By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2007 - All military components met their recruiting goals in November, Defense Department officials said here yesterday. It was the sixth month in a row that all services made their recruiting goals, officials said.
The military is recruiting in a difficult environment, defense officials said. Only three out of every 10 Americans in the targeted age group qualifies for military service. A good American economy and feelings against the Iraq war degrade the propensity of young Americans to enlist, officials said.
Still, the military is doing well. On the active-duty side, the Marine Corps made 108 percent of its recruiting goal, accessing 2,444 recruits against a goal of 2,263.
The Army had a November goal of 4,750 and signed up 4,783, for 101 percent of its goal. "This is a result of hard work by more than 8,000 recruiters nationwide," Army Recruiting Command spokesman Douglas Smith said. "It is a difficult recruiting environment, but we have a great benefits package for young men and women, and we are making the best use we can of the service bonus programs."
The Navy made 100 percent of its goal of 2,732 recruits, and the Air Force met its goal of 1,836.
The Air National Guard and Army National Guard easily made their November goals at 133 percent and 116 percent, respectively. The Air National Guard had an accessions goal of 551 and signed up 735 airmen.
The Army National Guard brought in 5,135 soldiers, with a goal of 4,423. Officials at the National Guard Bureau said they enlisted 264 soldiers under the Active First program in November. That program gives recruits an enlistment bonus upon joining the active-duty force and another bonus when they transfer to the Guard.
The Army Reserve also exceeded its accessions goal for November at 101 percent. The component enlisted 2,980 soldiers, with a goal of 2,954.
The Air Force Reserve made 100 percent of its enlistment quota of 558; the Navy Reserve made 100 percent of its goal of 895; and the Marine Corps Reserve made its goal of 572.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The INF Treaty and the Washington Summit: 20 Years Later
D.C., December 10, 2007 - Previously secret Soviet Politburo records and declassified American transcripts of the Washington summit 20 years ago between President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev show that Gorbachev was willing to go much further than the Americans expected or were able to reciprocate on arms cuts and resolving regional conflicts, according to documents posted today by the National Security Archive at George Washington University (www.nsarchive.org).
Today's posting includes the internal Soviet deliberations leading up to the summit, full transcripts of the two leaders' discussions, the Soviet record of negotiations with top American diplomats, and other historic records being published for the first time.
The documents show that the Soviet Union made significant changes to its initial position to accommodate the U.S. demands, beginning with "untying the package" of strategic arms, missile defense, and INF in February 1987 and then agreeing to eliminate its newly deployed OKA/SS-23 missiles, while pressing the U.S. leadership to agree on substantial reductions of strategic nuclear weapons. Gorbachev's goal was to prepare and sign the START Treaty on the basis of 50 percent reductions of strategic offensive weapons in 1988 before the Reagan administration left office. In the course of negotiations, the Soviet Union also proposed cutting conventional forces in Europe by 25 percent and starting negotiations to eliminate chemical weapons.
The documents also detail Gorbachev's desire for genuine collaboration with the U.S. in resolving regional conflicts, especially the Iran-Iraq War, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Nicaragua. However, the documents show that the U.S. side was unwilling and unable to pursue many of the Soviet initiatives at the time due to political struggles within the Reagan administration. Reading these documents one gets a visceral sense of missed opportunities for achieving even deeper cuts in nuclear arsenals, resolving regional conflicts, and ending the Cold War even earlier.
The documents paint the fullest declassified portrait yet available of the Washington summit which ended 20 years ago today and centered on the signing of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty--the only treaty of its kind in actually eliminating an entire class of nuclear weapons. By eliminating mainly the missiles based in Europe, the treaty lowered the threat of nuclear war in Europe substantially and cleared the way for negotiations on tactical nuclear and chemical weapons, as well as negotiations on conventional forces in Europe.
Under the Treaty, the Soviet Union destroyed 889 of its intermediate-range missiles and 957 shorter-range missiles, and the U.S. destroyed 677 and 169 respectively. These were the missiles with very short flight time to targets in the Soviet Union, which made them "most likely to spur escalation to general nuclear war from any local hostilities that might erupt." These weapons were perceived as most threatening by the Soviet leadership, which is why the Soviet military supported the Treaty, even though there was a significant opposition among them to including the shorter-range weapons.
The Treaty included remarkably extensive and intrusive verification inspection and monitoring arrangements, based on the "any time and place" proposal of March 1987, which was accepted by the Soviets to the Americans' surprise; and the documents show that the Soviets were willing to go beyond the American position in the depth of verification regime. The new Soviet position on verification not only removed the hurdle that seemed insurmountable, but according to then-U.S. Ambassador to the USSR Jack Matlock, became a symbol of the new trust developing in U.S.-Soviet relations, which made the treaty and further progress on arms control possible.
The documents published here for the first time give the reader a unique and never-previously-available opportunity to look into the process of internal deliberations on both sides and the negotiations both before and during the summit in December 1987.
Visit the Web site of the National Security Archive for more information about today's posting. http://www.nsarchive.org
Today's posting includes the internal Soviet deliberations leading up to the summit, full transcripts of the two leaders' discussions, the Soviet record of negotiations with top American diplomats, and other historic records being published for the first time.
The documents show that the Soviet Union made significant changes to its initial position to accommodate the U.S. demands, beginning with "untying the package" of strategic arms, missile defense, and INF in February 1987 and then agreeing to eliminate its newly deployed OKA/SS-23 missiles, while pressing the U.S. leadership to agree on substantial reductions of strategic nuclear weapons. Gorbachev's goal was to prepare and sign the START Treaty on the basis of 50 percent reductions of strategic offensive weapons in 1988 before the Reagan administration left office. In the course of negotiations, the Soviet Union also proposed cutting conventional forces in Europe by 25 percent and starting negotiations to eliminate chemical weapons.
The documents also detail Gorbachev's desire for genuine collaboration with the U.S. in resolving regional conflicts, especially the Iran-Iraq War, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Nicaragua. However, the documents show that the U.S. side was unwilling and unable to pursue many of the Soviet initiatives at the time due to political struggles within the Reagan administration. Reading these documents one gets a visceral sense of missed opportunities for achieving even deeper cuts in nuclear arsenals, resolving regional conflicts, and ending the Cold War even earlier.
The documents paint the fullest declassified portrait yet available of the Washington summit which ended 20 years ago today and centered on the signing of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty--the only treaty of its kind in actually eliminating an entire class of nuclear weapons. By eliminating mainly the missiles based in Europe, the treaty lowered the threat of nuclear war in Europe substantially and cleared the way for negotiations on tactical nuclear and chemical weapons, as well as negotiations on conventional forces in Europe.
Under the Treaty, the Soviet Union destroyed 889 of its intermediate-range missiles and 957 shorter-range missiles, and the U.S. destroyed 677 and 169 respectively. These were the missiles with very short flight time to targets in the Soviet Union, which made them "most likely to spur escalation to general nuclear war from any local hostilities that might erupt." These weapons were perceived as most threatening by the Soviet leadership, which is why the Soviet military supported the Treaty, even though there was a significant opposition among them to including the shorter-range weapons.
The Treaty included remarkably extensive and intrusive verification inspection and monitoring arrangements, based on the "any time and place" proposal of March 1987, which was accepted by the Soviets to the Americans' surprise; and the documents show that the Soviets were willing to go beyond the American position in the depth of verification regime. The new Soviet position on verification not only removed the hurdle that seemed insurmountable, but according to then-U.S. Ambassador to the USSR Jack Matlock, became a symbol of the new trust developing in U.S.-Soviet relations, which made the treaty and further progress on arms control possible.
The documents published here for the first time give the reader a unique and never-previously-available opportunity to look into the process of internal deliberations on both sides and the negotiations both before and during the summit in December 1987.
Visit the Web site of the National Security Archive for more information about today's posting. http://www.nsarchive.org
America Supports You: Deployed Units Get Boost From Donated Computers
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 10, 2007 - Many deployed servicemembers have received a morale boost thanks to computers donated by a Michigan-based organization. "We are a group of volunteers (who) rebuild laptop computers and supply them to deployed units for (morale, welfare and recreation), education and entertainment," said James R. Payne, a Vietnam veteran who's president of JDS Computer Donations.
The group accepts laptops, which it refurbishes and donates to nonprofit groups, public schools, and most recently, to deployed servicemembers. Nearly 500 of the refurbished machines already have been sent overseas to help servicemembers keep in touch with their loved ones back home.
Payne and his volunteers have received many responses from grateful servicemembers, many of which appear on the JDS Computer Donations Web site. One from the executive officer of Company A, 50th Signal Battalion, is a good summary of the sentiment expressed by others.
"On behalf of the soldiers, NCOs, and officers of Alpha Company, 50th Signal Battalion, I want to express how grateful we are for the donation of laptops to our unit," said Army 1st Lt. Benjamin Quimby. "Especially with the price of telephone minutes being so high, being able to use computers to communicate to loved ones back in the States is a convenience that we do not take for granted.
"Your effort in supporting our deployed soldiers is inspiring and represents the true heart of the American people," he concluded.
JDS Computer Donation as part of the Any Soldier Inc. support team. Both JDS Computer Donations and Any Soldier Inc. are supporters of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 10, 2007 - Many deployed servicemembers have received a morale boost thanks to computers donated by a Michigan-based organization. "We are a group of volunteers (who) rebuild laptop computers and supply them to deployed units for (morale, welfare and recreation), education and entertainment," said James R. Payne, a Vietnam veteran who's president of JDS Computer Donations.
The group accepts laptops, which it refurbishes and donates to nonprofit groups, public schools, and most recently, to deployed servicemembers. Nearly 500 of the refurbished machines already have been sent overseas to help servicemembers keep in touch with their loved ones back home.
Payne and his volunteers have received many responses from grateful servicemembers, many of which appear on the JDS Computer Donations Web site. One from the executive officer of Company A, 50th Signal Battalion, is a good summary of the sentiment expressed by others.
"On behalf of the soldiers, NCOs, and officers of Alpha Company, 50th Signal Battalion, I want to express how grateful we are for the donation of laptops to our unit," said Army 1st Lt. Benjamin Quimby. "Especially with the price of telephone minutes being so high, being able to use computers to communicate to loved ones back in the States is a convenience that we do not take for granted.
"Your effort in supporting our deployed soldiers is inspiring and represents the true heart of the American people," he concluded.
JDS Computer Donation as part of the Any Soldier Inc. support team. Both JDS Computer Donations and Any Soldier Inc. are supporters of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
Understanding Helps Families, Soldiers Deal With Brain Injuries
By Kimberly Gearhart
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 10, 2007 - A pilot program is assessing soldiers returning here from Iraq for possible mild traumatic brain injury. Mild traumatic brain injury, or mTBI, has been called the signature wound of the war on terror. Identifying and treating that injury has become a priority for Army medical commands worldwide.
The pilot testing program uses "automated neuropsychological assessment metrics" to identify affected soldiers. The first post-deployment mTBI screenings are being conducted here as part of the reintegration process for soldiers of 2nd "Dagger" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.
"The screening is intended to take pre-deployment measurements for a baseline, then retest after the deployment to measure for differences," said Army Lt. Col. Daniel Duecker, Schweinfurt Health Clinic commander.
In the case of the soldiers of the Dagger Brigade, however, no baseline reading was taken prior to their deployment. Consequently, Army Col. Mary Lopez, project officer in charge of the testing project, was unsure of what results -- if any -- her team would unearth.
"I didn't expect the testing to tell us much without the baseline for comparison, but the garrison commander (requested) it, ... because it's the right thing to do for the soldiers," said Lopez, who is a member of the Army's Surgeon General Office.
Lopez added that the range of results considered normal is broad, and of all pre-screenings performed, "we've not found anyone that legitimately fell below the norms."
This is why having a baseline for comparison is more precise, as it allows for a comparison between soldiers' post-deployment performance and their own norms.
What they found in testing Schweinfurt soldiers, however, surprised Lopez and her team. Thanks to key questions imbedded in the tests, Lopez and her team were able to identify soldiers at risk for mTBI and recommend follow-up through the Schweinfurt Health Clinic.
The key factors in a case of mTBI include an injury event -- such as a blow to the head -- which causes an alteration of consciousness. Such "alteration" can be losing consciousness, seeing stars or simply being temporarily disoriented. "Compared to those who reported no injury, we found significant differences in reaction time, concentration, and short-term memory" in soldiers reporting at-risk incidents, Lopez explained.
Results from the first groups to complete mTBI screening were provided to the area medical command. "Colonel Lopez's team was able to ... let the providers here know what they can expect to see in Schweinfurt, so that we can channel our resources in the best way to help these soldiers," said Army Col. Theresa Schneider, Bavarian Medical Department Activity commander.
Once the pilot program is fully tested, Lopez hopes to push it out to medical facilities in theater, where soldiers can be tested and their recovery tracked by doctors downrange, she said. "Soldiers (with mTBI), like football players on the field, look physically normal, but they're different. Their reaction time is off, concentration is off, and in a war-time environment, that's very dangerous," Lopez said.
With the assessment tool, doctors will be able to monitor recovery in such a way as to ensure soldiers are not returned to the fight until their recovery is complete, she said. "It is a treatable condition. They do recover," Lopez said, noting that patience, time and understanding are keys to coping with and treating mTBI.
Once soldiers return from deployment, family members may begin noticing irritability, sleeplessness, chronic headaches, clumsiness, and memory problems. This five-symptom cluster is a common sign of mTBI, with families often the first to notice such changes.
"The family is the most important element in any kind of rehab," Lopez stressed. "We see the soldier for an hour or two; you are with him every day. It is important for families to understand what the recovery process is and what they can do to help."
"The (soldier) is different, but they do recover. You have to understand that they are going to forget things and they're going to be irritable, but once the headaches stop and the sleeplessness ends, there will be improvement," the colonel said.
Soldiers often may be reluctant to seek treatment, Schneider noted, and it may fall to spouses to ensure soldiers are helped. Overall, she said, "there are (many) avenues available: the clinic, family readiness group, chain of command and the chaplain. The important thing is to get people talking about and aware of the situation."
(Kimberly Gearhart is assigned to U.S. Army Garrison Schweinfurt Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 10, 2007 - A pilot program is assessing soldiers returning here from Iraq for possible mild traumatic brain injury. Mild traumatic brain injury, or mTBI, has been called the signature wound of the war on terror. Identifying and treating that injury has become a priority for Army medical commands worldwide.
The pilot testing program uses "automated neuropsychological assessment metrics" to identify affected soldiers. The first post-deployment mTBI screenings are being conducted here as part of the reintegration process for soldiers of 2nd "Dagger" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.
"The screening is intended to take pre-deployment measurements for a baseline, then retest after the deployment to measure for differences," said Army Lt. Col. Daniel Duecker, Schweinfurt Health Clinic commander.
In the case of the soldiers of the Dagger Brigade, however, no baseline reading was taken prior to their deployment. Consequently, Army Col. Mary Lopez, project officer in charge of the testing project, was unsure of what results -- if any -- her team would unearth.
"I didn't expect the testing to tell us much without the baseline for comparison, but the garrison commander (requested) it, ... because it's the right thing to do for the soldiers," said Lopez, who is a member of the Army's Surgeon General Office.
Lopez added that the range of results considered normal is broad, and of all pre-screenings performed, "we've not found anyone that legitimately fell below the norms."
This is why having a baseline for comparison is more precise, as it allows for a comparison between soldiers' post-deployment performance and their own norms.
What they found in testing Schweinfurt soldiers, however, surprised Lopez and her team. Thanks to key questions imbedded in the tests, Lopez and her team were able to identify soldiers at risk for mTBI and recommend follow-up through the Schweinfurt Health Clinic.
The key factors in a case of mTBI include an injury event -- such as a blow to the head -- which causes an alteration of consciousness. Such "alteration" can be losing consciousness, seeing stars or simply being temporarily disoriented. "Compared to those who reported no injury, we found significant differences in reaction time, concentration, and short-term memory" in soldiers reporting at-risk incidents, Lopez explained.
Results from the first groups to complete mTBI screening were provided to the area medical command. "Colonel Lopez's team was able to ... let the providers here know what they can expect to see in Schweinfurt, so that we can channel our resources in the best way to help these soldiers," said Army Col. Theresa Schneider, Bavarian Medical Department Activity commander.
Once the pilot program is fully tested, Lopez hopes to push it out to medical facilities in theater, where soldiers can be tested and their recovery tracked by doctors downrange, she said. "Soldiers (with mTBI), like football players on the field, look physically normal, but they're different. Their reaction time is off, concentration is off, and in a war-time environment, that's very dangerous," Lopez said.
With the assessment tool, doctors will be able to monitor recovery in such a way as to ensure soldiers are not returned to the fight until their recovery is complete, she said. "It is a treatable condition. They do recover," Lopez said, noting that patience, time and understanding are keys to coping with and treating mTBI.
Once soldiers return from deployment, family members may begin noticing irritability, sleeplessness, chronic headaches, clumsiness, and memory problems. This five-symptom cluster is a common sign of mTBI, with families often the first to notice such changes.
"The family is the most important element in any kind of rehab," Lopez stressed. "We see the soldier for an hour or two; you are with him every day. It is important for families to understand what the recovery process is and what they can do to help."
"The (soldier) is different, but they do recover. You have to understand that they are going to forget things and they're going to be irritable, but once the headaches stop and the sleeplessness ends, there will be improvement," the colonel said.
Soldiers often may be reluctant to seek treatment, Schneider noted, and it may fall to spouses to ensure soldiers are helped. Overall, she said, "there are (many) avenues available: the clinic, family readiness group, chain of command and the chaplain. The important thing is to get people talking about and aware of the situation."
(Kimberly Gearhart is assigned to U.S. Army Garrison Schweinfurt Public Affairs.)
New Pentagon Channel Program Serves Its First Course
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 10, 2007 - The Pentagon Channel today served hungry television audiences its newest recipe for entertainment, a half-hour cooking show called "The Grill Sergeants." With a military flavor, each episode will teach audience members how to prepare a single food theme -- cakes, pies or turkey entrées, for example -- while the in-house Army jazz quartet "The Taste Buds," who also act as official taste testers, play the show's score. To pique the appetites of Defense Department staffers ahead of the program's noon debut, the program's host and producer served the chef's signature Louisiana-style gumbo in the Pentagon concourse.
"I love cooking gumbo," said host Army Sgt. 1st Class Brad Turner, taking a break from serving cups filled with sausage, seafood and chicken gumbo to hungry workers. "It is probably the easiest dish to feed a mass of people, and it's filling, it's wonderful, and whomever I'm cooking for, I can always adapt it to them."
Turner is stationed at Fort Lee, Va., and was one of several military "Grill Sergeants" chosen to host the program. The chef, a charismatic showman with nearly 17 years of military experience, said "The Grill Sergeants" differs from other cooking shows in that it caters to a servicemember audience, with much of the dialogue peppered with military overtones.
In his favorite episode, titled "Saving Private Dining," Turner serenades The Taste Buds' bassist and his wife as they share a romantic fare that includes shrimp scampi and bananas foster cheesecake, which Turner had just cooked. "They just sat and eyeballed each other and took some time to be together," the chef said. "It doesn't get much better than that."
Turner's palette is borne of a New Orleans passion for food and, like many natives of the Big Easy, doesn't eat to live; he lives to eat. The chef said his favorite part of cooking is the unity that emerges through preparing meals.
"I give (the audience) the ability to share themselves with other people," the host said. "If you bake cookies with your kids, if you take time to cook with your spouse, if you take time to do that, that kind of gesture is irreplaceable."
Turner hopes "The Grill Sergeants" will encourage families, especially military families distanced by deployments and busy work schedules, to relish moments in the kitchen together, preparing dishes in easy steps outlined in the follow-along cooking show.
"You gotta eat three times a day," he said. "When your stomach says you're hungry, why take some time to think, 'Who have I not spoken to today?' That's three times a day that you can show love."
Linda Doditch, producer of "The Grill Sergeants," said the program was conceived as a way to expand the Pentagon Channel's offering of "lifestyle" programming. "It focuses on healthy eating, nutrition and food safety tips," she said. "And, of course, we're incorporating a lot of fun and good recipes and down-home cooking that anybody can make."
Doditch noted that recipes appearing on the show will be available on the program's Web site. One of the satisfied Pentagon staffers who enjoyed the gumbo medley said she plans to download the recipe and prepare it for her family.
"The gumbo is delicious; I want seconds," Defense Department employee Joanne Johnson said. "I certainly am going to try making this."
"The Grill Sergeants" will air Mondays at noon Eastern Time and also will be available on the Pentagon Channel's Web site, www.pentagonchannel.mil.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 10, 2007 - The Pentagon Channel today served hungry television audiences its newest recipe for entertainment, a half-hour cooking show called "The Grill Sergeants." With a military flavor, each episode will teach audience members how to prepare a single food theme -- cakes, pies or turkey entrées, for example -- while the in-house Army jazz quartet "The Taste Buds," who also act as official taste testers, play the show's score. To pique the appetites of Defense Department staffers ahead of the program's noon debut, the program's host and producer served the chef's signature Louisiana-style gumbo in the Pentagon concourse.
"I love cooking gumbo," said host Army Sgt. 1st Class Brad Turner, taking a break from serving cups filled with sausage, seafood and chicken gumbo to hungry workers. "It is probably the easiest dish to feed a mass of people, and it's filling, it's wonderful, and whomever I'm cooking for, I can always adapt it to them."
Turner is stationed at Fort Lee, Va., and was one of several military "Grill Sergeants" chosen to host the program. The chef, a charismatic showman with nearly 17 years of military experience, said "The Grill Sergeants" differs from other cooking shows in that it caters to a servicemember audience, with much of the dialogue peppered with military overtones.
In his favorite episode, titled "Saving Private Dining," Turner serenades The Taste Buds' bassist and his wife as they share a romantic fare that includes shrimp scampi and bananas foster cheesecake, which Turner had just cooked. "They just sat and eyeballed each other and took some time to be together," the chef said. "It doesn't get much better than that."
Turner's palette is borne of a New Orleans passion for food and, like many natives of the Big Easy, doesn't eat to live; he lives to eat. The chef said his favorite part of cooking is the unity that emerges through preparing meals.
"I give (the audience) the ability to share themselves with other people," the host said. "If you bake cookies with your kids, if you take time to cook with your spouse, if you take time to do that, that kind of gesture is irreplaceable."
Turner hopes "The Grill Sergeants" will encourage families, especially military families distanced by deployments and busy work schedules, to relish moments in the kitchen together, preparing dishes in easy steps outlined in the follow-along cooking show.
"You gotta eat three times a day," he said. "When your stomach says you're hungry, why take some time to think, 'Who have I not spoken to today?' That's three times a day that you can show love."
Linda Doditch, producer of "The Grill Sergeants," said the program was conceived as a way to expand the Pentagon Channel's offering of "lifestyle" programming. "It focuses on healthy eating, nutrition and food safety tips," she said. "And, of course, we're incorporating a lot of fun and good recipes and down-home cooking that anybody can make."
Doditch noted that recipes appearing on the show will be available on the program's Web site. One of the satisfied Pentagon staffers who enjoyed the gumbo medley said she plans to download the recipe and prepare it for her family.
"The gumbo is delicious; I want seconds," Defense Department employee Joanne Johnson said. "I certainly am going to try making this."
"The Grill Sergeants" will air Mondays at noon Eastern Time and also will be available on the Pentagon Channel's Web site, www.pentagonchannel.mil.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Arab World Must Support Iraqi Progress, Gates Says
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 8, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called on Iraq's Arab neighbors today to help the Iraqis build on progress being made to ensure it succeeds as a peaceful, stabilizing force in the region. "Whether the positive trends of recent months continue will be determined largely by where we go from here," Gates told about 200 delegates from 23 countries here at the International Institute for Strategic Studies' annual Manama Dialogue. "And by 'we,' I mean not only the United States and the Iraqi government, but also the governments of every nation represented at this dialogue."
Gates urged the Arab world to "exercise your influence with the Iraqis and encourage them to meet their own goals and expectations, to live up to their own promises."
"I also urge you to help them in every way that you can – by dampening homegrown insurgencies, by alleviating sectarian strife, by providing economic and diplomatic support," he said.
Gates reminded the audience that what happens in Iraq will affect the entire region, and that they have a big stake in ensuring a positive outcome.
He said playing Monday-morning quarterback regarding the situation offers important lessons, but that dwelling on the past stands in the way of a positive outcome. "We have to get the next sequence right," he said during a question-and-answer session following his address. "The consequences of not doing so are huge."
The secretary painted a bleak picture of the ripple effect of a failure in Iraq, most immediately right in its own and in its' neighbors' own backyards. A failed state of Iraq would adversely affect every country in the region, he said.
"The forces that would be unleashed – of sectarian strife, of an emboldened extremist movement with access to sanctuaries – do not recognize national boundaries and would surely target any government perceived to be a hindrance to their expansion of power," he said.
Gates, who visited Iraq en route to the conference, said he saw signs of real progress. He noted a dramatic drop in violence, and economic and political progress that, while slower than it had been hoped to be, still offers promise.
Any nation that stands in the way of that progress – whether by supporting insurgents or illegal militias in Iraq directly or indirectly, or simply by withholding support – ultimately hurts itself, Gates said.
"But just as the nations of the Middle East have the most to lose from chaos in Iraq, they also have the most to gain from a secure, stable, and prosperous Iraq," the secretary said.
Gates called nations represented at the summit to become full partners in building an Iraq that contributes to security in the Persian Gulf region, provides a strong trading partner and serves as an example of good governance and reconciliation.
He assured them the United States will remain with them in the effort, even as it begins drawing down its force presence in Iraq.
Gates said he's seen a growing appreciation in the United States of the need for some kind of residual force to remain in Iraq under terms agreed to be the Iraqi government. Such a force likely would continue pursuing al Qaeda, assist with border security and training and equipping of Iraqi security forces, and "be some kind of a stabilizing force," he said.
The secretary noted doubts by some at last year's Manama Dialogue -- set against a backdrop of deteriorating security and escalating sectarian violence in Iraq -- about whether the United States could continue to stand by its commitments to Iraq and the region.
"The record of American activity over the past year should dispel that uncertainty," the secretary said. "The United States remains committed to defending its vital interests and those of its allies in Iraq and in the wider Middle East."
Also during his address, Gates pressed today for expanded multilateral cooperation in the region, which he said would provide broader protection against Iran and other destabilizing forces.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 8, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called on Iraq's Arab neighbors today to help the Iraqis build on progress being made to ensure it succeeds as a peaceful, stabilizing force in the region. "Whether the positive trends of recent months continue will be determined largely by where we go from here," Gates told about 200 delegates from 23 countries here at the International Institute for Strategic Studies' annual Manama Dialogue. "And by 'we,' I mean not only the United States and the Iraqi government, but also the governments of every nation represented at this dialogue."
Gates urged the Arab world to "exercise your influence with the Iraqis and encourage them to meet their own goals and expectations, to live up to their own promises."
"I also urge you to help them in every way that you can – by dampening homegrown insurgencies, by alleviating sectarian strife, by providing economic and diplomatic support," he said.
Gates reminded the audience that what happens in Iraq will affect the entire region, and that they have a big stake in ensuring a positive outcome.
He said playing Monday-morning quarterback regarding the situation offers important lessons, but that dwelling on the past stands in the way of a positive outcome. "We have to get the next sequence right," he said during a question-and-answer session following his address. "The consequences of not doing so are huge."
The secretary painted a bleak picture of the ripple effect of a failure in Iraq, most immediately right in its own and in its' neighbors' own backyards. A failed state of Iraq would adversely affect every country in the region, he said.
"The forces that would be unleashed – of sectarian strife, of an emboldened extremist movement with access to sanctuaries – do not recognize national boundaries and would surely target any government perceived to be a hindrance to their expansion of power," he said.
Gates, who visited Iraq en route to the conference, said he saw signs of real progress. He noted a dramatic drop in violence, and economic and political progress that, while slower than it had been hoped to be, still offers promise.
Any nation that stands in the way of that progress – whether by supporting insurgents or illegal militias in Iraq directly or indirectly, or simply by withholding support – ultimately hurts itself, Gates said.
"But just as the nations of the Middle East have the most to lose from chaos in Iraq, they also have the most to gain from a secure, stable, and prosperous Iraq," the secretary said.
Gates called nations represented at the summit to become full partners in building an Iraq that contributes to security in the Persian Gulf region, provides a strong trading partner and serves as an example of good governance and reconciliation.
He assured them the United States will remain with them in the effort, even as it begins drawing down its force presence in Iraq.
Gates said he's seen a growing appreciation in the United States of the need for some kind of residual force to remain in Iraq under terms agreed to be the Iraqi government. Such a force likely would continue pursuing al Qaeda, assist with border security and training and equipping of Iraqi security forces, and "be some kind of a stabilizing force," he said.
The secretary noted doubts by some at last year's Manama Dialogue -- set against a backdrop of deteriorating security and escalating sectarian violence in Iraq -- about whether the United States could continue to stand by its commitments to Iraq and the region.
"The record of American activity over the past year should dispel that uncertainty," the secretary said. "The United States remains committed to defending its vital interests and those of its allies in Iraq and in the wider Middle East."
Also during his address, Gates pressed today for expanded multilateral cooperation in the region, which he said would provide broader protection against Iran and other destabilizing forces.
Multilateral Cooperation Critical to Gulf Region Security, Gates Says
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 8, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates pressed today for expanded multilateral cooperation that could better protect the Persian Gulf region against threats from Iran and other destabilizing forces. While emphasizing the importance of U.S. bilateral ties with many countries in the region, Gates told delegates at the Manama Dialogue here, it's time to pool their efforts more closely to bolster their collective security.
The annual summit, now in its fourth year, brings together about 200 senior military leaders from 23 countries to discuss mutual security interests.
Gates called broader security relationships, with closer multilateral ties and cooperation, "an absolute necessity" that will enhance the entire region's security. Such a framework could help pave the way for a regional air and missile defense system that would provide a regional defense umbrella and deter a missile attack, he added. Some elements that could contribute to such a system already are in the works. Just this week, the Defense Department notified Congress that it might sell upgraded AWACs airborne early warning systems to Saudi Arabia, and also announced a proposal to sell Patriot missile defense and early warning systems to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
"We should bear in mind the deterrent effect such a system would have," Gates said. "If the chances of a successful attack are greatly reduced, then so too is the value of pursuing offensive weapons systems and delivery systems."
Gates told the delegates regional cooperation also would enhance maritime security by providing a better "maritime surface picture" and standardized procedures to improve defenses. These would help protect against seaborne threats such as terrorism, piracy, narcotics trafficking and smuggling, the secretary explained.
He also urged more cooperative military training and exercise participation to promote interoperability among participating countries' armed forces.
While urging leaders to get their countries to work more closely together, Gates emphasized that the United States remains committed to the region. He told them operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the challenges they present, haven't diminished U.S. resolve.
Gates quickly set the record straight when one delegate questioned whether some U.S. actions in the region consider U.S. interests alone.
With 40 years of personal engagement in the region, Gates told the questioner, he doesn't have "enough fingers and toes to count the times when the United States has helped its friends and allies in the region – all of its friends and allies."
He cited the U.S. role in liberating Kuwait from an Iraqi invader as a signal event, but said U.S. support goes far deeper.
"We have been the primary sponsor of virtually every peace agreement and cease-fire that has been signed in this region for the last 35 years."
"We have exercised a constructive influence in trying to promote positive change," he said.
Gates said the United States welcomes regional countries' efforts to "create their own narrative" or chart their own courses.
"That's the way it happens with sovereign states," he said. "But the United States is a friend and an ally, and we are prepared to work with you. And the truth of the matter is, we help you create the security climate in which you can create your own narrative."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 8, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates pressed today for expanded multilateral cooperation that could better protect the Persian Gulf region against threats from Iran and other destabilizing forces. While emphasizing the importance of U.S. bilateral ties with many countries in the region, Gates told delegates at the Manama Dialogue here, it's time to pool their efforts more closely to bolster their collective security.
The annual summit, now in its fourth year, brings together about 200 senior military leaders from 23 countries to discuss mutual security interests.
Gates called broader security relationships, with closer multilateral ties and cooperation, "an absolute necessity" that will enhance the entire region's security. Such a framework could help pave the way for a regional air and missile defense system that would provide a regional defense umbrella and deter a missile attack, he added. Some elements that could contribute to such a system already are in the works. Just this week, the Defense Department notified Congress that it might sell upgraded AWACs airborne early warning systems to Saudi Arabia, and also announced a proposal to sell Patriot missile defense and early warning systems to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
"We should bear in mind the deterrent effect such a system would have," Gates said. "If the chances of a successful attack are greatly reduced, then so too is the value of pursuing offensive weapons systems and delivery systems."
Gates told the delegates regional cooperation also would enhance maritime security by providing a better "maritime surface picture" and standardized procedures to improve defenses. These would help protect against seaborne threats such as terrorism, piracy, narcotics trafficking and smuggling, the secretary explained.
He also urged more cooperative military training and exercise participation to promote interoperability among participating countries' armed forces.
While urging leaders to get their countries to work more closely together, Gates emphasized that the United States remains committed to the region. He told them operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the challenges they present, haven't diminished U.S. resolve.
Gates quickly set the record straight when one delegate questioned whether some U.S. actions in the region consider U.S. interests alone.
With 40 years of personal engagement in the region, Gates told the questioner, he doesn't have "enough fingers and toes to count the times when the United States has helped its friends and allies in the region – all of its friends and allies."
He cited the U.S. role in liberating Kuwait from an Iraqi invader as a signal event, but said U.S. support goes far deeper.
"We have been the primary sponsor of virtually every peace agreement and cease-fire that has been signed in this region for the last 35 years."
"We have exercised a constructive influence in trying to promote positive change," he said.
Gates said the United States welcomes regional countries' efforts to "create their own narrative" or chart their own courses.
"That's the way it happens with sovereign states," he said. "But the United States is a friend and an ally, and we are prepared to work with you. And the truth of the matter is, we help you create the security climate in which you can create your own narrative."
Gates Calls for Continued International Pressure on Iran
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 8, 2007 - Days after a new national intelligence estimate concluded that Iran has stopped its nuclear weapons program but could restart it any time, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called on the international community to keep up its pressure on Tehran. Gates told delegates at the Manama Dialogue security conference here that the report underscores the need for the international community to continue pressuring Iran to "come clean" about its activities and abandon the program altogether.
The NIE, issued Dec. 3, says the U.S. intelligence community believes Iran halted its covert nuclear weapons program -- which it denied existed -- in the fall of 2003. The report cites international scrutiny and pressure as the probable reasons.
Gates warned about 200 delegates from 23 nations attending the annual regional security conference about "cherry-picking" the NIE's findings rather than accepting "the full story" it gives.
"The report expresses with greater confidence than ever that Iran did have a nuclear weapons program – developed secretly, kept hidden for years, and in violation of its international obligations," he said.
The NIE unveils ongoing activities, too, Gates said. "It reports that they do continue their nuclear enrichment program, an essential long-lead-time component of any nuclear weapons program. It states that they do have the mechanisms still in place to restart their program," he said.
"And, the estimate is explicit that Iran is keeping its options open and could re-start its nuclear weapons program at any time – I would add, if it has not done so already."
Gates pointed to Iran's activities that defense officials report have left many of its neighbors feeling threatened. "Everywhere you turn, it is the policy of Iran to foment instability and chaos, no matter the strategic value or the cost in the blood of innocents," Gates said.
Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of U.S. Central Command and part of the U.S. delegation here, told reporters yesterday Iran's meddling – from supplying weapons to insurgents in Iran and Afghanistan to its seizure in March of 15 British sailors – is destabilizing to the United States as well as the Persian Gulf region.
"Their behavior has really been a problem, and to the extent that it destabilizes the region, which it does, then it becomes a problem for us," he said. "Everything they've done publicly has been a problem."
Gates said during a question-and-answer session following his address he's "not confident" high-level dialogue between the United States and Iran would do any good in light of Iran's inflammatory foreign policy. "Iran has to take some steps" for such a dialogue to be meaningful, he said.
Iran had been scheduled to send a delegation to the Manama Dialogue, but cancelled at the last minute.
In the meantime, Gates pointed to the international community as the only barrier to Iran re-starting its nuclear weapons program.
He urged Gulf-region leaders to pull together to demand that Iran "come clean" about past activities, suspend enrichment and openly affirm it has no plans to develop nuclear weapons. He also argued for them to demand inspections to make sure Iran lives up to its commitments and can't restart its nuclear weapons program at a moment's notice, or "at the whim of its most militant leaders."
Gates pressed for the international community to "continue – and intensify – our economic, financial and diplomatic pressures on Iran to suspend enrichment." He urged leaders to take the "peaceful but effective measures necessary to bring a long-term change of policies in Tehran."
Asked if the United States is planning a military confrontation with Iran, Gates emphasized that the U.S. focus is "100 percent diplomatic and economic."
The focus now, the secretary said, is trying to get the Iranians to change policies and practices that "should be a matter of grave concern to every government in world."
"We would like nothing better than for Iran to become a constructive player" in the region, he said.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 8, 2007 - Days after a new national intelligence estimate concluded that Iran has stopped its nuclear weapons program but could restart it any time, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called on the international community to keep up its pressure on Tehran. Gates told delegates at the Manama Dialogue security conference here that the report underscores the need for the international community to continue pressuring Iran to "come clean" about its activities and abandon the program altogether.
The NIE, issued Dec. 3, says the U.S. intelligence community believes Iran halted its covert nuclear weapons program -- which it denied existed -- in the fall of 2003. The report cites international scrutiny and pressure as the probable reasons.
Gates warned about 200 delegates from 23 nations attending the annual regional security conference about "cherry-picking" the NIE's findings rather than accepting "the full story" it gives.
"The report expresses with greater confidence than ever that Iran did have a nuclear weapons program – developed secretly, kept hidden for years, and in violation of its international obligations," he said.
The NIE unveils ongoing activities, too, Gates said. "It reports that they do continue their nuclear enrichment program, an essential long-lead-time component of any nuclear weapons program. It states that they do have the mechanisms still in place to restart their program," he said.
"And, the estimate is explicit that Iran is keeping its options open and could re-start its nuclear weapons program at any time – I would add, if it has not done so already."
Gates pointed to Iran's activities that defense officials report have left many of its neighbors feeling threatened. "Everywhere you turn, it is the policy of Iran to foment instability and chaos, no matter the strategic value or the cost in the blood of innocents," Gates said.
Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of U.S. Central Command and part of the U.S. delegation here, told reporters yesterday Iran's meddling – from supplying weapons to insurgents in Iran and Afghanistan to its seizure in March of 15 British sailors – is destabilizing to the United States as well as the Persian Gulf region.
"Their behavior has really been a problem, and to the extent that it destabilizes the region, which it does, then it becomes a problem for us," he said. "Everything they've done publicly has been a problem."
Gates said during a question-and-answer session following his address he's "not confident" high-level dialogue between the United States and Iran would do any good in light of Iran's inflammatory foreign policy. "Iran has to take some steps" for such a dialogue to be meaningful, he said.
Iran had been scheduled to send a delegation to the Manama Dialogue, but cancelled at the last minute.
In the meantime, Gates pointed to the international community as the only barrier to Iran re-starting its nuclear weapons program.
He urged Gulf-region leaders to pull together to demand that Iran "come clean" about past activities, suspend enrichment and openly affirm it has no plans to develop nuclear weapons. He also argued for them to demand inspections to make sure Iran lives up to its commitments and can't restart its nuclear weapons program at a moment's notice, or "at the whim of its most militant leaders."
Gates pressed for the international community to "continue – and intensify – our economic, financial and diplomatic pressures on Iran to suspend enrichment." He urged leaders to take the "peaceful but effective measures necessary to bring a long-term change of policies in Tehran."
Asked if the United States is planning a military confrontation with Iran, Gates emphasized that the U.S. focus is "100 percent diplomatic and economic."
The focus now, the secretary said, is trying to get the Iranians to change policies and practices that "should be a matter of grave concern to every government in world."
"We would like nothing better than for Iran to become a constructive player" in the region, he said.
Why We Serve: Marine from Big City Transformed by Iraqi Desert
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 7, 2007 - When the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks stoked his sense of patriotism, a 15-year-old from Queens, N.Y., decided to enlist in the U.S. military following high school graduation. "I felt like the country needed me to help fill a void in military service," said Marine Cpl. Sean M. Henry, who grew up just miles from downtown Manhattan, where hijackers barreled planes into the World Trade Center towers. "So I made the choice that I was going to join the Marine Corps in 2004 straight after high school."
Henry is one of 10 servicemembers selected to tell the military's story to the American public at community and business events, veterans organizations and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
Before Marine boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., Henry had no experience living outside the bustling New York City borough he calls home. And though anecdotes shared with him by Marines returning from Iraq helped him prepare for an impending deployment to Qaim, it did little to blunt the perennial city boy's culture shock upon landing in the desert town near the Iraq-Syria border.
"I'm from the city; you know what I'm saying? And everything in the Marines, especially in Iraq, was about map reading, finding the North Star and all that stuff," Henry said. "And me, being the kid from Queens, I'm like, man, where's the subway?"
As if being away from the cosmopolitan perks of the Big Apple weren't difficult enough, Henry found himself ensconced in the sandy, pastoral desert life of Qaim -- a western Anbar town with a dubious electrical grid -- attempting to bridge the enormous American and Arab cultural divides while battling an elusive enemy.
"I call them 'ghosts,' because the insurgents would fire at us, and we'd never see them," the corporal recalled, "then we'd fire back."
On average, Henry and his comrades waged war with proverbial ghosts a few times a week. Once, while Henry's unit was at a re-transmission post -- a tiny military structure located between main bases and fortified only by sandbags -- a torrential sandstorm engulfed the Marines.
"I said to myself, 'Wow, this is the perfect time for the enemy to attack us,'" Henry said. "And as soon as I finish my sentence, a piece of wood clips me and my ear starts bleeding."
When Henry looked into the distance, he saw muzzle flashes coming from a bridge about 600 feet away. "And I'm only 19 years old you know, and this is real hectic," he recalled. "So I get on my mortar pitch, and I'm firing 100-round relay mortars onto the bridge.
"After that, we stopped hearing them firing on us," he said.
The insurgents who tried to overtake the re-transmission post that day likely would have succeeded if Henry and his team had succumbed to the pressure of the firefight surrounding them, he said. "But I was just thinking to myself that I've gotta get those mortars on target or else we're history, because they're moving pretty quick -- they had vehicles too," he recalled. "Fear doesn't really come into play."
Henry said that because the Marines had trained him to perform amid the tension of a mortar fight, he maintained calm professionalism. Similarly, because Henry had expanded his cultural horizons while deployed in Qaim, he thrived in a second deployment that required him to work among local Iraqis in Habbaniyah.
"When we first got (to Habbiniyah), there weren't kids playing soccer in the street; there weren't military-age males going to and from work or to the market; that was something that we brought to them," he said. "They weren't allowed to walk outside, but all that stopped once we got there."
At the beginning of the deployment, Henry and his unit were fired upon regularly, he said. But during the middle and nearing the end of his deployment, the situation had improved dramatically, he said.
By that point, the mission took on a new humanitarian angle, he said, and shifted from regularly engaging in indirect-fire fights with insurgents, to stabilizing neighborhoods at the grassroots level. Near the end of the deployment, for instance, Henry spent time ensuring that Iraqi children were attending school and that they were equipped with pencils, paper, books and other school supplies.
Asked if the efforts of he and his fellow Marines were noticeable, the corporal replied, "Oh my goodness, yes."
Henry was hungry for action as a 19-year-old enlistee in Qaim, he recalled. But halfway through that first deployment, and during his second deployment in Habbiniyah, Henry said, he was eager to help train younger guys, adopting a kind of mentor role.
"Sometimes tears would come to (the young Marines') eyes when they would help the Iraqi people and the kids," he recalled.
Henry, who will marry his fiancée, Miranda, in June, seems imbued with a sense of youthful wisdom after his experience in Iraq.
"The most important thing Iraq taught me is that no matter what happens, it can always be worse," he said. "I've been in some of the world's most messed up situations, and then I get to the (United) States and I say, 'People think they have it bad, but they don't.'"
Henry said he's unsure how his life would have turned out had he not joined the Marines. "I probably would have gone to some community college, been struggling for money, ... I don't know," he said. "It wouldn't have been better than the circumstance I'm in now.
"I'm definitely happy with my choice," he said. "I look back on some of my buddies back home, and they're pretty much in the same situation as when I left them, and when I tell them about all the wonderful things I've done -- and the things that I'm doing -- their experiences can't compare."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 7, 2007 - When the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks stoked his sense of patriotism, a 15-year-old from Queens, N.Y., decided to enlist in the U.S. military following high school graduation. "I felt like the country needed me to help fill a void in military service," said Marine Cpl. Sean M. Henry, who grew up just miles from downtown Manhattan, where hijackers barreled planes into the World Trade Center towers. "So I made the choice that I was going to join the Marine Corps in 2004 straight after high school."
Henry is one of 10 servicemembers selected to tell the military's story to the American public at community and business events, veterans organizations and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
Before Marine boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., Henry had no experience living outside the bustling New York City borough he calls home. And though anecdotes shared with him by Marines returning from Iraq helped him prepare for an impending deployment to Qaim, it did little to blunt the perennial city boy's culture shock upon landing in the desert town near the Iraq-Syria border.
"I'm from the city; you know what I'm saying? And everything in the Marines, especially in Iraq, was about map reading, finding the North Star and all that stuff," Henry said. "And me, being the kid from Queens, I'm like, man, where's the subway?"
As if being away from the cosmopolitan perks of the Big Apple weren't difficult enough, Henry found himself ensconced in the sandy, pastoral desert life of Qaim -- a western Anbar town with a dubious electrical grid -- attempting to bridge the enormous American and Arab cultural divides while battling an elusive enemy.
"I call them 'ghosts,' because the insurgents would fire at us, and we'd never see them," the corporal recalled, "then we'd fire back."
On average, Henry and his comrades waged war with proverbial ghosts a few times a week. Once, while Henry's unit was at a re-transmission post -- a tiny military structure located between main bases and fortified only by sandbags -- a torrential sandstorm engulfed the Marines.
"I said to myself, 'Wow, this is the perfect time for the enemy to attack us,'" Henry said. "And as soon as I finish my sentence, a piece of wood clips me and my ear starts bleeding."
When Henry looked into the distance, he saw muzzle flashes coming from a bridge about 600 feet away. "And I'm only 19 years old you know, and this is real hectic," he recalled. "So I get on my mortar pitch, and I'm firing 100-round relay mortars onto the bridge.
"After that, we stopped hearing them firing on us," he said.
The insurgents who tried to overtake the re-transmission post that day likely would have succeeded if Henry and his team had succumbed to the pressure of the firefight surrounding them, he said. "But I was just thinking to myself that I've gotta get those mortars on target or else we're history, because they're moving pretty quick -- they had vehicles too," he recalled. "Fear doesn't really come into play."
Henry said that because the Marines had trained him to perform amid the tension of a mortar fight, he maintained calm professionalism. Similarly, because Henry had expanded his cultural horizons while deployed in Qaim, he thrived in a second deployment that required him to work among local Iraqis in Habbaniyah.
"When we first got (to Habbiniyah), there weren't kids playing soccer in the street; there weren't military-age males going to and from work or to the market; that was something that we brought to them," he said. "They weren't allowed to walk outside, but all that stopped once we got there."
At the beginning of the deployment, Henry and his unit were fired upon regularly, he said. But during the middle and nearing the end of his deployment, the situation had improved dramatically, he said.
By that point, the mission took on a new humanitarian angle, he said, and shifted from regularly engaging in indirect-fire fights with insurgents, to stabilizing neighborhoods at the grassroots level. Near the end of the deployment, for instance, Henry spent time ensuring that Iraqi children were attending school and that they were equipped with pencils, paper, books and other school supplies.
Asked if the efforts of he and his fellow Marines were noticeable, the corporal replied, "Oh my goodness, yes."
Henry was hungry for action as a 19-year-old enlistee in Qaim, he recalled. But halfway through that first deployment, and during his second deployment in Habbiniyah, Henry said, he was eager to help train younger guys, adopting a kind of mentor role.
"Sometimes tears would come to (the young Marines') eyes when they would help the Iraqi people and the kids," he recalled.
Henry, who will marry his fiancée, Miranda, in June, seems imbued with a sense of youthful wisdom after his experience in Iraq.
"The most important thing Iraq taught me is that no matter what happens, it can always be worse," he said. "I've been in some of the world's most messed up situations, and then I get to the (United) States and I say, 'People think they have it bad, but they don't.'"
Henry said he's unsure how his life would have turned out had he not joined the Marines. "I probably would have gone to some community college, been struggling for money, ... I don't know," he said. "It wouldn't have been better than the circumstance I'm in now.
"I'm definitely happy with my choice," he said. "I look back on some of my buddies back home, and they're pretty much in the same situation as when I left them, and when I tell them about all the wonderful things I've done -- and the things that I'm doing -- their experiences can't compare."
Saturday, December 08, 2007
The Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; Sometimes serious; but, always poignant. During the first half-hour of the show, the host, a nationally recognized expert on law enforcement, interviews a subject matter expert on the topic. During the second half-hour the program is joined by two other cops who give a street-level perspective to the conversation.
Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement
Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement
Gates to Address Gulf Regional Security at Manama Dialogue
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 7, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will encourage closer cooperation to promote security in the Persian Gulf region at the fourth annual Manama Dialogue, which opens here tonight. The three-day summit, sponsored by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, brings together about 200 defense ministers and senior officials from 23 countries to discuss major security issues in the region.
Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of U.S. Central Command, also will participate as a member of the U.S. delegation.
"We will be covering the full range of security issues," Gates told reporters traveling with him yesterday.
The secretary is expected to reinforce the longstanding U.S. commitment to the region during his speech at tomorrow's first plenary session on the United States and the balance of power in the region.
"I think the secretary's message is going to be that there are a lot of shared threats in the region, ... that the Gulf and the region is and remains a vital, strategic U.S. interest, and the U.S. will remain in the region," a senior defense official said.
"We have been here for decades," she told reporters on background. "You can pretty well count on us remaining here for decades to come."
Gates told reporters he expects discussions about Iran and its activities to be part of the discussions. "Iranian behavior in a number of areas will clearly come up during the conversations here," he said.
The secretary said he does not expect to have any direct interaction with Iranian officials during the sessions. It remains unclear whether Tehran will send delegates, U.S. officials said.
A senior military official told reporters many regional countries share a common concern about Iran, which they described as "the want-to-be big dog in this area."
The countries' wariness centers on "the shadow of Iran" as it expands its influence and "the increasingly outward, bellicose monologue that emanates from Tehran," he said.
But a bigger problem is that Iran's activities are consistently in line with its rhetoric, the official said. He referred to a series of incidents since he took command of CENTCOM, including Iran's delivery of weapons and other support into Iraq and Afghanistan and the detention of British sailors earlier this year.
"Everything they've done publicly has been a problem," he said. "Their behavior has really been a problem, and to the extent that it destabilizes the region, which it does, then it becomes a problem for us."
As Gates addresses Iran and other common threats during the Manama Dialogue, he's expected to emphasize that current U.S. activities in Iraq don't diminish U.S. commitments elsewhere in the region, a senior defense official said.
Similarly, the troop drawdown in Iraq doesn't signal any lessening of U.S. interest or commitment to the region, but rather, an opportunity to form stronger ties, she said. "One shouldn't view a diminution of troops in Iraq as anything other than a good-news story to the extent that the situation there allows that to develop.
"I think we will build upon that and say, 'We have a shared interest here, a shared commercial interest, a shared security interest," she said. "And the more we cooperate, the more the world will benefit."
A senior military official called the simple act of agreeing to work together "a terrific step" toward this goal. "And then, if you decide you want to work together, then figuring out how you can communicate with one another, that would be wonderful," he said.
Closer cooperation is key to regional countries' ability to collectively face common threats and promote common interests, he said. "If they can find ways to work together, then we all benefit. They benefit, and after awhile, they are going to see the positives."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 7, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will encourage closer cooperation to promote security in the Persian Gulf region at the fourth annual Manama Dialogue, which opens here tonight. The three-day summit, sponsored by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, brings together about 200 defense ministers and senior officials from 23 countries to discuss major security issues in the region.
Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of U.S. Central Command, also will participate as a member of the U.S. delegation.
"We will be covering the full range of security issues," Gates told reporters traveling with him yesterday.
The secretary is expected to reinforce the longstanding U.S. commitment to the region during his speech at tomorrow's first plenary session on the United States and the balance of power in the region.
"I think the secretary's message is going to be that there are a lot of shared threats in the region, ... that the Gulf and the region is and remains a vital, strategic U.S. interest, and the U.S. will remain in the region," a senior defense official said.
"We have been here for decades," she told reporters on background. "You can pretty well count on us remaining here for decades to come."
Gates told reporters he expects discussions about Iran and its activities to be part of the discussions. "Iranian behavior in a number of areas will clearly come up during the conversations here," he said.
The secretary said he does not expect to have any direct interaction with Iranian officials during the sessions. It remains unclear whether Tehran will send delegates, U.S. officials said.
A senior military official told reporters many regional countries share a common concern about Iran, which they described as "the want-to-be big dog in this area."
The countries' wariness centers on "the shadow of Iran" as it expands its influence and "the increasingly outward, bellicose monologue that emanates from Tehran," he said.
But a bigger problem is that Iran's activities are consistently in line with its rhetoric, the official said. He referred to a series of incidents since he took command of CENTCOM, including Iran's delivery of weapons and other support into Iraq and Afghanistan and the detention of British sailors earlier this year.
"Everything they've done publicly has been a problem," he said. "Their behavior has really been a problem, and to the extent that it destabilizes the region, which it does, then it becomes a problem for us."
As Gates addresses Iran and other common threats during the Manama Dialogue, he's expected to emphasize that current U.S. activities in Iraq don't diminish U.S. commitments elsewhere in the region, a senior defense official said.
Similarly, the troop drawdown in Iraq doesn't signal any lessening of U.S. interest or commitment to the region, but rather, an opportunity to form stronger ties, she said. "One shouldn't view a diminution of troops in Iraq as anything other than a good-news story to the extent that the situation there allows that to develop.
"I think we will build upon that and say, 'We have a shared interest here, a shared commercial interest, a shared security interest," she said. "And the more we cooperate, the more the world will benefit."
A senior military official called the simple act of agreeing to work together "a terrific step" toward this goal. "And then, if you decide you want to work together, then figuring out how you can communicate with one another, that would be wonderful," he said.
Closer cooperation is key to regional countries' ability to collectively face common threats and promote common interests, he said. "If they can find ways to work together, then we all benefit. They benefit, and after awhile, they are going to see the positives."
365 Police Departments
Editor's Note: One of the authors is a former servicemember.
December 7, 2007, (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists over 800 state and local police officers who have written books. With the addition of Robert Ernst, Bryan Heger and Paul Anthony, the website now lists state and local police officers from 365 agencies.
Robert R. Ernst, a former deputy sheriff with the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office (Michigan). He is the author of Deadly Affrays. According to the book description, “The United States Marshals became the first federal law enforcement organization when President George Washington signed into law the Judiciary Act on September 24, 1789. The U.S. Marshals have lost more personnel to violence than any other federal law enforcement agency. Robert Forsyth, one of the original thirteen appointees, was the first Marshal killed in the line of duty when he was shot to death while attempting to serve civil papers on a Baptist minister in Georgia. Since Forsyth’s death, at least 287 additional officers have met violent deaths in almost every imaginable way. These are the stories of those men who were serving their country enforcing the law-- until they became involved in Deadly Affrays.”
Bryan Heger was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was raised on a small, family owned farm south of Baltimore City called Hanover. After graduating from Arundel Senior High School, he went to work for the Anne Arundel County Police Department where, after twenty-six years, the last thirteen as a sergeant, he received a medical retirement. He and his boys now live in Pasadena, Maryland. Both of the boys attend local schools, and the author works as a full-time dad. He is the author of Me and the Boys: A Man's Guide to Single Parenthood.
According to the description of Me and the Boys: A Man's Guide to Single Parenthood, “Imagine yourself a twenty-six veteran police officer with a file full of commendations. Fully half your career was as a sergeant responsible for a number of young officers under your command. You put in your time on the street. You paid your dues. You’re still young and good at your job, a nice home, two great young boys and a wife...and then”
Paul L. Anthony, EMS (Equity Marketing Specialist) is a well established entrepreneur in Pueblo, Colorado. He is the owner/operator of Anthony Enterprises. With the mettle to be a U.S. Marine, Paul Anthony learned the doctrines of Semper Fidelis; do or die; don't ever give up; etc. As he traveled in Far Eastern countries in the Marine Corps, Paul Anthony studied their philosophies and acquired master level skills in Judo, Karate, and Aikido; which he subsequently taught for 14 years.
Upon returning to Southern California, Paul Anthony became a police officer with the Anaheim Police Department and in 1964 was selected the Officer of the Year of the Anaheim Police Department. During his law enforcement career, Paul Anthony has served as Police Science Director at Mira Costa College for 9 years and as a training consultant for the International Association of Chiefs of Police for 5 years. As a law enforcement trainer, Paul Anthony trained over 2,000 Vietnam War Veterans who are now highly qualified police officers across the country.
Along the way, Paul Anthony attended four community colleges and seven universities in four states. He has earned teaching credentials in martial arts, criminology, vocational education, and real estate. Paul Anthony has Community College Administrator credential from the state of California. Anthony is the author of Secret of Success.
According to the editor of Secret of Success, TJ Ramos, “Enjoy entertaining insights that encourage the reader toward success by thinking differently from what's expected. Not just another 'motivational' blurb, not another 'how to get rich quick' guide... this lively trip into basic human nature shows how to understand what people mean, despite what they say!”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 808 police officers (representing 365 police departments) and their 1719 law enforcement books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
December 7, 2007, (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists over 800 state and local police officers who have written books. With the addition of Robert Ernst, Bryan Heger and Paul Anthony, the website now lists state and local police officers from 365 agencies.
Robert R. Ernst, a former deputy sheriff with the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office (Michigan). He is the author of Deadly Affrays. According to the book description, “The United States Marshals became the first federal law enforcement organization when President George Washington signed into law the Judiciary Act on September 24, 1789. The U.S. Marshals have lost more personnel to violence than any other federal law enforcement agency. Robert Forsyth, one of the original thirteen appointees, was the first Marshal killed in the line of duty when he was shot to death while attempting to serve civil papers on a Baptist minister in Georgia. Since Forsyth’s death, at least 287 additional officers have met violent deaths in almost every imaginable way. These are the stories of those men who were serving their country enforcing the law-- until they became involved in Deadly Affrays.”
Bryan Heger was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was raised on a small, family owned farm south of Baltimore City called Hanover. After graduating from Arundel Senior High School, he went to work for the Anne Arundel County Police Department where, after twenty-six years, the last thirteen as a sergeant, he received a medical retirement. He and his boys now live in Pasadena, Maryland. Both of the boys attend local schools, and the author works as a full-time dad. He is the author of Me and the Boys: A Man's Guide to Single Parenthood.
According to the description of Me and the Boys: A Man's Guide to Single Parenthood, “Imagine yourself a twenty-six veteran police officer with a file full of commendations. Fully half your career was as a sergeant responsible for a number of young officers under your command. You put in your time on the street. You paid your dues. You’re still young and good at your job, a nice home, two great young boys and a wife...and then”
Paul L. Anthony, EMS (Equity Marketing Specialist) is a well established entrepreneur in Pueblo, Colorado. He is the owner/operator of Anthony Enterprises. With the mettle to be a U.S. Marine, Paul Anthony learned the doctrines of Semper Fidelis; do or die; don't ever give up; etc. As he traveled in Far Eastern countries in the Marine Corps, Paul Anthony studied their philosophies and acquired master level skills in Judo, Karate, and Aikido; which he subsequently taught for 14 years.
Upon returning to Southern California, Paul Anthony became a police officer with the Anaheim Police Department and in 1964 was selected the Officer of the Year of the Anaheim Police Department. During his law enforcement career, Paul Anthony has served as Police Science Director at Mira Costa College for 9 years and as a training consultant for the International Association of Chiefs of Police for 5 years. As a law enforcement trainer, Paul Anthony trained over 2,000 Vietnam War Veterans who are now highly qualified police officers across the country.
Along the way, Paul Anthony attended four community colleges and seven universities in four states. He has earned teaching credentials in martial arts, criminology, vocational education, and real estate. Paul Anthony has Community College Administrator credential from the state of California. Anthony is the author of Secret of Success.
According to the editor of Secret of Success, TJ Ramos, “Enjoy entertaining insights that encourage the reader toward success by thinking differently from what's expected. Not just another 'motivational' blurb, not another 'how to get rich quick' guide... this lively trip into basic human nature shows how to understand what people mean, despite what they say!”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 808 police officers (representing 365 police departments) and their 1719 law enforcement books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Gates Appraises Maritime Contribution to Gulf Region Security
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 7, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today commemorated a historic date in U.S. Navy history -- Pearl Harbor Day -- at U.S. Naval Forces Central Command headquarters here. He got a detailed briefing about the command's operations and how they're helping to maintain security and keep the sea lanes flowing.
Vice Adm. Kevin J. Cosgriff, commander of NAVCENT Combined Maritime Forces and U.S. 5th Fleet, briefed the secretary on the command's operations, which cover 2.5 million square miles of international waters in U.S. Central Command's area of operations.
Each day, more than 10,000 vessels transit the territory, which includes about 80 percent of the global energy reserves. About 45 percent of the world's oil passes through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Keeping these regional waterways open and safe is the heart of the NAVCENT mission and the focus of Gates' briefing here, senior officials told reporters. It's a mission they said has not only regional, but also international implications, particularly in light of Iran's stated threat to close the Strait of Hormuz -- the entrance to the Persian Gulf -- and the huge setback a terrorist attack on Iraq's offshore oil platforms would pose to the country's economy.
Cosgriff described how U.S. naval forces here partner with ships from the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, Italy and Pakistan to preserve unfettered use of the waterways and deny them to terrorists.
"No one nation can do this on their own," a senior Coalition Force Maritime Component official told reporters traveling with the secretary. "It's a collaborative effort."
These maritime security operations ensure the security of Iraq's two offshore oil platforms, which provide as much as 85 to 90 percent of the country's gross domestic product, the official explained. In addition to conducting regular patrols to ensure al Qaeda doesn't get the opportunity to target the platforms, NAVCENT is training the Iraqi navy to build its own defense capabilities.
Of particular concern is Iran, a growing threat to the region that's building its navy and Revolutionary Guard to become more capable forces. "I wake up thinking about Iran. I go to bed thinking about Iran," another senior official said.
One of the greatest threats Iran's naval forces could pose would be to follow through on the country's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. A senior official here told reporters it's unlikely Iran would attempt such a measure any time soon, but that the rhetoric alone has a destabilizing effect.
"It's coercive, intended to intimidate the global market," he said. "I just don't think it's responsible behavior."
The official had similar views about an incident earlier this year when Iranian forces seized 15 British sailors during a routine search operation in the Persian Gulf's Shatt al Arab waterway. "You don't detain somebody in the international waters of your neighbor," an official said, calling it "an illegal act."
While recognizing the importance of checking Iranian aggression, a senior official emphasized that the coalition operating here "is not about Iran," but rather the broader security interests of the region. "The collaborative nature of what we do, from a coalition perspective, I see as enduring," he said.
As NAVCENT forces ensure security of the waterways, they're expanding in two additional areas: humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
In one recent example, USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship that was operating here, rushed from the region to provided humanitarian relief in Bangladesh following a devastating late-November cyclone. Kearsarge and its crew are now making the 3,000-mile return trip here.
These types of missions provide desperately needed assistance and go a long way in helping "de-demonize the West" in the eyes of the world, the official said.
The mission falls directly in line with the U.S. chief of naval operations' new cooperative sea power strategy, released in October, that emphasizes binding all U.S. maritime services more closely to advance America's prosperity and security through both military and non-military means.
"Having credible combat power forward and concentrating it in the regions where the U.S. has enduring vital interest is at the heart of our new strategy," an official said today. "And at the heart of that is, it's far better to prevent a war than fight one."
Before attending today's briefing, Gates took time in front of the NAVCENT headquarters to present a Joint Service Commendation Medal to Marine Gunnery Sgt. Dennis Malin, a 17-year Marine who has served in the defense attache's office at the U.S. Embassy here for about five years.
"It's awesome. It's great," Malin said of receiving his award from the defense secretary. "This is fantastic."
"I'm so happy for him. He works so hard," Malin's wife, Megan, said before posing for photos with her husband and Gates following the short ceremony.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 7, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today commemorated a historic date in U.S. Navy history -- Pearl Harbor Day -- at U.S. Naval Forces Central Command headquarters here. He got a detailed briefing about the command's operations and how they're helping to maintain security and keep the sea lanes flowing.
Vice Adm. Kevin J. Cosgriff, commander of NAVCENT Combined Maritime Forces and U.S. 5th Fleet, briefed the secretary on the command's operations, which cover 2.5 million square miles of international waters in U.S. Central Command's area of operations.
Each day, more than 10,000 vessels transit the territory, which includes about 80 percent of the global energy reserves. About 45 percent of the world's oil passes through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Keeping these regional waterways open and safe is the heart of the NAVCENT mission and the focus of Gates' briefing here, senior officials told reporters. It's a mission they said has not only regional, but also international implications, particularly in light of Iran's stated threat to close the Strait of Hormuz -- the entrance to the Persian Gulf -- and the huge setback a terrorist attack on Iraq's offshore oil platforms would pose to the country's economy.
Cosgriff described how U.S. naval forces here partner with ships from the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, Italy and Pakistan to preserve unfettered use of the waterways and deny them to terrorists.
"No one nation can do this on their own," a senior Coalition Force Maritime Component official told reporters traveling with the secretary. "It's a collaborative effort."
These maritime security operations ensure the security of Iraq's two offshore oil platforms, which provide as much as 85 to 90 percent of the country's gross domestic product, the official explained. In addition to conducting regular patrols to ensure al Qaeda doesn't get the opportunity to target the platforms, NAVCENT is training the Iraqi navy to build its own defense capabilities.
Of particular concern is Iran, a growing threat to the region that's building its navy and Revolutionary Guard to become more capable forces. "I wake up thinking about Iran. I go to bed thinking about Iran," another senior official said.
One of the greatest threats Iran's naval forces could pose would be to follow through on the country's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. A senior official here told reporters it's unlikely Iran would attempt such a measure any time soon, but that the rhetoric alone has a destabilizing effect.
"It's coercive, intended to intimidate the global market," he said. "I just don't think it's responsible behavior."
The official had similar views about an incident earlier this year when Iranian forces seized 15 British sailors during a routine search operation in the Persian Gulf's Shatt al Arab waterway. "You don't detain somebody in the international waters of your neighbor," an official said, calling it "an illegal act."
While recognizing the importance of checking Iranian aggression, a senior official emphasized that the coalition operating here "is not about Iran," but rather the broader security interests of the region. "The collaborative nature of what we do, from a coalition perspective, I see as enduring," he said.
As NAVCENT forces ensure security of the waterways, they're expanding in two additional areas: humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
In one recent example, USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship that was operating here, rushed from the region to provided humanitarian relief in Bangladesh following a devastating late-November cyclone. Kearsarge and its crew are now making the 3,000-mile return trip here.
These types of missions provide desperately needed assistance and go a long way in helping "de-demonize the West" in the eyes of the world, the official said.
The mission falls directly in line with the U.S. chief of naval operations' new cooperative sea power strategy, released in October, that emphasizes binding all U.S. maritime services more closely to advance America's prosperity and security through both military and non-military means.
"Having credible combat power forward and concentrating it in the regions where the U.S. has enduring vital interest is at the heart of our new strategy," an official said today. "And at the heart of that is, it's far better to prevent a war than fight one."
Before attending today's briefing, Gates took time in front of the NAVCENT headquarters to present a Joint Service Commendation Medal to Marine Gunnery Sgt. Dennis Malin, a 17-year Marine who has served in the defense attache's office at the U.S. Embassy here for about five years.
"It's awesome. It's great," Malin said of receiving his award from the defense secretary. "This is fantastic."
"I'm so happy for him. He works so hard," Malin's wife, Megan, said before posing for photos with her husband and Gates following the short ceremony.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Technology Center Helps Vets Transition
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 7, 2007 - Transitioning from military to civilian life can be daunting for some, but one group is helping to streamline the process. Fast Forward Community Technology Center, in Columbia, S.C., provides access to technology and technology education to people who might otherwise have access. Recently, however, the group has created a program to provide veterans with tools necessary to successfully transition into civilian employment.
"The main effort of the 'Homefront Readiness' program is to help military veterans find good, secure jobs within the civilian sector," said Becca Smith, the program's director.
Veterans meet with Smith to decide on a course of action, which can include anything from getting help with technology and job skills to networking. She can help them create or edit a resume or find military-friendly employers in the area.
"We have been incredibly successful thus far," Smith said. "Currently, 69 veterans are enrolled in the program, and 16 have secured civilian jobs."
She said more than half of veterans participating in Homefront Readiness have increased their technology skills. "I believe it's the personalized attention and individualized plan that makes our program different and that helps veterans achieve success in the civilian sector," she said.
Homefront Readiness recently became a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"I'm excited about the networking aspect of being on the (America Support You) Web site," Smith said. "We are actively looking for funding and support to help us keep the programs running." Homefront Readiness, which began in January, is funded through a grant by the South Carolina Department of Commerce, Smith said. That grant will expire in January 2009.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 7, 2007 - Transitioning from military to civilian life can be daunting for some, but one group is helping to streamline the process. Fast Forward Community Technology Center, in Columbia, S.C., provides access to technology and technology education to people who might otherwise have access. Recently, however, the group has created a program to provide veterans with tools necessary to successfully transition into civilian employment.
"The main effort of the 'Homefront Readiness' program is to help military veterans find good, secure jobs within the civilian sector," said Becca Smith, the program's director.
Veterans meet with Smith to decide on a course of action, which can include anything from getting help with technology and job skills to networking. She can help them create or edit a resume or find military-friendly employers in the area.
"We have been incredibly successful thus far," Smith said. "Currently, 69 veterans are enrolled in the program, and 16 have secured civilian jobs."
She said more than half of veterans participating in Homefront Readiness have increased their technology skills. "I believe it's the personalized attention and individualized plan that makes our program different and that helps veterans achieve success in the civilian sector," she said.
Homefront Readiness recently became a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"I'm excited about the networking aspect of being on the (America Support You) Web site," Smith said. "We are actively looking for funding and support to help us keep the programs running." Homefront Readiness, which began in January, is funded through a grant by the South Carolina Department of Commerce, Smith said. That grant will expire in January 2009.
Army Prepares to Launch New Pay, Personnel System
By Sgt. Sara Moore, USA
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 7, 2007 - The Army is getting ready to launch a new pay and personnel system next year that will streamline personnel processes and integrate the active-duty, National Guard and Army Reserve components, the Army representative for the new program said today. The Army Defense Integrated Human Resources System, which is part of a Defense Department initiative, will be implemented Oct. 1, 2008, at all Army installations and within all service components, Army Col. Patrick Devine, program director of DIMHRS, told online journalists and "bloggers" during a conference call.
DIMHRS is a commercial product that will take the pay and personnel data from all three components of the Army and put it in a single database accessible online 24 hours a day. A key feature of DIMHRS is that it integrates the pay and personnel systems, which means that when a personnel action is taken, the system automatically will trigger any associated pay change, Devine said.
DIMHRS goes toward solving the problem of multi-component units, or those units made up of soldiers from the active duty, National Guard and Army Reserve, Devine said. In the past, these units had to deal with six different personnel systems and three pay systems, he noted, and DIMHRS will consolidate those into one system.
A big benefit that DIMHRS will give National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers is continuity of pay when they are mobilized, Devine said. In the current environment, National Guard soldiers go through five different sites from mobilization to deployment and have to complete paperwork and be certified at each location, he said. When DIMHRS is launched, all military pay will be handled in the one system, and is coordinated with personnel data, so problems can be avoided.
"In a DIMHRS environment, it's one record per soldier for military personnel and pay, so all that information is shared and it further expedites his entitlements and getting his compensation," Devine said.
A unique aspect of DIMHRS is that it will allow soldiers to access their records and make certain self-service changes, such as a change of address or requesting a personnel action, Devine said. In this way, every soldier will be a user of the system, and all supervisors, including Army civilians who supervise soldiers, will be required to know the system so they can process leave requests, awards and evaluations, he said.
To prepare for the implementation of this new system, the Army is launching an ambitious training program designed to reach all installations, Devine said. The training team starts by briefing senior leadership on the program, he said, then moves to battalion- and brigade-level leadership, and then briefs the human resources personnel who will be using the system the most.
The Army also is making distance-learning materials available for DIMHRS, and will be training soldiers to be instructors on the system, Devine said. The DIMHRS Web site, at www.armydimhrs.army.mil, also will have all the training materials available to soldiers, he said.
The Web site also includes other helpful materials, such as a universal translator to help with commercial terms soldiers may not be familiar with, and work force readiness packages, which describe how each action was done under the old system and how it will be done under DIMHRS.
The Air Force also is set to launch DIMHRS in February 2009, and although the Navy has not set a date for implementation, Navy officials have appointed a program director.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 7, 2007 - The Army is getting ready to launch a new pay and personnel system next year that will streamline personnel processes and integrate the active-duty, National Guard and Army Reserve components, the Army representative for the new program said today. The Army Defense Integrated Human Resources System, which is part of a Defense Department initiative, will be implemented Oct. 1, 2008, at all Army installations and within all service components, Army Col. Patrick Devine, program director of DIMHRS, told online journalists and "bloggers" during a conference call.
DIMHRS is a commercial product that will take the pay and personnel data from all three components of the Army and put it in a single database accessible online 24 hours a day. A key feature of DIMHRS is that it integrates the pay and personnel systems, which means that when a personnel action is taken, the system automatically will trigger any associated pay change, Devine said.
DIMHRS goes toward solving the problem of multi-component units, or those units made up of soldiers from the active duty, National Guard and Army Reserve, Devine said. In the past, these units had to deal with six different personnel systems and three pay systems, he noted, and DIMHRS will consolidate those into one system.
A big benefit that DIMHRS will give National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers is continuity of pay when they are mobilized, Devine said. In the current environment, National Guard soldiers go through five different sites from mobilization to deployment and have to complete paperwork and be certified at each location, he said. When DIMHRS is launched, all military pay will be handled in the one system, and is coordinated with personnel data, so problems can be avoided.
"In a DIMHRS environment, it's one record per soldier for military personnel and pay, so all that information is shared and it further expedites his entitlements and getting his compensation," Devine said.
A unique aspect of DIMHRS is that it will allow soldiers to access their records and make certain self-service changes, such as a change of address or requesting a personnel action, Devine said. In this way, every soldier will be a user of the system, and all supervisors, including Army civilians who supervise soldiers, will be required to know the system so they can process leave requests, awards and evaluations, he said.
To prepare for the implementation of this new system, the Army is launching an ambitious training program designed to reach all installations, Devine said. The training team starts by briefing senior leadership on the program, he said, then moves to battalion- and brigade-level leadership, and then briefs the human resources personnel who will be using the system the most.
The Army also is making distance-learning materials available for DIMHRS, and will be training soldiers to be instructors on the system, Devine said. The DIMHRS Web site, at www.armydimhrs.army.mil, also will have all the training materials available to soldiers, he said.
The Web site also includes other helpful materials, such as a universal translator to help with commercial terms soldiers may not be familiar with, and work force readiness packages, which describe how each action was done under the old system and how it will be done under DIMHRS.
The Air Force also is set to launch DIMHRS in February 2009, and although the Navy has not set a date for implementation, Navy officials have appointed a program director.
DoD Evaluates Military Service Academies' Sexual Harassment and Violence Programs
The Department of Defense today released key findings from this year's Military Service Academy Assessment report. The report is the first such assessment to combine an evaluation of the academies' new sexual assault prevention and response programs, an evaluation of sexual harassment programs, and feedback from cadet and midshipmen focus groups.
DoD officials met with academy personnel, reviewed academy policies and procedures, conducted an extensive data-call for reports and investigative files, and held focus groups with cadets and midshipmen. Based on information obtained during site visits, DoD found that the academies' programs fulfilled the requirements of existing DoD policies and directives.
Key findings of the report include:
The new DoD sexual assault prevention and response policy is fully implemented at each institution.
Comprehensive and consistent response structures for victim support and care are present and functioning.
All programs ensured every cadet and midshipman receives sexual harassment and violence prevention training as part of their preparation to become military leaders.
Cadet and midshipmen focus group members provided a great deal of frank information, including the following:
A significant amount of time is dedicated to sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention training. Sexual harassment and sexual assault are taken very seriously by leadership and staff at the academies.
Cadets and midshipmen felt safe on academy grounds and believed that sexual assault occurred infrequently at their schools.
In order to enhance academy programs, the DoD report made several recommendations, including:
Victims of sexual assault should be connected with legal resources as soon as possible.
Academy staff who work with the sexual assault prevention and response programs should increase their training, communication, and cooperation between each other and with off-base resources that support the criminal justice system.
Cooperation agreements with local community resources should be updated to provide greater information sharing and to resolve jurisdictional problems with civilian authorities.
The assessment also found there were a total of 40 reports of sexual assault at the academies during the evaluation period. Of those 40 reports, 20 cadets and midshipmen took advantage of the new confidential reporting option that was enacted across the DoD in 2005-2006. Under this option, military members may choose to obtain medical, mental health care and other services without becoming involved in the criminal justice process. The other 20 sexual assault victims who desired to participate in the military justice process were also provided with support and care. All cadets who reported a sexual assault were able to access services 24 hours a day, seven days a week through their installation's sexual assault response coordinator.
The 2007 National Defense Authorization Act directed DoD to assess the effectiveness of the three academies' related policies and programs on an annual basis. The report released today includes data from the last academic program year, from June 1, 2006 through May 31, 2007. The U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Col., were included in the assessment.
The complete report is available at http://www.sapr.mil . For specific information contact the individual military services at (703) 697-2564 for Army, (703) 695-0640 for Air Force, and (703) 697-5342 for Navy.
DoD officials met with academy personnel, reviewed academy policies and procedures, conducted an extensive data-call for reports and investigative files, and held focus groups with cadets and midshipmen. Based on information obtained during site visits, DoD found that the academies' programs fulfilled the requirements of existing DoD policies and directives.
Key findings of the report include:
The new DoD sexual assault prevention and response policy is fully implemented at each institution.
Comprehensive and consistent response structures for victim support and care are present and functioning.
All programs ensured every cadet and midshipman receives sexual harassment and violence prevention training as part of their preparation to become military leaders.
Cadet and midshipmen focus group members provided a great deal of frank information, including the following:
A significant amount of time is dedicated to sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention training. Sexual harassment and sexual assault are taken very seriously by leadership and staff at the academies.
Cadets and midshipmen felt safe on academy grounds and believed that sexual assault occurred infrequently at their schools.
In order to enhance academy programs, the DoD report made several recommendations, including:
Victims of sexual assault should be connected with legal resources as soon as possible.
Academy staff who work with the sexual assault prevention and response programs should increase their training, communication, and cooperation between each other and with off-base resources that support the criminal justice system.
Cooperation agreements with local community resources should be updated to provide greater information sharing and to resolve jurisdictional problems with civilian authorities.
The assessment also found there were a total of 40 reports of sexual assault at the academies during the evaluation period. Of those 40 reports, 20 cadets and midshipmen took advantage of the new confidential reporting option that was enacted across the DoD in 2005-2006. Under this option, military members may choose to obtain medical, mental health care and other services without becoming involved in the criminal justice process. The other 20 sexual assault victims who desired to participate in the military justice process were also provided with support and care. All cadets who reported a sexual assault were able to access services 24 hours a day, seven days a week through their installation's sexual assault response coordinator.
The 2007 National Defense Authorization Act directed DoD to assess the effectiveness of the three academies' related policies and programs on an annual basis. The report released today includes data from the last academic program year, from June 1, 2006 through May 31, 2007. The U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Col., were included in the assessment.
The complete report is available at http://www.sapr.mil . For specific information contact the individual military services at (703) 697-2564 for Army, (703) 695-0640 for Air Force, and (703) 697-5342 for Navy.
Pearl Harbor Survivor Emphasizes Need for Vigilance
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 7, 2007 - It's been 66 years, and tears still well up in the eyes of Robert Bishop when he thinks of that day. He was a 20-year-old sailor aboard the USS Tennessee when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. Some images are burned into his mind that he will never forget, he said.
"It was just an unbelievable sight. I couldn't believe it. How could this thing happen? But it did," Bishop said today outside the U.S. Capitol.
He had gathered with 13 other survivors and about 100 others including family, friends, servicemembers and members of Congress for a remembrance ceremony sponsored by the White House Commission on Remembrance and the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund in partnership with the AMVETS and the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association. The event was synchronized and satellite-linked to a ceremony in Hawaii at the USS Arizona memorial.
During the attack, Bishop's duty station was in the heart of the ship, preparing to fire the ship's main battery of guns. For four hours, the horrors of that day were relayed through his radio.
"I couldn't believe what I was hearing about ships blowing up, catching on fire, rolling over. It was about four hours later before I got to go topside to see what actually happened," he said.
When he finally went topside, he couldn't believe what he saw. Bishop said he doesn't remember what he did the rest of that day.
Now, Bishop lives in Youngstown, Ohio, with his wife. At 87, he still works every day, getting up at 5 a.m. to put in eight hours working at a nearby steel mill, where he orders maintenance equipment.
Married for 65 years, Bishop jokes that he will retire when his wife quits getting up with him in the mornings and fixing his breakfast and packing his lunch.
The two meet on the third Saturday of every month with a local Pearl Harbor survivor chapter. It's the reading of the official minutes and a meal, sometimes a game of cards. There were once about 22 members. Now there are about eight who come regularly, Doris said. They try to make it to the anniversary ceremonies held in Hawaii every five years. Other years, they attend a Pearl Harbor commemorative Mass near their home.
Bishop said it is important that Americans remember the attack at Pearl Harbor and not become overconfident or too secure.
"I think we need to be more alert. It seemed that most people thought that nothing like this could happen to us. But because we were not alert enough as a nation, it did happen. We need to know what's going on around us," Bishop said.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead spoke at the event and said that today's military is stronger because of those who served then.
"Because of your example, your service, your sacrifice, we are stronger, we are better and we see the importance of a strong military to carry on that which you began: To ensure the safety and the security and the prosperity of our great country. To be able to go forward wherever it may be and serve our nation proudly as you did and to do that which is right and be mindful of that which has gone before, and be an example for the next generation that will follow us," Roughead said. "We walk in your footsteps. We honor what you have done. We have the highest respect for your service and your sacrifice."
The admiral, who once commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet based in Hawaii, said the harbor is hallowed ground for the Navy.
"In the 13 years that I was there sailing in and out of Pearl Harbor, commanding the fleet ... I never stopped looking out on that harbor without a sense of awe, without a sense of great respect, without a sense of reverence. ...The sacrifice, the service, the camaraderie that is embodied there is palpable," Roughead said. "You feel it every day that you're on the water."
Pearl Harbor serves as a memorial for those who fought and died there, but it also is a source of inspiration for those still in uniform, he said.
"We draw our inspiration, we draw our strength, we draw our commitment from that which has gone on before. And there is no greater example than what took place that day in Pearl Harbor," Roughead said.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 7, 2007 - It's been 66 years, and tears still well up in the eyes of Robert Bishop when he thinks of that day. He was a 20-year-old sailor aboard the USS Tennessee when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. Some images are burned into his mind that he will never forget, he said.
"It was just an unbelievable sight. I couldn't believe it. How could this thing happen? But it did," Bishop said today outside the U.S. Capitol.
He had gathered with 13 other survivors and about 100 others including family, friends, servicemembers and members of Congress for a remembrance ceremony sponsored by the White House Commission on Remembrance and the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund in partnership with the AMVETS and the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association. The event was synchronized and satellite-linked to a ceremony in Hawaii at the USS Arizona memorial.
During the attack, Bishop's duty station was in the heart of the ship, preparing to fire the ship's main battery of guns. For four hours, the horrors of that day were relayed through his radio.
"I couldn't believe what I was hearing about ships blowing up, catching on fire, rolling over. It was about four hours later before I got to go topside to see what actually happened," he said.
When he finally went topside, he couldn't believe what he saw. Bishop said he doesn't remember what he did the rest of that day.
Now, Bishop lives in Youngstown, Ohio, with his wife. At 87, he still works every day, getting up at 5 a.m. to put in eight hours working at a nearby steel mill, where he orders maintenance equipment.
Married for 65 years, Bishop jokes that he will retire when his wife quits getting up with him in the mornings and fixing his breakfast and packing his lunch.
The two meet on the third Saturday of every month with a local Pearl Harbor survivor chapter. It's the reading of the official minutes and a meal, sometimes a game of cards. There were once about 22 members. Now there are about eight who come regularly, Doris said. They try to make it to the anniversary ceremonies held in Hawaii every five years. Other years, they attend a Pearl Harbor commemorative Mass near their home.
Bishop said it is important that Americans remember the attack at Pearl Harbor and not become overconfident or too secure.
"I think we need to be more alert. It seemed that most people thought that nothing like this could happen to us. But because we were not alert enough as a nation, it did happen. We need to know what's going on around us," Bishop said.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead spoke at the event and said that today's military is stronger because of those who served then.
"Because of your example, your service, your sacrifice, we are stronger, we are better and we see the importance of a strong military to carry on that which you began: To ensure the safety and the security and the prosperity of our great country. To be able to go forward wherever it may be and serve our nation proudly as you did and to do that which is right and be mindful of that which has gone before, and be an example for the next generation that will follow us," Roughead said. "We walk in your footsteps. We honor what you have done. We have the highest respect for your service and your sacrifice."
The admiral, who once commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet based in Hawaii, said the harbor is hallowed ground for the Navy.
"In the 13 years that I was there sailing in and out of Pearl Harbor, commanding the fleet ... I never stopped looking out on that harbor without a sense of awe, without a sense of great respect, without a sense of reverence. ...The sacrifice, the service, the camaraderie that is embodied there is palpable," Roughead said. "You feel it every day that you're on the water."
Pearl Harbor serves as a memorial for those who fought and died there, but it also is a source of inspiration for those still in uniform, he said.
"We draw our inspiration, we draw our strength, we draw our commitment from that which has gone on before. And there is no greater example than what took place that day in Pearl Harbor," Roughead said.
Gates Tours USS Vicksburg During Ship's Port Call in Bahrain
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 6, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates made his first visit to a U.S. Navy warship, the USS Vicksburg, today to tour the vessel, meet its crew and thank them for their service in the Persian Gulf region. Arriving here for bilateral talks at a regional security meeting that opens tomorrow night, Gates took advantage of the Vicksburg's port call in Bahrain to pay it and its crew a visit.
Navy Capt. Chip Swicker, Vicksburg's commanding officer, greeted the secretary at the Mina Salman Pier and joined him as he climbed aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile vessel.
As the secretary climbed the steps toward the ship -- steps he later joked to reporters challenged his "64-year-old knees" -- the crew rendered a traditional Navy welcome. The sound of eight bells, the highest honor afforded any visitor, including the president, rang out, along with the call, "Defense arriving."
Swicker led the secretary around the vessel, pointing out its vertical-launch missile system, rapid-fire cannons and SH-60 Seahawk helicopters.
This mix of weapons provides "a wonderful capability" to face threats in the air, ashore and on and underneath the sea. "It's big and very, very heavily armed," Swicker said, noting the ship helps provide security through its mere presence.
As he awaited Gates' arrival, Swicker said he was looking forward to showing Gates the vessel's hardware and weaponry, but wanted even more to show him the quality of his crew. "This is an awesome piece of technology," he said of the ship. "But it's those 350 young sailors who make it all happen."
The crew has been conducting maritime security operations in the Central Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman since leaving their homeport of Mayport, Fla., on Aug. 2. They are slated to return home in late January.
While touring the ship, Gates expressed thanks to crewmembers, then administered the oath of re-enlistment to Senior Chief Petty Officer Johnny Taylor. Taylor, a 23-year Navy veteran who signed on for another three years of service, specifically requested that Gates perform the honors.
Swicker said Gates' visit reaffirms the importance of Vicksburg's mission as its crew works with coalition partners "to keep the maritime environment secure for everybody."
Crewmembers have no doubt they're playing an important role in the Gulf region. "We're policing the seas, and preventing and deterring, just by projecting our image," said Petty Officer 1st Class Dominic Bills, a fire controlman. "We're here to do everyone good and to ensure the seas are safe. In this part of the world, it's something that needs to be done."
"I see it as bringing security to everyone," agreed Petty Officer 1st Class Adrix Wyatt, an electrician who's served in the Navy for 12 years. "We're making a difference through our presence in this region."
The visit was a highlight for Swicker, who will turn over Vicksburg's command to Capt. Chuck Nygaard during a ceremony at sea Dec. 10. "It's always bittersweet leaving a ship," he said. "But to be able to host the secretary of defense and show him the quality of the men and women who make up its crew, well, that's a real opportunity."
Gates told reporters he had a great experience on the ship and was "just very impressed with the young people that are on the crew and by the ship."
He said he was intrigued by the types of questions the crewmembers asked him. "It was really interesting. Most of the questions were about Russia, China, Iran," he said.
Alluding to his past as a dean, then president of Texas A&M University, Gates added with a smile, "I felt like I was teaching a political science course."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 6, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates made his first visit to a U.S. Navy warship, the USS Vicksburg, today to tour the vessel, meet its crew and thank them for their service in the Persian Gulf region. Arriving here for bilateral talks at a regional security meeting that opens tomorrow night, Gates took advantage of the Vicksburg's port call in Bahrain to pay it and its crew a visit.
Navy Capt. Chip Swicker, Vicksburg's commanding officer, greeted the secretary at the Mina Salman Pier and joined him as he climbed aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile vessel.
As the secretary climbed the steps toward the ship -- steps he later joked to reporters challenged his "64-year-old knees" -- the crew rendered a traditional Navy welcome. The sound of eight bells, the highest honor afforded any visitor, including the president, rang out, along with the call, "Defense arriving."
Swicker led the secretary around the vessel, pointing out its vertical-launch missile system, rapid-fire cannons and SH-60 Seahawk helicopters.
This mix of weapons provides "a wonderful capability" to face threats in the air, ashore and on and underneath the sea. "It's big and very, very heavily armed," Swicker said, noting the ship helps provide security through its mere presence.
As he awaited Gates' arrival, Swicker said he was looking forward to showing Gates the vessel's hardware and weaponry, but wanted even more to show him the quality of his crew. "This is an awesome piece of technology," he said of the ship. "But it's those 350 young sailors who make it all happen."
The crew has been conducting maritime security operations in the Central Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman since leaving their homeport of Mayport, Fla., on Aug. 2. They are slated to return home in late January.
While touring the ship, Gates expressed thanks to crewmembers, then administered the oath of re-enlistment to Senior Chief Petty Officer Johnny Taylor. Taylor, a 23-year Navy veteran who signed on for another three years of service, specifically requested that Gates perform the honors.
Swicker said Gates' visit reaffirms the importance of Vicksburg's mission as its crew works with coalition partners "to keep the maritime environment secure for everybody."
Crewmembers have no doubt they're playing an important role in the Gulf region. "We're policing the seas, and preventing and deterring, just by projecting our image," said Petty Officer 1st Class Dominic Bills, a fire controlman. "We're here to do everyone good and to ensure the seas are safe. In this part of the world, it's something that needs to be done."
"I see it as bringing security to everyone," agreed Petty Officer 1st Class Adrix Wyatt, an electrician who's served in the Navy for 12 years. "We're making a difference through our presence in this region."
The visit was a highlight for Swicker, who will turn over Vicksburg's command to Capt. Chuck Nygaard during a ceremony at sea Dec. 10. "It's always bittersweet leaving a ship," he said. "But to be able to host the secretary of defense and show him the quality of the men and women who make up its crew, well, that's a real opportunity."
Gates told reporters he had a great experience on the ship and was "just very impressed with the young people that are on the crew and by the ship."
He said he was intrigued by the types of questions the crewmembers asked him. "It was really interesting. Most of the questions were about Russia, China, Iran," he said.
Alluding to his past as a dean, then president of Texas A&M University, Gates added with a smile, "I felt like I was teaching a political science course."
Everyday Heroes Receive Defense Department Awards
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 6, 2007 - Defense officials this week lauded 16 everyday heroes for overcoming disabilities. Among them is an aspiring young gymnast left paralyzed from the chest down by a car accident after high school who is now a college graduate working as a human resources specialist, a senior accountant born with muscular dystrophy, and a career civil servant with dwarfism who started 22 years ago using a desk and chair much too large for her small frame.
The disabilities varied, but their stories are similar, and each demonstrated the stuff heroes are made of, Army Maj. Daniel M. Gade said at the Dec. 4 event. Gade works for the White House as associate director for domestic policy and is responsible for disability and health care issues related to servicemembers and veterans. The major also is an amputee who lost his right leg to a bomb in Iraq.
"Being a hero does not necessarily mean grabbing a rifle and manning a post. It simply means doing your best and choosing to do right," he said.
"The people we honor today are great examples of everyday heroes, and so we celebrate them. Many have overcome debilitating disease and trauma and inspire us by their daily devotion to doing the right thing -- their best, despite their circumstances. The agencies and organization leaders represented here today are also everyday heroes, because they choose to employ and empower people with disabilities," he said.
The purpose of the annual ceremony is to increase awareness of contributions to national security made by those with mental and physical disabilities. The awards program began in 1981, and recipients are nominated by their respective agencies. The program also recognizes three DoD components with outstanding affirmative action programs for people with disabilities.
The Defense Department now employs more than 5,000 people with severe disabilities, or nearly 1 percent of its work force. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates wants to increase that to 2 percent, officials said.
A shift in attitudes and developing technology have opened more doors to disabled people, David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said at the ceremony.
Chu cited the governmentwide Computer/Electronic Accommodation Program, which provides assistive technology for federal employees with disabilities at no cost to the employing agency. The program began in 1990 to help break down barriers for people with disabilities, Chu said. Congress has since expanded the program to include all federal agencies, and in 2006 expanded it to include wounded servicemembers. This will help as the military begins to retain more wounded servicemembers on active duty.
"I think it is important to note that today we have a shift within our military structure in attitudes, too. Our military organizations realize that putting aside personnel with disabilities is a wasteful loss of valuable human resources," Chu said.
Thanks to advancements in technology and rehabilitation programs, "it has become common practice (for) military personnel who so desire and can demonstrate their ability to return to military duty and certainly to pursue rewarding careers in civil society," he said.
Gade was able to stay on active duty and is heading to a teaching position at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. He said that after his injury, people often referred to him as a hero. But to those at the ceremony, he offered a different definition.
"A hero by my way of thinking is not captured by a dictionary search or (an Internet) search. Most heroes simply live their lives unnoticed and uncelebrated," Gade said. "Perhaps the best definition of a hero is one who chooses a harder right over an easier wrong. You may be thinking that the warfighters are the heroes, and some are. You may think the military families are the heroes, and some are. You may even think that you are not a hero, but aren't you, or couldn't you be?
"Those of you with disabilities who are working despite those disabilities and employees who empower them are my heroes today, and I applaud you," Gade said.
Nicole Richards has worked two years for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service in Indianapolis. A car accident after high school left the aspiring gymnast paralyzed. She went on to college and wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Her grandfather was a retired civil servant and told her of the benefits. Now, she said, she plans to make civil service a career.
"The two short years that I've been there have been great, and I can see myself there for a very long time. Anything I need or have needed, they seem to get right away," she said.
For Richards, the awards show that disabled employees work as hard as those without disabilities.
"It means a lot really. ... It shows me that the government really does care about people with disabilities," she said. "We are working just as hard and sometimes harder as able-bodied people to get our mission accomplished."
Rocco Arizzi, an electrical engineer with the Navy in Bethesda, Md., said the awards send a message to young people with disabilities who may be wondering what they are going to do with their lives or who will employ them. Arizzi was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a degenerative neuromuscular disease.
"I like for younger people and students with disabilities to see people accomplishing things and serving their country so that they know they can do the same," he said. "The more they see people not only just existing and working, but achieving great things, the more that they believe that they can do it themselves."
Arizzi's grandfather and brother both served in the Navy. He would like to see disabled people eventually deploy in support of the war. "There's a lot of front-line work that can be done by people with disabilities -- people who are sitting at desks or controlling unmanned aerial vehicles or running logistics. I would like to see more opportunities for (disabled) people in those types of areas," he said. "I believe they can contribute in the war directly."
Kane Urban, a senior auditor with the Defense Contract Audit Agency, at Fort Worth, Texas, was born with muscular dystrophy. He said he is happy with accommodations the Defense Department makes to hire disabled people, but he would like to see the day when special recognition is no longer needed because such hiring practices are commonplace.
"They have these types of awards and ceremonies and conferences to highlight improvements that are made, ... and their goal is total integration and equality. Once you reach that, you don't need conferences and awards, because you met the goal," he said.
Urban said he believes more managers would hire disabled people but are held back by misperceptions of additional costs and difficult accommodations. "We bring the same things to the table as anyone else does, with minimal increased costs when you compare it to what employees cost anyway. I think ... that managers don't realize how marginal the cost is," he said.
Linda Keel, an administrative assistant a Redstone Arsenal, Ala., component of Defense Intelligence Agency, began federal service more than two decades ago, before many of today's accommodations were in place.
Keel, who has dwarfism, showed up on her first day of work to a full-sized desk and chair. But she didn't let it intimidate her, she said. Her only complaint was that it was sometimes hard to reach things.
Now she works in a cubicle that fits her size and is delivering big dividends for her employers. Last week, she was named Outstanding DIA Employee with a Disability. This award means a lot to her, she said, because it means that she makes a difference.
Keel serves up tall advice for those following in her tiny footprints. "Don't give up. Go after it with the attitude that you can do it and with the determination that you can do it, and just put being disabled behind you," she said.
Other award recipients were:
-- Bruce E. Beyer, Department of the Army;
-- Ronald B. Greenfield, Department of the Air Force;
-- Steven R. Clark, Office of the Secretary of Defense/Washington Headquarters Service;
-- Maria T. Andrade, Army and Air Force Exchange Service;
-- Anthony Green, Defense Commissary Agency;
-- Joseph P. Higginbotham, Defense Contract Management Agency;
-- Kimberly J. Pare, Defense Information Systems Agency;
-- Constance Gardener, Defense Logistics Agency;
-- Jennifer L. Perry, Defense Threat Reduction Agency;
-- Michael J. Morgan Jr., National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency;
-- Michael P. Herron, National Guard Bureau; and
-- John H. Loftis Jr., National Security Agency.
DoD organizations honored were: the Department of the Air Force, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense/Washington Headquarters Service.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 6, 2007 - Defense officials this week lauded 16 everyday heroes for overcoming disabilities. Among them is an aspiring young gymnast left paralyzed from the chest down by a car accident after high school who is now a college graduate working as a human resources specialist, a senior accountant born with muscular dystrophy, and a career civil servant with dwarfism who started 22 years ago using a desk and chair much too large for her small frame.
The disabilities varied, but their stories are similar, and each demonstrated the stuff heroes are made of, Army Maj. Daniel M. Gade said at the Dec. 4 event. Gade works for the White House as associate director for domestic policy and is responsible for disability and health care issues related to servicemembers and veterans. The major also is an amputee who lost his right leg to a bomb in Iraq.
"Being a hero does not necessarily mean grabbing a rifle and manning a post. It simply means doing your best and choosing to do right," he said.
"The people we honor today are great examples of everyday heroes, and so we celebrate them. Many have overcome debilitating disease and trauma and inspire us by their daily devotion to doing the right thing -- their best, despite their circumstances. The agencies and organization leaders represented here today are also everyday heroes, because they choose to employ and empower people with disabilities," he said.
The purpose of the annual ceremony is to increase awareness of contributions to national security made by those with mental and physical disabilities. The awards program began in 1981, and recipients are nominated by their respective agencies. The program also recognizes three DoD components with outstanding affirmative action programs for people with disabilities.
The Defense Department now employs more than 5,000 people with severe disabilities, or nearly 1 percent of its work force. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates wants to increase that to 2 percent, officials said.
A shift in attitudes and developing technology have opened more doors to disabled people, David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said at the ceremony.
Chu cited the governmentwide Computer/Electronic Accommodation Program, which provides assistive technology for federal employees with disabilities at no cost to the employing agency. The program began in 1990 to help break down barriers for people with disabilities, Chu said. Congress has since expanded the program to include all federal agencies, and in 2006 expanded it to include wounded servicemembers. This will help as the military begins to retain more wounded servicemembers on active duty.
"I think it is important to note that today we have a shift within our military structure in attitudes, too. Our military organizations realize that putting aside personnel with disabilities is a wasteful loss of valuable human resources," Chu said.
Thanks to advancements in technology and rehabilitation programs, "it has become common practice (for) military personnel who so desire and can demonstrate their ability to return to military duty and certainly to pursue rewarding careers in civil society," he said.
Gade was able to stay on active duty and is heading to a teaching position at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. He said that after his injury, people often referred to him as a hero. But to those at the ceremony, he offered a different definition.
"A hero by my way of thinking is not captured by a dictionary search or (an Internet) search. Most heroes simply live their lives unnoticed and uncelebrated," Gade said. "Perhaps the best definition of a hero is one who chooses a harder right over an easier wrong. You may be thinking that the warfighters are the heroes, and some are. You may think the military families are the heroes, and some are. You may even think that you are not a hero, but aren't you, or couldn't you be?
"Those of you with disabilities who are working despite those disabilities and employees who empower them are my heroes today, and I applaud you," Gade said.
Nicole Richards has worked two years for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service in Indianapolis. A car accident after high school left the aspiring gymnast paralyzed. She went on to college and wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Her grandfather was a retired civil servant and told her of the benefits. Now, she said, she plans to make civil service a career.
"The two short years that I've been there have been great, and I can see myself there for a very long time. Anything I need or have needed, they seem to get right away," she said.
For Richards, the awards show that disabled employees work as hard as those without disabilities.
"It means a lot really. ... It shows me that the government really does care about people with disabilities," she said. "We are working just as hard and sometimes harder as able-bodied people to get our mission accomplished."
Rocco Arizzi, an electrical engineer with the Navy in Bethesda, Md., said the awards send a message to young people with disabilities who may be wondering what they are going to do with their lives or who will employ them. Arizzi was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a degenerative neuromuscular disease.
"I like for younger people and students with disabilities to see people accomplishing things and serving their country so that they know they can do the same," he said. "The more they see people not only just existing and working, but achieving great things, the more that they believe that they can do it themselves."
Arizzi's grandfather and brother both served in the Navy. He would like to see disabled people eventually deploy in support of the war. "There's a lot of front-line work that can be done by people with disabilities -- people who are sitting at desks or controlling unmanned aerial vehicles or running logistics. I would like to see more opportunities for (disabled) people in those types of areas," he said. "I believe they can contribute in the war directly."
Kane Urban, a senior auditor with the Defense Contract Audit Agency, at Fort Worth, Texas, was born with muscular dystrophy. He said he is happy with accommodations the Defense Department makes to hire disabled people, but he would like to see the day when special recognition is no longer needed because such hiring practices are commonplace.
"They have these types of awards and ceremonies and conferences to highlight improvements that are made, ... and their goal is total integration and equality. Once you reach that, you don't need conferences and awards, because you met the goal," he said.
Urban said he believes more managers would hire disabled people but are held back by misperceptions of additional costs and difficult accommodations. "We bring the same things to the table as anyone else does, with minimal increased costs when you compare it to what employees cost anyway. I think ... that managers don't realize how marginal the cost is," he said.
Linda Keel, an administrative assistant a Redstone Arsenal, Ala., component of Defense Intelligence Agency, began federal service more than two decades ago, before many of today's accommodations were in place.
Keel, who has dwarfism, showed up on her first day of work to a full-sized desk and chair. But she didn't let it intimidate her, she said. Her only complaint was that it was sometimes hard to reach things.
Now she works in a cubicle that fits her size and is delivering big dividends for her employers. Last week, she was named Outstanding DIA Employee with a Disability. This award means a lot to her, she said, because it means that she makes a difference.
Keel serves up tall advice for those following in her tiny footprints. "Don't give up. Go after it with the attitude that you can do it and with the determination that you can do it, and just put being disabled behind you," she said.
Other award recipients were:
-- Bruce E. Beyer, Department of the Army;
-- Ronald B. Greenfield, Department of the Air Force;
-- Steven R. Clark, Office of the Secretary of Defense/Washington Headquarters Service;
-- Maria T. Andrade, Army and Air Force Exchange Service;
-- Anthony Green, Defense Commissary Agency;
-- Joseph P. Higginbotham, Defense Contract Management Agency;
-- Kimberly J. Pare, Defense Information Systems Agency;
-- Constance Gardener, Defense Logistics Agency;
-- Jennifer L. Perry, Defense Threat Reduction Agency;
-- Michael J. Morgan Jr., National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency;
-- Michael P. Herron, National Guard Bureau; and
-- John H. Loftis Jr., National Security Agency.
DoD organizations honored were: the Department of the Air Force, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense/Washington Headquarters Service.
Group Seeks Outstanding Military Fathers
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 6, 2007 - The National Fatherhood Initiative is looking for a few good military fathers for the 2008 NFI Lockheed Martin Military Fatherhood Award. "The purpose of the award is to recognize the outstanding efforts of military fathers to stay engaged with their families while meeting the military missions, even through deployments," said Jim Knotts, Lockheed Martin Corp.'s director of corporate citizenship. "(It) helps bring attention to those sacrifices and celebrates the efforts above and beyond the call of duty to balance military duty with family obligations."
Though the award is given to the father, he added the National Fatherhood Initiative's first guideline for being a good father is to respect the children's mother; therefore, he said, it recognizes the whole family.
The first award was presented in 2007 to Marine Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Andrade.
Nominations for the 2008 award are being accepted through Jan. 4, Knott said. Nominations in the form of a one- to two-page explanation of how the nominated father meets established contest criteria can be e-mailed through the National Fatherhood Initiative Web site, www.fatherhood.org/mfa.asp.
Any father serving on active duty or in the National Guard or reserves is eligible for the award. It is not required that he be deployed.
The winner will be announced Feb. 28 and honored at an April 29 gala in Washington.
Nomination information must include name, rank, and service affiliation of the nominee, as well as information about his family, number and ages of children, marital status, and his contact information. The nominator also should include his or her name, contact information and connection to the nominee.
Knott said the award is part of Lockheed Martin's "United in Gratitude" initiative to provide support to servicemembers in many different areas.
"With a large number of employees who are veterans, and employees who are activated and deployed, we understand the challenges faced by our military families," he said. "Outstanding military fathers take extraordinary efforts to father from a distance during military separation and go to great lengths to successfully balance mission requirements and their fathering role.
"They also are active to help other military fathers or military children who are separated from their fathers," he said.
Knotts, a father and veteran, also gave a nod to the moms. "It simply would not be possible (to be good military fathers) without the steadfast dedication and support of our military moms," he added.
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to support from the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 6, 2007 - The National Fatherhood Initiative is looking for a few good military fathers for the 2008 NFI Lockheed Martin Military Fatherhood Award. "The purpose of the award is to recognize the outstanding efforts of military fathers to stay engaged with their families while meeting the military missions, even through deployments," said Jim Knotts, Lockheed Martin Corp.'s director of corporate citizenship. "(It) helps bring attention to those sacrifices and celebrates the efforts above and beyond the call of duty to balance military duty with family obligations."
Though the award is given to the father, he added the National Fatherhood Initiative's first guideline for being a good father is to respect the children's mother; therefore, he said, it recognizes the whole family.
The first award was presented in 2007 to Marine Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Andrade.
Nominations for the 2008 award are being accepted through Jan. 4, Knott said. Nominations in the form of a one- to two-page explanation of how the nominated father meets established contest criteria can be e-mailed through the National Fatherhood Initiative Web site, www.fatherhood.org/mfa.asp.
Any father serving on active duty or in the National Guard or reserves is eligible for the award. It is not required that he be deployed.
The winner will be announced Feb. 28 and honored at an April 29 gala in Washington.
Nomination information must include name, rank, and service affiliation of the nominee, as well as information about his family, number and ages of children, marital status, and his contact information. The nominator also should include his or her name, contact information and connection to the nominee.
Knott said the award is part of Lockheed Martin's "United in Gratitude" initiative to provide support to servicemembers in many different areas.
"With a large number of employees who are veterans, and employees who are activated and deployed, we understand the challenges faced by our military families," he said. "Outstanding military fathers take extraordinary efforts to father from a distance during military separation and go to great lengths to successfully balance mission requirements and their fathering role.
"They also are active to help other military fathers or military children who are separated from their fathers," he said.
Knotts, a father and veteran, also gave a nod to the moms. "It simply would not be possible (to be good military fathers) without the steadfast dedication and support of our military moms," he added.
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to support from the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.
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