Balding Boomers, Eat your Hearts Out

The deification in recent years of the World War Two generation has been an interesting phenomenon. One supposes it began in the late 90's, with the twin vehicles of Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation, and the release of Saving Private Ryan.

I was born in 1973. When I was a kid every one's grandfather had been in 'the war'. My mother's father fought in Europe with an anti-aircraft unit, while my father's father spent most of the war in Louisiana, where he met my grandmother. In the spring of 1945, he joined a medical unit that would have gone ashore with the first wave in the invasion of Japan. My grandmother's brother was an old horse soldier, teaching riding to generals daughters at Ft. Knox. For some reason (feel free to speculate) he ended up in the 5307th, better known as Merrill's Marauders.

You could learn the history of World War Two just by watching movies on the local channel's, we've all seen 'em a hundred times. That war seemed close, and intimate. The fact that you knew people who fought in the war seemed unremarkable.

If some one's father had been in Vietnam, wow that was something. Though there were a few here and there.

Of course, growing up in the 70's and 80's also meant you were subjected to what, for some of us, became known as the Dreaded Nine Words, 'Did I ever tell you kids about the 60's?' In fact, so prevalent was the boomer nostalgia movement that one almost got the sense that you were actually growing up in the 50's. A yearly feature of my high school was 50's and 60's day.

Generation X, raised on guaranteed nuclear annihilation, the AIDS crises, environmental doom, child abductions, poisoned Halloween candy, date rape, and the drug war looked back at the 50's and saw a utopia. You could walk down the street at night, by yourself even.

The music was alright, and tye dye t-shirts sure do look nice across coed busts, but was the country really so bad off that it required everything the Vietnam generation put us through? Anyone thinking the 60's did the nation much good ought to compare and contrast the 1965 New York blackout with the 1977 version, and then again with the 2003 event.

In his book about the 1970's David Frum writes, 'The millions of Americans born since 1970 seem to have collectively decided that the Boomers are absolutely the most boring generation of old fogies ever to have inflicted their reminiscences on the young.' he later concludes, 'Who would not be prouder of having fought through the mud of Guadalcanal than having fornicated in the mid at Woodstock?'

This is exactly right. Young people actually do like hearing about when their parents and grandparents were kids, just not all the time, they have to ask first. The information should never be volunteered. 'Grandma, did girl's where short skirts to dances?' is a far better way to connect than an unsolicited, 'Why, back in my day...'

When describing the young soldiers of Operation Desert Storm, PJ O'Rourke, himself a product of the 60's wrote, 'These are the Reagan kids. This generation took one look at the 60's and said give me a haircut and a job.'

For more about Will, visit http://www.gulfwarone.com/. His novel, 'A Line Through the Desert' can be purchased here.

Face of Defense: Airman Uses 'Buddy Care' to Help Man Hit by Train

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Elliott Sprehe
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 8, 2009 - Air Force Senior Airman Eric Slaugh was returning here from leave in December when he encountered a snowstorm in northeastern New Mexico, a storm that would detour him into assisting in saving someone's life. After missing a turn because of the near-whiteout weather conditions, the Slaugh family ended up in a traffic jam due to an overturned semi-trailer that was blocking the highway.

These small setbacks led Slaugh, just a few miles outside of Prewitt, N.M., to be a couple of cars back from a man who, while taking a quick comfort break from the gridlocked traffic, would be struck by a train.

"I watched the train go by, and he didn't come back," said Slaugh, assigned to the 27th Special Operations Component Maintenance Squadron.

Slaugh later would learn that the man was standing in one set of tracks waiting for a train to go by so he could get back to his vehicle. But due to the noise of the westbound train he was paying attention to, the man didn't see the one traveling in the opposite direction heading toward him.

According to a memo from the New Mexico State Police, the man noticed the train at the last second and managed to jump mostly out of the way, though he was struck and knocked back from the blow of the train.

"I never saw him come back over the hill, so I woke my wife up and told her I was going to go check on the guy," Slaugh said. "When I got there, I could see him sitting next to another train."

Upon closer inspection, Slaugh noticed that the man's hand had been severely damaged and was bleeding profusely. A trail of blood led from where he had been knocked to the ground to where he sat, leaning against a train. Slaugh went back to his vehicle, where he retrieved cloth diapers and other supplies to help the man.

After returning to the victim, Slaugh directed someone to call 911 and used his Air Force self-aid and buddy care training to treat the man for shock and took steps to stop the bleeding.

"I held a pressure point for a while, which, for the most part, stopped the bleeding," he said. "At that point, personnel from the train that hit the man had made their way back."

The train that struck the man came to a stop about a half mile from where he was hit. Slaugh had one of the train conductors keep the man's hand elevated while he went back to his vehicle for a blanket.

When he returned to the train, a police officer had arrived. While awaiting the arrival of medical technicians, Slaugh continued to engage the man in conversation to keep him conscious. At this point, Slaugh had been awake for almost 24 hours.

Medical technicians soon arrived to secure the man and transport him to a medical facility.

As far as Slaugh was concerned, it was the right thing to do.

"At first, my mind went blank from initial shock, but after a few minutes you start thinking straight: 'I've got to do this, I've got to do that,'" he said. "I believe that if you see somebody who needs your help -- especially if this person could die without help -- and you choose not to help him and he dies, you're partially responsible.

"Did I save his life? I don't know," he said. "Did I think I'd ever use [my self-aid and buddy care training]? No, I'm a mechanic. Was it the right thing to do? Yeah."

After the ordeal was over, Slaugh and his family got a hotel room for the night to rest and contemplate what had happened.

In a memo from the New Mexico State Police, Sgt. Luis Hernandez wrote, "I truly believe that Senior Airman Slaugh's actions on this day were essential to the victim's survival. His knowledge of first aid and his willingness to help others are a reminder of the values our military personnel hold."

(Air Force Airman 1st Class Elliott Sprehe serves with the 27th Special Operations Wing public affairs office.)

FEMA Chief, Northcom General Cite Military's Hurricane Response Role

By Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 8, 2009 - The National Guard is essential to hurricane response, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency told lawmakers here last week. W. Craig Fugate, FEMA administrator, and Army Maj. Gen. Frank Grass, U.S. Northern Command's director of operations, testified June 4 before an ad hoc disaster-response subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

"The National Guard is a key component of any state governor's ability to respond to a variety of disasters," Fugate said. "They are a force multiplier for the ... state responders. [The National Guard] is a key component of our national defense strategy."

Fugate said one of the first things he did after he was sworn in May 19 was to meet with Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau.

"We have a very strong statewide mutual aid system under [the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, and] we leverage that with the National Guard," Fugate said.

The National Guard and Northcom stand ready to support civil authorities in the 2009 hurricane season, which began June 1, Grass said.

The National Guard is "the first responders in support of [civil authorities] and the governor, so they're going to be there first," Grass told the subcommittee. "It behooves us at Northcom to understand their capability and look at their response times, because if they're successful at the local level, that's less federal assets we have to put forward."

National Guard, Northcom and FEMA leaders were joined by state and county officials at a hurricane workshop in South Carolina earlier this year, Grass told lawmakers.

"We walked through ... how the locals would be responding, how the state would respond [and] then the National Guard gave us a lay-down by state of where their shortfalls were," Grass said. "Then FEMA came in and explained what capabilities it may be requesting.

"The biggest shortfall this current hurricane season," he continued, "probably is in the brigade structure of the National Guard, because of the number of brigades deployed [overseas]. Even though it's a shortfall in certain regions, it's not a shortfall across the nation. It's a matter of reallocating forces, and the National Guard is working very closely ... with the state adjutants general to identify those forces that can fill those shortfalls."

Grass said a similar situation exists with helicopters, and that equipment from other regions can relieve a shortage in a particular state.

A third challenge is aeromedical evacuation, Grass said.

"We've improved greatly since last hurricane season on the ability to identify patients, ... move [them], how to receive them," he said. Defense and federal coordinating officers are working with local officials to improve communication before a storm.

Any hurricane response will be a joint effort by military forces supporting civilian authorities, Grass said.

"We've looked closely at the active component – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard – ... to see where their assets would be available," Grass said.

National Guard Bureau and Northcom leaders talk daily to coordinate efforts, Grass said in an interview after his testimony.

"Between Northern Command and NGB, we're all watching the continental United States and the states and territories," Grass said. "If we see something out there, ... we immediately make contact with each other."

NGB's command center and the North American Aerospace Defense Command and Northcom command center work together closely, and whenever National Guard forces are deployed domestically, "we're prepared to back them up," Grass said.

"The key point in this response – whether it's a local Guard unit or it's a federal force being called in because the governor said he has a shortfall – is that we're always in support of a civilian agency on the ground that needs help, and we owe it to the taxpayers – to our citizens – to use the best asset that we have the quickest."

During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Grass was deputy director of the Army National Guard. He then served abroad in U.S. European Command, returning last year to take up his position at Northcom. That previous hurricane experience, plus his time abroad, has given him a perspective on the nation's current hurricane preparedness, he said.

"To see the changes, it's night and day," Grass said. "Northcom has matured. The Guard has matured in their relationships with the states and with Northern Command. Just the fact that today there are five reserve component general officers serving full time at Northern Command and there are three traditional Army Reserve and Air Guard and Army Guard generals serving at Northern Command – we have a much closer relationship than we have ever had. The FEMA administration has reached out to the interagency and to the Department of Defense.

"When you look at a total reserve force of over a million, and the National Guard at over 460,000 Army and Air Guardsmen," he continued, "there's no reason the National Guard Bureau can't make that response happen through [emergency management assistance compacts] – and we would be prepared from Northern Command to step in and help if there were gaps."

As is increasingly the case throughout the Defense Department, Northcom is a truly joint environment, Grass said.

"I don't care what uniform you wear or what component you're with," Grass said, "your No. 1 mission should be defense of the homeland and providing response capability to the citizens of the United States."

(Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill serves at the National Guard Bureau.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS June 8, 2009

AIR FORCE
The Air Force is terminating for convenience the Transformational Satellite Communications System Mission Operations System contract with Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Services of San Jose, Calif., for $2,020,430,440. The contract termination is a result of the Department of Defense cancelling the TSAT Program in accordance with the priorities of the FY10 President's Budget.

The Air Force is terminating for convenience the Transformational Satellite Communications Systems Engineering and Integration contract with Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., of McLean, Va., for $20,802,224. The contract termination is a result of the Department of Defense cancelling the TSAT Program in accordance with the priorities of the FY10 President's Budget (FA8802-04-F-7044).

The Air Force is awarding a firm, fixed price contract to ATK Tactical Systems Co., LLC of Rocket Center, West Va., for $5,986,994. This contract action will provide the DSU-33D/B nose-mounted sensor used on M117 and MK-80 series general-purpose bombs and the Joint Direct Attack Munition. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 784 CBSG/PK, Hill Air Force Base, Utah is the contracting activity (FA8681-06-C-0009).

NAVY
Federal Cartridge Co., Anoka, Minn., is being awarded a $49,900,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for 300 Winchester magnum ammunition. This ammunition will be used by U.S. forces engaged in combat and by the Navy in Match Team competition. Work will be performed in Anoka, Minn., and is expected to be completed Jun. 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $1,319,768 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with multiple proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N0016409-D-JQ56).

EDAW, Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a maximum amount $20,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect/engineering contract for preparation of Navy and Marine Corps environmental planning documentation primarily in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) southwest area of responsibility (AOR); however, work may be located any where in the United States. The work to be performed provides for National Environmental Policy Act documents such as categorical exclusions, environmental assessments, and environmental impact statements. Environmental studies and documents. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited to Calif., (80 percent); Ariz., (5 percent); Nev., (5 percent); Colo., (1 percent); N.M., (1 percent); Utah, (1 percent); Alaska, (1 percent); Hawaii, (1 percent), and remainder of the U.S., (5 percent). The contract is expected to be completed by Jun. 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $5,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This co! ntract w as competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with seven proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-09-D-2602).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Jaron Corp., South Bend, Ind.*, is being awarded a maximum $32,709,050 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are in Oklahoma. Using service is Air Force. There were 48 responses to the original proposed solicitation. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jun. 30, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-09-D-4529).

Pierce manufacturing, Inc., Appleton, Wis., is being awarded a maximum $9,103,451 firm fixed price, delivery order on long term contract for rescue fire fighting vehicles. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. There were originally three proposals solicited with three responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jun. 5, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM500-01-D-0062-0049).

BH Aircraft Co., Inc., Ronkonkoma, N.Y.*, is being awarded a maximum $5,790,480 firm fixed price contract for afterburner liners. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. There were originally two proposals solicited with one response. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Oct. 31, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPRPA1-09-C-Z099).

Pentagon Encouraged on Pakistan, Wary on North Korea, Spokesman Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

June 8, 2009 - Defense Department officials are encouraged by the Pakistani campaign in the country's Swat Valley and in its provinces of Buner and Dir, but North Korea continues to be a vexing issue, the Pentagon press secretary said here today. Pakistan's month-long offensive against the Taliban within its borders is going well, Geoff Morrell said during a Pentagon news conference. "We are hoping that the offensive continues to the point that these militants in this region are defeated," he said.

The United States continues to stand ready to provide whatever assistance the Pakistani military needs to finish the job, Morrell said. "But we are clearly encouraged by the fact that, ever since there was this encroachment on Islamabad by the Taliban and associated other militant groups, we are seeing an aggressive and sustained military operation in response," he added.

North Korea continues to be a problem, and the press secretary said the U.S. position will continue to stress diplomacy. "Our focus is now and has been and likely will continue to be on coming up with diplomatic and economic pressures that will persuade the North from abandoning its pursuit of nuclear weapons and the platforms to deliver them," he said.

American efforts are focused on the United Nations and the Six-Party Talks with the United States, South Korea, Japan, Russia, China and North Korea.

Still other actions are contemplated should diplomacy fail. "Obviously, we never take anything off the table in terms of what our options are should the North not be dissuaded from pursuing a nuclear-weapons capability," Morrell said, "but that's not where our focus is right now."

Morrell reiterated Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' statement in Singapore last week. "He, like the president and almost everybody else involved in this, is sick of buying the same horse multiple times -- is sick of responding to North Korean provocations by making concessions that get you back to the status quo ante only to see this all unfold again," Morrell said.

"So while we are pursuing diplomacy and while we are pursuing economic sanctions, we are simultaneously working with our allies ... who may be amenable to this on trying to devise additional defensive measures, prudent planning in the event that the North continues down this reckless path," he said.

Gates has tasked his policy team to figure out creative and prudent ways to bolster defenses if North Korea continues, Morrell said.

The United States will work with Japan and South Korea or alone if it has to, he said.

"We're talking about this on a trilateral basis, which would be ideal, on a bilateral basis if necessary, and, if it comes to that, unilaterally," the press secretary said.

U.S. Crew to Aid in Locating French Airliner's Data Recorders

American Forces Press Service

June 8, 2009 - The Defense Department is flying a 19-person crew and Navy equipment to Natal, Brazil, to aid in the search for Air France Flight 447's data recorders, a Pentagon spokesman said today. The Airbus A330 jetliner with 228 people aboard disappeared May 31 in thunderstorms while traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon said the U.S. crew, a mix of military personnel and contractors assigned to Naval Sea Systems Command's supervisor of salvage and diving here, will operate Navy towed pinger locators, or TPLs, from two French-contracted ships.

The passive listening devices, which can locate emergency beacons up to 20,000 feet below the ocean's surface, will be towed behind the vessels at speeds of 1 to 5 knots, depending on water depth, Gordon said. If they detect an acoustic pulse, it's transmitted up the towing cable and is presented in audio and visual modes.

The first ship to receive a TPL and a crew will depart for the search area June 10. The second ship is scheduled to depart June 12.

Last week, a U.S. Navy P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft was deployed to Brazil, where it flew three search missions of about eight hours each. It returned to Florida over the weekend.

Brazilian officials are reporting 16 bodies and a large part of the aircraft's tail section have been recovered from the wreckage field. While not exactly identifying the location of the search area, the officials have said it's south of the plane's last transmission, indicating pilots may have turned back toward a nearby island.

Veterans Take Center Stage in D-Day Commemoration

By U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael Voss
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 7, 2009 - For nearly a week Department of Defense civilians and servicemembers from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines have been deployed to the small French town of Sainte Mere Eglise and this memorial beside Omaha Beach supporting events in honor of the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Towns across Normandy have also been abuzz with history buffs, tourists, reenactors in period uniforms driving World War II tanks, trucks and jeeps, and more than two dozen surviving World War II veterans attending commemorative events in the region.

The big event of the week was U.S. President Barack Obama's involvement in the ceremony here June 6, the actual anniversary date. On that day the cemetery, home to the remains of 9,387 American servicemembers who gave their lives here, was the talk of the international media, as nearly 600 correspondents from media ranging from local French newspapers to CNN were on scene at the 172-acre burial grounds to capture Obama's comments during the ceremony. Yet many servicemembers said that while the president's visit was the icing on the cake, the focus of the event remained right where it should be - on the veterans.

"I have the utmost respect for the commander-in-chief," said Pfc. Lawrence Hall, 1st Infantry Division M1 Abrams tank driver at Fort Riley, Kansas, and one of the youngest servicemembers at the event. "I am glad he is here to celebrate this moment with us, but for me it is all about the veterans."

Hall's sentiments were echoed by many other military men and women here.

"I am looking forward to seeing some of the veterans from 1st Infantry Division. We don't have but six or seven D-Day survivors left that can come out to these events any more," said Pfc. Aaron Fisher, who is also assigned to the 1st Infantry Division.

"Even if I wasn't tasked to support the presidential speech at the event, I would still come out to the event," said Fisher. "I've gotten to meet a couple veterans. Each one's story impresses me more than I ever knew they could."

Obama's remarks focused on the veterans as well.

"You, the veterans, are the reason we come back here every year," he said. "I know this trip here doesn't get any easier for you each year, but we must not forget. You changed the world. You could have hid, you could have run, but instead you stayed and fought, fought for freedom."

This year's D-Day anniversary ceremonies may prove to be more important than those in previous years just by virtue of time. Veterans of World War II are at least in their 80s now, a point driven home by Obama's remarks about the death of 101st Airborne Division veteran Jim Norene, who came to Normandy for the ceremony but died the night before.

"Jim was gravely ill when he left his home, and he knew that he might not return," the president said. "But just as he did 65 years ago -- he came anyway. May he now rest in peace with the boys he once bled with, and may his family always find solace in the heroism he showed here."

In addition to the more than 9,000 remains buried on the bluffs overlooking Omaha Beach, the cemetery has the names of 1,557 Americans who lost their lives in the conflict but could not be located or identified, inscribed on the walls of a semicircular garden.

"There is no more important reason to come here other than to honor their legacy, no matter who comes," said Hall. "If they're here this weekend, I'll be here."

(U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael Voss is assigned to the 435th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office.)

Obama Joins Other Heads of State to Honor D-Day Veterans

By U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Chris Henry
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 7, 2009 - U.S. President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Prince Charles of Wales, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Gordon Brown and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke here yesterday at a ceremony honoring the servicemembers who fought and died during the allied invasion of Normandy 65 years ago. "You, the veterans of that landing, are why we still remember what happened on D-Day. You remind us that in the end human destiny is not determined by forces beyond our control," Obama said. "Our history has always been the sum total of the choices made, and the actions taken, by each individual man and women. It's always been up to us."

Obama came to Normandy after the president visited Cairo, reaching out to Muslims to seek a new beginning and build new partnerships to fight violent extremists, and Germany, where he visited the site of the World War II Buchenwald concentration camp and wounded servicemembers at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

More than 100 World War II veterans from Great Britain, Canada and the United States attended the ceremony. Military aircraft from France, Great Britain and the United States performed a flyover, and the U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus provided music. Hundreds more military and civilian members of all services from across Europe and the U.S. also supported the event.

The allied invasion of Normandy marked the greatest seaborne invasion in history, with about 155,000 servicemembers, 5,000 ships and landing craft, 50,000 vehicles and 11,000 aircraft. The allies paid a heavy price for the daring assault; about 2,500 were killed and thousands more injured in the operation.

The U.S. First Army established a cemetery here June 8, 1944. The first American cemetery on European soil in World War II, today it is the final resting place for 9,387 servicemembers.

(U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Chris Henry is assigned to Navy Public Affairs Support Element East Detachment Europe.)

Brown Water Navy Enthusiasts, Your Time Has Come

The Launching of USS Freedom (LCS-1) signals a new era for the USN.

Unlike the Cold War era fighting platforms such as the Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer and the Ticonderoga Class Guided Missile Cruiser, the USS Freedom and its dozens of sister ships to follow are meant to operate near shore, in shallow waters, estuaries, and deep rivers.

The Littoral Combat Ship will be capable of 45 knots, features one 57mm forward gun, a compliment of Raytheon RAM Missiles, and can can two helicopters AND three UAVs. The LCS has crew of 40.

The LCS is an ideal ship for near shore insurgent environments like Somalia, where pirates have become notorious for their brazen raids on international shipping. The LCS would also be handy for patrols off the coast of Lebanon or Gaza, to observe the situation there or intercept smugglers.

One problem, when dealing with pirates is the potential cost. In any battle off Somalia, the pirates are risking a motor boat, while the USN is risking a high-tech destroyer. The LCS helps address this imbalance by being expendable.

For more about Will, visit http://www.gulfwarone.com/. His novel, 'A Line Through the Desert' can be purchased here.

Eagle Over the Western Pacific

Those thinking the United States is retreating from the western Pacific are mistaken.

Apra Harbor, in Guam, is currently the home port of three US Navy Los Angeles Class attack submarines. The deep water port is also being expanded to accommodate cruisers and aircraft carriers. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, currently stationed in Okinawa, will be relocated to Guam. Anderson AFB is also undergoing changes, as the 36th Air Defense Wing was re designated the 36th Wing (a higher formation), signalling a possible expansion.

Guam has the advantage of being US territory, therefore avoiding some of the messy situations that sometimes arise when the US has to seek a foreign government's permission to launch air strikes from its territory (like Libya in 1986).

Forces in Guam can easily sortie to trouble spots such as the Taiwan (where three Los Angeles subs can be a potent deterrent) or North Korea. Guam is also less vulnerable than Okinawa.

For more about Will, visit http://www.gulfwarone.com/. His novel, 'A Line Through the Desert' can be purchased here.

Military Entrance Processing Stations Memorialize Fallen Troops

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 5, 2009 - The Baltimore Military Entrance Processing Station at Fort Meade, Md., will dedicate its ceremony room tomorrow to Marine Corps Cpl. Jennifer M. Parcell, a fallen hero who processed through its doors and into the Marine Corps two years after her 18th birthday. Parcell, a Maryland native, died protecting her fellow Marines during a deployment to Iraq in February 2007. She had volunteered for the Lioness program, in which she searched female Iraqis at a checkpoint in Anbar province. She was carrying out the mission when she died at the hands of a female suicide bomber.

Parcell will become the 30th fallen servicemember – and the first woman -- to be immortalized by a Military Entrance Processing Station within U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command's Eastern Sector. The initiative honors fallen troops at the facility where they swore their oath to protect and defend the United States and its Constitution, Army Col. Barrye Price, the Eastern Sector commander, said.

Price came up with the concept after escorting the remains of his mentor's son home from Dover Air Force Base, Del. He said the magnitude of that task drove home the significance of what the 34 MEPS stations he commands do every day.

"We process volunteers from across our country into our military services at a time when our nation and its military is embroiled in armed combat in two different theaters," he said.

The station, one of the three busiest in the country, serves as the link between the military and recruits from Maryland, the District of Columbia and parts of Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia. Its staff administers a flurry of tests– a medical exam, drug test and HIV test, among them – to ensure they're fit for duty. Another test, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, ensures they meet the military's aptitude standards.

By the day's end, recruits who entered the station as civilians before 5:30 a.m. leave as new members of the armed forces who have signed their military contracts and taken the oath of enlistment. From there, they proceed to their service's basic military training.

Price said he wants to ensure that his predominately civilian work force appreciates the commitment that the nation's young people are making and the sacrifices they stand ready to make.

These employees are "sending youngsters who could pay the last full measure of devotion for our nation -- possibly within just a year of duty," he said. "We must embrace and honor these warriors, as they are protecting the values and freedoms that we hold dear as a nation."

As future servicemembers process through the MEPS, Price said, he wants them to feel a personal connection to those immortalized there.

"This provides new enlistees with a real and tangible figure who they can identify with," he said. "This is somebody who walked these same halls, who sat in the same chairs and went through the exact same process that they're going through."

For example, all 12,000 future soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who will process this year at the Baltimore MEPS will learn Parcell's story and see her memorialized as they enter the ceremony room to take their oath of enlistment, Price said.

"Every one of them will know who Jennifer Parcell is as a result of that," he said. "Thousands of kids who process through this room will get to know who she was and what her contributions were to this nation."

Most importantly, Price said, he wants the dedication to assure the Parcell family that their daughter's sacrifice hasn't been forgotten.

"President Calvin Coolidge said that a nation that forgets its defenders will itself one day be forgotten," Price said. "This dedication will serve as absolute proof to the Parcell family that Jennifer was not just a name or Social Security number. Jennifer was an appreciated member of a team who will now be immortalized."

Missing at this weekend's dedication ceremony will be Parcell's brother, Marine Staff Sgt. Joseph Parcell, who is based in Okinawa, Japan. Army Col. Robert S. Larsen, commander of the Baltimore MEPS, said he plans to send him a video of the ceremony.

Two additional dedications – one at the MEPS in Cleveland and one in Jacksonville, Fla. -- are slated for next week.

The Cleveland MEPS will honor Air Force Airman 1st Class Eric M. Barnes of Lorain, Ohio, during a June 10 ceremony. Barnes died June 10, 2007, near Forward Operating Base Scania in Iraq as a result of a roadside bomb attack.

Two days later, on June 12, the Jacksonville MEPS will honor Army Sgt. Bradley Crose. The Orange Park, Fla., native was killed in action March 4, 2002, during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan.

Other fallen heroes honored at the MEPS ceremony rooms where they were sworn into the military, listed in the order in which the dedications occurred, are:

-- Army Pfc. Jason D. Hasenauer of Hilton, N.Y., who was memorialized at the Syracuse, N.Y., MEPS on Feb. 28, 2008. Hasenauer was killed Dec. 28, 2005, when his Humvee rolled over during patrol operations near Kandahar, Afghanistan.

-- Marine Sgt. Shawn P. Martin of Delmar, N.Y., who was memorialized at the Albany, N.Y., MEPS on Aug. 1, 2008. Martin died June 20, 2007, while conducting combat operations in Saqlawiyah, Iraq.

-- Army Cpl. Steven R. Koch of Milltown, N.J., who was memorialized at the Fort Dix, N.J., MEPS on Jan. 14, 2009. Koch was killed March 3, 2008, in Afghanistan's Sabari district of wounds suffered during combat operations.

-- Army Pvt. Dwayne A. Covert Jr. of Tonawanda, N.Y., who was memorialized at the Buffalo, N.Y., MEPS Jan. 16, 2009. Covert died Nov. 3, 2007 in Iraq.

-- Army Pfc. Keith Matthew Maupin, of Botavia, Ohio, who was memorialized Jan. 26, 2009, at the Columbus, Ohio, MEPS. Iraqi insurgents captured Maupin April 9, 2004, and his captors released a videotape showing him in captivity. His whereabouts remained unknown until the Army found and positively identified his remains in March 2008.

-- Marine Cpl. Marcus W. Preudhomme of North Miami Beach, Fla., who was memorialized Jan. 28, 2009, at the Miami MEPS. Preudhomme was killed in a suicide attack in Iraq's Anbar province June 26, 2008.

-- Army Pfc. Stephen D. Bicknell of Prattville, Ala., who was memorialized at the Montgomery, Ala., MEPS on Feb. 20, 2009. Bicknell died of injuries when land mines detonated near his Humvee in Samara, Iraq, Oct. 15, 2006.

-- Army Staff Sgt. Jeremy Brown of Mabscott, W.Va., who was memorialized at the Beckley, W.Va., MEPS on March 3, 2009. Brown died of injuries suffered in a Humvee accident in Mosul, Iraq, July 3, 2005.

-- Five members of the North Carolina National Guard's 1132nd Military Police Company who were memorialized at the Raleigh, N.C., MEPS on March 7, 2009. Army Sgt. Thomas Ray II, Sgt. David Stelmat Jr., Sgt. Blake Williams, Staff Sgt. Emanuel Pickett and Sgt. Lance O. Eakes died in March through April 2008 during their unit's deployment to Iraq.

-- Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher L. Robinson of Brandon, Miss., who was memorialized at the Jackson, Miss., MEPS on March 16, 2009. Robison was killed in action near the Sangain district of Afghanistan's Helmand province March 25, 2006.

-- Army Staff Sgt. Morgan Kennon of Memphis, Tenn., who was memorialized at the Memphis MEPS on March 17, 2009. Kennon was killed in Mosul, Iraq, when his position came under rocket-propelled grenade attack, Nov. 7, 2003.

-- Army 1st Lt. Andrew Bacevich of Walpole, Mass., who was memorialized at the Boston MEPS on March 18, 2009. Bacevich was killed in Balad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated, May 13, 2007.

-- Army Master Sgt. Gary Gordon, of Lincoln, Maine, who was memorialized at the Portland, Maine, MEPS March 20, 2009. Gordon was the only servicemember honored through the MEPS initiative who was not killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously after he was killed in Mogadishu, Somalia, Oct. 3, 1993.

-- Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul Smith of South Tampa, Fla., who was memorialized at the Tampa MEPS on April 4, 2009. Smith was the first Medal of Honor recipient in the global war on terror and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He received the honor posthumously for actions April 3, 2003, when he saved more than 100 soldiers in the battle for Baghdad's airport, a battle in which he lost his life.

-- Army Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude, U.S. Army deputy chief of staff for personnel, who died Sept. 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into his Pentagon office. Maude was memorialized at the Indianapolis MEPS on April 15, 2009.

-- Army Sgt. Joseph Vanek of Elmhurst, Ill., who was memorialized at the Chicago MEPS on April 20, 2009. Vanek died of his wounds following a firefight in Baghdad, Nov. 12, 2007.

-- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jonathan Yale of Meherrin, Va., who was memorialized at the Fort Lee, Va., MEPS on April 24, 2009. Yale was killed in action stopping a suicide truck bomber from detonating inside his unit's compound April 22, 2008.

-- Marine Corps Sgt. Canaan J. Alicandro of Springfield, Mass., who was memorialized at the Springfield MEPS on May 7, 2009. Alicandro was killed in a vehicle accident while stationed at Camp Lejeune, N. C., in 2004.

-- Army Sgt. Daniel W. Wallace of Dry Ridge, Ky., who was memorialized at the Louisville, Ky., MEPS May 15, 2009. Wallace died of wounds suffered in a firefight with the Taliban in Afghanistan on Oct. 31, 2008.

-- Army Spc. Ross McGinnis of Knox, Pa., who was memorialized at the Pittsburgh MEPS on May 18, 2009. McGinnis was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after throwing himself on a grenade to save the other occupants of his Humvee on Dec. 4, 2006.

-- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jason Lee Frye of Landisburg, Pa., who was memorialized at the Harrisburg, Pa., MEPS on May 19, 2009. Frye was killed in action in Fallujah, Iraq, when his vehicle detonated an improvised explosive device Oct. 6, 2005.

-- Marine Corps Cpl. Jonathan Ayers of Snellville, Ga., who was memorialized at the Atlanta MEPS on May 20, 2009. Ayers was killed in action defending Combat Outpost Bella in Afghanistan's Kunar province July 13, 2008.

-- Army Spc. Robert Trevithick of Gaines, Mich., who was memorialized at the Detroit MEPS on May 21, 2009. Trevithick died April 14, 2004, in Balad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device exploded near his convoy vehicle.

-- Marine Corps Pfc. Ryan Jarabek of Hobart, Wis., who was memorialized at the Milwaukee MEPS on May 22, 2009. Jarabek was killed by hostile fire in Ramadi, Iraq, April 6, 2004.

-- Marine Corps Sgt. Michael H. Ferschke Jr. of Maryville, Tenn., who was memorialized at the Knoxville, Tenn., MEPS on May 26, 2009. Ferschke was killed in Tikrit, Iraq, Aug. 10, 2008, while supporting combat operations.

Navy's Top Officer Marks Battle of Midway's 67th Anniversary

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

June 5, 2009 - The Navy's top officer yesterday marked the 67th anniversary of World War II's Battle of Midway at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Navy Memorial here. The Battle of Midway, fought June 4-7, 1942, pitted U.S and Japanese naval and air forces in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Midway is part of the Hawaiian island chain; the battle was fought about 1,300 miles northwest of Oahu.

The United States lost the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown and a destroyer at Midway, but the Japanese navy incurred more extensive losses, including the destruction of four aircraft carriers and their aircrews and a cruiser. The battle's results permanently weakened the Japanese navy; the momentum in the war's Pacific Theater of operations would now be with the U.S. and allied forces.

Navy Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, who commanded U.S. forces during the Midway battle, described its outcome as "'a glorious page in our history,'" Navy Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, told a group of military veterans gathered at the Navy Memorial.

Midway "was a battle that seized the strategic initiative" in the Pacific, Roughead said, and demonstrated "the importance of naval power in conflict."

Most of all, the admiral said, Midway "showed the world what an American sailor could do." The battle is replete with scenes of courage and heroism, he said, from "the stories of those sailors who stayed at their posts until the bitter end to the stories of the sailors who rescued shipmates from the sinking Yorktown."

The USS Yorktown had been heavily damaged during the Battle of the Coral Sea a month earlier. Shipyard workers at the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor had worked around the clock to repair the carrier. Consequently, the Yorktown would participate in the Midway battle, which would turn out to be its last fight.

At Midway, Japanese Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto had planned to draw out and destroy the U.S. Pacific fleet, thus opening the way for a negotiated peace settlement with the United States. Yamamoto realized that Japan couldn't compete industrially with the United States, and that his forces needed to win a decisive victory early in the war.

However, what Yamamoto didn't know was that U.S. and British cryptologists had broken the Japanese naval code. Therefore, Nimitz knew, before the battle, the approximate date of the Japanese attack on Midway, as well as the types of ships in Yamamoto's strike force and its location.

"The code breakers that gave us the location and date of the battle, the shipyard workers, the airmen and Marines who fought from Midway Island and the sailors who fought at sea" all were among the battle's many heroes, Roughead said.

The U.S. victory at Midway came just six months after the successful Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he pointed out.

"And in those months, the carrier Yorktown had been nearly sunk at the Battle of the Coral Sea," Roughead said. Thanks to the shipbuilders at Pearl Harbor who repaired much of the damaged fleet, he said, the U.S. sailors at Midway "were able to overcome the enemy in battle."

Demand for Special Operators Could Strain Force, Commander Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

June 5, 2009 - Demand for the services of U.S. Special Operations Command could strain the force, the command's top officer said here yesterday. Navy Adm. Eric Olson testified before the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on terrorism, unconventional threats and capabilities.

Special Operations Command, with headquarters in Tampa, Fla., is responsible for organizing, equipping, training and providing fully capable special operations forces to serve under the operational control of geographic combatant commanders around the world. This gives the command many of the administrative details in managing the force.

In addition, the command is a combatant command in its own right, responsible for synchronizing Defense Department planning against global terrorism, and also is the department's proponent for security force assistance.

"In this role, we expect to foster the long-term partnerships that will shape a more secure global environment in the face of global challenges such as transnational crime, extremism and migration," the admiral said.

The command has broad responsibilities and capabilities, and this makes it "the force of choice," Olson said. While 86 percent of the overseas force is deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of operations – most in Iraq and Afghanistan -- the command must maintain a global presence. "In fiscal 2009, special operations forces have already conducted operations and training in 106 countries around the globe," Olson told the representatives.

This has put stress on the force, but the command – along with the services – is handling it for now. Rotations are different for different services and specialties, the admiral said.

"The service components have sort of evolved into different rotational paces," he said, "depending on the nature of the force, the type of equipment they use [and] the nature of the operations that they're conducting.

For example, Olson said, some aviators who fly a lot at night with night-vision goggles may deploy for periods as short as 90 days. Special Forces Operational Detachment "A" teams have battalion-level rotations of seven months. Still others, usually at higher levels, deploy for a year.

"The rate now is sustainable," Olson said. "We didn't think that we could sustain it at this pace this long, but the force is proving resilient beyond our estimate. I think, personally, that we are at about the maximum rate that we can sustain, but I think that we can sustain this rate for some time longer."

The current high deployment pace "has now become the new normal," Olson said. Retention remains high and recruiting remains healthy, he noted.

"So if the demand didn't increase, we're probably pretty OK," he said. "But what we see is an increasing demand for special operations forces, and so we've got a growth plan in place to accommodate that."

Working with interagency partners is integral to the command's mission. "The most important thing to push forward are structures that provide a forum so that the interagency community can provide the content to the discussions," Olson said. "These are relationships that are building over time. We are way better than we have ever been."

Even before the attacks of 2001, the command led in integrating personnel from other government agencies, Olson said. "We're even seeing now what I call second- or third-generation, or second- or third-order effects, as people [who] have worked together in one place now [are] coming together in another place and already having a relationship so that they can move much more quickly together," he added.

In addition, 85 uniformed members of Special Operations Command go to work each day in other agencies of government inside the national capital region.

"We also wake up every day at our headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa with about 140 members of other agencies coming to work in our headquarters," Olson told the subcommittee, "and this has provided a transparency in the interagency environment that's very helpful.

"It's hard now, having seen it in action for a few years, ... to remember back what it was like before," he continued, "back when we used to look around the room and see only uniformed members. It really is a good, solid team effort at this point."

Olson called the command "a team of teams." The force is suited to the irregular operating environments, "and its proven abilities have created an unprecedented demand for its effects in remote, uncertain and challenging operating areas," he said.

Special operators will continue to find, kill or capture irreconcilable enemies, and will continue to train, mentor, and partner global friends and allies, Olson said.

"United States Special Operations Command headquarters will continue to lead, develop and sustain the world's most precise and lethal counterterrorism force," the admiral said. "We will provide the world's most effective special operations trainers, advisors, and combat partners with the skills, leadership, and mindset necessary to meet today's and tomorrow's unconventional challenges."

Member of All-Black D-Day Battalion to Receive Overdue Honor

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

June 5, 2009 - Sixty-five years ago, he was a young black soldier whose role in the allied landing at Normandy would go largely ignored. But now William Dabney returns to France with due honors. Then a 20-year-old corporal, Dabney stormed the beleaguered Omaha Beach armed with a type of explosive-laden helium balloon the Army floated at low altitude to interfere with German aircraft. He represented the 320th Anti-Aircraft Barrage Balloon Battalion, the first exclusively African-American unit to fight in World War II.

Dabney, the lone surviving member of the 320th Battalion, will receive France's Legion of Honor tomorrow in conjunction with other D-Day ceremonies across France. The honor marks time the black soldiers of the battalion have been officially recognized for their role in the famed 1944 operation, a defense official said.

"Whether we got credit for it or not, we still felt that we did our job," the 84-year-old Dabney said in an interview yesterday at the French Embassy ahead of his flight abroad. "And we felt that maybe one day we would get recognition, and this has come that I'm getting some recognition for what I did.

"I'm very thankful for it," he said of receiving the Legion of Honor, the French's government highest award.

Dabney is one of about 40 Americans to receive the Legion of Honor during the D-Day anniversary ceremonies tomorrow. The event holds additional significance, since it will be presided over by President Barack Obama, the first African-American to hold the highest U.S. office, Dabney said.

"It's going to make me feel real proud. I feel as though that we – African-Americans -- have come a long ways," he said. "And it's not only me, but it's something that my grandchildren, my great grandchildren have seen already, and they are grateful."

For Dabney, Obama's ascension to the White House reflects the American values he felt he was fighting for during World War II.

"I never would have thought that I would see the day that we would have an African-American president," he said. "That sort of relieved me. I was over here fighting, and now I can look and see that we have an African-American president."

Dabney was one of five World War II veterans on hand yesterday with their families at the embassy for a luncheon before their voyage. Joining the elder Dabney was his son, Vinny Dabney, of Roanoke, Va.

"It's really an honor for me to be able to accompany him as he receives this magnificent honor," Vinny Dabney said. "He was able to attend the 60th anniversary, but this one is even more important because of the honor, the medals, that will be bestowed on the veterans.

"The contribution of my dad and other African-Americans was kind of something that was swept under the rug for a long time. And now they've finally pulled the rug back, and here's all this history."

The other veterans at the embassy yesterday who are attending the D-Day anniversary in Normandy include:

-- Burnett Bartley, who also took part in the D-Day landing. For 264 consecutive days, he fought with the 35th Infantry Division, in which more than 25,000 soldiers would lose their lives. During a battle to liberate the town of Destry, he was wounded in the throat; his vocal cords were severed, and the effects have endured to this day. Bartley distinguished himself during the war by his behavior, his courage and his keen judgment, as attested by the honors bestowed upon him by U.S. military officials.

-- Elmer De Lucia, who landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day with the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion. During this operation, he saw dozens of his friends die; he witnessed the beach become a veritable mass grave, with hundreds of young soldiers mowed down by enemy fire. With his company, he spent 313 days in Normandy, including 60 consecutive days without a day of rest. He fought in five major campaigns -- Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, the Ardennes and Central Europe -- earning five Bronze Stars. Twice wounded in action, in France in October 1944 and in Germany in March 1945, he also received the Purple Heart.

-- James Huston, an intelligence officer with the 35th Infantry Division's 3rd Battalion, 134th Regiment, who participated in the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach. During his first battle, in Saint-Lô, with a five-man patrol, he took Hill 122, a heavily fortified and mined position occupied by the enemy. This act earned him the Croix de Guerre avec Palme. He subsequently served as a commander when his unit crossed northern France toward Nancy. He then led the battalion that crossed the Meurthe as an operations officer. He carried out the attack and capture of Malzeville, east of Nancy, to establish a bridgehead for the region. His strategic abilities, sharp analyses and personal involvement during his command of this action earned Huston a Bronze Star.

-- Nathan Kline, who was 18 when he enlisted in the Army in 1942. After months of training, he was assigned to the 323rd Bomb Group of the 9th Air Force as a bombardier/navigator on a B-23. He took part in the D-Day landing, with subsequent missions taking him to Reims, Chartres, the Belgian border and, in May 1945, Valenciennes. He carried out no fewer than 65 bombing missions during World War II. His plane was hit twice during the battle of the Ardennes. Without abandoning his position, he continued bombing his target until the action was successful. He provided first aid to his radio operator, who was wounded, before returning to his navigator post and bringing the plane back down into allied territory. For this action, which was decisive to the outcome of the battle, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Before their departure, French Defense Attache Maj. Gen. Gratien Maire saw the veterans off and told them it was a pleasure to honor their sacrifice.

"Thank you for what you did for

World War II Veteran Copes with Memories Through Golden Age Games

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

June 5, 2009 - Nearly 65 years ago, Robert Blatnik found himself fighting for his life on a beach in Normandy, France, on what he called a day of miracles for those who survived. Today, Blatnik talks openly about the U.S. and allied invasion on June 6, 1944, as well as other World War II campaigns he was part of. He explains the amphibious landings, the paratroopers overhead, and how, even after all these years, he's still amazed that he lived to tell his experiences. However, it took almost 60 years of harboring those memories before he could ever really open up, he said.

"Up until about six years ago, I couldn't even talk about it," the retired soldier said of his D-Day and World War II experiences. "It was only when I got involved with the [Department of Veterans Affairs] and Golden Age Games that I was able to relate and talk about things."

The VA and National Veterans Golden Age Games have given Blatnik an outlet and release for his painful memories. Meeting fellow World War II veterans, as well as veterans from later wars, has showed him that he's not alone, the Rowlett, Texas, native said. He's learned that other veterans have gone through similar distress.

"I've met these guys from all over the country who've been through all kinds of things," he said. "And going to the VA and taking part in the games has kind of opened me up a little bit."

The energetic 89-year-old talks easily about being missing in action for four days in a North African desert, and says proudly that Gen. George S. Patton wouldn't fight the Germans in Sicily without Blatnik's 1st Infantry Division. He'll tell you how nothing in the world ever will compare to the barrage of German artillery he encountered on D-Day.

Blatnik admits to suffering the occasional flashback of combat or random bout of anger, but the Golden Age Games keep him focused, he said.

"The games are great for guys like me," he said. "There's no better therapy in the world than training for and competing in the Golden Age Games."

Blatnik trains for the games all year to relieve stress and improve his fitness, he said. He swims and exercises six days a week, and this year, in the 23rd annual games, he participated in the shot put, discus, shuffleboard and swimming events, he said proudly.

"I even bought my own discus and shot put to practice with," he said, adding that he also works out at local VA hospital.

Although the competitions can be pretty intense, Blatnik said, obviously nothing compares to the shelling of artillery rounds that greeted him and his fellow troops on D-Day. Omaha Beach was black and smoky and riddled with dust, he said. "How the hell I survived -- how anyone survived and got off that damn beach alive -- is a miracle," he said.

Blatnik eventually was medically retired after being wounded in Cologne, Germany, in November 1944. He retired again from the U.S. Postal Service in Ohio, and then relocated to south Texas where he was a volunteer fireman and paramedic.

He survived some of the bloodiest combat in modern military history, and was awarded the Silver Star and multiple Purple Hearts. He was even given an award in Ohio for rescuing a young couple from a house fire in 1963, he said.

But despite his decades of selfless service and personal sacrifice, it wasn't until he found the Golden Age Games that he felt a sense of closure, he said.

"I owe the VA and the games a lot," he said. "They gave me a way to relate and meet people who understand."

The Golden Age Games are open to all U.S. military veterans ages 55 and older who receive care at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility. The games are co-sponsored by the VA, the Help Hospitalized Veterans non-profit group and the Veterans Canteen Service. The Games also are a qualifying event every other year for the National Senior Olympic Games.

MILITARY CONTRACTS June 5, 2009

NAVY
Jacobs Technology, Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., is being awarded a $170,647,013 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for system engineering services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD). Efforts to be provided include design studies and evaluations associated with research, development, production, and operations of weapons and weapons systems. The estimated level of effort for this requirement is 1,727,809 man-hours. Work will be performed in China Lake, Calif., (83 percent) and Pt. Mugu, Calif., (17 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic Request for Proposals, with five offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity (N68936-09-D-0040).

Adept Process Services, Inc., Imperial Beach, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0003); Delphinus Engineering, Inc., Eddystone, Pa., (N55236-09-D-0005); Epsilon Systems Solutions, Inc., San Diego, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0006); Fraser's Boiler Services, Inc., San Diego, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0007); Integrated Marine Services, Inc., Chula Vista, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0008); Marine Group Boat Works, Inc., Chula Vista, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0009); Miller Marine, Inc., National City, Calif. (N55236-09-D-0010); Nielsen Beaumont Marine, Inc., San Diego, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0011); South Bay Boiler Repair, Inc., National City, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0012), are each being awarded a indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract - Lot I, for marine boatyard services and industrial support for boats, craft, lighterage or service craft less than 50 feet in length. Al Larson Boat Shop, Inc., Terminal Island, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0004); Epsilon Systems Solutions, Inc., San Diego, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0013); Fraser's Boiler Services, Inc., San Diego, Calif., (N55236-09-! D-0014); Marine Group Boat Works, Inc., Chula Vista, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0015); Miller Marine, Inc., National City, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0016); South Bay Boiler Repair, Inc., National City, Calif., (N55236-09-D-0017), are each being awarded a indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract - Lot II, for marine boatyard services and industrial support for boats, craft, lighterage or service craft greater than 50 feet in length. Each contractor shall furnish the necessary management, material support services, labor, supplies, and equipment deemed necessary to provide marine boatyard and industrial support which includes specific modifications, upgrades, service life extension and repairs to non-commissioned boats, craft, lighterage and service craft and their associated systems and periodic maintenance primarily in support of San Diego area Naval Facilities boats, craft, lighterage, and service craft custodians. The maximum value for each contract under Lot I is $58,300,000. The maximum value for each contract under Lot II is $139,000,000. Each contract has four additional option years to be exercised. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., or contractor's facility along the west coast. Work is expected to be completed Jun. 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $27,000 for Lot I! and $18 ,000 for Lot II and contract funds in the amount of $3,000, for minimum obligation for each contract, will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured and advertised via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with 20 proposals solicited and 15 offers received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Sierra Nevada Corp., Sparks, Nev., is being awarded a $36,479,655 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-only contract for production of Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) 3.1 dismounted systems to meet urgent requirements of the Department of Defense in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The dismounted JCREW systems are critical to protecting U.S. personnel from the threat posed by improvised explosive devices. Dismounted JCREW systems are electronic jammers designed to prevent the initiation of radio-controlled improvised explosive devices (RCIED). This contract is for the urgent procurement and support of JCREW systems, to be used by forces in each of the military services of the Central Command area of responsibility. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $248,312,153. Work will be performed in Sparks, Nev. (90 percent) and Rancho Cordova, Calif., (10 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three proposals solicited and three offers received. Contract funds will not expire at the end o! f the cu rrent fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-6306).

Praxis, Inc., Alexandria, Va., is being awarded a $14,159,541 cost-plus-fixed-fee term contract for research, development and engineering support for specialized aerospace systems. The requirement is for highly skilled personnel to support applied research and development programs. The support includes system engineering and applications-oriented activities to preserve and enhance a strong aerospace systems technology base and to provide expert capabilities in the development, acquisition and operation of aerospace systems. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the total cumulative value of this contract to $75,926.335. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C., and work is expected to be completed June 2010 (June 2014 with options exercised). Contract funds in the amount of $85,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured under Naval Research Laboratory solicitation number N00173-08-R-SE08, for which two offer were received. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00173-09-C-6004).

Marvin Engineering Co., Inc.*, Inglewood, Calif., is being awarded a $9,544,705 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00421-06-C-0050) to exercise an option for 328 production BRU-32B/A ejector bomb racks for the Navy (299) and the Royal Australian Air Force, (29) for the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. Work will be performed in Inglewood, Calif., and is expected to be completed in Jun. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy, ($8,700,813; 91 percent) and the Government of Australia, ($843,892; 9 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va., is being awarded a $7,500,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity cost type contract for services as requested for all specific product areas and specific technical capabilities related to the research and development (R&D) needs of Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division. This will entail performing R&D with regard to technologies related to Navy ships and combat systems. Specific tasks will range from applied research, and or exploratory development through technology assessments and engineering studies in support of surface combat systems development. Work will be performed in Blacksburg, Va., and is expected to be completed by May 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Va. is the contracting activity (N00178-09-D-3017).

General Dynamics C4 Systems, Scottsdale, Ariz., is being awarded a $6,782,874 modification to previously awarded time and material contract (M67854-02-C-2052) to increase field service support for the Combat Operations Center for Operation Enduring Freedom. Work will be performed in Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed by May 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems TSS Inc., Rockville, Md., is being awarded a $6,144,776 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-F-B062) to provide engineering, technical, professional and operations support services for the Navy Above-Water Sensors Program. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $2,546,376 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Kaba Mas LLC, Lexington, Ky., is being awarded a maximum $8,919,600 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite quantity contract for high security digital combination locks. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. The proposal was originally Web solicited with two responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jun. 4, 2011. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM5L5-09-D-0058).

AIR FORCE

The Air Force is awarding a cost plus fixed fee contract with BBN Technologies Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., for an estimated $29,711,669. This action is for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's machine reading program. The purpose of this effort is to develop a prototype machine reading system that transforms prose into knowledge that can be interpreted by an Artificial Intelligence application. At this time, $3,389,759 has been obligated. AFRL/RIKF, Rome, N.Y., is the contracting activity (FA8750-09-C-0179).

New Jersey Group Honors High School Students Joining Military

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

June 4, 2009 - During this season of graduation celebrations, high school seniors heading off to college normally are held in high regard by their teachers, families and friends. Sometimes overlooked are those seniors choosing to bypass college to serve their country. A man from Camden, N.J., started a crusade in his community to make sure these seniors also were recognized for their "honorable" career choice of joining the U.S. military.

"To join the military and serve your country is an awesome feat," said Ken Hartman, founder of Our Community Salutes, a troop-support group. "To serve your country at a time of war says a lot about your character and how much you love your country. This should never go unnoticed. Many high schools do not recognize or honor these students. I want this to change."

Hartman, also a member of the Cherry Hill School Board in Camden, decided to set up a committee and began mobilizing businesses, colleges, educators and veterans groups to plan and fund the county's first High School Enlistee Recognition Ceremony. The ceremony took place June 2, honoring 44 Camden County high school seniors who enlisted in the armed forces.

More than 220 people attended the event, including active duty servicemembers, veterans, college representatives, state lawmakers and special guest Army Maj. Gen. William Monk III, commanding general of the 99th Regional Support Command.

Many in attendance said the event was a success.

"These seniors have a tremendous challenge ahead of them," said Army Lt. Col. Ronald Tuczak, commander of the Army Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Battalion. "[Considering] what they are about to undertake, what they are about to be charged with, this event can only inspire them. These kids need all the support they can get, especially from the start. I had to be a part of this. "

Jennifer Grimaldi, a counselor at Haddonfield High School and past president of the Camden County School Counselors Association, also attended the event.

"This was a great opportunity for school counselors to show their support for these students," Grimaldi said. "We really wanted to be a part of this. School counselors support these enlistees just like we support our students going off to college. Both groups will make a positive impact on our world."

Retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. Al Bancroft also wanted to thank the seniors' families. "I have so much admiration for these young people," he said. "Their families have given them the support they need to move forward, and I know they will continue to uplift them. I am very proud of all of them."

A Marine Corps brass quartet performed for the reception, which was followed by a dinner ceremony. All parents of enlistees received the pamphlet, "A Parent's Guide to Education in the U.S. Armed Services." Each senior received a proclamation from the state senate and a commemorative gold coin.

"It was a tremendous evening," Hartman said. "The combination of everyone that attended made it perfect for the seniors. This was a chance to recognize all of them before the start of their service. We will continue to do this each year, and hope other communities will follow."

Senior Veterans Forge New Friendships at Golden Age Games

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

June 4, 2009 - At first glance, Angelo Athas and Harry R. Johnson looked as though they'd known each other their entire lives. They looked more like teenagers than senior citizens, talking and laughing and joking as they waited for their turn at shuffleboard. But the truth is they met just this week, and their quick bond developed through mutual experiences in their military service as well as their passion for competing each year in the National Veterans Golden Age Games, they said.

"It seems as though we've known each other for years," said Johnson, 76, a Navy veteran who served during the Korean War era. "That's one thing about the people you meet [at the Golden Age Games]; everyone enjoys each other's company and meeting fellow veterans."

Forging new bonds and reuniting with old friends has been a common theme among the senior veterans competing here this week in the 23rd Annual National Golden Age Games. And although many of them haven't served in the military or been a part of a team in decades, the camaraderie and brotherhood of the military community never really goes away.

Johnson served from 1951 to 1954, spending much of that time on a Navy destroyer in the Pacific Ocean. He said he and his shipmates were like one big family. But he found a new extended family after nearly 54 years when he decided to compete in the Golden Age Games for the first time in 2008, the Chula Vista, Calif., native said.

"This kind of camaraderie and easiness is something you tend to miss from the service once you go into the civilian world," he said, adding how much he's enjoyed being here for his second Golden Age Games.

More than 700 veterans, representing 38 states and every major American conflict from World War II to the Persian Gulf War are participating in this year's games. New bonds are being built at every event, said Athas, an 83-year-old Army and World War II veteran.

Even in the hotel where most of the veterans here are staying, new friendships are being made, as veterans can be found in the lobby and hallways playing dominoes or spades or having a cup of coffee with one another.

"[The Golden Age Games] gives us an opportunity to meet new friends, new acquaintances, and not only that, you have the camaraderie of being fellow veterans," Athas said.

But although they have their military experiences in common, "the old days" aren't talked about as much as one may think, said Athas, a Garland, Texas, native. Just knowing that so many other people can relate is enough to build new friendships, he said.

"We come here not to rehash what we did in the old days," he explained. "We come here to make new memories with our new friends. You look forward to seeing them next year."

The Golden Age Games are open to all U.S. military veterans 55 and older who receive care at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility. The games are co-sponsored by the VA, the Help Hospitalized Veterans nonprofit organization and the Veterans Canteen Service. They also serve as a qualifying event every other year for the National Senior Olympic Games.

Inbound Soldiers Will Help Afghan Mentoring, General Says

By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 4, 2009 - Inbound soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team will be a welcome addition for the Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix mission of mentoring and training Afghan soldiers and police officers, the task force commander said. "I think the additional soldiers, mainly the 4th Brigade out of the 82nd, which is going to be the second brigade to fall under Phoenix, is going to be a great help to allow us to meet the requirements to staff the different ... embedding training teams and police mentor teams," Army Brig. Gen. Steven Huber told participants in a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable June 2.

Huber said the task force's efforts are geared to helping Afghanistan's security forces build sustainable capacity and attain the capability to protect the Afghan populace.

Huber, a 30-year member of the Illinois National Guard, said about 3,000 Guardsmen from Illinois serve in CJTF Phoenix, along with another 4,000 U.S. servicemembers and coalition and Afghan partners.

Despite those numbers, Huber said, the task force lacks the resources to meet all of the current requirements for the police districts that they are asked to cover.

"That causes us to make smaller teams," he explained, "and some -- very few, but some districts ... go uncovered or are delayed in getting their mentors."

When the 82nd Airborne Division brigade arrives, Huber said, CJTF Phoenix should be able to satisfy its current mentoring and training responsibilities. Another brigade may be necessary later if Afghanistan's army continues to grow beyond the current projection of 134,000 soldiers, he said.

Huber said the effort to grow Afghanistan's security forces is on track. "It takes awhile, but training and fielding of units and equipment does take awhile, even in the United States," he said. For example, he said, the effort to equip Afghanistan's security forces with M-16 rifles is about one-third complete, and the Afghans now are receiving other equipment as well, such as Humvees.

"We've just started turning over those to them in lieu of their pickup trucks," he said, "which they really love and prefer to drive."

Noting that a force needs good leaders to be effective, Huber cited the June 2 opening of a new noncommissioned officers academy for Afghan sergeants major and first sergeants as an important development.

"I think that's a huge step towards building an NCO corps that actually runs the army or makes it operate, and then allowing the officers to do the planning and guiding for the military," the general said.

(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS June 4, 2009

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Hartland Fuel Products, LLC, Onalaska, Wis.*, is being awarded a maximum $54,990,903 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are various military and federal civilian locations in Oklahoma, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Kansas. Using services are Army, Air Force and federal civilian agencies. There were 48 responses to the original proposed solicitation. The date of performance completion is Jun. 30, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-09-D-4533).

Southern Counties Oil, Co.,/dba SC Fuels, Orange, Calif.*, is being awarded a maximum $13,370,337 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are various military and federal civilian locations throughout Midwestern states. Using services are Army and federal civilian agencies. There were 48 responses to the original proposed solicitation. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jun. 30, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-09-D-4538).

ARMY
Eyak Technology, LLC Dulles, Va., was awarded on Jun. 2, 2009 a $42,994,648 commercial firm-fixed-price contract for the Project Manager Defense Wide Transmission Systems, under the auspices of the Project Management Office Defense Communication and Army Transmission Systems, has a requirement to procure, deploy, and maintain 970 Combat Service Support Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATS), manufactured by L-3 Global Communications Systems. These VSATS are for the Army modular was fighting force and other tactical and logistics units, mostly deploys to Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. Work is to be performed in Victor, N.Y., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2010. Bids were solicited using ASFI and FedBizOpps with three bids received. Army Contracting Command, Alexandria, Va., is the contracting activity (W91QUZ-09-C-0028).

Jacobs-Tetra Tech EC Joint Venture, Lincoln, Mass., was awarded on Jun. 2, 2009 a $27,188,894 cost reimbursable contract for the total environmental restoration at New Bedford Harbor Superfund site to perform additional work associated with the dredging, treatment, transport, and disposal of the upper harbor of the Acushnet River. Work is to be performed in New Bedford, Mass., with an estimated completion date of May 26, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with three bids received. Corps of Engineers-New England District, Concord Mass., is the contracting activity (DACW33-03-D-0006).

Tyonek Fabrication Corp., Madison, Ala., was awarded on Jun. 2, 2009 a $6,822,000 firm-fixed-price contract for 344 each, de-ice control and indicator unit, NSN 1680-01-541-1782 / PR 53251000 for the UH-60 A/L Blackhawk. Work is to be performed in Madison, Ala., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2011. One bid was solicited and one bid received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aviation & Missile Command Contracting Center, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-04-D-0061).

URS Group, Inc., Columbus, Ohio was awarded on Jun. 2, 2009 a $6,065,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the development of 35 percent design documents for the FY11 military construction Army 59044, United States Military Academy Science Center. Work is to be performed in West Point, N.Y., with an estimated completion date of Feb. 2, 2010. Proposals were solicited using FedBizOpps with thirty-two (32) proposals received. Corp of Engineers, CENAN-CT, New York, N.Y., is the contracting activity (W912DS-09-C-0008).

Parsons Infrastructure and Technology Group, Inc., Pasadena, Calif., was awarded on Jun. 1, 2009 a $69,469,476 cost-plus-award-fee (base year) and firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for base operations and services in support of all National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's East facilities to include Bethesda, Washington Navy Yard, and Springfield campuses. Work is to be performed in Bethesda, Md., (35 percent), Springfield, Va., (35 percent), and Washington, D.C., (30 percent) with an estimated completion date of Apr. 28, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with six bids received. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, ACF-N, Springfield, Va., is the contracting activity (HM0176-09-C-0001).

Bell Helicopter Textron Incorp., Hurst, Texas was awarded on Jun. 1, 2009 a $51,460,178 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of 5 each bell helicopter 412EP aircrafts along with logistical support, spare parts package, special tools, and training. Work is to be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (4 percent), Piney Flats, Tenn., (8 percent), and Quebec, Canada (88 percent) with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-09-C-0173).

Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Co., Andover, Mass., was awarded on Jun. 1, 2009 a $5,924,428 cost-plus-fixed-fee, level-of-effort contract for FY09 Patriot engineering services contract option award for 34,963 man-hours effort. Work is to be performed in Andover, Mass., (21.44 percent), Burlington, Mass., (0.24 percent), Huntsville, Ala., (46.17 percent) and Tewksbury, Mass., (32.17%) with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2014. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-09-C-0057).

NAVY
Iridium Government Services, LLC, Tempe Ariz., is being awarded a $21,688,808 indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity cost type contract to provide enhanced Iridium services in support of over-the-horizon, tactical communications in support of expeditionary maneuver warfare and distributed operations. Iridium will provide a communications capability that will support multiple user nets. They will design, develop, fabricate and deliver a distributed tactical communications system to support the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory experimentation. Work will be performed in Bethesda Md., (75 percent and Tempe Ariz., (25 percent)), and is expected to be completed by May 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $200,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Va., is the contracting activity (N00178-09-D-3007).

The Center for Transportation and Environment, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., is being awarded an $8,327,359 cost no fee contract for research and development into hydrogen generation using digester gas, hydrogen fuel cell-powered material handling equipment, and hydrogen fuel cell powered bus at Fort Lewis, Wash. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $8,504,859. Work will be performed at Ft. Lewis, Wash., (25 percent), Chicago, Ill., (20 percent), Allentown, Pa., (20 percent), Golden, Colo., (20 percent), and Latham, N.Y., (15 percent), and is expected to be completed by Oct. 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $7,847,359 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with five offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-09-C-GS18).

Science Applications International Corp., St. Petersburg, Fla., is being awarded a $5,556,809 firm-fixed-price contract for the fabrication, assembly, and testing of compact solid state antennas in support of the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) system, including the Marine Corps Composite Track Network (CTN) and the U.S. Army Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS). The CEC compact solid state antenna is a small, lightweight antenna that supports mobile applications of the CEC system, including the Marine Corps CTN and the U.S. Army JLENS system. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $18,409,860. Work will be performed in St. Petersburg, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through full and open competition via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online and Federal Business Opportunities websites, with two proposals received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-5213).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Western Petroleum Co., Eden Prairie, Minn.*, is being awarded a maximum $7,379,126 fixed price with economic price adjustment for fuel. Other locations of performance are various military and federal civilian locations throughout Midwestern states. Using service is Army. There were 48 responses to the original proposed solicitation. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Jun. 30, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-09-D-4537).

AIR FORCE
The Air Force is awarding an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems, Inc. of Bethesda, Md., and L-3 Services, Inc. of Alexandria, Va. This contract action is for the USAFE advisory and assistance services contract shall serve as a vehicle to provide broad technical and analytical services, to support and improve policy development; decision making; management and administration; program and or project management and administration as well as improve the operation of systems. At this time, $5,000 has been obligated. 700 CS, APO, AE is the contracting activity (FA5613-09-D-5001, FA5613-09-D-5000).

The Air Force is awarding a broad agency contract to SRI International, of Menlo Park, Calif., for an estimated $43,796,834. This action is for the development of a prototype machine reading called Flexible Acquisition and Understanding System for text. At this time, $4,000,000 has been obligated. AFRL/RIKF, Rome, New York is the contracting activity (FA8750-09-C-0181).

The Air Force is awarding a cost plus incentive fee contract to Lockheed Martin Corp., of Gaithersburg, Md. This contract action will transfer the satellite broadcast management functions of the Global Broadcast Services to the Defense Enterprise Computing Center with new hardware and software architecture by FY 2010. At this time, $5,931,000 has been obligated. 653 ELSG/KCK, Bedford, Mass., is the contracting activity (FA8726-09-C-0006).

Army Announces Decision To Delay Inactivation of V Corps Headquarters

The Department of the Army announced today that Secretary of the Army Pete Geren has delayed the inactivation of the V Corps Headquarters and the conversion of U.S. Army Europe Headquarters into a deployable field army headquarters. A corps headquarters is the primary organization that synchronizes the operations of Army, joint, and coalition forces within its designated area of responsibility. This decision will allow time for the Army to assess its overall command and control requirements.

The decision is not tied to any other force structure or stationing issues. The one-year retention of V Corps Headquarters in Germany does not fall under the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission, nor will it have any impact on the two heavy brigade combat teams currently stationed in Europe.

This action is part of a larger effort to relieve the extraordinary demands that are being placed on the Army's corps headquarters and that have reduced 'dwell time' to unacceptably low levels. Geren's decision calls for the delay of force structure actions for the V Corps and U.S. Army Europe Headquarters for a period of one year, from July 2009 to July 2010. Under this directive, both organizations will remain in their current approved designs and at current resourcing levels. V Corps Headquarters will maintain its current military authorization of 411 personnel, and U.S. Army Europe Headquarters will retain its current military authorization of 377 personnel.

When the inactivation of V Corps was announced last year, certain staff sections were merged to create efficiencies as the inactivation date approached. The inactivation delay does not affect those mergers.

At this point, V Corps Headquarters will continue to provide oversight of its subordinate units, and will continue to report to the commanding general, U.S. Army Europe. V Corps' priority function will be to ensure units that deploy from Europe for operational missions are trained and ready. Both V Corps and U.S. Army Europe Headquarters will continue to operate under their current structures.

The Army leadership is committed to informing all members of the U.S. Army Europe family (soldiers, family members, civilian employees, and the public) as developments occur.

For more information please call LTC Lee Packnett, Office of Public Affairs, Media Relations Division, (703) 614-2487.

Obama in the Right Place

President Obama spoke in Cairo today.

The military history of Egypt since WWII illustrates everything wrong with the Muslim world today. Over the course of the Cold War, Egypt received billions in Soviet hardware, from small arms to tanks to cutting edge radars. During the 50's and 60's thousands of Soviet advisers helped train the Egyptian army.


In is masterpiece on the subject, Kenneth Pollack detailed Egypt's colossal military failures, not only against Israel, but also in Yemen, where that country was involved in an eight year insurgency. Historian Michael Oren points out that the Vietnam war could easily be called 'America's Yemen'. The Egyptians also failed to live up to their potential in Operation Desert Storm. Two Egyptian divisions fought with American forces. Their officers lacked initiative, insisted in deploying the entire division to attack minor Iraqi positions, and in one case, would not advance without a direct order from President Mubarak.


In his own book, 'The Crossing of the Suez', General Saad el Shazli descibes how the operation was meticulously planned down to the minute, and brilliantly executed. Several divisions were put on the east bank of the canal within 12 hours, and the ensuing counterattack saw the destruction of three Israeli armored brigades. However, after the initial success the Egyptian operation lacked purpose and Egyptian commanders were unable to adapt to Israeli tactical changes. Seeking to take pressure off Syria, whose own offensive had floundered, President Sadat ordered a thrust deep into the Sinai. Israel armor and air power chopped Egyptian armored units to bits. Israel forces, led by the great Arial Sharon, crossed the Suez, and at the Battle of the Chinese Farm, utterly destroyed what remained of the Egyptian army.


The flaws of the army seem to be replicated in the rest of Egyptian society.

Egypt's is a corrupt government, a nation stagnated by judenhaus on one end, and the failed ideology of Arab-Marxism on the other. Any election would no doubt put the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood to office. With no other option the United States supports the cleptocracy of Hosni Mubarak. We also supported the Shah of Iran.

For more about Will, visit http://www.gulfwarone.com/. His novel, 'A Line Through the Desert' can be purchased here.