By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 18, 2008 - For the Federal Voting Assistance Program, getting deployed troops and their families engaged in the current election season is a primary goal. Ahead of the November general election, FVAP, which fosters voting participation by uniformed and U.S. citizens abroad, is assisting eligible absentee voters who wish to cast ballots in their states' primary election.
"It's important that voters participate in the upcoming primary elections," said Polli Brunelli, the program's chief. "We have over 20 primaries occurring in February, so now is the time, if you've received your ballot, to vote and get it back by the state deadlines."
During an interview yesterday, Brunelli said registering to vote is a simple process. "Absentee voters fill out a federal postcard application form to request a ballot, send it into their local election official where the voter is legally authorized to vote," she said. The ballot will be sent to the voter, who then votes on the ballot and sends it back to the local election office.
Paper copies of the application form are available at military installations, embassies and consulates and from organizations of overseas citizens. Electronic forms are posted online at the Federal Voting Assistance Program Web site, www.fvap.gov/pubs/onlinefwab.html.
Citizens using this form should vote and submit it immediately using regular mail or, where allowed by state law, by fax or e-mail, to their local election officials. The FVAP's Integrated Voting Alternative Site at www.fvap.gov/ivas/fvap_state_menu.html shows citizens if fax or e-mail alternatives are permitted in their home state.
Voting assistance officers are stationed at military installations abroad to help FVAP implement its program initiatives. Equipped with state-by-state voting assistance guides, the officers are available to assist servicemembers in navigating the registration process and election procedures, and inform voters of relevant deadlines, Brunelli noted.
FVAP carries out the responsibilities of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, which protects the voting rights of active-duty military members, Merchant Marines, eligible family members and citizens residing outside the United States.
Members of the U.S. armed forces traditionally represent an active component of overall voting-age Americans. The total voting participation rate among servicemembers was 79 percent in 2004, compared to the 64 percent rate of the general public, according to figures published by FVAP.
In a memorandum to military secretaries and top commanders sent Nov. 26, 2007, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates underscored the importance of extending voting rights to servicemembers at home and abroad.
"With the calendar of primary elections beginning early and stretching through September, 2008," Gates said, "it is important that the department and the services be prepared to carry out the voting assistance mission to inform and educate U.S. citizens of the right to vote, foster voting participation, and protect the integrity of the electoral process.
"Voting is a both a right and a responsibility of citizens in our country," Gates continued. "(Leaders of the armed services must) do everything we can to encourage participation and ensure that our servicemembers and families are able to exercise their right to vote and have that vote counted."
Friday, January 18, 2008
Soldiers Re-enlist to Commemorate 100th Army Reserve Anniversary
By Master Sgt. Anthony Martinez, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 18, 2008 - More than 100 mobilized Army Reserve soldiers deployed in Iraq and Kuwait raised their right hands and recited the oath of enlistment in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Army Reserve, in a ceremony here today. In the grand rotunda of Al Faw Palace here, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, issued the oath of enlistment and remarked on the continued commitment Army Reserve soldiers make in reenlisting.
"In places like Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, the Philippines and Latin America, Army reservists are bringing their warrior skills and their civilian trades to the fight," Petraeus said.
"As everyone here knows," Petraeus told the citizen-soldiers, "that combination is particularly effective in the exceedingly complex environments we face today -- environments that require our troopers to be not just warriors but also diplomats, builders, trainers, advisors, intelligence gatherers, service providers, economic developers and mediators."
"Citizen-soldiers perform these diverse roles expertly, and in so doing, they demonstrate the critical role members of the Army Reserve play in safeguarding freedom at home and defending it abroad," the general added.
"Indeed, I cannot think of a better way to honor the Army Reserve's first century of service than being part of a ceremony where so many great reservists raise their right hands and commit themselves to continue serving our nation," Petraeus said.
During the ceremony, Army Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief of Army Reserve Command, commented on the transformation of the Army Reserve over the past 100 years.
"The Army Reserve was founded in 1908, but I can tell you that the Army Reserve of 2008 is vastly different than the Army Reserve of 1908," Stultz said.
"The Army Reserve today really is an operational force, an integrated part of the Army," Stultz added. "And there's no better way for us to kick off our 100th anniversary year and to symbolize what the Army Reserve today really is than to be able to conduct a re-enlistment ceremony here in Baghdad in the palace with 100 of our Army Reserve soldiers."
For many of the soldiers here today, the opportunity to participate was about more than just re-enlisting for themselves. It was a way to honor the service of those who came before them.
"I'm just one soldier, just one average 'joe,'" said Sgt. Jonathan Britt, a 25-year-old medic from Fayetteville, N.C., mobilized with 535th Military Police Battalion.
"I've only been in for two years, so for 98 years there were people upholding these traditions, and that's one of the reasons for me to re-enlist, to uphold the tradition, honor and integrity behind that -- not for my own personal sake but for those that served before me," Britt said.
Soldiers selected to participate in the commemorative ceremony are a sampling of the more than 1,876 Army Reserve soldiers who have reenlisted over the past 12 months while deployed in Iraq and Kuwait, according to the Army Reserve Retention and Transition Office here. Army Reserve re-enlistments in Iraq and Kuwait reflect approximately 20 percent of all re-enlistments for the Army Reserve worldwide, officials said.
(Army Master Sgt. Anthony Martinez is assigned to the U.S. Army Reserve Command.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 18, 2008 - More than 100 mobilized Army Reserve soldiers deployed in Iraq and Kuwait raised their right hands and recited the oath of enlistment in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Army Reserve, in a ceremony here today. In the grand rotunda of Al Faw Palace here, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, issued the oath of enlistment and remarked on the continued commitment Army Reserve soldiers make in reenlisting.
"In places like Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, the Philippines and Latin America, Army reservists are bringing their warrior skills and their civilian trades to the fight," Petraeus said.
"As everyone here knows," Petraeus told the citizen-soldiers, "that combination is particularly effective in the exceedingly complex environments we face today -- environments that require our troopers to be not just warriors but also diplomats, builders, trainers, advisors, intelligence gatherers, service providers, economic developers and mediators."
"Citizen-soldiers perform these diverse roles expertly, and in so doing, they demonstrate the critical role members of the Army Reserve play in safeguarding freedom at home and defending it abroad," the general added.
"Indeed, I cannot think of a better way to honor the Army Reserve's first century of service than being part of a ceremony where so many great reservists raise their right hands and commit themselves to continue serving our nation," Petraeus said.
During the ceremony, Army Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief of Army Reserve Command, commented on the transformation of the Army Reserve over the past 100 years.
"The Army Reserve was founded in 1908, but I can tell you that the Army Reserve of 2008 is vastly different than the Army Reserve of 1908," Stultz said.
"The Army Reserve today really is an operational force, an integrated part of the Army," Stultz added. "And there's no better way for us to kick off our 100th anniversary year and to symbolize what the Army Reserve today really is than to be able to conduct a re-enlistment ceremony here in Baghdad in the palace with 100 of our Army Reserve soldiers."
For many of the soldiers here today, the opportunity to participate was about more than just re-enlisting for themselves. It was a way to honor the service of those who came before them.
"I'm just one soldier, just one average 'joe,'" said Sgt. Jonathan Britt, a 25-year-old medic from Fayetteville, N.C., mobilized with 535th Military Police Battalion.
"I've only been in for two years, so for 98 years there were people upholding these traditions, and that's one of the reasons for me to re-enlist, to uphold the tradition, honor and integrity behind that -- not for my own personal sake but for those that served before me," Britt said.
Soldiers selected to participate in the commemorative ceremony are a sampling of the more than 1,876 Army Reserve soldiers who have reenlisted over the past 12 months while deployed in Iraq and Kuwait, according to the Army Reserve Retention and Transition Office here. Army Reserve re-enlistments in Iraq and Kuwait reflect approximately 20 percent of all re-enlistments for the Army Reserve worldwide, officials said.
(Army Master Sgt. Anthony Martinez is assigned to the U.S. Army Reserve Command.)
America Supports You: Partnership Remembers Troops at Valentine's Day
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 17, 2008 - Troops serving in Iraq this February will see a little Valentine love from the states thanks to a partnership between a troop-support group and a regional video store. On Jan. 15, 25 Family Video stores in the Central Illinois area began collecting DVDs and Valentines for the troops, said Eric Schuller, president of Operation Homefront's Illinois chapter. The effort is part of the "Send a Soldier a Movie and a Valentine" campaign, which will end January 29.
Operation Homefront is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"By sending this small gesture of a movie and a Valentine you are showing the men and women in the military that we care for them and what they are doing for us on a daily basis," Schuller said.
Family Video also is providing a card for the Valentine message as well as a $2 discount on any DVD patrons purchase in the store for the program.
Just after the program kicked off, the video chain announced it would match DVD donations one-for-one, Schuller said.
"If we collect 5,000, they'll donate another 5,000," he said. "That's huge."
Raelene Ohanesian, Family Video's director of sales and marketing, said the company is proud to team with Operation Homefront on this project. "Family Video has had a long-standing commitment in supporting the men and women who ensure our freedoms," she added.
For more information on participating in "Send a Soldier a Movie and a Valentine," please visit the Web site of Operation Homefront's Illinois chapter.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 17, 2008 - Troops serving in Iraq this February will see a little Valentine love from the states thanks to a partnership between a troop-support group and a regional video store. On Jan. 15, 25 Family Video stores in the Central Illinois area began collecting DVDs and Valentines for the troops, said Eric Schuller, president of Operation Homefront's Illinois chapter. The effort is part of the "Send a Soldier a Movie and a Valentine" campaign, which will end January 29.
Operation Homefront is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"By sending this small gesture of a movie and a Valentine you are showing the men and women in the military that we care for them and what they are doing for us on a daily basis," Schuller said.
Family Video also is providing a card for the Valentine message as well as a $2 discount on any DVD patrons purchase in the store for the program.
Just after the program kicked off, the video chain announced it would match DVD donations one-for-one, Schuller said.
"If we collect 5,000, they'll donate another 5,000," he said. "That's huge."
Raelene Ohanesian, Family Video's director of sales and marketing, said the company is proud to team with Operation Homefront on this project. "Family Video has had a long-standing commitment in supporting the men and women who ensure our freedoms," she added.
For more information on participating in "Send a Soldier a Movie and a Valentine," please visit the Web site of Operation Homefront's Illinois chapter.
Troops, Civilian Employees Must Follow Rules for Political Activities
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 17, 2008 - As U.S. servicemembers and Defense Department civilians ponder candidates during the election season, they should realize there are limits placed upon their involvement in certain political activities. Political-related "dos and don'ts" pertaining to military members of all service branches are proscribed within Defense Department Directive 1344.10, titled: Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces on Active Duty.
The federal Hatch Act delineates what federal civilians, including those working for the Defense Department, may or may not do in the political realm.
For example, servicemembers and government civilians may attend political events like meetings and rallies, but military members must only be spectators and not wear their uniforms.
In addition, troops aren't permitted to make public political speeches, serve in any official capacity within political groups, or take part in partisan political campaigns or conventions.
Under Hatch Act rules, government civilians may be active in and speak before political gatherings or serve as officers of political parties or partisan groups. They're also allowed to manage political campaigns, distribute literature (except at work), write political articles, or serve as spokespersons for political parties or candidates.
Military members generally aren't allowed to campaign for political office. Civilians can campaign for office in non-partisan elections. Partisan political activity is defined as activity directed toward the success or failure of a political party or candidate for a partisan political office or partisan political group.
Yet, basic rules apply to both military members and government civilians. Neither can use their position in the military or the government to influence or interfere with elections. Servicemembers and federal civilians never can engage in political activity on the job, in a government vehicle, or while wearing an official uniform.
For example, servicemembers and government civilians are not to distribute political literature at work. This also applies to politically partisan electronic mail messages forwarded over the Internet.
Servicemembers and government civilians are encouraged to exercise their right to vote and participate in the democratic process. But, they should know there are rules in place that govern the extent of their involvement in political activities, officials said.
Jan. 17, 2008 - As U.S. servicemembers and Defense Department civilians ponder candidates during the election season, they should realize there are limits placed upon their involvement in certain political activities. Political-related "dos and don'ts" pertaining to military members of all service branches are proscribed within Defense Department Directive 1344.10, titled: Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces on Active Duty.
The federal Hatch Act delineates what federal civilians, including those working for the Defense Department, may or may not do in the political realm.
For example, servicemembers and government civilians may attend political events like meetings and rallies, but military members must only be spectators and not wear their uniforms.
In addition, troops aren't permitted to make public political speeches, serve in any official capacity within political groups, or take part in partisan political campaigns or conventions.
Under Hatch Act rules, government civilians may be active in and speak before political gatherings or serve as officers of political parties or partisan groups. They're also allowed to manage political campaigns, distribute literature (except at work), write political articles, or serve as spokespersons for political parties or candidates.
Military members generally aren't allowed to campaign for political office. Civilians can campaign for office in non-partisan elections. Partisan political activity is defined as activity directed toward the success or failure of a political party or candidate for a partisan political office or partisan political group.
Yet, basic rules apply to both military members and government civilians. Neither can use their position in the military or the government to influence or interfere with elections. Servicemembers and federal civilians never can engage in political activity on the job, in a government vehicle, or while wearing an official uniform.
For example, servicemembers and government civilians are not to distribute political literature at work. This also applies to politically partisan electronic mail messages forwarded over the Internet.
Servicemembers and government civilians are encouraged to exercise their right to vote and participate in the democratic process. But, they should know there are rules in place that govern the extent of their involvement in political activities, officials said.
Pentagon Officials Salute King's Legacy
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 17, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today led the Pentagon's 23rd annual observance of the birth and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "This is a day to remember a great American. It is also a day to reflect on what we can do to further the struggle for human freedom and dignity that Dr. King helped lead and for which he gave his life," Gates said.
King was a Baptist minister and renowned civil rights leader during the late 1950s and early 1960s. He successfully advocated non-violent protest as the best path for African Americans to take in achieving civil rights guaranteed to all Americans under the U.S. Constitution. King was assassinated at age 39 in Memphis, Tenn., on April 4, 1968. America honors King's memory each year on the third Monday of January.
"Dr. King pushed the country to adhere to the just and true idea on which it was founded: that all human beings are equal in their God-given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," Gates said.
During African Americans' struggle for equality, Gates said, King employed tactics "that showed how well he understood the nation he sought to change for the better."
Gates recalled the year 1958, when a non-violent "sit-in" led by African-American students in his hometown of Wichita, Kan., "helped end segregation at drug stores throughout Kansas."
The Defense Department has long promoted racial equality, Gates said. President Harry S. Truman ended segregation across the U.S. military in 1948.
Gates said he is honored to lead "an institution that began breaking down the barriers of race at the dawn of the modern civil rights revolution." African American servicemembers, he said, "have represented the United States with honor and distinction" throughout the history of the country.
And, as America wages war against terrorists that threaten the destruction of the homeland, African Americans "have participated in the defense of the nation well beyond their percentage of the population," Gates pointed out.
The observance's keynote speaker, Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Rochelle, follows in the footsteps of such exemplary African American military leaders as former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff retired Army Gen. Colin L. Powell; Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward, the present-day commander of U.S. Africa Command; and others, Gates said.
Rochelle, the Army's deputy chief of staff for personnel, will oversee an increase of 30,000 active-duty soldiers over the next several years.
"It is a tall order -- to grow the force in a way that relieves the stress from current military operations, enables the United States to meet its commitments at home and abroad, and achieves the goals without sacrificing the quality we have come to expect in our all-volunteer force," Gates said. He added that he has "every confidence" in Rochelle's ability.
"The Army and the nation are depending on General Rochelle, and my hope and expectation is that, in the years ahead, more African Americans will staff the Army and other branches at the highest levels following the examples set by Generals Colin Powell, Kip Ward, and many others," Gates said.
The U.S. military has come a long way since the days of segregation, Rochelle said. He related the story of World War II soldier Vincent R. Malveaux, who -- along with more than 2,200 other U.S. African American troops -- volunteered to transfer from support service to front-line infantry duty in early 1945 following the Battle of the Bulge in Europe. Malveaux and the other volunteers, he said, were required to drop in rank in order to fight against the German forces.
Malveaux had been a first sergeant and became a private. He and other African American volunteers fought with distinction with 309th Infantry Battalion, 78th Infantry Division. Malveaux earned the Combat Infantryman's Badge, Bronze Star Medal and multiple campaign medals.
However, the U.S. Army of that time was still segregated, Rochelle said, noting Malveaux's and others' awards were denied. Malveaux's and some other soldiers' medals were restored and presented in 1998 at a Pentagon ceremony.
Rochelle said he'd spoken recently with Malveaux, now nearly 90, and asked the World War II veteran why he and his fellow soldiers volunteered for front-line service all those years ago.
Malveaux's answer, the three-star general said, was simply: "'To whom much is given, much is expected.'"
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 17, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today led the Pentagon's 23rd annual observance of the birth and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "This is a day to remember a great American. It is also a day to reflect on what we can do to further the struggle for human freedom and dignity that Dr. King helped lead and for which he gave his life," Gates said.
King was a Baptist minister and renowned civil rights leader during the late 1950s and early 1960s. He successfully advocated non-violent protest as the best path for African Americans to take in achieving civil rights guaranteed to all Americans under the U.S. Constitution. King was assassinated at age 39 in Memphis, Tenn., on April 4, 1968. America honors King's memory each year on the third Monday of January.
"Dr. King pushed the country to adhere to the just and true idea on which it was founded: that all human beings are equal in their God-given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," Gates said.
During African Americans' struggle for equality, Gates said, King employed tactics "that showed how well he understood the nation he sought to change for the better."
Gates recalled the year 1958, when a non-violent "sit-in" led by African-American students in his hometown of Wichita, Kan., "helped end segregation at drug stores throughout Kansas."
The Defense Department has long promoted racial equality, Gates said. President Harry S. Truman ended segregation across the U.S. military in 1948.
Gates said he is honored to lead "an institution that began breaking down the barriers of race at the dawn of the modern civil rights revolution." African American servicemembers, he said, "have represented the United States with honor and distinction" throughout the history of the country.
And, as America wages war against terrorists that threaten the destruction of the homeland, African Americans "have participated in the defense of the nation well beyond their percentage of the population," Gates pointed out.
The observance's keynote speaker, Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Rochelle, follows in the footsteps of such exemplary African American military leaders as former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff retired Army Gen. Colin L. Powell; Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward, the present-day commander of U.S. Africa Command; and others, Gates said.
Rochelle, the Army's deputy chief of staff for personnel, will oversee an increase of 30,000 active-duty soldiers over the next several years.
"It is a tall order -- to grow the force in a way that relieves the stress from current military operations, enables the United States to meet its commitments at home and abroad, and achieves the goals without sacrificing the quality we have come to expect in our all-volunteer force," Gates said. He added that he has "every confidence" in Rochelle's ability.
"The Army and the nation are depending on General Rochelle, and my hope and expectation is that, in the years ahead, more African Americans will staff the Army and other branches at the highest levels following the examples set by Generals Colin Powell, Kip Ward, and many others," Gates said.
The U.S. military has come a long way since the days of segregation, Rochelle said. He related the story of World War II soldier Vincent R. Malveaux, who -- along with more than 2,200 other U.S. African American troops -- volunteered to transfer from support service to front-line infantry duty in early 1945 following the Battle of the Bulge in Europe. Malveaux and the other volunteers, he said, were required to drop in rank in order to fight against the German forces.
Malveaux had been a first sergeant and became a private. He and other African American volunteers fought with distinction with 309th Infantry Battalion, 78th Infantry Division. Malveaux earned the Combat Infantryman's Badge, Bronze Star Medal and multiple campaign medals.
However, the U.S. Army of that time was still segregated, Rochelle said, noting Malveaux's and others' awards were denied. Malveaux's and some other soldiers' medals were restored and presented in 1998 at a Pentagon ceremony.
Rochelle said he'd spoken recently with Malveaux, now nearly 90, and asked the World War II veteran why he and his fellow soldiers volunteered for front-line service all those years ago.
Malveaux's answer, the three-star general said, was simply: "'To whom much is given, much is expected.'"
Thursday, January 17, 2008
America Supports You: Group Offers Holistic Mental Health Treatments
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 16, 2008 - Servicemembers returning from deployment and their families can find help readjusting to their lives at home through traditional and holistic therapies offered by a long-established Colorado group. For more than 30 years, Lost and Found Inc. has specialized in providing intervention and rehabilitation treatment for families that have run out of options, said Linda Olson, the organization's development manager.
Recently, however, the organization developed a program geared toward military families.
"(We) launched a holistic mental health outreach to active military (personnel) and their families in fall 2007," she said.
The program focuses primarily on returning troops and their families before, during and after deployment, she added.
Among other issues, the program addresses post-traumatic stress disorder, grief and reintegration issues through a combination of traditional psychotherapy and "experiential" therapies, Olson said. Natural and alternative therapies also are employed.
Experiential therapies include art, music, poetry and play.
This "continuum of care" approach ensures clients receive the full compliment of services that will lead to full restoration, Olson said.
"Many military troops and their families are stationed far away from their families of origin. At Lost and Found Inc., these individuals will find a family spirit," she said. "By networking directly with Homefront Heroes, another military outreach nonprofit (organization), Lost and Found Inc. will make sure each troop and his (or) her family receives all the services they need."
In addition, the organization offers its services to servicemembers and their families regardless of Veterans Affairs disability status or the ability to pay.
Lost and Found Inc. is a new supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"Exposure through (this affiliation) will mean that more individuals and families will access our services," Olson said. "Networking will benefit Lost and Found Inc. in several ways. We'll be able to support others who endeavor to help this population of military and their families, and we'll be able to share knowledge with fellow professionals."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 16, 2008 - Servicemembers returning from deployment and their families can find help readjusting to their lives at home through traditional and holistic therapies offered by a long-established Colorado group. For more than 30 years, Lost and Found Inc. has specialized in providing intervention and rehabilitation treatment for families that have run out of options, said Linda Olson, the organization's development manager.
Recently, however, the organization developed a program geared toward military families.
"(We) launched a holistic mental health outreach to active military (personnel) and their families in fall 2007," she said.
The program focuses primarily on returning troops and their families before, during and after deployment, she added.
Among other issues, the program addresses post-traumatic stress disorder, grief and reintegration issues through a combination of traditional psychotherapy and "experiential" therapies, Olson said. Natural and alternative therapies also are employed.
Experiential therapies include art, music, poetry and play.
This "continuum of care" approach ensures clients receive the full compliment of services that will lead to full restoration, Olson said.
"Many military troops and their families are stationed far away from their families of origin. At Lost and Found Inc., these individuals will find a family spirit," she said. "By networking directly with Homefront Heroes, another military outreach nonprofit (organization), Lost and Found Inc. will make sure each troop and his (or) her family receives all the services they need."
In addition, the organization offers its services to servicemembers and their families regardless of Veterans Affairs disability status or the ability to pay.
Lost and Found Inc. is a new supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"Exposure through (this affiliation) will mean that more individuals and families will access our services," Olson said. "Networking will benefit Lost and Found Inc. in several ways. We'll be able to support others who endeavor to help this population of military and their families, and we'll be able to share knowledge with fellow professionals."
Navy Granted Authority To Use Sonar In Training Off California
The Navy announced today that two important steps have been taken under existing law and regulations to allow it to conduct effective, integrated training with sonar off the coast of southern California after a federal court earlier this month imposed untenable restrictions on such training.
In accordance with the provisions of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), and at the recommendation of the Secretary of Commerce, the President concluded that continuing these vital exercises without the restrictions imposed by the district court is in the paramount interests of the United States. He signed an exemption from the requirements of the CZMA for the Navy's continued use of mid-frequency active (MFA) sonar in a series of exercises scheduled to take place off the coast of California through January 2009. The Navy already applies twenty-nine mitigation measures approved by federal environmental regulators when using active sonar, and these will remain in place.
An exemption from the act was sought after an order was issued on Jan. 3 by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, which created a significant and unreasonable risk that the Navy will not be able to conduct effective sonar training necessary to certify strike groups for deployment in support of world-wide operational and combat activities. Use of sonar is part of critical, integrated training that must be done in the Navy's operating area off the coast of San Diego to take advantage of Southern California's bathymetric features and its extensive ranges, airfields, and other infrastructure necessary for effective training. Approximately half the Navy's fleet will receive its most critical, "graduate level" training here before it deploys its forces around the world.
In a separate but related action, the Council on Environmental Quality approved the Navy's request for alternative arrangements for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, for these exercises until completion of the Southern California Range Complex environmental impact statement.
Following up on these actions, Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter signed a decision memorandum yesterday agreeing to those arrangements, which include adaptive management measures, more thorough reporting procedures, and increased public participation.
"We can protect our national security while simultaneously being good stewards of the environment," said Winter. "These alternative measures, in addition to the 29 protective measures already in place, will ensure our operating forces can train realistically without harming the environment."
"We are already taking extensive measures to protect marine mammals, and we have had positive results from those measures," said Winter. "We are furthermore committed to an extensive data collection effort to help inform our future efforts in this regard."
Even before the court's order, the Navy employed 29 protective measures, developed in cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Service, any time sonar is used on Navy ranges, or in major exercises. The existing measures include, among other things, stationing specially trained lookouts to look for marine mammals, passive acoustic monitoring for marine mammals, establishing safety zones around ships where sonar power is reduced or shut down if marine mammals are sighted, and employing extra precautions during chokepoint exercises.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead said that the actions were necessary in order to ensure the Navy's ability to train Sailors to detect quiet submarines that might threaten its ships.
"We cannot in good conscience send American men and women into potential trouble spots without adequate training to defend themselves," said Roughead.
"The southern California operating area provides unique training opportunities that are vital to preparing our forces, and the planned exercises cannot be postponed without impacting national security," said Roughead. "The steps that have been taken will allow our men and women to train realistically, while continuing the effective employment of proven mitigation measures that have been endorsed by the Council on Environmental Quality and our regulator, the National Marine Fisheries Service."
For additional information, contact the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342 or visit the Navy's Web site concerning sonar and marine mammals at http://www.whalesandsonar.navy.mil, or the Southern California Range Complex Environmental Impact Statement Web site at http://www.socalrangecomplexeis.com.
In accordance with the provisions of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), and at the recommendation of the Secretary of Commerce, the President concluded that continuing these vital exercises without the restrictions imposed by the district court is in the paramount interests of the United States. He signed an exemption from the requirements of the CZMA for the Navy's continued use of mid-frequency active (MFA) sonar in a series of exercises scheduled to take place off the coast of California through January 2009. The Navy already applies twenty-nine mitigation measures approved by federal environmental regulators when using active sonar, and these will remain in place.
An exemption from the act was sought after an order was issued on Jan. 3 by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, which created a significant and unreasonable risk that the Navy will not be able to conduct effective sonar training necessary to certify strike groups for deployment in support of world-wide operational and combat activities. Use of sonar is part of critical, integrated training that must be done in the Navy's operating area off the coast of San Diego to take advantage of Southern California's bathymetric features and its extensive ranges, airfields, and other infrastructure necessary for effective training. Approximately half the Navy's fleet will receive its most critical, "graduate level" training here before it deploys its forces around the world.
In a separate but related action, the Council on Environmental Quality approved the Navy's request for alternative arrangements for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, for these exercises until completion of the Southern California Range Complex environmental impact statement.
Following up on these actions, Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter signed a decision memorandum yesterday agreeing to those arrangements, which include adaptive management measures, more thorough reporting procedures, and increased public participation.
"We can protect our national security while simultaneously being good stewards of the environment," said Winter. "These alternative measures, in addition to the 29 protective measures already in place, will ensure our operating forces can train realistically without harming the environment."
"We are already taking extensive measures to protect marine mammals, and we have had positive results from those measures," said Winter. "We are furthermore committed to an extensive data collection effort to help inform our future efforts in this regard."
Even before the court's order, the Navy employed 29 protective measures, developed in cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Service, any time sonar is used on Navy ranges, or in major exercises. The existing measures include, among other things, stationing specially trained lookouts to look for marine mammals, passive acoustic monitoring for marine mammals, establishing safety zones around ships where sonar power is reduced or shut down if marine mammals are sighted, and employing extra precautions during chokepoint exercises.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead said that the actions were necessary in order to ensure the Navy's ability to train Sailors to detect quiet submarines that might threaten its ships.
"We cannot in good conscience send American men and women into potential trouble spots without adequate training to defend themselves," said Roughead.
"The southern California operating area provides unique training opportunities that are vital to preparing our forces, and the planned exercises cannot be postponed without impacting national security," said Roughead. "The steps that have been taken will allow our men and women to train realistically, while continuing the effective employment of proven mitigation measures that have been endorsed by the Council on Environmental Quality and our regulator, the National Marine Fisheries Service."
For additional information, contact the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342 or visit the Navy's Web site concerning sonar and marine mammals at http://www.whalesandsonar.navy.mil, or the Southern California Range Complex Environmental Impact Statement Web site at http://www.socalrangecomplexeis.com.
Mirror Therapy Shows Promise in Amputee Treatment
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 16, 2008 - When Army Sgt. Nicholas Paupore puts a mirror between his legs and looks down, he's whole again. The right leg that was destroyed when an explosively formed penetrator ripped through his Humvee just south of Kirkuk, Iraq, suddenly reappears before his eyes, reflecting the left leg that remains. Paupore, 32, admitted he was skeptical when Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Jack Tsao suggested using a mirror to help him deal with excruciating pain he continued feeling in his missing right leg.
The phenomenon, called "phantom limb pain," plagues as many as half of all amputees, likely the result of a faulty signal between the brain and the missing appendage, Tsao explained. Neurons in the brain continue sending out signals to a limb that's no longer there. As a result, amputees can feel discomfort or pain and, in some cases, the sense that their missing limb is stuck in an uncomfortable position.
For Paupore, a 101st Airborne Division artilleryman who was serving on a military transition team training Iraqi troops when he was wounded in July 2006, the pain felt like electric shocks or knives stabbing into his missing leg. "It felt like someone ... was putting an electrode on the back of my ankle," he said.
Paupore tried several different painkillers, including morphine, but none gave him relief.
Tsao, associate professor of neurology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, in Bethesda, Md., thought he was on to something when he revisited literature he'd first seen while in graduate school. Vilayanur Ramachandran, a neuroscientist at the University of California San Diego, had come up with mirror therapy to treat phantom limb pain in upper extremities.
Ramachandran used mirrors so amputees could "see" and "move" their missing limbs to relieve the discomfort. Funding restrictions and lack of a steady stream of amputees prevented Ramachandran from testing his research through clinical trials.
Tsao, who treats military amputees wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, had no such restrictions. With huge Defense Department interest in caring for combat-wounded amputees, he had little trouble selling a treatment that involved little more than a $20 mirror.
He set up a clinical trial and recruited 18 combat-wounded amputees suffering from phantom limb pain to participate.
Paupore admitted he wasn't convinced when Tsao first proposed the trial, but said he figured he had nothing to lose. "I was really skeptical," he said. "But I figured, I'm not going anywhere, so I'll try it."
Tsao randomly assigned the participants into three groups. One group received mirror therapy as advocated by Ramachandran. One went through the same therapy, but with the mirror covered by a sheet so it didn't reflect the limb. The third group got no mirror and simply visualized seeing the missing limb in a mirror.
Paupore began the trial in the second group, with a covered mirror. After four weeks, he felt little change. But when Tsao switched him to the group using an uncovered mirror so he was able to "see" his missing leg, Paupore saw immediate improvement.
Sitting on a hospital bed with his legs fully extended, Paupore demonstrated the therapy. He put a standard 6-foot-long mirror lengthwise between his left leg and the residual stump on his right side, with the mirror reflecting the intact leg. He moved the leg, watching the movement in the mirror and imagining that his missing leg was making the movements.
The very first time he tried it, Paupore felt something happening. "The stump started firing off right away," he said. "It got a little uncomfortable."
Participants in the trial used the mirror therapy technique 15 minutes a day, five days a week for four weeks. "Pain levels seemed to come down after the first week and keep diminishing," Tsao said.
Every single person who used the mirror experienced relief, and some reported that their phantom pain disappeared altogether.
Tsao continued administering the therapy for an additional four weeks, up to eight weeks, and saw more success in patients who still felt phantom pain. Many were able to get off their pain medicine altogether or bring their pain levels down to a point where it was manageable with low dosages of drugs, he said.
"The mirror works for most people who have tried it," Tsao said. "It doesn't work fully for everyone. Some people are left with some residual pain, but it is better than when they started. For the most part, if you talk to the amputees here, they have actually been able to get off the medications, some sooner than others."
Those who used the covered mirror or visualization had far less success, Tsao reported. Some said their phantom pain actually worsened until they began therapy with an actual mirror.
More than a year after completing his mirror therapy, Paupore said he still experiences occasional phantom pain, but "only once in a great while." The pain is far less severe than before the mirror therapy, and Paupore is off painkillers altogether.
"It tricks your brain into thinking your leg is still there, so it's not misfiring," he said. "I don't know how it works, but it works."
Paupore said he encourages other amputees suffering from phantom pain to give mirror therapy a try. "I've always recommended it to them," he said. "At least give it a try. Some people may get mild help out of it; some may get extraordinary help out of it."
Tsao is quick to say mirror therapy doesn't work for everybody. "It's not a cure-all for all kinds of phantom pain, but it's definitely a way to improve therapy," he said.
Even patients whose pain remains after the therapy reported less severe symptoms. "A lot of them are very surprised that they are actually able to get movement and then the pain seems to be going away."
Tsao published the results of the clinical trials this past fall in the New England Journal of Medicine. Based on the promise it's shown, he said, he hopes to get approval for two more studies.
One will test mirror therapy for treating phantom pain in missing arms; Tsao said he hopes to conduct that trial both at Walter Reed at the Center for the Intrepid military rehabilitation facility, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. The second trial, called functional magnetic resonance imaging, will attempt to figure out precisely why mirror therapy works.
Overall, Tsao called the Defense Department's advances in treating amputees "nothing short of phenomenal" and said he's proud to be playing a part.
"I think the most gratifying part of this is that we are actually able to help in the rehabilitation process for the amputees here," he said. "I go home everyday knowing people are going to be getting better. It makes me feel great."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 16, 2008 - When Army Sgt. Nicholas Paupore puts a mirror between his legs and looks down, he's whole again. The right leg that was destroyed when an explosively formed penetrator ripped through his Humvee just south of Kirkuk, Iraq, suddenly reappears before his eyes, reflecting the left leg that remains. Paupore, 32, admitted he was skeptical when Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Jack Tsao suggested using a mirror to help him deal with excruciating pain he continued feeling in his missing right leg.
The phenomenon, called "phantom limb pain," plagues as many as half of all amputees, likely the result of a faulty signal between the brain and the missing appendage, Tsao explained. Neurons in the brain continue sending out signals to a limb that's no longer there. As a result, amputees can feel discomfort or pain and, in some cases, the sense that their missing limb is stuck in an uncomfortable position.
For Paupore, a 101st Airborne Division artilleryman who was serving on a military transition team training Iraqi troops when he was wounded in July 2006, the pain felt like electric shocks or knives stabbing into his missing leg. "It felt like someone ... was putting an electrode on the back of my ankle," he said.
Paupore tried several different painkillers, including morphine, but none gave him relief.
Tsao, associate professor of neurology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, in Bethesda, Md., thought he was on to something when he revisited literature he'd first seen while in graduate school. Vilayanur Ramachandran, a neuroscientist at the University of California San Diego, had come up with mirror therapy to treat phantom limb pain in upper extremities.
Ramachandran used mirrors so amputees could "see" and "move" their missing limbs to relieve the discomfort. Funding restrictions and lack of a steady stream of amputees prevented Ramachandran from testing his research through clinical trials.
Tsao, who treats military amputees wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, had no such restrictions. With huge Defense Department interest in caring for combat-wounded amputees, he had little trouble selling a treatment that involved little more than a $20 mirror.
He set up a clinical trial and recruited 18 combat-wounded amputees suffering from phantom limb pain to participate.
Paupore admitted he wasn't convinced when Tsao first proposed the trial, but said he figured he had nothing to lose. "I was really skeptical," he said. "But I figured, I'm not going anywhere, so I'll try it."
Tsao randomly assigned the participants into three groups. One group received mirror therapy as advocated by Ramachandran. One went through the same therapy, but with the mirror covered by a sheet so it didn't reflect the limb. The third group got no mirror and simply visualized seeing the missing limb in a mirror.
Paupore began the trial in the second group, with a covered mirror. After four weeks, he felt little change. But when Tsao switched him to the group using an uncovered mirror so he was able to "see" his missing leg, Paupore saw immediate improvement.
Sitting on a hospital bed with his legs fully extended, Paupore demonstrated the therapy. He put a standard 6-foot-long mirror lengthwise between his left leg and the residual stump on his right side, with the mirror reflecting the intact leg. He moved the leg, watching the movement in the mirror and imagining that his missing leg was making the movements.
The very first time he tried it, Paupore felt something happening. "The stump started firing off right away," he said. "It got a little uncomfortable."
Participants in the trial used the mirror therapy technique 15 minutes a day, five days a week for four weeks. "Pain levels seemed to come down after the first week and keep diminishing," Tsao said.
Every single person who used the mirror experienced relief, and some reported that their phantom pain disappeared altogether.
Tsao continued administering the therapy for an additional four weeks, up to eight weeks, and saw more success in patients who still felt phantom pain. Many were able to get off their pain medicine altogether or bring their pain levels down to a point where it was manageable with low dosages of drugs, he said.
"The mirror works for most people who have tried it," Tsao said. "It doesn't work fully for everyone. Some people are left with some residual pain, but it is better than when they started. For the most part, if you talk to the amputees here, they have actually been able to get off the medications, some sooner than others."
Those who used the covered mirror or visualization had far less success, Tsao reported. Some said their phantom pain actually worsened until they began therapy with an actual mirror.
More than a year after completing his mirror therapy, Paupore said he still experiences occasional phantom pain, but "only once in a great while." The pain is far less severe than before the mirror therapy, and Paupore is off painkillers altogether.
"It tricks your brain into thinking your leg is still there, so it's not misfiring," he said. "I don't know how it works, but it works."
Paupore said he encourages other amputees suffering from phantom pain to give mirror therapy a try. "I've always recommended it to them," he said. "At least give it a try. Some people may get mild help out of it; some may get extraordinary help out of it."
Tsao is quick to say mirror therapy doesn't work for everybody. "It's not a cure-all for all kinds of phantom pain, but it's definitely a way to improve therapy," he said.
Even patients whose pain remains after the therapy reported less severe symptoms. "A lot of them are very surprised that they are actually able to get movement and then the pain seems to be going away."
Tsao published the results of the clinical trials this past fall in the New England Journal of Medicine. Based on the promise it's shown, he said, he hopes to get approval for two more studies.
One will test mirror therapy for treating phantom pain in missing arms; Tsao said he hopes to conduct that trial both at Walter Reed at the Center for the Intrepid military rehabilitation facility, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. The second trial, called functional magnetic resonance imaging, will attempt to figure out precisely why mirror therapy works.
Overall, Tsao called the Defense Department's advances in treating amputees "nothing short of phenomenal" and said he's proud to be playing a part.
"I think the most gratifying part of this is that we are actually able to help in the rehabilitation process for the amputees here," he said. "I go home everyday knowing people are going to be getting better. It makes me feel great."
Face of Defense: Biomedical Maintainers Ensure Medical Success
By Senior Airman Terri Barriere, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 16, 2008 - The Air Force Theater Hospital here is the hub for military en-route patient care in Iraq, and the Tuskegee medics ensure proper preparation of patients prior to air evacuation from the theater of operations. For the hospital to succeed in its mission of saving lives, airmen of 332nd Medical Support Squadron Biomedical Maintenance Flight work behind the scenes to keep the facility's equipment up and running.
"In a nutshell, we maintain all medical equipment and facilities, said Air Force Staff Sgt. Brian Cummings, a 332nd MDSS biomedical equipment technician, deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Va.
When equipment is brought in for maintenance, it's prioritized according to mission impact, he said.
"If a defibrillator is broken, we've got to get that working right away," Cummings said. "If someone was to have a heart attack, they'd have to go get a defibrillator from another area, and that's precious time that could cost someone their life."
Cummings said the evolution of technology in contemporary medicine has increased the need for biomedical equipment technicians.
"Modern patient care revolves around not just the skill of the doctor, but technology as well," he said. "When the equipment is running correctly, it allows the doc to do their job to the best of their ability. And with the most accurate diagnostic equipment at the doc's disposal, the patients have a better chance at survival and recovery."
When things are running smoothly around the facility and nothing is broken, the technicians use the time to perform routine preventive maintenance on all the equipment.
"When we do our routine maintenance, we look for things that will help prolong the life of the equipment and keep it running as well as possible," Cummings said.
They also use the time to train medics on proper use of new equipment to prevent user error.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Mathew Kurian, a biomedical equipment technician deployed from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, said that even though the technicians work behind the scenes, the work they do is rewarding. "It's really nice when you see the equipment you work on used to save a patient's life," he said.
As with any mission operating in a remote location, luxuries afforded biomedical equipment technicians at their home stations aren't always available here, forcing the technicians to become more resourceful and diverse in skill knowledge, said Staff Sgt. Orlando Ortega, a biomedical equipment craftsman deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
"Stateside, we don't handle all the facility work orders, such as plumbing and electrical issues," he said. "Also, stateside, manufacturers can come in and do the work on their broken equipment. Here, everyone depends on us. If we can't fix it, it has to be sent to the company, which completely takes the unit out of service for several weeks."
With technology constantly evolving, the technicians agree it's hard to know everything about every piece of equipment all the time.
"Equipment changes almost every day," Ortega said. "It's not realistic to think you can learn everything about every piece of equipment. Our technical school helps prepare us by giving us the foundation and framework -- the basics. We fill in the gaps as we go and sort of teach ourselves by using the literature and skills picked up along the way from co-workers."
biomedical equipment technicians consider themselves to be "Jacks of all trades."
"Plumbers work on pipes, carpenters work with wood, but we can work on everything in the hospital; we're not limited to one field," Cummings said. "When you work on medical equipment, you have to know how to fix everything -- and we do, because there's no telling what you're going to see."
(Air Force Senior Airman Terri Barriere serves with 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 16, 2008 - The Air Force Theater Hospital here is the hub for military en-route patient care in Iraq, and the Tuskegee medics ensure proper preparation of patients prior to air evacuation from the theater of operations. For the hospital to succeed in its mission of saving lives, airmen of 332nd Medical Support Squadron Biomedical Maintenance Flight work behind the scenes to keep the facility's equipment up and running.
"In a nutshell, we maintain all medical equipment and facilities, said Air Force Staff Sgt. Brian Cummings, a 332nd MDSS biomedical equipment technician, deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Va.
When equipment is brought in for maintenance, it's prioritized according to mission impact, he said.
"If a defibrillator is broken, we've got to get that working right away," Cummings said. "If someone was to have a heart attack, they'd have to go get a defibrillator from another area, and that's precious time that could cost someone their life."
Cummings said the evolution of technology in contemporary medicine has increased the need for biomedical equipment technicians.
"Modern patient care revolves around not just the skill of the doctor, but technology as well," he said. "When the equipment is running correctly, it allows the doc to do their job to the best of their ability. And with the most accurate diagnostic equipment at the doc's disposal, the patients have a better chance at survival and recovery."
When things are running smoothly around the facility and nothing is broken, the technicians use the time to perform routine preventive maintenance on all the equipment.
"When we do our routine maintenance, we look for things that will help prolong the life of the equipment and keep it running as well as possible," Cummings said.
They also use the time to train medics on proper use of new equipment to prevent user error.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Mathew Kurian, a biomedical equipment technician deployed from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, said that even though the technicians work behind the scenes, the work they do is rewarding. "It's really nice when you see the equipment you work on used to save a patient's life," he said.
As with any mission operating in a remote location, luxuries afforded biomedical equipment technicians at their home stations aren't always available here, forcing the technicians to become more resourceful and diverse in skill knowledge, said Staff Sgt. Orlando Ortega, a biomedical equipment craftsman deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
"Stateside, we don't handle all the facility work orders, such as plumbing and electrical issues," he said. "Also, stateside, manufacturers can come in and do the work on their broken equipment. Here, everyone depends on us. If we can't fix it, it has to be sent to the company, which completely takes the unit out of service for several weeks."
With technology constantly evolving, the technicians agree it's hard to know everything about every piece of equipment all the time.
"Equipment changes almost every day," Ortega said. "It's not realistic to think you can learn everything about every piece of equipment. Our technical school helps prepare us by giving us the foundation and framework -- the basics. We fill in the gaps as we go and sort of teach ourselves by using the literature and skills picked up along the way from co-workers."
biomedical equipment technicians consider themselves to be "Jacks of all trades."
"Plumbers work on pipes, carpenters work with wood, but we can work on everything in the hospital; we're not limited to one field," Cummings said. "When you work on medical equipment, you have to know how to fix everything -- and we do, because there's no telling what you're going to see."
(Air Force Senior Airman Terri Barriere serves with 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)
Joint Chiefs Chairman Visits U.S. Southern Command
By Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Wimbish, USN
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited U.S. Southern Command headquarters here yesterday, where he thanked servicemembers and staff for their work and stressed the importance of the security cooperation efforts the command oversees in Latin America and the Caribbean. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen told more than 1,000 command members during an outdoor "all hands" address that their efforts to build partnerships in the region will pay future dividends, especially in an ever-changing security environment.
"My long-term vision is to be in a position where we have relationships that we can depend on, if needed -- and that's so much about what goes on in this command," Mullen said. SOUTHCOM annually sponsors dozens of large and small-scale operations, exercises and engagements that focus on security issues in the region, including a slate of humanitarian assistance missions.
"It's an incredibly important command at an incredibly important time in our history," the nation's highest-ranking military officer said.
The visit was Mullen's first to SOUTHCOM since becoming chairman in October. In addition to his address, Mullen was briefed on the command's latest missions in preparation for his trip to Colombia and El Salvador later this week. He will meet with military leaders of both nations to discuss ongoing U.S. military cooperation efforts there, which include SOUTHCOM support to regional counterdrug missions.
Mullen's visit to the headquarters was part of a five-day tour of SOUTHCOM's area of operations.
Earlier yesterday, he visited the Joint Interagency Task Force South in Key West, Fla., the SOUTHCOM component that oversees air and maritime counterdrug missions in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern Pacific. The task force, praised as a model of interagency success, helped interdict more than 200 metric tons of cocaine last year. On Jan. 13, Mullen stopped at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, touring detention facilities and addressing troops there.
During the "all hands" session at SOUTHCOM headquarters, Mullen reiterated his view in support of closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facilities, but stressed that there are no plans in the works to do so.
"It not for me to make that decision," he said. "It's a very, very complex set of circumstances. So it is not in any way, shape or form as simple as saying, 'Let's just close it.'" The facility carries connotations that affect how people around the world view the United States, he noted.
"It's my judgment that Guantanamo Bay has hurt the United States of America from an image standpoint, having nothing to do with the justice side of this that I think needs to be carried out in a just, fair way," he explained.
Mullen commended the work of the U.S. troops conducting the mission there, saying they are carrying out their mission in way that "makes us all proud."
Also during his visit to SOUTHCOM, Mullen praised the command's recent humanitarian efforts in the region, including last summer's deployment of the hospital ship, USNS Comfort, which provided medical care to 98,000 people in 12 countries.
"I really believe that if we do (these types of missions), it goes a long way to preventing any kind of conflict or outbreak," he said. "And should we get to the point, tragically, that we have an outbreak or we have that kind of conflict, we'll have relationships in advance that we can leverage, as opposed to creating them in the heat of the battle."
SOUTHCOM is one of the military's nine unified combatant commands. It's responsible for providing contingency planning, operations and security cooperation for Central and South America; the Caribbean, except U.S. commonwealths, territories and possessions; Cuba; and the Bahamas and their territorial waters. Its area of operations encompasses more than 450 million people in 32 countries and 13 territories and protectorates.
(Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Wimbish serves with U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited U.S. Southern Command headquarters here yesterday, where he thanked servicemembers and staff for their work and stressed the importance of the security cooperation efforts the command oversees in Latin America and the Caribbean. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen told more than 1,000 command members during an outdoor "all hands" address that their efforts to build partnerships in the region will pay future dividends, especially in an ever-changing security environment.
"My long-term vision is to be in a position where we have relationships that we can depend on, if needed -- and that's so much about what goes on in this command," Mullen said. SOUTHCOM annually sponsors dozens of large and small-scale operations, exercises and engagements that focus on security issues in the region, including a slate of humanitarian assistance missions.
"It's an incredibly important command at an incredibly important time in our history," the nation's highest-ranking military officer said.
The visit was Mullen's first to SOUTHCOM since becoming chairman in October. In addition to his address, Mullen was briefed on the command's latest missions in preparation for his trip to Colombia and El Salvador later this week. He will meet with military leaders of both nations to discuss ongoing U.S. military cooperation efforts there, which include SOUTHCOM support to regional counterdrug missions.
Mullen's visit to the headquarters was part of a five-day tour of SOUTHCOM's area of operations.
Earlier yesterday, he visited the Joint Interagency Task Force South in Key West, Fla., the SOUTHCOM component that oversees air and maritime counterdrug missions in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern Pacific. The task force, praised as a model of interagency success, helped interdict more than 200 metric tons of cocaine last year. On Jan. 13, Mullen stopped at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, touring detention facilities and addressing troops there.
During the "all hands" session at SOUTHCOM headquarters, Mullen reiterated his view in support of closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facilities, but stressed that there are no plans in the works to do so.
"It not for me to make that decision," he said. "It's a very, very complex set of circumstances. So it is not in any way, shape or form as simple as saying, 'Let's just close it.'" The facility carries connotations that affect how people around the world view the United States, he noted.
"It's my judgment that Guantanamo Bay has hurt the United States of America from an image standpoint, having nothing to do with the justice side of this that I think needs to be carried out in a just, fair way," he explained.
Mullen commended the work of the U.S. troops conducting the mission there, saying they are carrying out their mission in way that "makes us all proud."
Also during his visit to SOUTHCOM, Mullen praised the command's recent humanitarian efforts in the region, including last summer's deployment of the hospital ship, USNS Comfort, which provided medical care to 98,000 people in 12 countries.
"I really believe that if we do (these types of missions), it goes a long way to preventing any kind of conflict or outbreak," he said. "And should we get to the point, tragically, that we have an outbreak or we have that kind of conflict, we'll have relationships in advance that we can leverage, as opposed to creating them in the heat of the battle."
SOUTHCOM is one of the military's nine unified combatant commands. It's responsible for providing contingency planning, operations and security cooperation for Central and South America; the Caribbean, except U.S. commonwealths, territories and possessions; Cuba; and the Bahamas and their territorial waters. Its area of operations encompasses more than 450 million people in 32 countries and 13 territories and protectorates.
(Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Wimbish serves with U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs.)
America Supports You: Fellowship Offers Spouses Portable Skills
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - Frequent military relocations can take a toll on spouses' careers unless they have a portable skill, which is exactly what one foundation has set out to provide them. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Investor Education Foundation has partnered with the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education to offer military spouses a chance to earn the "accredited financial counselor" credential.
The credential gives spouses the ability to work in financial counseling, nationwide, either on or off military installations, said Gerri Walsh, associate vice president of authority's office of investor education. "It is a well regarded, nationally known credential," she said, "and it could be such a benefit."
The Military Spouse Fellowship Program, as it is known, is open to spouses of active duty servicemembers, reservists or retirees, with a couple of exceptions.
"We have an application that asks you to describe your previous counseling experience and your previous experience in finance," Walsh said. "We do checks to see whether or not people have had run-ins with regulators if they were in the industry before."
Someone who has had problems with a regulator would not be eligible, she said. The same is true of anyone who holds a securities license.
Since the program was launched in 2006, more than 4,800 applications have been fielded for the no-cost, 18-month program. A rigorous selection process, however, has narrowed that field down to just 200 fellows each year.
Representatives from the two partnering organizations, along with those from the National Military Family Association, another partner in the program, carefully review each application. Each applicant is evaluated on several points, including the drive to succeed, Walsh said.
"Then (we consider) how realistic is it that they'll be able to earn the credential?" she said. "We don't want to put people in this situation where they've gotten this fellowship but then they've got no real good way to earn the practicum hours that will allow them to get it."
Time spent working in financial counseling settings equates to practical experience, or the practicum hours to which Walsh referred. Fellows with experience get credit toward this portion of the program. The more experience, the fewer practicum hours are needed.
In fact, of the 2,000 practicum hours required to complete the program, most spouses have some credit and only end up needing to complete another 400 to 800 hours, Walsh said.
"Only single digit percentages – 6, 7, 8 percent – are required to go for the full 2,000," she said, adding that experience is not a significant determining factor in the selection process.
So far, 39 fellows in the 2006 class have completed the entire program, including the Web-based seminars and the practicum requirements. That group is scheduled to finish in August, and several more fellows are expected to earn their credential, Walsh said.
National Military Family Association will start accepting applications for the 2008 Military Spouse Fellowship Program in late March with a deadline of late Aril, Walsh said.
The new slate of fellows is scheduled to be announced in late June or early July.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - Frequent military relocations can take a toll on spouses' careers unless they have a portable skill, which is exactly what one foundation has set out to provide them. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Investor Education Foundation has partnered with the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education to offer military spouses a chance to earn the "accredited financial counselor" credential.
The credential gives spouses the ability to work in financial counseling, nationwide, either on or off military installations, said Gerri Walsh, associate vice president of authority's office of investor education. "It is a well regarded, nationally known credential," she said, "and it could be such a benefit."
The Military Spouse Fellowship Program, as it is known, is open to spouses of active duty servicemembers, reservists or retirees, with a couple of exceptions.
"We have an application that asks you to describe your previous counseling experience and your previous experience in finance," Walsh said. "We do checks to see whether or not people have had run-ins with regulators if they were in the industry before."
Someone who has had problems with a regulator would not be eligible, she said. The same is true of anyone who holds a securities license.
Since the program was launched in 2006, more than 4,800 applications have been fielded for the no-cost, 18-month program. A rigorous selection process, however, has narrowed that field down to just 200 fellows each year.
Representatives from the two partnering organizations, along with those from the National Military Family Association, another partner in the program, carefully review each application. Each applicant is evaluated on several points, including the drive to succeed, Walsh said.
"Then (we consider) how realistic is it that they'll be able to earn the credential?" she said. "We don't want to put people in this situation where they've gotten this fellowship but then they've got no real good way to earn the practicum hours that will allow them to get it."
Time spent working in financial counseling settings equates to practical experience, or the practicum hours to which Walsh referred. Fellows with experience get credit toward this portion of the program. The more experience, the fewer practicum hours are needed.
In fact, of the 2,000 practicum hours required to complete the program, most spouses have some credit and only end up needing to complete another 400 to 800 hours, Walsh said.
"Only single digit percentages – 6, 7, 8 percent – are required to go for the full 2,000," she said, adding that experience is not a significant determining factor in the selection process.
So far, 39 fellows in the 2006 class have completed the entire program, including the Web-based seminars and the practicum requirements. That group is scheduled to finish in August, and several more fellows are expected to earn their credential, Walsh said.
National Military Family Association will start accepting applications for the 2008 Military Spouse Fellowship Program in late March with a deadline of late Aril, Walsh said.
The new slate of fellows is scheduled to be announced in late June or early July.
Bush Discusses Iran With Middle East Leaders
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - President Bush told reporters today he has discussed Iran with leaders of the nations he is visiting during his trip to the Middle East. During a media availability today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the president said he spoke specifically about the most-recent National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, which said the country had discontinued a military program to build an atomic bomb.
Bush said Iranian leaders may have stopped their military program, but the enrichment of uranium remains a problem. "They were a threat, they are a threat, and they will be a threat if we don't work together to stop their enrichment," Bush told reporters.
Bush also discussed Iranian harassment of U.S. Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The Jan. 6 incident in which five Iranian military speedboats buzzed three U.S. Navy ships transiting into the Persian Gulf was provocative and dangerous, the president said. The president said the actions of U.S. commanders and crews during the incident were exactly right.
"This is one of these moments where there's no time to be spending a lot time on the phone trying to figure out what to do," Bush said. "These are highly trained professionals who I thought dealt with it in a very professional way."
The incident ended with no shots being fired.
Whether the harassment of the warships was directed by the Iranian government, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Council or the Iranian navy is immaterial, Bush said. "It's not going to matter to me one way or the other if they hit our ships, and the Iranian government has got to understand that," he said. "This is serious business."
Bush brought up the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole in Aden, Yemen, that killed 19 sailors. "It's not going to matter who (in the Iranian government) made the decision. If they hit our ships, we will hold Iran responsible," he said.
Bush stressed that the United States wants to solve any problem with Iran diplomatically, but said all options -- even military actions -- are on the table.
"But I'd like to solve this diplomatically and think we can," he said.
He said he spoke to Middle East leaders about making sure consistent messages emanate from all parts of the world to the Iranians.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - President Bush told reporters today he has discussed Iran with leaders of the nations he is visiting during his trip to the Middle East. During a media availability today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the president said he spoke specifically about the most-recent National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, which said the country had discontinued a military program to build an atomic bomb.
Bush said Iranian leaders may have stopped their military program, but the enrichment of uranium remains a problem. "They were a threat, they are a threat, and they will be a threat if we don't work together to stop their enrichment," Bush told reporters.
Bush also discussed Iranian harassment of U.S. Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The Jan. 6 incident in which five Iranian military speedboats buzzed three U.S. Navy ships transiting into the Persian Gulf was provocative and dangerous, the president said. The president said the actions of U.S. commanders and crews during the incident were exactly right.
"This is one of these moments where there's no time to be spending a lot time on the phone trying to figure out what to do," Bush said. "These are highly trained professionals who I thought dealt with it in a very professional way."
The incident ended with no shots being fired.
Whether the harassment of the warships was directed by the Iranian government, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Council or the Iranian navy is immaterial, Bush said. "It's not going to matter to me one way or the other if they hit our ships, and the Iranian government has got to understand that," he said. "This is serious business."
Bush brought up the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole in Aden, Yemen, that killed 19 sailors. "It's not going to matter who (in the Iranian government) made the decision. If they hit our ships, we will hold Iran responsible," he said.
Bush stressed that the United States wants to solve any problem with Iran diplomatically, but said all options -- even military actions -- are on the table.
"But I'd like to solve this diplomatically and think we can," he said.
He said he spoke to Middle East leaders about making sure consistent messages emanate from all parts of the world to the Iranians.
TLC Program to Feature Guard's 'Patriot Chopper'
By Staff Sgt. Mary Flynn, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - Episodes of "American Chopper" airing on The Learning Channel on Jan. 17 and 24 will feature the first of three bikes to be built by Orange County Choppers for the National Guard. Hundreds of soldiers gathered in front of the Army National Guard Readiness Center here in late September to witness the unveiling of the first "Patriot Chopper." The American Chopper production crew filmed the ceremony, and the two episodes will feature the bike's construction.
Metalworker Paul Teutul Sr. and his son, Paul Teutul Jr. -- known as "Paulie" by his fans -- founded Orange County Choppers in New York after introducing their first bike, "True Blue," at the Daytona Biketoberfest in 1999.
The Teutuls quickly became famous among chopper enthusiasts, and the family, including the youngest son, Mikey, shot to wider fame when "American Chopper" made its debut on the Discovery Channel in 2002.
The Teutuls have a history of building patriotic bikes, and they have produced multiple theme bikes for several branches of the military.
The Patriot Chopper was the result of a collaborative effort between the Orange County Choppers and four National Guard soldiers. In early 2007, the Army Guard invited soldiers around the country to submit their ideas for the custom design of the Guard-sponsored bike. Four winners were chosen: Chief Warrant Officer David Vasquez, of Colorado; Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Billet, of Georgia; Sgt. 1st Class Richard Crawford, of Illinois; and Pfc. Joseph Scheibe, of Ohio.
Maj. Gen. James Nuttall, deputy director of the Army National Guard, presented certificates to the four winning soldiers during the unveiling ceremony. He congratulated them on a job well done and a bike well designed.
The highlight of the ceremony was when Paul Sr. made his grand entrance on the bike, coasting in coolly and revving the engine to enthusiastic cheers of the crowd.
The winning soldiers were in awe.
"To be a part of something like this is pretty cool stuff," Scheibe said. "We went to the OCC shop in New York last month, and we saw pieces and parts of the bike. But to see it finished was just really cool."
The finished bike showcases a minuteman air cleaner. The blade spokes of the wheels feature 3-D inlaid spearheads representing the seven Army values, and an ammunition belt lines the handlebars. Chromed M-4 magazines serve as the struts, and an M-4 rifle is mounted on the side of the rear wheel.
The bike is red, white and blue with an Army combat uniform pattern used throughout. A list on top of the bike includes every war and conflict the National Guard has been involved in since its founding in 1636.
"We took (the soldiers') ideas and put them to work," Paulie explained. "I think, for them, it really is their bike. It was a bike they designed and that we fabricated. I think it made it that much more special."
The Patriot Chopper is the first of three bikes commissioned by the Army National Guard. The purpose is twofold, officials said. First, the bikes are intended to be a recruiting tool. Army Guard recruiters will display them at rallies across the country to entice potential soldiers to talk with them. Second, the bikes can also convey important messages about safety.
Despite the television program's tough-guy image, the "American Chopper" stars remain extremely conscious about safety. The stars wear helmets and other protective gear religiously, a practice they hope to impress upon soldiers.
"They're very willing to help us out in terms of safety awareness and wearing the proper gear for our soldiers," Nuttall said. "The bike is one part of it -- the build. But the safety is really what we're trying to get after."
Before the ceremony in September, Paul Sr. joined Nuttall to record a public service announcement about motorcycle safety aimed at National Guard members.
(Army Staff Sgt. Mary Flynn serves with the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - Episodes of "American Chopper" airing on The Learning Channel on Jan. 17 and 24 will feature the first of three bikes to be built by Orange County Choppers for the National Guard. Hundreds of soldiers gathered in front of the Army National Guard Readiness Center here in late September to witness the unveiling of the first "Patriot Chopper." The American Chopper production crew filmed the ceremony, and the two episodes will feature the bike's construction.
Metalworker Paul Teutul Sr. and his son, Paul Teutul Jr. -- known as "Paulie" by his fans -- founded Orange County Choppers in New York after introducing their first bike, "True Blue," at the Daytona Biketoberfest in 1999.
The Teutuls quickly became famous among chopper enthusiasts, and the family, including the youngest son, Mikey, shot to wider fame when "American Chopper" made its debut on the Discovery Channel in 2002.
The Teutuls have a history of building patriotic bikes, and they have produced multiple theme bikes for several branches of the military.
The Patriot Chopper was the result of a collaborative effort between the Orange County Choppers and four National Guard soldiers. In early 2007, the Army Guard invited soldiers around the country to submit their ideas for the custom design of the Guard-sponsored bike. Four winners were chosen: Chief Warrant Officer David Vasquez, of Colorado; Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Billet, of Georgia; Sgt. 1st Class Richard Crawford, of Illinois; and Pfc. Joseph Scheibe, of Ohio.
Maj. Gen. James Nuttall, deputy director of the Army National Guard, presented certificates to the four winning soldiers during the unveiling ceremony. He congratulated them on a job well done and a bike well designed.
The highlight of the ceremony was when Paul Sr. made his grand entrance on the bike, coasting in coolly and revving the engine to enthusiastic cheers of the crowd.
The winning soldiers were in awe.
"To be a part of something like this is pretty cool stuff," Scheibe said. "We went to the OCC shop in New York last month, and we saw pieces and parts of the bike. But to see it finished was just really cool."
The finished bike showcases a minuteman air cleaner. The blade spokes of the wheels feature 3-D inlaid spearheads representing the seven Army values, and an ammunition belt lines the handlebars. Chromed M-4 magazines serve as the struts, and an M-4 rifle is mounted on the side of the rear wheel.
The bike is red, white and blue with an Army combat uniform pattern used throughout. A list on top of the bike includes every war and conflict the National Guard has been involved in since its founding in 1636.
"We took (the soldiers') ideas and put them to work," Paulie explained. "I think, for them, it really is their bike. It was a bike they designed and that we fabricated. I think it made it that much more special."
The Patriot Chopper is the first of three bikes commissioned by the Army National Guard. The purpose is twofold, officials said. First, the bikes are intended to be a recruiting tool. Army Guard recruiters will display them at rallies across the country to entice potential soldiers to talk with them. Second, the bikes can also convey important messages about safety.
Despite the television program's tough-guy image, the "American Chopper" stars remain extremely conscious about safety. The stars wear helmets and other protective gear religiously, a practice they hope to impress upon soldiers.
"They're very willing to help us out in terms of safety awareness and wearing the proper gear for our soldiers," Nuttall said. "The bike is one part of it -- the build. But the safety is really what we're trying to get after."
Before the ceremony in September, Paul Sr. joined Nuttall to record a public service announcement about motorcycle safety aimed at National Guard members.
(Army Staff Sgt. Mary Flynn serves with the National Guard Bureau.)
Fort Bragg Celebrates King's Birthday
By Michelle Butzgy
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - Soldiers and civilians gathered at the Fort Bragg Officers' Club here this morning to remember a man whose service and dedication to the civil rights movement had directly or indirectly touched each person attending. The 44th Medical Command and the post's Equal Opportunity Office hosted a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. observance on the slain civil rights leaders' birthday. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the primary leaders of the American civil rights movement, was born Jan. 15, 1929, and was assassinated April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn. President Ronald Reagan designated Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday in 1983. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year.
While guests ate breakfast during the observance, they were entertained by a video tribute about King's life made by the 82nd Airborne Division with excerpts of some of his famous speeches. Civilians and soldiers created a human "timeline" of King's life, each one talking about a period in King's life.
After breakfast was served, Patricia Timmons-Goodson, a North Carolina Supreme Court justice, told the audience how King had touched her life. One of the longest-serving judges in the state, Timmons-Goodson talked about justice, but not just any kind of justice.
"I'm talking about a social justice that allowed me to pursue a legal education and become a judge. I'm talking about the social justice that allowed many of you to pursue your interests," Timmons-Goodson said.
"One of the greatest tributes that I ever heard paid to Dr. King was during (the ground breaking ceremony at the National Mall November 13, 2006.) That came from (former) President (Bill) Clinton," she said. "He remarked that it was entirely fitting that Dr. King's memorial would be located between the Jefferson and the Lincoln monuments because in his mind, the three great men built upon each other's life work."
The judge challenged the audience to take action to promote justice in their own lives.
"So, yes it's easy for President Clinton and for others to talk each year as we celebrate Dr. King's birthday, to talk about picking up the torch and carrying on the work of Dr. King, about acting. But is that something we can really do?" she asked.
Timmons-Goodson also spoke about the great accomplishments of King, highlighting how he went to college at age 15, and how he later went on to win the Nobel Peace prize. She questioned the audience how he could achieve so much without being some sort of a superhero.
"The answer lies in his sermons, his writings and how he lived much of his life," she said. "I believe it was his willingness to serve. Serving is something he did and it's something we can all do; that many of us do now in some capacity, in some way, even if we're not aware. That's the new measure of excellence. Everybody can be great because everybody can serve."
She related the act of serving to what the Armed Forces does every day — serve the country. As a daughter of a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne Division, Timmons-Goodson said she felt she was "preaching to the choir" to the audience made up mostly of soldiers and civilians.
"You simply look outside of yourself. You help others. You lend a hand and serve your community. Everybody's community is different. For you, as Soldiers and civilians that assist our military, your community is the entire world and you're out there serving mankind, I would say," she said. "As the late Coretta Scott-King requested of us, 'make this a day on, not a day off.'"
After Timmons-Goodson's speech, Brig. Gen. Arthur M. Bartell, XVIII Airborne Corps deputy commander, recognized her with a coin.
"I'm overwhelmed by the number of people who have turned out this morning for this very important observance. I challenge you to remember the messages that you heard here today from Judge Timmons-Goodson ... as we remember what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told us, (when he gave the world) his message of love, his message of brotherhood and of service," said Bartell.
(Michelle Butzgy writes for the Fort Bragg Paraglide newspaper.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - Soldiers and civilians gathered at the Fort Bragg Officers' Club here this morning to remember a man whose service and dedication to the civil rights movement had directly or indirectly touched each person attending. The 44th Medical Command and the post's Equal Opportunity Office hosted a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. observance on the slain civil rights leaders' birthday. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the primary leaders of the American civil rights movement, was born Jan. 15, 1929, and was assassinated April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn. President Ronald Reagan designated Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday in 1983. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year.
While guests ate breakfast during the observance, they were entertained by a video tribute about King's life made by the 82nd Airborne Division with excerpts of some of his famous speeches. Civilians and soldiers created a human "timeline" of King's life, each one talking about a period in King's life.
After breakfast was served, Patricia Timmons-Goodson, a North Carolina Supreme Court justice, told the audience how King had touched her life. One of the longest-serving judges in the state, Timmons-Goodson talked about justice, but not just any kind of justice.
"I'm talking about a social justice that allowed me to pursue a legal education and become a judge. I'm talking about the social justice that allowed many of you to pursue your interests," Timmons-Goodson said.
"One of the greatest tributes that I ever heard paid to Dr. King was during (the ground breaking ceremony at the National Mall November 13, 2006.) That came from (former) President (Bill) Clinton," she said. "He remarked that it was entirely fitting that Dr. King's memorial would be located between the Jefferson and the Lincoln monuments because in his mind, the three great men built upon each other's life work."
The judge challenged the audience to take action to promote justice in their own lives.
"So, yes it's easy for President Clinton and for others to talk each year as we celebrate Dr. King's birthday, to talk about picking up the torch and carrying on the work of Dr. King, about acting. But is that something we can really do?" she asked.
Timmons-Goodson also spoke about the great accomplishments of King, highlighting how he went to college at age 15, and how he later went on to win the Nobel Peace prize. She questioned the audience how he could achieve so much without being some sort of a superhero.
"The answer lies in his sermons, his writings and how he lived much of his life," she said. "I believe it was his willingness to serve. Serving is something he did and it's something we can all do; that many of us do now in some capacity, in some way, even if we're not aware. That's the new measure of excellence. Everybody can be great because everybody can serve."
She related the act of serving to what the Armed Forces does every day — serve the country. As a daughter of a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne Division, Timmons-Goodson said she felt she was "preaching to the choir" to the audience made up mostly of soldiers and civilians.
"You simply look outside of yourself. You help others. You lend a hand and serve your community. Everybody's community is different. For you, as Soldiers and civilians that assist our military, your community is the entire world and you're out there serving mankind, I would say," she said. "As the late Coretta Scott-King requested of us, 'make this a day on, not a day off.'"
After Timmons-Goodson's speech, Brig. Gen. Arthur M. Bartell, XVIII Airborne Corps deputy commander, recognized her with a coin.
"I'm overwhelmed by the number of people who have turned out this morning for this very important observance. I challenge you to remember the messages that you heard here today from Judge Timmons-Goodson ... as we remember what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told us, (when he gave the world) his message of love, his message of brotherhood and of service," said Bartell.
(Michelle Butzgy writes for the Fort Bragg Paraglide newspaper.)
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Africa Partnership Station Aims to Boost Maritime Security
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - A multinational crew aboard USS Fort McHenry is cruising port to port in the Gulf of Guinea off Africa's west coast, training African volunteers on bolstering regional security. Roughly halfway through a seven-month mission, the Africa Partnership Station is a U.S.-led response to requests by African nations for military-to-military or civilian-military maritime training, said Navy Vice Adm. Robert T. Moeller, U.S. Africa Command's deputy commander for military operations. AFRICOM is set to become fully functional Oct. 1.
"The concept of the Africa Partnership Station emanates from requests from the Africans themselves to be in a position where they could in fact have established the situational awareness and control over their maritime environment, which they recognized they did not have," the admiral said during an interview at the Pentagon today.
Moeller said the members of the training team -- which comprises U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and interagency members, plus European allies -- are working to increase the professional capabilities and capacity of their African counterparts.
"We're very much interested in working with our African partners on those security matters that are of most concern to them, and how we can work more closely with them in response to their desires, their needs that they themselves have identified," he said.
The admiral said maritime threats to the African continent include piracy, oil smuggling and human trafficking, among others. According to a fact sheet published by Navy Office of Information, 62 piracy attacks were reported in African waters in 2006, illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta is a $3 million-per-day industry, and 60-percent of human trafficking occurs in Sub-Saharan Africa.
"Recognizing (these threats) themselves, the Africans have requested that we provide this kind of assistance," Moeller noted.
To date, APS operators have trained more than 600 African sailors from nine countries in various subjects, including leadership, logistics, navigation, small boat handling, port security and martial arts, according to the Navy fact sheet.
In addition to military-to-military training, APS last month donated 15 pallets of food to AIDS patients and orphans in Cameroon. In concert with partners in Ghana, the APS crew used USS Fort McHenry's landing craft to deliver materials to ports at Tema and Sekondi.
The APS visit, designed to support and strengthen regional capabilities in West and Central Africa, is one in a series of activities aimed at building comprehensive maritime security on the African continent. APS is inspired by the belief that effective maritime safety and security will contribute to development, economic prosperity, and security ashore, Moeller said.
"Allowing (African participants) essentially to police and have control over (the maritime) environment leads directly and contributes directly to assure the ability of those countries to develop economically in a very stable way," he said, "because there's a direct relationship between a secure maritime environment and a secure and stable terrestrial environment."
The admiral said that by responding to specific African requests for assistance, and aligning itself with broad international and U.S. objectives, APS's charter reflects the overarching Africa Command mission.
"I think the Africa Partnership Station precisely epitomizes the kind of activities that AFRICOM will be doing with our African partners in the future," he said. "It is all about building the capacity of our African partners to be able to attend to their own security needs."
Home to a large section of the world's population, Africa is a continent of increasingly important strategic interests, Moeller said. It also is the site of humanitarian need, with regard to widespread instances of HIV, AIDS and malaria, and holds natural resources that haven't found their way to the global market, he added.
The Defense Department currently divides responsibility for Africa among three combatant commands: European Command, Pacific Command and Central Command. AFRICOM is a three-pronged defense, diplomatic and economic effort designed to enable U.S. government elements to work in concert with African partners without bureaucratic divisions created by the shared command structure.
The admiral said AFRICOM will begin to assume responsibilities from EUCOM over the coming months. As Oct. 1 approaches, AFRICOM will begin assuming PACOM and CENTCOM responsibilities.
Moeller said the transition from three combatant commands to one is "a work in progress." Members of the commands involved have held planning conferences over last several months to work through the details of how missions, activities, programs and exercises will be shifted into AFRICOM's purview.
Unlike other commands, AFRICOM will be staffed by a large number of State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development members, including a deputy commander of civilian-military operations.
Moeller said Africa Command was conceived by President Bush and the Pentagon as a way to maintain a sole focus on the interests of African partners. The consolidation allows for more responsiveness and effectiveness. Additionally, it recognizes the growing strategic importance in "full spectrum" of strategic issues.
"In rolling all that up into one command," Moeller said, "part of our focus was to think through how we could best support other parts of the U.S. government agencies that conduct activities with our African partners across the continent."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - A multinational crew aboard USS Fort McHenry is cruising port to port in the Gulf of Guinea off Africa's west coast, training African volunteers on bolstering regional security. Roughly halfway through a seven-month mission, the Africa Partnership Station is a U.S.-led response to requests by African nations for military-to-military or civilian-military maritime training, said Navy Vice Adm. Robert T. Moeller, U.S. Africa Command's deputy commander for military operations. AFRICOM is set to become fully functional Oct. 1.
"The concept of the Africa Partnership Station emanates from requests from the Africans themselves to be in a position where they could in fact have established the situational awareness and control over their maritime environment, which they recognized they did not have," the admiral said during an interview at the Pentagon today.
Moeller said the members of the training team -- which comprises U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and interagency members, plus European allies -- are working to increase the professional capabilities and capacity of their African counterparts.
"We're very much interested in working with our African partners on those security matters that are of most concern to them, and how we can work more closely with them in response to their desires, their needs that they themselves have identified," he said.
The admiral said maritime threats to the African continent include piracy, oil smuggling and human trafficking, among others. According to a fact sheet published by Navy Office of Information, 62 piracy attacks were reported in African waters in 2006, illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta is a $3 million-per-day industry, and 60-percent of human trafficking occurs in Sub-Saharan Africa.
"Recognizing (these threats) themselves, the Africans have requested that we provide this kind of assistance," Moeller noted.
To date, APS operators have trained more than 600 African sailors from nine countries in various subjects, including leadership, logistics, navigation, small boat handling, port security and martial arts, according to the Navy fact sheet.
In addition to military-to-military training, APS last month donated 15 pallets of food to AIDS patients and orphans in Cameroon. In concert with partners in Ghana, the APS crew used USS Fort McHenry's landing craft to deliver materials to ports at Tema and Sekondi.
The APS visit, designed to support and strengthen regional capabilities in West and Central Africa, is one in a series of activities aimed at building comprehensive maritime security on the African continent. APS is inspired by the belief that effective maritime safety and security will contribute to development, economic prosperity, and security ashore, Moeller said.
"Allowing (African participants) essentially to police and have control over (the maritime) environment leads directly and contributes directly to assure the ability of those countries to develop economically in a very stable way," he said, "because there's a direct relationship between a secure maritime environment and a secure and stable terrestrial environment."
The admiral said that by responding to specific African requests for assistance, and aligning itself with broad international and U.S. objectives, APS's charter reflects the overarching Africa Command mission.
"I think the Africa Partnership Station precisely epitomizes the kind of activities that AFRICOM will be doing with our African partners in the future," he said. "It is all about building the capacity of our African partners to be able to attend to their own security needs."
Home to a large section of the world's population, Africa is a continent of increasingly important strategic interests, Moeller said. It also is the site of humanitarian need, with regard to widespread instances of HIV, AIDS and malaria, and holds natural resources that haven't found their way to the global market, he added.
The Defense Department currently divides responsibility for Africa among three combatant commands: European Command, Pacific Command and Central Command. AFRICOM is a three-pronged defense, diplomatic and economic effort designed to enable U.S. government elements to work in concert with African partners without bureaucratic divisions created by the shared command structure.
The admiral said AFRICOM will begin to assume responsibilities from EUCOM over the coming months. As Oct. 1 approaches, AFRICOM will begin assuming PACOM and CENTCOM responsibilities.
Moeller said the transition from three combatant commands to one is "a work in progress." Members of the commands involved have held planning conferences over last several months to work through the details of how missions, activities, programs and exercises will be shifted into AFRICOM's purview.
Unlike other commands, AFRICOM will be staffed by a large number of State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development members, including a deputy commander of civilian-military operations.
Moeller said Africa Command was conceived by President Bush and the Pentagon as a way to maintain a sole focus on the interests of African partners. The consolidation allows for more responsiveness and effectiveness. Additionally, it recognizes the growing strategic importance in "full spectrum" of strategic issues.
"In rolling all that up into one command," Moeller said, "part of our focus was to think through how we could best support other parts of the U.S. government agencies that conduct activities with our African partners across the continent."
Polish Missile-Defense Site Would Benefit All Europe, Official Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - A proposed anti-ballistic missile defense site in Poland would benefit all of Europe, a senior Pentagon spokesman said here today. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich discussed Iraq, missile defense and other issues today during meetings held at the Defense Department's headquarters, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters.
Gates and Klich "had a discussion about a range of issues," Morrell reported, including Polish plans to reduce their forces in Iraq while increasing their troop contribution in Afghanistan. There are now about 900 Polish troops in Iraq and around 1,200 in Afghanistan. News reports say Poland is considering withdrawing its forces from Iraq sometime this year, while sending 400 more troops to Afghanistan.
But Gates and Klich spent most of their time together discussing missile-defense issues, Morrell said. American security experts believe that a missile-defense system should be installed in Eastern Europe, specifically placing an interceptor site in Poland and a related facility in the Czech Republic to counter the threat of a potential ballistic-missile strike from Iran.
A new Polish government was elected in November, and its senior officials have been examining the missile-defense issue, Morrell noted.
"I think we are now at the point where they understand where the previous government has negotiated" on the missile-defense issue, Morrell said of the senior Polish leaders in the new government. "They have some domestic concerns which they are trying to address."
Meanwhile, Defense Department and other U.S. government officials continue to negotiate the missile-defense issue with Poland's government.
The proposed missile-defense program is "of vital importance, not just for us, but really for Europe, and that's the key here," Morrell emphasized. "Putting these interceptors in Poland does far more to benefit Europe and our allies there than it does for us."
The missile-defense issue also involves the Atlantic Alliance, Morrell pointed out. The United States and Poland are NATO members.
"This is an issue for NATO. Deploying interceptors in Poland will provide NATO with the ability to protect itself from a missile threat virtually everybody recognizes exists today," Morrell said.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 15, 2008 - A proposed anti-ballistic missile defense site in Poland would benefit all of Europe, a senior Pentagon spokesman said here today. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich discussed Iraq, missile defense and other issues today during meetings held at the Defense Department's headquarters, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters.
Gates and Klich "had a discussion about a range of issues," Morrell reported, including Polish plans to reduce their forces in Iraq while increasing their troop contribution in Afghanistan. There are now about 900 Polish troops in Iraq and around 1,200 in Afghanistan. News reports say Poland is considering withdrawing its forces from Iraq sometime this year, while sending 400 more troops to Afghanistan.
But Gates and Klich spent most of their time together discussing missile-defense issues, Morrell said. American security experts believe that a missile-defense system should be installed in Eastern Europe, specifically placing an interceptor site in Poland and a related facility in the Czech Republic to counter the threat of a potential ballistic-missile strike from Iran.
A new Polish government was elected in November, and its senior officials have been examining the missile-defense issue, Morrell noted.
"I think we are now at the point where they understand where the previous government has negotiated" on the missile-defense issue, Morrell said of the senior Polish leaders in the new government. "They have some domestic concerns which they are trying to address."
Meanwhile, Defense Department and other U.S. government officials continue to negotiate the missile-defense issue with Poland's government.
The proposed missile-defense program is "of vital importance, not just for us, but really for Europe, and that's the key here," Morrell emphasized. "Putting these interceptors in Poland does far more to benefit Europe and our allies there than it does for us."
The missile-defense issue also involves the Atlantic Alliance, Morrell pointed out. The United States and Poland are NATO members.
"This is an issue for NATO. Deploying interceptors in Poland will provide NATO with the ability to protect itself from a missile threat virtually everybody recognizes exists today," Morrell said.
America Supports You: Virginia Group Stays True to Military History
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2008 - During the early days of World War II, the Bowler's Victory League completed its first project of purchasing two medical evacuation planes to bring wounded troops home. Some 66 years later, the organization's name is slightly different, but the organization's mission is still very much the same.
"The Bowlers to Veterans Link was founded in 1942 as the Bowler's Victory Legion to support the men returning from the battlefields of Europe," said Elizabeth Montanya, a spokeswoman for the group. "(Since then), BVL has provided the extras not funded by the government to our active-duty and veteran servicemen and women to help brighten their days."
To date, the group has raised nearly $36 million to purchase recreational equipment as well as to support therapeutic programs and services, she said.
"Currently, among (the organization's) many efforts, we are sending portable carpet bowling lanes and equipment to men and women on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as hundreds of other locales around the globe," Montanya said. "The (kit), packaged in a nylon carrying bag, can be set up in a few minutes' time, whenever a break in the schedule permits."
The kits include a 26-foot-long red, white and blue carpet bowling lane, a 5-pound rubberized bowling ball, and lightweight plastic bowling pins. More than 500 kits already have been shipped, Montanya said.
Stateside, Bowlers to Veterans Link also offers tickets to museum and theater performances, and supports gardening and pet therapy programs.
It also is a longtime sponsor of four major recreation events each year that affect thousands of veterans -- the Golden Age Games, the Winter Sports Clinic, the Creative Arts Festival and the Wheelchair Games, according to the group's Web site.
Bowlers to Veterans Link is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
The affiliation holds promise for the group on several fronts. "We are looking forward to getting a better handle on other programs that are under way and to perhaps find partners to continue our efforts and, subsequently, expand programming," Montanya said.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2008 - During the early days of World War II, the Bowler's Victory League completed its first project of purchasing two medical evacuation planes to bring wounded troops home. Some 66 years later, the organization's name is slightly different, but the organization's mission is still very much the same.
"The Bowlers to Veterans Link was founded in 1942 as the Bowler's Victory Legion to support the men returning from the battlefields of Europe," said Elizabeth Montanya, a spokeswoman for the group. "(Since then), BVL has provided the extras not funded by the government to our active-duty and veteran servicemen and women to help brighten their days."
To date, the group has raised nearly $36 million to purchase recreational equipment as well as to support therapeutic programs and services, she said.
"Currently, among (the organization's) many efforts, we are sending portable carpet bowling lanes and equipment to men and women on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as hundreds of other locales around the globe," Montanya said. "The (kit), packaged in a nylon carrying bag, can be set up in a few minutes' time, whenever a break in the schedule permits."
The kits include a 26-foot-long red, white and blue carpet bowling lane, a 5-pound rubberized bowling ball, and lightweight plastic bowling pins. More than 500 kits already have been shipped, Montanya said.
Stateside, Bowlers to Veterans Link also offers tickets to museum and theater performances, and supports gardening and pet therapy programs.
It also is a longtime sponsor of four major recreation events each year that affect thousands of veterans -- the Golden Age Games, the Winter Sports Clinic, the Creative Arts Festival and the Wheelchair Games, according to the group's Web site.
Bowlers to Veterans Link is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
The affiliation holds promise for the group on several fronts. "We are looking forward to getting a better handle on other programs that are under way and to perhaps find partners to continue our efforts and, subsequently, expand programming," Montanya said.
Face of Defense: Family Bonds Keep Network Controller Going
By Pfc. Samantha Schutz, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2008 - As the Army's 4th Infantry Division settles into its recently assumed control of Multinational Division Baghdad, the Ironhorse credo -- "Mission, Soldier, Family, Team" -- remains a strong influence in the unit's everyday flow. For Army Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Rende, a native of Ilion, N.Y., and a network controller with Company C, Special Troops Battalion, being a deployed soldier on the Ivy team is an easy task as long as he knows his mission and has the support of his family.
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2008 - As the Army's 4th Infantry Division settles into its recently assumed control of Multinational Division Baghdad, the Ironhorse credo -- "Mission, Soldier, Family, Team" -- remains a strong influence in the unit's everyday flow. For Army Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Rende, a native of Ilion, N.Y., and a network controller with Company C, Special Troops Battalion, being a deployed soldier on the Ivy team is an easy task as long as he knows his mission and has the support of his family.
Rende monitors communication links between the headquarters and its brigades. If a communication link stops working, he must act quickly to coordinate with the brigade and troubleshoot the problem. Communication is crucial, since other Multinational Division Baghdad troops are constantly patrolling various streets throughout Baghdad.
Ensuring continuous communication is an around-the-clock mission, so it is divided into day and night shifts. Rende tends his duties at night, while his family members back in the United States go about their day.
At his work station, Rende's computer wallpaper is a collage of family photos: pictures of himself with his girlfriend, Lisa; his two daughters, Katelyn, 12, and Renae, 9; and Lisa's children, Alan, 13, Ramon, 8, and Brianna, 3.
"They're the ones who keep me going," Rende said. "Sometimes it seems like my kids are there for me more than I am for them."
From the time he enlisted in the Army 12 years ago, Rende has been stationed in and deployed to countries all over the world, including Germany, Croatia and Macedonia. This particular deployment has been the most challenging, he said, because his children are beginning to understand the meaning of his absence.
"They're growing up," said Rende. "I hadn't even been here a month yet when Katelyn sent me a message on the Internet saying, 'Daddy, I had my first boyfriend. We broke up already. I don't like boys anymore because they don't know what they want.' She's just not my little girl anymore."
When Rende is relieved of his shift in the morning, the first thing he does when he gets back to his trailer is log on to the Internet so he can communicate with his family via e-mail and instant messaging programs.
Also, Rende said, he stays in touch with friends from all over the world who he met on an online program called PalTalk, on which he hosts his own Internet radio show. Because of his tendency to make bogus phone calls during the program, he earned the moniker "The Crank Caller" and a fan base to go with it.
"The Internet here is too slow for me to do the show, but all my friends support me and can't wait for me to come back," Rende said.
Although being away from his family and friends is difficult, Rende said, he tries to take advantage of the time he has to himself. He is pursuing an associate's degree in applied science and technology by taking online courses through Excelsior College.
"It's important to keep your education going," he said, adding that he advises young soldiers to take advantage of any kind of college or correspondence courses they can while they're deployed.
Rende also tells his fellow deployed soldiers not to get complacent. Some soldiers who work in support of a division are not constantly in the line of fire, but that doesn't mean the danger is gone, he explained. Rende said he also reminds fellow soldiers to stay in good physical condition. He said he's seen people gain 30 to 40 pounds during a deployment because physical training isn't always scheduled into their day.
"But of course, family is the most important thing. Don't shut your family out; have them help push you through," Rende said. "I wear this uniform for my family."
When he and the rest of the Ivy team complete their mission in Iraq, Rende will be eager to enjoy a day of putt-putt golfing and a night of movies with his family, he said. Until then, he said, he continues to always place the mission first.
(Army Pfc. Samantha Schutz serves with 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs.)
Joint Forces Command Exercise Trains Next Horn of Africa Task Force Leaders
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2008 - Leaders preparing to deploy to Djibouti as the next headquarters staff at Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa are wrapping up a week-long exercise to prepare them for the challenges they'll face. The mission rehearsal exercise is under way at U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Warfighting Center in Suffolk, Va. Navy Rear Adm. Philip H. Green Jr., slated to take command of CJTF-HOA next month, called the exercise a welcome opportunity for him and his staff to work together as a team confronting realistic scenarios.
The task force's mission is to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect coalition interests in East Africa and Yemen. Green pointed to "three pillars" of the operational environment in Africa – defense, diplomacy and development – and said they work hand in hand in furthering the task force's efforts.
"The three pillars are all served through military-to-military training engagements, cooperation efforts, (and) civil affairs programs there that add to our ability to build trust and confidence, develop capacity and capability and help forge ... relationships and partnerships with our African friends," he said.
"In the end, our efforts ... increase their security, improve stability and enable sovereignty for our African partners," he explained. "By doing that, we will make them contributors to the security environment, and we will also hopefully assist and facilitate their own economic and social development that helps to improve the lives of the people that are there."
Green called the training Joint Forces Command provides, particularly its use of best practices and lessons learned in training scenarios, as key to the task force's success.
Subject-matter experts from U.S. Central Command and several other government organizations, including the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, are participating in the mission rehearsal exercise.
Army Maj. Gen. Jason K. Kamiya, commander of the Joint Warfighting Center and JFCOM's joint training director, called the exercise another milestone in a training continuum that began in October with briefings about the Horn of Africa, its culture, ethnic makeup and embassy operations in the region, he explained.
In December, the JFCOM staff began focusing the new headquarters staff on staff functional training, from how the operations directorate would work, to how civil-military operations coordinate with other efforts, to the combined joint task force's working relationship with embassy staffs.
Much of the emphasis has been on the interagency nature of the mission in Africa, and the importance of drawing on more than just military capabilities to carry it out, Kamiya said.
More than 250 people, including representatives from Djibouti, Republic of Mauritius, United Kingdom and France, are participating in the mission rehearsal exercise that continues through Jan. 17. The training will continue after the task force deploys, with JFCOM trainers working with the new headquarters staff in the theater to improve their effectiveness and garner lessons for future task force headquarters to build on, Kamiya explained.
Green said he's excited by the challenges the upcoming mission presents.
"For my staff and me, the focus is developing friendships and forging partnerships with our African friends," he said. "We are there because they want us there, and we are in the business of helping them solve African challenges.
"In the end," he continued, "it's about solving African problems, and how we contribute to their efforts and their capacity and capability to do that is a very important role we play."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2008 - Leaders preparing to deploy to Djibouti as the next headquarters staff at Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa are wrapping up a week-long exercise to prepare them for the challenges they'll face. The mission rehearsal exercise is under way at U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Warfighting Center in Suffolk, Va. Navy Rear Adm. Philip H. Green Jr., slated to take command of CJTF-HOA next month, called the exercise a welcome opportunity for him and his staff to work together as a team confronting realistic scenarios.
The task force's mission is to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect coalition interests in East Africa and Yemen. Green pointed to "three pillars" of the operational environment in Africa – defense, diplomacy and development – and said they work hand in hand in furthering the task force's efforts.
"The three pillars are all served through military-to-military training engagements, cooperation efforts, (and) civil affairs programs there that add to our ability to build trust and confidence, develop capacity and capability and help forge ... relationships and partnerships with our African friends," he said.
"In the end, our efforts ... increase their security, improve stability and enable sovereignty for our African partners," he explained. "By doing that, we will make them contributors to the security environment, and we will also hopefully assist and facilitate their own economic and social development that helps to improve the lives of the people that are there."
Green called the training Joint Forces Command provides, particularly its use of best practices and lessons learned in training scenarios, as key to the task force's success.
Subject-matter experts from U.S. Central Command and several other government organizations, including the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, are participating in the mission rehearsal exercise.
Army Maj. Gen. Jason K. Kamiya, commander of the Joint Warfighting Center and JFCOM's joint training director, called the exercise another milestone in a training continuum that began in October with briefings about the Horn of Africa, its culture, ethnic makeup and embassy operations in the region, he explained.
In December, the JFCOM staff began focusing the new headquarters staff on staff functional training, from how the operations directorate would work, to how civil-military operations coordinate with other efforts, to the combined joint task force's working relationship with embassy staffs.
Much of the emphasis has been on the interagency nature of the mission in Africa, and the importance of drawing on more than just military capabilities to carry it out, Kamiya said.
More than 250 people, including representatives from Djibouti, Republic of Mauritius, United Kingdom and France, are participating in the mission rehearsal exercise that continues through Jan. 17. The training will continue after the task force deploys, with JFCOM trainers working with the new headquarters staff in the theater to improve their effectiveness and garner lessons for future task force headquarters to build on, Kamiya explained.
Green said he's excited by the challenges the upcoming mission presents.
"For my staff and me, the focus is developing friendships and forging partnerships with our African friends," he said. "We are there because they want us there, and we are in the business of helping them solve African challenges.
"In the end," he continued, "it's about solving African problems, and how we contribute to their efforts and their capacity and capability to do that is a very important role we play."
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Defining Terrorism: A Difference of Opinion
In order to successfully combat terrorism around the world, there must be a universal method of identifying potential terrorists or terrorist organizations. In order to accomplish this task, nations must come to an agreement on an objective definition of the word terrorism. Unfortunately, many nations around the world define terrorism differently. The lack of a common definition of terrorism may allow one nation to identify an organization as terrorist group, while another nation identifies the same organization as a legitimate group. This is often referred to as, "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."
READ ON
http://www.police-writers.com/defining_terrorism_difference_opinion.html
READ ON
http://www.police-writers.com/defining_terrorism_difference_opinion.html
Sensors May Lead to Faster Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injuries
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2008 - While it still may be years away, military medical officials hope to one day place a sensor on every troop that would measure a blast's impact and alert a combat medic to the possibility of a brain injury. The latest fielding of helmets fitted with blast sensors to troops deploying to combat could be the first step to gathering the data to support that technology, Michael J. Leggieri Jr., deputy coordinator for DoD's Blast Injury Research Program Coordinating Office, said.
Brigades from the 101st Airborne and the 4th Infantry divisions will wear helmets fitted with sensors throughout their deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, respectively. The sensors will record routine impact data, as well as any blasts, or "events," to which the soldiers are exposed.
Leggieri is quick to point out that at this stage, however, the data will not be used in diagnosing or treating soldiers. Still in its infancy, the technology's first hurtle will be to prove that a sensor reading can be matched to an event, he said.
"We need to figure out if we can actually, with some confidence, say that 'Yes, these data are representative of an ... event.' We don't know that yet," he explained.
The sensor data will be recorded along with other operational data that is typically gathered after an event such as a bomb explosion. That data is entered into an intelligence database with the National Ground Intelligence Center that already is in use in the field. At the same time, if an injury occurred, patient data is recorded in a trauma registry also already in place.
The two databases are kept separate, Leggieri said.
"These helmet sensors, they are not medical devices. The data that they record are not medical data. So you can't take, and we won't allow anyone to take, the raw sensor data and make any kinds of decisions about medical treatment, or injuries or anything else," Leggieri said.
After the blast data is studied, and officials determine that it is reliable, they will then go back and match the event data with injury data. The medical community has access to the data through the Joint Trauma Analysis and Prevention of Injury in Combat Program. Officials want to see if they can make a connection between what is seen on the sensor reading and any resulting injury. This will help them to begin "unraveling" some of the causes of brain injury, Leggieri said.
"We know that if you hit your head against something, or if something hits your head, that you can get a brain injury. But the mechanism, at the cellular level -- how does that happen? There are still a lot of unknowns there," Leggieri said.
For example, Leggieri said that despite reports that exposure to a blast – or primary blast overpressure – can cause mild traumatic brain injury, there are no definitive studies to show that link.
"We don't know, in fact, if being exposed to primary blast overpressure can cause a mild traumatic brain injury. And, if it can cause a mild traumatic brain injury, we don't know what that mechanism would be," he said.
The specific cause of the injury, or the mechanism, is used to develop protection strategies and to design diagnostic tools and treatments.
Within the next year, if the data proves reliable, the impact data may be used as an "event monitor," Leggieri said. Similar devices are used in football players' helmets, where a particularly hard hit would signal a doctor's need for review. Combat leaders on the ground could use the data to refer the servicemember to medical officials who would then use diagnostic tools to determine if an injury occurred.
But, first things first, Leggieri said. What makes this project valuable, he explained, is that researchers will be able to gather actual impact data from soldiers in combat, as opposed to research conducted in a laboratory.
"Right now we are getting an understanding of what happens out there – what kinds of impacts are the soldiers seeing – trying to understand that first, and then linking it to resulting injuries," he said.
Currently, data collection from only these two deployments is planned.
The sensor model fielded to 101st Airborne Division attaches to the back of the advanced combat helmet. It weights about 6 ounces and has enough memory to store data on 527 events. An internally mounted model will be fielded to the 4th Infantry Division. The sensor sits under the padding in the crown of the helmet. To harvest information from either sensor type, a soldier simply connects it to a computer using a USB port, hits "save" and sends the data to a secure database.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 14, 2008 - While it still may be years away, military medical officials hope to one day place a sensor on every troop that would measure a blast's impact and alert a combat medic to the possibility of a brain injury. The latest fielding of helmets fitted with blast sensors to troops deploying to combat could be the first step to gathering the data to support that technology, Michael J. Leggieri Jr., deputy coordinator for DoD's Blast Injury Research Program Coordinating Office, said.
Brigades from the 101st Airborne and the 4th Infantry divisions will wear helmets fitted with sensors throughout their deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, respectively. The sensors will record routine impact data, as well as any blasts, or "events," to which the soldiers are exposed.
Leggieri is quick to point out that at this stage, however, the data will not be used in diagnosing or treating soldiers. Still in its infancy, the technology's first hurtle will be to prove that a sensor reading can be matched to an event, he said.
"We need to figure out if we can actually, with some confidence, say that 'Yes, these data are representative of an ... event.' We don't know that yet," he explained.
The sensor data will be recorded along with other operational data that is typically gathered after an event such as a bomb explosion. That data is entered into an intelligence database with the National Ground Intelligence Center that already is in use in the field. At the same time, if an injury occurred, patient data is recorded in a trauma registry also already in place.
The two databases are kept separate, Leggieri said.
"These helmet sensors, they are not medical devices. The data that they record are not medical data. So you can't take, and we won't allow anyone to take, the raw sensor data and make any kinds of decisions about medical treatment, or injuries or anything else," Leggieri said.
After the blast data is studied, and officials determine that it is reliable, they will then go back and match the event data with injury data. The medical community has access to the data through the Joint Trauma Analysis and Prevention of Injury in Combat Program. Officials want to see if they can make a connection between what is seen on the sensor reading and any resulting injury. This will help them to begin "unraveling" some of the causes of brain injury, Leggieri said.
"We know that if you hit your head against something, or if something hits your head, that you can get a brain injury. But the mechanism, at the cellular level -- how does that happen? There are still a lot of unknowns there," Leggieri said.
For example, Leggieri said that despite reports that exposure to a blast – or primary blast overpressure – can cause mild traumatic brain injury, there are no definitive studies to show that link.
"We don't know, in fact, if being exposed to primary blast overpressure can cause a mild traumatic brain injury. And, if it can cause a mild traumatic brain injury, we don't know what that mechanism would be," he said.
The specific cause of the injury, or the mechanism, is used to develop protection strategies and to design diagnostic tools and treatments.
Within the next year, if the data proves reliable, the impact data may be used as an "event monitor," Leggieri said. Similar devices are used in football players' helmets, where a particularly hard hit would signal a doctor's need for review. Combat leaders on the ground could use the data to refer the servicemember to medical officials who would then use diagnostic tools to determine if an injury occurred.
But, first things first, Leggieri said. What makes this project valuable, he explained, is that researchers will be able to gather actual impact data from soldiers in combat, as opposed to research conducted in a laboratory.
"Right now we are getting an understanding of what happens out there – what kinds of impacts are the soldiers seeing – trying to understand that first, and then linking it to resulting injuries," he said.
Currently, data collection from only these two deployments is planned.
The sensor model fielded to 101st Airborne Division attaches to the back of the advanced combat helmet. It weights about 6 ounces and has enough memory to store data on 527 events. An internally mounted model will be fielded to the 4th Infantry Division. The sensor sits under the padding in the crown of the helmet. To harvest information from either sensor type, a soldier simply connects it to a computer using a USB port, hits "save" and sends the data to a secure database.
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