By Christie Vanover
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 12, 2009 - Teenagers here are learning to drive in the rain, in the fog, and even on narrow mountain roads at night. They're driving while their friends talk and laugh behind them, and even while their cell phones ring. But because of new technology, their lives are in no way at risk. They are the first students to use one of Installation Management Command Europe's new driving simulators. Ten simulators, including one at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe here, were installed throughout the region to enhance driver's education programs for teenage children of servicemembers and Defense Department civilians.
At first glance, students are pumped by the multi-panel monitors, which include a rear-view mirror, side mirrors and a lifelike perception of peripheral vision. Once they get behind the wheel, however, they're faced with all the complexities of an automobile.
Gavin Wainwright, the father of three teenagers, said he was glad to hear that U.S. Army Garrison Benelux was getting one of the simulators. "I thought it was one of the best things they brought to the community in a long time," he said. "I know it's a lot better than what I went through.
"I was considering sending one son back to the states last year so he could go through drivers training and then get his license," he said. "It would be a lot more expensive to send him there than this inaugural program, which is free."
His sons, Gavin Jr. and Justin, were among the first graduates of the driver's education course here. About midway through the course, Justin hopped into the simulator, buckled up and asked the teacher to challenge him on the winding mountain pass.
He chose to use the simulator in manual mode, forcing him to shift as he went up and down hills. Though he completed the two-minute exercise with no faults, toward the end of the lesson he was startled by a sudden curve with no guard rails. Had he been going too fast, he would have slid down the side of the mountain.
"I think it makes them more aware of some of the challenges of driving," his dad said. "They're learning how to be defensive as well as offensive, and how to balance that behind the wheel."
Kregg Kappenmon agreed. He has taught driver's ed for eight years, and said this simulator adds a realism that he's never been able to teach before. He can add weather elements, which require drivers to use their wipers and adjust their speed so they don't hydroplane. He can change the drive from small towns to freeways, forcing students to merge into traffic. He can even add elements of surprise, such as deer and children running into the street.
"The first time they see it out there, it won't be the first time," he said. "It's very, very, very realistic. It gets them to feel the car."
Caleb Crotts, another graduate of the class, happened to ace the test on the reading assignments that day, but when he got into the simulator, he faced an element of surprise. As he was driving, someone on the side of the road opened their car door unexpectedly.
"Weather is usually the big hazard talked about in the book," he said, admitting that he didn't know how to respond to the situation. He veered to the left and passed the car safely with an acceptable reaction time, but after finishing the drive, he immediately asked Kappenmon if he was supposed to swerve or stop.
It's that immediate lesson that Kappenmon said is invaluable. Everything the students do in the trainer is recorded, so Kappenmon can evaluate their driving patterns, reactions and habits to help them progress throughout the course.
Because of that feedback, Kappenmon said, students learn early on that this isn't a video game.
"I get results," he said, and from those results, combined with 18 tests based on his lecture and videos, students either pass or fail.
"My philosophy is they must have 80 percent or better," he said. "I don't want anyone out there with my family if they scored less. Do you?"
(Christie Vanover works in the U.S. Army Garrison Benelux public affairs office.)
Monday, January 12, 2009
Soldier Missing in Action From Korean War is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Master Sgt. Cirildo Valencio, U.S. Army, of Carrizo Springs, Texas. He will be buried on Aug. 4 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
Representatives from the Army met with Valencio's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
Valencio was assigned to Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division then occupying a defensive position near Unsan, North Korea in an area known as the "Camel's Head." On Nov. 1, 1950, parts of two Chinese Communist Forces divisions struck the 1st Cavalry Division's lines, collapsing the perimeter and forcing a withdrawal. In the process, the 3rd Battalion was surrounded and effectively ceased to exist as a fighting unit. Valencio was one of the more than 350 servicemen unaccounted-for from the battle at Unsan.
In 2002, a joint U.S.-Democratic People's Republic of Korea team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), excavated a burial site south of Unsan near the nose of the "Camel's Head" formed by the joining of the Nammyon and Kuryong rivers. The team recovered human remains.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420 or (703) 509-1905.
He is Master Sgt. Cirildo Valencio, U.S. Army, of Carrizo Springs, Texas. He will be buried on Aug. 4 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
Representatives from the Army met with Valencio's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
Valencio was assigned to Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division then occupying a defensive position near Unsan, North Korea in an area known as the "Camel's Head." On Nov. 1, 1950, parts of two Chinese Communist Forces divisions struck the 1st Cavalry Division's lines, collapsing the perimeter and forcing a withdrawal. In the process, the 3rd Battalion was surrounded and effectively ceased to exist as a fighting unit. Valencio was one of the more than 350 servicemen unaccounted-for from the battle at Unsan.
In 2002, a joint U.S.-Democratic People's Republic of Korea team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), excavated a burial site south of Unsan near the nose of the "Camel's Head" formed by the joining of the Nammyon and Kuryong rivers. The team recovered human remains.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420 or (703) 509-1905.
Reservists Jump at Chance to Show Military Skills to Employers
By Army Sgt. Eddie Reyes
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 12, 2009 - Army Reserve soldiers conducted an airborne jump here Jan. 9 for a group of civilian employers during the first Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve "Boss-lift" event for the 421st Quartermaster Company, 143rd Sustainment Command.
For Michael Price, a crime-scene unit sergeant for the Birmingham Police Department, attending the event was a small way to show his appreciation.
"I attended the event to show one of my employees support before he heads out to Afghanistan," he said. "There is a lot more going on than people think. It is not a weekend getaway. It is amazing how they balance their civilian lifestyle with their military duties. It is truly amazing."
Markus Heinrice, vice president of Derco Aerospace, said he continues to have a large amount of respect for the soldiers who work in his company after experiencing his first trip aboard the C-130 and watching soldiers jump into the landing zone.
"It was spectacular to see what these citizen-soldiers do to train and maintain their proficiency," Heinrice said. "We have had a number of soldiers employed in our company that have been deployed to the Middle East. Not only do we appreciate the sacrifices these soldiers make, but also the event itself was superb, and I cannot think of anything they could have done better."
Planning for the event, which officials plan to conduct annually, began in August, Army Sgt. 1st Class Jim Micko, the quartermaster company's special projects sergeant, said. Unit leaders coordinated with the Air Force Reserve and kept track of regional jump activity to find the best time to execute the project.
"To the person looking from the outside in, it might seem easy to just put civilians inside of a plane, but it is not that easy," he said. "Logistics have to be right, the maintenance of the planes has to be current, and we have to plan so that our jump does not impede the efforts of the Air Force in supporting the troops in combat. This was a joint-service event that was coordinated perfectly between the Army Reserve and the Air Force."
The ESGR Boss-lift program seeks to improve relationships between citizen-soldiers and their employers by showing the employers what their employees do in their military service, Micko said.
Soldiers briefed more than 20 civilian employers about the various tasks performed during a drill weekend, which include rigging parachutes and training drills before a jump. Several soldiers demonstrated the process and steps used to rig a parachute for personnel and supply drops, and the various spot checks along the way ensure proper parachute openings.
The employers got a tour of the unit's facilities and saw the different types of parachutes used to drop supplies from the air to soldiers on the ground, including the G-12 Container Delivery System used to drop fragile items at a low velocity. Briefers pointed out the attention to detail needed in accomplishing each task, noting that simple mistakes could cost a soldier's life. The employers learned that each soldier periodically jumps using a parachute he rigged to preserve trust and cohesion within the unit.
After the briefings, soldiers rehearsed plane-exiting procedures and proper landing techniques. Using a structure made of pipe and wires simulating the back of an Air Force C-130, soldiers attached their static lines to the wires, performed last-minute inspections and checks with jumpmasters, and completed simulated jumps, practicing their landings into a sand pit.
After the rehearsals, the employers boarded a C-130 Hercules transport from the Air Force Reserve's 94th Airlift Wing, 700th Airlift Squadron, and ascended into the skies. Soldiers simulated an airborne jump without jumping out so the employers could get a glimpse of all the steps needed for a successful jump. After the 45-minute flight, the employers visited the landing zone so they could watch their employees complete the airborne jumps.
"We were able to provide the civilian employers with a simulation of an actual airborne jump without placing them at risk," Air Force Master Sgt. Pete Kowalski, the C-130's crew chief, said. "Events like these help them understand, and give them a reason to support what we do. Plus, the thrill of flying on a military aircraft should encourage other civilian employers to participate in the program, because not everyone gets to be in one," he added.
(Army Sgt. Eddie Reyes serves with the Army Reserve's 204th Public Affairs Detachment.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 12, 2009 - Army Reserve soldiers conducted an airborne jump here Jan. 9 for a group of civilian employers during the first Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve "Boss-lift" event for the 421st Quartermaster Company, 143rd Sustainment Command.
For Michael Price, a crime-scene unit sergeant for the Birmingham Police Department, attending the event was a small way to show his appreciation.
"I attended the event to show one of my employees support before he heads out to Afghanistan," he said. "There is a lot more going on than people think. It is not a weekend getaway. It is amazing how they balance their civilian lifestyle with their military duties. It is truly amazing."
Markus Heinrice, vice president of Derco Aerospace, said he continues to have a large amount of respect for the soldiers who work in his company after experiencing his first trip aboard the C-130 and watching soldiers jump into the landing zone.
"It was spectacular to see what these citizen-soldiers do to train and maintain their proficiency," Heinrice said. "We have had a number of soldiers employed in our company that have been deployed to the Middle East. Not only do we appreciate the sacrifices these soldiers make, but also the event itself was superb, and I cannot think of anything they could have done better."
Planning for the event, which officials plan to conduct annually, began in August, Army Sgt. 1st Class Jim Micko, the quartermaster company's special projects sergeant, said. Unit leaders coordinated with the Air Force Reserve and kept track of regional jump activity to find the best time to execute the project.
"To the person looking from the outside in, it might seem easy to just put civilians inside of a plane, but it is not that easy," he said. "Logistics have to be right, the maintenance of the planes has to be current, and we have to plan so that our jump does not impede the efforts of the Air Force in supporting the troops in combat. This was a joint-service event that was coordinated perfectly between the Army Reserve and the Air Force."
The ESGR Boss-lift program seeks to improve relationships between citizen-soldiers and their employers by showing the employers what their employees do in their military service, Micko said.
Soldiers briefed more than 20 civilian employers about the various tasks performed during a drill weekend, which include rigging parachutes and training drills before a jump. Several soldiers demonstrated the process and steps used to rig a parachute for personnel and supply drops, and the various spot checks along the way ensure proper parachute openings.
The employers got a tour of the unit's facilities and saw the different types of parachutes used to drop supplies from the air to soldiers on the ground, including the G-12 Container Delivery System used to drop fragile items at a low velocity. Briefers pointed out the attention to detail needed in accomplishing each task, noting that simple mistakes could cost a soldier's life. The employers learned that each soldier periodically jumps using a parachute he rigged to preserve trust and cohesion within the unit.
After the briefings, soldiers rehearsed plane-exiting procedures and proper landing techniques. Using a structure made of pipe and wires simulating the back of an Air Force C-130, soldiers attached their static lines to the wires, performed last-minute inspections and checks with jumpmasters, and completed simulated jumps, practicing their landings into a sand pit.
After the rehearsals, the employers boarded a C-130 Hercules transport from the Air Force Reserve's 94th Airlift Wing, 700th Airlift Squadron, and ascended into the skies. Soldiers simulated an airborne jump without jumping out so the employers could get a glimpse of all the steps needed for a successful jump. After the 45-minute flight, the employers visited the landing zone so they could watch their employees complete the airborne jumps.
"We were able to provide the civilian employers with a simulation of an actual airborne jump without placing them at risk," Air Force Master Sgt. Pete Kowalski, the C-130's crew chief, said. "Events like these help them understand, and give them a reason to support what we do. Plus, the thrill of flying on a military aircraft should encourage other civilian employers to participate in the program, because not everyone gets to be in one," he added.
(Army Sgt. Eddie Reyes serves with the Army Reserve's 204th Public Affairs Detachment.)
Servicemembers Rehearse 56th Presidential Inauguration
By Marine Corps Sgt. Michael S. Cifuentes
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 11, 2009 - From providing musical performances to acting as key personnel during the swearing-in process, hundreds of servicemembers were on hand this morning around the nation's capital to support the 56th Presidential Inaugural rehearsal. Each branch of service played a key role in working out potential issues before the inauguration, said Howard Gantman, staff director of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
The rehearsal started promptly at 5:30 a.m., with a rough walk-through, followed by the placement of military bands and joint-service cordon personnel.
Army Staff Sgt. Derrick Brooks, who serves with 741st Military Intelligence at Fort George G. Meade, Md., took a position of honor as he stood in for President-elect Barack Obama. Brooks' speech consisted of nothing more than, "My fellow Americans. God bless America," but event coordinators said his role was critical.
Other servicemembers stood in for Vice President-elect Joe Biden and the Obama and Biden families. Navy Seaman LaSean McCray played the role of Michelle Obama. Army Spc. Nicholas Rupple stood in for Biden, and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Karen Lowden, as Jill Biden.
Two military children stood in as the Obama girls. Dominique Sewell, the 14-year-old daughter of Army Sgt. 1st Class Natalie Sewell-Johnson, stood in as Malia. Ten-year-old Gianna Justice Samora-Nixon, daughter of Navy Chief Petty Officer Kenneth Nixon, was Sasha.
All were selected based on height, weight, gender and ethnicity similarities, explained Air Force Maj. Andra Higgs, an action officer with the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee.
The military's involvement in the presidential inauguration is a centuries-old tradition, which honors the commander in chief, recognizes civilian control of the military and celebrates democracy, Higgs said.
More than 5,000 servicemembers will participate in the Jan. 20 event and provide ceremonial assistance.
"It's an honor for them to be center stage," Higgs said. "We're very glad to have been provided with such world-class support."
Today's rehearsal gave members of the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee a sense of what they can expect next week, when 240,000 ticketed guests and potentially millions of spectators gather in Washington to see Obama become the 44th U.S. president.
"It's an honor and a privilege to take part in this [rehearsal]," said Navy Lt. Marcus Jones, who stood in as an Obama family member. "Beside the birth of my children and my marriage, this will be one of the most memorable days of my life."
(Marine Corps Sgt. Michael S. Cifuentes is assigned to Headquarters Marine
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 11, 2009 - From providing musical performances to acting as key personnel during the swearing-in process, hundreds of servicemembers were on hand this morning around the nation's capital to support the 56th Presidential Inaugural rehearsal. Each branch of service played a key role in working out potential issues before the inauguration, said Howard Gantman, staff director of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
The rehearsal started promptly at 5:30 a.m., with a rough walk-through, followed by the placement of military bands and joint-service cordon personnel.
Army Staff Sgt. Derrick Brooks, who serves with 741st Military Intelligence at Fort George G. Meade, Md., took a position of honor as he stood in for President-elect Barack Obama. Brooks' speech consisted of nothing more than, "My fellow Americans. God bless America," but event coordinators said his role was critical.
Other servicemembers stood in for Vice President-elect Joe Biden and the Obama and Biden families. Navy Seaman LaSean McCray played the role of Michelle Obama. Army Spc. Nicholas Rupple stood in for Biden, and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Karen Lowden, as Jill Biden.
Two military children stood in as the Obama girls. Dominique Sewell, the 14-year-old daughter of Army Sgt. 1st Class Natalie Sewell-Johnson, stood in as Malia. Ten-year-old Gianna Justice Samora-Nixon, daughter of Navy Chief Petty Officer Kenneth Nixon, was Sasha.
All were selected based on height, weight, gender and ethnicity similarities, explained Air Force Maj. Andra Higgs, an action officer with the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee.
The military's involvement in the presidential inauguration is a centuries-old tradition, which honors the commander in chief, recognizes civilian control of the military and celebrates democracy, Higgs said.
More than 5,000 servicemembers will participate in the Jan. 20 event and provide ceremonial assistance.
"It's an honor for them to be center stage," Higgs said. "We're very glad to have been provided with such world-class support."
Today's rehearsal gave members of the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee a sense of what they can expect next week, when 240,000 ticketed guests and potentially millions of spectators gather in Washington to see Obama become the 44th U.S. president.
"It's an honor and a privilege to take part in this [rehearsal]," said Navy Lt. Marcus Jones, who stood in as an Obama family member. "Beside the birth of my children and my marriage, this will be one of the most memorable days of my life."
(Marine Corps Sgt. Michael S. Cifuentes is assigned to Headquarters Marine
Inauguration Represents Ultimate Change-of-Command Ceremony
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 12, 2009 - To people in the military, the presidential inauguration is America's ultimate change-of-command ceremony. At noon on Jan. 20, the United States does more than inaugurate a new president. The country also gets a new military commander in chief.
The military has been involved in helping to inaugurate the president since the beginning of the republic. When George Washington left his home in Mount Vernon, Va., to travel to the then-seat of government in New York City, local militias – and many Revolutionary War veterans – escorted him along the way.
Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789. Period engravings show members of the New York militia present at the ceremony on the balcony of New York's Federal Hall on Wall Street. These militia units, which today are part of the National Guard, were the main force of the infant republic's military, and they played a large role in the military traditions of presidential inaugurations.
The military presence at early inaugurals came from local militia companies that took it upon themselves to escort the president.
In 1801, a militia company in Charlottesville, Va., escorted Thomas Jefferson to Washington, D.C., for the first inaugural in the new capital. Jefferson's ceremony was small. There was no inaugural parade just a short speech and some patriotic airs played by the Marine Band. Militiamen then escorted Jefferson to the White House.
When James Madison was sworn in to succeed Jefferson in 1809, local Virginia militia companies again took it on themselves to escort the new president.
The first inaugural parade began in 1817 as a spontaneous event when Virginia militiamen escorting James Monroe staged a parade in his honor.
Active duty forces based in Washington started playing a larger role in succeeding inaugurations. The Marine Band -- the Marine Corps' oldest unit -- has participated in every inauguration held in the city. Ship crews in port at Washington Navy Yard also participated in some early inaugurations.
When Abraham Lincoln came to Washington in 1861, the military took on another role. Seven southern states had seceded even before Lincoln took office on March 4, 1861. Threats against Lincoln's life led to military personnel assuming a security role during his inauguration. News reports from the time talk about sharpshooters in buildings, cavalry units standing by and the platform where Lincoln delivered his inaugural address being surrounded by Army regulars with bayonets on their muskets.
During Lincoln's second inauguration in 1865, the military maintained a security role. And this had to be taken seriously. A photo of the inauguration ceremony on the east front of the Capitol, shows John Wilkes Booth – the man who gunned Lincoln down about five weeks later at Ford's Theater —standing off to the side. With the Civil War all but won, military bands and troops had time to take part in inaugural activities. Some of those same soldiers, sailors and Marines would participate in Lincoln's funeral.
The West Point Band first participated in an inaugural when academy graduate Ulysses S. Grant assumed the presidency. The band – and those of the other service academies – have been a fixture ever since.
Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, military units continued to play prominent inaugural roles. When Theodore Roosevelt took office in his own right in 1905, his paraders included the Rough Riders, the unit with which he rose to fame during the Spanish-American War.
During William Howard Taft's inauguration in 1909, the 7th New York Militia missed the parade because of bad weather. They refused to leave Washington until they paraded before Taft. Taft, therefore, had two inaugural parades.
The military continued to participate in inaugurations through the 20th century with little change. In 1933, however, the military again assumed a security role when Franklin D. Roosevelt took office. The Great Depression was at its height, and there were threats against the president.
Roosevelt turned the economic situation around, and the military mission at his second inauguration in 1937 was mostly ceremonial. Roosevelt's fourth inauguration in 1945 was sedate. America was still at war, and the occasion was marked by a small ceremony and parade.
After the war, demands on the military in Washington were centralized in the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee. This temporary, joint military command forms every four years solely to coordinate Defense Department support to inaugural activities. It works with the Presidential Inaugural Committee and Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, coordinating the participation of military units and escorts and some transportation and medical services.
Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the military again has an inaugural security role in support of lead civilian agencies. About 5,000 servicemembers will provide military support for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.
Some of the servicemembers will be part of the ceremonial units. Others will provide transportation. Still others will be involved with logistics and security. No matter what they do, they will be carrying on a tradition as old as the republic.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 12, 2009 - To people in the military, the presidential inauguration is America's ultimate change-of-command ceremony. At noon on Jan. 20, the United States does more than inaugurate a new president. The country also gets a new military commander in chief.
The military has been involved in helping to inaugurate the president since the beginning of the republic. When George Washington left his home in Mount Vernon, Va., to travel to the then-seat of government in New York City, local militias – and many Revolutionary War veterans – escorted him along the way.
Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789. Period engravings show members of the New York militia present at the ceremony on the balcony of New York's Federal Hall on Wall Street. These militia units, which today are part of the National Guard, were the main force of the infant republic's military, and they played a large role in the military traditions of presidential inaugurations.
The military presence at early inaugurals came from local militia companies that took it upon themselves to escort the president.
In 1801, a militia company in Charlottesville, Va., escorted Thomas Jefferson to Washington, D.C., for the first inaugural in the new capital. Jefferson's ceremony was small. There was no inaugural parade just a short speech and some patriotic airs played by the Marine Band. Militiamen then escorted Jefferson to the White House.
When James Madison was sworn in to succeed Jefferson in 1809, local Virginia militia companies again took it on themselves to escort the new president.
The first inaugural parade began in 1817 as a spontaneous event when Virginia militiamen escorting James Monroe staged a parade in his honor.
Active duty forces based in Washington started playing a larger role in succeeding inaugurations. The Marine Band -- the Marine Corps' oldest unit -- has participated in every inauguration held in the city. Ship crews in port at Washington Navy Yard also participated in some early inaugurations.
When Abraham Lincoln came to Washington in 1861, the military took on another role. Seven southern states had seceded even before Lincoln took office on March 4, 1861. Threats against Lincoln's life led to military personnel assuming a security role during his inauguration. News reports from the time talk about sharpshooters in buildings, cavalry units standing by and the platform where Lincoln delivered his inaugural address being surrounded by Army regulars with bayonets on their muskets.
During Lincoln's second inauguration in 1865, the military maintained a security role. And this had to be taken seriously. A photo of the inauguration ceremony on the east front of the Capitol, shows John Wilkes Booth – the man who gunned Lincoln down about five weeks later at Ford's Theater —standing off to the side. With the Civil War all but won, military bands and troops had time to take part in inaugural activities. Some of those same soldiers, sailors and Marines would participate in Lincoln's funeral.
The West Point Band first participated in an inaugural when academy graduate Ulysses S. Grant assumed the presidency. The band – and those of the other service academies – have been a fixture ever since.
Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, military units continued to play prominent inaugural roles. When Theodore Roosevelt took office in his own right in 1905, his paraders included the Rough Riders, the unit with which he rose to fame during the Spanish-American War.
During William Howard Taft's inauguration in 1909, the 7th New York Militia missed the parade because of bad weather. They refused to leave Washington until they paraded before Taft. Taft, therefore, had two inaugural parades.
The military continued to participate in inaugurations through the 20th century with little change. In 1933, however, the military again assumed a security role when Franklin D. Roosevelt took office. The Great Depression was at its height, and there were threats against the president.
Roosevelt turned the economic situation around, and the military mission at his second inauguration in 1937 was mostly ceremonial. Roosevelt's fourth inauguration in 1945 was sedate. America was still at war, and the occasion was marked by a small ceremony and parade.
After the war, demands on the military in Washington were centralized in the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee. This temporary, joint military command forms every four years solely to coordinate Defense Department support to inaugural activities. It works with the Presidential Inaugural Committee and Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, coordinating the participation of military units and escorts and some transportation and medical services.
Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the military again has an inaugural security role in support of lead civilian agencies. About 5,000 servicemembers will provide military support for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.
Some of the servicemembers will be part of the ceremonial units. Others will provide transportation. Still others will be involved with logistics and security. No matter what they do, they will be carrying on a tradition as old as the republic.
Operation Healing Angel Gears Up for New Year
By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 12, 2009 - A troop-support organization is gearing up for the early part of the new year, collecting Valentine, Easter and St. Patrick Day cards and gifts for servicemembers and the health professionals who take care of them. "The response is tremendous during [the Christmas holiday] for sending cards and gifts, but the need is just as great when this holiday ends," said Alessandra Kellermann, founder of Homefront Hugs USA, the group that manages the Operation Healing Angel program. "We run 365 days of the year. It's important for us to keep in contact with the troops throughout the year. Cards are a wonderful way to say thanks to those who sacrifice so much every day."
Operation Healing Angel's mission is not only to provide support to servicemembers at home and abroad, but also to reach out to health care professionals who take care of them when they are injured, Kellermann said. The program's volunteers collect items such as cards, pens, travel games, mini flashlights, alarm clocks and handkerchiefs for health care professionals in hospitals overseas and at home. Care packages for servicemembers include cards, U-shaped neck pillows, CDs and DVDs.
"What I love about this mission is that we include the caregivers -- the medical personnel too often forgotten," Kellermann said. "I once worked in an emergency room and intensive care unit, so I know the stress and toll of dealing with traumatic events and the need for a morale boost whenever possible. The coffee, blankets and soft music is received with much gratitude and appreciation."
Air Force Senior Airman Mackenzie Schroeder took time to express her gratitude upon completion of her tour in a military hospital in Iraq. "As my tour comes to an end," she wrote, "I just want to extend another thank you for all the care packages that you have sent to me, my coworkers and the men and women who come through this [hospital] daily. Your gifts, thoughts and prayers are much appreciated from everyone."
A medic stationed in Germany wrote to Kellermann three years ago, requesting support for a soldier he was treating. She knew then that she wanted to do something to uplift the spirits of both the medic and the injured soldier.
"The word spread quickly as we began to send cards, accompanied by care packages filled with blankets, cozy socks, spiritual books, bathrobes - anything the medical personnel or chaplains could give to these wounded troops," she said.
The majority of Operation Healing Angel cards and care packages go to Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals in Washington, D.C., Florida and Hawaii. Packages also go to military hospitals in Germany, Afghanistan and Iraq.
"The need is great, as it reminds our heroes who care for our wounded and those injured that during their struggle to get better, they are never forgotten and someone is thinking of them, praying and hoping they know we are grateful for their sacrifices," Kellermann said.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 12, 2009 - A troop-support organization is gearing up for the early part of the new year, collecting Valentine, Easter and St. Patrick Day cards and gifts for servicemembers and the health professionals who take care of them. "The response is tremendous during [the Christmas holiday] for sending cards and gifts, but the need is just as great when this holiday ends," said Alessandra Kellermann, founder of Homefront Hugs USA, the group that manages the Operation Healing Angel program. "We run 365 days of the year. It's important for us to keep in contact with the troops throughout the year. Cards are a wonderful way to say thanks to those who sacrifice so much every day."
Operation Healing Angel's mission is not only to provide support to servicemembers at home and abroad, but also to reach out to health care professionals who take care of them when they are injured, Kellermann said. The program's volunteers collect items such as cards, pens, travel games, mini flashlights, alarm clocks and handkerchiefs for health care professionals in hospitals overseas and at home. Care packages for servicemembers include cards, U-shaped neck pillows, CDs and DVDs.
"What I love about this mission is that we include the caregivers -- the medical personnel too often forgotten," Kellermann said. "I once worked in an emergency room and intensive care unit, so I know the stress and toll of dealing with traumatic events and the need for a morale boost whenever possible. The coffee, blankets and soft music is received with much gratitude and appreciation."
Air Force Senior Airman Mackenzie Schroeder took time to express her gratitude upon completion of her tour in a military hospital in Iraq. "As my tour comes to an end," she wrote, "I just want to extend another thank you for all the care packages that you have sent to me, my coworkers and the men and women who come through this [hospital] daily. Your gifts, thoughts and prayers are much appreciated from everyone."
A medic stationed in Germany wrote to Kellermann three years ago, requesting support for a soldier he was treating. She knew then that she wanted to do something to uplift the spirits of both the medic and the injured soldier.
"The word spread quickly as we began to send cards, accompanied by care packages filled with blankets, cozy socks, spiritual books, bathrobes - anything the medical personnel or chaplains could give to these wounded troops," she said.
The majority of Operation Healing Angel cards and care packages go to Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals in Washington, D.C., Florida and Hawaii. Packages also go to military hospitals in Germany, Afghanistan and Iraq.
"The need is great, as it reminds our heroes who care for our wounded and those injured that during their struggle to get better, they are never forgotten and someone is thinking of them, praying and hoping they know we are grateful for their sacrifices," Kellermann said.
Chairman Says He's Ready to Execute New President's Military Decisions
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 12, 2009 - Whatever decisions President-elect Barack Obama makes regarding Iraq and Afghanistan, the military is prepared to carry them out, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in an interview last night on the CBS TV show "60 Minutes." "When President-elect Obama gets in and says, 'Here's the decision,' the United States military, led by me, is going to march off and execute that decision," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told correspondent David Martin.
Should that decision be to withdraw troops from Iraq, as Obama stated he would in campaign addresses, it's up to Mullen to tell the new president what it will take. Before Christmas, the chairman visited the front lines in Iraq to determine for himself what it will take to get 140,000 troops out of the country gracefully.
A withdrawal would include tons of equipment and command centers built up over nearly six years of war, and all of it has to be transported back to the United States without triggering the collapse of Iraq's government, the chairman noted.
"I don't think it's 'Mission Impossible,'" Mullen said, noting that the president-elect has said consistently that he wants to withdraw troops responsibly.
"Certainly, a responsible withdrawal ... is, I think, a very, very possible outcome here, given what I've seen transpire over the last couple of years and literally what I saw walking the streets of Samarra," the chairman said.
Samarra is home to the al-Askari Mosque, a Shiia Muslim shrine also known as "the Golden Mosque." The February 2006 bombing of the mosque sparked sectarian violence that nearly tore Iraq apart. The structure is now being rebuilt.
Mullen also made his way to Afghanistan during his pre-holiday trip, and he said he stands by his earlier assessment that "we are not winning" the war there.
"I said it because I believed it, and I still believe it," he said. "I think the level of violence in 2008 surprised us all. The sophistication of the tactics of the insurgency surprised us all."
A possible answer to the upswing in violence in Afghanistan includes more troops on the ground, he said. "The exact number isn't known," he acknowledged. "I talked ... about a range between 20,000 and 30,000."
That would nearly double the number of troops fighting the insurgency in Afghanistan. But even increased troop numbers won't do any good unless the insurgent safe haven in Pakistan is mitigated, the admiral said. Pakistan shares a border with Afghanistan, and Taliban extremists have been using safe havens within Pakistan to plan and train for attacks inside Afghanistan.
"That safe haven's got to be shut down to a level where it doesn't have the effect that it's having now," Mullen said. "In the long run, if that is not done, then additional troops are not going to have that big an impact."
Mullen said he makes a point of meeting with his Pakistani counterpart whenever he's in the area, including this past trip. This visit marked his seventh visit to the country since he took office in October 2007. It's a critical relationship, Mullen said, adding that relations with the country are equal to, if not more important than, those with any other country right now.
The relationship between the new president and the military he'll command also is critical, Mullen said. The chairman met with Obama in Chicago shortly after the election at the president-elect's request.
"As commander in chief, the connection with the military is absolutely vital," he said. "So making that connection as early as possible and as solid as possible is a huge deal."
Mullen said he doesn't sense any hesitancy from the military over the incoming president.
"What's really important about us in the military is that we stay neutral and remain apolitical," he said. "We work for whoever the president is. All of us in the military will do that faithfully to support President [George W.] Bush until the 20th of January, and we'll do the same thing for President-elect Obama once he gets into the position."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 12, 2009 - Whatever decisions President-elect Barack Obama makes regarding Iraq and Afghanistan, the military is prepared to carry them out, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in an interview last night on the CBS TV show "60 Minutes." "When President-elect Obama gets in and says, 'Here's the decision,' the United States military, led by me, is going to march off and execute that decision," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told correspondent David Martin.
Should that decision be to withdraw troops from Iraq, as Obama stated he would in campaign addresses, it's up to Mullen to tell the new president what it will take. Before Christmas, the chairman visited the front lines in Iraq to determine for himself what it will take to get 140,000 troops out of the country gracefully.
A withdrawal would include tons of equipment and command centers built up over nearly six years of war, and all of it has to be transported back to the United States without triggering the collapse of Iraq's government, the chairman noted.
"I don't think it's 'Mission Impossible,'" Mullen said, noting that the president-elect has said consistently that he wants to withdraw troops responsibly.
"Certainly, a responsible withdrawal ... is, I think, a very, very possible outcome here, given what I've seen transpire over the last couple of years and literally what I saw walking the streets of Samarra," the chairman said.
Samarra is home to the al-Askari Mosque, a Shiia Muslim shrine also known as "the Golden Mosque." The February 2006 bombing of the mosque sparked sectarian violence that nearly tore Iraq apart. The structure is now being rebuilt.
Mullen also made his way to Afghanistan during his pre-holiday trip, and he said he stands by his earlier assessment that "we are not winning" the war there.
"I said it because I believed it, and I still believe it," he said. "I think the level of violence in 2008 surprised us all. The sophistication of the tactics of the insurgency surprised us all."
A possible answer to the upswing in violence in Afghanistan includes more troops on the ground, he said. "The exact number isn't known," he acknowledged. "I talked ... about a range between 20,000 and 30,000."
That would nearly double the number of troops fighting the insurgency in Afghanistan. But even increased troop numbers won't do any good unless the insurgent safe haven in Pakistan is mitigated, the admiral said. Pakistan shares a border with Afghanistan, and Taliban extremists have been using safe havens within Pakistan to plan and train for attacks inside Afghanistan.
"That safe haven's got to be shut down to a level where it doesn't have the effect that it's having now," Mullen said. "In the long run, if that is not done, then additional troops are not going to have that big an impact."
Mullen said he makes a point of meeting with his Pakistani counterpart whenever he's in the area, including this past trip. This visit marked his seventh visit to the country since he took office in October 2007. It's a critical relationship, Mullen said, adding that relations with the country are equal to, if not more important than, those with any other country right now.
The relationship between the new president and the military he'll command also is critical, Mullen said. The chairman met with Obama in Chicago shortly after the election at the president-elect's request.
"As commander in chief, the connection with the military is absolutely vital," he said. "So making that connection as early as possible and as solid as possible is a huge deal."
Mullen said he doesn't sense any hesitancy from the military over the incoming president.
"What's really important about us in the military is that we stay neutral and remain apolitical," he said. "We work for whoever the president is. All of us in the military will do that faithfully to support President [George W.] Bush until the 20th of January, and we'll do the same thing for President-elect Obama once he gets into the position."
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Military Books
Military-Writers.com is pleased to announce the addition of these servicemembers to the website:
Colonel Mark Lowry, II, USA (ret.)
Lt. Colonel Job K. Savage, USA (ret.)
Lt. Colonel James Richardson, USA (ret.)
Lt. Commander Gerald Peter Hansen, USN (ret.)
Thomas A. Phelan, USMC
Albert S. Kurek, USMC
Matthew J. Lyons, USMC
Timothy Carney, USMC
John E. McLaughlin, USMC
John Morrison, USMC
Tom Dempsey, USMC
John H. Briant, USAF
Arnold M. Pine, USN
William A. Krueger, USN
David Rose, USA
Richard Arrington, USA
Joe Sanchez, USA
Jon Whalen, USA
Wayne D. Ford, USA
Robert D. Emerson, USA
Randal Davis, USMC
Frank Zafiro, USA
Gregory Allen Doyle, USA
Kevin Lackey, USA
The Website now lists 771 servicemembers and their 2466 books.
MORE INFORMATION
Military Books
This information was sponsored by Military Leadership information online.
Colonel Mark Lowry, II, USA (ret.)
Lt. Colonel Job K. Savage, USA (ret.)
Lt. Colonel James Richardson, USA (ret.)
Lt. Commander Gerald Peter Hansen, USN (ret.)
Thomas A. Phelan, USMC
Albert S. Kurek, USMC
Matthew J. Lyons, USMC
Timothy Carney, USMC
John E. McLaughlin, USMC
John Morrison, USMC
Tom Dempsey, USMC
John H. Briant, USAF
Arnold M. Pine, USN
William A. Krueger, USN
David Rose, USA
Richard Arrington, USA
Joe Sanchez, USA
Jon Whalen, USA
Wayne D. Ford, USA
Robert D. Emerson, USA
Randal Davis, USMC
Frank Zafiro, USA
Gregory Allen Doyle, USA
Kevin Lackey, USA
The Website now lists 771 servicemembers and their 2466 books.
MORE INFORMATION
Military Books
This information was sponsored by Military Leadership information online.
Aviation History
On January 23, 2009, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion on Aviation History with Major R.G. Beavers, USAF (ret.) the author of Legacy: Genesis of Aviation Greatness.
Program Date: January 23, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Aviation History
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/01/24/Aviation-History
About the Guest
Major R. G. Beavers, USAF (ret.) is a “Master Navigator and twenty-year veteran of the United States Air Force with over 5000 hours experience in the B-52D, F, G and H. He served two tours in Southeast Asia, flying out of U-Tapao RTN Air Force Base, and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. He was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Wing/34th Bomb Squadron at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio mentioned in the episodes.
Major R. G. Beavers also initially trained with Captain (now retired Colonel, Wing Commander and Command Pilot) Charles B. Brown. Major R. G. Beavers amassed over 2000 hours as an Instructor Navigator, and was awarded the Masters and Doctorate of Flying Training Certificates by Air Training Command.
In bombing competition, he won the coveted Russell Daugherty Trophy the first time it was presented. Major R. G. Beavers taught over 2,000 young lieutenant navigators their trade, including one author, Dale Brown, who wrote such books as Flight of the Old Dog and Shadow Command. Major R. G. Beavers is the author of Legacy: Genesis of Aviation Greatness.
About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is Police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.
About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, Criminal Justice technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.
Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/01/24/Aviation-History
Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530
Program Date: January 23, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Aviation History
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/01/24/Aviation-History
About the Guest
Major R. G. Beavers, USAF (ret.) is a “Master Navigator and twenty-year veteran of the United States Air Force with over 5000 hours experience in the B-52D, F, G and H. He served two tours in Southeast Asia, flying out of U-Tapao RTN Air Force Base, and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. He was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Wing/34th Bomb Squadron at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio mentioned in the episodes.
Major R. G. Beavers also initially trained with Captain (now retired Colonel, Wing Commander and Command Pilot) Charles B. Brown. Major R. G. Beavers amassed over 2000 hours as an Instructor Navigator, and was awarded the Masters and Doctorate of Flying Training Certificates by Air Training Command.
In bombing competition, he won the coveted Russell Daugherty Trophy the first time it was presented. Major R. G. Beavers taught over 2,000 young lieutenant navigators their trade, including one author, Dale Brown, who wrote such books as Flight of the Old Dog and Shadow Command. Major R. G. Beavers is the author of Legacy: Genesis of Aviation Greatness.
About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is Police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.
About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, Criminal Justice technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.
Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/01/24/Aviation-History
Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530
Servicemembers Rehearse 56th Presidential Inauguration
By Marine Corps Sgt. Michael S. Cifuentes
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 11, 2009 - From providing musical performances to acting as key personnel during the swearing-in process, hundreds of servicemembers were on hand this morning around the nation's Capitol to support the 56th Presidential Inaugural rehearsal. Each branch of service played a key role in working out potential issues before the inauguration, said Howard Gantman, staff director of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
The rehearsal started promptly at 5:30 a.m., with a rough walk-through, followed by the placement of military bands and joint-service cordon personnel.
Army Staff Sgt. Derrick Brooks, who serves with 741st Military Intelligence at Fort George G. Meade, Md., took a position of honor as he stood in for President-elect Barrack Obama. Brooks' speech consisted of nothing more than, "My fellow Americans. God bless America," but event coordinators said his role was critical.
Other servicemembers stood in for Vice President-elect Joe Biden and the Obama and Biden families. Navy Seaman LaSean McCray played the role of Michelle Obama. Army Spc. Nicholas Rupple stood in for Biden, and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Karen Lowden, as Jill Biden.
Two military children stood in as the Obama girls. Dominique Sewell, the 14-year-old daughter of Army Sgt. 1st Class Natalie Sewell-Johnson, stood in as Malia. Ten-year-old Gianna Justice Samora-Nixon, daughter of Navy Chief Petty Officer Kenneth Nixon, was Sasha.
All were selected based on height, weight, gender and ethnicity similarities, explained Air Force Maj. Andra Higgs, an action officer with the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee.
The military's involvement in the presidential inauguration is a centuries-old tradition, which honors the commander in chief, recognizes civilian control of the military and celebrates democracy, Higgs said.
More than 5,000 servicemembers will participate in the Jan. 20 event and provide ceremonial assistance.
"It's an honor for them to be center stage," Higgs said. "We're very glad to have been provided with such world-class support."
Today's rehearsal gave members of the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee a sense of what they can expect next week, when 240,000 ticketed guests and potentially millions of spectators gather in Washington to see Obama becomes the 44th U.S. president.
"It's an honor and a privilege to take part in this [rehearsal]," said Navy Lt. Marcus Jones, who stood in as an Obama family member. "Beside the birth of my children and my marriage, this will be one of the most memorable days of my life."
(Marine Corps Sgt. Michael S. Cifuentes is assigned to Headquarters, Marine)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 11, 2009 - From providing musical performances to acting as key personnel during the swearing-in process, hundreds of servicemembers were on hand this morning around the nation's Capitol to support the 56th Presidential Inaugural rehearsal. Each branch of service played a key role in working out potential issues before the inauguration, said Howard Gantman, staff director of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
The rehearsal started promptly at 5:30 a.m., with a rough walk-through, followed by the placement of military bands and joint-service cordon personnel.
Army Staff Sgt. Derrick Brooks, who serves with 741st Military Intelligence at Fort George G. Meade, Md., took a position of honor as he stood in for President-elect Barrack Obama. Brooks' speech consisted of nothing more than, "My fellow Americans. God bless America," but event coordinators said his role was critical.
Other servicemembers stood in for Vice President-elect Joe Biden and the Obama and Biden families. Navy Seaman LaSean McCray played the role of Michelle Obama. Army Spc. Nicholas Rupple stood in for Biden, and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Karen Lowden, as Jill Biden.
Two military children stood in as the Obama girls. Dominique Sewell, the 14-year-old daughter of Army Sgt. 1st Class Natalie Sewell-Johnson, stood in as Malia. Ten-year-old Gianna Justice Samora-Nixon, daughter of Navy Chief Petty Officer Kenneth Nixon, was Sasha.
All were selected based on height, weight, gender and ethnicity similarities, explained Air Force Maj. Andra Higgs, an action officer with the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee.
The military's involvement in the presidential inauguration is a centuries-old tradition, which honors the commander in chief, recognizes civilian control of the military and celebrates democracy, Higgs said.
More than 5,000 servicemembers will participate in the Jan. 20 event and provide ceremonial assistance.
"It's an honor for them to be center stage," Higgs said. "We're very glad to have been provided with such world-class support."
Today's rehearsal gave members of the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee a sense of what they can expect next week, when 240,000 ticketed guests and potentially millions of spectators gather in Washington to see Obama becomes the 44th U.S. president.
"It's an honor and a privilege to take part in this [rehearsal]," said Navy Lt. Marcus Jones, who stood in as an Obama family member. "Beside the birth of my children and my marriage, this will be one of the most memorable days of my life."
(Marine Corps Sgt. Michael S. Cifuentes is assigned to Headquarters, Marine)
Navy Commissions USS George H.W. Bush with Namesake on Hand
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 10, 2009 - With traditional pomp and circumstance and its namesake on hand, the last Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS George H.W. Bush, was commissioned in Norfolk, Va., today. "So what do you give a guy who has been blessed and has just about everything he has ever needed?" President George W. Bush, son of former President George H.W. Bush, joked during the ceremony. "Well, an aircraft carrier."
The story of the USS George H.W. Bush, also known as CVN 77, begins well before its keel-laying in September 2003. It began in the early days of World War II, when the former President Bush was just 18 when he enlisted in the Navy as a seaman second class, his son said.
Just days before his 19th birthday, George H.W. Bush became the youngest Navy pilot when he received his wings and commission. The young pilot flew torpedo bombers off USS San Jacinto from August 1942 to September 1945. On Sept. 2, 1944, his plane was hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. He went down in the ocean and was rescued by the Navy submarine USS Finback.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals for courageous service in the Pacific theater.
Thirty-five years later, he was sworn in as the 41st president of the United States and served two terms.
"The ship is a fitting tribute to a generation of men with whom my dad was privileged to serve," the president said. "She's also a tribute to a new generation of American soldiers and sailors and Coast Guardsmen and women, airmen and Marines who have stepped forward to defend the United States of America."
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates also declared USS George H.W. Bush a fitting tribute to the man who served his country for more than 40 years in several capacities.
"There is no one more worthy of having the last Nimitz-class aircraft carrier named in his honor than our 41st president, the last of the World War II generation to serve as commander-in-chief," Gates said. "As commander-in-chief, President [George H.W.] Bush had a courage and toughness that impressed all those who worked for him.
"At the same time, he was, and is, a man of feeling, especially where men and women in uniform are concerned," the secretary added.
Gates remembered the 41st president's tribute to the 47 sailors who died when a 16-inch gun turret exploded aboard USS Iowa on April 19, 1989. The press accused Bush of just "going through the motions," because he appeared to speed through his remarks.
In fact, Bush was so moved by the sailors' sacrifice that he would not have made it through his remarks had he not sped through them, the secretary said.
"He once said that a peaceful, prosperous international order required 'the leadership, the power, and yes, the conscience of the United States of America,'" Gates said. "This ship that bears his name, this ship that we commission today, embodies all three."
For the ship's namesake, the commissioning brought back memories made more than six decades ago when, as a young sailor, he participated in the commissioning of USS San Jacinto.
"Those who are sitting out there where I was 65 years ago, preparing to serve aboard your new ship, I wish I was sitting right out there with you, ready to start the adventures of my naval aviation career all over," the former president said. "As you prepare to man this ship, I do know that you take with you the hopes and dreams of every American who cherishes freedom and peace.
"And you take with you the undying respect and admiration of the entire Bush family," he added before helping set the ship's first watch.
"I know you will find comfort and inspiration, particularly in the night sky," the senior Bush continued. "For it is in the splendor of the stars that you will truly understand the majesty of creation and bear witness to the certain hand of God."
The nuclear-powered USS George H.W. Bush is nearly twice as long as the first ship on which its namesake served. It's nearly as tall as the Empire State Building in New York City, and will be home to about 6,000 sailors and Marines.
And as the elder Bush pointed out, it has "feature that a few of my granddaughters, in particular, would really like ... there are a mind-boggling 1,400 telephones."
USS George H.W. Bush is set to make history and today marked the first day of that illustrious journey, said Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter. "The impact of a new carrier is global," he said. "For no other ship represents to the world the power of the United States the way this does."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 10, 2009 - With traditional pomp and circumstance and its namesake on hand, the last Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS George H.W. Bush, was commissioned in Norfolk, Va., today. "So what do you give a guy who has been blessed and has just about everything he has ever needed?" President George W. Bush, son of former President George H.W. Bush, joked during the ceremony. "Well, an aircraft carrier."
The story of the USS George H.W. Bush, also known as CVN 77, begins well before its keel-laying in September 2003. It began in the early days of World War II, when the former President Bush was just 18 when he enlisted in the Navy as a seaman second class, his son said.
Just days before his 19th birthday, George H.W. Bush became the youngest Navy pilot when he received his wings and commission. The young pilot flew torpedo bombers off USS San Jacinto from August 1942 to September 1945. On Sept. 2, 1944, his plane was hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. He went down in the ocean and was rescued by the Navy submarine USS Finback.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals for courageous service in the Pacific theater.
Thirty-five years later, he was sworn in as the 41st president of the United States and served two terms.
"The ship is a fitting tribute to a generation of men with whom my dad was privileged to serve," the president said. "She's also a tribute to a new generation of American soldiers and sailors and Coast Guardsmen and women, airmen and Marines who have stepped forward to defend the United States of America."
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates also declared USS George H.W. Bush a fitting tribute to the man who served his country for more than 40 years in several capacities.
"There is no one more worthy of having the last Nimitz-class aircraft carrier named in his honor than our 41st president, the last of the World War II generation to serve as commander-in-chief," Gates said. "As commander-in-chief, President [George H.W.] Bush had a courage and toughness that impressed all those who worked for him.
"At the same time, he was, and is, a man of feeling, especially where men and women in uniform are concerned," the secretary added.
Gates remembered the 41st president's tribute to the 47 sailors who died when a 16-inch gun turret exploded aboard USS Iowa on April 19, 1989. The press accused Bush of just "going through the motions," because he appeared to speed through his remarks.
In fact, Bush was so moved by the sailors' sacrifice that he would not have made it through his remarks had he not sped through them, the secretary said.
"He once said that a peaceful, prosperous international order required 'the leadership, the power, and yes, the conscience of the United States of America,'" Gates said. "This ship that bears his name, this ship that we commission today, embodies all three."
For the ship's namesake, the commissioning brought back memories made more than six decades ago when, as a young sailor, he participated in the commissioning of USS San Jacinto.
"Those who are sitting out there where I was 65 years ago, preparing to serve aboard your new ship, I wish I was sitting right out there with you, ready to start the adventures of my naval aviation career all over," the former president said. "As you prepare to man this ship, I do know that you take with you the hopes and dreams of every American who cherishes freedom and peace.
"And you take with you the undying respect and admiration of the entire Bush family," he added before helping set the ship's first watch.
"I know you will find comfort and inspiration, particularly in the night sky," the senior Bush continued. "For it is in the splendor of the stars that you will truly understand the majesty of creation and bear witness to the certain hand of God."
The nuclear-powered USS George H.W. Bush is nearly twice as long as the first ship on which its namesake served. It's nearly as tall as the Empire State Building in New York City, and will be home to about 6,000 sailors and Marines.
And as the elder Bush pointed out, it has "feature that a few of my granddaughters, in particular, would really like ... there are a mind-boggling 1,400 telephones."
USS George H.W. Bush is set to make history and today marked the first day of that illustrious journey, said Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter. "The impact of a new carrier is global," he said. "For no other ship represents to the world the power of the United States the way this does."
Bush Praises Military for Keeping America Safe
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 10, 2009 - President George W. Bush said this morning he's had no higher honor during his eight years as president than serving as commander in chief to the "brave patriots" of the U.S. military. The president dedicated his next-to-last weekly radio address to praising the "selflessness and courage" of U.S. military men and women he credits with helping ensure no terrorist attacks have threatened the country since Sept. 11, 2001.
Bush, who made his official farewell speech to the military earlier this week during a ceremony at Fort Myer, Va., said he and first Lady Laura Bush "will take with us many inspiring memories of the valor that we have seen these brave Americans display time and again" when they leave the White House.
"We saw their valor on September the 11th, 2001, in servicemembers rushing into smoke-filled corridors to save their colleagues at the Pentagon, and in planes patrolling the skies above New York City and Washington D.C.," he said.
"We saw their valor in the days after that attack, when Americans crowded into recruiting centers across our country, raised their hands to serve, and pledged to defend our people and our freedom.
"We saw their valor in the forces who deployed to Afghanistan within weeks of 9/11, closed down the terrorist training camps, and drove the Taliban from power.
"We saw their valor in the fearless troops who stormed across the Iraqi desert –- and destroyed a regime that threatened America.
"We saw their valor in battle-tested warriors who signed up for a second, or third or fourth tour -- and made the troop surge in Iraq that I announced two years ago today one of the great successes in American military history."
As the U.S. military liberated more than 50 million people around the world, it also the United States safer by taking the fight to terrorists abroad, the president said. This, he said, helped ensure that Americans did not have to face them at home.
As a result, no terrorist attack has taken place on U.S. soil in the seven years since Sept. 11, 2001.
"This is no coincidence," Bush said. He noted the vast effort that has made this possible, through tireless work by the military, law enforcement officials, security analysts and homeland security agents, among others.
"We owe a debt of gratitude to all of these patriots," the president said. "Because of their devotion to service, many Americans live their lives without the fear and uncertainty that they felt in the days just after 9/11."
Bush called this continued safety a blessing, but emphasized that it must never foster complacency. "America still faces sworn enemies intent on striking our nation and our people, and we must remain vigilant for as long as that threat remains," he said.
The president praised the men in women in uniform who have remained vigilant. "These Americans answer the call to defend freedom when it is under attack. They put their lives on the line to defend democracy and keep our country safe," he said.
"And they inspire a nation with their selflessness and their courage. I am proud to have served as their commander-in-chief."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 10, 2009 - President George W. Bush said this morning he's had no higher honor during his eight years as president than serving as commander in chief to the "brave patriots" of the U.S. military. The president dedicated his next-to-last weekly radio address to praising the "selflessness and courage" of U.S. military men and women he credits with helping ensure no terrorist attacks have threatened the country since Sept. 11, 2001.
Bush, who made his official farewell speech to the military earlier this week during a ceremony at Fort Myer, Va., said he and first Lady Laura Bush "will take with us many inspiring memories of the valor that we have seen these brave Americans display time and again" when they leave the White House.
"We saw their valor on September the 11th, 2001, in servicemembers rushing into smoke-filled corridors to save their colleagues at the Pentagon, and in planes patrolling the skies above New York City and Washington D.C.," he said.
"We saw their valor in the days after that attack, when Americans crowded into recruiting centers across our country, raised their hands to serve, and pledged to defend our people and our freedom.
"We saw their valor in the forces who deployed to Afghanistan within weeks of 9/11, closed down the terrorist training camps, and drove the Taliban from power.
"We saw their valor in the fearless troops who stormed across the Iraqi desert –- and destroyed a regime that threatened America.
"We saw their valor in battle-tested warriors who signed up for a second, or third or fourth tour -- and made the troop surge in Iraq that I announced two years ago today one of the great successes in American military history."
As the U.S. military liberated more than 50 million people around the world, it also the United States safer by taking the fight to terrorists abroad, the president said. This, he said, helped ensure that Americans did not have to face them at home.
As a result, no terrorist attack has taken place on U.S. soil in the seven years since Sept. 11, 2001.
"This is no coincidence," Bush said. He noted the vast effort that has made this possible, through tireless work by the military, law enforcement officials, security analysts and homeland security agents, among others.
"We owe a debt of gratitude to all of these patriots," the president said. "Because of their devotion to service, many Americans live their lives without the fear and uncertainty that they felt in the days just after 9/11."
Bush called this continued safety a blessing, but emphasized that it must never foster complacency. "America still faces sworn enemies intent on striking our nation and our people, and we must remain vigilant for as long as that threat remains," he said.
The president praised the men in women in uniform who have remained vigilant. "These Americans answer the call to defend freedom when it is under attack. They put their lives on the line to defend democracy and keep our country safe," he said.
"And they inspire a nation with their selflessness and their courage. I am proud to have served as their commander-in-chief."
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Military and Police Books of the Year
January 9, 2009, (San Dimas, CA) American Heroes Press, the publishers of www.military-writers.com and www.police-writers.com, announced the results of their annual recognition.
About the Websites
Military-Writers.com is a website that lists servicemembers from all branches of the United States Armed Forces who have authored books. Currently, the site lists nearly 800 servicemembers and their more than 2,400 books. Servicemembers are listed by name, branch, rank and type of book.
Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local law enforcement officials who have written books. Currently, the website lists more than 1,000 state or local police officers and their more than 2,200 books. Law enforcement officials are listed by name, department and type of book. Additionally, the website has separate sections which list federal law enforcement officials, international police officers and civilian police personnel.
About the Awards
The Military-Writers.com Book of Year 2009 focuses solely on the written contribution made by the servicemember. It is that book found by the panel of judges to be the most significant literary contribution made by a servicemember in the previous year.
The Police-Writers.com Book of the Year 2009 focuses solely on the written contribution made by the police officer. It is that book found by the panel of judges to be the most significant literary contribution made by a police officer in the previous year.
The Military-Writers.com 2009 Book of the Year
Gunnery Sergeant Nick Popaditch, United States Marine Corps (ret.) was awarded the Military-Writers.com 2009 Book of the Year for his book, Once a Marine.
On April 7, 2004, during the First Battle of Fallujah, Gunnery Sergeant Nick Popaditch “was wounded in action. During a firefight with enemy insurgents, he was struck in the head by an enemy Rocket Propelled Grenade, fired from a rooftop into the commander’s hatch of his tank. He received numerous shrapnel wounds.” His injuries necessitated the removal of his right eye; and, “his remaining eye was legally blind. His right ear and nose sustained significant damage and an implant was placed in his skull.”
In his book, Once a Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commander’s Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage, and Recovery, Nick Popaditch describes how at first he “fights to get back to where he was in Iraq - in the cupola of an M1A1 main battle tank, leading Marines in combat at the point of the spear. As the seriousness and permanence of his disabilities become more evident, Nick Popaditch fights to remain in the Corps in any capacity, to help the brothers in arms he so aches to rejoin. Facing the inevitable following a medical retirement, he battles for rightful recognition and compensation for his permanent disabilities. Throughout his harrowing ordeal, Nick Popaditch fights to maintain his honor and loyalty, waging all these battles the same way - the Marine way.”
The Police-Writers.com Book of the Year 2009
Jack R. Lundquist, Jr., Oakland Police Department (ret.) was awarded The Police-Writers.com Book of the Year 2009 for his book BeatCop.
Jack R. Lundquist, Jr. was born and raised in the City of San Pablo, California, a suburb within the San Francisco Bay Area. His desire to be a police officer was formulated early in life. He became a police explorer scout, and later a reserve police officer with the City of San Pablo Police Department. At age twenty-one Jack Lundquist was drafted by the United States Army, and served as a Military Policeman at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.
Upon being honorably discharged, Jack Lundquist returned to the San Francisco Bay area. After a brief stint as a Reserve Police Officer he was hired by the Oakland Police Department. During his tenure he attended the University of San Francisco, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree. His love for basic patrol work kept him in a marked police car for two separate periods, totaling twelve years. The remainder of the time was spent as criminal investigator, ending with a seven-year period in Vice.
According to the book description, BeatCop is “a book filled with stories from the career of a BeatCop working the perilous streets of a dodgy city. The author is a retired Oakland Police Officer, who patrolled the streets for twelve years. His stories cover the good, the bad, and the oh-shits, as well as the humor experienced by a BeatCop working a large city police department.”
American Heroes Press Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530
About the Websites
Military-Writers.com is a website that lists servicemembers from all branches of the United States Armed Forces who have authored books. Currently, the site lists nearly 800 servicemembers and their more than 2,400 books. Servicemembers are listed by name, branch, rank and type of book.
Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local law enforcement officials who have written books. Currently, the website lists more than 1,000 state or local police officers and their more than 2,200 books. Law enforcement officials are listed by name, department and type of book. Additionally, the website has separate sections which list federal law enforcement officials, international police officers and civilian police personnel.
About the Awards
The Military-Writers.com Book of Year 2009 focuses solely on the written contribution made by the servicemember. It is that book found by the panel of judges to be the most significant literary contribution made by a servicemember in the previous year.
The Police-Writers.com Book of the Year 2009 focuses solely on the written contribution made by the police officer. It is that book found by the panel of judges to be the most significant literary contribution made by a police officer in the previous year.
The Military-Writers.com 2009 Book of the Year
Gunnery Sergeant Nick Popaditch, United States Marine Corps (ret.) was awarded the Military-Writers.com 2009 Book of the Year for his book, Once a Marine.
On April 7, 2004, during the First Battle of Fallujah, Gunnery Sergeant Nick Popaditch “was wounded in action. During a firefight with enemy insurgents, he was struck in the head by an enemy Rocket Propelled Grenade, fired from a rooftop into the commander’s hatch of his tank. He received numerous shrapnel wounds.” His injuries necessitated the removal of his right eye; and, “his remaining eye was legally blind. His right ear and nose sustained significant damage and an implant was placed in his skull.”
In his book, Once a Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commander’s Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage, and Recovery, Nick Popaditch describes how at first he “fights to get back to where he was in Iraq - in the cupola of an M1A1 main battle tank, leading Marines in combat at the point of the spear. As the seriousness and permanence of his disabilities become more evident, Nick Popaditch fights to remain in the Corps in any capacity, to help the brothers in arms he so aches to rejoin. Facing the inevitable following a medical retirement, he battles for rightful recognition and compensation for his permanent disabilities. Throughout his harrowing ordeal, Nick Popaditch fights to maintain his honor and loyalty, waging all these battles the same way - the Marine way.”
The Police-Writers.com Book of the Year 2009
Jack R. Lundquist, Jr., Oakland Police Department (ret.) was awarded The Police-Writers.com Book of the Year 2009 for his book BeatCop.
Jack R. Lundquist, Jr. was born and raised in the City of San Pablo, California, a suburb within the San Francisco Bay Area. His desire to be a police officer was formulated early in life. He became a police explorer scout, and later a reserve police officer with the City of San Pablo Police Department. At age twenty-one Jack Lundquist was drafted by the United States Army, and served as a Military Policeman at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.
Upon being honorably discharged, Jack Lundquist returned to the San Francisco Bay area. After a brief stint as a Reserve Police Officer he was hired by the Oakland Police Department. During his tenure he attended the University of San Francisco, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree. His love for basic patrol work kept him in a marked police car for two separate periods, totaling twelve years. The remainder of the time was spent as criminal investigator, ending with a seven-year period in Vice.
According to the book description, BeatCop is “a book filled with stories from the career of a BeatCop working the perilous streets of a dodgy city. The author is a retired Oakland Police Officer, who patrolled the streets for twelve years. His stories cover the good, the bad, and the oh-shits, as well as the humor experienced by a BeatCop working a large city police department.”
American Heroes Press Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530
Friday, January 09, 2009
Face of Defense: Vermont Guardsman Crashes Truck, Then Wins Bobsled Event
By Tim Hipps
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 9, 2009 - Despite rolling his truck on a snowy road while driving to the 2009 U.S. National Bobsled Championships on Jan. 3, Army Pfc. John Napier of the Vermont National Guard won the two-man crown at the Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y. Napier was driving his 1999 Dodge Ram along an unplowed, snowy, back road from Saranac Lake when he lost control, drove into a snow bank, and rolled the truck onto its top and side for an upside-down slide on the icy road.
"My tire just went off the pavement, and it was on a corner so I couldn't correct -- it was a bad spot -- and it just sucked my truck right off the road into a bank, and the bank flipped the car," Napier said. "The snow was only a couple feet deep, but it was just enough to flip me over.
"It slid about 30 feet on the icy road," he said. "While I was upside down, I thought, 'This is just like being in a bobsled.' I eventually had to crawl out the passenger window."
Napier, a bobsledder in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, was fortunate to walk away with only bruised ribs and his bobsled gear. He called a friend, who gave him a ride to the track while his truck was being towed away.
The accident occurred around 11 a.m., and Napier planned to arrive at the track at 11:30. He got there at 12:30 p.m. -- just in time to make his warm-up runs before completing two heats that left Napier and teammate Cory Butner in first place by one-tenth of a second. Their combined time was 1 minute, 53.5 seconds.
"I was just a little beat up with some bruised ribs," said Napier, who added that the setback did not affect his bobsled driving ability.
The next day, the duo held on to win the event by .30 of a second over former WCAP driver Army Sgt. Mike Kohn, now a member of the National Guard Outstanding Athlete Program, who finished runner-up in the two-man championships.
With the victory, Napier earned a berth in the 2009 World Championships, scheduled for Feb. 20 through March 1 in Lake Placid.
Napier, 22, the son of former bobsled national contender Bill Napier, has been bobsledding since he was 8. He enlisted in the Vermont Army National Guard in June 2007 as an engineer, and joined WCAP last May. He said he credits the Army and WCAP/Team USA Bobsled coach Army Sgt. William Tavares for helping to further his Olympic dream.
"When I joined the Army, I knew a couple of our best bobsledders had been in the World Class Athlete Program, and I had seen what it did for them," Napier recalled of his developmental years competing against the likes of former WCAP athletes Kohn and Steven Holcomb.
"I saw how difficult my future was going to be in this sport," he said. "Right now, I wouldn't be able to slide without WCAP -- there's no way because all of the bills we have to pay are the driver's responsibility.
"Equipment is on the driver," he explained. "The runners we buy are about $5,000 a pair, and we have to have multiple pairs because different runners go faster at different tracks. I saw how great the program was for those guys and how it made it feasible for them to slide. Without it, there's no other income for a driver, and it's a full-time job.
"We're trying to be the best in the world so we need to dedicate our time to training, to bobsledding. There's just no other program out there that makes it possible," he added.
Napier will compete in the Four-man Bobsled National Championships this weekend on his hometown track in Lake Placid. He needs to finish first or runner-up to Holcomb's sled to earn another berth on Team USA for the upcoming World Championships.
"In the past, I've been a little bit stronger in the four-man sled because I'm able to make up a little more distance on the push," said Napier, a 6-foot, 200-pounder. "My deficit is that I'm just a little bit smaller of a driver, size-wise and weight-wise, so I'm not able to contribute as much on the push. That's why in four-man I'm a little bit better."
The national championships was held in conjunction with the 4th Annual Whelen Bodine Bobsled Challenge, which was supported by the New York National Guard and where Guard combat veterans had a chance to race.
SPEED channel will televise four hours of the championships and the Bodine Bobsled Challenge on Jan. 18 at noon and Jan. 25 at 2 pm.
(Tim Hipps serves in the Army's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 9, 2009 - Despite rolling his truck on a snowy road while driving to the 2009 U.S. National Bobsled Championships on Jan. 3, Army Pfc. John Napier of the Vermont National Guard won the two-man crown at the Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y. Napier was driving his 1999 Dodge Ram along an unplowed, snowy, back road from Saranac Lake when he lost control, drove into a snow bank, and rolled the truck onto its top and side for an upside-down slide on the icy road.
"My tire just went off the pavement, and it was on a corner so I couldn't correct -- it was a bad spot -- and it just sucked my truck right off the road into a bank, and the bank flipped the car," Napier said. "The snow was only a couple feet deep, but it was just enough to flip me over.
"It slid about 30 feet on the icy road," he said. "While I was upside down, I thought, 'This is just like being in a bobsled.' I eventually had to crawl out the passenger window."
Napier, a bobsledder in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, was fortunate to walk away with only bruised ribs and his bobsled gear. He called a friend, who gave him a ride to the track while his truck was being towed away.
The accident occurred around 11 a.m., and Napier planned to arrive at the track at 11:30. He got there at 12:30 p.m. -- just in time to make his warm-up runs before completing two heats that left Napier and teammate Cory Butner in first place by one-tenth of a second. Their combined time was 1 minute, 53.5 seconds.
"I was just a little beat up with some bruised ribs," said Napier, who added that the setback did not affect his bobsled driving ability.
The next day, the duo held on to win the event by .30 of a second over former WCAP driver Army Sgt. Mike Kohn, now a member of the National Guard Outstanding Athlete Program, who finished runner-up in the two-man championships.
With the victory, Napier earned a berth in the 2009 World Championships, scheduled for Feb. 20 through March 1 in Lake Placid.
Napier, 22, the son of former bobsled national contender Bill Napier, has been bobsledding since he was 8. He enlisted in the Vermont Army National Guard in June 2007 as an engineer, and joined WCAP last May. He said he credits the Army and WCAP/Team USA Bobsled coach Army Sgt. William Tavares for helping to further his Olympic dream.
"When I joined the Army, I knew a couple of our best bobsledders had been in the World Class Athlete Program, and I had seen what it did for them," Napier recalled of his developmental years competing against the likes of former WCAP athletes Kohn and Steven Holcomb.
"I saw how difficult my future was going to be in this sport," he said. "Right now, I wouldn't be able to slide without WCAP -- there's no way because all of the bills we have to pay are the driver's responsibility.
"Equipment is on the driver," he explained. "The runners we buy are about $5,000 a pair, and we have to have multiple pairs because different runners go faster at different tracks. I saw how great the program was for those guys and how it made it feasible for them to slide. Without it, there's no other income for a driver, and it's a full-time job.
"We're trying to be the best in the world so we need to dedicate our time to training, to bobsledding. There's just no other program out there that makes it possible," he added.
Napier will compete in the Four-man Bobsled National Championships this weekend on his hometown track in Lake Placid. He needs to finish first or runner-up to Holcomb's sled to earn another berth on Team USA for the upcoming World Championships.
"In the past, I've been a little bit stronger in the four-man sled because I'm able to make up a little more distance on the push," said Napier, a 6-foot, 200-pounder. "My deficit is that I'm just a little bit smaller of a driver, size-wise and weight-wise, so I'm not able to contribute as much on the push. That's why in four-man I'm a little bit better."
The national championships was held in conjunction with the 4th Annual Whelen Bodine Bobsled Challenge, which was supported by the New York National Guard and where Guard combat veterans had a chance to race.
SPEED channel will televise four hours of the championships and the Bodine Bobsled Challenge on Jan. 18 at noon and Jan. 25 at 2 pm.
(Tim Hipps serves in the Army's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center public affairs office.)
Department Keeps Commitment to Stress Care, Official Says
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 9, 2009 - The Defense Department is deeply committed to providing the best care possible for military members with post-traumatic stress disorder, despite the determination that the disorder does not meet the criteria for the Purple Heart, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said yesterday. The decision, announced earlier this week, followed months of evaluation by awards experts in the Pentagon Awards Advisory Group. The group used "very precise criteria" and longstanding historical definitions in making its determination, Morrell said during a Pentagon briefing.
"I don't think anybody should assume that that decision is in any way reflective on how seriously we take the problem of PTSD," he said.
"So, just because an awards committee believes this particular injury does not qualify for this award, does not in any way reflect that we don't take this problem seriously and aren't committed to doing everything we possibly can towards preventing it, towards treating it, towards taking care of those who are suffering with it," he said.
Morrell noted the heavy investment the Defense Department has made into preventing and treating PTSD.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted in November that recent studies suggest as many as 20 percent of today's troops may suffer from the disorder.
"I think we will have spent about a billion dollars on research, development, treatment, preventative measures," Morrell said. "And I think you will see more and more money being spent to combat this very real problem that we are all terribly concerned with."
As one example, the Defense Department broke ground in June for the National Intrepid Center of Excellence for psychological health and traumatic brain injury at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. That $70 million, 75,000-square-foot facility, funded by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, will serve as the clinical research and educational arm of the Defense Department's Center of Excellence for psychological health and TBI.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates toured another facility, the Restoration and Resilience Center at Fort Bliss, Texas, in May, calling the care it provides soldiers with PTSD as an example of the new approaches the military is exploring.
"They are doing some amazing things here in terms of helping soldiers who want to remain soldiers, but who have been wounded with post-traumatic stress disorder," he said. "It is a multi-month effort by a lot of caring people, and they are showing some real success in restoring these soldiers."
Also, the military has implemented better reporting mechanisms for those potentially affected, and the Defense Department has launched departmentwide efforts aimed at reducing the stigma attached with receiving mental health services in the military.
Gates took his appeal directly to senior noncommissioned officers attending the Sergeants Major Academy during his visit to Fort Bliss.
"All of you have a special role in encouraging troops to seek help for the unseen scars of war -- to let them know that doing so is a sign of strength and maturity," Gates told the NCOs. "I urge you all to talk with those below you to find out where we can continue to improve.
"Those who have sacrificed for our nation deserve the best care they can get," Gates continued. "As I have said before, there is no higher priority for the Department of Defense, after the war itself, than caring for our wounded warriors."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 9, 2009 - The Defense Department is deeply committed to providing the best care possible for military members with post-traumatic stress disorder, despite the determination that the disorder does not meet the criteria for the Purple Heart, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said yesterday. The decision, announced earlier this week, followed months of evaluation by awards experts in the Pentagon Awards Advisory Group. The group used "very precise criteria" and longstanding historical definitions in making its determination, Morrell said during a Pentagon briefing.
"I don't think anybody should assume that that decision is in any way reflective on how seriously we take the problem of PTSD," he said.
"So, just because an awards committee believes this particular injury does not qualify for this award, does not in any way reflect that we don't take this problem seriously and aren't committed to doing everything we possibly can towards preventing it, towards treating it, towards taking care of those who are suffering with it," he said.
Morrell noted the heavy investment the Defense Department has made into preventing and treating PTSD.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted in November that recent studies suggest as many as 20 percent of today's troops may suffer from the disorder.
"I think we will have spent about a billion dollars on research, development, treatment, preventative measures," Morrell said. "And I think you will see more and more money being spent to combat this very real problem that we are all terribly concerned with."
As one example, the Defense Department broke ground in June for the National Intrepid Center of Excellence for psychological health and traumatic brain injury at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. That $70 million, 75,000-square-foot facility, funded by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, will serve as the clinical research and educational arm of the Defense Department's Center of Excellence for psychological health and TBI.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates toured another facility, the Restoration and Resilience Center at Fort Bliss, Texas, in May, calling the care it provides soldiers with PTSD as an example of the new approaches the military is exploring.
"They are doing some amazing things here in terms of helping soldiers who want to remain soldiers, but who have been wounded with post-traumatic stress disorder," he said. "It is a multi-month effort by a lot of caring people, and they are showing some real success in restoring these soldiers."
Also, the military has implemented better reporting mechanisms for those potentially affected, and the Defense Department has launched departmentwide efforts aimed at reducing the stigma attached with receiving mental health services in the military.
Gates took his appeal directly to senior noncommissioned officers attending the Sergeants Major Academy during his visit to Fort Bliss.
"All of you have a special role in encouraging troops to seek help for the unseen scars of war -- to let them know that doing so is a sign of strength and maturity," Gates told the NCOs. "I urge you all to talk with those below you to find out where we can continue to improve.
"Those who have sacrificed for our nation deserve the best care they can get," Gates continued. "As I have said before, there is no higher priority for the Department of Defense, after the war itself, than caring for our wounded warriors."
Obama Announces Intelligence Director, CIA Chief Picks
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 9, 2009 - President-elect Barack Obama announced his choices for the nation's new top intelligence official and CIA chief at a news conference held here today. Retired Navy Adm. Dennis C. Blair, Obama told reporters, is his pick to become the new director of national intelligence, while Leon E. Panetta, former White House chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, is his nominee for CIA director.
"I am confident that Dennis Blair and Leon Panetta are the right leaders to advance the work of our intelligence community," Obama said. "They are public servants with unquestioned integrity, broad experience, strong management skills, and the core pragmatism we need in dangerous times."
The intelligence director oversees 16 intelligence agencies, including the CIA and intelligence components of the military services, and reports directly to the president. The position was established in December 2004 in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The CIA director heads America's best-known clandestine intelligence-gathering organization. The CIA was established in 1947, essentially replacing the Office of Strategic Services that was created during World War II.
Blair's impressive qualifications and wide experience suit him well to become the next intelligence director, Obama said. The former U.S. Pacific Command chief "has seen the diverse uses of intelligence from many different perspectives," he said. Blair retired from the Navy in 2002.
Obama cited Blair "as someone who has handled intelligence as a sailor at sea, and as a strategic thinker in Washington." As the intelligence director, the former four-star admiral "will have the expertise and authority to ensure that our 16 intelligence agencies act with unity of effort and purpose," Obama said.
Turning to his pick for CIA director, Obama praised Panetta as "one of the finest public servants of our time." Obama observed that Panetta, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, has "committed himself to his country since he put on the uniform of the U.S. Army." Panetta served as an Army officer from 1964 to 1966.
With Panetta at its helm, the CIA "will have a director who has my complete trust and substantial clout," Obama said.
Panetta, who also served as the director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Clinton administration, "knows how to focus resources where they are needed, and he has a proven track record of building consensus and working on a bipartisan basis with Congress," he said.
Obama also announced that CIA veteran John O. Brennan will be his homeland security advisor and deputy national security advisor for counterterrorism.
"The demands on the intelligence community are huge and growing," Obama observed. "To have a successful national security strategy, I have made it clear that we will need to deploy and balance all elements of American power -- our military, diplomacy, homeland security, economic might and moral persuasion.
"Good intelligence work is necessary to support each of these endeavors," Obama said.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 9, 2009 - President-elect Barack Obama announced his choices for the nation's new top intelligence official and CIA chief at a news conference held here today. Retired Navy Adm. Dennis C. Blair, Obama told reporters, is his pick to become the new director of national intelligence, while Leon E. Panetta, former White House chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, is his nominee for CIA director.
"I am confident that Dennis Blair and Leon Panetta are the right leaders to advance the work of our intelligence community," Obama said. "They are public servants with unquestioned integrity, broad experience, strong management skills, and the core pragmatism we need in dangerous times."
The intelligence director oversees 16 intelligence agencies, including the CIA and intelligence components of the military services, and reports directly to the president. The position was established in December 2004 in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The CIA director heads America's best-known clandestine intelligence-gathering organization. The CIA was established in 1947, essentially replacing the Office of Strategic Services that was created during World War II.
Blair's impressive qualifications and wide experience suit him well to become the next intelligence director, Obama said. The former U.S. Pacific Command chief "has seen the diverse uses of intelligence from many different perspectives," he said. Blair retired from the Navy in 2002.
Obama cited Blair "as someone who has handled intelligence as a sailor at sea, and as a strategic thinker in Washington." As the intelligence director, the former four-star admiral "will have the expertise and authority to ensure that our 16 intelligence agencies act with unity of effort and purpose," Obama said.
Turning to his pick for CIA director, Obama praised Panetta as "one of the finest public servants of our time." Obama observed that Panetta, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, has "committed himself to his country since he put on the uniform of the U.S. Army." Panetta served as an Army officer from 1964 to 1966.
With Panetta at its helm, the CIA "will have a director who has my complete trust and substantial clout," Obama said.
Panetta, who also served as the director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Clinton administration, "knows how to focus resources where they are needed, and he has a proven track record of building consensus and working on a bipartisan basis with Congress," he said.
Obama also announced that CIA veteran John O. Brennan will be his homeland security advisor and deputy national security advisor for counterterrorism.
"The demands on the intelligence community are huge and growing," Obama observed. "To have a successful national security strategy, I have made it clear that we will need to deploy and balance all elements of American power -- our military, diplomacy, homeland security, economic might and moral persuasion.
"Good intelligence work is necessary to support each of these endeavors," Obama said.
Defense Department to Develop National Cyber Testbed
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
an. 9, 2009 - The Defense Department is developing a national "cyber range" to test cybersecurity technology and reduce the vulnerability of government computer systems to networks attacks. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency officials announced yesterday that they awarded contracts to seven companies to come up with detailed engineering plans to design and build the new testbed. Over the next eight months, each contractor will lead a team of businesses, universities and federal laboratories in the first phase of the National Cyber Range program. DARPA will select from the plans to build the full-scale facility.
"What we are doing is creating kind of a 'Consumer Reports' or an underwriter laboratory-type facility to bring in different types of computer equipment to test and see how secure they are," DARPA Program Manager Dr. Michael VanPutte explained.
The facility is to take current testing for government research and development programs to a whole new level -- making it faster and broader and automating much of the manual procedures involved.
"I see it as advancing the state-of-the-art of cyber testing," VanPutte said.
The goal, he said, is to identify the most promising security solutions for future computer systems. But the testbed also will help identify and shore up yet-unrecognized vulnerabilities in current systems.
"Today, we really don't have a way to know how secure our solutions are," VanPutte said. "It's like in the dark ages of building cathedrals. We don't understand the science of security. So we are building the national cyber range in order to bring in potential solutions and really stress them and test them in a carefully controlled environment."
The effort, part of the interagency Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative announced last year, will benefit researchers not just in the Defense Department, but at all federal departments and agencies.
"This is a national testbed, not a [Defense Department] one," VanPutte said. "So the National Science Foundation, the Department of Homeland Security, the [Director of National Intelligence] can all come use this testbed when it is up and running."
The testbed will help prevent network attacks that VanPutte said have become "a common and increasing occurrence."
"The national cyber range, ultimately, will help provide our leaders and warfighters with greater assurance that our citizens, businesses and our armed forces will be protected against damaging cyber attacks," he said.
Melissa Hathaway, director of the Joint Interagency Cyber Task Force, said addressing vulnerabilities within the U.S. computer network infrastructure must become a long-term priority for national and economic security.
"I don't believe that this is a single-year or even a multi-year investment," she said. "It's a multi-decade approach."
American Forces Press Service
an. 9, 2009 - The Defense Department is developing a national "cyber range" to test cybersecurity technology and reduce the vulnerability of government computer systems to networks attacks. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency officials announced yesterday that they awarded contracts to seven companies to come up with detailed engineering plans to design and build the new testbed. Over the next eight months, each contractor will lead a team of businesses, universities and federal laboratories in the first phase of the National Cyber Range program. DARPA will select from the plans to build the full-scale facility.
"What we are doing is creating kind of a 'Consumer Reports' or an underwriter laboratory-type facility to bring in different types of computer equipment to test and see how secure they are," DARPA Program Manager Dr. Michael VanPutte explained.
The facility is to take current testing for government research and development programs to a whole new level -- making it faster and broader and automating much of the manual procedures involved.
"I see it as advancing the state-of-the-art of cyber testing," VanPutte said.
The goal, he said, is to identify the most promising security solutions for future computer systems. But the testbed also will help identify and shore up yet-unrecognized vulnerabilities in current systems.
"Today, we really don't have a way to know how secure our solutions are," VanPutte said. "It's like in the dark ages of building cathedrals. We don't understand the science of security. So we are building the national cyber range in order to bring in potential solutions and really stress them and test them in a carefully controlled environment."
The effort, part of the interagency Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative announced last year, will benefit researchers not just in the Defense Department, but at all federal departments and agencies.
"This is a national testbed, not a [Defense Department] one," VanPutte said. "So the National Science Foundation, the Department of Homeland Security, the [Director of National Intelligence] can all come use this testbed when it is up and running."
The testbed will help prevent network attacks that VanPutte said have become "a common and increasing occurrence."
"The national cyber range, ultimately, will help provide our leaders and warfighters with greater assurance that our citizens, businesses and our armed forces will be protected against damaging cyber attacks," he said.
Melissa Hathaway, director of the Joint Interagency Cyber Task Force, said addressing vulnerabilities within the U.S. computer network infrastructure must become a long-term priority for national and economic security.
"I don't believe that this is a single-year or even a multi-year investment," she said. "It's a multi-decade approach."
Army General Apologizes for Misprinted Letters
By Lindy Kyzer
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 9, 2009 - The Army's adjutant general apologized yesterday on behalf of the Army for a printing error that resulted in the delivery of 7,000 letters without a by-name salutation to family members who lost a soldier in operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.
Brig. Gen. Reuben Jones expressed his disappointment in the error and his team's concern for the recipients during a special blogger's roundtable hosted by the New Media Directorate of Defense Media Activity.
The letters, which included the placeholder greeting of "Dear John Doe," were printed and sent by a contractor in late December to inform families of private organizations that offer services and assistance.
"I can tell you, I know our pain isn't what our family members' pain is about receiving this, but I have a team of dedicated young Americans who are on a first-name basis with many of these survivors, and they feel this hurt just as bad," Jones told the bloggers and online journalists. "But they are marching on because they know that their intent was to connect with them and provide them information on the generosity of our nation that has come to the Army and said, 'We want to help.'"
Jones did not go into the details about who made the mistake, but said contracting officials would look into the error and how it happened. Jones said his team's focus now is on the families. Each family will receive a letter of apology from Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George Casey.
"We work so hard to build that trust and a relationship with our families so they know that they're still part of this Army team, because they have been strong families for this strong Army," Jones said.
The letters were sent as a part of the Survivor Outreach Services program, which sends the families of fallen soldiers regular correspondence and ensures they have regular contact with Army representatives. The program, launched in February, continues to build a closer, stronger bond with spouses and family members, Jones said.
"Survivors are part of that family for as long as they desire," Jones said. "We will give that support to them, day in, day out .... One part of our covenant, our warrior ethos says -- it's the last line -- and it says that we will never leave a fallen comrade. We expand that to say that we will never leave a family behind either."
The program not only reaches out to families, but also offers families the means to reach out to the Army with their needs and suggestions.
"We continue to connect with our families, receive their comments and feedback on what we can do better," Jones said. "This is a program that we say, hey, tell us what else we can do."
The misprinted letter, a part of regular SOS outreach to families, included links to dozens of organizations offering services and assistance to the families of fallen soldiers. For a listing of the organizations included on the letter, visit https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/Active/TAGD/CMAOC/ALTFCM/programs.html.
(Lindy Kyzer is a public affairs specialist with the Department of the Army).
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 9, 2009 - The Army's adjutant general apologized yesterday on behalf of the Army for a printing error that resulted in the delivery of 7,000 letters without a by-name salutation to family members who lost a soldier in operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.
Brig. Gen. Reuben Jones expressed his disappointment in the error and his team's concern for the recipients during a special blogger's roundtable hosted by the New Media Directorate of Defense Media Activity.
The letters, which included the placeholder greeting of "Dear John Doe," were printed and sent by a contractor in late December to inform families of private organizations that offer services and assistance.
"I can tell you, I know our pain isn't what our family members' pain is about receiving this, but I have a team of dedicated young Americans who are on a first-name basis with many of these survivors, and they feel this hurt just as bad," Jones told the bloggers and online journalists. "But they are marching on because they know that their intent was to connect with them and provide them information on the generosity of our nation that has come to the Army and said, 'We want to help.'"
Jones did not go into the details about who made the mistake, but said contracting officials would look into the error and how it happened. Jones said his team's focus now is on the families. Each family will receive a letter of apology from Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George Casey.
"We work so hard to build that trust and a relationship with our families so they know that they're still part of this Army team, because they have been strong families for this strong Army," Jones said.
The letters were sent as a part of the Survivor Outreach Services program, which sends the families of fallen soldiers regular correspondence and ensures they have regular contact with Army representatives. The program, launched in February, continues to build a closer, stronger bond with spouses and family members, Jones said.
"Survivors are part of that family for as long as they desire," Jones said. "We will give that support to them, day in, day out .... One part of our covenant, our warrior ethos says -- it's the last line -- and it says that we will never leave a fallen comrade. We expand that to say that we will never leave a family behind either."
The program not only reaches out to families, but also offers families the means to reach out to the Army with their needs and suggestions.
"We continue to connect with our families, receive their comments and feedback on what we can do better," Jones said. "This is a program that we say, hey, tell us what else we can do."
The misprinted letter, a part of regular SOS outreach to families, included links to dozens of organizations offering services and assistance to the families of fallen soldiers. For a listing of the organizations included on the letter, visit https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/Active/TAGD/CMAOC/ALTFCM/programs.html.
(Lindy Kyzer is a public affairs specialist with the Department of the Army).
MILITARY CONTRACTS January 9, 2009
NAVY
Lockheed Martin, Maritime Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $51,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee letter contract for FY09 Aegis Platform Systems Engineering Agent (PSEA) activities and Aegis Modernization (AMOD) Advanced Capability Build (ACB 12) engineering. The PSEA will manage the in-service combat systems configurations as well as the integration of new or upgraded capability, including AMOD, into the CG 47 and the DDG 51 Class Ships. AMOD consists of ACB 12 software and Technical Instruction 12 hardware. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract for the first year's period of performance to $192,500,716. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J., and is expected to be completed by December 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C, is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-5103).
Raytheon Company, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $44,335,934 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-07-C-5361 for engineering and technical services in support of Standard Missile research, development, test, and evaluation programs. The work performed under this modification includes flowdown of top level requirements; predicting and monitoring missile performance and reliability; internal/ external interfaces; interfaces with ship combat systems; interfaces with test and packaging, handling, storage and transportation equipment; improving missile design; and maintaining the technical data package. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by December 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.
Walker Power Systems, Inc., Phoenix, Ariz., is being awarded a maximum $17,287,442 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for an upgraded external auxiliary power unit to provide power to multiple systems while the M1A1 main engine is not on. The objective system will provide greater power, increased reliability, and less noise than the current model. The contract contains three one-year options. The initial amount to be obligated is $6,600,000. The maximum total dollar amount to be awarded under this contract is $17,287,442 which includes the initial order quantity and additional options. Work will be performed in Phoenix, Ariz., and work is expected to be completed December 2009. This contract was competitively procured through full and open competition via Navy Electronic Commerce Office, with four offers received. The Marine Corps System Command in Quantico, Va., is the procuring contracting activity (M67854-09-C-6005).
ITT Industries Advanced Engineering & Sciences Division, Alexandria, Va., is being awarded a $7,896,524 cost-plus-fixed-fee term contract for scientific, engineering, technical and analytical support for a wide range of research and information technology service activities for the Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL's) Center for High Assurance Computer Systems. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the cumulative contract value to $42,223,954. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C., and work is expected to be completed in Dec. 2010 (with options exercised Dec 2014). Contract funds in the amount of $235,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under a Naval Research Laboratory Request for Proposal N000173-08-R-TB09. The Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., is the contacting activity (N000173-09-C-2053)
Honeywell International, Inc., Defense and Space Electronic Systems, Albuquerque, N.M., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $5,736,465 modification to a previously awarded undefinitized contract action (N00019-09-C-0004) for the procurement of 6 Block II Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) systems, including associated support equipment, spares, training, and engineering and logistics support for the United Kingdom under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in Albuquerque, N.M., and is expected to be completed in June 2010. 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.
AIR FORCE
The Air Force is awarding an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to Johns Hopkins University, Laurel Maryland for $24,000,000. This contact will provide Electronic Warfare Capability Development Analyses and Support. At this time, no money has been obligated. HQ 577 AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8626-09-D-2099).
The Air Force is awarding a firm, fixed Price contract with the Boeing Company, Seattle, Washington for $12,050,000. This contract is for C-32A Communication Equipment Subscription Service for CY09. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. ASC/655th AESS/SYKA, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (F33657-01-D-0013).
The Air Force is awarding a firm, fixed price contract to Hamilton Sundstrand, Hamilton Road Windsor Locks, Connecticut for an estimated $6,214,886. This contract will provide Repair/Overhaul of Digital Electronic Engine Controls, Engine Diagnostic Units and associated parts to F15 and F16 aircraft. At this time no money has been obligated. 448 SCMB/PKBB, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma is the contracting activity (FA8104-08-D-0002).
ARMY
Weston Solutions, Incorporated, West Chester, Pa., was awarded on Jan 8, 2009, a $13,599,275 firm/fixed/price contract for Non-Time Critical Removal Action (NTCRA) for Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) of Public Beaches at Surf City and Ship Bottom, Long Beach Island (LBI), Ocean County, NJ. Work will be performed at Surf City and Ship Bottom, Long Beach Island, NJ with an estimated completion date of May 22, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (W912WJ-05-D-0009).
Lockheed Martin, Maritime Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $51,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee letter contract for FY09 Aegis Platform Systems Engineering Agent (PSEA) activities and Aegis Modernization (AMOD) Advanced Capability Build (ACB 12) engineering. The PSEA will manage the in-service combat systems configurations as well as the integration of new or upgraded capability, including AMOD, into the CG 47 and the DDG 51 Class Ships. AMOD consists of ACB 12 software and Technical Instruction 12 hardware. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract for the first year's period of performance to $192,500,716. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J., and is expected to be completed by December 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C, is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-5103).
Raytheon Company, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $44,335,934 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-07-C-5361 for engineering and technical services in support of Standard Missile research, development, test, and evaluation programs. The work performed under this modification includes flowdown of top level requirements; predicting and monitoring missile performance and reliability; internal/ external interfaces; interfaces with ship combat systems; interfaces with test and packaging, handling, storage and transportation equipment; improving missile design; and maintaining the technical data package. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by December 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.
Walker Power Systems, Inc., Phoenix, Ariz., is being awarded a maximum $17,287,442 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for an upgraded external auxiliary power unit to provide power to multiple systems while the M1A1 main engine is not on. The objective system will provide greater power, increased reliability, and less noise than the current model. The contract contains three one-year options. The initial amount to be obligated is $6,600,000. The maximum total dollar amount to be awarded under this contract is $17,287,442 which includes the initial order quantity and additional options. Work will be performed in Phoenix, Ariz., and work is expected to be completed December 2009. This contract was competitively procured through full and open competition via Navy Electronic Commerce Office, with four offers received. The Marine Corps System Command in Quantico, Va., is the procuring contracting activity (M67854-09-C-6005).
ITT Industries Advanced Engineering & Sciences Division, Alexandria, Va., is being awarded a $7,896,524 cost-plus-fixed-fee term contract for scientific, engineering, technical and analytical support for a wide range of research and information technology service activities for the Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL's) Center for High Assurance Computer Systems. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the cumulative contract value to $42,223,954. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C., and work is expected to be completed in Dec. 2010 (with options exercised Dec 2014). Contract funds in the amount of $235,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under a Naval Research Laboratory Request for Proposal N000173-08-R-TB09. The Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., is the contacting activity (N000173-09-C-2053)
Honeywell International, Inc., Defense and Space Electronic Systems, Albuquerque, N.M., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $5,736,465 modification to a previously awarded undefinitized contract action (N00019-09-C-0004) for the procurement of 6 Block II Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) systems, including associated support equipment, spares, training, and engineering and logistics support for the United Kingdom under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in Albuquerque, N.M., and is expected to be completed in June 2010. 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.
AIR FORCE
The Air Force is awarding an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to Johns Hopkins University, Laurel Maryland for $24,000,000. This contact will provide Electronic Warfare Capability Development Analyses and Support. At this time, no money has been obligated. HQ 577 AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (FA8626-09-D-2099).
The Air Force is awarding a firm, fixed Price contract with the Boeing Company, Seattle, Washington for $12,050,000. This contract is for C-32A Communication Equipment Subscription Service for CY09. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. ASC/655th AESS/SYKA, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity (F33657-01-D-0013).
The Air Force is awarding a firm, fixed price contract to Hamilton Sundstrand, Hamilton Road Windsor Locks, Connecticut for an estimated $6,214,886. This contract will provide Repair/Overhaul of Digital Electronic Engine Controls, Engine Diagnostic Units and associated parts to F15 and F16 aircraft. At this time no money has been obligated. 448 SCMB/PKBB, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma is the contracting activity (FA8104-08-D-0002).
ARMY
Weston Solutions, Incorporated, West Chester, Pa., was awarded on Jan 8, 2009, a $13,599,275 firm/fixed/price contract for Non-Time Critical Removal Action (NTCRA) for Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) of Public Beaches at Surf City and Ship Bottom, Long Beach Island (LBI), Ocean County, NJ. Work will be performed at Surf City and Ship Bottom, Long Beach Island, NJ with an estimated completion date of May 22, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (W912WJ-05-D-0009).
Fluorescent Protein Holds Promise for Disease Treatment, Prevention
By John Ohab
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 9, 2009 - A fluorescent protein discovered in jellyfish has enabled scientists to visualize molecular and cellular events in real time, a leading U.S. biochemical researcher said yesterday. Roger Tsien, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, won the 2008 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his role in developing the green fluorescent protein known as "GFP," and spoke about his research to "Dot Mil Docs" listeners on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Using this protein, researchers now can track processes that were previously invisible, such as the cell-to-cell transmission of HIV and the activity of cancer cells in a developing tumor.
"GFP gave us the first way to link molecular biology to something we could see," Tsein said. "When genes or proteins are made, scientists can now see directly when and where these molecular biological events occurred. We can actually watch processes in continuous movies inside living organisms."
Tsien's work with two colleagues, Martin Chalfie and Osamu Shimomura, has redefined molecular imaging and led to the development of tools for treating a variety of devastating illnesses. Tsien credited these achievements to his laboratory and collaborators, whose work over 40 years made GFP an irreplaceable tool in bioscience research. He said he was thrilled to be a part of the Nobel experience, which included talks at schools throughout Sweden and interesting discussions with fellow Nobel Laureates.
"The Nobel Prize is for Sweden what the Oscars or the Super Bowl are for Americans," he said. "It's on [their] national TV like the Oscar ceremony [here], and I got to sit next to the royal family. This is not something you experience in the ordinary research life."
Currently, Tsien is investigating new ways to defeat breast cancer as part of the Breast Cancer Research Program, a congressionally directed medical research program funded by the Defense Department.
"We have funding to develop a new way of targeting synthetic molecules that could be used to identify tumors and eventually treat them," Tsien said. "We wanted to do something that could be applied to real patients."
Tsien has created a kind of "molecular nametag" that would be used for early identification of cancer cells in patients.
"This is a way to light up tumors for early detection and during surgeries, in particular, to help the surgeon hone in on a millimeter by millimeter scale exactly where the tumor cells are and where the boundary is for normal cells and actually do that at real time," Tsien said. "We tried to use this biochemistry to actually make the tumor glow. That will guide the surgeon much more accurately than simply cutting out a hunk and waiting for the pathologist to declare whether you have a healthy margin around the dissected specimen."
In addition, Tsien said, he hopes this research will provide tools for more focused chemo and radiation therapies and improve early detection of other diseases, such as stroke and atherosclerosis. He hopes to continue his pursuit of creative and innovative research endeavors that will ultimately impact human health.
"It's a great thrill to win the Nobel Prize, but you have to come back to reality. I've still got the same research challenges and everyday [duties] as everybody else," he said.
(John Ohab is attached to the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Jan. 9, 2009 - A fluorescent protein discovered in jellyfish has enabled scientists to visualize molecular and cellular events in real time, a leading U.S. biochemical researcher said yesterday. Roger Tsien, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, won the 2008 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his role in developing the green fluorescent protein known as "GFP," and spoke about his research to "Dot Mil Docs" listeners on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Using this protein, researchers now can track processes that were previously invisible, such as the cell-to-cell transmission of HIV and the activity of cancer cells in a developing tumor.
"GFP gave us the first way to link molecular biology to something we could see," Tsein said. "When genes or proteins are made, scientists can now see directly when and where these molecular biological events occurred. We can actually watch processes in continuous movies inside living organisms."
Tsien's work with two colleagues, Martin Chalfie and Osamu Shimomura, has redefined molecular imaging and led to the development of tools for treating a variety of devastating illnesses. Tsien credited these achievements to his laboratory and collaborators, whose work over 40 years made GFP an irreplaceable tool in bioscience research. He said he was thrilled to be a part of the Nobel experience, which included talks at schools throughout Sweden and interesting discussions with fellow Nobel Laureates.
"The Nobel Prize is for Sweden what the Oscars or the Super Bowl are for Americans," he said. "It's on [their] national TV like the Oscar ceremony [here], and I got to sit next to the royal family. This is not something you experience in the ordinary research life."
Currently, Tsien is investigating new ways to defeat breast cancer as part of the Breast Cancer Research Program, a congressionally directed medical research program funded by the Defense Department.
"We have funding to develop a new way of targeting synthetic molecules that could be used to identify tumors and eventually treat them," Tsien said. "We wanted to do something that could be applied to real patients."
Tsien has created a kind of "molecular nametag" that would be used for early identification of cancer cells in patients.
"This is a way to light up tumors for early detection and during surgeries, in particular, to help the surgeon hone in on a millimeter by millimeter scale exactly where the tumor cells are and where the boundary is for normal cells and actually do that at real time," Tsien said. "We tried to use this biochemistry to actually make the tumor glow. That will guide the surgeon much more accurately than simply cutting out a hunk and waiting for the pathologist to declare whether you have a healthy margin around the dissected specimen."
In addition, Tsien said, he hopes this research will provide tools for more focused chemo and radiation therapies and improve early detection of other diseases, such as stroke and atherosclerosis. He hopes to continue his pursuit of creative and innovative research endeavors that will ultimately impact human health.
"It's a great thrill to win the Nobel Prize, but you have to come back to reality. I've still got the same research challenges and everyday [duties] as everybody else," he said.
(John Ohab is attached to the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.)
Military Police Dogs to Have Their Day as Part of Inauguration
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 9, 2009 - If, as the saying goes, every dog has its day, then four military police dogs certainly will have theirs when they help to provide security for President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration. "The dogs that are going to be going out there ... [are] patrol certified," Army Staff Sgt. Sarah Goulart, training noncommissioned officer in charge for the 947th Military Police Detachment, said. "That means they can do security missions, [and] if they need to be released on somebody, they can be released to detain them."
Since the unit, part of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, or "The Old Guard," regularly supports the president and the Secret Service, it's all in a day's work for these dogs, Goulart said. They put in at least four hours a week in both explosives detection and patrol training.
Mike, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois, is one of the four dogs whose training has led him to the plum assignment of providing security on Inauguration Day.
His handler, Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Konrardy, has no doubts about his four-legged partner's ability to handle the craziness of the day.
"Have you ever seen the series, '24' with Kiefer Southerland? I kind of expect that, just every hour things just being so busy and changing," he said. "Hopefully nobody gets real close to my dog."
The dogs are very good with crowds, Konrardy said. The only thing that sets Mike off is gunfire.
"Hopefully we won't be hearing any gunfire," he said.
The dog and handler had a rather unpromising beginning before their relationship straightened out. Mike's attitude had caused him to be passed over by every other handler coming into the kennel, Konrardy said.
"Finally I got here, and he was the only one left," Konrardy said. "[I showed] him a lot of love, and it worked. He's a good dog. He's just special."
In this case, "special" is code for "relative of Jaws."
"He loves biting things," Konrardy said. "He lost three of his [canine teeth], or parts of three of his canines, from just biting things.
"He's a masochist. He loves pain," he joked. "I'm not a dog psychologist, but I'd be interested to have him looked at by one." At first, Mike's favorite thing to bite was his handler, Konrardy said, which resulted in several shredded Army combat uniforms.
Konrardy said he and Mike will start their Inauguration Day duties in support of the Secret Service on Jan. 15, with a Jan. 23 end date.
As impressive as their upcoming mission sounds, it's part of everyday life for the military dogs of the 947th MP Detachment.
"We get a lot of Secret Service missions," Konrardy said. "This Christmas, me and Mike were up at Camp David. We were just searching vehicles up there."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 9, 2009 - If, as the saying goes, every dog has its day, then four military police dogs certainly will have theirs when they help to provide security for President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration. "The dogs that are going to be going out there ... [are] patrol certified," Army Staff Sgt. Sarah Goulart, training noncommissioned officer in charge for the 947th Military Police Detachment, said. "That means they can do security missions, [and] if they need to be released on somebody, they can be released to detain them."
Since the unit, part of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, or "The Old Guard," regularly supports the president and the Secret Service, it's all in a day's work for these dogs, Goulart said. They put in at least four hours a week in both explosives detection and patrol training.
Mike, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois, is one of the four dogs whose training has led him to the plum assignment of providing security on Inauguration Day.
His handler, Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Konrardy, has no doubts about his four-legged partner's ability to handle the craziness of the day.
"Have you ever seen the series, '24' with Kiefer Southerland? I kind of expect that, just every hour things just being so busy and changing," he said. "Hopefully nobody gets real close to my dog."
The dogs are very good with crowds, Konrardy said. The only thing that sets Mike off is gunfire.
"Hopefully we won't be hearing any gunfire," he said.
The dog and handler had a rather unpromising beginning before their relationship straightened out. Mike's attitude had caused him to be passed over by every other handler coming into the kennel, Konrardy said.
"Finally I got here, and he was the only one left," Konrardy said. "[I showed] him a lot of love, and it worked. He's a good dog. He's just special."
In this case, "special" is code for "relative of Jaws."
"He loves biting things," Konrardy said. "He lost three of his [canine teeth], or parts of three of his canines, from just biting things.
"He's a masochist. He loves pain," he joked. "I'm not a dog psychologist, but I'd be interested to have him looked at by one." At first, Mike's favorite thing to bite was his handler, Konrardy said, which resulted in several shredded Army combat uniforms.
Konrardy said he and Mike will start their Inauguration Day duties in support of the Secret Service on Jan. 15, with a Jan. 23 end date.
As impressive as their upcoming mission sounds, it's part of everyday life for the military dogs of the 947th MP Detachment.
"We get a lot of Secret Service missions," Konrardy said. "This Christmas, me and Mike were up at Camp David. We were just searching vehicles up there."
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Multinational Task Force Targets Pirates
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 8, 2009 - A new multinational task force is focusing solely on counter-piracy operations in and around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, the commander of the combined maritime forces in the region said. The force created the Maritime Security Patrol Area in the Gulf of Aden in August to support international efforts to combat piracy. Coalition efforts included Combined Task Force 150, which conducted maritime security operations -- such as the deterrence of drug smuggling and weapons trafficking.
"Some navies in our coalition did not have the authority to conduct counter-piracy missions," Navy Vice William E. Gortney said. "The establishment of [Combined Task Force] 151 will allow those nations to operate under the auspices of CTF 150, while allowing other nations to join CTF 151 to support our goal of deterring, disrupting and eventually bringing to justice the maritime criminals involved in piracy events."
Gortney commands U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, the U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces.
Establishing Combined Task Force 151 to focus on the counter-piracy mission enables Combined Task Force 150 to remain focused on security operations, officials said.
The admiral cautioned that although the new task force is a positive step, the efforts of coalition and international navies won't solve the problem of piracy. Proactive measures by merchant mariners and efforts ashore by the international community also must be part of the equation, Gortney said.
"The most effective measures we've seen to defeat piracy are nonkinetic and defensive in nature," he said. "The merchant ships have been doing a great job stepping up and utilizing these methods to defeat piracy attempts. That's a great first step.
"But the problem of piracy is and continues to be a problem that begins ashore and is an international problem that requires an international solution," he continued. "We believe the establishment of CTF 151 is a significant step in the right direction."
Navy Rear Adm. Terence E. McKnight has been named the commander of the new task force, which will become fully operational in mid-January.
(From a Combined Maritime Forces news release.)
Jan. 8, 2009 - A new multinational task force is focusing solely on counter-piracy operations in and around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, the commander of the combined maritime forces in the region said. The force created the Maritime Security Patrol Area in the Gulf of Aden in August to support international efforts to combat piracy. Coalition efforts included Combined Task Force 150, which conducted maritime security operations -- such as the deterrence of drug smuggling and weapons trafficking.
"Some navies in our coalition did not have the authority to conduct counter-piracy missions," Navy Vice William E. Gortney said. "The establishment of [Combined Task Force] 151 will allow those nations to operate under the auspices of CTF 150, while allowing other nations to join CTF 151 to support our goal of deterring, disrupting and eventually bringing to justice the maritime criminals involved in piracy events."
Gortney commands U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, the U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces.
Establishing Combined Task Force 151 to focus on the counter-piracy mission enables Combined Task Force 150 to remain focused on security operations, officials said.
The admiral cautioned that although the new task force is a positive step, the efforts of coalition and international navies won't solve the problem of piracy. Proactive measures by merchant mariners and efforts ashore by the international community also must be part of the equation, Gortney said.
"The most effective measures we've seen to defeat piracy are nonkinetic and defensive in nature," he said. "The merchant ships have been doing a great job stepping up and utilizing these methods to defeat piracy attempts. That's a great first step.
"But the problem of piracy is and continues to be a problem that begins ashore and is an international problem that requires an international solution," he continued. "We believe the establishment of CTF 151 is a significant step in the right direction."
Navy Rear Adm. Terence E. McKnight has been named the commander of the new task force, which will become fully operational in mid-January.
(From a Combined Maritime Forces news release.)
Obama to Nominate Deputy Secretary, Three Other Top Defense Officials
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 8, 2009 - President-elect Barack Obama today announced his choices for four key Defense Department positions: deputy defense secretary, two undersecretary positions and general counsel.
William J. Lynn III was named as Obama's nominee for deputy defense secretary. The president-elect also announced his intention to nominate:
-- Robert F. Hale as undersecretary of defense (comptroller);
-- Michèle Flournoy as undersecretary of defense for policy; and
-- Jeh Charles Johnson as general counsel.
"I am confident that these distinguished individuals have the expertise and commitment needed to help me implement a sustainable national security strategy that combats 21st century threats and keeps the American people safe," Obama said of the nominees.
"They share with me the utmost respect for our brave men and women in uniform, and will work day and night to support our troops, strengthen our military, and advance our capacity to carry out 21st century missions," he said.
Obama said he recognizes the challenges ahead. "Together with [Defense] Secretary [Robert M.] Gates and our military, we will work to responsibly end the war in Iraq, defeat al-Qaida and the Taliban and renew America's strength and standing in the world," he said. "I am honored that they have joined me in this mission, and I trust that they will serve the American people well."
Gates has been "intimately involved" in the process of identifying and interviewing appropriate candidates for various vacancies throughout the department, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
Morrell said this afternoon, before Obama made his announcement, that Gates has been busy working with the transition team to identify appropriate candidates for various vacancies throughout the department and interview them personally.
"I think he feels as though ... we've made some good progress toward identifying some very capable candidates to fill some very big jobs within the department," Morrell said.
Lynn brings decades of experience and expertise in reforming government spending and making the tough choices necessary to ensure that American tax dollars are spent wisely, Obama's transition team said in its announcement. He was the Pentagon comptroller from 1997 to 2001, serving as the department's chief financial officer and the defense secretary's principal advisor for all budgetary and fiscal matters.
From 1993 to 1997, Lynn oversaw all aspects of the department's strategic planning process as director of program analysis and evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
He was awarded three Defense Department medals for distinguished public service: the Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and awards from the Army, Navy and Air Force. He also received the 2000 Distinguished Federal Leadership Award from the Association of Government Accountants for his efforts to improve defense accounting practices.
Lynn currently serves as senior vice president of government operations and strategy at Raytheon Company.
Before entering the Defense Department in 1993, Lynn served for six years on the staff of Sen. Edward Kennedy as liaison to the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also has been a senior fellow at the National Defense University, on the professional staff at the Institute for Defense Analyses, and served as the executive director of the Defense Organization Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
A graduate of Dartmouth College, N.H., Lynn has a law degree from Cornell Law School in New York and a master's in public affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University in New Jersey. He is married with a daughter.
Hale, Obama's nominee as comptroller, currently serves as executive director of the American Society of Military Comptrollers.
Hale served as assistant secretary of the Air Force for financial management and comptroller from 1994 to 2001. In that capacity, he was responsible for the Air Force budget and all aspects of Air Force financial management. Hale also spearheaded creation of the first-ever certification program for defense financial managers.
Hale spent 12 years leading the Congressional Budget Office's defense unit. Earlier in his career, he was an active-duty Navy officer assigned to the Center for Naval Analyses.
Hale holds a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from Stanford University, Calif., as well as a master's degree from Stanford and a master's of business administration from George Washington University, D.C. He also is a fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration.
Hale has served on the Defense Business Board and recently completed service on a congressionally mandated Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care. He is a former national president of the American Society of Military Comptrollers and is a certified defense financial manager with acquisition specialty.
Flournoy, Obama's choice for undersecretary of defense for policy, cofounded and was named president of the Center for a New American Security in January 2007. She previously was a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where she worked on a broad range of defense policy and international security issues.
Previously, Flournoy was a distinguished research professor at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University. There, she founded and led the university's Quadrennial Defense Review working group, chartered by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop intellectual capital in preparation for the Department of Defense's 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review.
Before joining NDU, Flournoy was dual-hatted as principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and threat reduction and deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy. In that capacity, she oversaw three policy offices in the Office of the Secretary of Defense: Strategy; Requirements, Plans, and Counterproliferation; and Russia, Ukraine and Eurasian Affairs.
Flournoy was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service in 1996, the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1998, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2000.
In addition to several edited volumes and reports, she has authored dozens of articles on international security issues.
Flournoy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in social studies from Harvard University, Mass., and a Master of Letters degree in international relations from Balliol College, Oxford University in England, where she was a Newton-Tatum scholar.
Johnson, Obama's general counsel nominee, is a partner in the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, based in New York City.
An experienced trial lawyer in a successful law practice, Johnson also has demonstrated distinguished public service as a federal prosecutor and presidential appointee.
At age 47, he was elected a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Johnson's career as a trial lawyer began in 1989, prosecuting public corruption cases as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York. He served three years as a federal prosecutor.
In 1998, Johnson left his firm for 27 months when President Bill Clinton appointed him the Air Force's general counsel. In that position, Johnson was awarded the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service.
From 2007 to 2008, Johnson served as a foreign policy advisor to Obama's campaign.
He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a graduate of Morehouse College in Georgia and Columbia Law School in New York.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 8, 2009 - President-elect Barack Obama today announced his choices for four key Defense Department positions: deputy defense secretary, two undersecretary positions and general counsel.
William J. Lynn III was named as Obama's nominee for deputy defense secretary. The president-elect also announced his intention to nominate:
-- Robert F. Hale as undersecretary of defense (comptroller);
-- Michèle Flournoy as undersecretary of defense for policy; and
-- Jeh Charles Johnson as general counsel.
"I am confident that these distinguished individuals have the expertise and commitment needed to help me implement a sustainable national security strategy that combats 21st century threats and keeps the American people safe," Obama said of the nominees.
"They share with me the utmost respect for our brave men and women in uniform, and will work day and night to support our troops, strengthen our military, and advance our capacity to carry out 21st century missions," he said.
Obama said he recognizes the challenges ahead. "Together with [Defense] Secretary [Robert M.] Gates and our military, we will work to responsibly end the war in Iraq, defeat al-Qaida and the Taliban and renew America's strength and standing in the world," he said. "I am honored that they have joined me in this mission, and I trust that they will serve the American people well."
Gates has been "intimately involved" in the process of identifying and interviewing appropriate candidates for various vacancies throughout the department, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
Morrell said this afternoon, before Obama made his announcement, that Gates has been busy working with the transition team to identify appropriate candidates for various vacancies throughout the department and interview them personally.
"I think he feels as though ... we've made some good progress toward identifying some very capable candidates to fill some very big jobs within the department," Morrell said.
Lynn brings decades of experience and expertise in reforming government spending and making the tough choices necessary to ensure that American tax dollars are spent wisely, Obama's transition team said in its announcement. He was the Pentagon comptroller from 1997 to 2001, serving as the department's chief financial officer and the defense secretary's principal advisor for all budgetary and fiscal matters.
From 1993 to 1997, Lynn oversaw all aspects of the department's strategic planning process as director of program analysis and evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
He was awarded three Defense Department medals for distinguished public service: the Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and awards from the Army, Navy and Air Force. He also received the 2000 Distinguished Federal Leadership Award from the Association of Government Accountants for his efforts to improve defense accounting practices.
Lynn currently serves as senior vice president of government operations and strategy at Raytheon Company.
Before entering the Defense Department in 1993, Lynn served for six years on the staff of Sen. Edward Kennedy as liaison to the Senate Armed Services Committee. He also has been a senior fellow at the National Defense University, on the professional staff at the Institute for Defense Analyses, and served as the executive director of the Defense Organization Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
A graduate of Dartmouth College, N.H., Lynn has a law degree from Cornell Law School in New York and a master's in public affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University in New Jersey. He is married with a daughter.
Hale, Obama's nominee as comptroller, currently serves as executive director of the American Society of Military Comptrollers.
Hale served as assistant secretary of the Air Force for financial management and comptroller from 1994 to 2001. In that capacity, he was responsible for the Air Force budget and all aspects of Air Force financial management. Hale also spearheaded creation of the first-ever certification program for defense financial managers.
Hale spent 12 years leading the Congressional Budget Office's defense unit. Earlier in his career, he was an active-duty Navy officer assigned to the Center for Naval Analyses.
Hale holds a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from Stanford University, Calif., as well as a master's degree from Stanford and a master's of business administration from George Washington University, D.C. He also is a fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration.
Hale has served on the Defense Business Board and recently completed service on a congressionally mandated Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care. He is a former national president of the American Society of Military Comptrollers and is a certified defense financial manager with acquisition specialty.
Flournoy, Obama's choice for undersecretary of defense for policy, cofounded and was named president of the Center for a New American Security in January 2007. She previously was a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where she worked on a broad range of defense policy and international security issues.
Previously, Flournoy was a distinguished research professor at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University. There, she founded and led the university's Quadrennial Defense Review working group, chartered by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop intellectual capital in preparation for the Department of Defense's 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review.
Before joining NDU, Flournoy was dual-hatted as principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and threat reduction and deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy. In that capacity, she oversaw three policy offices in the Office of the Secretary of Defense: Strategy; Requirements, Plans, and Counterproliferation; and Russia, Ukraine and Eurasian Affairs.
Flournoy was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service in 1996, the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1998, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2000.
In addition to several edited volumes and reports, she has authored dozens of articles on international security issues.
Flournoy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in social studies from Harvard University, Mass., and a Master of Letters degree in international relations from Balliol College, Oxford University in England, where she was a Newton-Tatum scholar.
Johnson, Obama's general counsel nominee, is a partner in the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, based in New York City.
An experienced trial lawyer in a successful law practice, Johnson also has demonstrated distinguished public service as a federal prosecutor and presidential appointee.
At age 47, he was elected a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Johnson's career as a trial lawyer began in 1989, prosecuting public corruption cases as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York. He served three years as a federal prosecutor.
In 1998, Johnson left his firm for 27 months when President Bill Clinton appointed him the Air Force's general counsel. In that position, Johnson was awarded the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service.
From 2007 to 2008, Johnson served as a foreign policy advisor to Obama's campaign.
He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a graduate of Morehouse College in Georgia and Columbia Law School in New York.
Nuclear Weapons Management Panel Recommends Changes at Pentagon
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 8, 2009 - Pentagon officials need to bolster internal management systems that address nuclear weapons issues, the leader of a special task force appointed by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. Since the Cold War ended, the nuclear deterrence force "has sometimes been neglected within the Department of Defense, as a whole," James R. Schlesinger, chairman of the Task Force on Nuclear Weapons Management, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference.
To better assist Gates with oversight of nuclear weapons issues, the department should have an assistant secretary of defense for deterrence to work in the Pentagon's policy shop, Schlesinger said.
That new assistant secretary, according to the report, would "provide a single [Office of the Secretary of Defense] voice and a single point of engagement for Joint Staff, U.S. Strategic Command, the military services, and other combatant commands on nuclear and weapons of mass destruction matters."
The assistant secretary, the report continued, would be assigned a deputy from the military acquisition realm.
The report also recommends that the purview of the Nuclear Weapons Council be expanded to include nuclear weapons, weapons systems, delivery systems, infrastructure, policy implementation and resources.
The NWC was established by Congress in 1986 to facilitate and coordinate activities between the Defense Department and the Energy Department as part of their dual responsibilities in maintaining the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile.
The Defense Department also should expand the staff that oversees nuclear deterrence issues within the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and place a general officer in charge of that effort, Schlesinger said.
The Pentagon and the armed services visibly reduced resources for nuclear deterrence missions following the end of the Cold War in 1991, Schlesinger told reporters. The resultant effect, he said, caused a perception among some leaders and rank-and-file servicemembers that the nuclear deterrence mission wasn't so important any more.
"We emphasize that deterrence must start from the top -- that the services, indeed, have picked up clues over the years since the end of the Cold War, that the interest in deterrence at the highest levels of DoD has diminished," said Schlesinger, in explaining why the U.S. military's interest in nuclear weapons matters had waned.
However, the U.S. nuclear deterrence mission remains a paramount endeavor that's of vital importance to the nation's national security and the welfare of America's allies, Schlesinger said.
"And if deterrence is in the eye of the beholder," Schlesinger said, "it is a political statement that must come from the very highest offices of the government, not only here in the DoD, but from the White House, from the Department of State and the like."
Schlesinger also took time to praise the Navy's nuclear deterrence mission.
"We were quite satisfied, generally, with the Navy's performance," Schlesinger said, noting that sailors who work in the nuclear-deterrence realm –- including submariners -- exhibit high morale.
The enormous power and destructiveness of nuclear weapons creates "the desire to avoid the actual use of those weapons in combat, and is, therefore, a different kind of deterrent," Schlesinger said.
"Nuclear forces, we hope, would not have to be used," Schlesinger said. However, he said, many of America's allies depend on U.S. nuclear deterrence capabilities for protection.
Therefore, America's allies "must retain confidence in the U.S. nuclear 'umbrella,'" Schlesinger said. If that confidence evaporates, he said, some U.S. allies are quite capable of building their own nuclear weapons, which could ignite a nuclear arms race.
The strength and credibility of America's nuclear umbrella "is a principal barrier to proliferation," Schlesinger said.
In a statement issued today, Gates thanked Schlesinger and the panel members "for their very thorough and detailed report."
"The U.S. nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and reliable; no one should doubt our capabilities or our resolve to defend U.S. and allies' interests by deterring aggression," Gates said in the statement.
"The report identified numerous trends, both recent and long-term, that may warrant corrective actions," Gates' statement continued. "The department will continue to review the panel's recommendations while ensuring the long-term credibility of the U.S. nuclear deterrent forces and sustaining allied confidence in U.S. security commitments well into the future."
Gates appointed the Task Force on Nuclear Weapons Management in June 2008, following two events involving the Air Force that indicated a deterioration of that service's nuclear weapons management and control systems. The secretary tasked the panel to report back to him on Air Force-related issues in 60 days and on departmentwide nuclear weapons management measures in 120 days.
Some Air Force ballistic missile parts were mistakenly shipped to Taiwan in 2006. In August 2007, an Air Force B-52 bomber armed with nuclear missiles flew from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
In September 2008, the panel released a Phase One report that criticized the Air Force's management of its nuclear weapons management programs.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters later today that Defense Department officials would thoroughly review the Schlesinger panel's latest recommendations. Officials of the incoming Obama administration, Morrell added, also would study the report.
Schlesinger served as CIA director in the Nixon administration, as well as secretary of defense in the Nixon and Ford administrations. In the Carter administration, he served as the first energy secretary.
The task force chairman was accompanied at today's news conference by fellow panel members Jacques S. Gansler, retired Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr., Christopher A. Williams, retired Air Force Gen. Michael P.C. Carns, and Franklin C. Miller. Other panel members not present included J.D. Crouch II, and John J. Hamre.
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 8, 2009 - Pentagon officials need to bolster internal management systems that address nuclear weapons issues, the leader of a special task force appointed by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. Since the Cold War ended, the nuclear deterrence force "has sometimes been neglected within the Department of Defense, as a whole," James R. Schlesinger, chairman of the Task Force on Nuclear Weapons Management, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference.
To better assist Gates with oversight of nuclear weapons issues, the department should have an assistant secretary of defense for deterrence to work in the Pentagon's policy shop, Schlesinger said.
That new assistant secretary, according to the report, would "provide a single [Office of the Secretary of Defense] voice and a single point of engagement for Joint Staff, U.S. Strategic Command, the military services, and other combatant commands on nuclear and weapons of mass destruction matters."
The assistant secretary, the report continued, would be assigned a deputy from the military acquisition realm.
The report also recommends that the purview of the Nuclear Weapons Council be expanded to include nuclear weapons, weapons systems, delivery systems, infrastructure, policy implementation and resources.
The NWC was established by Congress in 1986 to facilitate and coordinate activities between the Defense Department and the Energy Department as part of their dual responsibilities in maintaining the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile.
The Defense Department also should expand the staff that oversees nuclear deterrence issues within the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and place a general officer in charge of that effort, Schlesinger said.
The Pentagon and the armed services visibly reduced resources for nuclear deterrence missions following the end of the Cold War in 1991, Schlesinger told reporters. The resultant effect, he said, caused a perception among some leaders and rank-and-file servicemembers that the nuclear deterrence mission wasn't so important any more.
"We emphasize that deterrence must start from the top -- that the services, indeed, have picked up clues over the years since the end of the Cold War, that the interest in deterrence at the highest levels of DoD has diminished," said Schlesinger, in explaining why the U.S. military's interest in nuclear weapons matters had waned.
However, the U.S. nuclear deterrence mission remains a paramount endeavor that's of vital importance to the nation's national security and the welfare of America's allies, Schlesinger said.
"And if deterrence is in the eye of the beholder," Schlesinger said, "it is a political statement that must come from the very highest offices of the government, not only here in the DoD, but from the White House, from the Department of State and the like."
Schlesinger also took time to praise the Navy's nuclear deterrence mission.
"We were quite satisfied, generally, with the Navy's performance," Schlesinger said, noting that sailors who work in the nuclear-deterrence realm –- including submariners -- exhibit high morale.
The enormous power and destructiveness of nuclear weapons creates "the desire to avoid the actual use of those weapons in combat, and is, therefore, a different kind of deterrent," Schlesinger said.
"Nuclear forces, we hope, would not have to be used," Schlesinger said. However, he said, many of America's allies depend on U.S. nuclear deterrence capabilities for protection.
Therefore, America's allies "must retain confidence in the U.S. nuclear 'umbrella,'" Schlesinger said. If that confidence evaporates, he said, some U.S. allies are quite capable of building their own nuclear weapons, which could ignite a nuclear arms race.
The strength and credibility of America's nuclear umbrella "is a principal barrier to proliferation," Schlesinger said.
In a statement issued today, Gates thanked Schlesinger and the panel members "for their very thorough and detailed report."
"The U.S. nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and reliable; no one should doubt our capabilities or our resolve to defend U.S. and allies' interests by deterring aggression," Gates said in the statement.
"The report identified numerous trends, both recent and long-term, that may warrant corrective actions," Gates' statement continued. "The department will continue to review the panel's recommendations while ensuring the long-term credibility of the U.S. nuclear deterrent forces and sustaining allied confidence in U.S. security commitments well into the future."
Gates appointed the Task Force on Nuclear Weapons Management in June 2008, following two events involving the Air Force that indicated a deterioration of that service's nuclear weapons management and control systems. The secretary tasked the panel to report back to him on Air Force-related issues in 60 days and on departmentwide nuclear weapons management measures in 120 days.
Some Air Force ballistic missile parts were mistakenly shipped to Taiwan in 2006. In August 2007, an Air Force B-52 bomber armed with nuclear missiles flew from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
In September 2008, the panel released a Phase One report that criticized the Air Force's management of its nuclear weapons management programs.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters later today that Defense Department officials would thoroughly review the Schlesinger panel's latest recommendations. Officials of the incoming Obama administration, Morrell added, also would study the report.
Schlesinger served as CIA director in the Nixon administration, as well as secretary of defense in the Nixon and Ford administrations. In the Carter administration, he served as the first energy secretary.
The task force chairman was accompanied at today's news conference by fellow panel members Jacques S. Gansler, retired Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr., Christopher A. Williams, retired Air Force Gen. Michael P.C. Carns, and Franklin C. Miller. Other panel members not present included J.D. Crouch II, and John J. Hamre.
Wounded Warriors, Other Gates Priorities to Continue in Next Administration
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 8, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is pleased by "great progress" in improving care and support for wounded warriors, but believes these developments "are still not good enough" and plans to implement more, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today. Morrell said the Jan. 20 administration change won't deflect Gates' focus on key initiatives he championed during the current administration. These include getting more mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to warfighters and overhauling the acquisition and procurement system.
But particularly high on his radar screen, Morrell said, is improved care for wounded warriors. Problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center arose just months after Gates assumed his post in December 2007, and he ordered an all-out overhaul of the system.
"I think you will see this take even more of the secretary's time in the coming year -- years, whatever it ends up being -- than even it has over the past couple of years," Morrell said. "And I can tell you, it's occupied a significant portion of his time."
Gates "is not done in that realm," Morrell said. "He has many more things he wishes to accomplish. He thinks we've made great progress but ... [believes it is] still not good enough. And so look for more in that realm."
Another top Gates priority – getting more MRAPs to the combat theater – will continue into the next administration with an emphasis on getting more of the vehicles to Afghanistan, Morrell said. About 1,100 MRAPs are currently in Afghanistan, and more of these as well as the new, lighter models are likely to be needed in the future, he said.
Gates moved the MRAP program into high gear, creating the first major equipment procurement to go from concept to industrial production in less than a year.
The MRAP program "is now almost an institutionalized program," Morrell said. "And in fact, we have nearly built all the MRAPs that have been identified as needed."
Similarly, Morrell said, the ISR effort will remain a top priority, although he conceded that with Gates' emphasis, it already has become "pretty well institutionalized."
Gates announced in April that he had created a task force to give the ISR issue the same emphasis as the MRAP program.
"My concern is that our services are still not moving aggressively in wartime to provide resources needed now on the battlefield," the secretary said during an April speech to Air War College students. "While we have doubled this capability in recent months, it is still not good enough."
That's changing, Morrell said. "There are now people who appreciate, as the secretary does, how important this is to our warfighters," he said. "And so I think they are committed to seeing his vision through to reality."
Gates will continue his efforts to improve defense acquisition and procurement while dealing with major budget issues, Morrell said.
The next defense budget will go to Capitol Hill shortly after the Obama administration takes office. Other issues on the horizon include the Quadrennial Defense Review, a new National Defense Strategy and a new nuclear posture statement.
"So there are a lot of budget and policy matters that are going to eat up a lot of his time, but have the potential to really impact the direction of this department for years to come," Morrell said. "I think you'll see, in the first several months of this administration, a great deal of the secretary's time devoted to dealing with those issues."
American Forces Press Service
Jan. 8, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is pleased by "great progress" in improving care and support for wounded warriors, but believes these developments "are still not good enough" and plans to implement more, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today. Morrell said the Jan. 20 administration change won't deflect Gates' focus on key initiatives he championed during the current administration. These include getting more mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to warfighters and overhauling the acquisition and procurement system.
But particularly high on his radar screen, Morrell said, is improved care for wounded warriors. Problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center arose just months after Gates assumed his post in December 2007, and he ordered an all-out overhaul of the system.
"I think you will see this take even more of the secretary's time in the coming year -- years, whatever it ends up being -- than even it has over the past couple of years," Morrell said. "And I can tell you, it's occupied a significant portion of his time."
Gates "is not done in that realm," Morrell said. "He has many more things he wishes to accomplish. He thinks we've made great progress but ... [believes it is] still not good enough. And so look for more in that realm."
Another top Gates priority – getting more MRAPs to the combat theater – will continue into the next administration with an emphasis on getting more of the vehicles to Afghanistan, Morrell said. About 1,100 MRAPs are currently in Afghanistan, and more of these as well as the new, lighter models are likely to be needed in the future, he said.
Gates moved the MRAP program into high gear, creating the first major equipment procurement to go from concept to industrial production in less than a year.
The MRAP program "is now almost an institutionalized program," Morrell said. "And in fact, we have nearly built all the MRAPs that have been identified as needed."
Similarly, Morrell said, the ISR effort will remain a top priority, although he conceded that with Gates' emphasis, it already has become "pretty well institutionalized."
Gates announced in April that he had created a task force to give the ISR issue the same emphasis as the MRAP program.
"My concern is that our services are still not moving aggressively in wartime to provide resources needed now on the battlefield," the secretary said during an April speech to Air War College students. "While we have doubled this capability in recent months, it is still not good enough."
That's changing, Morrell said. "There are now people who appreciate, as the secretary does, how important this is to our warfighters," he said. "And so I think they are committed to seeing his vision through to reality."
Gates will continue his efforts to improve defense acquisition and procurement while dealing with major budget issues, Morrell said.
The next defense budget will go to Capitol Hill shortly after the Obama administration takes office. Other issues on the horizon include the Quadrennial Defense Review, a new National Defense Strategy and a new nuclear posture statement.
"So there are a lot of budget and policy matters that are going to eat up a lot of his time, but have the potential to really impact the direction of this department for years to come," Morrell said. "I think you'll see, in the first several months of this administration, a great deal of the secretary's time devoted to dealing with those issues."
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