By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 14, 2008 - The Air Force pilot who flew the first U.S. relief flight to Burma said today that, while he and his crew were received warmly, it was clear to him that more relief is needed. "Everyone ... was so ecstatic or excited to have us there on the ground," Capt. Trevor Hall said during a teleconference with online journalists and "bloggers." "With very little broken English that we could make out, they were trying to say, 'Please bring more; please bring more.'"
Hall was the pilot in command of the C-130E Hercules transport aircraft that flew the first U.S. emergency relief supplies into Rangoon International Airport in Burma. The supplies were to assist with the recovery from the devastation that Cyclone Nargis wrought over much of Burma's Irrawaddy River delta May 2.
"On board the plane, we took about 30,000 pounds of bottled water, mosquito nets and blankets for the first plane in," Hall said.
He said the offload at the airport took two hours.
"The first hour was spent unloading all the supplies that we brought in, because [the Burmese military] did have to hand-offload all of the cargo," Hall said. "They offloaded it all directly off our plane and placed it into military trucks and drove it to a different staging area on the airport.
"When we landed, I didn't exactly know what to expect as far as what else would be on the ramp at the airport," he added.
When the U.S. aircrew landed, they saw a Hellenic Air Force C-130 plane from Greece, two Malaysian C-130s, and some Indian planes, as well.
Following the first relief flight May 12, Hall said, the U.S. Marine Corps transported similar items yesterday, and more relief flights are continuing today. "The stuff that they were carrying today was medical supplies, plastic sheeting, hygiene kits, some food, and first-aid material," said Hall.
The Air Force crew, consisting of six basic crew members and two maintainers, flew from the Utapao Royal Thai Navy air base, in Thailand. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, and Henrietta Fore, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, accompanied the crew on the mission.
After landing at the airport, Keating, Fore and a member of Thailand's government met with Burmese government officials, Hall said. After their two-hour meeting, the crew returned to Bangkok, Thailand, where Keating and Fore continued to coordinate further relief efforts.
Hall said Keating's visit with the Burmese government officials was to assure them that U.S. intentions are to help them.
"He went in specifically to negotiate with the government to figure out exactly what they would allow us to do," Hall said.
Before assisting with the relief efforts, Hall, assigned to 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, was on assignment in Thailand participating in a U.S. Marine Corps exercise. "We were already in Thailand supporting a Marine exercise called Cobra Gold, and we were getting ready to go back home to Tokyo when all this kind of kicked off," he said.
Hall noted that the aircrew had been standing by on alert for 10 days, ready to go at a moment's notice.
"We were received very graciously. ... Obviously, [the Burmese military] knew we were coming, and they were planning for us," he said.
Hall said he believes Rangoon International Airport could easily accomodate one of the larger C-17 Globemaster III or KC-10 Extender transport jets each hour, but might have difficulties offloading them.
"There would be no problems with handling the large amounts of traffic or even ramp space. The one problem they would have, though, is their offload capability is very limited," he explained. "They didn't have, for instance, forklifts or any type of equipment that was really needed to offload our plane, and the plane ended [up having] to be hand-offloaded."
During their flight to Rangoon, the crew flew over the cyclone-devastated area and saw the results firsthand.
"The majority of our route, once we crossed over the border, you could see the amount of devastation that the country had to face," he said. "There was a massive amount of flooding [and] lots of standing water.
"Many trees had been tossed over, and houses ... had been knocked down," he continued. "And obviously, from our perspective, it looked like not much had been done to really get it cleaned out at this time."
Hall said that during the flight crew's descent to the airport -- at about 1,000 to 2,000 feet -- they noticed a lot of main roads around the airport, but saw only saw one truck on the road, indicating continued obstacles to massive relief efforts.
"Based on what I saw, I really don't think they have the infrastructure. ... It would take a lot of people and resources to distribute it the way it needs to be distributed," he said.
Hall was born in St. Louis Park, Minn., but grew up in Rigby, Idaho, a small town outside of Idaho Falls, Idaho. He earned his commission through the U.S. Air Force Academy.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works for the New Media branch of American Forces Information Service.)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
New York Unit Brings Canadian Forces, Air Guard Troops Together
By Brooke Davis
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 13, 2008 - While North American Aerospace Defense Command celebrates its rich and historic 50-year history, one unit will remain diligently watching the skies just as it did on Sept. 11, 2001. The terrorist attacks on the United States are still etched in the mind of Capt. Rob Hogarth, who is assigned to the New York Air National Guard's Northeast Air Defense Sector.
Like other members of the unit, which is responsible for the air defense of the eastern United States, Hogarth found himself at war on the morning of Sept. 11, as the Twin Towers fell and United Flight 93 crashed in a farmer's field. He and other members of NEADS, as the Rome-based unit is known, did their utmost to secure the skies over America that day.
Hogarth, though, isn't a member of the Air National Guard. He's a member of the Canadian Forces and one of 15 Canadians who play a key role in the operational air defense mission of NORAD.
"It was impossible to separate the actions of the Canadians and those of the Americans, because the Canadian Component is an integral part of NEADS, and we have been incorporated seamlessly into the team," Hogarth wrote in an article for a Canadian air force publication. "It was a tremendous honor and responsibility to have a nation put its faith in you, to trust you to keep them safe. I am very proud to have been called upon to defend that faith and to justify that trust. In every sense, the men and women of NEADS rose to the occasion."
Since NORAD's inception, close cooperation between Canada and the United States has been a hallmark of the organization, and Hogarth -- now on his second tour at NEADS -- exemplifies this partnership.
In November 2006, the mission of the joint American-Canadian unit doubled when the Southeast Air Defense Sector at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., was deactivated.
"Everyone in this unit worked tirelessly to ensure that the expansion of our air defense mission was seamless," said Col. Clark Speicher, NEADS commander. "Transitioning from controlling 500,000 square miles to 1 million square miles of airspace would seem like a huge undertaking, yet the professionalism displayed by everyone in the unit ensured that this expansion was and remains continuously flawless. At NEADS, we have a no-fail mission, and everyone works to ensure that this is achieved."
NEADS and the Canadian Component also reach out to the local community through speaking engagements, color guard details, and annual events such as the Canadian Component Mess Dinner.
"We encourage everyone in the unit, including the Canadians posted here, to support and contribute to the local community," Lt. Col. Wendy Rickards, the Canadian Component commander, said. "Our relationship with the community here has been strengthened by these positive actions and, in turn, community members have always remained extremely supportive of our unit and our mission."
The combined efforts of local veterans, the city of Rome, and members of the Canadian Component resulted in Rome becoming the first U.S. city to be presented a Canadian flag by the Canadian Forces, in a ceremony on May 21, 2005.
"In the course of planning the event, it became evident that it was a historical first," said Capt. Chris Semchuk, a Canadian forces member who is assigned to NEADS as a senior director aerospace controller. "No American city had ever been presented a Canadian flag by the Canadian forces and, after almost two years of planning, two Canadian flags were presented to Rome Mayor James Brown."
The Canadian Component commander at the time, Lt. Col François Malo, presented Brown with a Canadian flag -- previously flown on the Peace Tower of Canada's Parliament -- mounted in a shadow box and accompanied by a copy of the Jan. 28, 1965, National Flag Royal Proclamation. The second flag was raised over Rome's city hall, where it still flies today.
Brown captured the significance of the event by stating that he was "honored to be a part of this event which was a first in both American and Canadian history."
From its beginnings in World War Two, air defense has been a continuous process of modernization. Of more than 12 air defense sectors that have been deactivated, NEADS is one of the only two operational sectors in the continental United States still in existence. The Western Air Defense Sector, operating out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., is NEADS' sister sector.
NEADS was the first sector to modernize from a manual air defense system to the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment, or SAGE, System. The unit became operational in 1958 and set the standard for other sectors to follow, according to the unit's history.
As part of an Air Force reorganization that started in 1993, NEADS was the first air defense sector to transform from the regular Air Force to the Air National Guard. During that transition, Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome also was realigned into the Griffiss Business and Technology Park, where NEADS is located.
During the Griffiss realignment, NEADS was transformed as well. The unit's successful transformation set the transformation standard, and its lessons learned helped ensure a successful transition for the other sectors and 1st Air Force, Speicher said.
In addition to the Air National Guard and Canadian forces military personnel assigned to NEADS, the unit's staff includes federal civil service and civilian contractor personnel and active-duty members of the Air Force, Navy, Army and Coast Guard.
(Brooke Davis works at Northeast Air Defense Sector Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 13, 2008 - While North American Aerospace Defense Command celebrates its rich and historic 50-year history, one unit will remain diligently watching the skies just as it did on Sept. 11, 2001. The terrorist attacks on the United States are still etched in the mind of Capt. Rob Hogarth, who is assigned to the New York Air National Guard's Northeast Air Defense Sector.
Like other members of the unit, which is responsible for the air defense of the eastern United States, Hogarth found himself at war on the morning of Sept. 11, as the Twin Towers fell and United Flight 93 crashed in a farmer's field. He and other members of NEADS, as the Rome-based unit is known, did their utmost to secure the skies over America that day.
Hogarth, though, isn't a member of the Air National Guard. He's a member of the Canadian Forces and one of 15 Canadians who play a key role in the operational air defense mission of NORAD.
"It was impossible to separate the actions of the Canadians and those of the Americans, because the Canadian Component is an integral part of NEADS, and we have been incorporated seamlessly into the team," Hogarth wrote in an article for a Canadian air force publication. "It was a tremendous honor and responsibility to have a nation put its faith in you, to trust you to keep them safe. I am very proud to have been called upon to defend that faith and to justify that trust. In every sense, the men and women of NEADS rose to the occasion."
Since NORAD's inception, close cooperation between Canada and the United States has been a hallmark of the organization, and Hogarth -- now on his second tour at NEADS -- exemplifies this partnership.
In November 2006, the mission of the joint American-Canadian unit doubled when the Southeast Air Defense Sector at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., was deactivated.
"Everyone in this unit worked tirelessly to ensure that the expansion of our air defense mission was seamless," said Col. Clark Speicher, NEADS commander. "Transitioning from controlling 500,000 square miles to 1 million square miles of airspace would seem like a huge undertaking, yet the professionalism displayed by everyone in the unit ensured that this expansion was and remains continuously flawless. At NEADS, we have a no-fail mission, and everyone works to ensure that this is achieved."
NEADS and the Canadian Component also reach out to the local community through speaking engagements, color guard details, and annual events such as the Canadian Component Mess Dinner.
"We encourage everyone in the unit, including the Canadians posted here, to support and contribute to the local community," Lt. Col. Wendy Rickards, the Canadian Component commander, said. "Our relationship with the community here has been strengthened by these positive actions and, in turn, community members have always remained extremely supportive of our unit and our mission."
The combined efforts of local veterans, the city of Rome, and members of the Canadian Component resulted in Rome becoming the first U.S. city to be presented a Canadian flag by the Canadian Forces, in a ceremony on May 21, 2005.
"In the course of planning the event, it became evident that it was a historical first," said Capt. Chris Semchuk, a Canadian forces member who is assigned to NEADS as a senior director aerospace controller. "No American city had ever been presented a Canadian flag by the Canadian forces and, after almost two years of planning, two Canadian flags were presented to Rome Mayor James Brown."
The Canadian Component commander at the time, Lt. Col François Malo, presented Brown with a Canadian flag -- previously flown on the Peace Tower of Canada's Parliament -- mounted in a shadow box and accompanied by a copy of the Jan. 28, 1965, National Flag Royal Proclamation. The second flag was raised over Rome's city hall, where it still flies today.
Brown captured the significance of the event by stating that he was "honored to be a part of this event which was a first in both American and Canadian history."
From its beginnings in World War Two, air defense has been a continuous process of modernization. Of more than 12 air defense sectors that have been deactivated, NEADS is one of the only two operational sectors in the continental United States still in existence. The Western Air Defense Sector, operating out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., is NEADS' sister sector.
NEADS was the first sector to modernize from a manual air defense system to the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment, or SAGE, System. The unit became operational in 1958 and set the standard for other sectors to follow, according to the unit's history.
As part of an Air Force reorganization that started in 1993, NEADS was the first air defense sector to transform from the regular Air Force to the Air National Guard. During that transition, Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome also was realigned into the Griffiss Business and Technology Park, where NEADS is located.
During the Griffiss realignment, NEADS was transformed as well. The unit's successful transformation set the transformation standard, and its lessons learned helped ensure a successful transition for the other sectors and 1st Air Force, Speicher said.
In addition to the Air National Guard and Canadian forces military personnel assigned to NEADS, the unit's staff includes federal civil service and civilian contractor personnel and active-duty members of the Air Force, Navy, Army and Coast Guard.
(Brooke Davis works at Northeast Air Defense Sector Public Affairs.)
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Domestic Violence in the Military: Implementing Collaborative MOUs
Though separated from surrounding communities in many ways, military installations are not islands. Service members and their families regularly visit such communities, and many live outside the installation in them. Any domestic violence (DV) incident that occurs off installations is under the jurisdiction of local civilian authorities. In fact, civilian authorities may also have jurisdiction (and be first responders) over incidents that occur on installations. Thus, one of the recommendations of the Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence (DTFDV) — which conducted a comprehensive review from 2000 to 2003 of how the military could most effectively prevent and respond to DV by and against its service members — was that the Department of Defense (DoD) “require installation/regional commanders to seek MOUs [memorandums of understanding] with local communities to address responses to domestic violence.”
While issuing such uniform policy may be relatively simple for the DoD, meeting this goal is likely to be a considerable challenge for both installations and communities. RAND examined some of the key challenges that must be addressed in establishing MOUs and recommend some ways to address them.
READ ON
http://rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB6016/index1.html
While issuing such uniform policy may be relatively simple for the DoD, meeting this goal is likely to be a considerable challenge for both installations and communities. RAND examined some of the key challenges that must be addressed in establishing MOUs and recommend some ways to address them.
READ ON
http://rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB6016/index1.html
MILITARY CONTRACTS May 13, 2008
NAVY
Harris Corp., (RF Communications Division), Rochester, N.Y., is being awarded a ceiling price $350,000,000 firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract resulting from Request for Proposal No. M67854-08-R-7009 for the Multi-Band Radio (MBR). Work will be performed by Rochester, N.Y., and work is expected to be complete May 2013. Delivery of the production quantities of MBR is expected to begin in Sept. 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-08-D-7009).
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $61,154,903 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-5444) for MK15 Phalanx Close-In-Weapon System (CIWS) ordnance alteration kits, spares, and associated hardware. The US Army procures Land-Based configurations of the CIWS system to support the Global War on Terrorism. Work will be performed in Louisville, Ky., (22 percent); Andover, Mass., (19 percent); Tucson, Ariz., (16 percent); Syracuse, N.Y., (9 percent); Long Beach, Calif., (9 percent); Radford, Va., (7 percent); Burlington, Vt., (7 percent); Palm Bay, Fla., (3 percent); Pittsburg, Pa., (2 percent); Bloomington, Minn., (2 percent); Salt Lake City, Utah, (2 percent); Norcross, Ga., (1 percent); and New Albany, Ind., (1 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Sept. 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $1,494,004 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Martin-Baker Aircraft Co., Ltd., Middlesex, England is being awarded a $42,172,647 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-07-C-0011) to exercise an option for 178 Navy Aircrew Common Ejection Seats (NACESs), including 78 for the Navy F/A-18E/F and E/A-18G; 12 for the Marine Corps F/A-18A+; 46 for the Government of Canada; 42 for the Government of Australia and 285 thermal batteries for the NACES, including 251 units for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corp and 23 units for the Government of Finland and 11 units for the Government of Switzerland. In addition, this contract provides for associated component parts and production support for the U.S. Navy production aircraft and the Governments of Canada and Australia. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, ($21,795,277; 51.69 percent); and the governments of Canada, ($10,550,649; 25.01 percent); Switzerland, ($49,085: .12 percent); Finland, ($102,632: .24 percent); and Australia, ($9,675,004: 22.94 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in Middlesex, England, (71.5 percent); Johnstown, Pa., (16 percent); Northridge, Calif., (7 percent); and Ronkonkoma, N.Y., (5.5 percent), and work is expected to be completed in Dec. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded a $21,224,759 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-5435) for 68 MK 20 MOD 1 Canisters and 156 MK 20 MOD 1 Frangible Covers in support of the Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM). The MK 20 MOD 1 Canisters are for Canada and the MK 20 MOD 1 Frangible Covers are for Canada, Netherlands and Belgium. The NATO SEASPARROW consortium, which includes the United States and 12 other countries, will fund all of the effort under this modification. Work will be performed in Hooveveen, Netherlands, and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Trident Systems, Incorporated*, Fairfax, Va., is being awarded a $9,934,155 modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-6265) for Phase III engineering services. The engineering services are in support of Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Topic No.N99-106 "Mobile Computing for Submarine Application". The contract modification for engineering services includes software development, procurement of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products and hardware/software integration in support of USS Virginia Class Submarine and other submarine/surface ship systems, surveillance and air platforms. The Phase III SBIR effort addresses systems and subsystems ranging from simple single processors to highly complex multi-processor network architecture. Work will be performed in Fairfax, Va., and work is expected to be completed by Apr. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Government & Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded an $8,887,717 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-03-D-0009) to exercise an option for depot level repair, maintenance, and post-production services of up to 300 High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARMs) for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and the Governments of Korea and Turkey. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Air Force ($7,960,411; 89.6 percent); the U.S. Navy ($396,694; 4.43 percent); and the Governments of Korea ($437,846; 4.93 percent) and Turkey ($92,766; 1.04 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in May 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.
BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $5,818,376 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-4403) for exercising an option for Program Management Organization (PMO) support for the USS Wasp (LHD-1) FY08 drydocking phased-maintenance availability. The PMO Spec provides the following support: program and production management support, estimating and contract administration services, material services to requisition and coordinate material requirements, technical library services, and provisioning technical documentation. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Va., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $5,818,376 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.
Harris Corp., (RF Communications Division), Rochester, N.Y., is being awarded a ceiling price $350,000,000 firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract resulting from Request for Proposal No. M67854-08-R-7009 for the Multi-Band Radio (MBR). Work will be performed by Rochester, N.Y., and work is expected to be complete May 2013. Delivery of the production quantities of MBR is expected to begin in Sept. 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-08-D-7009).
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $61,154,903 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-5444) for MK15 Phalanx Close-In-Weapon System (CIWS) ordnance alteration kits, spares, and associated hardware. The US Army procures Land-Based configurations of the CIWS system to support the Global War on Terrorism. Work will be performed in Louisville, Ky., (22 percent); Andover, Mass., (19 percent); Tucson, Ariz., (16 percent); Syracuse, N.Y., (9 percent); Long Beach, Calif., (9 percent); Radford, Va., (7 percent); Burlington, Vt., (7 percent); Palm Bay, Fla., (3 percent); Pittsburg, Pa., (2 percent); Bloomington, Minn., (2 percent); Salt Lake City, Utah, (2 percent); Norcross, Ga., (1 percent); and New Albany, Ind., (1 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Sept. 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $1,494,004 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Martin-Baker Aircraft Co., Ltd., Middlesex, England is being awarded a $42,172,647 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-07-C-0011) to exercise an option for 178 Navy Aircrew Common Ejection Seats (NACESs), including 78 for the Navy F/A-18E/F and E/A-18G; 12 for the Marine Corps F/A-18A+; 46 for the Government of Canada; 42 for the Government of Australia and 285 thermal batteries for the NACES, including 251 units for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corp and 23 units for the Government of Finland and 11 units for the Government of Switzerland. In addition, this contract provides for associated component parts and production support for the U.S. Navy production aircraft and the Governments of Canada and Australia. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, ($21,795,277; 51.69 percent); and the governments of Canada, ($10,550,649; 25.01 percent); Switzerland, ($49,085: .12 percent); Finland, ($102,632: .24 percent); and Australia, ($9,675,004: 22.94 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in Middlesex, England, (71.5 percent); Johnstown, Pa., (16 percent); Northridge, Calif., (7 percent); and Ronkonkoma, N.Y., (5.5 percent), and work is expected to be completed in Dec. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded a $21,224,759 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-5435) for 68 MK 20 MOD 1 Canisters and 156 MK 20 MOD 1 Frangible Covers in support of the Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM). The MK 20 MOD 1 Canisters are for Canada and the MK 20 MOD 1 Frangible Covers are for Canada, Netherlands and Belgium. The NATO SEASPARROW consortium, which includes the United States and 12 other countries, will fund all of the effort under this modification. Work will be performed in Hooveveen, Netherlands, and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Trident Systems, Incorporated*, Fairfax, Va., is being awarded a $9,934,155 modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-6265) for Phase III engineering services. The engineering services are in support of Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Topic No.N99-106 "Mobile Computing for Submarine Application". The contract modification for engineering services includes software development, procurement of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products and hardware/software integration in support of USS Virginia Class Submarine and other submarine/surface ship systems, surveillance and air platforms. The Phase III SBIR effort addresses systems and subsystems ranging from simple single processors to highly complex multi-processor network architecture. Work will be performed in Fairfax, Va., and work is expected to be completed by Apr. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Government & Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded an $8,887,717 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-03-D-0009) to exercise an option for depot level repair, maintenance, and post-production services of up to 300 High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARMs) for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and the Governments of Korea and Turkey. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Air Force ($7,960,411; 89.6 percent); the U.S. Navy ($396,694; 4.43 percent); and the Governments of Korea ($437,846; 4.93 percent) and Turkey ($92,766; 1.04 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in May 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.
BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $5,818,376 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-4403) for exercising an option for Program Management Organization (PMO) support for the USS Wasp (LHD-1) FY08 drydocking phased-maintenance availability. The PMO Spec provides the following support: program and production management support, estimating and contract administration services, material services to requisition and coordinate material requirements, technical library services, and provisioning technical documentation. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Va., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $5,818,376 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.
U.S - Japan Search for WWII Japanese MIAs in Alaska
The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that a small team of Japanese and U.S. specialists is visiting Attu Island, Alaska, in search of burial locations of the Japanese soldiers who are still missing from a 1943 World War Two battle there.
The Department of Defense, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are supporting a team of three Japanese and 11 Americans. The team departed from Kodiak today via a C-130 on a flight to the U.S. Coast Guard Station on Attu Island. Some engineering equipment will be flown to Eareckson AFS on a U.S. Air Force C-17 and from there, the Coast Guard will move the equipment via C-130 to Attu Island.
The team's work on Attu Island will be supported by Army engineers from Ft. Richardson, Alaska, who will also employ ground-penetrating radar to help locate remains and guard against unexploded ordnance.
While visiting the island, the team is being housed at the long range navigation station and will be supported by the U.S. Coast Guard garrison. Attu Island is under the management and protection of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which administers the Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge. At the end of Alaska's Aleutian island chain, Attu is the westernmost point of land of the United States.
In June 1942, a unit of the Japanese Army occupied Attu, capturing and imprisoning many of its inhabitants. U.S. forces began action to recapture the small island in May 1943, where fierce hand-to-hand battles led to about 540 American and 2,300 Japanese deaths. It was the site of the only land battle in WWII in North America.
In 1953, 235 sets of Japanese remains were recovered on Attu and reburied at Ft. Richardson, near Anchorage, Alaska. The Japanese later disinterred those remains, cremated them as part of a religious ceremony and reburied them at the same location.
The Japanese government assisted U.S. investigators in June 2007 in a visit to Iwo Jima in search of information related to American WWII MIAs. This 14-day deployment to Attu Island follows a similar four-day investigation there in July 2007. For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
The Department of Defense, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are supporting a team of three Japanese and 11 Americans. The team departed from Kodiak today via a C-130 on a flight to the U.S. Coast Guard Station on Attu Island. Some engineering equipment will be flown to Eareckson AFS on a U.S. Air Force C-17 and from there, the Coast Guard will move the equipment via C-130 to Attu Island.
The team's work on Attu Island will be supported by Army engineers from Ft. Richardson, Alaska, who will also employ ground-penetrating radar to help locate remains and guard against unexploded ordnance.
While visiting the island, the team is being housed at the long range navigation station and will be supported by the U.S. Coast Guard garrison. Attu Island is under the management and protection of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which administers the Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge. At the end of Alaska's Aleutian island chain, Attu is the westernmost point of land of the United States.
In June 1942, a unit of the Japanese Army occupied Attu, capturing and imprisoning many of its inhabitants. U.S. forces began action to recapture the small island in May 1943, where fierce hand-to-hand battles led to about 540 American and 2,300 Japanese deaths. It was the site of the only land battle in WWII in North America.
In 1953, 235 sets of Japanese remains were recovered on Attu and reburied at Ft. Richardson, near Anchorage, Alaska. The Japanese later disinterred those remains, cremated them as part of a religious ceremony and reburied them at the same location.
The Japanese government assisted U.S. investigators in June 2007 in a visit to Iwo Jima in search of information related to American WWII MIAs. This 14-day deployment to Attu Island follows a similar four-day investigation there in July 2007. For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
Gates Salutes NORAD's 50 Years as Guardian of Skies
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
May 13, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates saluted North American Aerospace Defense Command's role as the guardian of North American skies at the organization's 50th anniversary observance here last night. NORAD, a U.S.-Canadian military organization, was established May 12, 1958, to defend North America from air and space threats.
"Both of our nations are dedicated to protecting North Americans from air attacks, and this institution remains a vital part of the defense of the continent," Gates said during his address at NORAD's Golden Jubilee Ball at the Broadmoor resort.
Canada has long been a valued friend of the United States, Gates said, noting he shared the podium with Canadian Minister of National Defense Peter Gordon MacKay.
Gates thanked Canada for its partnership in the war on terror. Some 3,000 Canadian troops are serving in NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. "I also thank you for your ongoing commitment to NORAD," Gates told MacKay.
The then-Soviet Union's launch of its Sputnik satellite in 1957 "accelerated the space race and raised the specter of attack on our homeland by intercontinental ballistic missiles," Gates recalled. The United States and Canada set up an extensive radar network to protect North American air space, Gates said, and NORAD operations began on Sept. 12, 1957, eight months before the command's formal establishment.
NORAD's mission is no less important today, Gates observed, especially with the advent of transnational terrorism. Operation Noble Eagle airspace-protection missions have been flown over the homeland since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he said. Noble Eagle supplies a ready alert force, air patrols, and surveillance to the United States and Canada, Gates said. Its pilots have flown 45,000 sorties since the terror attacks, he noted.
NORAD always is on guard for enemy threats emanating from the skies or space, Gates said. In 2006, NORAD added maritime surveillance to its mission list.
Starting even before its formal establishment, NORAD has tracked Santa Claus each year as he flies around the world in his reindeer-drawn sleigh bringing Christmas gifts and cheer to children worldwide, Gates said.
"Looking back at all the years, and all the Christmases spent tracking Santa, we take for granted the advances that have been made --– like satellites in space and the ability to communicate across the globe in an instant," Gates observed.
NORAD has steadfastly performed its important missions with creativity and innovation for the past half-century, Gates said.
"It is, in the final analysis, still one of our first and last defenses of that which we cherish most: our loved ones, our liberties, our countries," Gates said.
"To all the men and women who have dedicated their lives to defending this continent, I thank you," the secretary said. "As we look back on all that has been accomplished, let us also look forward to new challenges and new triumphs."
MacKay echoed Gates' feelings about NORAD.
"Looking back over five decades, we can be proud of everything that NORAD has accomplished and everything NORAD stands for," MacKay said. In the future, he said, NORAD "must continue to adapt, innovate and cooperate, because our mutual security depends upon it."
NORAD and U.S. Northern Command are based at Peterson Air Force Bbase here and are commanded by U.S. Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., whose deputy at NORAD is a Canadian flag officer, Lt. Gen. Charlie Bouchard. Established on Oct. 1, 2002, U.S. Northern Command conducts homeland defense and civil support missions.
U.S. and Canadian military officials at NORAD are now "fusing together their mutual interests, their great planning capabilities" to improve the organization so it can successfully confront future challenges, Renuart said.
"So, we'll continue to guard what you all value most: our families, our friends and our communities," Renuart promised.
"That really is the legacy of NORAD," he said.
American Forces Press Service
May 13, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates saluted North American Aerospace Defense Command's role as the guardian of North American skies at the organization's 50th anniversary observance here last night. NORAD, a U.S.-Canadian military organization, was established May 12, 1958, to defend North America from air and space threats.
"Both of our nations are dedicated to protecting North Americans from air attacks, and this institution remains a vital part of the defense of the continent," Gates said during his address at NORAD's Golden Jubilee Ball at the Broadmoor resort.
Canada has long been a valued friend of the United States, Gates said, noting he shared the podium with Canadian Minister of National Defense Peter Gordon MacKay.
Gates thanked Canada for its partnership in the war on terror. Some 3,000 Canadian troops are serving in NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. "I also thank you for your ongoing commitment to NORAD," Gates told MacKay.
The then-Soviet Union's launch of its Sputnik satellite in 1957 "accelerated the space race and raised the specter of attack on our homeland by intercontinental ballistic missiles," Gates recalled. The United States and Canada set up an extensive radar network to protect North American air space, Gates said, and NORAD operations began on Sept. 12, 1957, eight months before the command's formal establishment.
NORAD's mission is no less important today, Gates observed, especially with the advent of transnational terrorism. Operation Noble Eagle airspace-protection missions have been flown over the homeland since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he said. Noble Eagle supplies a ready alert force, air patrols, and surveillance to the United States and Canada, Gates said. Its pilots have flown 45,000 sorties since the terror attacks, he noted.
NORAD always is on guard for enemy threats emanating from the skies or space, Gates said. In 2006, NORAD added maritime surveillance to its mission list.
Starting even before its formal establishment, NORAD has tracked Santa Claus each year as he flies around the world in his reindeer-drawn sleigh bringing Christmas gifts and cheer to children worldwide, Gates said.
"Looking back at all the years, and all the Christmases spent tracking Santa, we take for granted the advances that have been made --– like satellites in space and the ability to communicate across the globe in an instant," Gates observed.
NORAD has steadfastly performed its important missions with creativity and innovation for the past half-century, Gates said.
"It is, in the final analysis, still one of our first and last defenses of that which we cherish most: our loved ones, our liberties, our countries," Gates said.
"To all the men and women who have dedicated their lives to defending this continent, I thank you," the secretary said. "As we look back on all that has been accomplished, let us also look forward to new challenges and new triumphs."
MacKay echoed Gates' feelings about NORAD.
"Looking back over five decades, we can be proud of everything that NORAD has accomplished and everything NORAD stands for," MacKay said. In the future, he said, NORAD "must continue to adapt, innovate and cooperate, because our mutual security depends upon it."
NORAD and U.S. Northern Command are based at Peterson Air Force Bbase here and are commanded by U.S. Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., whose deputy at NORAD is a Canadian flag officer, Lt. Gen. Charlie Bouchard. Established on Oct. 1, 2002, U.S. Northern Command conducts homeland defense and civil support missions.
U.S. and Canadian military officials at NORAD are now "fusing together their mutual interests, their great planning capabilities" to improve the organization so it can successfully confront future challenges, Renuart said.
"So, we'll continue to guard what you all value most: our families, our friends and our communities," Renuart promised.
"That really is the legacy of NORAD," he said.
When you Hear the Bugle Call
I pray that the reading of this very personal account of war and its aftermath will benefit other combat veterans agonized by severe and chronic PTSD as it has been for me in the writing of it. The intention of this account is to help them, their friends and loved ones better understand this devastating “psychological, automatic, and natural response” to repeated, life threatening situations and to offer them hope and guidance in achieving a much brighter future. This publication will bring them to the realization that they are not alone in their sufferings and that professional help, understanding and comradeship, is as close as the nearest Veterans Administration Medical Center.
READ ON
http://www.police-writers.com/articles/griffin_bugle_call.html
READ ON
http://www.police-writers.com/articles/griffin_bugle_call.html
PaCom Commander Accompanies Burmese Relief Mission, Appeals to Allow More Aid
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 13, 2008 - The top U.S. officer in the Pacific accompanied the first U.S. relief flight into Burma yesterday, delivering not only desperately needed supplies but also personal appeals to the ruling junta and a letter asking the prime minister to allow more help. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, chief of U.S. Pacific Command, is no stranger to disaster response. He was at the helm at U.S. Northern Command when he mobilized U.S. military support during Hurricane Katrina. At PaCom, he coordinated the U.S. response after a fierce tropical storm lambasted Bangladesh in November.
So after a devastating May 2 cyclone decimated much of Burma's Irrawaddy River delta, Keating knew what Pacific Command could do to help, if the Burmese government only gave the green light.
So Keating took his appeal in person, joining an Air Force C-130 Hercules aircrew yesterday for the first U.S. military relief flight from Utapao Thai Royal Navy air base, Thailand, to Rangoon International Airport, Burma. Henrietta Force, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, joined Keating during the mission.
The flight, with 28,000 pounds of cargo, was the first of three relief flights Burma has approved to date. The Marine Corps flew two additional C-130 flights today, delivering an additional 44,650 pounds of water, blankets, mosquito netting and plastic sheeting.
As the airmen helped Burmese troops and civilian volunteers offload the first load of cargo -- 8,300 bottles of water, two pallets of mosquito nets and a pallet of blankets – Keating met yesterday for more than an hour with Burmese officials to make his case.
Characterizing the session as "friendly and gracious," Keating said he told the delegation what kind of help the United States has to offer. "We made as rational and passionate a plea to get Burma's permission to begin relief operations," he said during a phone interview from Bangkok with American Forces Press Service.
Keating described some of the assets on standby: six C-130 aircraft at a staging area at Utapao air base, about a half-dozen CH-53 Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopters and several CH-46 Sea Knight medium-lift helicopters. Additional air assets are in a waiting mode with Joint Task Force Caring Response, headed by Marine Lt. Gen. John Goodman, commander of Marine Forces Pacific.
In addition, USS Essex, USS Harpers Ferry, USS Mustin and USS Juneau arrived in the Bay of Bengal early this morning. Aboard them are 10 more CH-46s, four to six CH-53s and more than 14,000 5-gallon plastic bladders filled with fresh water.
Keating said they're also carrying what he described as a key capability: "about 1,000 to 2,000 Marines and sailors who are all prepared to go ashore, or at least provide relief efforts ashore when the Burmese will allow us."
Before returning to Thailand with the aircrew, Keating left a personal note to be delivered to the Burmese prime minister, reiterating his verbal appeal and promising to keep all support low-profile.
"We will leave no fingerprints," Keating said he wrote to the prime minister, who ultimately must authorize any additional relief missions. "We will not use any Burmese fuel. We will not take any Burmese food or water. When the Marines and the Air Force personnel leave, the Burmese will not know we were there. We will be entirely self-sufficient. We can bring our own command and control. We will help, (and) the minute we are no longer desired or required, we will leave."
Despite his efforts, Keating said, he regretted that he wasn't able to get the acceptances he had come seeking -- at least not yet. It could be as long as two weeks before the prime minister decides whether to accept more help, the admiral said the embassy staff told him.
"Our diplomatic personnel there in Burma cautioned us against high expectations," Keating said. "They say that, historically, the Burmese are very slow to give approval. All decisions of this magnitude have to go to the prime minister. He and he alone retains the authority to make them."
Keating expressed frustration that military assets and capability are sitting idle as the casualty numbers from the deadly cyclone that hit Burma on May 2 continue to mount.
"We have a disaster of near-incomprehensible magnitude," he said. Initial reports from United Nations and World Food Bank program workers who have been permitted into Burma indicate that conditions are becoming "very, very grim."
"We all know that each day that goes by, the situation is likely to degrade dramatically from catastrophic to worse," Keating said. "So it is frustrating, but it is worse than that. It is a catastrophe of epic proportions, in my view. And we are right there. We are ready to help, and we can't get permission."
Before returning to his headquarters at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, Keating said he planned visits in Thailand to thank Thai military leaders, as well as U.N. and World Food Bank workers for their support for the Burmese mission.
Keating said he planned to tell the nongovernmental organization staffs that the United States will help support their work in Burma "in any way that we can."
The Burmese government is likely to be more receptive to NGOs than military forces providing support, he conceded. "That's fair enough. We just want to get the aid there and the supplies there," Keating said. "It doesn't matter to us nearly so much what kind of flag is on the side of the aid. We just want it to get to the folks who need it."
The bright spot of the yesterday's mission, he said, was watching the airmen roll up their sleeves and pitch in to help the Burmese, who formed a human chain at the back of the aircraft to pass relief supplies to a waiting 2-and-a-half ton truck.
They "have a very clear sense that this is a drop in the bucket [of what's needed], but at least it's a drop they are providing," Keating said. "They were hustling. It was pretty hot, and they were perspiring mightily as they were offloading goods yesterday afternoon."
"These are America's finest ambassadors, in my humble opinion," he said.
"This is not necessarily what they joined the service to do. Their primary mission is to defend the United States and our allies in the Pacific. And these guys are ready to do that on a moment's notice," he said. "But when the bell rings, they want to help out anyone and everyone who needs it."
Marine Capt. Dax McLendon, a C-130 pilot who delivered 24,500 pounds of aid during the first of two relief flights today, said it felt good to be able to lend a hand in Burma.
The crew, from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, based in Okinawa, Japan, had been in the region for the Cobra Gold 2008 exercise when it got diverted for humanitarian assistance for Burma. "The whole crew was happy that we could help out," McLendon said.
The delivery went like clockwork, he said. Bad weather initially hampered visibility of conditions on the ground, but during the decent into Rangoon, McLendon and the crew saw evidence of extensive flooding.
Once on the ground, the Burmese greeted them with open arms as they worked side by side with the Marines offloading the plane, he said.
"I've done humanitarian relief before, and it always feels good when you land with the supplies people need," he said. "Especially when they are the ones offloading your plane, you can see that they are happy you are there. They were real receptive to us and very happy and all smiling and shaking our hands. They wanted to take pictures with us, get around the plane and kind of check us out."
Marine Capt. Michael Scott, another pilot on the flight, recalled how much easier the offloading would have been if the Burmese would allow the United States to bring in offloading equipment, rather than offloading everything by hand. "You can tell that they can use our help," he said. "We have the ability to bring in materials to do that for them, but that just has to be worked out between our two governments."
The offloading was completed in 47 minutes flat, and exactly an hour and a half after touching down, the C-130 was headed back to Thailand. Now McLendon, Scott and their fellow aircrews remain on standby, wondering if they'll be called on to fly additional relief missions.
"We don't know yet," McLendon said. "But we're definitely here to support if the Burmese government asks for us."
American Forces Press Service
May 13, 2008 - The top U.S. officer in the Pacific accompanied the first U.S. relief flight into Burma yesterday, delivering not only desperately needed supplies but also personal appeals to the ruling junta and a letter asking the prime minister to allow more help. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, chief of U.S. Pacific Command, is no stranger to disaster response. He was at the helm at U.S. Northern Command when he mobilized U.S. military support during Hurricane Katrina. At PaCom, he coordinated the U.S. response after a fierce tropical storm lambasted Bangladesh in November.
So after a devastating May 2 cyclone decimated much of Burma's Irrawaddy River delta, Keating knew what Pacific Command could do to help, if the Burmese government only gave the green light.
So Keating took his appeal in person, joining an Air Force C-130 Hercules aircrew yesterday for the first U.S. military relief flight from Utapao Thai Royal Navy air base, Thailand, to Rangoon International Airport, Burma. Henrietta Force, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, joined Keating during the mission.
The flight, with 28,000 pounds of cargo, was the first of three relief flights Burma has approved to date. The Marine Corps flew two additional C-130 flights today, delivering an additional 44,650 pounds of water, blankets, mosquito netting and plastic sheeting.
As the airmen helped Burmese troops and civilian volunteers offload the first load of cargo -- 8,300 bottles of water, two pallets of mosquito nets and a pallet of blankets – Keating met yesterday for more than an hour with Burmese officials to make his case.
Characterizing the session as "friendly and gracious," Keating said he told the delegation what kind of help the United States has to offer. "We made as rational and passionate a plea to get Burma's permission to begin relief operations," he said during a phone interview from Bangkok with American Forces Press Service.
Keating described some of the assets on standby: six C-130 aircraft at a staging area at Utapao air base, about a half-dozen CH-53 Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopters and several CH-46 Sea Knight medium-lift helicopters. Additional air assets are in a waiting mode with Joint Task Force Caring Response, headed by Marine Lt. Gen. John Goodman, commander of Marine Forces Pacific.
In addition, USS Essex, USS Harpers Ferry, USS Mustin and USS Juneau arrived in the Bay of Bengal early this morning. Aboard them are 10 more CH-46s, four to six CH-53s and more than 14,000 5-gallon plastic bladders filled with fresh water.
Keating said they're also carrying what he described as a key capability: "about 1,000 to 2,000 Marines and sailors who are all prepared to go ashore, or at least provide relief efforts ashore when the Burmese will allow us."
Before returning to Thailand with the aircrew, Keating left a personal note to be delivered to the Burmese prime minister, reiterating his verbal appeal and promising to keep all support low-profile.
"We will leave no fingerprints," Keating said he wrote to the prime minister, who ultimately must authorize any additional relief missions. "We will not use any Burmese fuel. We will not take any Burmese food or water. When the Marines and the Air Force personnel leave, the Burmese will not know we were there. We will be entirely self-sufficient. We can bring our own command and control. We will help, (and) the minute we are no longer desired or required, we will leave."
Despite his efforts, Keating said, he regretted that he wasn't able to get the acceptances he had come seeking -- at least not yet. It could be as long as two weeks before the prime minister decides whether to accept more help, the admiral said the embassy staff told him.
"Our diplomatic personnel there in Burma cautioned us against high expectations," Keating said. "They say that, historically, the Burmese are very slow to give approval. All decisions of this magnitude have to go to the prime minister. He and he alone retains the authority to make them."
Keating expressed frustration that military assets and capability are sitting idle as the casualty numbers from the deadly cyclone that hit Burma on May 2 continue to mount.
"We have a disaster of near-incomprehensible magnitude," he said. Initial reports from United Nations and World Food Bank program workers who have been permitted into Burma indicate that conditions are becoming "very, very grim."
"We all know that each day that goes by, the situation is likely to degrade dramatically from catastrophic to worse," Keating said. "So it is frustrating, but it is worse than that. It is a catastrophe of epic proportions, in my view. And we are right there. We are ready to help, and we can't get permission."
Before returning to his headquarters at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, Keating said he planned visits in Thailand to thank Thai military leaders, as well as U.N. and World Food Bank workers for their support for the Burmese mission.
Keating said he planned to tell the nongovernmental organization staffs that the United States will help support their work in Burma "in any way that we can."
The Burmese government is likely to be more receptive to NGOs than military forces providing support, he conceded. "That's fair enough. We just want to get the aid there and the supplies there," Keating said. "It doesn't matter to us nearly so much what kind of flag is on the side of the aid. We just want it to get to the folks who need it."
The bright spot of the yesterday's mission, he said, was watching the airmen roll up their sleeves and pitch in to help the Burmese, who formed a human chain at the back of the aircraft to pass relief supplies to a waiting 2-and-a-half ton truck.
They "have a very clear sense that this is a drop in the bucket [of what's needed], but at least it's a drop they are providing," Keating said. "They were hustling. It was pretty hot, and they were perspiring mightily as they were offloading goods yesterday afternoon."
"These are America's finest ambassadors, in my humble opinion," he said.
"This is not necessarily what they joined the service to do. Their primary mission is to defend the United States and our allies in the Pacific. And these guys are ready to do that on a moment's notice," he said. "But when the bell rings, they want to help out anyone and everyone who needs it."
Marine Capt. Dax McLendon, a C-130 pilot who delivered 24,500 pounds of aid during the first of two relief flights today, said it felt good to be able to lend a hand in Burma.
The crew, from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, based in Okinawa, Japan, had been in the region for the Cobra Gold 2008 exercise when it got diverted for humanitarian assistance for Burma. "The whole crew was happy that we could help out," McLendon said.
The delivery went like clockwork, he said. Bad weather initially hampered visibility of conditions on the ground, but during the decent into Rangoon, McLendon and the crew saw evidence of extensive flooding.
Once on the ground, the Burmese greeted them with open arms as they worked side by side with the Marines offloading the plane, he said.
"I've done humanitarian relief before, and it always feels good when you land with the supplies people need," he said. "Especially when they are the ones offloading your plane, you can see that they are happy you are there. They were real receptive to us and very happy and all smiling and shaking our hands. They wanted to take pictures with us, get around the plane and kind of check us out."
Marine Capt. Michael Scott, another pilot on the flight, recalled how much easier the offloading would have been if the Burmese would allow the United States to bring in offloading equipment, rather than offloading everything by hand. "You can tell that they can use our help," he said. "We have the ability to bring in materials to do that for them, but that just has to be worked out between our two governments."
The offloading was completed in 47 minutes flat, and exactly an hour and a half after touching down, the C-130 was headed back to Thailand. Now McLendon, Scott and their fellow aircrews remain on standby, wondering if they'll be called on to fly additional relief missions.
"We don't know yet," McLendon said. "But we're definitely here to support if the Burmese government asks for us."
Bear’s Lesson
Editor's Note: While Bear's Lesson is for law enforcement, there is a good application for military personnel.
I want to tell you about the Bear. He was, and to me still is, all that is pure and admirable about being a cop. I was assigned to him during the summer of ’69, and my five months with him left me so in awe, so touched and troubled, that I still often think of him.
The bear flew to the scene of an incident like an avenging angel. His small thick hands grasped the wheel so tightly in anger that I actually feared for the life of the unknown suspect at the other end of the ride. No red lights or siren; just a gut-wrenching wide-open acceleration born of Bear’s fury. I was nervous with this field training officer, who was known to all as Bear – or THE Bear to those who were perpetually in wonder of him, as I certainly was. I stole a glance at him as we throttled around the corner, a block away from our assigned location, and involuntarily shivered at the sight. A 220-pound, five feet, eight-inch body swathed in blue material, harnessed by a gunbelt partially obscured in fat, topped by an undersized head sporting a marine-style crewcut. A bear indeed, with an animal-like anger to match. He scared me then, for he looked so formidable. But this was before I came to know him. And it was before his final bout with evil.
READ ON
http://www.police-writers.com/articles/gilbert_bears_lesson.html
America Supports You: Vets Help Wounded Warriors, Families Relax
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
May 12, 2008 - Two former Marines have set out to provide wounded veterans with a week's worth of rest and relaxation in luxury homes. "Our mission is to pair up recently wounded veterans who are the recipients of the Purple Heart Medal with vacation homeowners who are eager to donate a week of free lodging in their vacation homes," said Peggy Carr, who founded the Vacations for Veterans with her husband, Christopher.
The Washington-based organization's focus is to get veterans wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan and their families on a "much-needed and much-deserved respite," she said. "A vacation serves as a time for these veterans to rejuvenate and to reconnect with families after spending time in hospitals and [rehabilitation] facilities," Carr added.
The idea for Vacations for Veterans originated when Peggy began debating which charity she would support with a portion of the proceeds from her business, "Exclusive Exchanges." The company helps to connect homeowners who would like to swap homes while they vacation, and she noticed that some of her luxury vacation homes were vacant for several weeks each year.
The enthusiastic response she received after explaining the idea to some of the home's owners sealed the deal, and Vacations for Veterans was born.
"What we have found to be pretty unique about our organization is that we set it up to help the wounded veterans, of course," Carr said. "We have found, though, that we have helped some of our home donors as well. Many have contacted us to thank us for allowing them to give back in some small way to our troops who have sacrificed so much."
Homeowners who would like to participate can sign up through the Vacations for Veterans Web site, which also is where eligible veterans can express interest. Veterans must provide a copy of their Purple Heart documentation to establish eligibility.
Vacations for Veterans is a new supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
Carr said she hopes the affiliation will help with exposure and networking, among other things.
"We especially need help with fundraising, as we have found that most of the veterans do not have the money to pay for travel costs to get to a lot of our vacations homes that are available to them," she said.
American Forces Press Service
May 12, 2008 - Two former Marines have set out to provide wounded veterans with a week's worth of rest and relaxation in luxury homes. "Our mission is to pair up recently wounded veterans who are the recipients of the Purple Heart Medal with vacation homeowners who are eager to donate a week of free lodging in their vacation homes," said Peggy Carr, who founded the Vacations for Veterans with her husband, Christopher.
The Washington-based organization's focus is to get veterans wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan and their families on a "much-needed and much-deserved respite," she said. "A vacation serves as a time for these veterans to rejuvenate and to reconnect with families after spending time in hospitals and [rehabilitation] facilities," Carr added.
The idea for Vacations for Veterans originated when Peggy began debating which charity she would support with a portion of the proceeds from her business, "Exclusive Exchanges." The company helps to connect homeowners who would like to swap homes while they vacation, and she noticed that some of her luxury vacation homes were vacant for several weeks each year.
The enthusiastic response she received after explaining the idea to some of the home's owners sealed the deal, and Vacations for Veterans was born.
"What we have found to be pretty unique about our organization is that we set it up to help the wounded veterans, of course," Carr said. "We have found, though, that we have helped some of our home donors as well. Many have contacted us to thank us for allowing them to give back in some small way to our troops who have sacrificed so much."
Homeowners who would like to participate can sign up through the Vacations for Veterans Web site, which also is where eligible veterans can express interest. Veterans must provide a copy of their Purple Heart documentation to establish eligibility.
Vacations for Veterans is a new supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
Carr said she hopes the affiliation will help with exposure and networking, among other things.
"We especially need help with fundraising, as we have found that most of the veterans do not have the money to pay for travel costs to get to a lot of our vacations homes that are available to them," she said.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Services Meet or Exceed April 2008 Recruiting Goals
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
May 12, 2008 - All military services met or exceeded their recruiting goals for April, with the Marine Corps recruiting 142 percent of its goal, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said here today. The Army reached 101 percent of its goal, and the Navy and Air Force met their goals.
In the re-enlistment arena, the Army, Navy and Marine Corps met or exceeded their active-duty retention objectives. "The Air Force still faces challenges, but they still seem able to meet their year-end strength goals," Whitman said.
All the reserve components also met or exceeded their recruiting goals, with the Air National Guard at 130 percent and the Army Reserve at 120 percent.
April "was another strong month for recruiting and retention," Whitman said.
The Army brought in 5,681 recruits and had a goal of 5,650. The Navy enlisted 2,905 new sailors, and the Air Force brought in 2,435 airmen -- both meeting their goals on the button.
The Marine Corps enlisted 2,233 recruits and had a goal of 1,577. One reporter on the Pentagon beat likened the Marine numbers as "recruiting on steroids." Whitman said it is an indication that the recruiting environment is strong.
"The Marine Corps, if they continue to achieve the kind of success they have had, could meet their growth figures more than a year early," he said.
On the reserve-component side, the Army National Guard brought in 6,201 soldiers on a goal of 5,538 for 112 percent. The Army Reserve enlisted 3,520 soldiers on a goal of 2,937 for 120 percent.
The Navy Reserve hit its enlistment goal of 831, and the Marine Corps Reserve hit its mark of 459.
The Air National Guard enlisted 875 airmen and had a goal of 672 for 130 percent, and the Air Force Reserve went one over on its goal of enlisting 680 airmen.
While a slower U.S. economy may account for some of the success, it only tells part of the story, a DoD personnel and readiness official said. "We had recruiting success when the economy was going at virtually full throttle," the official said, though he acknowledged that, when unemployment rates go up, the interest in enlisting also rises.
Still, the greatest single reason for the improvement in recruiting is the availability of recruiters, the official said. "The principal thing is the growth in recruiters and the increase in benefits -- money, education, mortgages and so on," the official said.
The Army and Marine Corps have increased the number of recruiters on the street. The services also have increased enlistment bonuses and the money spent on advertising.
"Overall, the services have doubled the amount of money spent per recruit," the official said. "When you turn up the volume on a resource, people listen."
American Forces Press Service
May 12, 2008 - All military services met or exceeded their recruiting goals for April, with the Marine Corps recruiting 142 percent of its goal, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said here today. The Army reached 101 percent of its goal, and the Navy and Air Force met their goals.
In the re-enlistment arena, the Army, Navy and Marine Corps met or exceeded their active-duty retention objectives. "The Air Force still faces challenges, but they still seem able to meet their year-end strength goals," Whitman said.
All the reserve components also met or exceeded their recruiting goals, with the Air National Guard at 130 percent and the Army Reserve at 120 percent.
April "was another strong month for recruiting and retention," Whitman said.
The Army brought in 5,681 recruits and had a goal of 5,650. The Navy enlisted 2,905 new sailors, and the Air Force brought in 2,435 airmen -- both meeting their goals on the button.
The Marine Corps enlisted 2,233 recruits and had a goal of 1,577. One reporter on the Pentagon beat likened the Marine numbers as "recruiting on steroids." Whitman said it is an indication that the recruiting environment is strong.
"The Marine Corps, if they continue to achieve the kind of success they have had, could meet their growth figures more than a year early," he said.
On the reserve-component side, the Army National Guard brought in 6,201 soldiers on a goal of 5,538 for 112 percent. The Army Reserve enlisted 3,520 soldiers on a goal of 2,937 for 120 percent.
The Navy Reserve hit its enlistment goal of 831, and the Marine Corps Reserve hit its mark of 459.
The Air National Guard enlisted 875 airmen and had a goal of 672 for 130 percent, and the Air Force Reserve went one over on its goal of enlisting 680 airmen.
While a slower U.S. economy may account for some of the success, it only tells part of the story, a DoD personnel and readiness official said. "We had recruiting success when the economy was going at virtually full throttle," the official said, though he acknowledged that, when unemployment rates go up, the interest in enlisting also rises.
Still, the greatest single reason for the improvement in recruiting is the availability of recruiters, the official said. "The principal thing is the growth in recruiters and the increase in benefits -- money, education, mortgages and so on," the official said.
The Army and Marine Corps have increased the number of recruiters on the street. The services also have increased enlistment bonuses and the money spent on advertising.
"Overall, the services have doubled the amount of money spent per recruit," the official said. "When you turn up the volume on a resource, people listen."
First of Three Planned U.S. Relief Flights Brings Aid to Burma
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
May 12, 2008 - The first U.S. military plane loaded with relief supplies arrived in Burma today as members of Joint Task Force Caring Response prepared to dispatch two more relief flights to the cyclone-stricken region. A C-130 Hercules transport aircraft loaded with emergency relief supplies arrived yesterday at Rangoon International Airport in Burma, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. After delivering its load -- 8,300 bottles of water, two pallets of mosquito nets and a pallet of blankets -- to Burmese military officials for distribution, the plane returned to Utapao Thai Royal Navy air base in Thailand.
Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, the U.S. Pacific Command chief, accompanied the C-130 shipment to Rangoon. "He was greeted by a Burmese naval officer who thanked him for the assistance," Whitman said. Keating returned to Thailand with the flight crew.
The delivery was the first of three planned flights in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Relief, approved by the military junta that has ruled Burma for 19 years.
Tomorrow's flights will carry food and water, the two greatest needs, into the cyclone-ravaged Irrawaddy River delta. Those deliveries, like today's, will be turned over to the Burmese officials for distribution, Whitman said.
Marine Lt. Gen. John F. Goodman, commander of Marine Forces Pacific, is coordinating the U.S. military response as commander of Joint Task Force Caring Response.
U.S. State Department officials are working with the Burmese government to allow more aid into the country, Whitman said. State Department officials said today that their personnel in Burma and Thailand are working with other nations to find ways to get more aid into Burma quickly.
"The goal of the United States government is to try to get as much assistance as we can to the Burmese people," Whitman said.
The USS Essex Expeditionary Strike Group will arrive in international waters off Burma tomorrow and be ready to lend a hand if allowed by Burmese authorities. The group includes USS Essex, USS Juneau and USS Harpers Ferry, and is equipped with 23 helicopters, three landing craft air cushions, two landing craft units, and 1,800 Marines.
Additional U.S. military assets are on standby, ready to respond if the Burmese junta permits. The Marine Corps has four KC-130J aircraft in Bangkok, and the Air Force has six C-130s in Utapao and Korat, Thailand. In addition, the 36th Contingency Support Group, based in Guam, is preparing to provide a water purification unit and two airfield opening and operating teams to the region.
These assets already were in the region for Cobra Gold 2008, a U.S.-Thai humanitarian- and civil-assistance exercise, when Cyclone Nargis hit May 2. This year's Cobra Gold, the 27th annual exercise, was slated to run May 8 to 21, officials said.
Nine days after the cyclone, Burmese officials estimate the death toll at 31,938, with another 29,770 missing. United Nations officials put the toll between 62,000 and 100,000. The U.N. also said about 2 million people may be refugees.
(Donna Miles of American Forces Press Service contributed to this article.)
American Forces Press Service
May 12, 2008 - The first U.S. military plane loaded with relief supplies arrived in Burma today as members of Joint Task Force Caring Response prepared to dispatch two more relief flights to the cyclone-stricken region. A C-130 Hercules transport aircraft loaded with emergency relief supplies arrived yesterday at Rangoon International Airport in Burma, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. After delivering its load -- 8,300 bottles of water, two pallets of mosquito nets and a pallet of blankets -- to Burmese military officials for distribution, the plane returned to Utapao Thai Royal Navy air base in Thailand.
Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, the U.S. Pacific Command chief, accompanied the C-130 shipment to Rangoon. "He was greeted by a Burmese naval officer who thanked him for the assistance," Whitman said. Keating returned to Thailand with the flight crew.
The delivery was the first of three planned flights in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Relief, approved by the military junta that has ruled Burma for 19 years.
Tomorrow's flights will carry food and water, the two greatest needs, into the cyclone-ravaged Irrawaddy River delta. Those deliveries, like today's, will be turned over to the Burmese officials for distribution, Whitman said.
Marine Lt. Gen. John F. Goodman, commander of Marine Forces Pacific, is coordinating the U.S. military response as commander of Joint Task Force Caring Response.
U.S. State Department officials are working with the Burmese government to allow more aid into the country, Whitman said. State Department officials said today that their personnel in Burma and Thailand are working with other nations to find ways to get more aid into Burma quickly.
"The goal of the United States government is to try to get as much assistance as we can to the Burmese people," Whitman said.
The USS Essex Expeditionary Strike Group will arrive in international waters off Burma tomorrow and be ready to lend a hand if allowed by Burmese authorities. The group includes USS Essex, USS Juneau and USS Harpers Ferry, and is equipped with 23 helicopters, three landing craft air cushions, two landing craft units, and 1,800 Marines.
Additional U.S. military assets are on standby, ready to respond if the Burmese junta permits. The Marine Corps has four KC-130J aircraft in Bangkok, and the Air Force has six C-130s in Utapao and Korat, Thailand. In addition, the 36th Contingency Support Group, based in Guam, is preparing to provide a water purification unit and two airfield opening and operating teams to the region.
These assets already were in the region for Cobra Gold 2008, a U.S.-Thai humanitarian- and civil-assistance exercise, when Cyclone Nargis hit May 2. This year's Cobra Gold, the 27th annual exercise, was slated to run May 8 to 21, officials said.
Nine days after the cyclone, Burmese officials estimate the death toll at 31,938, with another 29,770 missing. United Nations officials put the toll between 62,000 and 100,000. The U.N. also said about 2 million people may be refugees.
(Donna Miles of American Forces Press Service contributed to this article.)
Guard Answers Calls in Weather-Battered States
By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 12, 2008 - National Guard members in four states were called out by their governors to assist civil authorities today after tornadoes crossed the southwestern United States on May 10 and flooding on the Delaware coast left communities in need of emergency assistance. Since May 7, the National Weather Service has confirmed at least 42 tornadoes in the southern plains and the southeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the nation, with the strongest tornado recorded May 10 as an F-4. It developed from a super-cell storm that tracked through three states.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina were affected by severe weather during the weekend, with at least 22 confirmed deaths, many homes destroyed and thousands of people without power. The Guard also is responding to flooded areas in Delaware after heavy rains on Mother's Day.
In Oklahoma, Gov. Brad Henry called out the National Guard to assist emergency responders after five confirmed tornadoes touched down in the state. At least 25 Army Guard members are providing security support in the town of Picher after an F-4 tornado churned up a 63-mile swath of damage from Oklahoma to Missouri.
Soldiers reportedly are assisting local law enforcement in securing the area, which includes routes in and out of the town four miles south of the state's border with Kansas. An Army Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew is flying aerial assessment missions for the governor.
In Arkansas, where at least two tornadoes touched down and tracked through the central part of the state the evening of May 10, homes were destroyed in the town of Stuttgart.
"We've deployed 50 Guardsmen from the Guard's 875th Engineer Battalion," said Air Force Maj. Keith Moore, a National Guard spokesman. Moore said the soldiers traveled from their station in Jonesboro and are providing security support at traffic control points and conducting patrols to prevent looting.
The soldiers are working two shifts during an around-the-clock operation and are expected to be on station through May 14. The Army Guard is flying Gov. Michael Beebe and emergency management agency personnel on a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter out of Camp Robinson to assess damaged areas.
"This is one of the key roles of the Guard, being a dual-mission force, that we are here to support our local communities [and] respond to the governor," Moore said.
After severe storms and tornadoes swept through southwestern Missouri, nearly 20 Army Guard soldiers deployed on state active duty to support Gov. Matt Blunt in his emergency response efforts for the towns of Newtonia and Grany. The soldiers are assisting local law enforcement agencies with security. Eight soldiers and two military vehicles deployed to each town.
In Delaware, tidal flooding and heavy rains led to Guard members deploying in six light medium tactical vehicles and one 2.5-ton truck to assist in flood evacuations at South Bowers Beach, Kitts Hummock Beach, Woodland Beach and Slaughter Beach.
"The LMTVs can carry up to 15 people and have a high ground clearance, which allows them operate in up to 4 feet of water," said Lt. Col. Len Gratteri, Delaware National Guard spokesman. Gratteri said the state's Guard members are deployed from the 262nd Maintenance Company, the 261st Signal Brigade and the 72nd Troop Command.
The Delaware Guard is coordinating emergency assistance through the state's emergency management agency with its Joint Operations and Emergency Operations Centers. A shelter area is also set up in Kent County.
(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves with the National Guard Bureau. Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill of the National Guard Bureau contributed to this report.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 12, 2008 - National Guard members in four states were called out by their governors to assist civil authorities today after tornadoes crossed the southwestern United States on May 10 and flooding on the Delaware coast left communities in need of emergency assistance. Since May 7, the National Weather Service has confirmed at least 42 tornadoes in the southern plains and the southeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the nation, with the strongest tornado recorded May 10 as an F-4. It developed from a super-cell storm that tracked through three states.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina were affected by severe weather during the weekend, with at least 22 confirmed deaths, many homes destroyed and thousands of people without power. The Guard also is responding to flooded areas in Delaware after heavy rains on Mother's Day.
In Oklahoma, Gov. Brad Henry called out the National Guard to assist emergency responders after five confirmed tornadoes touched down in the state. At least 25 Army Guard members are providing security support in the town of Picher after an F-4 tornado churned up a 63-mile swath of damage from Oklahoma to Missouri.
Soldiers reportedly are assisting local law enforcement in securing the area, which includes routes in and out of the town four miles south of the state's border with Kansas. An Army Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew is flying aerial assessment missions for the governor.
In Arkansas, where at least two tornadoes touched down and tracked through the central part of the state the evening of May 10, homes were destroyed in the town of Stuttgart.
"We've deployed 50 Guardsmen from the Guard's 875th Engineer Battalion," said Air Force Maj. Keith Moore, a National Guard spokesman. Moore said the soldiers traveled from their station in Jonesboro and are providing security support at traffic control points and conducting patrols to prevent looting.
The soldiers are working two shifts during an around-the-clock operation and are expected to be on station through May 14. The Army Guard is flying Gov. Michael Beebe and emergency management agency personnel on a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter out of Camp Robinson to assess damaged areas.
"This is one of the key roles of the Guard, being a dual-mission force, that we are here to support our local communities [and] respond to the governor," Moore said.
After severe storms and tornadoes swept through southwestern Missouri, nearly 20 Army Guard soldiers deployed on state active duty to support Gov. Matt Blunt in his emergency response efforts for the towns of Newtonia and Grany. The soldiers are assisting local law enforcement agencies with security. Eight soldiers and two military vehicles deployed to each town.
In Delaware, tidal flooding and heavy rains led to Guard members deploying in six light medium tactical vehicles and one 2.5-ton truck to assist in flood evacuations at South Bowers Beach, Kitts Hummock Beach, Woodland Beach and Slaughter Beach.
"The LMTVs can carry up to 15 people and have a high ground clearance, which allows them operate in up to 4 feet of water," said Lt. Col. Len Gratteri, Delaware National Guard spokesman. Gratteri said the state's Guard members are deployed from the 262nd Maintenance Company, the 261st Signal Brigade and the 72nd Troop Command.
The Delaware Guard is coordinating emergency assistance through the state's emergency management agency with its Joint Operations and Emergency Operations Centers. A shelter area is also set up in Kent County.
(Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith serves with the National Guard Bureau. Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill of the National Guard Bureau contributed to this report.)
General Addresses Misconceptions About Army Individual Ready Reserve
By Kristen Noel
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 12, 2008 - News reports suggesting that injured former soldiers are being called back to active duty and confusion over what the Individual Ready Reserve is have resulted in misconceptions, a senior Army personnel officer said May 9. Many people seem unaware of the purpose of the Army Individual Ready Reserve and its obligations, Maj. Gen. Sean Byrne, commander of U.S. Army Human Resources Command, said during a teleconference with online journalists and "bloggers" March 9.
"I see three main fallacies ... associated with IRR soldiers," Byrne said. First, many do not fully understand the delay or exemption program available to soldiers who receive mobilization orders, he said. Secondly, he said, people seem to believe any soldier in possession of a DD214 form -- the official separation document -- is completely discharged with no further obligation.
Every individual who assumes active duty in the Army automatically incurs an eight-year mandatory service obligation and is made aware of that obligation, Byrne said. But seemingly widespread unawareness of this obligation accounts for the third misconception, he said.
"Soldiers typically serve two to four years on active duty," he explained, "and when they leave active duty, they're transferred into the reserve components to fulfill the remainder of their obligation."
The IRR is one of several ways soldiers may fulfill their remaining years of service, Byrne said, with the other options including remaining on active duty, or serving in uniform with the National Guard or Reserve.
While the Guard and Reserve often require weekend training and periodic duty assignments, the IRR only obligates soldiers to meet minimal annual requirements, such as keeping personal contact information current, attending musters, updating readiness screening questionnaires, and responding to official correspondence, Byrne said.
"The IRR is a group of trained, experienced military professionals who stand ready to augment Army units," he explained. "We mobilized and deployed soldiers of the IRR for Operation Desert Storm, and since 9/11, we've been mobilizing and deploying them to support the global war on terror.
"Today, we have almost 72,000 soldiers in the IRR, with approximately 6,500 of them on active duty," he added.
The Army expects IRR soldiers will serve in duty positions when called upon, Byrne said. But, he said there is a formal process for requesting a delay or exemption, if an injury, illness, or extenuating circumstance prevents the soldier's return to active duty.
Byrne said the IRR's mobilization orders include a toll-free phone number for soldiers to call to request a delay or exemption from returning to active duty.
"We tell them formally, as we give them mobilization orders, ... what they need to do if they need a delay [or] exemption," he said. About half of requests for delays or exemptions are approved, he added.
He explained that the requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and aren't subjected to any standard determining factors.
"We are really very careful as we review anybody's request for an exemption, a delay, any of those, to make sure that we're doing the right thing for the individual and the institution," he said.
If a case has not been adjudicated before a soldier's scheduled report date, Byrne explained, he or she will be granted an administrative delay from returning to active duty.
"Administrative delays are not unusual special favors," he said. "They're granted in accordance with standard operating procedures that exist to ensure a soldier's situation is carefully and completely considered."
The Army has "a pretty deliberate process" by which IRR soldiers who are called back can ask for a delay or an exemption should they feel they're not qualified to serve on active duty, Byrne said.
"One of the worst things that we can do is try to bring somebody on active duty who's got problems that are insurmountable," he added, "that are basically going to make it very hard or difficult for them to focus on their active-duty time."
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the American Forces Information Service.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 12, 2008 - News reports suggesting that injured former soldiers are being called back to active duty and confusion over what the Individual Ready Reserve is have resulted in misconceptions, a senior Army personnel officer said May 9. Many people seem unaware of the purpose of the Army Individual Ready Reserve and its obligations, Maj. Gen. Sean Byrne, commander of U.S. Army Human Resources Command, said during a teleconference with online journalists and "bloggers" March 9.
"I see three main fallacies ... associated with IRR soldiers," Byrne said. First, many do not fully understand the delay or exemption program available to soldiers who receive mobilization orders, he said. Secondly, he said, people seem to believe any soldier in possession of a DD214 form -- the official separation document -- is completely discharged with no further obligation.
Every individual who assumes active duty in the Army automatically incurs an eight-year mandatory service obligation and is made aware of that obligation, Byrne said. But seemingly widespread unawareness of this obligation accounts for the third misconception, he said.
"Soldiers typically serve two to four years on active duty," he explained, "and when they leave active duty, they're transferred into the reserve components to fulfill the remainder of their obligation."
The IRR is one of several ways soldiers may fulfill their remaining years of service, Byrne said, with the other options including remaining on active duty, or serving in uniform with the National Guard or Reserve.
While the Guard and Reserve often require weekend training and periodic duty assignments, the IRR only obligates soldiers to meet minimal annual requirements, such as keeping personal contact information current, attending musters, updating readiness screening questionnaires, and responding to official correspondence, Byrne said.
"The IRR is a group of trained, experienced military professionals who stand ready to augment Army units," he explained. "We mobilized and deployed soldiers of the IRR for Operation Desert Storm, and since 9/11, we've been mobilizing and deploying them to support the global war on terror.
"Today, we have almost 72,000 soldiers in the IRR, with approximately 6,500 of them on active duty," he added.
The Army expects IRR soldiers will serve in duty positions when called upon, Byrne said. But, he said there is a formal process for requesting a delay or exemption, if an injury, illness, or extenuating circumstance prevents the soldier's return to active duty.
Byrne said the IRR's mobilization orders include a toll-free phone number for soldiers to call to request a delay or exemption from returning to active duty.
"We tell them formally, as we give them mobilization orders, ... what they need to do if they need a delay [or] exemption," he said. About half of requests for delays or exemptions are approved, he added.
He explained that the requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and aren't subjected to any standard determining factors.
"We are really very careful as we review anybody's request for an exemption, a delay, any of those, to make sure that we're doing the right thing for the individual and the institution," he said.
If a case has not been adjudicated before a soldier's scheduled report date, Byrne explained, he or she will be granted an administrative delay from returning to active duty.
"Administrative delays are not unusual special favors," he said. "They're granted in accordance with standard operating procedures that exist to ensure a soldier's situation is carefully and completely considered."
The Army has "a pretty deliberate process" by which IRR soldiers who are called back can ask for a delay or an exemption should they feel they're not qualified to serve on active duty, Byrne said.
"One of the worst things that we can do is try to bring somebody on active duty who's got problems that are insurmountable," he added, "that are basically going to make it very hard or difficult for them to focus on their active-duty time."
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the American Forces Information Service.)
MILITARY CONTRACTS May 12, 2008
NAVY
Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems, Inc., Bethesda, Md., is being awarded a $36,893,216 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-incentive-fee/cost-plus-fixed-fee, performance-based contract with provisions for firm-fixed price orders to provide Joint Medical Information Systems information assurance technical support services, including, but is not limited to, Network Operations, Network Security, Computer Network Defense, Security Life Cycle Management, Identity Management, Public Key Infrastructure Implementation and Engineering Support, Security Policy and Standards Guidance and Development, Secure Wireless Network Infrastructure Support, Secure Network Infrastructure Systems and Applications, Governance, Certification and Accreditation, Risk Management, Security Engineering, Cryptographic Repair, Crypto Modernization, and Cross Domain solutions that Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Charleston and Naval Network Warfare Command support. This contract includes four one-year option periods, which, if exercised, will bring the cumulative value of the contract to an estimated amount of $189,865,750. Work will be performed in Charleston, S.C., and work is expected to be completed by May 2009 (May 2013 with options exercised). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using full and open competitive procedures via the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center E-commerce website, with six offers received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity (N65236-08-D-6801).
Communication and Ear Protection*, Enterprise, Ala., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $25,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for a Phase III Small Business Innovative Research Program under Topic N02-151, entitled "Passive Noise Reduction Technology to Improve Speech Intelligibility and Reduce Noise for Pilot and Deck Crew Helmet Mounted Systems." The contractor will provide services and materials for engineering tasks, including research and development, prototype and testing of the hearing protection devices. Work will be performed in Enterprise, Ala., and work is expected to be completed in May 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $451,714 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using the SBIR Program Solicitation under Topic N02-151 and 16 offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-08-D-0013).
General Electric Co., Aircraft Engines Business Group, Lynn, Mass., is being awarded a $24,681,174 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0088) to exercise an option for the Fiscal Year 2008 Lot 12 procurement of seven F-414-GE-400 spare engines for the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in Lynn, Mass., (50 percent); Madisonville, Ky., (22 percent); Hooksett, N.H., (13 percent); Albuquerque, N.M., (6 percent); Rutland, Vt., (5 percent); Dayton, Ohio, (2 percent); Evandale, Ohio, (1 percent); and Bromont, Canada, (1 percent), and work is expected to be completed in Jun. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Communication & Power Industries, Inc., Palo Alto, Calif., is being awarded a $12,757,800 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for major repair/remanufacture of Traveling Wave Tubes (TWTs) and new TWTs for the AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Countermeasures System. The AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Countermeasures System performs deception jamming of missile seekers and noise jamming of targeting radars. It can track multiple emitters and provides ship protection from radar-directed anti-ship missiles as well as confusing targeting radars on hostile platforms. The TWTs are integral parts of the jammer. Work will be performed in Palo Alto, Calif., and work is expected to be completed by May 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with a minimum of four proposals solicited and one offer received via Federal Business Opportunities website and the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Acquisition Department's website. The NSWC Crane, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-08-D-GR15).
Lockheed Martin-MS2, Liverpool, N.Y., is being awarded a $10,061,579 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the production and support of Multi Function Towed Arrays for the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 Antisubmarine Warfare Combat Systems. MFTA is the next generation passive and active sonar receiver. It affords several enhancements to the AN/SQR-19 Tactical Towed Array System (TACTAS) allowing greater coverage, increased capability/reliability, and reduced obsolescence. MFTA significantly contributes to the capability of surface ships to detect, localize, and prosecute undersea threats, and is a critical sensor to a combat systems suite. Work will be performed in Syracuse, N.Y., (60 percent); Baltimore, Md., (20 percent); Cleveland, Ohio, (14 percent); and Phoenix, Ariz., (6 percent), and work is expected to be complete by Dec. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with one proposal solicited and two offers received via the Federal Business Opportunities website. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-08-C-6282).
Vision Systems International*, San Jose, Calif., is being awarded a $6,235,379 firm-fixed-price, definitive-contract for the stand-up of an organic repair depot for the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System. The repair depot shall be established to provide Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane with in-house repair capability for failed Display Units. Work will be performed in Crane, Ind., and work is expected to be completed by April 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The solicitation was posted on Federal Business Opportunities website and the NSWC Crane website, with one proposal solicited and one offer received. NSWC Crane, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-08-C-JQ41).
ARMY
C. Martin Co., Inc., Las Vegas, N.V., was awarded on May 8, 2008, a $12,609,094 firm-fixed price incentive fee contract for installation support services. Work will be performed in Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, and is expected to be completed by Jun. 1, 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. 21 bids were solicited on Jun. 27, 2007, and three bids were received. Department of the Army, Installation Contracting Command, Dugway, Utah, is the contracting activity (W911S6-08-C-0003).
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Md., was awarded on May 8, 2008, a $45,386,253 firm-fixed price contract for two SHADOW unmanned aerial vehicle systems and associated support equipment. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., and is expected to be completed by May 15, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Aug. 16, 2007. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0023).
Laughlin-Thyssen, Inc., Houston, Texas, was awarded on May 9, 2008, a $23,448,135 firm-fixed price contract for construction of a channel improvement project. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Feb. 4, 2008. U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-08-C-0020).
Harper Construction Co., Inc., San Diego, Calif., was awarded on May 9, 2008, a $22,022,448 firm-fixed price contract for re-stationing of 31st Air Defense Artillery including construction of primary infrastructure and site development. Work will be performed at Fort Sill, Okla., and is expected to be completed by Mar. 1, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Sept. 21, 2007, and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Tulsa, Okla., is the contracting activity (@912BV-08-C-2002).
MWH Construction Inc., Broomfield, Colo., was awarded on May 9, 2008, a $15,000,000 firm-fixed price contract for design and construction of three company operation facilities. Work will be performed at Fort Sill, Okla., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 5, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Six bids were solicited on Dec. 18, 2007, and five bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-08-D-0019).
K&S Associates, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded on May 8, 2008, a $10,170,000 firm-fixed price contract for design and construction of squadron operations facilities. Work will be performed at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 2, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Mar. 3, 2008, and six bids were received. Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-08-C-0017).
Turner Denny Construction Co., Virginia Beach, Va., was awarded on May 9, 2008, a $5,811,295 firm-fixed price contract for an information systems server farm addition. Work will be performed at Fort Lee, Va., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two bids were solicited on Dec. 21, 2007, and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (W91236-05-D-0054).
Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems, Inc., Bethesda, Md., is being awarded a $36,893,216 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-incentive-fee/cost-plus-fixed-fee, performance-based contract with provisions for firm-fixed price orders to provide Joint Medical Information Systems information assurance technical support services, including, but is not limited to, Network Operations, Network Security, Computer Network Defense, Security Life Cycle Management, Identity Management, Public Key Infrastructure Implementation and Engineering Support, Security Policy and Standards Guidance and Development, Secure Wireless Network Infrastructure Support, Secure Network Infrastructure Systems and Applications, Governance, Certification and Accreditation, Risk Management, Security Engineering, Cryptographic Repair, Crypto Modernization, and Cross Domain solutions that Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Charleston and Naval Network Warfare Command support. This contract includes four one-year option periods, which, if exercised, will bring the cumulative value of the contract to an estimated amount of $189,865,750. Work will be performed in Charleston, S.C., and work is expected to be completed by May 2009 (May 2013 with options exercised). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using full and open competitive procedures via the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center E-commerce website, with six offers received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity (N65236-08-D-6801).
Communication and Ear Protection*, Enterprise, Ala., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $25,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for a Phase III Small Business Innovative Research Program under Topic N02-151, entitled "Passive Noise Reduction Technology to Improve Speech Intelligibility and Reduce Noise for Pilot and Deck Crew Helmet Mounted Systems." The contractor will provide services and materials for engineering tasks, including research and development, prototype and testing of the hearing protection devices. Work will be performed in Enterprise, Ala., and work is expected to be completed in May 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $451,714 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using the SBIR Program Solicitation under Topic N02-151 and 16 offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-08-D-0013).
General Electric Co., Aircraft Engines Business Group, Lynn, Mass., is being awarded a $24,681,174 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0088) to exercise an option for the Fiscal Year 2008 Lot 12 procurement of seven F-414-GE-400 spare engines for the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in Lynn, Mass., (50 percent); Madisonville, Ky., (22 percent); Hooksett, N.H., (13 percent); Albuquerque, N.M., (6 percent); Rutland, Vt., (5 percent); Dayton, Ohio, (2 percent); Evandale, Ohio, (1 percent); and Bromont, Canada, (1 percent), and work is expected to be completed in Jun. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Communication & Power Industries, Inc., Palo Alto, Calif., is being awarded a $12,757,800 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for major repair/remanufacture of Traveling Wave Tubes (TWTs) and new TWTs for the AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Countermeasures System. The AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Countermeasures System performs deception jamming of missile seekers and noise jamming of targeting radars. It can track multiple emitters and provides ship protection from radar-directed anti-ship missiles as well as confusing targeting radars on hostile platforms. The TWTs are integral parts of the jammer. Work will be performed in Palo Alto, Calif., and work is expected to be completed by May 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with a minimum of four proposals solicited and one offer received via Federal Business Opportunities website and the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Acquisition Department's website. The NSWC Crane, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-08-D-GR15).
Lockheed Martin-MS2, Liverpool, N.Y., is being awarded a $10,061,579 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the production and support of Multi Function Towed Arrays for the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 Antisubmarine Warfare Combat Systems. MFTA is the next generation passive and active sonar receiver. It affords several enhancements to the AN/SQR-19 Tactical Towed Array System (TACTAS) allowing greater coverage, increased capability/reliability, and reduced obsolescence. MFTA significantly contributes to the capability of surface ships to detect, localize, and prosecute undersea threats, and is a critical sensor to a combat systems suite. Work will be performed in Syracuse, N.Y., (60 percent); Baltimore, Md., (20 percent); Cleveland, Ohio, (14 percent); and Phoenix, Ariz., (6 percent), and work is expected to be complete by Dec. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with one proposal solicited and two offers received via the Federal Business Opportunities website. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-08-C-6282).
Vision Systems International*, San Jose, Calif., is being awarded a $6,235,379 firm-fixed-price, definitive-contract for the stand-up of an organic repair depot for the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System. The repair depot shall be established to provide Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane with in-house repair capability for failed Display Units. Work will be performed in Crane, Ind., and work is expected to be completed by April 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The solicitation was posted on Federal Business Opportunities website and the NSWC Crane website, with one proposal solicited and one offer received. NSWC Crane, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-08-C-JQ41).
ARMY
C. Martin Co., Inc., Las Vegas, N.V., was awarded on May 8, 2008, a $12,609,094 firm-fixed price incentive fee contract for installation support services. Work will be performed in Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, and is expected to be completed by Jun. 1, 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. 21 bids were solicited on Jun. 27, 2007, and three bids were received. Department of the Army, Installation Contracting Command, Dugway, Utah, is the contracting activity (W911S6-08-C-0003).
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Md., was awarded on May 8, 2008, a $45,386,253 firm-fixed price contract for two SHADOW unmanned aerial vehicle systems and associated support equipment. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., and is expected to be completed by May 15, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Aug. 16, 2007. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0023).
Laughlin-Thyssen, Inc., Houston, Texas, was awarded on May 9, 2008, a $23,448,135 firm-fixed price contract for construction of a channel improvement project. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Feb. 4, 2008. U.S. Army Engineer District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-08-C-0020).
Harper Construction Co., Inc., San Diego, Calif., was awarded on May 9, 2008, a $22,022,448 firm-fixed price contract for re-stationing of 31st Air Defense Artillery including construction of primary infrastructure and site development. Work will be performed at Fort Sill, Okla., and is expected to be completed by Mar. 1, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Sept. 21, 2007, and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Tulsa, Okla., is the contracting activity (@912BV-08-C-2002).
MWH Construction Inc., Broomfield, Colo., was awarded on May 9, 2008, a $15,000,000 firm-fixed price contract for design and construction of three company operation facilities. Work will be performed at Fort Sill, Okla., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 5, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Six bids were solicited on Dec. 18, 2007, and five bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-08-D-0019).
K&S Associates, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded on May 8, 2008, a $10,170,000 firm-fixed price contract for design and construction of squadron operations facilities. Work will be performed at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 2, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Mar. 3, 2008, and six bids were received. Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-08-C-0017).
Turner Denny Construction Co., Virginia Beach, Va., was awarded on May 9, 2008, a $5,811,295 firm-fixed price contract for an information systems server farm addition. Work will be performed at Fort Lee, Va., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two bids were solicited on Dec. 21, 2007, and two bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (W91236-05-D-0054).
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Cartwright: Graduates Need to Build on Education With Experience
By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2008 - Newly commissioned second lieutenants and ensigns need to use their knowledge from college, but also must be willing to pick up more knowledge through practical experience, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday. Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, speaking at Norwich University here, said the new officers will find themselves in unexpected situations in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries.
The general recalled a time when local citizens needed assistance while he was on a relief exercise in Thailand.
"A farmer came up and grabbed me by the sleeve and said, 'We really need some help. Our elephants are stuck on a piece of high ground. They're sick, and we can't get any food to them.'"
After finding the location on a map and traveling to Bangkok to get some supplies, Cartwright and his sergeant major tracked down two young Army captains who had just been commissioned as veterinarians. "I don't think they had more than two months between them with their rank on their shoulders," the general said.
Cartwright told them what the circumstances were and got a local doctor to tell them how to take care of an elephant. The veterinarians were tasked with administering antibiotics to the elephants.
The next morning, two helicopters inserted the soldiers into the jungle, the general said. With Cartwright in one helicopter and the sergeant major in the other, they "roped" down, and the veterinarians followed.
"We sat there for a second to let them get their eyes adjusted," the general said. "About the time their eyes adjusted, you could hear a little bit of a meow from a tiger."
He said they felt the rustling of the brush and realized they had been set down in the middle of the area the elephants were in. Despite the circumstances, they carried out their mission.
"That night at the bar, they were heroes, but they had new shorts on," Cartwright jokingly said.
He said that type of unpredictable experiences await newly commissioned officers.
The general said much of the knowledge young officers need isn't taught in school. "A lot of what you've learned in school is going to be important," the vice chairman said. "But there are a lot of other things you have yet to learn. Don't throw anything away, because you never know when you're going to need it."
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump is assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Public Affairs Office).
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2008 - Newly commissioned second lieutenants and ensigns need to use their knowledge from college, but also must be willing to pick up more knowledge through practical experience, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday. Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, speaking at Norwich University here, said the new officers will find themselves in unexpected situations in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries.
The general recalled a time when local citizens needed assistance while he was on a relief exercise in Thailand.
"A farmer came up and grabbed me by the sleeve and said, 'We really need some help. Our elephants are stuck on a piece of high ground. They're sick, and we can't get any food to them.'"
After finding the location on a map and traveling to Bangkok to get some supplies, Cartwright and his sergeant major tracked down two young Army captains who had just been commissioned as veterinarians. "I don't think they had more than two months between them with their rank on their shoulders," the general said.
Cartwright told them what the circumstances were and got a local doctor to tell them how to take care of an elephant. The veterinarians were tasked with administering antibiotics to the elephants.
The next morning, two helicopters inserted the soldiers into the jungle, the general said. With Cartwright in one helicopter and the sergeant major in the other, they "roped" down, and the veterinarians followed.
"We sat there for a second to let them get their eyes adjusted," the general said. "About the time their eyes adjusted, you could hear a little bit of a meow from a tiger."
He said they felt the rustling of the brush and realized they had been set down in the middle of the area the elephants were in. Despite the circumstances, they carried out their mission.
"That night at the bar, they were heroes, but they had new shorts on," Cartwright jokingly said.
He said that type of unpredictable experiences await newly commissioned officers.
The general said much of the knowledge young officers need isn't taught in school. "A lot of what you've learned in school is going to be important," the vice chairman said. "But there are a lot of other things you have yet to learn. Don't throw anything away, because you never know when you're going to need it."
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump is assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Public Affairs Office).
Bush Salutes Mothers' Sacrifices in War on Terror
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2008 - President Bush praised America's mothers, especially those who've lost sons or daughters during the war on terror and those who gave their lives in service to their country, during his weekly radio address yesterday. An excerpt from the president's remarks follows: "On this Mother's Day weekend, we think of the many mothers who raised the brave men and women serving our country in uniform. And to those mothers, I offer the thanks of a grateful nation.
"Your sons and daughters are defending our freedom with dignity and honor, and America appreciates the sacrifices that your families make in the name of duty.
"On this Mother's Day weekend, we remember the mothers grieving a son or daughter lost in the service to their country, as well as the children who lost a mother in uniform.
"We share their pride in these wonderful Americans who have given everything to protect our people from harm. Nothing we say can ever make up for their loss.
"But, on this special day, we hold them in our hearts, and we lift them in our prayers.
"I wish every mother listening this morning a blessed Mother's Day, including my own. And I have a message for every son and daughter listening this morning: Remember to tell Mom the first thing tomorrow how much you love her."
May 11, 2008 - President Bush praised America's mothers, especially those who've lost sons or daughters during the war on terror and those who gave their lives in service to their country, during his weekly radio address yesterday. An excerpt from the president's remarks follows: "On this Mother's Day weekend, we think of the many mothers who raised the brave men and women serving our country in uniform. And to those mothers, I offer the thanks of a grateful nation.
"Your sons and daughters are defending our freedom with dignity and honor, and America appreciates the sacrifices that your families make in the name of duty.
"On this Mother's Day weekend, we remember the mothers grieving a son or daughter lost in the service to their country, as well as the children who lost a mother in uniform.
"We share their pride in these wonderful Americans who have given everything to protect our people from harm. Nothing we say can ever make up for their loss.
"But, on this special day, we hold them in our hearts, and we lift them in our prayers.
"I wish every mother listening this morning a blessed Mother's Day, including my own. And I have a message for every son and daughter listening this morning: Remember to tell Mom the first thing tomorrow how much you love her."
Marines, Sailors Prepare for Possible Operations in Burma
By Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan Wicks
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2008 - Marines and Sailors with the Essex Amphibious Readiness Group are preparing for possible humanitarian assistance operations to aid cyclone-stricken Burma. The Essex Amphibious Ready Group, along with 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is steaming to support potential humanitarian-assistance operations in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma May 1 and 2. Some estimates have put the death toll at more than 100,000. So far, the Burmese military government has allowed only one U.S. shipment of relief supplies.
"This is what we are here for," Navy Chief Petty Officer Andres Carillo, of the USS Essex, said. "It's our mission to help those in need."
The amphibious readiness group includes the forward-deployed amphibious ships USS Essex, USS Juneau, USS Harpers Ferry and USS Mustin. The servicemembers are working to fill more than 14,000 5-gallon plastic water bladders with fresh water. In the event of humanitarian operations, the water could be loaded onto landing craft and helicopters to be distributed to those affected by the cyclone.
"We are capitalizing on the excess water the ship has to support the victims who need it," said Marine Capt. Ray Howard, embark officer for 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. "We want to be able have the water distributed by the quickest means possible and be on call for help so that when within reach we can send the water via helicopter and boat to the disaster areas."
The process of filling up the bladders requires a great deal of manpower and hard work, Carillo said.
Marines and sailors set up shop before filling the water bladders. The Essex's Repair Division manufactured a fresh water distribution system that mirrored a miniature farming irrigation system. Afterward, both Marines and sailors prepared large boxes to store the water bladders for transport. During the filling process, they check the pipes of the water distribution system to ensure no leakage occurs.
After each bag is filled, Marines and sailors pack the clear plastic water bladders into the boxes.
"It's great to see the Marines and sailors working together to accomplish the mission," Howard said. "It's a great show of joint-service camaraderie."
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2008 - Marines and Sailors with the Essex Amphibious Readiness Group are preparing for possible humanitarian assistance operations to aid cyclone-stricken Burma. The Essex Amphibious Ready Group, along with 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is steaming to support potential humanitarian-assistance operations in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma May 1 and 2. Some estimates have put the death toll at more than 100,000. So far, the Burmese military government has allowed only one U.S. shipment of relief supplies.
"This is what we are here for," Navy Chief Petty Officer Andres Carillo, of the USS Essex, said. "It's our mission to help those in need."
The amphibious readiness group includes the forward-deployed amphibious ships USS Essex, USS Juneau, USS Harpers Ferry and USS Mustin. The servicemembers are working to fill more than 14,000 5-gallon plastic water bladders with fresh water. In the event of humanitarian operations, the water could be loaded onto landing craft and helicopters to be distributed to those affected by the cyclone.
"We are capitalizing on the excess water the ship has to support the victims who need it," said Marine Capt. Ray Howard, embark officer for 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. "We want to be able have the water distributed by the quickest means possible and be on call for help so that when within reach we can send the water via helicopter and boat to the disaster areas."
The process of filling up the bladders requires a great deal of manpower and hard work, Carillo said.
Marines and sailors set up shop before filling the water bladders. The Essex's Repair Division manufactured a fresh water distribution system that mirrored a miniature farming irrigation system. Afterward, both Marines and sailors prepared large boxes to store the water bladders for transport. During the filling process, they check the pipes of the water distribution system to ensure no leakage occurs.
After each bag is filled, Marines and sailors pack the clear plastic water bladders into the boxes.
"It's great to see the Marines and sailors working together to accomplish the mission," Howard said. "It's a great show of joint-service camaraderie."
Defense Department Reviews Process for Handling Remains of Fallen Warriors
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
May 9, 2008 - The Defense Department is taking steps to ensure that remains of fallen servicemembers are always treated with the utmost respect, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters today. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates learned of problems with the military's cremation process today, and he took immediate action, Morrell said. The department is launching an investigation into processes for handling remains of fallen warriors at the military's sole mortuary on Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
"The families of the fallen have the secretary's deepest apology," Morrell said. "Those still serving have his commitment that all members of the armed forces will be treated with the dignity and respect that their sacrifice demands."
Morrell made the announcement at a Pentagon press conference held after senior leaders became aware of a complaint by a servicemember who works in the Pentagon about the cremation process. The servicemember complained after witnessing the cremation of a soldier's body which was returned this week from Iraq.
Because there is no cremation facility at the base, the Dover Port Mortuary contracted two local funeral homes to perform cremations. One of the mortuaries is not co-located with the funeral home and is in an industrial park in Kent County, Del. It has three incinerators, one marked for human remains, the other for pets, Morrell said.
While the facility is fully licensed, Gates believes the site and signs "are insensitive and entirely inappropriate for the dignified treatment of our fallen," Morrell said.
"There is no mission more important than the dignified return of our fallen heroes to their families and the Dover Air Force Base team has performed this mission with great care for a number of years," Morrell said.
With Gates' approval, Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne has directed the mortuary to stop contracting the off-site crematorium and use only those crematoriums that are co-located with licensed funeral homes, Morrell said. Also, there must now be a military presence during off-base processes of funeral home facilities, he said.
Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Duncan McNabb will follow up on all actions and coordinate with Army staff. David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, will review DoD policies on handling the remains of service members. They will determine how many soldiers' bodies were handled by the crematorium, Morrell said. He noted that while "probably more often than not" servicemembers' remains are sent to their hometowns for cremations.
It is not unusual for crematoriums to serve both humans and pets, Morrell said. "My understanding is that it's common practice."
Morrell stressed that "we have absolutely no evidence whatsoever that any human remains were ever mistreated." While it is permissible to cremate fallen soldiers in a facility that also cremates pets, Gates believes it is inappropriate, he said.
The servicemember who complained "did what he should have done, which was to report it to us," said Lt. Gen. David Huntoon, director of Army staff.
"The senior leadership of all the services holds the mission of returning our fallen comrades of the highest order of importance," Huntoon said.
Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz, director of Air Force staff, said the mortuary began contracting the facilities in 2001. Klotz said he will travel to Dover tomorrow to look into the matter. Because Dover is "a relatively small city," the mortuary is limited in its ability to contract cremation services, he said.
American Forces Press Service
May 9, 2008 - The Defense Department is taking steps to ensure that remains of fallen servicemembers are always treated with the utmost respect, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters today. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates learned of problems with the military's cremation process today, and he took immediate action, Morrell said. The department is launching an investigation into processes for handling remains of fallen warriors at the military's sole mortuary on Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
"The families of the fallen have the secretary's deepest apology," Morrell said. "Those still serving have his commitment that all members of the armed forces will be treated with the dignity and respect that their sacrifice demands."
Morrell made the announcement at a Pentagon press conference held after senior leaders became aware of a complaint by a servicemember who works in the Pentagon about the cremation process. The servicemember complained after witnessing the cremation of a soldier's body which was returned this week from Iraq.
Because there is no cremation facility at the base, the Dover Port Mortuary contracted two local funeral homes to perform cremations. One of the mortuaries is not co-located with the funeral home and is in an industrial park in Kent County, Del. It has three incinerators, one marked for human remains, the other for pets, Morrell said.
While the facility is fully licensed, Gates believes the site and signs "are insensitive and entirely inappropriate for the dignified treatment of our fallen," Morrell said.
"There is no mission more important than the dignified return of our fallen heroes to their families and the Dover Air Force Base team has performed this mission with great care for a number of years," Morrell said.
With Gates' approval, Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne has directed the mortuary to stop contracting the off-site crematorium and use only those crematoriums that are co-located with licensed funeral homes, Morrell said. Also, there must now be a military presence during off-base processes of funeral home facilities, he said.
Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Duncan McNabb will follow up on all actions and coordinate with Army staff. David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, will review DoD policies on handling the remains of service members. They will determine how many soldiers' bodies were handled by the crematorium, Morrell said. He noted that while "probably more often than not" servicemembers' remains are sent to their hometowns for cremations.
It is not unusual for crematoriums to serve both humans and pets, Morrell said. "My understanding is that it's common practice."
Morrell stressed that "we have absolutely no evidence whatsoever that any human remains were ever mistreated." While it is permissible to cremate fallen soldiers in a facility that also cremates pets, Gates believes it is inappropriate, he said.
The servicemember who complained "did what he should have done, which was to report it to us," said Lt. Gen. David Huntoon, director of Army staff.
"The senior leadership of all the services holds the mission of returning our fallen comrades of the highest order of importance," Huntoon said.
Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz, director of Air Force staff, said the mortuary began contracting the facilities in 2001. Klotz said he will travel to Dover tomorrow to look into the matter. Because Dover is "a relatively small city," the mortuary is limited in its ability to contract cremation services, he said.
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