the visit, Gates raised U.S. concerns about Iran with Chinese leaders. He said an Iran that is a de-stabilizing force in the Middle East is not in anyone's interest, including China's.
"If one is interested in long-term energy security, then a stable Persian Gulf/Middle East area is very high priority," he said. "So, we had some interesting conversations about Iran."
President Hu raised the issue of Taiwan during talks, Gates said.
"I restated our positions that we're opposed to any effort by anyone unilaterally to change the status quo," the secretary said. "This is actually a diplomatic issue, but I basically reiterated that the U.S. government has been quite clear in its messages to the leaders of Taiwan not to change the status quo."
Gates was scheduled to next travel to Seoul for annual military meetings with his Korean counterpart.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Navy Nurse's Voice Heard at Women's Memorial's 10th Anniversary
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 5, 2007 - Navy Capt. Maggie L. Richard, a 22-year veteran in the Navy Nurse Corps, embodies the dutiful commitment enshrined at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary Nov. 3. Richard was one of seven female servicemembers selected to address the audience at during the "Voices of the Women" speaker's portion of the ceremony. The Women's Memorial is at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery.
"I was so honored to represent all military and Public Health Service nurses," Richard said.
The veteran nurse was notified by the office of Navy Rear Adm. Christine Bruzek-Kohler, Navy Nurse Corps director, that she had been tapped to speak on behalf of some 20,000 nurses in the corps at the ceremony.
"I feel that (Woman in Military Service for America) gives a great venue to give voice to the accomplishments of women, specifically," Richard said. "Many of the things I do when I mentor people is remind them of what other people had to do for you to get where you are. ... That's why I think WIMSA is so important."
While attending Texas Woman's University, Richard encountered recruiters who helped steer her toward a career in the Navy Nurse Corps. "It was an opportunity for me to do something different with my life," she said. "I just felt at that moment I didn't know what lay ahead, but I knew that I could do it."
Richard's parents were surprised when she announced her decision to enlist in the program. "Do you want to run that by me one more time?" she recalled her father saying with incredulity.
"I'm the youngest in my family and was the first to really leave Dallas, Texas, where I'm from," she said. "So my dad, who's quite the character, made sure I ran it by him one more time."
As a nurse in the corps, Richards said, she had hoped to enjoy life while "giving the best that (she) could give."
"Contributing in this world is something that I've always known that I wanted to do because it was taught to me as a child," she said. "The Navy gave me the opportunity to do that."
In fact, by paying for Richard to earn her master's and Ph.D. degrees in nursing, the Navy far exceeded her expectations, she said.
One of Richard's career highlights happened in 1992 while stationed in Korea. One night, while Richard served as the lone Navy nurse on a base with roughly 5,000 servicemembers under her watch, an emergency medical situation occurred. "There was an emergency, and I had to transport a patient via helicopter; the Air Force and the Army transported me there," she recalled. "And I was just able to do things that impressed me in terms of in the pressure of the moment; we would all be surprised by what we can accomplish."
Other women servicemembers joining Richard onstage were Lorraine S. Dieterle, a former member of the Coast Guard who photographed the Victory in Japan Day celebration in New York City's Times Square and who helped establish the women's memorial, and Marsha L. Four, who served in the 18th Surgical Hospital in Vietnam as an intensive care nurse with the Army Nurse Corps.
Other "Voices of Women" speakers included Dawn Halfaker, a retired Army captain injured in Iraq; Brig. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson, Air Force director of public affairs; and Marine Lance Cpl. Sona P. Babani, a native Iraqi turned U.S. citizen.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 5, 2007 - Navy Capt. Maggie L. Richard, a 22-year veteran in the Navy Nurse Corps, embodies the dutiful commitment enshrined at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary Nov. 3. Richard was one of seven female servicemembers selected to address the audience at during the "Voices of the Women" speaker's portion of the ceremony. The Women's Memorial is at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery.
"I was so honored to represent all military and Public Health Service nurses," Richard said.
The veteran nurse was notified by the office of Navy Rear Adm. Christine Bruzek-Kohler, Navy Nurse Corps director, that she had been tapped to speak on behalf of some 20,000 nurses in the corps at the ceremony.
"I feel that (Woman in Military Service for America) gives a great venue to give voice to the accomplishments of women, specifically," Richard said. "Many of the things I do when I mentor people is remind them of what other people had to do for you to get where you are. ... That's why I think WIMSA is so important."
While attending Texas Woman's University, Richard encountered recruiters who helped steer her toward a career in the Navy Nurse Corps. "It was an opportunity for me to do something different with my life," she said. "I just felt at that moment I didn't know what lay ahead, but I knew that I could do it."
Richard's parents were surprised when she announced her decision to enlist in the program. "Do you want to run that by me one more time?" she recalled her father saying with incredulity.
"I'm the youngest in my family and was the first to really leave Dallas, Texas, where I'm from," she said. "So my dad, who's quite the character, made sure I ran it by him one more time."
As a nurse in the corps, Richards said, she had hoped to enjoy life while "giving the best that (she) could give."
"Contributing in this world is something that I've always known that I wanted to do because it was taught to me as a child," she said. "The Navy gave me the opportunity to do that."
In fact, by paying for Richard to earn her master's and Ph.D. degrees in nursing, the Navy far exceeded her expectations, she said.
One of Richard's career highlights happened in 1992 while stationed in Korea. One night, while Richard served as the lone Navy nurse on a base with roughly 5,000 servicemembers under her watch, an emergency medical situation occurred. "There was an emergency, and I had to transport a patient via helicopter; the Air Force and the Army transported me there," she recalled. "And I was just able to do things that impressed me in terms of in the pressure of the moment; we would all be surprised by what we can accomplish."
Other women servicemembers joining Richard onstage were Lorraine S. Dieterle, a former member of the Coast Guard who photographed the Victory in Japan Day celebration in New York City's Times Square and who helped establish the women's memorial, and Marsha L. Four, who served in the 18th Surgical Hospital in Vietnam as an intensive care nurse with the Army Nurse Corps.
Other "Voices of Women" speakers included Dawn Halfaker, a retired Army captain injured in Iraq; Brig. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson, Air Force director of public affairs; and Marine Lance Cpl. Sona P. Babani, a native Iraqi turned U.S. citizen.
Pacific Command Hosts Joint Civilian Orientation Conference
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 5, 2007 - About 40 civilians with little or no previous military experience gathered in this tropical paradise today to get their marching orders for a week-long expedition that will take them across the Defense Department's largest combatant command. There was little time for umbrella-donned drinks though. Participants of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference had to prepare for a 2 a.m. wake-up to start what promises to be a very busy itinerary. Over the next week participants will fly to a handful of countries where they will see first-hand the efforts of servicemembers in each of the five services working in the U.S. Pacific Command.
The JCOC is a defense secretary sponsored program for U.S. leaders who want to broaden their knowledge of the military and national defense. JCOC is the oldest existing Pentagon outreach program. This is the 74th JCOC since it started in 1948.
"My hope for the participants is that we have a phenomenal experience in exploring the different cultures, but also that they get an understanding of both the strategic importance of the region and its increasing importance to international security," said Anne MacDonald, JCOC director.
MacDonald said the itinerary is built around providing the group the most basic understanding of what the U.S. military is doing "day-in and day-out in the field."
Because of security concerns in some of the regions in which the group will travel, itinerary details were not disclosed to participants until today. Specific sites visited can only be reported after each visit, conference officials said.
Geographically, PACOM is the largest combatant command, covering from the U.S. West Coast as far as Mongolia and China, and from Alaska south to Antarctica. Its area of responsibility covers more than half of the earth's surface – about 105 million square miles – and includes nearly 60 percent of the world's population. About 300,000 military members from all branches comprise the command.
During the week, participants will receive briefs on each of the services' roles within the command and view related training. Then they will roll up their sleeves and participate. The group will dine with servicemembers in the field, fire military weapons, jump in the cockpit of a fighter jet simulator, rappel down walls, drive a Coast Guard boat and become part of a simulated mass-casualty exercise. Officials want the trip to be as "hands-on" as possible, they said.
Trip planning starts about five months before the conference and includes hundreds of man-hours in preparation. Servicemembers from each of the services volunteer to serve as team leaders for the groups. A handful of other volunteers help round out the efforts.
David Evans, acting director of the Defense Department's Community Relations and Public Liaison office, said this type of conference is critical to giving community leaders an accurate picture of military life.
"The reason it's so important now is we have an entire generation that was not obligated to serve time in the military. They don't have a good idea of what the military is really about except what they see on T.V. So it is critical that we take these leaders out there to see what our military is doing day to day in forward deployed locations," Evans said.
Participants are nominated for the conference by senior military officials or alumni of the program and selected because of their influence. A conference fee paid by the participants covers their costs. This year's group includes doctors, government officials, businessmen and women and educators.
"What we're looking for is a good mix of business leaders, educators, centers of influence in metro areas -- places where there may not be a military installation and we think this might be something that will be worthwhile for them to experience," Evans said.
This is Coast Guard Lt. Sara Wallace's third JCOC to serve as a team leader. She has witnessed the enlightenment that happens as members of the group meet and talk with servicemembers and are able to see what they do in the field, Wallace said.
"By the end of the week the biggest change you see in the participants is just the awe, the wonderment. They can't say enough about the amount that each of the branches of service does. The amount of education they walk away with almost dumbfounds them," she said. And it's not the high-tech equipment that makes the biggest impression either, Wallace said.
"Usually it's just the (servicemembers) themselves. Every time someone goes on this trip they usually walk away impressed with the amount of responsibility that these young men and women are charged with and how much they have to handle," Wallace said.
The trip finishes back here Nov. 11 with a Veterans Day ceremony at the historic National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl. More than 44,000 U.S. war veterans and family members are buried in the 112-acre cemetery.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 5, 2007 - About 40 civilians with little or no previous military experience gathered in this tropical paradise today to get their marching orders for a week-long expedition that will take them across the Defense Department's largest combatant command. There was little time for umbrella-donned drinks though. Participants of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference had to prepare for a 2 a.m. wake-up to start what promises to be a very busy itinerary. Over the next week participants will fly to a handful of countries where they will see first-hand the efforts of servicemembers in each of the five services working in the U.S. Pacific Command.
The JCOC is a defense secretary sponsored program for U.S. leaders who want to broaden their knowledge of the military and national defense. JCOC is the oldest existing Pentagon outreach program. This is the 74th JCOC since it started in 1948.
"My hope for the participants is that we have a phenomenal experience in exploring the different cultures, but also that they get an understanding of both the strategic importance of the region and its increasing importance to international security," said Anne MacDonald, JCOC director.
MacDonald said the itinerary is built around providing the group the most basic understanding of what the U.S. military is doing "day-in and day-out in the field."
Because of security concerns in some of the regions in which the group will travel, itinerary details were not disclosed to participants until today. Specific sites visited can only be reported after each visit, conference officials said.
Geographically, PACOM is the largest combatant command, covering from the U.S. West Coast as far as Mongolia and China, and from Alaska south to Antarctica. Its area of responsibility covers more than half of the earth's surface – about 105 million square miles – and includes nearly 60 percent of the world's population. About 300,000 military members from all branches comprise the command.
During the week, participants will receive briefs on each of the services' roles within the command and view related training. Then they will roll up their sleeves and participate. The group will dine with servicemembers in the field, fire military weapons, jump in the cockpit of a fighter jet simulator, rappel down walls, drive a Coast Guard boat and become part of a simulated mass-casualty exercise. Officials want the trip to be as "hands-on" as possible, they said.
Trip planning starts about five months before the conference and includes hundreds of man-hours in preparation. Servicemembers from each of the services volunteer to serve as team leaders for the groups. A handful of other volunteers help round out the efforts.
David Evans, acting director of the Defense Department's Community Relations and Public Liaison office, said this type of conference is critical to giving community leaders an accurate picture of military life.
"The reason it's so important now is we have an entire generation that was not obligated to serve time in the military. They don't have a good idea of what the military is really about except what they see on T.V. So it is critical that we take these leaders out there to see what our military is doing day to day in forward deployed locations," Evans said.
Participants are nominated for the conference by senior military officials or alumni of the program and selected because of their influence. A conference fee paid by the participants covers their costs. This year's group includes doctors, government officials, businessmen and women and educators.
"What we're looking for is a good mix of business leaders, educators, centers of influence in metro areas -- places where there may not be a military installation and we think this might be something that will be worthwhile for them to experience," Evans said.
This is Coast Guard Lt. Sara Wallace's third JCOC to serve as a team leader. She has witnessed the enlightenment that happens as members of the group meet and talk with servicemembers and are able to see what they do in the field, Wallace said.
"By the end of the week the biggest change you see in the participants is just the awe, the wonderment. They can't say enough about the amount that each of the branches of service does. The amount of education they walk away with almost dumbfounds them," she said. And it's not the high-tech equipment that makes the biggest impression either, Wallace said.
"Usually it's just the (servicemembers) themselves. Every time someone goes on this trip they usually walk away impressed with the amount of responsibility that these young men and women are charged with and how much they have to handle," Wallace said.
The trip finishes back here Nov. 11 with a Veterans Day ceremony at the historic National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl. More than 44,000 U.S. war veterans and family members are buried in the 112-acre cemetery.
CENTCOM Commander Attends Khost Leadership Conference
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 5, 2007 - Khost Provincial Governor Arsala Jamal and all 12 of his district sub-governors hosted the first Khost Provincial Leadership Conference here Nov. 3. Also in attendance were Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of U.S Central Command, key leaders of the Afghan national security forces, and leaders from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.
Khost province is recognized by Afghan President Hamid Karzai and coalition commanders as the "provincial model of success." Khost has accomplished more in the past 10 months than in the previous five years, and that is due to the trust and collaborative efforts of all people living in Khost -- Afghans and coalition forces alike, officials said.
Jamal is leading and training his sub-governors and military leaders at the provincial and district levels to work directly with the people of Khost and in concert with the coalition units who train and live with their Afghan counterparts in all district centers in Khost. This arrangement has made it possible to remove the shackles of the Taliban and criminals and allow development, education, and security to flourish once again in Khost, officials said.
Army Lt. Col. Scott Custer, who commands the International Security Assistance Force unit in Khost, said Jamal wanted to meet with all the key players to help shape and develop the future of Khost. "This is a monumental day for Khost. The purpose of today's meeting is to build upon the strong relations among the central government of Khost province," Custer said. "Providing a forum for the sub-governors to discuss security matters with Governor Jamal and to create the provincial development and security plan for Khost over the next 12 to 24 months ensures continued growth throughout the province.
"Additionally, it provides the sub-governors the opportunity to share their methods of success with their peers and request any additional resources they may need from the governor to reach their goals. The responsibility is on their shoulders to take Khost into the next two years; the leaders and the people of Khost have ownership of their future."
Fallon praised Khost provincial and Afghan security forces leaders for their collaborative efforts and commitment toward building a safer province. He encouraged all Afghans to follow this example. "I've come here to see Khost for the first time," said Fallon, who visits Afghanistan frequently. "I see the security situation as very good. I am very happy with the (development) progress that I see. I am very, very pleased to be in the company of the governor."
When asked why Khost was important to him, Fallon replied, "Khost ... is a great example of good leadership with the governor (and) the sub-governors working closely with the ISAF units to provide security and stability for the people of this area, this province."
The CENTCOM commander added that Khost is the model that all other provinces should aspire to. "I want to encourage the governor and other leaders in the region to continue with the good work because I believe that this is a wonderful example to the whole country of Afghanistan," Fallon said.
Several government and security force leaders said the admiral's visit shows the strategic importance of Khost to the overall security of Afghanistan.
(From a Combined Joint Task Force 82 news release.)
Nov. 5, 2007 - Khost Provincial Governor Arsala Jamal and all 12 of his district sub-governors hosted the first Khost Provincial Leadership Conference here Nov. 3. Also in attendance were Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of U.S Central Command, key leaders of the Afghan national security forces, and leaders from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.
Khost province is recognized by Afghan President Hamid Karzai and coalition commanders as the "provincial model of success." Khost has accomplished more in the past 10 months than in the previous five years, and that is due to the trust and collaborative efforts of all people living in Khost -- Afghans and coalition forces alike, officials said.
Jamal is leading and training his sub-governors and military leaders at the provincial and district levels to work directly with the people of Khost and in concert with the coalition units who train and live with their Afghan counterparts in all district centers in Khost. This arrangement has made it possible to remove the shackles of the Taliban and criminals and allow development, education, and security to flourish once again in Khost, officials said.
Army Lt. Col. Scott Custer, who commands the International Security Assistance Force unit in Khost, said Jamal wanted to meet with all the key players to help shape and develop the future of Khost. "This is a monumental day for Khost. The purpose of today's meeting is to build upon the strong relations among the central government of Khost province," Custer said. "Providing a forum for the sub-governors to discuss security matters with Governor Jamal and to create the provincial development and security plan for Khost over the next 12 to 24 months ensures continued growth throughout the province.
"Additionally, it provides the sub-governors the opportunity to share their methods of success with their peers and request any additional resources they may need from the governor to reach their goals. The responsibility is on their shoulders to take Khost into the next two years; the leaders and the people of Khost have ownership of their future."
Fallon praised Khost provincial and Afghan security forces leaders for their collaborative efforts and commitment toward building a safer province. He encouraged all Afghans to follow this example. "I've come here to see Khost for the first time," said Fallon, who visits Afghanistan frequently. "I see the security situation as very good. I am very happy with the (development) progress that I see. I am very, very pleased to be in the company of the governor."
When asked why Khost was important to him, Fallon replied, "Khost ... is a great example of good leadership with the governor (and) the sub-governors working closely with the ISAF units to provide security and stability for the people of this area, this province."
The CENTCOM commander added that Khost is the model that all other provinces should aspire to. "I want to encourage the governor and other leaders in the region to continue with the good work because I believe that this is a wonderful example to the whole country of Afghanistan," Fallon said.
Several government and security force leaders said the admiral's visit shows the strategic importance of Khost to the overall security of Afghanistan.
(From a Combined Joint Task Force 82 news release.)
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
NOMINATION SEASON OPEN FOR 2008 SECRETARY OF DEFENSE EMPLOYER SUPPORT FREEDOM AWARD
National Guard and Reserve members and families encouraged to nominate supportive employers
The Department of Defense has opened the nomination season for the 2008 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. National Guard and Reserve members and their families are eligible and encouraged to nominate employers who have gone above and beyond in their support of military employees. Nominations will be accepted at www.esgr.mil from November 1, 2007 to January 21, 2008. The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award is the U.S. Government’s highest recognition given to outstanding employers.
The 2008 recipients will be announced in the spring and honored in Washington, D.C. at the 13th annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award ceremony on September 18, 2008. Recipients of the 2007 Freedom Award met with President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; Vice Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff Gen. James Cartwright presented the awards at a ceremony attended by members of Congress and senior government and military officials.
Almost one-half of the U.S. military is comprised of the National Guard and Reserve. The Department of Defense shares these citizen warriors with their civilian employers, many of whom provide significant support to their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. Past recipients of the Freedom Award have provided full salary, continuation of benefits, care packages and even home and lawn care to families of employees fulfilling their military obligation.
The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) to recognize exceptional support from the employer community.
ESGR is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972. Its mission is to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of the law, and resolving conflicts through informal mediation.
Previous Freedom Award recipients have included such large businesses as General Motors, Starbucks, Home Depot, American Express, Sears, General Electric, DuPont, and United Parcel Service; state and local governments, including the State of Tennessee and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and small businesses including the family owned Augustine & Sons farm in Rose Hill, IA and Turbocam International.
For questions regarding the nomination process, please contact Commander Craig Kujawa at 703.696.1386 x514.
The Department of Defense has opened the nomination season for the 2008 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. National Guard and Reserve members and their families are eligible and encouraged to nominate employers who have gone above and beyond in their support of military employees. Nominations will be accepted at www.esgr.mil from November 1, 2007 to January 21, 2008. The Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award is the U.S. Government’s highest recognition given to outstanding employers.
The 2008 recipients will be announced in the spring and honored in Washington, D.C. at the 13th annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award ceremony on September 18, 2008. Recipients of the 2007 Freedom Award met with President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; Vice Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff Gen. James Cartwright presented the awards at a ceremony attended by members of Congress and senior government and military officials.
Almost one-half of the U.S. military is comprised of the National Guard and Reserve. The Department of Defense shares these citizen warriors with their civilian employers, many of whom provide significant support to their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. Past recipients of the Freedom Award have provided full salary, continuation of benefits, care packages and even home and lawn care to families of employees fulfilling their military obligation.
The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) to recognize exceptional support from the employer community.
ESGR is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972. Its mission is to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of the law, and resolving conflicts through informal mediation.
Previous Freedom Award recipients have included such large businesses as General Motors, Starbucks, Home Depot, American Express, Sears, General Electric, DuPont, and United Parcel Service; state and local governments, including the State of Tennessee and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and small businesses including the family owned Augustine & Sons farm in Rose Hill, IA and Turbocam International.
For questions regarding the nomination process, please contact Commander Craig Kujawa at 703.696.1386 x514.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Gates Encouraged by Tenor of Meetings with Chinese
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 5, 2007 - A delegation of U.S. defense officials led by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was impressed with and encouraged by their Chinese counterparts here today. The tenor of the talks was the most encouraging development, senior defense officials said on background. "What was most important was that we had good, substantive talks on broad strategic themes and also some real concrete accomplishments," a senior official said.
The defense secretary had a busy day. The Chinese extended an official welcome to Gates at the Ba Yi Building, the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense. Gates then met with the Minister of National Defense Cao Gangchuan. He left there to meet with Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo. Following that, he returned to the Ba Yi Building for a meeting with Gen. Xu Caihou, the new vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and then with Gen. Guo Boxiong, the senior vice chairman of the commission.
"The overall tone and business-like effectiveness of the meetings were most important to us," the senior defense official said. "I was surprised by how interactive it was, how forthcoming the Chinese interlocutors were. These tend to be pretty scripted and a little turgid, but not today."
The meetings were an exchange of ideas and ways of thinking, officials said, adding that they were not meetings to twist arms or gain some advantage. No positions on either side were changed, but the quality of the discussions pointed to a new, more mature manner of exchanging military ideas.
The exchanges on Iran were a good measure of that, officials said. Both the United States and China oppose a nuclear-armed Iran. "(Both countries') position on Iran is that they prefer negotiations to conflict; they prefer negotiations to sanctions; they prefer negotiations and discussions," a senior U.S. official said. "They talked about why, and they talked about some of their analysis of the internal situation in Iran, and we had an exchange of views on that."
The Defense Department team told the Chinese that the United States thinks China and the rest of the international community need to apply economic pressure to get Iran to move forward. While the Chinese delegation didn't rule out economic sanctions on Iran, they didn't rush to agree with them. Still, U.S. officials said the U.S. delegation could understand the Chinese line of thought and how they arrived at the position they did. It was a form of transparency that U.S. officials have wanted China to adopt.
China is trying to develop energy security for the country's large and growing energy needs by dealing with Iran. "We pointed out to them that if Iran develops nuclear weapons it will destabilize the region and therefore destabilize your energy source," a senior defense official said. "A nuclear-armed Iran is something that neither we nor the Chinese are prepared to accept."
The parties made significant progress regarding a telephone link between the two countries' defense establishments. The talks today built on recent technical discussions at lower levels, and when those talks finish, the link will be installed. The direct link is a very big deal in China, as the country has never had such a link with even their closest allies in the past. Officials on both sides said the link will go far in helping eliminating misunderstandings and miscalculations.
The talks also looked at nuclear issues. "We're interested in having a better look at and understanding of their doctrine, their strategy, their force structure, how they see the use of nuclear forces, and also doing the same thing with them from our perspective," an official said. "It would be a real dialogue.
"We're not looking for all the details and secrets; we're looking for things that will give greater strategic stability," the official continued.
The next step is to get these talks on the agenda of the defense consultative talks that U.S. officials will have with the Chinese in the next month.
There also was progress on expanding bilateral exercises – especially naval exercises. In the past year, U.S. and Chinese ships held two combat search-and-rescue exercises, one off the coast of the United States and one off the coast of China. "We've agreed to do a more complicated naval exercise," an official said. "We've agreed to step it up, but how complex it will be remains to be agreed."
Officials expect the exercise will have more ships, helicopters and aircraft participating, but the scenario has not been scripted yet.
The Chinese discussed relations with Taiwan and told the Americans that they are concerned about Taiwanese activism toward independence. "There was not a lot new there," the official said, "but we do understand their concern."
Gates' discussions continue tomorrow when he will travel to the Great Hall of the People and meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao. Officials said they hope more progress can be made on Iran. "We hope that on Iran we would get a stronger understand of the importance of using all tools of diplomacy -- not just discussions, but sanctions and pressure, because just talking hasn't gotten us very far with Iran," the official said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 5, 2007 - A delegation of U.S. defense officials led by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was impressed with and encouraged by their Chinese counterparts here today. The tenor of the talks was the most encouraging development, senior defense officials said on background. "What was most important was that we had good, substantive talks on broad strategic themes and also some real concrete accomplishments," a senior official said.
The defense secretary had a busy day. The Chinese extended an official welcome to Gates at the Ba Yi Building, the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense. Gates then met with the Minister of National Defense Cao Gangchuan. He left there to meet with Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo. Following that, he returned to the Ba Yi Building for a meeting with Gen. Xu Caihou, the new vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and then with Gen. Guo Boxiong, the senior vice chairman of the commission.
"The overall tone and business-like effectiveness of the meetings were most important to us," the senior defense official said. "I was surprised by how interactive it was, how forthcoming the Chinese interlocutors were. These tend to be pretty scripted and a little turgid, but not today."
The meetings were an exchange of ideas and ways of thinking, officials said, adding that they were not meetings to twist arms or gain some advantage. No positions on either side were changed, but the quality of the discussions pointed to a new, more mature manner of exchanging military ideas.
The exchanges on Iran were a good measure of that, officials said. Both the United States and China oppose a nuclear-armed Iran. "(Both countries') position on Iran is that they prefer negotiations to conflict; they prefer negotiations to sanctions; they prefer negotiations and discussions," a senior U.S. official said. "They talked about why, and they talked about some of their analysis of the internal situation in Iran, and we had an exchange of views on that."
The Defense Department team told the Chinese that the United States thinks China and the rest of the international community need to apply economic pressure to get Iran to move forward. While the Chinese delegation didn't rule out economic sanctions on Iran, they didn't rush to agree with them. Still, U.S. officials said the U.S. delegation could understand the Chinese line of thought and how they arrived at the position they did. It was a form of transparency that U.S. officials have wanted China to adopt.
China is trying to develop energy security for the country's large and growing energy needs by dealing with Iran. "We pointed out to them that if Iran develops nuclear weapons it will destabilize the region and therefore destabilize your energy source," a senior defense official said. "A nuclear-armed Iran is something that neither we nor the Chinese are prepared to accept."
The parties made significant progress regarding a telephone link between the two countries' defense establishments. The talks today built on recent technical discussions at lower levels, and when those talks finish, the link will be installed. The direct link is a very big deal in China, as the country has never had such a link with even their closest allies in the past. Officials on both sides said the link will go far in helping eliminating misunderstandings and miscalculations.
The talks also looked at nuclear issues. "We're interested in having a better look at and understanding of their doctrine, their strategy, their force structure, how they see the use of nuclear forces, and also doing the same thing with them from our perspective," an official said. "It would be a real dialogue.
"We're not looking for all the details and secrets; we're looking for things that will give greater strategic stability," the official continued.
The next step is to get these talks on the agenda of the defense consultative talks that U.S. officials will have with the Chinese in the next month.
There also was progress on expanding bilateral exercises – especially naval exercises. In the past year, U.S. and Chinese ships held two combat search-and-rescue exercises, one off the coast of the United States and one off the coast of China. "We've agreed to do a more complicated naval exercise," an official said. "We've agreed to step it up, but how complex it will be remains to be agreed."
Officials expect the exercise will have more ships, helicopters and aircraft participating, but the scenario has not been scripted yet.
The Chinese discussed relations with Taiwan and told the Americans that they are concerned about Taiwanese activism toward independence. "There was not a lot new there," the official said, "but we do understand their concern."
Gates' discussions continue tomorrow when he will travel to the Great Hall of the People and meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao. Officials said they hope more progress can be made on Iran. "We hope that on Iran we would get a stronger understand of the importance of using all tools of diplomacy -- not just discussions, but sanctions and pressure, because just talking hasn't gotten us very far with Iran," the official said.
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Gates Arrives in China for Meetings With Leaders
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 4, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here today for meetings with Chinese civilian and military leaders. Gates and his delegation will discuss a full range of regional and global issues. Senior defense officials speaking on background said the secretary will stress moves the Chinese can make to reassure northeast Asian nations of their military intentions.
China has significantly increased its military budget, upping it $44 billion, and U.S. officials said they would like more details on Chinese military strategy.
"Building military capabilities is fine, but it would serve the interests of peace if they would say how they expect to use these capabilities," the official said. "We would like to encourage the Chinese to be more transparent."
The American delegations will seek more military exercises, more exchanges of military students and leaders and just more military-to-military contacts at all levels.
Gates is prepared to speak with the Chinese about Iranian nuclear ambitions, moves with North Korea and the war on terror. The U.S. delegation expects the Chinese to bring up Taiwan -- especially with the independence referendum on the ballot soon. President Bush has said the United States is against independence for the island nation.
Gates will spend two days in China then move to Korea for consultative talks. He ends his Asian trip with a stop in Japan for talks with civilian and military leaders.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 4, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here today for meetings with Chinese civilian and military leaders. Gates and his delegation will discuss a full range of regional and global issues. Senior defense officials speaking on background said the secretary will stress moves the Chinese can make to reassure northeast Asian nations of their military intentions.
China has significantly increased its military budget, upping it $44 billion, and U.S. officials said they would like more details on Chinese military strategy.
"Building military capabilities is fine, but it would serve the interests of peace if they would say how they expect to use these capabilities," the official said. "We would like to encourage the Chinese to be more transparent."
The American delegations will seek more military exercises, more exchanges of military students and leaders and just more military-to-military contacts at all levels.
Gates is prepared to speak with the Chinese about Iranian nuclear ambitions, moves with North Korea and the war on terror. The U.S. delegation expects the Chinese to bring up Taiwan -- especially with the independence referendum on the ballot soon. President Bush has said the United States is against independence for the island nation.
Gates will spend two days in China then move to Korea for consultative talks. He ends his Asian trip with a stop in Japan for talks with civilian and military leaders.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Gates Seeks to Bolster Defense Relationships in Asia
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 3, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will travel to China, Korea and Japan over the next six days in an effort to bolster U.S. defense relationships with those countries. Japan and the Republic of Korea are treaty allies of the United States, but China – an emerging world power – requires different handling, a senior defense official said yesterday, speaking on background.
"We've made a lot of progress (with China) over the past several years, and we want to do that," the official said. At the same time, Gates will communicate to Chinese leaders several areas of concern the United States has with the country.
Those areas are broadly listed as openness, transparency and understanding, the official said. The strategic intentions behind their defense policy, the military capabilities they are developing, the way they plan and think about military matters are "opaque," he said.
The Chinese defense budget jumped almost 18 percent in the most recent year to approximately $44 billion. This is what Chinese leaders have chosen to release to the public. The number may be much higher, said U.S. defense officials.
Critics in the United States see this as a sign of an aggressive China seeking hegemony first in Asia and then the world.
The lack of clarity has a potential to be destabilizing for East Asia and the rest of the world. China has not communicated the scope, the purpose or the scale of their military build up.
"It's not that we're looking at every tiny detail of every weapon system that they buy, but it's what is the role they plan to play in the world; how do they plan to play it; and especially what does their military build-up mean to us and the rest of the region," the official said.
There are certain areas in every country's military that are legitimately secret. "We're not asking for their secrets, but we're asking for information that will make us both more secure and the region more secure," the official said.
The Chinese anti-satellite test in January is a case in point. The test came out of the blue to U.S. and world leaders, he said.
"We're still looking for the kind of response from the Chinese that really helps us understand why they did it, what's the purpose to the capabilities they are developing and what their next steps are going to do," he said. "It's also unclear if the Chinese understand the kinds and levels of concern that we and other space-faring countries have (with the anti-satellite test)."
Gates will be the most senior U.S. official to meet with Chinese leaders since the 17th Communist Party Congress – "their version of an election" – was held in October, and the meetings will give him a change to gauge China's new leaders, the official said.
Gates would like to see a final agreement on the Defense Telephone Link between the Pentagon and counterparts in Beijing. This is a dedicated hot line that would allow U.S. and Chinese could use in the event of crises. The link is important both substantively and symbolically, the official said.
The American defense secretary is prepared to discuss a full range of important issues from Iran's nuclear program to steps in dismantling North Korea's reactors to concerns about cyber-security, the official said.
The Chinese will talk to Gates about Taiwan, the official said. Publicly, the Chinese are concerned about the up-coming referendum in Taiwan – which the United States also opposes. The U.S. position on Taiwan and reunification with China has not changed. U.S. actions in regard to Taiwan are governed by the One China Policy based on the Three Communiqués between the United States and China, the Taiwan Relations Act and a sincere desire to see reunification done in a peaceful manner.
In Korea, Gates will discuss progress on the peninsula, and continued Korean support for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The South Korean military has engineers and other troops in and around Irbil, Iraq. Coalition officials in Iraq said that the Koreans have added greatly to the security of the region.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban kidnapping of Korean Christians over the summer complicates the picture. The official said that the military alliance between Korea and the United States has gotten much stronger, and "the meeting should serve to acknowledge and strengthen the already excellent military relationships."
In Japan, Gates will discuss U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty realignment and host-nation support to U.S. troops based in the nation. He is also prepared to discuss Japanese support to the war on terror. The Japanese ended their most visible support by recalling oil tankers that refueled coalition vessels engaged in operations in the Indian Ocean.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 3, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will travel to China, Korea and Japan over the next six days in an effort to bolster U.S. defense relationships with those countries. Japan and the Republic of Korea are treaty allies of the United States, but China – an emerging world power – requires different handling, a senior defense official said yesterday, speaking on background.
"We've made a lot of progress (with China) over the past several years, and we want to do that," the official said. At the same time, Gates will communicate to Chinese leaders several areas of concern the United States has with the country.
Those areas are broadly listed as openness, transparency and understanding, the official said. The strategic intentions behind their defense policy, the military capabilities they are developing, the way they plan and think about military matters are "opaque," he said.
The Chinese defense budget jumped almost 18 percent in the most recent year to approximately $44 billion. This is what Chinese leaders have chosen to release to the public. The number may be much higher, said U.S. defense officials.
Critics in the United States see this as a sign of an aggressive China seeking hegemony first in Asia and then the world.
The lack of clarity has a potential to be destabilizing for East Asia and the rest of the world. China has not communicated the scope, the purpose or the scale of their military build up.
"It's not that we're looking at every tiny detail of every weapon system that they buy, but it's what is the role they plan to play in the world; how do they plan to play it; and especially what does their military build-up mean to us and the rest of the region," the official said.
There are certain areas in every country's military that are legitimately secret. "We're not asking for their secrets, but we're asking for information that will make us both more secure and the region more secure," the official said.
The Chinese anti-satellite test in January is a case in point. The test came out of the blue to U.S. and world leaders, he said.
"We're still looking for the kind of response from the Chinese that really helps us understand why they did it, what's the purpose to the capabilities they are developing and what their next steps are going to do," he said. "It's also unclear if the Chinese understand the kinds and levels of concern that we and other space-faring countries have (with the anti-satellite test)."
Gates will be the most senior U.S. official to meet with Chinese leaders since the 17th Communist Party Congress – "their version of an election" – was held in October, and the meetings will give him a change to gauge China's new leaders, the official said.
Gates would like to see a final agreement on the Defense Telephone Link between the Pentagon and counterparts in Beijing. This is a dedicated hot line that would allow U.S. and Chinese could use in the event of crises. The link is important both substantively and symbolically, the official said.
The American defense secretary is prepared to discuss a full range of important issues from Iran's nuclear program to steps in dismantling North Korea's reactors to concerns about cyber-security, the official said.
The Chinese will talk to Gates about Taiwan, the official said. Publicly, the Chinese are concerned about the up-coming referendum in Taiwan – which the United States also opposes. The U.S. position on Taiwan and reunification with China has not changed. U.S. actions in regard to Taiwan are governed by the One China Policy based on the Three Communiqués between the United States and China, the Taiwan Relations Act and a sincere desire to see reunification done in a peaceful manner.
In Korea, Gates will discuss progress on the peninsula, and continued Korean support for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The South Korean military has engineers and other troops in and around Irbil, Iraq. Coalition officials in Iraq said that the Koreans have added greatly to the security of the region.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban kidnapping of Korean Christians over the summer complicates the picture. The official said that the military alliance between Korea and the United States has gotten much stronger, and "the meeting should serve to acknowledge and strengthen the already excellent military relationships."
In Japan, Gates will discuss U.S.-Japan Defense Treaty realignment and host-nation support to U.S. troops based in the nation. He is also prepared to discuss Japanese support to the war on terror. The Japanese ended their most visible support by recalling oil tankers that refueled coalition vessels engaged in operations in the Indian Ocean.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Gates Honors Military Women During Memorial Celebration
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 3, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today paid tribute to women who have answered America's call to duty since the nation's founding during the Women in Military Service for America Memorial's 10th anniversary celebration here. Located here at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, the memorial is the only major national monument dedicated to all women who have defended America from the Revolutionary War through current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The memorial was dedicated Oct. 18, 1997, and opened to the public on October 20, 1997.
Gates, who served as the celebration's keynote speaker, said that women's military role has expanded since the memorial's dedication a decade ago.
"Consider that in 1997, when the memorial was new, few women staffed the crews of aircraft carriers. It is routine now," he told several hundred audience members gathered near the memorial's 30-foot high curved entrance.
"In 1997, women were new at training to be fighter pilots. Within weeks of September 11, 2001, female pilots were in the skies above Afghanistan – a reality that must have been a grim and galling surprise for the Taliban, who would not let a woman drive, educate herself, or even walk down a public street unescorted," Gates said as the crowed cheered boisterously.
"In every war and in every generation, American women have served the cause of freedom, going all the way back to the Revolution," Gates said of the roughly 2.5 million women who have served in the U.S. military. "A good deal has happened since the memorial went up ... (but) what has not changed is our respect for women throughout history who have stepped forward in defense of their families, their communities, and their country."
The secretary said women have "shared in the burdens and the tragedies of war," noting that nearly 100 women have been killed, and more than 550 wounded in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Dawn Halfaker, a retired Army captain injured in Iraq, was one of seven female servicemembers who addressed the audience during a portion of the ceremony called "Voices of the Women." A rocket-propelled grenade severely wounded Halfaker in 2004 while she was deployed with the 3rd Infantry Division.
Speaking on behalf of female servicemembers wounded in current U.S. operations, Halfaker told the hundreds of former female military members in the audience that the women of her generation are inspired by their great example.
Other women servicemembers joining Halfaker onstage were Lorraine S. Dieterle, a former member of the Coast Guard who photographed the Victory in Japan Day celebration in New York City's Times Square, and who helped establish the women's memorial, and Marsha L. Four, who served in the 18th Surgical Hospital in Vietnam as an intensive care nurse with the Army Nurse Corps.
Navy Capt. Maggie L. Richard, a 22-year veteran nurse, Air Force Brig. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson, Air Force director of public affairs, and Lance Cpl. Sona P. Babani, a native Iraqi turned U.S. citizen, represented the other "Voices of Women" speakers. The niece of Esther P. Corcoran, a 101 year-old who was one of the highest-ranking female officers in the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, and who fell ill before today's ceremony, addressed the crowed on her aunt's behalf.
Gordon H. Mansfield, acting secretary of Veterans Affairs, said the Women's Memorial reminds the country that equality in America was forged in large part by the courage and perseverance of military women.
"Today, in this time of war, Americans know and understand that women in uniform are and have been, a vital part of our national defense," he said. "Every day, American service women are putting their lives on the battle line.
"And because of that fact," he continued, "there is no question that they have earned and deserve our nation's honor, respect and gratitude."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 3, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today paid tribute to women who have answered America's call to duty since the nation's founding during the Women in Military Service for America Memorial's 10th anniversary celebration here. Located here at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, the memorial is the only major national monument dedicated to all women who have defended America from the Revolutionary War through current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The memorial was dedicated Oct. 18, 1997, and opened to the public on October 20, 1997.
Gates, who served as the celebration's keynote speaker, said that women's military role has expanded since the memorial's dedication a decade ago.
"Consider that in 1997, when the memorial was new, few women staffed the crews of aircraft carriers. It is routine now," he told several hundred audience members gathered near the memorial's 30-foot high curved entrance.
"In 1997, women were new at training to be fighter pilots. Within weeks of September 11, 2001, female pilots were in the skies above Afghanistan – a reality that must have been a grim and galling surprise for the Taliban, who would not let a woman drive, educate herself, or even walk down a public street unescorted," Gates said as the crowed cheered boisterously.
"In every war and in every generation, American women have served the cause of freedom, going all the way back to the Revolution," Gates said of the roughly 2.5 million women who have served in the U.S. military. "A good deal has happened since the memorial went up ... (but) what has not changed is our respect for women throughout history who have stepped forward in defense of their families, their communities, and their country."
The secretary said women have "shared in the burdens and the tragedies of war," noting that nearly 100 women have been killed, and more than 550 wounded in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Dawn Halfaker, a retired Army captain injured in Iraq, was one of seven female servicemembers who addressed the audience during a portion of the ceremony called "Voices of the Women." A rocket-propelled grenade severely wounded Halfaker in 2004 while she was deployed with the 3rd Infantry Division.
Speaking on behalf of female servicemembers wounded in current U.S. operations, Halfaker told the hundreds of former female military members in the audience that the women of her generation are inspired by their great example.
Other women servicemembers joining Halfaker onstage were Lorraine S. Dieterle, a former member of the Coast Guard who photographed the Victory in Japan Day celebration in New York City's Times Square, and who helped establish the women's memorial, and Marsha L. Four, who served in the 18th Surgical Hospital in Vietnam as an intensive care nurse with the Army Nurse Corps.
Navy Capt. Maggie L. Richard, a 22-year veteran nurse, Air Force Brig. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson, Air Force director of public affairs, and Lance Cpl. Sona P. Babani, a native Iraqi turned U.S. citizen, represented the other "Voices of Women" speakers. The niece of Esther P. Corcoran, a 101 year-old who was one of the highest-ranking female officers in the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, and who fell ill before today's ceremony, addressed the crowed on her aunt's behalf.
Gordon H. Mansfield, acting secretary of Veterans Affairs, said the Women's Memorial reminds the country that equality in America was forged in large part by the courage and perseverance of military women.
"Today, in this time of war, Americans know and understand that women in uniform are and have been, a vital part of our national defense," he said. "Every day, American service women are putting their lives on the battle line.
"And because of that fact," he continued, "there is no question that they have earned and deserve our nation's honor, respect and gratitude."
Becoming A Cop - The Blue And You
A police officer's world is populated by unsavory characters, regulated by laws, regulations and policies, and powered by spikes of adrenalin. A police officer's life is a balance between work and home, like every working person, but an officer's work is more than just their job—it is also who they are.
The uniform, badge and gear may come off when an officer reaches home, but the authority, sense of duty and commitment to community can never be laid aside. The training and dedication every officer carries with them is, and must be, ready to be put into action at a moment's notice—whether the officer is on duty or at home sipping a cool drink and grilling steaks.
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The uniform, badge and gear may come off when an officer reaches home, but the authority, sense of duty and commitment to community can never be laid aside. The training and dedication every officer carries with them is, and must be, ready to be put into action at a moment's notice—whether the officer is on duty or at home sipping a cool drink and grilling steaks.
READ ON
www.police-writers.com/becoming_a_cop.html
Mullen Discusses Initiatives, Progress in First Podcast
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 3, 2007 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff reported on progress in his three initiatives yesterday during an interview for his first "podcast" as chairman. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen had done regular podcasts when he served as Chief of Naval Operations and said he plans on continuing the practice as chairman. He assumed the position Oct. 1.
Developing a military strategy for the Middle East is top priority, Mullen said, and the United States has clear vital national interests in stability in the region.
"That is clearly a part of the world that needs our continued focus," the chairman said.
"It's very important that we continue to focus on Iraq and Afghanistan, but it's larger than that," Mullen said. "Certainly there are significant challenges being continuously raised by Iran. There is this concerted effort on the part of our government to work the Israeli-Palestinian issue. We've had some challenges with Syria."
The chairman said any strategy for the region must encourage the moderate countries in the region and strengthen the important friends the country has in the Persian Gulf.
"The idea is to have a military strategy across the full capabilities that we have and to do so in a way to stabilize that part of the world," he said.
The chairman's second priority is to reset, revitalize and reconstitute U.S. armed forces – especially the Army and Marine Corps. The ground forces have been "very pressed" since September 11, 2001 and they will continue to be worked hard for the foreseeable future, he said.
The chairman said he will look for ways to relieve the stress the forces face. While people are paramount, there are other considerations, he said.
"It's not just about people," he said. "It's about training and equipping now, and in the future as well. So when I talk reset, revitalize and reconstitute I want to talk and focus on all three of those aspects: people, training and equipment."
The military cannot concentrate on the Middle East and Central Asia to the exclusion of the rest of the world, Mullen said. The military needs to "balance or re-balance" the risks worldwide. The U.S. military has challenges and responsibilities worldwide.
"I want to look to balance these risks given the commitments we have and the challenging world that we're living in," he said.
The first trip the chairman took was to Iraq and Afghanistan. He said it was important to him that those were his first destinations.
"I found our troops just performing magnificently with good morale," he said. "(They were) carrying out their missions with great pride, making a difference. Yet they are tired."
The chairman met troops in the 14th month of a 15-month deployment.
"I can't overstate how great they've been in carrying out the mission they've been asked to do," he said. He said the 15-month deployments are long. Most of the soldiers will have a dwell-time at home for a year and then will go back to a combat zone. "I believe, we've got to move from this 15-month deployment and 12 months back to 12-month deployments and 15 months back, as soon as possible," he said.
The chairman also traveled Fort Sill, Okla., and Fort Riley, Kan., to meet with soldiers, especially mid-level NCOs and officers.
"They are looking for a break. They want to spend time with their families. They love what they're doing, yet they have long-term concerns as to whether this is the right career path for them," the chairman said. "I tell them this is the most combat-hardened force that we have ever had. They are so valuable. They are the seeds for getting our Army and Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force right for the future."
Mullen said he wants servicemembers to know that Defense Department leaders understand and acknowledge these problems and challenges exist, "and we're doing a lot to work on them to solve them, to get it right for their future so that we get it right for the future of our armed forces."
Families are a continued focus for Mullen and other military leaders.
"We have to take into consideration families' needs when we move people around or we don't move people around," he said. "We have to give them more stability."
The military needs to provide more stability and more predictability, "as best we can do that in what is a pretty unpredictable world," Mullen said. "We have to take families into account as we make career decisions about where we move soldiers. So many young officers I spoke to last week in Fort Riley and Sill had moved several times. That's tough for the families."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 3, 2007 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff reported on progress in his three initiatives yesterday during an interview for his first "podcast" as chairman. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen had done regular podcasts when he served as Chief of Naval Operations and said he plans on continuing the practice as chairman. He assumed the position Oct. 1.
Developing a military strategy for the Middle East is top priority, Mullen said, and the United States has clear vital national interests in stability in the region.
"That is clearly a part of the world that needs our continued focus," the chairman said.
"It's very important that we continue to focus on Iraq and Afghanistan, but it's larger than that," Mullen said. "Certainly there are significant challenges being continuously raised by Iran. There is this concerted effort on the part of our government to work the Israeli-Palestinian issue. We've had some challenges with Syria."
The chairman said any strategy for the region must encourage the moderate countries in the region and strengthen the important friends the country has in the Persian Gulf.
"The idea is to have a military strategy across the full capabilities that we have and to do so in a way to stabilize that part of the world," he said.
The chairman's second priority is to reset, revitalize and reconstitute U.S. armed forces – especially the Army and Marine Corps. The ground forces have been "very pressed" since September 11, 2001 and they will continue to be worked hard for the foreseeable future, he said.
The chairman said he will look for ways to relieve the stress the forces face. While people are paramount, there are other considerations, he said.
"It's not just about people," he said. "It's about training and equipping now, and in the future as well. So when I talk reset, revitalize and reconstitute I want to talk and focus on all three of those aspects: people, training and equipment."
The military cannot concentrate on the Middle East and Central Asia to the exclusion of the rest of the world, Mullen said. The military needs to "balance or re-balance" the risks worldwide. The U.S. military has challenges and responsibilities worldwide.
"I want to look to balance these risks given the commitments we have and the challenging world that we're living in," he said.
The first trip the chairman took was to Iraq and Afghanistan. He said it was important to him that those were his first destinations.
"I found our troops just performing magnificently with good morale," he said. "(They were) carrying out their missions with great pride, making a difference. Yet they are tired."
The chairman met troops in the 14th month of a 15-month deployment.
"I can't overstate how great they've been in carrying out the mission they've been asked to do," he said. He said the 15-month deployments are long. Most of the soldiers will have a dwell-time at home for a year and then will go back to a combat zone. "I believe, we've got to move from this 15-month deployment and 12 months back to 12-month deployments and 15 months back, as soon as possible," he said.
The chairman also traveled Fort Sill, Okla., and Fort Riley, Kan., to meet with soldiers, especially mid-level NCOs and officers.
"They are looking for a break. They want to spend time with their families. They love what they're doing, yet they have long-term concerns as to whether this is the right career path for them," the chairman said. "I tell them this is the most combat-hardened force that we have ever had. They are so valuable. They are the seeds for getting our Army and Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force right for the future."
Mullen said he wants servicemembers to know that Defense Department leaders understand and acknowledge these problems and challenges exist, "and we're doing a lot to work on them to solve them, to get it right for their future so that we get it right for the future of our armed forces."
Families are a continued focus for Mullen and other military leaders.
"We have to take into consideration families' needs when we move people around or we don't move people around," he said. "We have to give them more stability."
The military needs to provide more stability and more predictability, "as best we can do that in what is a pretty unpredictable world," Mullen said. "We have to take families into account as we make career decisions about where we move soldiers. So many young officers I spoke to last week in Fort Riley and Sill had moved several times. That's tough for the families."
When Your Child is Missing: A Family Survival Guide.
What do to if your Child is Missing provides parents with the most current information on, and helpful insights into, what families should do when a child is missing. The first edition of this Guide was written in 1998 by parents and family members who have experienced the disappearance of a child. It contains their combined advice concerning what to expect when a child is missing, what needs to be done, and where to go for help. It explains the role that various agencies and organizations play in the search for a missing child and discusses some of the important issues that need to be considered. The Guide is divided into seven chapters, each of which is structured to allow information to be found quickly and easily. Each chapter explains both the short- and long-term issues and contains a checklist and chapter summary for later reference. A list of recommended readings and a list of public and private resources appear at the back of the Guide. This third edition of the Guide was published in 2004.
DOWNLOAD THE MANUAL
http://www.hitechcj.com/missing_child.html
DOWNLOAD THE MANUAL
http://www.hitechcj.com/missing_child.html
Military Legal Resources
The U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Legal Center & School Library in Charlottesville, VA, holds extensive collections of primary source materials and publications in the field of military law. Selections from these collections are now being made accessible in full text PDF versions via the Library of Congress Federal Research Division (FRD) Web site. As more materials are converted to digital formats, they will be added to this page. Samples of the currently available, downloadable, documents are: Operational Law Handbook, 2007; Geneva Conventions; The Army Lawyer (1971-2007); War Crimes Trials Materials; Army JAG Corps Historical Monographs; Military Law Review (1958-2007); Manuals for Courts-Martial; UCMJ Legislative History; U.S. Army TJAGLCS: Selected Theses; U.S. Army Field Manuals; Ethics Handbook for Army Leaders; Army Regulations; and, Military Law Historical Monographs, Studies, Texts and Treatises.
You can access this material at:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/military-legal-resources-home.html
You can access this material at:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/military-legal-resources-home.html
Friday, November 02, 2007
Gates to Visit China, Korea, Japan
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 1, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today announced he will leave Nov. 4 for a six-day trip to China, Korea and Japan. "In Tokyo and Seoul, I'll touch base with two valued friends going back five decades and two strong partners in the war on terror," he said during a Pentagon news conference. "With regard to China, it will be a chance to keep open the lines of communication and strengthen the relationship between our two countries."
The secretary stated that he does not consider China a military threat to the United States. "I have concerns with a variety of the military programs they have under way, developmental programs," he said. "I have concerns with the lack of transparency. Those are the issue we will be talking about in addition to the ways we can strengthen the relationship."
In Korea, Gates will participate in the 39th annual Defense Consultative Meeting. Civilian and military leaders will discuss the way forward for the U.S.-Republic of Korea Pact.
In Japan, Gates will meet with his new counterpart Shigeru Ishiba and discuss Japan ending its refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. Japanese oilers refueled coalition ships supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The government of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has not been able to get authorization through the Japanese Diet, the country's legislature, even though the government wants to continue the mission.
Gates said Japan ending the mission will not have an impact on the U.S.-Japan defense relationship. "My hope is that relatively soon -- in a matter of weeks and not more, I hope, than a few months -- this assistance will be renewed," he said.
Gates said he welcomes Japan's partnership in the war on terror and said the country is combating terrorism in other ways. "But this is important, and we hope it will be renewed," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 1, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today announced he will leave Nov. 4 for a six-day trip to China, Korea and Japan. "In Tokyo and Seoul, I'll touch base with two valued friends going back five decades and two strong partners in the war on terror," he said during a Pentagon news conference. "With regard to China, it will be a chance to keep open the lines of communication and strengthen the relationship between our two countries."
The secretary stated that he does not consider China a military threat to the United States. "I have concerns with a variety of the military programs they have under way, developmental programs," he said. "I have concerns with the lack of transparency. Those are the issue we will be talking about in addition to the ways we can strengthen the relationship."
In Korea, Gates will participate in the 39th annual Defense Consultative Meeting. Civilian and military leaders will discuss the way forward for the U.S.-Republic of Korea Pact.
In Japan, Gates will meet with his new counterpart Shigeru Ishiba and discuss Japan ending its refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. Japanese oilers refueled coalition ships supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The government of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has not been able to get authorization through the Japanese Diet, the country's legislature, even though the government wants to continue the mission.
Gates said Japan ending the mission will not have an impact on the U.S.-Japan defense relationship. "My hope is that relatively soon -- in a matter of weeks and not more, I hope, than a few months -- this assistance will be renewed," he said.
Gates said he welcomes Japan's partnership in the war on terror and said the country is combating terrorism in other ways. "But this is important, and we hope it will be renewed," he said.
Face of Defense: Bagram Airman Uses Music to Bring Families Together
By Capt. Michael Meridith, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 2, 2007 - Thousands of miles from home, one airman here is finding a way to bring servicemembers a little closer to their families. For the last few weeks, Air Force Master Sgt. Tim Chandler of Ashland, Ohio, a member of 455th Expeditionary Communications Flight, has been hosting an Internet-based radio show during his free time, giving Bagram airmen a vehicle to send long-distance dedications back home to their loved ones.
"I started practicing in May while I was still back in the States, and when I told the station manager (for the Web-based "Taboo Radio") I was coming over here, he suggested that I do a show for the troops," Chandler said. "I thought it was a cool idea."
Chandler, who goes by the handle "Guardstar" while on the air, has about 60 listeners from across the globe, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. However, he said, audience response has been so positive that plans are in the works to expand his show's capability so it can support up to 500 listeners.
"I think it is a great idea, and all of us here (in the U.S.) are behind the effort totally," Tom Pepple, the Taboo Radio station manager, said in an interview during the live show. "It is nice to see the response."
Chandler attributes some of his show's popularity to its eclectic mix of country, pop and oldies from the 1960s and 1970s, but mostly to the patriotism and compassion of his audience.
"(The listeners) all want to adopt the troops and be their pen pals," Guardstar said. "We've also received lots of packages with blankets and clothes people have donated for the Afghans."
Air Force Staff Sgt. John DeLeon, a singer/songwriter from Redlands, Calif., and currently assigned to 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight, said Chandler's efforts have opened an important communications channel between the airmen of Bagram and the rest of the world.
"We're so remote that people don't understand that we have real lives and real feelings out here. Being able to use an artistic ability to give some people gratification is really rewarding," said DeLeon, who performs his songs on the show.
For Chandler, the most fulfilling part of the show remains bringing airmen and loved ones together. "One of my first guests sent a greeting home to his wife and daughter -- he has a three-and-a-half-year-old little girl – and afterwards his wife told him that she was laughing and crying at the same time and his daughter was looking at the computer and saying, 'Daddy is in there!' When you hear that, it makes you feel good," he said.
(Air Force Capt. Michael Meridith is assigned to 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 2, 2007 - Thousands of miles from home, one airman here is finding a way to bring servicemembers a little closer to their families. For the last few weeks, Air Force Master Sgt. Tim Chandler of Ashland, Ohio, a member of 455th Expeditionary Communications Flight, has been hosting an Internet-based radio show during his free time, giving Bagram airmen a vehicle to send long-distance dedications back home to their loved ones.
"I started practicing in May while I was still back in the States, and when I told the station manager (for the Web-based "Taboo Radio") I was coming over here, he suggested that I do a show for the troops," Chandler said. "I thought it was a cool idea."
Chandler, who goes by the handle "Guardstar" while on the air, has about 60 listeners from across the globe, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. However, he said, audience response has been so positive that plans are in the works to expand his show's capability so it can support up to 500 listeners.
"I think it is a great idea, and all of us here (in the U.S.) are behind the effort totally," Tom Pepple, the Taboo Radio station manager, said in an interview during the live show. "It is nice to see the response."
Chandler attributes some of his show's popularity to its eclectic mix of country, pop and oldies from the 1960s and 1970s, but mostly to the patriotism and compassion of his audience.
"(The listeners) all want to adopt the troops and be their pen pals," Guardstar said. "We've also received lots of packages with blankets and clothes people have donated for the Afghans."
Air Force Staff Sgt. John DeLeon, a singer/songwriter from Redlands, Calif., and currently assigned to 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight, said Chandler's efforts have opened an important communications channel between the airmen of Bagram and the rest of the world.
"We're so remote that people don't understand that we have real lives and real feelings out here. Being able to use an artistic ability to give some people gratification is really rewarding," said DeLeon, who performs his songs on the show.
For Chandler, the most fulfilling part of the show remains bringing airmen and loved ones together. "One of my first guests sent a greeting home to his wife and daughter -- he has a three-and-a-half-year-old little girl – and afterwards his wife told him that she was laughing and crying at the same time and his daughter was looking at the computer and saying, 'Daddy is in there!' When you hear that, it makes you feel good," he said.
(Air Force Capt. Michael Meridith is assigned to 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)
Why We Serve: Army Captain Cites Communication for Iraq Success
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 2, 2007 - An Army officer who commanded an infantry company in Iraq says enhanced communication with local Iraqis increased civic cooperation and boosted stability within his area of operations. Capt. Cedric L. Burden, 32, deployed to Iraq in September 2005 for a one-year tour of duty. Burden's unit was responsible for conducting security operations in an area about 18 miles west of Kirkuk.
"It was more like Dodge City," Burden said of the situation when he arrived in Iraq, comparing his area of operations to the wild Kansas frontier town of America's Old West.
Burden said he quickly realized that mission success would be predicated on gaining the respect and trust of the Iraqi citizens he and his soldiers were pledged to protect. The captain directed his troops to get out of their vehicles during patrols and walk among and communicate with local residents.
"It showed that we're here for security, but we didn't want to 'bully' them off their own streets," he explained.
Getting to know the Iraqi people was a turning point, Burden recalled. "We went from people not even speaking to us, to having Iraqis knowing our names," he said.
As relations improved, more Iraqis came forward with information that was used to disrupt insurgent operations, and instances of violence decreased, the Gary, Ind.-born officer said.
Burden is among a group of 10 servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community, business, veterans and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
Why We Serve began in fall 2006 and was originally the idea of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Burden and the other nine servicemembers in his group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.
Burden, who wanted to be a soldier since he was a young child, also wants to tell speaking-tour audiences about the importance of supporting U.S. servicemembers. "It's important to support soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen," Burden said. "Freedom isn't free, and someone has to do hard things during hard times."
There "is no greater honor" than to serve your country in its time of need, the captain said.
Military service is "a noble thing to do, because it is being selfless," Burden said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 2, 2007 - An Army officer who commanded an infantry company in Iraq says enhanced communication with local Iraqis increased civic cooperation and boosted stability within his area of operations. Capt. Cedric L. Burden, 32, deployed to Iraq in September 2005 for a one-year tour of duty. Burden's unit was responsible for conducting security operations in an area about 18 miles west of Kirkuk.
"It was more like Dodge City," Burden said of the situation when he arrived in Iraq, comparing his area of operations to the wild Kansas frontier town of America's Old West.
Burden said he quickly realized that mission success would be predicated on gaining the respect and trust of the Iraqi citizens he and his soldiers were pledged to protect. The captain directed his troops to get out of their vehicles during patrols and walk among and communicate with local residents.
"It showed that we're here for security, but we didn't want to 'bully' them off their own streets," he explained.
Getting to know the Iraqi people was a turning point, Burden recalled. "We went from people not even speaking to us, to having Iraqis knowing our names," he said.
As relations improved, more Iraqis came forward with information that was used to disrupt insurgent operations, and instances of violence decreased, the Gary, Ind.-born officer said.
Burden is among a group of 10 servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community, business, veterans and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
Why We Serve began in fall 2006 and was originally the idea of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Burden and the other nine servicemembers in his group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.
Burden, who wanted to be a soldier since he was a young child, also wants to tell speaking-tour audiences about the importance of supporting U.S. servicemembers. "It's important to support soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen," Burden said. "Freedom isn't free, and someone has to do hard things during hard times."
There "is no greater honor" than to serve your country in its time of need, the captain said.
Military service is "a noble thing to do, because it is being selfless," Burden said.
Troops Warned of Blood Clot Risk, Especially During Deployments
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 2, 2007 - The wife of an NBC News correspondent who died of a blood clot while embedded with a U.S. unit during the Iraq invasion is working to increase awareness to prevent others from sharing her husband's fate. Melanie Bloom remembers getting a call from her husband, David Bloom, who was embedded with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division as it approached Baghdad on April 4, 2003. Bloom whispered into the satellite phone, explaining that he was sleeping on the fender of his retrofitted tank and didn't want to be overheard and risk getting attacked. He was sleeping outside so he could stretch out his legs, which had been cramping up inside the confines of the tank, he told his wife.
Two days later, the award-winning journalist who brought the sights and sounds of war into America's living rooms live from his "Bloom-mobile" was dead at age 39. He died of deep-vein thrombosis, or DVT, and a related condition called a pulmonary embolism, in which a blood clot broke free from a vein in his leg and moved into his lung.
Bloom's death brought widespread attention to a killer that claims 300,000 Americans every year -- more than AIDs and breast cancer combined, said Melanie Bloom, who's become a national spokeswoman raising awareness about the affliction that claimed her husband.
Servicemembers in circumstances like Bloom's -- spending long periods in close quarters that limit their ability to move and dehydrated due to heat and failure to drink enough water -- are particularly at risk, she said. In addition, like many deployed troops, Bloom had spent many hours on long flights that limited his mobility.
An autopsy revealed that Bloom also had an undiagnosed blood disorder that increased his risk of DVT. He had no family history of blood clots and, except for his cramped legs, appeared to be the picture of health, his wife said.
Like families of troops serving in the combat zone, Melanie Bloom had fears about her husband's safety while he was in Iraq, she said during a joint interview yesterday with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service. What she hadn't expected was that he'd die from "the bomb within his own body" that would take his life so quickly, she said.
Expressing gratitude for the way the military reached out to her and her three daughters after her husband's death, Melanie said she's now dedicating herself to ensure servicemembers and others recognize the dangers of DVT and take steps to protect themselves.
She urged troops to arm themselves with information so they can be proactive in their own health care. "You are in dangerous places, and you are risking your life every day for our country," she said. "My message for the troops is: In the areas that you can, take care of your health and stay healthy and alive."
She encourages troops and everyone else whose mobility is restricted for long periods to pump their legs up and down to stimulate circulation. This works just about anywhere DVT might strike: on an airplane, in a bus or tank, or even at a computer desk, she said. "If one person hears this and lives, if one life is saved, then David's death is not in vain," she said.
Army Dr. (Col.) David Gillespie, chief of vascular surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, in Bethesda, Md., said there's no evidence that military people suffer from DVT at higher rates than the general population.
But U.S. troops, including those in a combat zone, have died of the disease, which strikes without warning or with symptoms that some people dismiss as temporary annoyances, he said.
Gillespie cited two military populations at the highest risk: ground troops in Iraq or Afghanistan in restricted environments, particularly in high temperatures that can lead to dehydration, and wounded troops whose mobility is restricted.
He credits strict "water discipline" within the military, in which leaders ensure their troops drink sufficient water, with helping reduce the incidence of DVT. Another factor is the stringent pre-deployment medical screening troops undergo before leaving for a combat theater, he said.
Gillespie urged troops to ensure their doctors know if they have any family history of blood clots. And he emphasized the importance of seeking medical advice quickly if they notice symptoms -- particularly swelling or discoloration in one leg, and tight, shiny, painful skin around it.
The military has state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment to diagnose DVT, even at forward locations, he said. Often it takes little more than a handheld ultrasound machine to make a diagnosis. "So we can make the diagnosis, and we treat it on the spot," Gillespie said.
Typically treatment involves a blood thinner injection to stabilize the clot while the body deploys its own clot-busting defenses, he said. And the earlier the diagnosis is made and treatment begins, the fewer complications are likely to occur, he said.
Wounded troops who are immobile for long periods and particularly susceptible to DVT should get preventative care to protect against it, he said.
Despite the emphasis on ground troops' vulnerability, Gillespie called DVT an equal-opportunity killer that doesn't discriminate between services. "All services are at risk," he said, regardless of whether the person afflicted is a shipboard sailor, a flight mechanic or a nurse operating on a vessel at sea.
"If you are traveling long distances, if you are in hot environments, you need to stay hydrated, and you need to stay mobile," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 2, 2007 - The wife of an NBC News correspondent who died of a blood clot while embedded with a U.S. unit during the Iraq invasion is working to increase awareness to prevent others from sharing her husband's fate. Melanie Bloom remembers getting a call from her husband, David Bloom, who was embedded with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division as it approached Baghdad on April 4, 2003. Bloom whispered into the satellite phone, explaining that he was sleeping on the fender of his retrofitted tank and didn't want to be overheard and risk getting attacked. He was sleeping outside so he could stretch out his legs, which had been cramping up inside the confines of the tank, he told his wife.
Two days later, the award-winning journalist who brought the sights and sounds of war into America's living rooms live from his "Bloom-mobile" was dead at age 39. He died of deep-vein thrombosis, or DVT, and a related condition called a pulmonary embolism, in which a blood clot broke free from a vein in his leg and moved into his lung.
Bloom's death brought widespread attention to a killer that claims 300,000 Americans every year -- more than AIDs and breast cancer combined, said Melanie Bloom, who's become a national spokeswoman raising awareness about the affliction that claimed her husband.
Servicemembers in circumstances like Bloom's -- spending long periods in close quarters that limit their ability to move and dehydrated due to heat and failure to drink enough water -- are particularly at risk, she said. In addition, like many deployed troops, Bloom had spent many hours on long flights that limited his mobility.
An autopsy revealed that Bloom also had an undiagnosed blood disorder that increased his risk of DVT. He had no family history of blood clots and, except for his cramped legs, appeared to be the picture of health, his wife said.
Like families of troops serving in the combat zone, Melanie Bloom had fears about her husband's safety while he was in Iraq, she said during a joint interview yesterday with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service. What she hadn't expected was that he'd die from "the bomb within his own body" that would take his life so quickly, she said.
Expressing gratitude for the way the military reached out to her and her three daughters after her husband's death, Melanie said she's now dedicating herself to ensure servicemembers and others recognize the dangers of DVT and take steps to protect themselves.
She urged troops to arm themselves with information so they can be proactive in their own health care. "You are in dangerous places, and you are risking your life every day for our country," she said. "My message for the troops is: In the areas that you can, take care of your health and stay healthy and alive."
She encourages troops and everyone else whose mobility is restricted for long periods to pump their legs up and down to stimulate circulation. This works just about anywhere DVT might strike: on an airplane, in a bus or tank, or even at a computer desk, she said. "If one person hears this and lives, if one life is saved, then David's death is not in vain," she said.
Army Dr. (Col.) David Gillespie, chief of vascular surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, in Bethesda, Md., said there's no evidence that military people suffer from DVT at higher rates than the general population.
But U.S. troops, including those in a combat zone, have died of the disease, which strikes without warning or with symptoms that some people dismiss as temporary annoyances, he said.
Gillespie cited two military populations at the highest risk: ground troops in Iraq or Afghanistan in restricted environments, particularly in high temperatures that can lead to dehydration, and wounded troops whose mobility is restricted.
He credits strict "water discipline" within the military, in which leaders ensure their troops drink sufficient water, with helping reduce the incidence of DVT. Another factor is the stringent pre-deployment medical screening troops undergo before leaving for a combat theater, he said.
Gillespie urged troops to ensure their doctors know if they have any family history of blood clots. And he emphasized the importance of seeking medical advice quickly if they notice symptoms -- particularly swelling or discoloration in one leg, and tight, shiny, painful skin around it.
The military has state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment to diagnose DVT, even at forward locations, he said. Often it takes little more than a handheld ultrasound machine to make a diagnosis. "So we can make the diagnosis, and we treat it on the spot," Gillespie said.
Typically treatment involves a blood thinner injection to stabilize the clot while the body deploys its own clot-busting defenses, he said. And the earlier the diagnosis is made and treatment begins, the fewer complications are likely to occur, he said.
Wounded troops who are immobile for long periods and particularly susceptible to DVT should get preventative care to protect against it, he said.
Despite the emphasis on ground troops' vulnerability, Gillespie called DVT an equal-opportunity killer that doesn't discriminate between services. "All services are at risk," he said, regardless of whether the person afflicted is a shipboard sailor, a flight mechanic or a nurse operating on a vessel at sea.
"If you are traveling long distances, if you are in hot environments, you need to stay hydrated, and you need to stay mobile," he said.
Americans Can Text 'Thanks' to Troops
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 2, 2007 - For those seeking a quick way to show appreciation to troops serving far from home this holiday season, look no further than "Giving Thanks," a new initiative from the Defense Department's America Supports You program. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"This is a simple way to connect our citizens to our soldiers using modern technology," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison.
Between 6 a.m. Nov. 17 and midnight Nov. 22, people wishing to express gratitude to the troops for their service can text a brief one- or two-line message to 89279. Each text message sent will receive a response from an active-duty servicemember.
"We know that thousands of families will be sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner and thinking about loved ones who are far away from home serving their country," Barber said. "We are counting on other American families to take a moment during their holiday celebration to think of those families and their family members who are serving and say, 'Thanks.'
"The reassurance that others are thinking about them will mean a lot to our troops," Barber added.
Those who send a message during the six days of the "Giving Thanks" program also will be directed to the America Supports You Web site. There they'll find a sampling of messages from the public and a running tally of how many messages have been received. They'll also be able to read messages from the troops.
Some servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan already have sent messages thanking the public for the support. Angie, an airman serving in Iraq, wrote: "Your support means so much, especially during the holidays. God Bless."
Members of Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan also wrote to express their appreciation for the continued support they receive: "To all the great Americans who go out of their way to support all the Soldiers of the Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan -- Thank You."
Barber is hoping troops around the globe will participate, as well. Troops serving anywhere in the world can e-mail a brief message to americasupportsyou@osd.mil to communicate their gratitude for support from back home. Responses must be received by Nov. 9.
In an effort to reach the Hispanic community, which is represented in large numbers in the armed services, America Supports You is working with Interlex, an advertising, marketing and public relations firm with multicultural capabilities.
"What we are doing is complementing the general market efforts to mobilize the Hispanic community to become involved in America Supports You," said Rolando Rodriguez, Interlex's managing director for public relations and community-based outreach. "Obviously that's important because many Hispanics do consume different press than the general market would."
The firm's goal is to inform the Hispanic communities that a number of Hispanic youth are serving in the military. "There (also) are a number of Hispanic families that (will be) impacted during the holidays because (the servicemembers) are not sitting at the table with them, so it's important to show their appreciation," Rodriguez said.
He added that his team is working to get the message out to the Hispanic communities in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas through Spanish-language media outlets, as well as entertainment and sporting venues. These are the same types of venues that will carry information about the America Supports You "Giving Thanks" program to the general market.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 2, 2007 - For those seeking a quick way to show appreciation to troops serving far from home this holiday season, look no further than "Giving Thanks," a new initiative from the Defense Department's America Supports You program. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"This is a simple way to connect our citizens to our soldiers using modern technology," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison.
Between 6 a.m. Nov. 17 and midnight Nov. 22, people wishing to express gratitude to the troops for their service can text a brief one- or two-line message to 89279. Each text message sent will receive a response from an active-duty servicemember.
"We know that thousands of families will be sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner and thinking about loved ones who are far away from home serving their country," Barber said. "We are counting on other American families to take a moment during their holiday celebration to think of those families and their family members who are serving and say, 'Thanks.'
"The reassurance that others are thinking about them will mean a lot to our troops," Barber added.
Those who send a message during the six days of the "Giving Thanks" program also will be directed to the America Supports You Web site. There they'll find a sampling of messages from the public and a running tally of how many messages have been received. They'll also be able to read messages from the troops.
Some servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan already have sent messages thanking the public for the support. Angie, an airman serving in Iraq, wrote: "Your support means so much, especially during the holidays. God Bless."
Members of Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan also wrote to express their appreciation for the continued support they receive: "To all the great Americans who go out of their way to support all the Soldiers of the Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan -- Thank You."
Barber is hoping troops around the globe will participate, as well. Troops serving anywhere in the world can e-mail a brief message to americasupportsyou@osd.mil to communicate their gratitude for support from back home. Responses must be received by Nov. 9.
In an effort to reach the Hispanic community, which is represented in large numbers in the armed services, America Supports You is working with Interlex, an advertising, marketing and public relations firm with multicultural capabilities.
"What we are doing is complementing the general market efforts to mobilize the Hispanic community to become involved in America Supports You," said Rolando Rodriguez, Interlex's managing director for public relations and community-based outreach. "Obviously that's important because many Hispanics do consume different press than the general market would."
The firm's goal is to inform the Hispanic communities that a number of Hispanic youth are serving in the military. "There (also) are a number of Hispanic families that (will be) impacted during the holidays because (the servicemembers) are not sitting at the table with them, so it's important to show their appreciation," Rodriguez said.
He added that his team is working to get the message out to the Hispanic communities in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas through Spanish-language media outlets, as well as entertainment and sporting venues. These are the same types of venues that will carry information about the America Supports You "Giving Thanks" program to the general market.
Army Withdraws Command Post from California Wildfire Duty
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 1, 2007 - An Army organization that provides support to civil authorities during emergencies is withdrawing its command-and-control detail from southern California, according to a U.S. Army North news release. The nearly 70 departing servicemembers belong to San Antonio-based U.S. Army North, a component of U.S. Northern Command, the unified command on Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., that's responsible for homeland defense and civil support.
Since Oct. 25, the Army command post coordinated Defense Department assets in fighting a series of wildfires that raged across southern California.
Army North will keep Col. Mark Armstrong in southern California for now as the Defense Department's senior representative on the ground to facilitate requests from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the lead federal agency assigned to California wildfire-fighting efforts.
Meanwhile, an eight-person Joint Task Force Civil Support planning team from Fort Monroe, Va., is being deployed to Sacramento, Calif., to support the state's Army and Air National Guard's planning effort, NORTHCOM officials said. The team consists of military planners with expertise in medicine; intelligence; logistics; military operations; air operations; and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives. It will work out of the state's Joint Force Headquarters.
The joint task force provides operational control of federal military forces deployed to support civilian agencies in emergencies. Its mission is to save lives and prevent injury.
Other military air and ground assets in California continue to assist as the wildfires are extinguished. California fire control officials have said they expect the fires to be out by tomorrow.
Nearly 3,000 California Guardsmen have been employed in firefighting, security and communications duties.
The wildfires destroyed more than 2,700 buildings. More than 500,000 people were evacuated from their homes from an area north of Los Angeles to the Mexican border. Seven people were killed as a result of the blazes, and 117 were injured.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also is working with FEMA to address local power, housing, planning, debris removal and disposal needs.
Nov. 1, 2007 - An Army organization that provides support to civil authorities during emergencies is withdrawing its command-and-control detail from southern California, according to a U.S. Army North news release. The nearly 70 departing servicemembers belong to San Antonio-based U.S. Army North, a component of U.S. Northern Command, the unified command on Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., that's responsible for homeland defense and civil support.
Since Oct. 25, the Army command post coordinated Defense Department assets in fighting a series of wildfires that raged across southern California.
Army North will keep Col. Mark Armstrong in southern California for now as the Defense Department's senior representative on the ground to facilitate requests from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the lead federal agency assigned to California wildfire-fighting efforts.
Meanwhile, an eight-person Joint Task Force Civil Support planning team from Fort Monroe, Va., is being deployed to Sacramento, Calif., to support the state's Army and Air National Guard's planning effort, NORTHCOM officials said. The team consists of military planners with expertise in medicine; intelligence; logistics; military operations; air operations; and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives. It will work out of the state's Joint Force Headquarters.
The joint task force provides operational control of federal military forces deployed to support civilian agencies in emergencies. Its mission is to save lives and prevent injury.
Other military air and ground assets in California continue to assist as the wildfires are extinguished. California fire control officials have said they expect the fires to be out by tomorrow.
Nearly 3,000 California Guardsmen have been employed in firefighting, security and communications duties.
The wildfires destroyed more than 2,700 buildings. More than 500,000 people were evacuated from their homes from an area north of Los Angeles to the Mexican border. Seven people were killed as a result of the blazes, and 117 were injured.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also is working with FEMA to address local power, housing, planning, debris removal and disposal needs.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Defense, Veterans Affairs Departments to Coordinate on Patient Care
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 31, 2007 - The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have partnered to put in place 10 federal recovery coordinators charged with managing the care of severely injured servicemembers and their families for as long as a lifetime. Officials from the two departments today signed an agreement outlining the role of the coordinators. These are the first positions of their kind in the military health care system and were put into place in response to recommendations from servicemembers, families and by the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors.
"This agreement will help ensure our nation's wounded warriors and their families receive the care they need and deserve at the right time, right place, and by the right person across the continuum from recovery through to their reintegration into their communities," said Michael L. Dominguez, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, in a news release.
VA will hire the coordinators and hopes to have them on board by January. They will be assigned to either Walter Reed Army Medical Center here; the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md.; Brooke Army Medical Center, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and Naval Medical Center San Diego. The coordinators are charged with managing all the needs of severely injured servicemembers and their families as the troops move through the recovery and rehabilitation process and return to their communities.
The coordinators will work with only the most seriously injured servicemembers, including those with major amputations, burns, severe traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, spinal cord injury, severe sight or hearing loss, or severe multiple injuries.
The coordinators are expected to carry a case load of about 30 patients each, officials said. Coordinators will meet with the servicemembers and families within days of their admission into the hospital and begin developing an individual recovery plan, said Dr. Lynda Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for military personnel. She is the Defense Department's lead official for the reform of wounded warrior care, specializing in case management.
"A plan will be developed for them that is patient-centered, family-centered, comprehensive, (and) which will put together all of the resources from the federal, state, and local government and private sectors in one place," Davis said.
The coordinators will act as a hub connecting the servicemembers and families to resources. She said military and family members reported sometimes being confused and overwhelmed by the multitude of support services available.
"(The servicemember) won't have to go looking through a stack of 100 business cards and try to remember who to call and when. It will all be there in one place. And it will change as their goals and healing changes," Davis said.
Recovery coordinators will help with all types of services, medical or otherwise. Coordination could include ensuring that families have travel orders and housing arrangements when they arrive at the hospital to be with the servicemember. Or it could include helping to find a home through a community volunteer organization for family pets while a family is at the hospital, Davis said.
"There is a variety of needs that we find don't have anything to do with medical care, and there are a lot of people who want to help. It's just making sure that they are appropriately connected to the family in the right way and at the right time," Davis said.
Also, Davis said, families complained they were often lost in the gaps of transitioning from one stage of care to the other, such as when patients change hospitals for more specialized care, leave the service and transition to veteran status, or when they return to their communities and start to reshape their lives. Recovery coordinators will predict those transition points and help prepare families so there are no gaps in care or benefits, she said.
Coordinating care for the veterans could last a lifetime, Davis said. "(Coordinators) say goodbye when that veteran says, 'I don't need you any more,'" Davis said.
Kristin Day, the chief consultant with VA's newly established Care Management and Social Work Service, said the coordinators will have the clout and connections to work out any problems with the system that servicemembers and families face.
In May, the VA stood up an Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom case management program and hired 105 transition patient advocates. They are stationed at local VA centers and will also help in the transition of servicemembers to those services. But, federal recovery coordinators will help all servicemembers regardless of whether they choose VA facilities after their separation to provide their continued care, Day said.
The VA may hire more coordinators later, depending on the workload, she said. "We're taking a learning approach to developing this program. This is a new approach to care. It goes beyond health care and assists the person with all of their life needs," Day said. "During the first six months, we're going to be doing extensive evaluation to make sure we are meeting our customers' needs and that we are providing the services as they need them."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 31, 2007 - The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have partnered to put in place 10 federal recovery coordinators charged with managing the care of severely injured servicemembers and their families for as long as a lifetime. Officials from the two departments today signed an agreement outlining the role of the coordinators. These are the first positions of their kind in the military health care system and were put into place in response to recommendations from servicemembers, families and by the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors.
"This agreement will help ensure our nation's wounded warriors and their families receive the care they need and deserve at the right time, right place, and by the right person across the continuum from recovery through to their reintegration into their communities," said Michael L. Dominguez, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, in a news release.
VA will hire the coordinators and hopes to have them on board by January. They will be assigned to either Walter Reed Army Medical Center here; the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md.; Brooke Army Medical Center, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and Naval Medical Center San Diego. The coordinators are charged with managing all the needs of severely injured servicemembers and their families as the troops move through the recovery and rehabilitation process and return to their communities.
The coordinators will work with only the most seriously injured servicemembers, including those with major amputations, burns, severe traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, spinal cord injury, severe sight or hearing loss, or severe multiple injuries.
The coordinators are expected to carry a case load of about 30 patients each, officials said. Coordinators will meet with the servicemembers and families within days of their admission into the hospital and begin developing an individual recovery plan, said Dr. Lynda Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for military personnel. She is the Defense Department's lead official for the reform of wounded warrior care, specializing in case management.
"A plan will be developed for them that is patient-centered, family-centered, comprehensive, (and) which will put together all of the resources from the federal, state, and local government and private sectors in one place," Davis said.
The coordinators will act as a hub connecting the servicemembers and families to resources. She said military and family members reported sometimes being confused and overwhelmed by the multitude of support services available.
"(The servicemember) won't have to go looking through a stack of 100 business cards and try to remember who to call and when. It will all be there in one place. And it will change as their goals and healing changes," Davis said.
Recovery coordinators will help with all types of services, medical or otherwise. Coordination could include ensuring that families have travel orders and housing arrangements when they arrive at the hospital to be with the servicemember. Or it could include helping to find a home through a community volunteer organization for family pets while a family is at the hospital, Davis said.
"There is a variety of needs that we find don't have anything to do with medical care, and there are a lot of people who want to help. It's just making sure that they are appropriately connected to the family in the right way and at the right time," Davis said.
Also, Davis said, families complained they were often lost in the gaps of transitioning from one stage of care to the other, such as when patients change hospitals for more specialized care, leave the service and transition to veteran status, or when they return to their communities and start to reshape their lives. Recovery coordinators will predict those transition points and help prepare families so there are no gaps in care or benefits, she said.
Coordinating care for the veterans could last a lifetime, Davis said. "(Coordinators) say goodbye when that veteran says, 'I don't need you any more,'" Davis said.
Kristin Day, the chief consultant with VA's newly established Care Management and Social Work Service, said the coordinators will have the clout and connections to work out any problems with the system that servicemembers and families face.
In May, the VA stood up an Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom case management program and hired 105 transition patient advocates. They are stationed at local VA centers and will also help in the transition of servicemembers to those services. But, federal recovery coordinators will help all servicemembers regardless of whether they choose VA facilities after their separation to provide their continued care, Day said.
The VA may hire more coordinators later, depending on the workload, she said. "We're taking a learning approach to developing this program. This is a new approach to care. It goes beyond health care and assists the person with all of their life needs," Day said. "During the first six months, we're going to be doing extensive evaluation to make sure we are meeting our customers' needs and that we are providing the services as they need them."
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
National Guard Ready for Fires' Aftermath
By Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 31, 2007 - Under a sky still smoky from active wildfires, National Guard citizen-soldiers prepared for the flash floods and mudslides that will come long after the flames are extinguished. About 50 citizen-soldiers from the California Army National Guard's Battery A, 1st Battalion, 144th Field Artillery, set out to fill about 5,000 sandbags for residents in the Valley Center area north of San Diego. Other National Guard units performed the same service in other communities hit by the Southern California wildfires.
"The purpose is to help residents out here when the rainy season starts, so they're sure to have something to protect their houses so they don't get flooded," 1st Lt. Nelson Varas, of Battery A, said.
Wildfires like the ones that have hit Southern California this month are typically followed by flash floods and mudslides. That's because rain runs off faster when vegetation is gone and also because fire changes the chemistry of the soil.
In some places, the burning process creates a waxy coating on the soil, hindering the absorption of water and speeding its flow, fire officials explained. The phenomenon is known as "hydrophobicity." Water beads and runs over hydrophobic soil instead of soaking in, increasing the likelihood of flash floods and mudslides for months following wildfires.
Sandbags can protect homes and businesses from water and mud damage. The sandbags will be stored for distribution by area fire departments and the California Department of Forestry, Army 1st Sgt. John Wood, of Battery A, said.
Like many of the citizen-soldiers working through the weekend to fill sandbags, Varas has served in Iraq. He balances a civilian job with his family, overseas deployments and homeland missions. "We're all dedicated," he said. "We know what we signed up for."
He said he was particularly pleased to serve in his own backyard. "That's what we're here for," he said. "That's our mission. We're National Guard. We're part of the state, and since we've got a crisis going on and people need help, the National Guard's here for that."
For the battery's Army Spc. Angel Flores, the sandbag mission was only his second time reporting to his unit after a stint on active duty. During his year in Baghdad, Flores's thoughts frequently turned to the family, friends and community that his service separated him from. He was still thinking of them as he filled sandbags Oct. 27.
"I figure that the people who need it most are the people that I was thinking about while I was gone," Flores said.
National Guardmembers said the gratitude they get from the neighbors they're helping only makes the task easier. In Southern California, restaurants have refused to let soldiers and airmen pay for meals, retailers have declined payment for supplies, and residents have offered handshakes and pats on the back. "It's been outstanding support," Varas said.
"We're happy to be here to help," Sgt. Timothy Miller said. "You have to take care of home. Home comes first."
More than 2,500 citizen-soldiers and –airmen have been assisting civilian authorities tackling the Southern California wildfires. The National Guard has provided communications capabilities, supplied fire incident commanders with aerial images of the fires, dropped water from helicopters and retardant from aircraft, patrolled evacuated neighborhoods, handed out relief supplies, and performed numerous other tasks.
(Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill is assigned to the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 31, 2007 - Under a sky still smoky from active wildfires, National Guard citizen-soldiers prepared for the flash floods and mudslides that will come long after the flames are extinguished. About 50 citizen-soldiers from the California Army National Guard's Battery A, 1st Battalion, 144th Field Artillery, set out to fill about 5,000 sandbags for residents in the Valley Center area north of San Diego. Other National Guard units performed the same service in other communities hit by the Southern California wildfires.
"The purpose is to help residents out here when the rainy season starts, so they're sure to have something to protect their houses so they don't get flooded," 1st Lt. Nelson Varas, of Battery A, said.
Wildfires like the ones that have hit Southern California this month are typically followed by flash floods and mudslides. That's because rain runs off faster when vegetation is gone and also because fire changes the chemistry of the soil.
In some places, the burning process creates a waxy coating on the soil, hindering the absorption of water and speeding its flow, fire officials explained. The phenomenon is known as "hydrophobicity." Water beads and runs over hydrophobic soil instead of soaking in, increasing the likelihood of flash floods and mudslides for months following wildfires.
Sandbags can protect homes and businesses from water and mud damage. The sandbags will be stored for distribution by area fire departments and the California Department of Forestry, Army 1st Sgt. John Wood, of Battery A, said.
Like many of the citizen-soldiers working through the weekend to fill sandbags, Varas has served in Iraq. He balances a civilian job with his family, overseas deployments and homeland missions. "We're all dedicated," he said. "We know what we signed up for."
He said he was particularly pleased to serve in his own backyard. "That's what we're here for," he said. "That's our mission. We're National Guard. We're part of the state, and since we've got a crisis going on and people need help, the National Guard's here for that."
For the battery's Army Spc. Angel Flores, the sandbag mission was only his second time reporting to his unit after a stint on active duty. During his year in Baghdad, Flores's thoughts frequently turned to the family, friends and community that his service separated him from. He was still thinking of them as he filled sandbags Oct. 27.
"I figure that the people who need it most are the people that I was thinking about while I was gone," Flores said.
National Guardmembers said the gratitude they get from the neighbors they're helping only makes the task easier. In Southern California, restaurants have refused to let soldiers and airmen pay for meals, retailers have declined payment for supplies, and residents have offered handshakes and pats on the back. "It's been outstanding support," Varas said.
"We're happy to be here to help," Sgt. Timothy Miller said. "You have to take care of home. Home comes first."
More than 2,500 citizen-soldiers and –airmen have been assisting civilian authorities tackling the Southern California wildfires. The National Guard has provided communications capabilities, supplied fire incident commanders with aerial images of the fires, dropped water from helicopters and retardant from aircraft, patrolled evacuated neighborhoods, handed out relief supplies, and performed numerous other tasks.
(Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill is assigned to the National Guard Bureau.)
Bush Proclaims 'National Veterans Awareness Week'
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 31, 2007 - President Bush is urging Americans to recognize veterans' valor and sacrifice through ceremonies and prayers during "National Veterans Awareness Week" next month. From Veterans Day on Nov. 11 through Nov. 17, the president encourages Americans to remember the brave men and women who have served as members of the U.S. armed forces, according to a proclamation released by the White House today.
"Throughout our history, America has been protected by patriots who cherished liberty and made great sacrifices to advance the cause of freedom," Bush said. "On Veterans Day, we honor these extraordinary Americans for their service and sacrifice, and we pay tribute to the legacy of freedom and peace that they have given our great nation."
In times of war and of peace, servicemembers have shouldered great responsibility and lived up to the highest standards of duty and honor to defend their fellow citizens and the country they love, Bush said.
"Our veterans held fast against determined and ruthless enemies and helped save the world from tyranny and terror," he said. "They ensured that America remained what our founders meant her to be: a light to the nations, spreading the good news of human freedom to the darkest corners of the earth."
Like the heroes before them, Bush said, today a new generation of men and women are fighting for freedom around the globe. "Their determination, courage, and sacrifice are laying the foundation for a more secure and peaceful world," the president added.
Bush said Veterans Day is dedicated to the extraordinary Americans who protected our freedom in years past and to those who protect it today. They represent the very best of our nation, he said.
"Every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman has earned the lasting gratitude of the American people, and their service and sacrifice will be remembered forever," Bush said. "In the words of Abraham Lincoln, 'Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle.'"
The president called upon federal, state and local officials to display the American flag and support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. Bush also invited civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 31, 2007 - President Bush is urging Americans to recognize veterans' valor and sacrifice through ceremonies and prayers during "National Veterans Awareness Week" next month. From Veterans Day on Nov. 11 through Nov. 17, the president encourages Americans to remember the brave men and women who have served as members of the U.S. armed forces, according to a proclamation released by the White House today.
"Throughout our history, America has been protected by patriots who cherished liberty and made great sacrifices to advance the cause of freedom," Bush said. "On Veterans Day, we honor these extraordinary Americans for their service and sacrifice, and we pay tribute to the legacy of freedom and peace that they have given our great nation."
In times of war and of peace, servicemembers have shouldered great responsibility and lived up to the highest standards of duty and honor to defend their fellow citizens and the country they love, Bush said.
"Our veterans held fast against determined and ruthless enemies and helped save the world from tyranny and terror," he said. "They ensured that America remained what our founders meant her to be: a light to the nations, spreading the good news of human freedom to the darkest corners of the earth."
Like the heroes before them, Bush said, today a new generation of men and women are fighting for freedom around the globe. "Their determination, courage, and sacrifice are laying the foundation for a more secure and peaceful world," the president added.
Bush said Veterans Day is dedicated to the extraordinary Americans who protected our freedom in years past and to those who protect it today. They represent the very best of our nation, he said.
"Every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman has earned the lasting gratitude of the American people, and their service and sacrifice will be remembered forever," Bush said. "In the words of Abraham Lincoln, 'Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle.'"
The president called upon federal, state and local officials to display the American flag and support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. Bush also invited civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.
America Supports You: Adventure Trip Hits Mark With Veterans
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 31, 2007 - Five days after their adventure began, seven injured veterans packed up with the satisfaction of knowing they'd done what they set out to do: conquer sand, sea and the cloud of mosquitoes that seemed to follow them everywhere. Their adaptive-sports adventure in the Virgin Islands was organized by the nonprofit group Team River Runner. Team River Runner is a chapter of Disabled Sports USA, a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"I'm glad to get the opportunity, ... because this is stuff that just doesn't happen on a normal basis," said Scott Morgan, a former soldier whose legs were severely damaged in a mortar attack Feb. 18, 2004, in Taji, Iraq. "It's pretty awesome. It makes me want to go home and start pursuing some of this stuff just so I can get out on the open water."
Kevin Pannell, a former soldier who lost both legs above the knee when a hand grenade exploded during a foot patrol in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad, agrees. He said trips like the adaptive paddling trip Pannell and six other wounded warriors went on are a great benefit for servicemembers dealing with life after a catastrophic injury.
"There's a real isolation whenever you get home," Pannell said, explaining that he thinks he is the only person in his hometown of Hot Springs, Ark., whose amputation is the result of combat. "(The trip) is great. You compare notes and find out about new stuff."
The trip had some simpler benefits, as well. Aside from being a safe way to test some boundaries and talk to others who face the same situations, it was a chance to get away from the daily grind and relax. For most of the participants, it provided new experiences, as well.
"I've never snorkeled, but I've done a little bit of kayaking," Pannell said, adding that "hands down" snorkeling was his favorite part of the trip. "I saw like a five-foot barracuda."
The fish startled Pannell, who said he wasn't scared, just curious what the fish, famous for its own curiosity, would think of his prosthetic legs. "They're attracted to shiny things, and I have all the little screws and twinkles on my legs," he said. "I didn't know how into that he was going to be.
"I guess if he attacked my legs it'd be all right," Pannell said with a chuckle.
The troops' spouses may not have been as flippant about being so near a barracuda, but they all agreed the trip was better than anything the doctor could have ordered.
"The water is absolutely beautiful," Amber Jones said. "I have never in my life seen water this clear. Even in Hawaii, which I've always considered the best of the best, ... the water doesn't even compare."
Amber's husband, former Marine John Jones, lost both his legs below the knee on Jan. 3, 2005, when the vehicle he was riding in hit a double-stacked land mine in Qaim, Iraq.
Danielle Pannell, Kevin's wife, said the trip offered the spouses almost as much benefit as it did the veterans. "It's just neat getting to see that I'm not the only one that gets frustrated sometimes," she said. "For so long I was like, 'It's just me.' But I got to talk to (the wife of another veteran with post traumatic stress disorder), and we were sharing stories, and I was like, 'My husband does that!'"
As the trip all-too-quickly came to an end, Joe Mornini, Team River Runner's director and the trip's organizer, contemplated the recent events and looked forward to making the next trip even better.
"I can't believe that I'm sitting here in the Virgin Islands with all these people," Mornini said. "We've accomplished some great snorkeling. We've (paddled) to the British Virgin Islands, and we've got seven guys here that all of them are either amputees or mobility impaired.
"I just knew that if we did it right it would work, but I didn't know what right was," he added.
He may still not know exactly what "right" is, but he's relying on feedback from the group to get him closer for the next trip. "I'm really going to feel better about this trip after I hear from people after it's over," Mornini said.
While challenges cropped up -- sand and broken prosthetics topping the list -- and Mornini took notes on lessons learned, the trip seemed to come off exactly as he envisioned it. It allowed wounded warriors to push boundaries, learn some new skills and heal just a little more.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 31, 2007 - Five days after their adventure began, seven injured veterans packed up with the satisfaction of knowing they'd done what they set out to do: conquer sand, sea and the cloud of mosquitoes that seemed to follow them everywhere. Their adaptive-sports adventure in the Virgin Islands was organized by the nonprofit group Team River Runner. Team River Runner is a chapter of Disabled Sports USA, a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"I'm glad to get the opportunity, ... because this is stuff that just doesn't happen on a normal basis," said Scott Morgan, a former soldier whose legs were severely damaged in a mortar attack Feb. 18, 2004, in Taji, Iraq. "It's pretty awesome. It makes me want to go home and start pursuing some of this stuff just so I can get out on the open water."
Kevin Pannell, a former soldier who lost both legs above the knee when a hand grenade exploded during a foot patrol in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad, agrees. He said trips like the adaptive paddling trip Pannell and six other wounded warriors went on are a great benefit for servicemembers dealing with life after a catastrophic injury.
"There's a real isolation whenever you get home," Pannell said, explaining that he thinks he is the only person in his hometown of Hot Springs, Ark., whose amputation is the result of combat. "(The trip) is great. You compare notes and find out about new stuff."
The trip had some simpler benefits, as well. Aside from being a safe way to test some boundaries and talk to others who face the same situations, it was a chance to get away from the daily grind and relax. For most of the participants, it provided new experiences, as well.
"I've never snorkeled, but I've done a little bit of kayaking," Pannell said, adding that "hands down" snorkeling was his favorite part of the trip. "I saw like a five-foot barracuda."
The fish startled Pannell, who said he wasn't scared, just curious what the fish, famous for its own curiosity, would think of his prosthetic legs. "They're attracted to shiny things, and I have all the little screws and twinkles on my legs," he said. "I didn't know how into that he was going to be.
"I guess if he attacked my legs it'd be all right," Pannell said with a chuckle.
The troops' spouses may not have been as flippant about being so near a barracuda, but they all agreed the trip was better than anything the doctor could have ordered.
"The water is absolutely beautiful," Amber Jones said. "I have never in my life seen water this clear. Even in Hawaii, which I've always considered the best of the best, ... the water doesn't even compare."
Amber's husband, former Marine John Jones, lost both his legs below the knee on Jan. 3, 2005, when the vehicle he was riding in hit a double-stacked land mine in Qaim, Iraq.
Danielle Pannell, Kevin's wife, said the trip offered the spouses almost as much benefit as it did the veterans. "It's just neat getting to see that I'm not the only one that gets frustrated sometimes," she said. "For so long I was like, 'It's just me.' But I got to talk to (the wife of another veteran with post traumatic stress disorder), and we were sharing stories, and I was like, 'My husband does that!'"
As the trip all-too-quickly came to an end, Joe Mornini, Team River Runner's director and the trip's organizer, contemplated the recent events and looked forward to making the next trip even better.
"I can't believe that I'm sitting here in the Virgin Islands with all these people," Mornini said. "We've accomplished some great snorkeling. We've (paddled) to the British Virgin Islands, and we've got seven guys here that all of them are either amputees or mobility impaired.
"I just knew that if we did it right it would work, but I didn't know what right was," he added.
He may still not know exactly what "right" is, but he's relying on feedback from the group to get him closer for the next trip. "I'm really going to feel better about this trip after I hear from people after it's over," Mornini said.
While challenges cropped up -- sand and broken prosthetics topping the list -- and Mornini took notes on lessons learned, the trip seemed to come off exactly as he envisioned it. It allowed wounded warriors to push boundaries, learn some new skills and heal just a little more.
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