By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 20, 2007 - The military is working to improve the way it implements a policy of discharging troops based on pre-existing personality disorders, Defense Department health officials said today. Several articles in summer 2007 claimed that some 22,500 troops had been discharged -- in some instances, wrongly discharged -- after being diagnosed as having personality disorders. In response, the Defense Department launched a "secondary review."
In the ongoing investigation thus far, officials have reconfirmed that 85 percent of servicemembers initially determined to have personality disorders were correctly diagnosed. Roughly 1.5 percent, however, were misdiagnosed, officials said.
"We have looked at most of them, and some, on review, have been incorrect diagnoses," Dr. S. Ward Casscells, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, told reporters at the Pentagon today.
Casscells denied the most inflammatory claim made in the articles: that the military was shirking its responsibility to those affected. "When the articles first came out, the tenor was, 'Military is labeling people (with) personality disorders so they don't have to pay benefits,'" he said. "We did not find any evidence of that."
Echoing Casscells' comments, Air Force Col. Joyce Adkins, director of psychological health and strategic operations, defended the policy, but acknowledged possible flaws in implementation.
Adkins clarified that a personality disorder does not necessarily bar an individual from serving in the armed forces. "Certainly there are many people who have personality traits that we would characterize as a disorder who have stayed in the military," she said. "It's only when their personality doesn't fit well with the job that they are separated."
Moreover, Adkins said a "separation," or discharge, on the basis of a personality disorder can benefit the discharged servicemember because it serves as a "safety valve," freeing the servicemember from further obligation to military service.
"If you have a job and you don't fit well with that job, you can quit," she said. "In the military, you can't just quit that easily. This is a way to say that this person doesn't fit well with this job and to allow them to pursue other employments."
Adkins added that the "large majority" of such discharges occur within the first two years of military service.
The difficulty of assessing a dormant personality disorder underscores the complexity of the issue highlighted by media attention and subsequent hearings on Capitol Hill.
In most cases, no psychological evaluation can determine whether a personality disorder is apparent at the time of enlistment, as many signs of a latent disorder are undetectable. But despite difficulties in detecting pre-existing personality disorders, Adkins said, the military could improve the way it evaluates servicemembers returning from combat who are suspecting of suffering from such disorders.
"We are really stepping up on specifying the clinical criteria for what that evaluation should include," she said. "We want to make sure that (misdiagnoses) do not happen, that when a person is supposed to get a thorough evaluation, they do get a thorough evaluation.
"If you have a clinical condition, such as (post-traumatic stress disorder), major depressive disorder, an anxiety disorder, that certainly is treatable," she continued. "And we want to know if the problems with your behavior are related to one of these treatable conditions ... or if it is related to a personality disorder, which is not easily treated."
With regard to inaccurate evaluations, Adkins called it "disturbing to think that that might not be implemented in the way that it was intended." She added that in large systems, like military health care, there are bound to be some issues with "quality control."
Adkins said that $900 million appropriated by Congress to increase the number of mental health personnel will help efforts to improve the current process.
Casscells lamented troops whose personality disorders become manifest during the course of military service, and emphasized a continuing obligation to these individuals.
"The military doesn't bring out the best in them, like it does in most people. In their case, it uncovered something else," he said. "There are some people who want to serve but shouldn't serve because it's not the right culture for them.
"I feel our responsibility is to not blame them for the fact that they wanted to serve," he said.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Arizona City Helps Get Military News to State
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2007 - Arizona cable subscribers will soon have access to the latest military news from the comfort of their living rooms, thanks to an agreement between an Arizona city and a national cable provider. The Peoria City Council amended its cable franchise agreement with Cox Communications during a city council meeting last night. The change will allow the cable provider to share the city's Pentagon Channel broadcast with Cox digital customers in the state.
Peoria was the first city in the state to offer the Pentagon Channel 24 hours a day to Cox cable customers, Peoria Mayor Bob Barrett said.
"We're not aware of ... (another) exchange of a PEG channel, a public education and government channel, for a systemwide broadcast of the Pentagon Channel," said John Schell, director of intergovernmental affairs, who was instrumental in bring about the agreement between Peoria and Cox. "From that respect, it's certainly historic for the city of Peoria and the state of Arizona, and it probably is for the rest of the country."
Schell was instrumental in bring about the agreement between Peoria and Cox Communications.
Ivan Johnson, vice president of public affairs and business development for Cox Communications, said the cable provider was excited about the agreement with Peoria.
"We're actually taking it from channel 98 up to channel 122. In being able to do that, we're going to take it statewide," he said. "We will get it to Tucson, ... all of the Phoenix area, and then, by the end of next year if we finish rebuilding some of our network, will be down to Sierra Vista and Fort Huachuca."
While Johnson said his company offers the troops support in many ways, the agreement to provide the Pentagon Channel to all its digital cable subscribers just makes sense, he said.
The Pentagon Channel currently is available in 178 countries to 2.6 million active-duty, National Guard and reserve troops, and 650,000 Defense Department civilians. Sailors and Marines on 185 Navy vessels at sea also have access to Pentagon Channel programming. When Cox extends its broadcast of the Pentagon Channel to Fort Huachuca, Ariz., it will reach 600,000 homes, Johnson said.
Servicemembers and their families, whether serving at home or abroad, especially value the military news channel, Peoria's mayor said. He found positive proof of this while visiting relatives serving in Germany.
"They did with the Pentagon Channel what most of us here in the states do with CNN: You turn it on, and you leave it on in the background," Barrett said. "If a point of interest comes up, you turn it up and watch it, and then you turn it back down.
"It's the only way for people in the military to get unbiased, clean, clear news that's not filtered through any other news organization or any other country's news organization," he added.
With Arizona's large military presence, the channel also is important to the state's many civilians working at military installations, Barrett said. The Pentagon Channel provides a way to keep up with what's happening to them.
Barrett said he hopes his city's agreement with Cox Communications will have other states following suit and finding a way to provide the news station to its residents. "I'm really hoping the Cox system will understand what they're doing and how important this is, and in all the states where they have service, hopefully the same thing will happen," he said.
The evening also included recognition of city employees who are serving or have served in the military. About 50 of the 200 employees the city identified were on hand to stand and be recognized for their service and sacrifice. They had received dog tags featuring Peoria's insignia on one side and the America Supports You logo on the other prior to the ceremony.
"When I came back from Vietnam, it was a different world than it is now. We can't do that to our people again," Barrett said. "I don't care what you think about the war in terms of the politics of it. I don't care if you think it's right or wrong. Don't treat our people like that.
"That's why America Supports You is such a wonderful program," he added, referencing the Defense Department program that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel serving at home and abroad.
Earlier, Pro Tem Mayor Joan Evans had said the night's recognition was a great way to display the city's support of the troops. She directed individuals looking for ways to support the troops to the America Supports You Web site, which features links to troop-support groups.
Arizona Rep. John Nelson, who chairs the state's Military Affairs Committee, said people's opinions of the war don't seem to be influencing their support of the troops.
"What I've seen in the last three or four years is just an outpouring (of support)," Nelson said. "I don't care what their opinions are if they get involved and work to help the military."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2007 - Arizona cable subscribers will soon have access to the latest military news from the comfort of their living rooms, thanks to an agreement between an Arizona city and a national cable provider. The Peoria City Council amended its cable franchise agreement with Cox Communications during a city council meeting last night. The change will allow the cable provider to share the city's Pentagon Channel broadcast with Cox digital customers in the state.
Peoria was the first city in the state to offer the Pentagon Channel 24 hours a day to Cox cable customers, Peoria Mayor Bob Barrett said.
"We're not aware of ... (another) exchange of a PEG channel, a public education and government channel, for a systemwide broadcast of the Pentagon Channel," said John Schell, director of intergovernmental affairs, who was instrumental in bring about the agreement between Peoria and Cox. "From that respect, it's certainly historic for the city of Peoria and the state of Arizona, and it probably is for the rest of the country."
Schell was instrumental in bring about the agreement between Peoria and Cox Communications.
Ivan Johnson, vice president of public affairs and business development for Cox Communications, said the cable provider was excited about the agreement with Peoria.
"We're actually taking it from channel 98 up to channel 122. In being able to do that, we're going to take it statewide," he said. "We will get it to Tucson, ... all of the Phoenix area, and then, by the end of next year if we finish rebuilding some of our network, will be down to Sierra Vista and Fort Huachuca."
While Johnson said his company offers the troops support in many ways, the agreement to provide the Pentagon Channel to all its digital cable subscribers just makes sense, he said.
The Pentagon Channel currently is available in 178 countries to 2.6 million active-duty, National Guard and reserve troops, and 650,000 Defense Department civilians. Sailors and Marines on 185 Navy vessels at sea also have access to Pentagon Channel programming. When Cox extends its broadcast of the Pentagon Channel to Fort Huachuca, Ariz., it will reach 600,000 homes, Johnson said.
Servicemembers and their families, whether serving at home or abroad, especially value the military news channel, Peoria's mayor said. He found positive proof of this while visiting relatives serving in Germany.
"They did with the Pentagon Channel what most of us here in the states do with CNN: You turn it on, and you leave it on in the background," Barrett said. "If a point of interest comes up, you turn it up and watch it, and then you turn it back down.
"It's the only way for people in the military to get unbiased, clean, clear news that's not filtered through any other news organization or any other country's news organization," he added.
With Arizona's large military presence, the channel also is important to the state's many civilians working at military installations, Barrett said. The Pentagon Channel provides a way to keep up with what's happening to them.
Barrett said he hopes his city's agreement with Cox Communications will have other states following suit and finding a way to provide the news station to its residents. "I'm really hoping the Cox system will understand what they're doing and how important this is, and in all the states where they have service, hopefully the same thing will happen," he said.
The evening also included recognition of city employees who are serving or have served in the military. About 50 of the 200 employees the city identified were on hand to stand and be recognized for their service and sacrifice. They had received dog tags featuring Peoria's insignia on one side and the America Supports You logo on the other prior to the ceremony.
"When I came back from Vietnam, it was a different world than it is now. We can't do that to our people again," Barrett said. "I don't care what you think about the war in terms of the politics of it. I don't care if you think it's right or wrong. Don't treat our people like that.
"That's why America Supports You is such a wonderful program," he added, referencing the Defense Department program that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel serving at home and abroad.
Earlier, Pro Tem Mayor Joan Evans had said the night's recognition was a great way to display the city's support of the troops. She directed individuals looking for ways to support the troops to the America Supports You Web site, which features links to troop-support groups.
Arizona Rep. John Nelson, who chairs the state's Military Affairs Committee, said people's opinions of the war don't seem to be influencing their support of the troops.
"What I've seen in the last three or four years is just an outpouring (of support)," Nelson said. "I don't care what their opinions are if they get involved and work to help the military."
'Gunfighters' Keep Apache Helicopters Flying in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2007 - In today's world of technologically advanced aviation, Army pilots alone cannot keep AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters operational without ground crews. Sustaining the intricate workings of digital and complex avionics requires proficient ground crews and technical personnel. Soldiers of 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, known as the Gunfighters, work diligently around the clock maintaining, testing and sustaining the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division's battalion of Apache attack and reconnaissance gunships in northern Iraq.
Preventive maintenance is a major facet of success for the Apache ground crews, officials said.
"We do preventive maintenance services, which is a basic teardown of the aircraft, checking for common things that are broken," said Army Spc. Jedediah Cooke, an Apache crew chief with the battalion's Company C. "In addition, we do 50-hour inspections to check out the major flight controls."
Not all the work the ground crews perform on the Apaches is routine or scheduled.
"If aircraft were to come back (from a combat sortie) with possible flaws or a deficiency, it is our mission to ensure maintenance is conducted and aircraft are repaired, put back in the air and remain flyable at all times," said Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Ruiz, maintenance platoon sergeant with Company C.
"As the platoon sergeant, I oversee maintenance on the flight line. I have my crew (mechanic section) along with the armament section that I utilize. When aircraft return broken in any way, I go ahead and look at the aircraft, and take a look at the fault the pilots give me," Ruiz said.
"I go ahead and hand it out or delegate the fault to the back shops so they are repaired in a timely manner. There are a lot of eyes looking at the aircraft. There is the soldier, the supervisor and the technical inspector," Ruiz said.
"Everybody takes this job really serious because you want to do the best you can; you don't want any birds going down, especially out there during a mission," said Army Spc. Christopher Lara, an Apache repair mechanic with Company C.
"We are supporting ground units in northern Iraq, providing coverage from the air. It makes you feel good, (because) without air support, the ground troops would not have that (added protection)," Lara said.
Cooke said he also takes pride in his job. He knows if an Apache takes off from the tarmac, it is heading out to support American, Iraqi and coalition forces.
"I think I do help those guys out there kicking in doors. I have been told by infantrymen that they love to see these aircraft fly over. This is why we work as hard as we can," said Sgt. Chris Martin, another Apache repair mechanic with Company C.
Pilots appreciate the hard work that goes into a stringent aircraft maintenance program.
"These guys are working on $30 million aircraft. They keep track of numerous moving pieces, working six days a week, sometimes even working on their days off. It is very impressive to see what they do on a daily basis," said Chief Warrant Officer Joseph Thompson, a maintenance test pilot with Company C.
Teamwork and everybody knowing their job also contribute to the complete aircrafts' safety and effectiveness.
"When aircraft land, they may have avionics or electrical problems, and there are separate shops to deal with each; we also work with production control," Martin said. "I trust armament, and I trust my shops."
"Depending what the maintenance issue is, we are out there working with the armament section. They know their job, and they want us helping them, and we are out there getting them what they need," Lara said. "Everybody knows their jobs. ... It all works together, and it ensures we all know what it takes to keep the birds flying."
(From a Multinational Corps Iraq news release.)
Dec. 19, 2007 - In today's world of technologically advanced aviation, Army pilots alone cannot keep AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters operational without ground crews. Sustaining the intricate workings of digital and complex avionics requires proficient ground crews and technical personnel. Soldiers of 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, known as the Gunfighters, work diligently around the clock maintaining, testing and sustaining the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division's battalion of Apache attack and reconnaissance gunships in northern Iraq.
Preventive maintenance is a major facet of success for the Apache ground crews, officials said.
"We do preventive maintenance services, which is a basic teardown of the aircraft, checking for common things that are broken," said Army Spc. Jedediah Cooke, an Apache crew chief with the battalion's Company C. "In addition, we do 50-hour inspections to check out the major flight controls."
Not all the work the ground crews perform on the Apaches is routine or scheduled.
"If aircraft were to come back (from a combat sortie) with possible flaws or a deficiency, it is our mission to ensure maintenance is conducted and aircraft are repaired, put back in the air and remain flyable at all times," said Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Ruiz, maintenance platoon sergeant with Company C.
"As the platoon sergeant, I oversee maintenance on the flight line. I have my crew (mechanic section) along with the armament section that I utilize. When aircraft return broken in any way, I go ahead and look at the aircraft, and take a look at the fault the pilots give me," Ruiz said.
"I go ahead and hand it out or delegate the fault to the back shops so they are repaired in a timely manner. There are a lot of eyes looking at the aircraft. There is the soldier, the supervisor and the technical inspector," Ruiz said.
"Everybody takes this job really serious because you want to do the best you can; you don't want any birds going down, especially out there during a mission," said Army Spc. Christopher Lara, an Apache repair mechanic with Company C.
"We are supporting ground units in northern Iraq, providing coverage from the air. It makes you feel good, (because) without air support, the ground troops would not have that (added protection)," Lara said.
Cooke said he also takes pride in his job. He knows if an Apache takes off from the tarmac, it is heading out to support American, Iraqi and coalition forces.
"I think I do help those guys out there kicking in doors. I have been told by infantrymen that they love to see these aircraft fly over. This is why we work as hard as we can," said Sgt. Chris Martin, another Apache repair mechanic with Company C.
Pilots appreciate the hard work that goes into a stringent aircraft maintenance program.
"These guys are working on $30 million aircraft. They keep track of numerous moving pieces, working six days a week, sometimes even working on their days off. It is very impressive to see what they do on a daily basis," said Chief Warrant Officer Joseph Thompson, a maintenance test pilot with Company C.
Teamwork and everybody knowing their job also contribute to the complete aircrafts' safety and effectiveness.
"When aircraft land, they may have avionics or electrical problems, and there are separate shops to deal with each; we also work with production control," Martin said. "I trust armament, and I trust my shops."
"Depending what the maintenance issue is, we are out there working with the armament section. They know their job, and they want us helping them, and we are out there getting them what they need," Lara said. "Everybody knows their jobs. ... It all works together, and it ensures we all know what it takes to keep the birds flying."
(From a Multinational Corps Iraq news release.)
Vet Receives Hero's Welcome, New Home
By Devin L. Fisher
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2007 - A disabled Iraq war veteran thought he came here Dec. 14 to pick out colors and tiles for a bathroom remodel, but instead was surprised with the keys to a new home. Brandon Burke, a U.S. Army combat medic permanently disabled during a 2005 mortar attack in Baghdad, was speechless when presented the 1,500-square-foot mobile home, not a check for $5,000 as anticipated.
"It was so unexpected, ... I didn't know what to say," said the 30-year-old who enlisted in the Army in June 2002 in nearby Aurora. "All I could think about was how this was going to change my life."
Burke was presented the keys to his new home during a live radio broadcast in front of more than 100 people who weathered the snow and bitter cold to show their appreciation.
The call to assist the wounded warrior by providing supplies and labor free of charge was met with an overwhelming response. In fact, people had to be turned away, said Tom Tarver, a partner with Greiner Electric, who said he donated his time to give back to those who fight for the freedoms he enjoys every day.
"I met a young man with one leg trying to make his home (handicap) accessible," Tarver said. "I knew I would not let him pick up another nail."
"You just want to do what's right," echoed Tim White, founder of White Construction.
The project was a compilation of efforts as 30 contractors "rose to the occasion" to help the wounded warrior, said Debbie Quackenbush, founder of American Military Family Inc., a nonprofit organization established in January 2005 to assist members of the U.S. military and their families in times of need.
American Military Family is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
After a five-month recovery at Brooke Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Burke returned to Colorado and purchased a mobile home in the town of Watkins. With the assistance of his friends, Burke began to remodel the mobile home in late 2006, but he ran low on money, and his friends were sidetracked with personal issues, he explained.
What started as a request for a grant to remodel a bathroom turned into much more after contractors determined it was not cost-effective to make the existing home handicap-accessible. The $5,000 grant -- from money raised through the American Military Family's "Support the Troops" Colorado license plate program -- was then used to purchase a mobile home in foreclosure, offered at a reduced price by Castle Park, Inc. owner Jerry Hall.
It was then that the "passion and hard work" of many transformed the once abandoned unit into a fully functional home with many upgrades and conveniences to including widened corridors and handicap-accessible granite countertops and faucets. The inside of the home was fully furnished by Sam's Club, and King Soopers stocked the refrigerator.
"A gift of a few weeks (of your time) ultimately became a gift of a lifetime," Tarver said.
But, White hopes this project reaches further than Burke. "There are more Brandons out there. If we all help a little, we'll all be better off."
Burke said he misses the camaraderie of the Army. Fellow soldiers are "like family," he said. "You live with them; ... you fight with them."
He said he knows he must now focus on his new future, continuing his love of the medical field. Burke is pursuing his bachelor's degree and then plans to apply for the medical scientist program at the University of Colorado Denver.
Burke was all smiles when he talked about his new office.
"No more going to the library or local bookstore to study," he said.
Burke wasn't the only one overwhelmed by the generosity. "It's phenomenal; ... we never could have imaged this in our wildest dreams," said Tom Burke, Brandon's father.
Brandon agreed. "It's going to be great. It's nice to call something home; ... I can't wait to settle in."
(Devin L. Fisher works for the U.S. Army Recruiting Denver Battalion.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2007 - A disabled Iraq war veteran thought he came here Dec. 14 to pick out colors and tiles for a bathroom remodel, but instead was surprised with the keys to a new home. Brandon Burke, a U.S. Army combat medic permanently disabled during a 2005 mortar attack in Baghdad, was speechless when presented the 1,500-square-foot mobile home, not a check for $5,000 as anticipated.
"It was so unexpected, ... I didn't know what to say," said the 30-year-old who enlisted in the Army in June 2002 in nearby Aurora. "All I could think about was how this was going to change my life."
Burke was presented the keys to his new home during a live radio broadcast in front of more than 100 people who weathered the snow and bitter cold to show their appreciation.
The call to assist the wounded warrior by providing supplies and labor free of charge was met with an overwhelming response. In fact, people had to be turned away, said Tom Tarver, a partner with Greiner Electric, who said he donated his time to give back to those who fight for the freedoms he enjoys every day.
"I met a young man with one leg trying to make his home (handicap) accessible," Tarver said. "I knew I would not let him pick up another nail."
"You just want to do what's right," echoed Tim White, founder of White Construction.
The project was a compilation of efforts as 30 contractors "rose to the occasion" to help the wounded warrior, said Debbie Quackenbush, founder of American Military Family Inc., a nonprofit organization established in January 2005 to assist members of the U.S. military and their families in times of need.
American Military Family is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
After a five-month recovery at Brooke Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Burke returned to Colorado and purchased a mobile home in the town of Watkins. With the assistance of his friends, Burke began to remodel the mobile home in late 2006, but he ran low on money, and his friends were sidetracked with personal issues, he explained.
What started as a request for a grant to remodel a bathroom turned into much more after contractors determined it was not cost-effective to make the existing home handicap-accessible. The $5,000 grant -- from money raised through the American Military Family's "Support the Troops" Colorado license plate program -- was then used to purchase a mobile home in foreclosure, offered at a reduced price by Castle Park, Inc. owner Jerry Hall.
It was then that the "passion and hard work" of many transformed the once abandoned unit into a fully functional home with many upgrades and conveniences to including widened corridors and handicap-accessible granite countertops and faucets. The inside of the home was fully furnished by Sam's Club, and King Soopers stocked the refrigerator.
"A gift of a few weeks (of your time) ultimately became a gift of a lifetime," Tarver said.
But, White hopes this project reaches further than Burke. "There are more Brandons out there. If we all help a little, we'll all be better off."
Burke said he misses the camaraderie of the Army. Fellow soldiers are "like family," he said. "You live with them; ... you fight with them."
He said he knows he must now focus on his new future, continuing his love of the medical field. Burke is pursuing his bachelor's degree and then plans to apply for the medical scientist program at the University of Colorado Denver.
Burke was all smiles when he talked about his new office.
"No more going to the library or local bookstore to study," he said.
Burke wasn't the only one overwhelmed by the generosity. "It's phenomenal; ... we never could have imaged this in our wildest dreams," said Tom Burke, Brandon's father.
Brandon agreed. "It's going to be great. It's nice to call something home; ... I can't wait to settle in."
(Devin L. Fisher works for the U.S. Army Recruiting Denver Battalion.)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Navy Invests in Protecting Marine Mammals
By Kristen Noel
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2007 - No injuries to marine mammals have been attributed to sonar use since the Navy began taking additional steps to minimize harm to such animals, a Navy official said yesterday. "Right now, the Navy employs 29 mitigation measures to assure that we don't hurt marine mammals when we're out doing our sonar exercises," Navy Rear Adm. Lawrence S. Rice, director of Naval Operations Environmental Readiness, said in a conference call with online journalists and "bloggers."
Navy officials said the 29 additional measures were put into place in January.
Rice acknowledged there's legitimate concern over sonar causing marine mammals to "beach." However, the ability to detect enemy submarines is essential to national security, and active sonar is the only existing technology capable of tracking modern diesel-electric and fuel-cell submarines, he said.
"Imagine if al Qaeda got their hands on a submarine and started sinking tankers exiting the Persian Gulf, where about 14 million barrels of oil leave every day, what that would do to the world's economy," he said.
To combat negative effects on sea life, the Navy funds research by universities and nonprofit organizations into how sonar affects marine life. Over the past couple of years, the Navy spent between $10 million and $14 million on research annually, Rice said.
"We fund about 50 percent of marine mammal research worldwide," he said.
Statistically, the number of marine-mammal "strandings" --beached whales, for example -- due to sonar is extremely low compared to those caused by nature and the commercial fishing industry. Sonar was implicated in 50 strandings over 10 years, Rice said.
This averages out at a rate of five sonar-related strandings per year, vs. an average of 3,600 standings per year due to natural causes and about 600,000 per year linked to the commercial fishing industry, he explained.
"The numbers are still single-digit numbers of marine mammals stranding per year attributed to sonar," he said.
Despite the low numbers, the Navy is expanding its marine mammal program and will increase its funding of independent institutions' research to $18 million annually over the next five years, Rice said.
The research focuses on the locations and abundance of marine mammals, physiological and behavioral effects of sonar, and protective tools the Navy can use to manage its impact, he explained.
Also, the Navy has taken action through NATO to extend worldwide its 29 mitigation measures that have reduced incidence of sonar injury to mammals to zero. "We gave those (29 mitigation measures) to NATO, and there's a move to incorporate those in the NATO planning document," Rice said.
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of American Forces Information Service.)
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2007 - No injuries to marine mammals have been attributed to sonar use since the Navy began taking additional steps to minimize harm to such animals, a Navy official said yesterday. "Right now, the Navy employs 29 mitigation measures to assure that we don't hurt marine mammals when we're out doing our sonar exercises," Navy Rear Adm. Lawrence S. Rice, director of Naval Operations Environmental Readiness, said in a conference call with online journalists and "bloggers."
Navy officials said the 29 additional measures were put into place in January.
Rice acknowledged there's legitimate concern over sonar causing marine mammals to "beach." However, the ability to detect enemy submarines is essential to national security, and active sonar is the only existing technology capable of tracking modern diesel-electric and fuel-cell submarines, he said.
"Imagine if al Qaeda got their hands on a submarine and started sinking tankers exiting the Persian Gulf, where about 14 million barrels of oil leave every day, what that would do to the world's economy," he said.
To combat negative effects on sea life, the Navy funds research by universities and nonprofit organizations into how sonar affects marine life. Over the past couple of years, the Navy spent between $10 million and $14 million on research annually, Rice said.
"We fund about 50 percent of marine mammal research worldwide," he said.
Statistically, the number of marine-mammal "strandings" --beached whales, for example -- due to sonar is extremely low compared to those caused by nature and the commercial fishing industry. Sonar was implicated in 50 strandings over 10 years, Rice said.
This averages out at a rate of five sonar-related strandings per year, vs. an average of 3,600 standings per year due to natural causes and about 600,000 per year linked to the commercial fishing industry, he explained.
"The numbers are still single-digit numbers of marine mammals stranding per year attributed to sonar," he said.
Despite the low numbers, the Navy is expanding its marine mammal program and will increase its funding of independent institutions' research to $18 million annually over the next five years, Rice said.
The research focuses on the locations and abundance of marine mammals, physiological and behavioral effects of sonar, and protective tools the Navy can use to manage its impact, he explained.
Also, the Navy has taken action through NATO to extend worldwide its 29 mitigation measures that have reduced incidence of sonar injury to mammals to zero. "We gave those (29 mitigation measures) to NATO, and there's a move to incorporate those in the NATO planning document," Rice said.
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of American Forces Information Service.)
Congressional Action Could Delay Furloughs, But Full War Funding Still Needed
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2007 - It's too soon to start celebrating the Senate's action yesterday to add $70 billion for Iraq war funding to the omnibus spending bill, the Pentagon press secretary told reporters today. The action, which needs approval by the House and President Bush, could delay the need for the Defense Department to furlough civilian employees, but still won't provide full war funding, Geoff Morrell said.
"Clearly, we are encouraged by some of the signs we have seeing on the Hill, a recognition that our needs are serious, are great, and our troops need to be funded as they are in war," Morrell said during a Pentagon news briefing. "So we very much appreciate the efforts being made, and we are encouraged by the progress that has been made."
Passage "would at least, for the time being, eliminate the need to go down the road of furloughing anybody," he said. "But that's an 'if' at this point."
Morrell was quick to point out that "nothing is done yet" and that DoD must "continue to plan for life with no money."
"Until such time as this is a done deal, I think everybody in this building is proceeding with the very real business of preparing for the eventuality of running out of money," he said.
Even with passage of the funding, the measure still falls short of what's needed to fund the global war on terror completely, he said.
It would be "merely a temporary solution to our larger problem of gaining full funding for the global war on terror," he said. "We will gladly take whatever bridge funding comes our way, ... but we will also continue to pursue full funding for our war efforts."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2007 - It's too soon to start celebrating the Senate's action yesterday to add $70 billion for Iraq war funding to the omnibus spending bill, the Pentagon press secretary told reporters today. The action, which needs approval by the House and President Bush, could delay the need for the Defense Department to furlough civilian employees, but still won't provide full war funding, Geoff Morrell said.
"Clearly, we are encouraged by some of the signs we have seeing on the Hill, a recognition that our needs are serious, are great, and our troops need to be funded as they are in war," Morrell said during a Pentagon news briefing. "So we very much appreciate the efforts being made, and we are encouraged by the progress that has been made."
Passage "would at least, for the time being, eliminate the need to go down the road of furloughing anybody," he said. "But that's an 'if' at this point."
Morrell was quick to point out that "nothing is done yet" and that DoD must "continue to plan for life with no money."
"Until such time as this is a done deal, I think everybody in this building is proceeding with the very real business of preparing for the eventuality of running out of money," he said.
Even with passage of the funding, the measure still falls short of what's needed to fund the global war on terror completely, he said.
It would be "merely a temporary solution to our larger problem of gaining full funding for the global war on terror," he said. "We will gladly take whatever bridge funding comes our way, ... but we will also continue to pursue full funding for our war efforts."
MRAP Deliveries to Top Year-End Goal
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2007 - The Defense Department is expected to top its year-end goal of delivering 1,500 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles to Iraq as soon as tomorrow, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today. Morrell's announcement came as DoD announced the award of just under $2.66 billion to purchase an additional 3,126 of the heavily armored, V-hulled vehicles by July 31.
The latest MRAP contract, announced yesterday, will bring to 11,900 the number of vehicles under contract. "Our objective is to build at least 15,374," Morrell said.
Morrell said it's unlikely that the Marine Corps' recent decision to reduce its MRAP requirement from 3,600 to 2,300 will affect the Army's MRAP request or the overall joint requirement. The number actually could increase as the Army evaluates its needs, and as commanders in Afghanistan express an interest in getting more MRAPs, he said.
"Commanders in Afghanistan are of the mind that they would like more there than originally requested," Morrell said. "Their inclination at this point is that we may want to up the number in Afghanistan.
"These armored trucks... have been the military's top acquisition priority for months now, and with good reason," Morrell said. "They have proven to be true lifesavers for our warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan."
As of Dec. 17, 1,300 MRAPs were in the theater, Morrell reported. Another 180 are en route by sea aboard USNS Pililaau, a large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ship operated by Military Sealift Command that left Charleston, S.C., Dec. 13. In addition, another 15 MRAPs are in the air headed to Iraq.
These vehicles will bring the number of MRAPs delivered to 1,525, exceeding the department's year-end goal. "Everything has proceeded on schedule," Morrell said.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2007 - The Defense Department is expected to top its year-end goal of delivering 1,500 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles to Iraq as soon as tomorrow, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today. Morrell's announcement came as DoD announced the award of just under $2.66 billion to purchase an additional 3,126 of the heavily armored, V-hulled vehicles by July 31.
The latest MRAP contract, announced yesterday, will bring to 11,900 the number of vehicles under contract. "Our objective is to build at least 15,374," Morrell said.
Morrell said it's unlikely that the Marine Corps' recent decision to reduce its MRAP requirement from 3,600 to 2,300 will affect the Army's MRAP request or the overall joint requirement. The number actually could increase as the Army evaluates its needs, and as commanders in Afghanistan express an interest in getting more MRAPs, he said.
"Commanders in Afghanistan are of the mind that they would like more there than originally requested," Morrell said. "Their inclination at this point is that we may want to up the number in Afghanistan.
"These armored trucks... have been the military's top acquisition priority for months now, and with good reason," Morrell said. "They have proven to be true lifesavers for our warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan."
As of Dec. 17, 1,300 MRAPs were in the theater, Morrell reported. Another 180 are en route by sea aboard USNS Pililaau, a large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ship operated by Military Sealift Command that left Charleston, S.C., Dec. 13. In addition, another 15 MRAPs are in the air headed to Iraq.
These vehicles will bring the number of MRAPs delivered to 1,525, exceeding the department's year-end goal. "Everything has proceeded on schedule," Morrell said.
Army Announces Plan to Station Soldiers, Boost Bases
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2007 - The Army's new plan for stationing its growing number of troops will affect 380,000 soldiers and family members and cost more than $66 billion in construction projects through 2013. Announced today, the plan is the largest Army transformation since World War II, and moves the force toward a "modular," or brigade-centric, posture. The Army's vice chief of staff told reporters at the Pentagon today that the design represents a holistic improvement across the entire service branch.
"We're changing the footprint of our Army to a make it more agile, more expeditionary, but also to place our formations and our family members in post camps and stations that have a higher quality of life, have a higher quality of training ranges," Army Gen. Richard A. Cody said.
Plans will be implemented as the force expands its active duty Army, Army Guard and Army Reserve by 74,200 soldiers by 2010. In accordance with a 2005 base realignment and closure analysis, the plan:
-- Stations two infantry brigade combat teams each to Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; and Fort Bliss, Texas.
-- Stations eight support brigades across the country, including an air defense artillery brigade at Fort Hood, Texas; a military police brigade at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; a maneuver enhancement brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo; a fires brigade at Fort Bliss; an expeditionary sustainment command at Fort Lewis, Wash.; and a battlefield surveillance brigade at Fort Polk, La. A maneuver enhancement brigade will be restationed to Fort Drum, N.Y., and Fort Richardson, Alaska, pending completion of an environmental analysis.
-- Retains two heavy brigade combat teams in Germany for two years. The two extended brigades tentatively will relocate in fiscal 2012 and 2013 to Fort Bliss, and White Sands Missile Range, N.M., respectively.
The decision to extend two brigades in Europe supports the theater's near-term security needs, Cody said. It also allows time for workers to build new houses and prepare infrastructure on bases before soldiers and their families arrive.
Meanwhile, more than 740 construction projects are outlined in the plan, totaling an estimated $66.4 billion between fiscal 2006 and fiscal 2011. Projects include 20 brigade complexes, 69,000 barracks spaces, 4,100 family housing units and 66 child development centers.
"It's a win for our soldiers and their families, it's a win for our Army, and it's certainly a win for our nation," Cody said. The general noted that by improving on-base infrastructure, the Army is "truly building communities."
Cody expressed optimism at the Army's plan to grow and improve its overall force.
"It gives us a better quality of life for this all-volunteer force that has defended us so well here for six years in combat," he said. "We're getting bigger, but more importantly, we're getting better as an Army."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 19, 2007 - The Army's new plan for stationing its growing number of troops will affect 380,000 soldiers and family members and cost more than $66 billion in construction projects through 2013. Announced today, the plan is the largest Army transformation since World War II, and moves the force toward a "modular," or brigade-centric, posture. The Army's vice chief of staff told reporters at the Pentagon today that the design represents a holistic improvement across the entire service branch.
"We're changing the footprint of our Army to a make it more agile, more expeditionary, but also to place our formations and our family members in post camps and stations that have a higher quality of life, have a higher quality of training ranges," Army Gen. Richard A. Cody said.
Plans will be implemented as the force expands its active duty Army, Army Guard and Army Reserve by 74,200 soldiers by 2010. In accordance with a 2005 base realignment and closure analysis, the plan:
-- Stations two infantry brigade combat teams each to Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; and Fort Bliss, Texas.
-- Stations eight support brigades across the country, including an air defense artillery brigade at Fort Hood, Texas; a military police brigade at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; a maneuver enhancement brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo; a fires brigade at Fort Bliss; an expeditionary sustainment command at Fort Lewis, Wash.; and a battlefield surveillance brigade at Fort Polk, La. A maneuver enhancement brigade will be restationed to Fort Drum, N.Y., and Fort Richardson, Alaska, pending completion of an environmental analysis.
-- Retains two heavy brigade combat teams in Germany for two years. The two extended brigades tentatively will relocate in fiscal 2012 and 2013 to Fort Bliss, and White Sands Missile Range, N.M., respectively.
The decision to extend two brigades in Europe supports the theater's near-term security needs, Cody said. It also allows time for workers to build new houses and prepare infrastructure on bases before soldiers and their families arrive.
Meanwhile, more than 740 construction projects are outlined in the plan, totaling an estimated $66.4 billion between fiscal 2006 and fiscal 2011. Projects include 20 brigade complexes, 69,000 barracks spaces, 4,100 family housing units and 66 child development centers.
"It's a win for our soldiers and their families, it's a win for our Army, and it's certainly a win for our nation," Cody said. The general noted that by improving on-base infrastructure, the Army is "truly building communities."
Cody expressed optimism at the Army's plan to grow and improve its overall force.
"It gives us a better quality of life for this all-volunteer force that has defended us so well here for six years in combat," he said. "We're getting bigger, but more importantly, we're getting better as an Army."
America Supports You: Red Cross to Deliver Holiday Cards to Wounded
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 18, 2007 - This holiday season, the American Red Cross will make sure holiday greetings generically addressed to wounded servicemembers at military medical facilities around the country will find a home. With help from Pitney Bowes Government Solutions, and the support of the Defense Department and Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, the American Red Cross will collect, review and distribute holiday greeting cards to wounded military personnel.
"So many Americans want to show their support and gratitude by reaching out to wounded servicemembers at Walter Reed and other military medical centers during the holiday season," said Neal Denton, American Red Cross Senior vice president for service to the armed forces. "With the support of the Department of Defense, Walter Reed leadership and Pitney Bowes, we can bring a little cheer to these brave men and women."
For security reasons, the Red Cross will be able to accept only holiday cards – not packages. Senders also are reminded to refrain from using glitter or any other materials that would not be appropriate in a hospital environment.
Red Cross volunteers will receive and bundle the cards, which will be shipped by Pitney Bowes Government Solutions. Then, Red Cross volunteers at the medical facilities will distribute the cards throughout the holiday season.
"It is an honor to provide this small measure of comfort at holiday time to those who have sacrificed so much," said Murray Martin, Pitney Bowes president and chief executive officer. "We want to make it as easy as possible for all Americans to show their appreciation to the men and women who serve this nation so proudly and selflessly."
Holiday cards and letters should be addressed to:
We Support You During Your Recovery!
c/o American Red Cross
P.O. Box 419
Savage, MD 20763-0419
Be sure to affix adequate postage. Multiple cards without envelopes may be placed in one mailing envelope or a box that includes a return address. Cards must be received no later than Dec. 27. Cards received after this date will be returned to the sender. Again, senders are reminded that "care packages" are not part of the program –– send only cards and notes.
Because a Defense Department policy in effect since 2001 specifically forbids the delivery of generically addressed mail to servicemembers, cards sent directly to military medical facilities are returned or discarded unless they're addressed to a specific servicemember by name.
(From an American Red Cross news release.)
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.
Dec. 18, 2007 - This holiday season, the American Red Cross will make sure holiday greetings generically addressed to wounded servicemembers at military medical facilities around the country will find a home. With help from Pitney Bowes Government Solutions, and the support of the Defense Department and Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, the American Red Cross will collect, review and distribute holiday greeting cards to wounded military personnel.
"So many Americans want to show their support and gratitude by reaching out to wounded servicemembers at Walter Reed and other military medical centers during the holiday season," said Neal Denton, American Red Cross Senior vice president for service to the armed forces. "With the support of the Department of Defense, Walter Reed leadership and Pitney Bowes, we can bring a little cheer to these brave men and women."
For security reasons, the Red Cross will be able to accept only holiday cards – not packages. Senders also are reminded to refrain from using glitter or any other materials that would not be appropriate in a hospital environment.
Red Cross volunteers will receive and bundle the cards, which will be shipped by Pitney Bowes Government Solutions. Then, Red Cross volunteers at the medical facilities will distribute the cards throughout the holiday season.
"It is an honor to provide this small measure of comfort at holiday time to those who have sacrificed so much," said Murray Martin, Pitney Bowes president and chief executive officer. "We want to make it as easy as possible for all Americans to show their appreciation to the men and women who serve this nation so proudly and selflessly."
Holiday cards and letters should be addressed to:
We Support You During Your Recovery!
c/o American Red Cross
P.O. Box 419
Savage, MD 20763-0419
Be sure to affix adequate postage. Multiple cards without envelopes may be placed in one mailing envelope or a box that includes a return address. Cards must be received no later than Dec. 27. Cards received after this date will be returned to the sender. Again, senders are reminded that "care packages" are not part of the program –– send only cards and notes.
Because a Defense Department policy in effect since 2001 specifically forbids the delivery of generically addressed mail to servicemembers, cards sent directly to military medical facilities are returned or discarded unless they're addressed to a specific servicemember by name.
(From an American Red Cross news release.)
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.
America Supports You: Virginia Guard Family Gets Extreme Dream Home
By Staff Sgt. Mary Flynn, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 18, 2007 - Army National Guard Spc. Michael Lucas received an extra-special homecoming during his mid-tour leave from Iraq recently when he and his family discovered they had been selected for a total home renovation, courtesy of the ABC reality television show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." The show's premise involves combining the efforts of a team of designers and hundreds of local workers and neighbors. Together they renovate an entire home – from furniture to landscaping – for a deserving family nominated by friends and family – all within seven days.
The Lucas family consists of Michael, 37, his wife Jean, 33, and boys Michael Henry, 11, and Joseph, 6. Jean studies ancestry and genealogy research and works with a therapist for Joseph, who has autism spectrum disorder. She's currently helping to write grants to open a sensory playground facility for autistic children.
Lucas is deployed to Iraq with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry, Virginia Army National Guard. He and fellow soldiers from the 3rd Battalion trained at Camp Shelby, Miss., from June to early August, before arriving in Kuwait in late August. In early September, the unit moved into Iraq to begin its mission, which includes providing convoy security.
A lifelong history buff, Lucas had begun construction on a house near Rice, Va., on the site of the Civil War's Battle of High Ridge. But he was deployed before he could finish the home, and the family moved into a rental property in Cullen, Va.
Jean home-schools both of her children, and the nomination for the home makeover came through members of the home school cooperative where she is a member. The deployed Lucas was concerned for his family's well-being, given their somewhat remote location.
"Jean and her family are such a wonderful family," said Nancy Baker, who knows the family through their home-school group. With a husband in Iraq and an autistic child who requires so much of her time and efforts, she has a lot of obstacles to overcome on a daily basis, she added.
Enter the Extreme Makeover team. After surprising the newly reunited family with the news of their selection, they sent the Lucases off for a weeklong vacation to Disney World and went to work. Hundreds of local workers and volunteers joined host Ty Pennington and the rest of the design team in a total overhaul of the property.
National Guard soldiers were quick to lend a helping hand. About 50 soldiers volunteered their time to help build a home for a fellow soldier.
"I think this is such a wonderful opportunity for the soldiers to come out and participate in helping another soldier," said Sgt. Shaena Hall of Company B, 116th Brigade Troops Battalion, who drove more than three hours from her unit's location in Alexandria, Va., to help with the project.
Hall has never met any of the Lucas family, but she said that didn't matter. "All soldiers are family, so it's great to be able to help out a fellow soldier."
The big "reveal" of the new home came on Dec. 10, when hundreds of volunteers, soldiers, workers, neighbors and curious onlookers gathered on the property and cheered "Move that bus!" allowing the Lucas family a first glimpse of their dream home when the show staff's bus moved out of their line of sight.
"It's wonderful. It's incredible just to see all those people here and what they did this for us," said Jean.
The family also received several substantial gifts from local businesses.
"I can't say how appreciative I am of this community and how much I love these people," Spc. Lucas added. "(I appreciate) the state and the community for how much they've given me."
The Lucas family episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is tentatively scheduled to air in February or March.
(Army Staff Sgt. Mary Flynn is assigned to the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 18, 2007 - Army National Guard Spc. Michael Lucas received an extra-special homecoming during his mid-tour leave from Iraq recently when he and his family discovered they had been selected for a total home renovation, courtesy of the ABC reality television show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." The show's premise involves combining the efforts of a team of designers and hundreds of local workers and neighbors. Together they renovate an entire home – from furniture to landscaping – for a deserving family nominated by friends and family – all within seven days.
The Lucas family consists of Michael, 37, his wife Jean, 33, and boys Michael Henry, 11, and Joseph, 6. Jean studies ancestry and genealogy research and works with a therapist for Joseph, who has autism spectrum disorder. She's currently helping to write grants to open a sensory playground facility for autistic children.
Lucas is deployed to Iraq with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry, Virginia Army National Guard. He and fellow soldiers from the 3rd Battalion trained at Camp Shelby, Miss., from June to early August, before arriving in Kuwait in late August. In early September, the unit moved into Iraq to begin its mission, which includes providing convoy security.
A lifelong history buff, Lucas had begun construction on a house near Rice, Va., on the site of the Civil War's Battle of High Ridge. But he was deployed before he could finish the home, and the family moved into a rental property in Cullen, Va.
Jean home-schools both of her children, and the nomination for the home makeover came through members of the home school cooperative where she is a member. The deployed Lucas was concerned for his family's well-being, given their somewhat remote location.
"Jean and her family are such a wonderful family," said Nancy Baker, who knows the family through their home-school group. With a husband in Iraq and an autistic child who requires so much of her time and efforts, she has a lot of obstacles to overcome on a daily basis, she added.
Enter the Extreme Makeover team. After surprising the newly reunited family with the news of their selection, they sent the Lucases off for a weeklong vacation to Disney World and went to work. Hundreds of local workers and volunteers joined host Ty Pennington and the rest of the design team in a total overhaul of the property.
National Guard soldiers were quick to lend a helping hand. About 50 soldiers volunteered their time to help build a home for a fellow soldier.
"I think this is such a wonderful opportunity for the soldiers to come out and participate in helping another soldier," said Sgt. Shaena Hall of Company B, 116th Brigade Troops Battalion, who drove more than three hours from her unit's location in Alexandria, Va., to help with the project.
Hall has never met any of the Lucas family, but she said that didn't matter. "All soldiers are family, so it's great to be able to help out a fellow soldier."
The big "reveal" of the new home came on Dec. 10, when hundreds of volunteers, soldiers, workers, neighbors and curious onlookers gathered on the property and cheered "Move that bus!" allowing the Lucas family a first glimpse of their dream home when the show staff's bus moved out of their line of sight.
"It's wonderful. It's incredible just to see all those people here and what they did this for us," said Jean.
The family also received several substantial gifts from local businesses.
"I can't say how appreciative I am of this community and how much I love these people," Spc. Lucas added. "(I appreciate) the state and the community for how much they've given me."
The Lucas family episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is tentatively scheduled to air in February or March.
(Army Staff Sgt. Mary Flynn is assigned to the National Guard Bureau.)
Face of Defense: Personal Trainer Provides Fitness Advice
By Sgt. Laura M. Bigenho, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 18, 2007 - A master driver assigned here with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Task Force Phantom, became a licensed personal trainer in 2001 and has been helping others achieve a healthy lifestyle ever since. To reach a healthy state, Army Staff Sgt. David Marr said, it is important to understand the aspects of fitness.
"Fitness is your body's ability to withstand use over a long period of time," the Ithaca, N.Y., native said. "Knowing the different aspects of total fitness will assist you in getting where you want to be."
Cardiovascular enhancement, muscular strength, quality nutrition, mental strength, discipline and happiness all are key aspects, Marr said. But due to their complex nature, fitness will be different for everyone. "Depending on how you were made, everything won't apply to you," he said. "Not everyone was born with the same chemical and structural set-up."
Knowing your genetic makeup and family background is key to understanding fitness, Marr said.
"People react differently to exercise. "Genetics play a key role in that reaction," he explained. "We're genetically engineered to do different things."
Marr said that explains why some of the healthiest people cannot acquire perfectly toned abdominal muscles or slim down their legs. Retired professional cyclist Lance Armstrong – now on a United Service Organizations tour with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- is one example. Despite having an overall healthy appearance and higher-than-average fitness level, Marr said, Armstrong lacks visible abdominal muscles that other athletes easily acquire.
"Genetic engineering really is everything, but there are things you can do to help change it," he said.
One way to start is by monitoring food intake, he said. Everything someone puts into his mouth effects the way his body appears and functions. Vitamins and minerals, he added, are two elements our bodies require to be their best.
"If you take a scientific composition of what's in dirt, your body is a direct replica of what dirt is," Marr said. "(Your body) needs the exact same minerals that come from dirt, so make sure you're focusing on your mineral as well as your vitamin intake."
In addition to watching daily mineral and vitamin intake, monitor everything else, he said. Limit but don't eliminate carbohydrates, sodium and fats. Stock up on leafy greens, lean protein and low-acid fruits.
"Look at food labels and know the serving sizes," Marr said. "Understand what you're giving your body and how it's affecting you."
Performing various exercises also is important.
"By design, your body is a lazy machine," Marr said. "Know what muscles you're working and switch it up, because your body finds shortcuts when it's doing the same thing."
Army Pfc. Jonathan Lipinski, a 355th Chemical Company chemical operations specialist, and Army Pfc. Dulce Tejeda, a generator mechanic with HHC Task Force Phantom, said they both work out regularly and try to switch up their routines each time.
"We work out as a unit five times a week," Tejeda said. The Oxnard, Calif., native's goal is to have "six-pack abs," but she's learning to accept that despite her hard work, it's possible she may never have them. "I'm learning to just accept my body for what it is," she said.
Lipinski said he maintains his fitness level by running, lifting weights and watching what he snacks on.
"Everybody wants results fast, but they're not going to come fast," said the Las Vegas native. "I try to watch what I eat, but it's hard here, because you work so hard that sometimes you just want to eat anything."
Marr said to be patient and results will come.
"Be active, have fun, watch what you eat, and over time you will see results," he said.
(Army Sgt. Laura M. Bigenho serves with the 28th Public Affairs Detachment.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 18, 2007 - A master driver assigned here with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Task Force Phantom, became a licensed personal trainer in 2001 and has been helping others achieve a healthy lifestyle ever since. To reach a healthy state, Army Staff Sgt. David Marr said, it is important to understand the aspects of fitness.
"Fitness is your body's ability to withstand use over a long period of time," the Ithaca, N.Y., native said. "Knowing the different aspects of total fitness will assist you in getting where you want to be."
Cardiovascular enhancement, muscular strength, quality nutrition, mental strength, discipline and happiness all are key aspects, Marr said. But due to their complex nature, fitness will be different for everyone. "Depending on how you were made, everything won't apply to you," he said. "Not everyone was born with the same chemical and structural set-up."
Knowing your genetic makeup and family background is key to understanding fitness, Marr said.
"People react differently to exercise. "Genetics play a key role in that reaction," he explained. "We're genetically engineered to do different things."
Marr said that explains why some of the healthiest people cannot acquire perfectly toned abdominal muscles or slim down their legs. Retired professional cyclist Lance Armstrong – now on a United Service Organizations tour with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- is one example. Despite having an overall healthy appearance and higher-than-average fitness level, Marr said, Armstrong lacks visible abdominal muscles that other athletes easily acquire.
"Genetic engineering really is everything, but there are things you can do to help change it," he said.
One way to start is by monitoring food intake, he said. Everything someone puts into his mouth effects the way his body appears and functions. Vitamins and minerals, he added, are two elements our bodies require to be their best.
"If you take a scientific composition of what's in dirt, your body is a direct replica of what dirt is," Marr said. "(Your body) needs the exact same minerals that come from dirt, so make sure you're focusing on your mineral as well as your vitamin intake."
In addition to watching daily mineral and vitamin intake, monitor everything else, he said. Limit but don't eliminate carbohydrates, sodium and fats. Stock up on leafy greens, lean protein and low-acid fruits.
"Look at food labels and know the serving sizes," Marr said. "Understand what you're giving your body and how it's affecting you."
Performing various exercises also is important.
"By design, your body is a lazy machine," Marr said. "Know what muscles you're working and switch it up, because your body finds shortcuts when it's doing the same thing."
Army Pfc. Jonathan Lipinski, a 355th Chemical Company chemical operations specialist, and Army Pfc. Dulce Tejeda, a generator mechanic with HHC Task Force Phantom, said they both work out regularly and try to switch up their routines each time.
"We work out as a unit five times a week," Tejeda said. The Oxnard, Calif., native's goal is to have "six-pack abs," but she's learning to accept that despite her hard work, it's possible she may never have them. "I'm learning to just accept my body for what it is," she said.
Lipinski said he maintains his fitness level by running, lifting weights and watching what he snacks on.
"Everybody wants results fast, but they're not going to come fast," said the Las Vegas native. "I try to watch what I eat, but it's hard here, because you work so hard that sometimes you just want to eat anything."
Marr said to be patient and results will come.
"Be active, have fun, watch what you eat, and over time you will see results," he said.
(Army Sgt. Laura M. Bigenho serves with the 28th Public Affairs Detachment.)
Task Force Volunteers Deliver Food to Honduran Village
By Staff Sgt. Austin M. May, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 18, 2007 - U.S. servicemembers from Joint Task Force Bravo took to the mountains around Soto Cano Air Base to deliver food and supplies to Hondurans living off the beaten path. About 60 volunteers joined the three-mile trek Dec. 14, sponsored by the JTF Bravo Chapel, carrying more than 600 pounds of food on their backs to a village with about 500 residents. The food was purchased with money donated through tithes at the chapel.
Air Force Chaplain (Capt.) Chad Bellamy, the JTF Bravo chaplain, said the hike was unique because it was the first time servicemembers were released from duty to attend, a decision made by the JTF Bravo commander, Army Col. Marcus De Oliveira, who joined the group.
The chaplain said the hikes are a great experience for those looking to get out from "behind the wall" and get involved in the local community, adding they help people acknowledge that we all are part of humanity.
"Differing socioeconomic levels should not be a point of division as to whether or not we care for one another," Bellamy said.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Frank Johnson said he was motivated to join the hike not only by the idea of helping others, but also by his family back home.
"I've got a family of my own," he said. "If we were ever in need, I'd like it if someone did the same thing for us."
Army Sgt. Brent Stewart loaded every available pocket of his military-issue rucksack with food and milk, saying "somebody had to carry it." Dripping with sweat and red in the face from carrying the huge load, he smiled and said it was absolutely worth it.
The hike was a way for some members of JTF Bravo to share the holiday spirit with the residents of Honduras.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Diane Strohm, who has attended previous hikes with the chapel, said this trip was special because of the time of year.
"It's an awesome experience to be able to give something to those less fortunate during the holiday season," she explained.
The trip to Capiro was the fourth hike in a series of five to local villages around Soto Cano Air Base. The final hike is scheduled for Jan. 5.
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Austin M. May serves with Joint Task Force Bravo Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 18, 2007 - U.S. servicemembers from Joint Task Force Bravo took to the mountains around Soto Cano Air Base to deliver food and supplies to Hondurans living off the beaten path. About 60 volunteers joined the three-mile trek Dec. 14, sponsored by the JTF Bravo Chapel, carrying more than 600 pounds of food on their backs to a village with about 500 residents. The food was purchased with money donated through tithes at the chapel.
Air Force Chaplain (Capt.) Chad Bellamy, the JTF Bravo chaplain, said the hike was unique because it was the first time servicemembers were released from duty to attend, a decision made by the JTF Bravo commander, Army Col. Marcus De Oliveira, who joined the group.
The chaplain said the hikes are a great experience for those looking to get out from "behind the wall" and get involved in the local community, adding they help people acknowledge that we all are part of humanity.
"Differing socioeconomic levels should not be a point of division as to whether or not we care for one another," Bellamy said.
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Frank Johnson said he was motivated to join the hike not only by the idea of helping others, but also by his family back home.
"I've got a family of my own," he said. "If we were ever in need, I'd like it if someone did the same thing for us."
Army Sgt. Brent Stewart loaded every available pocket of his military-issue rucksack with food and milk, saying "somebody had to carry it." Dripping with sweat and red in the face from carrying the huge load, he smiled and said it was absolutely worth it.
The hike was a way for some members of JTF Bravo to share the holiday spirit with the residents of Honduras.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Diane Strohm, who has attended previous hikes with the chapel, said this trip was special because of the time of year.
"It's an awesome experience to be able to give something to those less fortunate during the holiday season," she explained.
The trip to Capiro was the fourth hike in a series of five to local villages around Soto Cano Air Base. The final hike is scheduled for Jan. 5.
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Austin M. May serves with Joint Task Force Bravo Public Affairs.)
Report Reflects Future for Military's Unmanned Systems
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 18, 2007 - A new Defense Department report reflects military needs and goals in acquiring improved unmanned systems during the decades ahead, a senior official told Pentagon reporters here today. Titled, "Unmanned Systems Roadmap: 2007-2032," the report looks at how the U.S. military should proceed in developing, acquiring and integrating air-, land- and sea-based unmanned technology over the next 25 years, Dyke Weatherington, deputy director of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force, said at a news conference. The task force is within the office of the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.
"The publication of this most-recent roadmap will further our strategic planning and our overall objective of developing, procuring and integrating unmanned systems into the force structure of the Department of Defense to support our various military mission capabilities," Weatherington explained.
The document is the result of more than 18 months of work between the department, the services and other military and government agencies, Weatherington said.
Past reports mostly focused on unmanned aircraft systems, Weatherington said, noting the new document addresses land-and maritime-operated unmanned systems, as well.
"It is the department's firm belief that the integration of all the unmanned domains – air, ground and sea – are the future of DoD integrated operations, not only from a systems perspective, but (also) from a joint-service perspective, and in many cases, a coalition perspective," Weatherington said.
Drone aircraft and ground-based robots already are proving their worth in Iraq and Afghanistan, Weatherington said. The new report discusses those successes, he said, while also pointing out additional requirements cited by combatant commanders.
Among commanders' recommendations, Weatherington noted, is the need to develop an integrated infrastructure so that information and intelligence data provided by unmanned systems can be more rapidly and readily shared among users, including allies and coalition partners.
Weatherington also said a special task force set up by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England is studying the Army Predator and Air Force Sky Warrior unmanned aerial vehicle programs with an eye toward reducing costs, if possible.
"We're attempting to better synergize and coordinate those development and procurement activities" for the Predator and Sky Warrior programs, Weatherington explained.
Army and Air Force developmental plans for unmanned systems are to undergo executive review in the spring by John J. Young Jr., the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, Weatherington said.
The new report also reflects commanders' requirements for better sensor technology used by unmanned systems to identify underwater mines and land-based improvised explosive devices, Weatherington said.
Today, unmanned systems have proved their military worth in Afghanistan and Iraq, Weatherington pointed out. The technology has saved servicemembers' lives, he said, while improving battle space efficiency across the terrestrial, airborne and maritime realms.
Continued development of artificial intelligence (robotics) technology may one day produce autonomous, "thinking" unmanned systems that could, for example, be used in aerial platforms designed to suppress enemy air defenses, Weatherington said.
"Certainly, the roadmap projects an increasing level of autonomy," Weatherington said, adding, as "the autonomy level increases, we do believe that that will open the avenue for additional mission areas."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 18, 2007 - A new Defense Department report reflects military needs and goals in acquiring improved unmanned systems during the decades ahead, a senior official told Pentagon reporters here today. Titled, "Unmanned Systems Roadmap: 2007-2032," the report looks at how the U.S. military should proceed in developing, acquiring and integrating air-, land- and sea-based unmanned technology over the next 25 years, Dyke Weatherington, deputy director of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force, said at a news conference. The task force is within the office of the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.
"The publication of this most-recent roadmap will further our strategic planning and our overall objective of developing, procuring and integrating unmanned systems into the force structure of the Department of Defense to support our various military mission capabilities," Weatherington explained.
The document is the result of more than 18 months of work between the department, the services and other military and government agencies, Weatherington said.
Past reports mostly focused on unmanned aircraft systems, Weatherington said, noting the new document addresses land-and maritime-operated unmanned systems, as well.
"It is the department's firm belief that the integration of all the unmanned domains – air, ground and sea – are the future of DoD integrated operations, not only from a systems perspective, but (also) from a joint-service perspective, and in many cases, a coalition perspective," Weatherington said.
Drone aircraft and ground-based robots already are proving their worth in Iraq and Afghanistan, Weatherington said. The new report discusses those successes, he said, while also pointing out additional requirements cited by combatant commanders.
Among commanders' recommendations, Weatherington noted, is the need to develop an integrated infrastructure so that information and intelligence data provided by unmanned systems can be more rapidly and readily shared among users, including allies and coalition partners.
Weatherington also said a special task force set up by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England is studying the Army Predator and Air Force Sky Warrior unmanned aerial vehicle programs with an eye toward reducing costs, if possible.
"We're attempting to better synergize and coordinate those development and procurement activities" for the Predator and Sky Warrior programs, Weatherington explained.
Army and Air Force developmental plans for unmanned systems are to undergo executive review in the spring by John J. Young Jr., the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, Weatherington said.
The new report also reflects commanders' requirements for better sensor technology used by unmanned systems to identify underwater mines and land-based improvised explosive devices, Weatherington said.
Today, unmanned systems have proved their military worth in Afghanistan and Iraq, Weatherington pointed out. The technology has saved servicemembers' lives, he said, while improving battle space efficiency across the terrestrial, airborne and maritime realms.
Continued development of artificial intelligence (robotics) technology may one day produce autonomous, "thinking" unmanned systems that could, for example, be used in aerial platforms designed to suppress enemy air defenses, Weatherington said.
"Certainly, the roadmap projects an increasing level of autonomy," Weatherington said, adding, as "the autonomy level increases, we do believe that that will open the avenue for additional mission areas."
Air Force Officer Missing In Action From Vietnam War Is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Maj. Perry H. Jefferson, U.S. Air Force, of Denver, Colo. He will be buried April 3, 2008 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On April 3, 1969, Jefferson was an aerial observer on board an O-1G Bird Dog aircraft on a visual reconnaissance mission over a mountainous region in Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam. The pilot of the aircraft, then U.S. Army 1st Lt. Arthur G. Ecklund, radioed Phan Rang airbase to report his location, but contact was lost soon after. An extensive, three-day search and rescue effort began, but no evidence of a crash was found. Hostile threats in the area precluded further search efforts.
In 1984, a former member of the Vietnamese Air Force turned over to a U.S. official human remains that he said represented one of two U.S. pilots whose aircraft was shot down.
In 1994 a joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), interviewed two Vietnamese citizens regarding the incident. The witnesses said the aircraft crashed on a mountainside, the pilots died and were buried at the site. They said two other men were sent to the site a few days later to bury the pilots. The team excavated the crash site described by the witnesses and found aircraft wreckage. No human remains were found.
In 2000, the remains turned over in 1984 were identified as Ecklund's.
In 2001, a Vietnamese national living in California turned over to U.S. officials human remains that he said were recovered at a site where two U.S. pilots crashed. These remains were identified in 2007 as Jefferson's.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in identifying Jefferson's remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
He is Maj. Perry H. Jefferson, U.S. Air Force, of Denver, Colo. He will be buried April 3, 2008 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On April 3, 1969, Jefferson was an aerial observer on board an O-1G Bird Dog aircraft on a visual reconnaissance mission over a mountainous region in Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam. The pilot of the aircraft, then U.S. Army 1st Lt. Arthur G. Ecklund, radioed Phan Rang airbase to report his location, but contact was lost soon after. An extensive, three-day search and rescue effort began, but no evidence of a crash was found. Hostile threats in the area precluded further search efforts.
In 1984, a former member of the Vietnamese Air Force turned over to a U.S. official human remains that he said represented one of two U.S. pilots whose aircraft was shot down.
In 1994 a joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), interviewed two Vietnamese citizens regarding the incident. The witnesses said the aircraft crashed on a mountainside, the pilots died and were buried at the site. They said two other men were sent to the site a few days later to bury the pilots. The team excavated the crash site described by the witnesses and found aircraft wreckage. No human remains were found.
In 2000, the remains turned over in 1984 were identified as Ecklund's.
In 2001, a Vietnamese national living in California turned over to U.S. officials human remains that he said were recovered at a site where two U.S. pilots crashed. These remains were identified in 2007 as Jefferson's.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in identifying Jefferson's remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Sexual Assault - Megan's Story
"Sexual Assault - Megan's Story," a production created for the Navy's Center for Personnel Development in Virginia Beach, VA, by the Naval Media Center in Washington, DC, won first place in the "Education" category at last month's Italian Ministry of Defense-sponsored international military production competition in Rome.
The competition is an initiative of the Italian non-profit association "Eserciti e Popoli" (Armed Forces and Peoples). It was established to recognize outstanding visual information productions created by, or on behalf of armed forces throughout the world. It is intended to build friendships, integration, cooperation, and mutual understanding among the armed forces of the participating countries, and to make known and promote the films and videos produced by those countries.
This year the competition featured 67 entries from the militaries of 24 nations, ranging from Bulgaria to China, and from Latvia to South Africa. An international panel of media producers judged the entries.
This year, as in the recent past, the competition was tough. Many nations, and especially those in Western Europe, make a considerably greater investment of intellectual and monetary capital in the creation of military films and videos than the United States typically does.
The Navy's winning 14-minute video depicts an incident of sexual assault, and the events leading up to and following the assault, from the perspectives of all involved - victim, perpetrator and shipmates.
The target audience for "Sexual Assault - Megan's Story" is all military personnel in the Navy. It's intended to be augmented by instructor-led training before and after viewing. The production is not intended for standalone presentation.
"Megan's Story" is cleared for public release and can be ordered through the Defense Visual Information website at http://dodimagery.afis.osd.mil/. Simply follow the link to the DAVIS/DITIS database and request PIN 806793.
The competition is an initiative of the Italian non-profit association "Eserciti e Popoli" (Armed Forces and Peoples). It was established to recognize outstanding visual information productions created by, or on behalf of armed forces throughout the world. It is intended to build friendships, integration, cooperation, and mutual understanding among the armed forces of the participating countries, and to make known and promote the films and videos produced by those countries.
This year the competition featured 67 entries from the militaries of 24 nations, ranging from Bulgaria to China, and from Latvia to South Africa. An international panel of media producers judged the entries.
This year, as in the recent past, the competition was tough. Many nations, and especially those in Western Europe, make a considerably greater investment of intellectual and monetary capital in the creation of military films and videos than the United States typically does.
The Navy's winning 14-minute video depicts an incident of sexual assault, and the events leading up to and following the assault, from the perspectives of all involved - victim, perpetrator and shipmates.
The target audience for "Sexual Assault - Megan's Story" is all military personnel in the Navy. It's intended to be augmented by instructor-led training before and after viewing. The production is not intended for standalone presentation.
"Megan's Story" is cleared for public release and can be ordered through the Defense Visual Information website at http://dodimagery.afis.osd.mil/. Simply follow the link to the DAVIS/DITIS database and request PIN 806793.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Chairman Issues Holiday Message
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 18, 2007 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff issued his holiday message today, thanking servicemembers and families for their service and asking that others remember their sacrifices. "I thank each of you for your dedicated service as you defend our national interests around the world. Whether on the ground, in the air, on the sea, or under it, you are making life better and safer for millions of people. Please know you have your nation's deepest gratitude," the statement from Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen reads.
"As we count our many blessings, let us never forget our brothers and sisters in harm's way and the families with empty seats at their holiday tables. Theirs is the sacrifice, the great and noble service, that allows our comfort and our freedom this season. Reach out to them if you can. Let them know they are remembered," Mullen wrote.
The chairman is this week traveling with the 2007 USO holiday tour on the 15-stop, seven-country tour thanking the forward deployed troops for their sacrifice and service.
With Christmas a week away, Mullen passed along his holiday greetings in person during a stop in Kuwait yesterday.
"I'd like to express my appreciation for what you do, not just for the nation, but for the world," he said. "You are making a big difference in a very challenging part of the world."
Mullen said he knows the holidays are a hard time to be away from family.
"We know that, and we keep them in our thoughts and prayers, and we hope we can bring a little cheer during this holiday season for you as you serve on this deployment," he said. "You could not be as successful on this deployment without the support of those families, and we're extremely grateful for all the things that they do to make your service possible."
Dec. 18, 2007 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff issued his holiday message today, thanking servicemembers and families for their service and asking that others remember their sacrifices. "I thank each of you for your dedicated service as you defend our national interests around the world. Whether on the ground, in the air, on the sea, or under it, you are making life better and safer for millions of people. Please know you have your nation's deepest gratitude," the statement from Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen reads.
"As we count our many blessings, let us never forget our brothers and sisters in harm's way and the families with empty seats at their holiday tables. Theirs is the sacrifice, the great and noble service, that allows our comfort and our freedom this season. Reach out to them if you can. Let them know they are remembered," Mullen wrote.
The chairman is this week traveling with the 2007 USO holiday tour on the 15-stop, seven-country tour thanking the forward deployed troops for their sacrifice and service.
With Christmas a week away, Mullen passed along his holiday greetings in person during a stop in Kuwait yesterday.
"I'd like to express my appreciation for what you do, not just for the nation, but for the world," he said. "You are making a big difference in a very challenging part of the world."
Mullen said he knows the holidays are a hard time to be away from family.
"We know that, and we keep them in our thoughts and prayers, and we hope we can bring a little cheer during this holiday season for you as you serve on this deployment," he said. "You could not be as successful on this deployment without the support of those families, and we're extremely grateful for all the things that they do to make your service possible."
Mullen Shares His USO Memories on Holiday Tour
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 18, 2007 - Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen fondly remembers the smiles entertainers brought to the faces of his crews, and he is seeking to spread those smiles around Iraq. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff led the Chairman's USO Holiday Tour here today, and about 1,800 servicemembers roared their approval.
Robin Williams headlined the show. This is the star's fourth USO run through the combat zones. Joining Williams is actor-comedian Lewis Black, singer Kid Rock, Miss USA Rachel Smith and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Irish tenor Ronan Tynan will join the tour later in the week.
Mullen said his connections to the USO go back a long way. His first experience with the USO was in 1970. He had just married his wife, Deborah, and he moved from the West Coast to the East Coast.
"I went to New York City, and the first place I went was the USO booth because of their reputation and because of what I'd seen through the 1960s and 1970s," he said during an interview. "I saw how the entertainers made such a difference and uplifted those who were serving away from home in a tough environment."
Through his career, Mullen has spent many years at sea. "I have always sought to make sure that my crews got to see these entertainers whenever they could," the admiral said. "They always brought a smile, and that to me is what this is all about. This is a great group of entertainers who have taken time out of their lives to come here for the troops."
Mullen said he appreciates all that the USO has done to bring this show together. "I hope we can reach out to more entertainers to do this not just over the holidays and make it year-round," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 18, 2007 - Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen fondly remembers the smiles entertainers brought to the faces of his crews, and he is seeking to spread those smiles around Iraq. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff led the Chairman's USO Holiday Tour here today, and about 1,800 servicemembers roared their approval.
Robin Williams headlined the show. This is the star's fourth USO run through the combat zones. Joining Williams is actor-comedian Lewis Black, singer Kid Rock, Miss USA Rachel Smith and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Irish tenor Ronan Tynan will join the tour later in the week.
Mullen said his connections to the USO go back a long way. His first experience with the USO was in 1970. He had just married his wife, Deborah, and he moved from the West Coast to the East Coast.
"I went to New York City, and the first place I went was the USO booth because of their reputation and because of what I'd seen through the 1960s and 1970s," he said during an interview. "I saw how the entertainers made such a difference and uplifted those who were serving away from home in a tough environment."
Through his career, Mullen has spent many years at sea. "I have always sought to make sure that my crews got to see these entertainers whenever they could," the admiral said. "They always brought a smile, and that to me is what this is all about. This is a great group of entertainers who have taken time out of their lives to come here for the troops."
Mullen said he appreciates all that the USO has done to bring this show together. "I hope we can reach out to more entertainers to do this not just over the holidays and make it year-round," he said.
Mrap Vehicle Orders Top 11,900
The Department of Defense today announced a contract award for an additional 3,126 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles to be manufactured and completed by end of July 2008. Four manufacturers received the delivery orders totaling just under $2.66 billion.
MRAPs, with more than 1,200 in theater, have proven their value by saving the lives of warfighters by mitigating blast effects through the uniquely designed V-shaped hull and raised chassis. This contract award by the MRAP Vehicle Joint Program Office continues the rapid procurement and acquisition process for these life-saving vehicles with the release of four delivery orders resulting in a total of 11,941 vehicles in the life-saving fleet by mid-summer. The total approved acquisition objective for all services is 15,374 which includes vehicles produced for training and testing purposes.
Stewart and Stevenson Tactical Vehicle, a Division of Armor Holdings and more recently BAE Land Systems, received a firm fixed priced delivery order for the purchase of 668 Category II vehicles with Category I seat configuration. The company is now operating under the name, BAE-TVS.
BAE Systems Land and Armaments, increased their participation in the program by 600 bringing their total vehicle count to more than 1,730. The vehicles will be Category II vehicles.
Force Protection Industries, Inc. will add another 358 (178 Category I and 180 Category II) vehicles to their vehicle commitment.
The largest single delivery order to date has been issued to International Military and Government LLC for 1,500 Category I vehicles.
All four delivery orders include vehicles, integrated logistics support (ILS), sustainment items and engineering change proposals designed to increase vehicle capability.
Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va. serves as the lead contracting activity for the MRAP Vehicle Joint Program Management Office.
MRAPs, with more than 1,200 in theater, have proven their value by saving the lives of warfighters by mitigating blast effects through the uniquely designed V-shaped hull and raised chassis. This contract award by the MRAP Vehicle Joint Program Office continues the rapid procurement and acquisition process for these life-saving vehicles with the release of four delivery orders resulting in a total of 11,941 vehicles in the life-saving fleet by mid-summer. The total approved acquisition objective for all services is 15,374 which includes vehicles produced for training and testing purposes.
Stewart and Stevenson Tactical Vehicle, a Division of Armor Holdings and more recently BAE Land Systems, received a firm fixed priced delivery order for the purchase of 668 Category II vehicles with Category I seat configuration. The company is now operating under the name, BAE-TVS.
BAE Systems Land and Armaments, increased their participation in the program by 600 bringing their total vehicle count to more than 1,730. The vehicles will be Category II vehicles.
Force Protection Industries, Inc. will add another 358 (178 Category I and 180 Category II) vehicles to their vehicle commitment.
The largest single delivery order to date has been issued to International Military and Government LLC for 1,500 Category I vehicles.
All four delivery orders include vehicles, integrated logistics support (ILS), sustainment items and engineering change proposals designed to increase vehicle capability.
Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va. serves as the lead contracting activity for the MRAP Vehicle Joint Program Management Office.
Conversations with Cops
Date: 12/19/07
Time: 2100 hours Pacific
Topic: Leadership in Law Enforcement
Guest: Captain Andrew Harvey, (ret.) Ed.D.
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 interesting. 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
The show is immediately available in the archive and shortly thereafter available as an ITunes Download.
Time: 2100 hours Pacific
Topic: Leadership in Law Enforcement
Guest: Captain Andrew Harvey, (ret.) Ed.D.
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 interesting. 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
The show is immediately available in the archive and shortly thereafter available as an ITunes Download.
Defense Travel System Maintains Customer Focus as Rollout Continues
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - Halfway through the full rollout of the Defense Travel System, officials say it's accomplishing exactly what it set out to do: streamlining the travel process while improving service to travelers. The system, first introduced in 2005, processed 2.4 million temporary duty travel vouchers during fiscal 2007, Pam Mitchell, deputy director of the Defense Travel Management Office, told American Forces Press Service. That represents 84 percent of all the Defense Department's TDY travel, with only elements of the Army Reserve and Army National Guard not yet on the system, she said.
Now, a top Defense Department priority is to expand DTS to cover some 25 to 30 additional categories of official travel, including permanent-change-of-station moves and travel for medical care or training. Sheila Earle, principal director of Military Personnel Policy and the Defense Travel Management Office's acting director, said she hopes to meet that goal by 2009.
The result will be a universal system that replaces dozens of other disjointed systems, creating efficiencies and maximizing the government's buying power, Earle said. At the same time, DTS will eliminate some of the red tape and headaches federal travelers have long endured in arranging official travel.
Before DTS, federal travelers went one place to get their travel orders, to another for their travel advance, and to still another to make transportation, lodging and rental car arrangements. After completing their travel, they filed a travel voucher through one of myriad travel systems in use throughout the department. Many submitted hard-copy forms they filled out manually along with their receipts to be processed.
DTS, in contrast, enables travelers to complete all these transactions from the convenience of their desktop computers. "The bottom line is to make it easier for the traveler," Mitchell said. "We're focused on making the travel experience better."
Meanwhile, DTS is introducing efficiencies throughout the system as it consolidates DoD's processes for ticket reservations, authorizations, voucher processing and financial accounting.
"This gives one-stop shopping for the Department of Defense for all travel requirements," Mitchell said. "It allows us to leverage economies of scale and ensure standards of service and efficiency across the board."
It also enables better oversight of the department's entire travel enterprise -- one that amounts to some $12 billion to $13 billion a year -- and more universal enforcement of federal travel regulations, Earle said.
Mitchell described the department's vast travel operation as a spider web. "You literally have all these parts and pieces scattered all over the place, loosely attached together with these webs," she said.
DTS is part of the Defense Travel Management Office's effort to "take all those disparate things all over the place in this web and pull them into a more orderly universe so we can leverage what is best for both the government and the traveler," Mitchell said.
Earle said there's little doubt that, when fully implemented, DTS will save the government money. "If I am able to write a more efficient commercial travel office contract and I handle it in a more efficient way, that saves us an awful lot of money in the Department of Defense," she said.
But DTS is about more than just saving money, Earle emphasized "It's changing the way we do business," she said. "It's completely changing our emphasis."
The Defense Department has "put the bar quite high" in setting expectations for DTS, Earle said. "Make it make sense, and make it smart. Make it save money if at all possible. Make it more efficient and a better system for travelers," she said.
"The bottom line is, strike the best deal you can for the government, get the best service you can provide for the traveler and do it with efficiency," Earle said. "That's what we're trying to do."
Earle conceded that the department historically has focused more on the travel system itself than the person using it. "We are going to change that relationship," she said. "The upper hand now goes to the traveler. We are going to make that system as efficient for the traveler as possible, while maintaining all the other things that are important for good governance and oversight.
"But the voice of the traveler is going to trump the demands of any one area," she said. "This is the first time the traveler has actually been given a voice."
A usability review that began in October and is expected to continue through the summer is assessing exactly what travelers have to say about DTS and where it can be improved.
Initial feedback shows many DTS users like some of the most recent changes. They like the speed in which their travel vouchers are processed and the fact that their government credit cards get paid directly through DTS. They also have good things to say about the system's new "book as you go" feature that allows them to reserve an airplane seat while their travel order is going through the approval process. "We've gotten tremendous positive feedback about that," Mitchell said.
The challenge now is to continue DTS' evolution to make it a system people want to use, not one they have to use, Earle said.
To reach that point, Earle said, she's looking to all Defense Department travelers to lend their experience to make the system better. "Everybody has an opinion, and we have a million experts out there who have traveled and who know how to do this better," she said. "We want to hear from you, because we want to make the travel experience better."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - Halfway through the full rollout of the Defense Travel System, officials say it's accomplishing exactly what it set out to do: streamlining the travel process while improving service to travelers. The system, first introduced in 2005, processed 2.4 million temporary duty travel vouchers during fiscal 2007, Pam Mitchell, deputy director of the Defense Travel Management Office, told American Forces Press Service. That represents 84 percent of all the Defense Department's TDY travel, with only elements of the Army Reserve and Army National Guard not yet on the system, she said.
Now, a top Defense Department priority is to expand DTS to cover some 25 to 30 additional categories of official travel, including permanent-change-of-station moves and travel for medical care or training. Sheila Earle, principal director of Military Personnel Policy and the Defense Travel Management Office's acting director, said she hopes to meet that goal by 2009.
The result will be a universal system that replaces dozens of other disjointed systems, creating efficiencies and maximizing the government's buying power, Earle said. At the same time, DTS will eliminate some of the red tape and headaches federal travelers have long endured in arranging official travel.
Before DTS, federal travelers went one place to get their travel orders, to another for their travel advance, and to still another to make transportation, lodging and rental car arrangements. After completing their travel, they filed a travel voucher through one of myriad travel systems in use throughout the department. Many submitted hard-copy forms they filled out manually along with their receipts to be processed.
DTS, in contrast, enables travelers to complete all these transactions from the convenience of their desktop computers. "The bottom line is to make it easier for the traveler," Mitchell said. "We're focused on making the travel experience better."
Meanwhile, DTS is introducing efficiencies throughout the system as it consolidates DoD's processes for ticket reservations, authorizations, voucher processing and financial accounting.
"This gives one-stop shopping for the Department of Defense for all travel requirements," Mitchell said. "It allows us to leverage economies of scale and ensure standards of service and efficiency across the board."
It also enables better oversight of the department's entire travel enterprise -- one that amounts to some $12 billion to $13 billion a year -- and more universal enforcement of federal travel regulations, Earle said.
Mitchell described the department's vast travel operation as a spider web. "You literally have all these parts and pieces scattered all over the place, loosely attached together with these webs," she said.
DTS is part of the Defense Travel Management Office's effort to "take all those disparate things all over the place in this web and pull them into a more orderly universe so we can leverage what is best for both the government and the traveler," Mitchell said.
Earle said there's little doubt that, when fully implemented, DTS will save the government money. "If I am able to write a more efficient commercial travel office contract and I handle it in a more efficient way, that saves us an awful lot of money in the Department of Defense," she said.
But DTS is about more than just saving money, Earle emphasized "It's changing the way we do business," she said. "It's completely changing our emphasis."
The Defense Department has "put the bar quite high" in setting expectations for DTS, Earle said. "Make it make sense, and make it smart. Make it save money if at all possible. Make it more efficient and a better system for travelers," she said.
"The bottom line is, strike the best deal you can for the government, get the best service you can provide for the traveler and do it with efficiency," Earle said. "That's what we're trying to do."
Earle conceded that the department historically has focused more on the travel system itself than the person using it. "We are going to change that relationship," she said. "The upper hand now goes to the traveler. We are going to make that system as efficient for the traveler as possible, while maintaining all the other things that are important for good governance and oversight.
"But the voice of the traveler is going to trump the demands of any one area," she said. "This is the first time the traveler has actually been given a voice."
A usability review that began in October and is expected to continue through the summer is assessing exactly what travelers have to say about DTS and where it can be improved.
Initial feedback shows many DTS users like some of the most recent changes. They like the speed in which their travel vouchers are processed and the fact that their government credit cards get paid directly through DTS. They also have good things to say about the system's new "book as you go" feature that allows them to reserve an airplane seat while their travel order is going through the approval process. "We've gotten tremendous positive feedback about that," Mitchell said.
The challenge now is to continue DTS' evolution to make it a system people want to use, not one they have to use, Earle said.
To reach that point, Earle said, she's looking to all Defense Department travelers to lend their experience to make the system better. "Everybody has an opinion, and we have a million experts out there who have traveled and who know how to do this better," she said. "We want to hear from you, because we want to make the travel experience better."
Bush Vows Support for Wounded Troops, Condemns Iran
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - America's wounded troops are getting the best medical care possible, and the country is committed to ensuring the bureaucratic system serves them equally well, President Bush said today in Fredericksburg, Va. Speaking to the Rotary Club of Stafford, Va., the president also told a questioner that Iran remains a threat to peace and needs to suspend its uranium-enrichment activities.
Bush told the Rotarians he feels "a particular sense of obligation to make sure that the man or woman I've sent into combat gets the very best care possible."
He called the doctors and nurses providing military health care "fabulous," noting that "the health care these troops are getting is excellent, no ands, ifs or buts about it."
"I can look the parents ... and loved ones of the troops in their eyes and say, 'Your kid's going to get fabulous health care, and they deserve it,'" he said.
The president conceded that problems like those that surfaced in February at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here detract from this care and said they won't be tolerated. Bush called the Walter Reed situation "a bureaucratic foul-up" and noted that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates moved to fix the situation quickly. "That should show you our intensity in making sure that our troops get the very best care," he said.
Bush said he and first lady Laura Bush will visit both Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., later this week. They'll visit for two reasons, he said: "One, to tell those troops we love them, and two, to tell those docs and nurses who are working overtime to give them fabulous care this country appreciates what they're doing."
Moving to questions about Iran, Bush pointed to the recent national intelligence estimate as proof that "Iran was a threat, Iran is a threat to peace, and Iran will be a threat to peace if we don't stop their enrichment facilities."
If Iran were able to produce a nuclear weapon, it would be a highly destabilizing force in the region, Bush said. He noted Iran's threats to wipe out Israel as an example.
Iran owes the world an explanation about its suspended nuclear program, Bush said. "They need to make it clear to the international organization, the (International Atomic Energy Agency), what the program was all about and why they hid it from the world," he said.
Meanwhile, Bush pledged that the United States will continue working with its friends and allies to apply diplomatic pressure aimed at convincing Iran to suspend its enrichment programs.
He noted that Russia is in the process of sending enriched uranium to Iran for use in its civilian nuclear reactor. "If the Russians are willing to do that ... (and) the Iranians accept that uranium for a civilian nuclear power plant, then there's no need for them to learn how to enrich," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - America's wounded troops are getting the best medical care possible, and the country is committed to ensuring the bureaucratic system serves them equally well, President Bush said today in Fredericksburg, Va. Speaking to the Rotary Club of Stafford, Va., the president also told a questioner that Iran remains a threat to peace and needs to suspend its uranium-enrichment activities.
Bush told the Rotarians he feels "a particular sense of obligation to make sure that the man or woman I've sent into combat gets the very best care possible."
He called the doctors and nurses providing military health care "fabulous," noting that "the health care these troops are getting is excellent, no ands, ifs or buts about it."
"I can look the parents ... and loved ones of the troops in their eyes and say, 'Your kid's going to get fabulous health care, and they deserve it,'" he said.
The president conceded that problems like those that surfaced in February at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here detract from this care and said they won't be tolerated. Bush called the Walter Reed situation "a bureaucratic foul-up" and noted that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates moved to fix the situation quickly. "That should show you our intensity in making sure that our troops get the very best care," he said.
Bush said he and first lady Laura Bush will visit both Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., later this week. They'll visit for two reasons, he said: "One, to tell those troops we love them, and two, to tell those docs and nurses who are working overtime to give them fabulous care this country appreciates what they're doing."
Moving to questions about Iran, Bush pointed to the recent national intelligence estimate as proof that "Iran was a threat, Iran is a threat to peace, and Iran will be a threat to peace if we don't stop their enrichment facilities."
If Iran were able to produce a nuclear weapon, it would be a highly destabilizing force in the region, Bush said. He noted Iran's threats to wipe out Israel as an example.
Iran owes the world an explanation about its suspended nuclear program, Bush said. "They need to make it clear to the international organization, the (International Atomic Energy Agency), what the program was all about and why they hid it from the world," he said.
Meanwhile, Bush pledged that the United States will continue working with its friends and allies to apply diplomatic pressure aimed at convincing Iran to suspend its enrichment programs.
He noted that Russia is in the process of sending enriched uranium to Iran for use in its civilian nuclear reactor. "If the Russians are willing to do that ... (and) the Iranians accept that uranium for a civilian nuclear power plant, then there's no need for them to learn how to enrich," he said.
Face of Defense: Extra Effort in Kitchen Keeps Morale High
By Sgt. Brandon Aird, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - "The Rock believes highly that food service support improves morale," said Army Sgt. Joseph Smith, from Jackson, Mich. Smith is the dining facility manager at Forward Operating Base Fortress and a member of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), which is known as "The Rock."
Paratroopers in the battalion's Company D and a platoon from Company C live at Forward Operating Base Fortress, near the Chowkay Valley in Kunar province.
The base is named Fortress due to 30-foot walls and four guard towers that surround it. Luckily for the soldiers here, Fortress is home to three cooks from "The Rock's" support company, Company F.
The cooks prepare food for 150 to 200 soldiers who call Fortress home. The food comes in prepared packages, which are downloaded, prepared and cooked by Smith's team. Smith explained they could simply cook the same meals over and over again, but they choose not to. The leadership in "The Rock" gives the cooks freedom to use their imagination when preparing meals.
"We get to put our personality into our cooking," explained Spc. Jesse Ramirez, from Twin Cities, Minn. "Being able to add your own touch makes things more exciting."
Smith explained that their dining facility was able to receive extra cooking utensils, which enabled them to cook a bigger variety of food. "We can do omelettes, crab cakes, quesadillas -- pretty much anything you want," Smith said. "We even have taco night."
The three cooks work 12 to 16 hours a day, said Spc. Nicholas Krueger. "Not all our time is spent in the kitchen," Krueger explained. "We also help pull FOB security, download convoys and organize supplies."
Recently, Smith and his team stayed up more than 32 hours in the kitchen to make sure the soldiers' Thanksgiving meal was one to remember. "We take pride in our cooking," Ramirez said. "Thanksgiving is our time to show off."
"We work long hours, but we enjoy seeing happy soldiers, Smith said."
(Army Sgt. Brandon Aird is assigned to 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - "The Rock believes highly that food service support improves morale," said Army Sgt. Joseph Smith, from Jackson, Mich. Smith is the dining facility manager at Forward Operating Base Fortress and a member of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), which is known as "The Rock."
Paratroopers in the battalion's Company D and a platoon from Company C live at Forward Operating Base Fortress, near the Chowkay Valley in Kunar province.
The base is named Fortress due to 30-foot walls and four guard towers that surround it. Luckily for the soldiers here, Fortress is home to three cooks from "The Rock's" support company, Company F.
The cooks prepare food for 150 to 200 soldiers who call Fortress home. The food comes in prepared packages, which are downloaded, prepared and cooked by Smith's team. Smith explained they could simply cook the same meals over and over again, but they choose not to. The leadership in "The Rock" gives the cooks freedom to use their imagination when preparing meals.
"We get to put our personality into our cooking," explained Spc. Jesse Ramirez, from Twin Cities, Minn. "Being able to add your own touch makes things more exciting."
Smith explained that their dining facility was able to receive extra cooking utensils, which enabled them to cook a bigger variety of food. "We can do omelettes, crab cakes, quesadillas -- pretty much anything you want," Smith said. "We even have taco night."
The three cooks work 12 to 16 hours a day, said Spc. Nicholas Krueger. "Not all our time is spent in the kitchen," Krueger explained. "We also help pull FOB security, download convoys and organize supplies."
Recently, Smith and his team stayed up more than 32 hours in the kitchen to make sure the soldiers' Thanksgiving meal was one to remember. "We take pride in our cooking," Ramirez said. "Thanksgiving is our time to show off."
"We work long hours, but we enjoy seeing happy soldiers, Smith said."
(Army Sgt. Brandon Aird is assigned to 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs.)
Travel Policy Change Benefits Military Families
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - Military families now can access military-supplied air transport to travel to their official "homes of record" located outside the continental United States when their sponsors are deployed for 120 days or more, thanks to a recent policy change, a military official said today. Before the change, which became effective Dec. 6, family members only could use military space-available, or "Space-A," flights to travel to their homes of record in the lower 48 states, said Air Force Lt. Col. Michael R. Holmes, with the office of the assistant deputy undersecretary of defense for transportation policy.
"We have a significant number of military personnel whose spouses and extended families may not reside in the continental U.S.," Holmes explained. For example, he said, the states of Hawaii and Alaska, and the territory of Guam, fall under the criteria of the new policy.
Military families can save considerable money by using low- or no-cost Space-A flights instead of using commercial airlines to get back to their homes of record, Holmes pointed out. However, family members under age 18 must be accompanied by an eligible parent or legal guardian, according to Defense Department documents explaining the new policy.
Family members using Space-A transport under the new policy also require a verification letter signed by the military sponsor's commander verifying the servicemember's deployment, according to Defense Department documents.
The new travel policy was enacted to mitigate some of the stresses of deployment encountered by servicemembers and their families, Holmes said.
The Space-A travel program is a privilege, not an entitlement, and it is extended to military family members in recognition of their support to the mission being performed by their sponsors and to enhance quality of life for servicemembers and their families, according to Air Force Air Mobility Command documents.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - Military families now can access military-supplied air transport to travel to their official "homes of record" located outside the continental United States when their sponsors are deployed for 120 days or more, thanks to a recent policy change, a military official said today. Before the change, which became effective Dec. 6, family members only could use military space-available, or "Space-A," flights to travel to their homes of record in the lower 48 states, said Air Force Lt. Col. Michael R. Holmes, with the office of the assistant deputy undersecretary of defense for transportation policy.
"We have a significant number of military personnel whose spouses and extended families may not reside in the continental U.S.," Holmes explained. For example, he said, the states of Hawaii and Alaska, and the territory of Guam, fall under the criteria of the new policy.
Military families can save considerable money by using low- or no-cost Space-A flights instead of using commercial airlines to get back to their homes of record, Holmes pointed out. However, family members under age 18 must be accompanied by an eligible parent or legal guardian, according to Defense Department documents explaining the new policy.
Family members using Space-A transport under the new policy also require a verification letter signed by the military sponsor's commander verifying the servicemember's deployment, according to Defense Department documents.
The new travel policy was enacted to mitigate some of the stresses of deployment encountered by servicemembers and their families, Holmes said.
The Space-A travel program is a privilege, not an entitlement, and it is extended to military family members in recognition of their support to the mission being performed by their sponsors and to enhance quality of life for servicemembers and their families, according to Air Force Air Mobility Command documents.
Coalition Troops Kill Six, Seize 29 Suspected Terrorists in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - Coalition forces killed six suspected terrorists, detained 29 others and destroyed five weapons caches in Iraq over the past five days, military officials said. During operations in Iraq yesterday:
-- Coalition forces killed four suspected terrorists north of Muqdadiyah. Two of the slain insurgents died while attempting to mount suicide-bomb attacks against coalition troops, military officials said. Coalition air support engaged and killed the two others as they attacked ground forces from inside a suspected terrorist safe house.
-- Troops killed one insurgent and detained four others in Mosul during an operation targeting an alleged al Qaeda in Iraq leader. Military officials have not stated whether troops killed or detained the targeted suspect, who allegedly helps al Qaeda cell leaders obtain weapons and improvised explosive device-making materials.
-- Coalition forces detained 15 suspected terrorists during coordinated operations southeast of Samarra. The synchronized raids targeted associates of al Qaeda senior leaders operating in Samarra and Salahuddin, military officials said.
-- Near Mahmudiyah, coalition troops killed an al Qaeda member with ties to senior leaders in the terrorist network's Baghdad cell. Troops engaged and killed the wanted individual when he advanced toward the ground force's position and failed to stop, military officials said. Coalition forces detained one suspect on site.
On Dec. 15, Iraqi army and coalition forces launched "Marne Roundup," an operation focused on flushing out al Qaeda extremists and weapons smugglers operating near Iskandariyah.
Marne Roundup is designed to defeat al Qaeda in northern Babil by denying them sanctuary and escape routes, Army Col. Thomas James, commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, told reporters during a Dec. 9 news conference. "The plan is designed to catch them as they egress," he added.
The operation is the latest in a series of combat offensives launched by Multinational Division Center soldiers to squeeze al Qaeda from areas south and west of Baghdad, officials said.
At the start of the offensive, troops fired 12 guided missiles and destroyed two buildings used by insurgents to store improvised explosive device-making materials, military officials said. Troops reportedly encountered no resistance as they moved through the target area by the afternoon of the first day.
After securing the area, coalition forces plan to build Patrol Base Khidr, a security outpost where Iraqi police will coordinate efforts with local citizens to secure major roads leading to and from Iskandariyah. Military officials said one intended effect of the operation is to demonstrate to local residents that Iraqi security forces are able to overpower al Qaeda.
In other operations, coalition forces captured an al Qaeda in Iraq leader north of Baghdad on Dec. 15. The leader's network is responsible for car-bomb and improvised-explosive-device attacks, and is involved in extortion, intimidation, weapons trafficking, and facilitating foreign terrorists' movement. Ground forces detained two suspected terrorists and found a cache of improvised-explosive-device materials during the raid.
On Dec. 14, coalition forces detained two suspected al Qaeda in Iraq members and destroyed four weapons caches in Arab Jabour and Buaytha. Local citizens detained two Iraqi males who they identified as members of al Qaeda and later handed over the suspects to soldiers of 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry, at Patrol Base Murray. The uncovered caches contained anti-tank mines, a variety of mortars, homemade explosives, mortar tubes, copper wire, and numerous boxes of ammunition.
Elsewhere in Iraq on Dec. 14, Multinational Division Baghdad forces arrested two men suspected of financing extremist activities and another suspected of killing coalition soldiers in the Doura region of the Rashid district.
In western Rashid on Dec. 13, Multinational Division Baghdad forces captured a suspected extremist leader during a targeted raid. The "Black Lions" of Company B, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, captured the alleged low-level extremist commander, who military officials said is responsible for improvised-explosive-device and explosively formed penetrator attacks in the area. The suspect is being held for questioning.
As ground operations continue to succeed in Iraq, an aerial operation ended in failure today when an Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crashed near Muqdadiyah. The primary mission of the remotely piloted medium-altitude aircraft is to conduct armed reconnaissance. A board will convene to investigate the incident, military officials said.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq and Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)
Dec. 17, 2007 - Coalition forces killed six suspected terrorists, detained 29 others and destroyed five weapons caches in Iraq over the past five days, military officials said. During operations in Iraq yesterday:
-- Coalition forces killed four suspected terrorists north of Muqdadiyah. Two of the slain insurgents died while attempting to mount suicide-bomb attacks against coalition troops, military officials said. Coalition air support engaged and killed the two others as they attacked ground forces from inside a suspected terrorist safe house.
-- Troops killed one insurgent and detained four others in Mosul during an operation targeting an alleged al Qaeda in Iraq leader. Military officials have not stated whether troops killed or detained the targeted suspect, who allegedly helps al Qaeda cell leaders obtain weapons and improvised explosive device-making materials.
-- Coalition forces detained 15 suspected terrorists during coordinated operations southeast of Samarra. The synchronized raids targeted associates of al Qaeda senior leaders operating in Samarra and Salahuddin, military officials said.
-- Near Mahmudiyah, coalition troops killed an al Qaeda member with ties to senior leaders in the terrorist network's Baghdad cell. Troops engaged and killed the wanted individual when he advanced toward the ground force's position and failed to stop, military officials said. Coalition forces detained one suspect on site.
On Dec. 15, Iraqi army and coalition forces launched "Marne Roundup," an operation focused on flushing out al Qaeda extremists and weapons smugglers operating near Iskandariyah.
Marne Roundup is designed to defeat al Qaeda in northern Babil by denying them sanctuary and escape routes, Army Col. Thomas James, commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, told reporters during a Dec. 9 news conference. "The plan is designed to catch them as they egress," he added.
The operation is the latest in a series of combat offensives launched by Multinational Division Center soldiers to squeeze al Qaeda from areas south and west of Baghdad, officials said.
At the start of the offensive, troops fired 12 guided missiles and destroyed two buildings used by insurgents to store improvised explosive device-making materials, military officials said. Troops reportedly encountered no resistance as they moved through the target area by the afternoon of the first day.
After securing the area, coalition forces plan to build Patrol Base Khidr, a security outpost where Iraqi police will coordinate efforts with local citizens to secure major roads leading to and from Iskandariyah. Military officials said one intended effect of the operation is to demonstrate to local residents that Iraqi security forces are able to overpower al Qaeda.
In other operations, coalition forces captured an al Qaeda in Iraq leader north of Baghdad on Dec. 15. The leader's network is responsible for car-bomb and improvised-explosive-device attacks, and is involved in extortion, intimidation, weapons trafficking, and facilitating foreign terrorists' movement. Ground forces detained two suspected terrorists and found a cache of improvised-explosive-device materials during the raid.
On Dec. 14, coalition forces detained two suspected al Qaeda in Iraq members and destroyed four weapons caches in Arab Jabour and Buaytha. Local citizens detained two Iraqi males who they identified as members of al Qaeda and later handed over the suspects to soldiers of 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry, at Patrol Base Murray. The uncovered caches contained anti-tank mines, a variety of mortars, homemade explosives, mortar tubes, copper wire, and numerous boxes of ammunition.
Elsewhere in Iraq on Dec. 14, Multinational Division Baghdad forces arrested two men suspected of financing extremist activities and another suspected of killing coalition soldiers in the Doura region of the Rashid district.
In western Rashid on Dec. 13, Multinational Division Baghdad forces captured a suspected extremist leader during a targeted raid. The "Black Lions" of Company B, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, captured the alleged low-level extremist commander, who military officials said is responsible for improvised-explosive-device and explosively formed penetrator attacks in the area. The suspect is being held for questioning.
As ground operations continue to succeed in Iraq, an aerial operation ended in failure today when an Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crashed near Muqdadiyah. The primary mission of the remotely piloted medium-altitude aircraft is to conduct armed reconnaissance. A board will convene to investigate the incident, military officials said.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq and Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)
Entertainers Begin Holiday Tour of Overseas Bases
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael G. Mullen is bringing United Service Organizations entertainers to visit with troops in seven countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe through the next week. "We want to thank as many servicemembers as we can," Mullen said. "The holidays are a tough time to be away from home, and we do not take their extraordinary sacrifices for granted or those of their families. They all serve so that all Americans can enjoy a safe and secure holiday season."
Then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers began the yearly chairman's holiday tours in 2002. Then, as now, Robin Williams headlined the show. This is the star's fourth USO run through the combat zones. Williams is joined by actor/comedian Lewis Black, singer Kid Rock, Miss USA Rachel Smith, and six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Irish tenor Ronan Tynan will join the tour later in the week.
The USO has been in the business of supporting troops and their families since Congress chartered it in 1941. Bob Hope and a myriad of stars of the 1940s visited combat theaters throughout the world during World War II, setting an example for later performers to follow.
And they have. Each year the USO produces more than 50 entertainment tours, bringing hundreds of individual shows to hundreds of thousands of American servicemembers around the world. The tours visit major military bases and a large number of remote forward operating bases. The entertainers volunteer their time.
The United Service Organizations is more than just performances. The group has 132 USO Centers around the world, including centers in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. Servicemembers and their families visit the centers more than 5 million times a year. The centers offer free Internet access, a quiet place in the hubbub of major airports, and a place to wait for that next flight.
The USO relies on the generosity of the American public. Currently, the USO has more than 1.5 million individual donors who make it possible to deliver services to men and women in uniform. The USO has an operating budget of about $100 million, with 300 full-time employees and 25,000 volunteers, according to USO officials
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael G. Mullen is bringing United Service Organizations entertainers to visit with troops in seven countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe through the next week. "We want to thank as many servicemembers as we can," Mullen said. "The holidays are a tough time to be away from home, and we do not take their extraordinary sacrifices for granted or those of their families. They all serve so that all Americans can enjoy a safe and secure holiday season."
Then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers began the yearly chairman's holiday tours in 2002. Then, as now, Robin Williams headlined the show. This is the star's fourth USO run through the combat zones. Williams is joined by actor/comedian Lewis Black, singer Kid Rock, Miss USA Rachel Smith, and six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Irish tenor Ronan Tynan will join the tour later in the week.
The USO has been in the business of supporting troops and their families since Congress chartered it in 1941. Bob Hope and a myriad of stars of the 1940s visited combat theaters throughout the world during World War II, setting an example for later performers to follow.
And they have. Each year the USO produces more than 50 entertainment tours, bringing hundreds of individual shows to hundreds of thousands of American servicemembers around the world. The tours visit major military bases and a large number of remote forward operating bases. The entertainers volunteer their time.
The United Service Organizations is more than just performances. The group has 132 USO Centers around the world, including centers in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. Servicemembers and their families visit the centers more than 5 million times a year. The centers offer free Internet access, a quiet place in the hubbub of major airports, and a place to wait for that next flight.
The USO relies on the generosity of the American public. Currently, the USO has more than 1.5 million individual donors who make it possible to deliver services to men and women in uniform. The USO has an operating budget of about $100 million, with 300 full-time employees and 25,000 volunteers, according to USO officials
Monday, December 17, 2007
Sergeant Major of the Army, USO Bring Cheer to Task Force Marne
By Pfc. Monica K. Smith, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - Entertaining troops for the sixth consecutive year, the 2007 Hope and Freedom USO Tour stopped off here yesterday to entertain Multinational Division Center soldiers. The crowd was engaging, with a few of its own comics, and kept entertainers such as singer Darryl Worley and comedian Sheryl Underwood laughing just as hard.
The show began with opening remarks from Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston, who introduced everyone on tour, including all of the band members and the stage crew.
"During the holidays, the USO tour is a piece of home to all the soldiers," Preston said. "It's also an opportunity to say thanks for the sacrifices they make."
Kicking the show off was the U.S. Army Band "Downrange" singing "I Live in America." Other featured acts were singer Keni Thomas, a former Army Ranger; four members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders; Leeann Tweeden, a sports correspondent for Fox; and actor-comedian Vince Morris, who was greeted as a newbie by the crowd because this was his inaugural performance.
Tweeden said this is her eighth USO tour and that she just wants to be able to go back and tell everyone firsthand what she's seen and experienced.
On his sixth rotation with the USO Hope and Freedom tour, Worley said he's only making a small sacrifice. The group spends 14 days performing, visiting troops, signing autographs and taking photos. But Worley said he does it because he has friends who are willing to stop the enemy in its tracks for messing with him and the rest of America.
(Army Pfc. Monica K. Smith is assigned to 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - Entertaining troops for the sixth consecutive year, the 2007 Hope and Freedom USO Tour stopped off here yesterday to entertain Multinational Division Center soldiers. The crowd was engaging, with a few of its own comics, and kept entertainers such as singer Darryl Worley and comedian Sheryl Underwood laughing just as hard.
The show began with opening remarks from Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston, who introduced everyone on tour, including all of the band members and the stage crew.
"During the holidays, the USO tour is a piece of home to all the soldiers," Preston said. "It's also an opportunity to say thanks for the sacrifices they make."
Kicking the show off was the U.S. Army Band "Downrange" singing "I Live in America." Other featured acts were singer Keni Thomas, a former Army Ranger; four members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders; Leeann Tweeden, a sports correspondent for Fox; and actor-comedian Vince Morris, who was greeted as a newbie by the crowd because this was his inaugural performance.
Tweeden said this is her eighth USO tour and that she just wants to be able to go back and tell everyone firsthand what she's seen and experienced.
On his sixth rotation with the USO Hope and Freedom tour, Worley said he's only making a small sacrifice. The group spends 14 days performing, visiting troops, signing autographs and taking photos. But Worley said he does it because he has friends who are willing to stop the enemy in its tracks for messing with him and the rest of America.
(Army Pfc. Monica K. Smith is assigned to 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade.)
America Supports You: Group Works to Help, Honor Servicemembers
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - Some folks believe they have guardian angels, but wounded servicemembers and their families also have a "Guardian Eagle." Mike's Guardian Eagle Foundation offers financial assistance to military personnel and their families in need because of deployment, injury or death, the group's founder, Robert Lehmiller, said.
"(Our) effort is to provide assistance to our military families in need and to honor our veterans," he said of his Utah-based foundation.
Honoring veterans is a year-round effort for the foundation. In nearly every month of the year, the foundation participates in at least one event to recognize veterans and the sacrifices they and their families have made.
Operation Salute is one of those efforts.
"Operation Salute is a privately funded tribute to our military and all of our veterans," Lehmiller said. "This traveling display goes throughout the nation attending conferences, conventions, parades, military events, and many other appearances."
The foundation -- which is named in memory of Lehmiller's son, Army Sgt. Michael Lehmiller, who was killed in Afghanistan on Aug. 21, 2005 -- recently became a supporter of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"I hope to gather new info on fundraising and see what other groups (are doing) and how we might work together to make a better impact," he said of the affiliation. He added that he hoped to determine if any of Mike's Guardian Eagle Foundation's programs were unique and could benefit other groups.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - Some folks believe they have guardian angels, but wounded servicemembers and their families also have a "Guardian Eagle." Mike's Guardian Eagle Foundation offers financial assistance to military personnel and their families in need because of deployment, injury or death, the group's founder, Robert Lehmiller, said.
"(Our) effort is to provide assistance to our military families in need and to honor our veterans," he said of his Utah-based foundation.
Honoring veterans is a year-round effort for the foundation. In nearly every month of the year, the foundation participates in at least one event to recognize veterans and the sacrifices they and their families have made.
Operation Salute is one of those efforts.
"Operation Salute is a privately funded tribute to our military and all of our veterans," Lehmiller said. "This traveling display goes throughout the nation attending conferences, conventions, parades, military events, and many other appearances."
The foundation -- which is named in memory of Lehmiller's son, Army Sgt. Michael Lehmiller, who was killed in Afghanistan on Aug. 21, 2005 -- recently became a supporter of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"I hope to gather new info on fundraising and see what other groups (are doing) and how we might work together to make a better impact," he said of the affiliation. He added that he hoped to determine if any of Mike's Guardian Eagle Foundation's programs were unique and could benefit other groups.
USO Tour Enters High Gear During Show in Kuwait
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - It was a rocking and rolling time at this logistics base, as the Chairman's USO Holiday Tour entered high gear today. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, brought Robin Williams, Lewis Black, Kid Rock, Miss USA Rachel Black and Lance Armstrong to entertain the troops and thank them for their service.
Two sailors sitting in the crowd were singing along with Kid Rock as the Detroit rocker belted out "Sweet Home Alabama." One turned to the other and said, "All that karaoke is paying off, huh?" They "high-fived" each other and kept on singing.
More than 1,000 servicemembers sat in the stands, crowded the stage, brought arm chairs and laughed along with Williams and appreciated the absurdities of life with Black. They listened as six-time Tour de France winner Armstrong spoke of his philosophy, and all appreciated Smith's heartfelt thanks for the job they do day in and day out.
With Christmas a week away, Mullen passed his holiday greetings to servicemembers. "I'd like to express my appreciation for what you do, not just for the nation, but for the world," he said. "You are making a big difference in a very challenging part of the world."
Mullen said he knows it is a hard time to be away from family. "We know that, and we keep them in our thoughts and prayers, and we hope we can bring a little cheer during this holiday season for you as you serve on this deployment," he said. "You could not be as successful on this deployment without the support of those families, and we're extremely grateful for all the things that they do to make your service possible."
After the show, the entertainers posed for pictures with servicemembers. Mullen walked into the crowd just to speak with servicemembers and drew almost as many to meet him as the entertainers did.
The servicemembers were still pumped well after the show. "We love it when these guys come out," said Army Sgt. Jeremiah Smith, a truck driver with 2nd Transportation Battalion here. "This is my third trip here, and I'll tell you, this is the best thing they can do for morale."
Army Spc. Brandon "Doc" Watson, of Alabama's 1st Battalion, 167th Infantry, had driven a truck all day from Iraq. "I heard they were having Robin Williams and Kid Rock, and I just couldn't go to bed and miss that," he said. "These guys deserve a lot of credit for coming out here and doing this. They have families, too, and you know they want to celebrate Christmas with them, but here they are."
"That's right," said Army Staff Sgt. Tracy Warner, of 3rd Army headquarters here. "We don't have a choice. We were ordered here, and we'll serve. But they have a choice. And their choice was to come here and give us some happiness."
The Holiday Tour continues through the week. The chairman's party will visit other countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 17, 2007 - It was a rocking and rolling time at this logistics base, as the Chairman's USO Holiday Tour entered high gear today. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, brought Robin Williams, Lewis Black, Kid Rock, Miss USA Rachel Black and Lance Armstrong to entertain the troops and thank them for their service.
Two sailors sitting in the crowd were singing along with Kid Rock as the Detroit rocker belted out "Sweet Home Alabama." One turned to the other and said, "All that karaoke is paying off, huh?" They "high-fived" each other and kept on singing.
More than 1,000 servicemembers sat in the stands, crowded the stage, brought arm chairs and laughed along with Williams and appreciated the absurdities of life with Black. They listened as six-time Tour de France winner Armstrong spoke of his philosophy, and all appreciated Smith's heartfelt thanks for the job they do day in and day out.
With Christmas a week away, Mullen passed his holiday greetings to servicemembers. "I'd like to express my appreciation for what you do, not just for the nation, but for the world," he said. "You are making a big difference in a very challenging part of the world."
Mullen said he knows it is a hard time to be away from family. "We know that, and we keep them in our thoughts and prayers, and we hope we can bring a little cheer during this holiday season for you as you serve on this deployment," he said. "You could not be as successful on this deployment without the support of those families, and we're extremely grateful for all the things that they do to make your service possible."
After the show, the entertainers posed for pictures with servicemembers. Mullen walked into the crowd just to speak with servicemembers and drew almost as many to meet him as the entertainers did.
The servicemembers were still pumped well after the show. "We love it when these guys come out," said Army Sgt. Jeremiah Smith, a truck driver with 2nd Transportation Battalion here. "This is my third trip here, and I'll tell you, this is the best thing they can do for morale."
Army Spc. Brandon "Doc" Watson, of Alabama's 1st Battalion, 167th Infantry, had driven a truck all day from Iraq. "I heard they were having Robin Williams and Kid Rock, and I just couldn't go to bed and miss that," he said. "These guys deserve a lot of credit for coming out here and doing this. They have families, too, and you know they want to celebrate Christmas with them, but here they are."
"That's right," said Army Staff Sgt. Tracy Warner, of 3rd Army headquarters here. "We don't have a choice. We were ordered here, and we'll serve. But they have a choice. And their choice was to come here and give us some happiness."
The Holiday Tour continues through the week. The chairman's party will visit other countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe.
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