Gates Praises Volunteers' Efforts at Walter Reed

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

June 22, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today commended the work of the volunteers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, saying they set the example for the rest of the country. Gates met with wounded soldiers and volunteers using the occasion to help kick off President Barack Obama's "United We Serve" summer campaign aimed at boosting volunteerism and community service.

"You already have answered that call and answered it resolutely," Gates told the group of volunteers, hospital staff and soldiers gathered. "Your work plays a vital role in uplifting spirits and easing the burdens on the families of our wounded."

Fittingly, Gates made his remarks standing on bricks laid in place by volunteers who raised $300,000 for a new patio at the Mologne House, a place for soldiers and families to live during their recovery at the hospital.

Two years ago the spot was only dirt with a few older grills scattered about. Dirt paths led from the house to the hospital. Now a 10,000-square-foot, professionally designed brick and concrete patio with grills, handicap-accessible paths and a gazebo stands in its place.

About 1,500 volunteers are at the hospital, part of more than 560 organizations that pitch in to help with the needs of staff, soldiers and families there. Already they have logged nearly 27,000 hours volunteering this year.

Gates told the group that he could not fully express his appreciation for their efforts within the few words he was limited to in his speech.

"Your work here is invaluable ...," the secretary said. "For those whose lives you've touched, every gesture, no matter how small, has a tangible impact."

Army Col. (Dr.) Norvell V. Coots, commander of Walter Reed Health Care System, said that volunteers pick up the tasks that the staff simply does not have time for. Volunteer duties range from answering phones to spending time with the soldiers and families and taking them to appointments.

Soldiers are transported to Walter Reed often within a few days of being injured. They have few clothes and none of the comforts of home. These are all provided by volunteers at the hospital, Coots said.

If there were no volunteers, "that would leave us scrambling to make up the difference. Because they really do a tremendous amount of work," Coots said. "A lot of the things that they do would be impossible for us to do simply because of the manpower and time constraints that we have in the hospital."

Cynthia Rome, the director of Army Community Service, said the hospital has always had a strong volunteer base. Some have volunteered for more than 30 years. Several of those who man the information booth have logged in more than 20 years each.

But in the past three years the volunteer program there has flourished. Now she has two full-time staff whose job it is to organize the program and find jobs for the volunteers. Commanders there want anyone who volunteers to find meaningful work.

The average volunteer spends only about four hours a week on the grounds, but some spend as much as 40, Rome said.

Some volunteer only for specific functions or special events, others pick up trash or plant flowers, and some volunteer to host regular dinners for wounded soldiers and their families. It is all aimed at making them feel at home while some spend as long as a year there recovering.

Deno Reed, an 81-year-old retired medical scientist and World War II veteran, volunteers one day a week in the physical therapy department. Mostly he helps the therapists and just talks and listens to the soldiers, he said.

"The value is to me, not to the others. I'm doing a service to people who have placed their lives on the line, and they're providing a major service for all of us," Reed said.

Grace Park, a college student, is also a volunteer, although more than 60 years Reed's junior. Park spends a lot of her time checking out videos to the troops. But she also said a lot of what she does is just hanging out and talking with the troops. Being younger, Park said, she fits in with the younger population of troops.

They talk about anything, she said, including politics, movies and sports.

Park largely discounts her efforts, and plans to make volunteering a life-long venture.

"Why wouldn't we volunteer? These wounded warriors did so much for us and we just come in ... six hours a week to rent out videos. It's such a small service compared to what they do for us. It's just our way to ... give a helping hand," Park said.

Gates told the group that it takes a "special kind of person" to devote time to make troops' lives better.

In fact, Gates admitted that after taking the job as defense secretary, he was somewhat unsure how he would handle visiting wounded troops.

"I wasn't sure I could keep it together," Gates said.

But people kept telling him that the troops would inspire him -- "lift him up."

"They did, and they do," Gates said. "Their grit, and resilience, indomitable spirit amaze me and inspire me every time."

Gates reiterated his stand that, other than winning the two current wars, caring for the wounded is his greatest priority. And, he said, those who volunteer are stepping up.

"At the heart of the volunteer force is a contract between the United States of America and the men and women who serve our military. A contract that is simultaneously legal, social and sacred. That when young Americans step forward of their own free will to serve they do so with the expectation that they and their families will be properly cared for should something happen on the battlefield," Gates said.

Forensic Investigator

Editor's Note: Good information on career opportunities after service.

On July 24, 2009, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion with Esther McKay, a former Detective Senior Constable and Forensic Investigator with the New South Wales Police Force (Australia).

Program Date: July 24, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Forensic Investigator
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/07/25/Forensic-Investigator

About the Guest
Esther Mckay served seventeen years in the New South Wales Police Force, attaining the rank of Detective (technical) Senior Constable. She worked in the area of Forensic Services for fifteen years, attaining expert status in crime scene examination and vehicle identification. She also worked in Training and Research, as well as Document Examination. She has a Diploma of Applied Science in Forensic Investigation (NSW Police), and was awarded the National Medal for service in 2001 and the Ethical and Diligent Police Service medal with fifteen-year clasp in 2008.

Esther Mckay was discharged from the force in 2001 with post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct result of her forensic work. Her best-selling autobiography, Crime Scene: True Stories from the Life of a Forensic Investigator.

Esther Mckay works actively in supporting traumatized serving and former Police and is the President of the Police Post Trauma Support Group. She was awarded the Pride of Australia Medal in 2007 for Community Spirit for her work with traumatized Police, and regularly speaks to various groups and schools about her life experience, writing and former forensic work. Esther is patron of the Australian Missing Persons Register and has been an Australia Day Ambassador since 2007. She lives in the Southern Highlands with her husband and two children.

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is Police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in Law Enforcement, public policy, Public Safety Technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in Law Enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/07/25/Forensic-Investigator

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Suicide Prevention Message Rolls Through Cities Nationwide

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 22, 2009 - The Department of Veterans Affairs took to the road, literally, when it decided to advertise about its "VA Suicide Prevention Lifeline" on public transportation buses in 124 communities across the country. "We continue to look for new, innovative ways to reach our veterans," said Tammy Duckworth, assistant secretary of veterans affairs for public and intergovernmental affairs. "VA wants to make sure to exhaust all avenues to reach those in need of our services."

Currently, that includes public service announcements by actor Gary Sinise and TV news personality Deborah Norville. Suicide prevention coordinators also have been passing out information for several months now, Jan Kemp, the VA's national suicide prevention coordinator, said.

"There's a lot of publicity going on. [The buses are] just one mechanism that we're using to get the word out," she said. "We're kind of saturating the population as best we can."

The current bus campaign began this month and will conclude Sept. 1. It started as a pilot program here and ran for about three months last summer.

"The calls in D.C. and the surrounding areas actually doubled toward the end of the campaign there," Kemp said. "Our theory was that we would test it there and then roll it out to various other places."

While none of the buses rolling through the nation's capital now bear the VA's suicide prevention ad, they may again as the campaign continues, Kemp indicated.

"I think we will cycle around again, but I think we recognize the fact that sometimes a consistent message doesn't get seen as being new any more," she said.

The cities currently seeing the ad on their public transportation were carefully selected based on the availability of that transportation and the suicide and attempted suicide rates in the area. VA officials also looked at the current call volume from those cities and whether the ads could make a difference.

Available resources also were taken into consideration, Kemp said.

The campaign is aimed at veterans, but because it is being advertised in a very public manner, there are bound to be civilians who see the number and call in. And that's OK, Kemp said.

"We have arrangements with the national network of crisis centers to be able to transfer callers to the appropriate crisis center, depending on where they're calling from," she said. "Of course, if it's an extreme emergency, we do what we need to do and help the person. Otherwise, it's up to the [resources] in their area."

What's important is that if people thinks they're in crisis, preferably before they hit the crisis point, they should reach out for help.

"Early intervention is really the key to suicide prevention," Kemp said. "We can hook people up with local suicide prevention coordinators at all of our sites across the country, and ... there truly is no shame in asking for help."

The VA Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255) is staffed by trained mental health professionals prepared to deal with immediate crises 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Gates Welcomes Four Senior Pentagon Officials

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

June 22, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today welcomed four high-ranking new arrivals to the Pentagon, hailing them as "welcome additions" to the Defense Department. The new officials -- nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate -- will work under Gates in the areas of defense acquisition, congressional affairs, global defense strategy and nuclear, chemical and biological programs.

They've been on the job for several weeks, but today's event provided an opportunity for Gates to welcome them formally to the department.

"With a wide range of experience in national security, diplomacy and nuclear deterrence and proliferation issues and congressional affairs, the four new officials we are honoring today are a welcome addition to the Department of Defense," Gates told an audience in the Pentagon auditorium here. "The Department of Defense is fortunate to have professionals of such talent and experience."

The new senior officials are:

-- Ashton B. Carter, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics. Under the authority of the defense secretary, Carter serves as the principal staff assistant and advisor for all matters relating to the defense acquisition, research and development, technology developmental testing and evaluation; production; logistics; installation management; military construction; procurement; environment security; and nuclear, chemical and biological matters.

-- Michael Nacht, assistant secretary of defense for global strategic affairs. Nacht heads a newly configured directorate in the Office of the Secretary of Defense that develops policy for the secretary on countering weapons of mass destruction, nuclear forces and missile defense, cyber security and space policy.

-- Elizabeth L. King, assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs. King is responsible for providing support to the secretary of defense in his dealings with the White House, Cabinet members, members of Congress and the State Department. King also serves as liaison and maintains relationships with members of Congress and the executive branch.

-- Andrew C. Weber, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological programs. In this role, Weber is the principal advisor to the defense secretary, deputy defense secretary and undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics for all matters concerning the formulation of policy and plans for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs.

"Our honorees have already begun to settle in and pack their respective portfolios, but I'm glad to have the opportunity today to formally greet them and highlight the experience and talents they bring to this department," Gates said, adding that he looks forward to working closely with them on critical decisions ahead of the department.

"Let me thank all four of you for accepting positions that will demand hard work and long hours. And again, thanks to your families for loaning you to us," Gates said. "I know that every decision we make, you will keep in mind our men and women in uniform and how best to help them accomplish their mission and return home safely."

MILITARY CONTRACTS June 22, 2009

AIR FORCE
The Air Force is awarding a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract to Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, Electromagnetic System Laboratory, of San Jose, Calif., for $71,047,776. This contract action will provide MQ-1 unmanned aerial system communications intelligence airborne signals intelligence Payload-1 C scaled sensors for the Predator UAS. At this time, $69,851,657 has been obligated. Reconnaissance Systems Wing (ASC), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-08-C-3004).

CORRECTION:
The Air Force is modifying a cost-plus-award-fee contract with Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems and Solutions of Papillion, Neb., for $8,472,770. This action will provide for integrated strategic planning and analysis system (ISPAN) contract modification to develop software enhancement for ISPAN collaborative information environment and the Global Situational Awareness Tool. The requirement focuses on enhancing CIE to support a global customer base, which includes enhancements to software required to support the needs of a global user set and purchasing the necessary hardware to support the development. At this time, $8,472,770 has been obligated. 850 ELSG/PK, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity (FA8722-04-C-0009, P00098).

NAVY
PC Mechanical LLC, Santa Maria, Calif., is being awarded a $26,184,518 firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the overhaul, preventative maintenance, and services of civil engineering support equipment for the Naval Facilities Expeditionary Logistics Center located at Naval Base Ventura County, Calif. The work to be performed is for the repair, overhaul and preventative maintenance and services of civil engineering support equipment such as automotive vehicles, motorized and non-motorized construction equipment, material/weight handling equipment, international standard organization shipping containers, mineral products plant facilities, and mobile utilities support equipment. Repair services shall be performed at the contractor's facility, except when servicing need to be accomplished immediately where the equipment is located, or when the equipment cannot be moved. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the cumulative value of this contract to $139,495,275. Work will be performed at the Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, Calif. (60 percent), and the Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Gulfport, Miss. (40percent), and is expected to be completed by June 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $26,184,518 will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with two proposals received. The Naval Faci! lities E ngineering Command, Specialty Center Acquisition NAVFAC, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62583-09-D-0003).

Fraser Fogle Architects, Bellevue, Wash., is being awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity architect/engineering contract with a maximum amount of $20,000,000 to provide architect/engineer services in support of architectural projects for the NAVFAC Northwest area of responsibility. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Northwest AOR including, but not limited to Wash., (94 percent), Ore., (2 percent), Idaho, (2 percent), Mont. (1 percent), and Alaska, (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by June 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website with twenty proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Northwest, Silverdale, Wash., is the contracting activity (N44255-09-D-4004).

Chugach World Services, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska, is being awarded $12,858,355 [$5,129,675 firm-fixed price (FFP) and $7,728,680 indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity(IDIQ)] for the base period under a combination FFP/IDIQ contract to perform housing operations and maintenance services and change of occupancy maintenance services in the U.S. Territory of Guam for Commander, Naval Forces Marianas. Work will be performed at various Naval housing areas on Guam and the base period is from June 2009 to December 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured utilizing the Small Business Administration's 8(a) Program and was advertised via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with eight proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas, Guam, is the contracting activity (N40192-09-D-9000).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
General Electric Aircraft Engines, Lynn, Mass. is being awarded a maximum $11,815,213 firm-fixed-price, sole-source, requirements type contract for parts. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The original proposal was DIBBS-solicited with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This is a ten-year contract with a 2-year base and four 2-year option periods. The date of performance completion is July 30, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Richmond, Richmond, Va., (SPM400-00-D-9403).

Government Sewing & Apparel, Hope, Ark.*, is being awarded a maximum $8,630,204 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for Marine Corps combat utility uniform. Other locations of performance are in Arkansas and Puerto Rico. Using service is Marine Corps. The original proposal was Web solicited with 10 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising option year three. The date of performance completion is Jun. 25, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SP0100-06-D-0362).

Agland, Inc., Eaton, Colo.*, is being awarded a minimum $5,829,630 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are at various DoD locations in Texas and Colo. Using services are Army and Air Force. The original proposal was Web solicited with 48 responses. 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-4526).

ARMY
Booz Allen Hamilton, Atlanta, Ga., was awarded on Jun. 18, 2009 a $ 11,677,787 indefinite-delivery / indefinite quantity time and material Task Order contract for information technology support services for headquarters forces command G-6 on Fort McPherson, Ga., with a base period of 12 month and four 1-year options. Work is to be performed in Fort McPherson, Ga., with an estimated completion date of Jun. 30, 2014. Sixteen (16) bids solicited with two bids received. Mission and Installation Contracting Command, McPherson, Ga., is the contracting activity (W91QUZ-06-D-0019).

I saluted someone today.

I saluted someone today.
I have not done that in 40 years.
When I was in the Army, it was required for the person being saluted to acknowledge and return the salute. This was not done. I did not take it personally, nor did the 143 other people who were with me. We were veterans of one war or another and had come to pay our respects to a fallen soldier. I did not know him but in a way I knew the kind of person he was.
I had served with guys just like him in Vietnam. I was 20 years old at the time. Jake Velloza was 22 when a sniper ended his life outside the town of Mosul, Iraq.
There was no “welcome home” committee for me when I stepped off the plane at Travis Air Force base on a cold November day in 1967. No fanfare or American flags held high with their stars and stripes supported by a light afternoon breeze. It did not bother me any.
It was important for me to be there when Jake arrived at San Francisco International Airport by charter aircraft.
His flag draped coffin was slowly unloaded and met by a well-disciplined Honor Guard.
To say it was a sad vision to mentally capture would be a gross understatement. I watched his parents drape the flagged receptacle with their bodies, the father not wanting to leave, or believe, until he was ushered away by family members. Like my other comrades, I held back my tears, feeling unworthy to be part of something so personal. In a way I was paying respect to my own fallen friends who were owed such a return but never received one.
We mounted our flag bearing motorcycles and formed a procession to follow Jake from the San Francisco airport to his transitory resting spot in Petaluma. The road would lead us under multitudes of overpasses with hundreds of other Americans taking time out to forget about their own problems and honor one person who paid the ultimate price for service to his country.
The reality of war will always cost more then the money it takes to fight one.
As I rode, I thought about how one day Jake I and would meet and my salute would be returned.

The New York Times Keeps a Secret

A New York Times reporter, who had been held for several months by the Taliban, escaped and is now home. Interestingly, the reporter, David Rohde, had been in captivity for several months. Ed Morrissey, one of the best bloggers out there, reports that he had known about the kidnapping for several months, as had other persons, but had kept a lid on it at the behest of the Times, which feared publicity would endanger their man.

For those with a short memory, it should be noted that the NYTs have had a problem keeping secrets, at least during the Bush Administration.

Now they ask people to keep a secret that't important to them.

Will's novel, A Line Through the Desert: The First Gulf War may be purchased at Amazon.

Afghanistan Past and Present

I have an article in the latest issue of Military Heritage Magazine which describes the Soviet War in Afghanistan.

The problem faced by the Soviets is very similar to that of the United States and NATO. The Pashtun border region was dominated by Afghan rebels, who receive aid from their brethren in Pakistan and as well as Pakistan's ISI. Foreign arms also flooded in, from Egypt, China, and Israel (who sold captured Arab weapons to the CIA).

The Soviets waged several campaigns of annihilation in the valleys along the border. Soviet troops eradicated everything in their path, displacing hundreds of thousands of refugees in Pakistan. The camps were of course excellent recruiting grounds for Mujaheddin fighters.

Interestingly, two of the best rebel fighters during the Soviet era, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Jalaluddin Haqqani are now arch enemies of the United States.

Today, the rebels of Afghanistan air helped by Al Qaeda. They receive weapons from Iran and from Soviet era stockpiles in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The United States and NATO are not going to wage a campaign of annihilation in the border valleys. For years they've been doing the opposite, flooding the country with billions in foreign aid funding infrastructure, humanitarian efforts, and the Afghan National Army, which is already far better than anything the communist government put into the field.

Despite this effort the forntier area has become more violent and chaotic, and the Taliban, while suffering thousands of casualties per year, shows no sign of beaing defeated.

The Soviet stick has failed, as has the American carrot. So what is the solution then?


Will's novel, A Line Through the Desert: The First Gulf War may be purchased at Amazon.

Chairman Urges Athletic Directors to Help Wounded Warriors

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

June 20, 2009 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke to a nontraditional audience that believes in some very traditional American values here today. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics annual convention that its members are in a position to connect veterans – especially wounded veterans – to their greater communities.

The chairman spoke about the role that sports has played in his life, and how coaches – going back to a Little League coach in mid-1950s Los Angeles – influenced him along the way. It also made him a Dodgers fan, a Lakers fan and a UCLA basketball fan, he added.

Sports even influenced the admiral's decision to attend the U.S. Naval Academy. He played basketball in high school and wanted to play on the East Coast where Bill Bradley – a standout for the Princeton Tigers – played. Sports allowed Mullen the opportunity to attend the Naval Academy, which he called "a place that literally changed my life forever."

The admiral said he wants the athletic directors to do what they can in their communities for wounded warriors, noting that young men and women from the Wounded Warrior Project were attending their convention. "What you do and the people you touch make such a difference in our country," Mullen said to them.

The 170,000 to 180,000 young men and women in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan are his main concern as chairman, Mullen said. The military is in its eighth year of war and the force is pressed, he added, noting that, on average, servicemembers are on their fourth deployment.

The admiral told the athletic directors that he is a Vietnam vet. "That was my first war, and I remember it like yesterday," he said. "I am fortunate enough to be in a position of leadership to make sure that some of the things that happened back then – particularly the disconnect between the American people and its military – never recur. Your support of these young men and women is a big part of that."

The country must take care of those who are wounded and provide for the families of those killed, Mullen said. "We must take care of, provide for [and] create opportunities for them for the rest of their lives," he added.

The directors' participation, he told the group, is important to recognize the sacrifices servicemembers have made and to help wounded warriors and their families continue. "Their lives have changed forever, but their dreams haven't changed at all," he said.

Recognition on college campuses around the United States helps to connect the American people to its military, the admiral said.

"We're a much smaller military than we used to be – 2.2. million men and women who serve – and being able to tell their stories and to connect with the rest of America is absolutely vital," he said. "Those who serve overseas in these wars just want to know one thing: Are the American people behind us? When that question is answered positively, they don't have questions. They don't worry about the politics; they carry out the mission. And the American people are behind our men and women in the military."

More than 35,000 young men and women serving in the military have been physically injured since Sept. 11, 2001, the chairman noted, along with "tens of thousands more who are suffering from combat stress, post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries – the signature injuries of the war. I believe that we, as a country, owe them for what they've done, even in tough economic times."

It all goes back to their dreams, Mullen said. These veterans want an education, a good job, a chance to send their children to school and to own their own homes. "The dreams haven't changed, but the path has," said he told the athletic directors.

Civilian communities, he told the group, are part of the map that charts the path. The Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs have a role, he said, but so do communities.

More than 100,000 servicemembers need "people to put their arms around them and support them as they move to their future," Mullen said. "The only way we can do that is to have communities throughout the land know that combat warriors are living in their communities, and to match up the individual needs with community support."

He spoke of meeting a young Navy SEAL who had been blinded in combat. His home county had people waiting for him when he got home, the chairman said. They helped him with education, training and rehabilitation, and in finding a job. And the young man is poised – like the rest of his comrades – to contribute to the United States for the rest of their lives, the chairman said.

President Acknowledges Military Father's Sacrifices, Contributions

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 19, 2009 - President Barack Obama recognized in his Father's Day proclamation the sacrifices military fathers make every day, and hosted the Military Father of the Year today at the White House for a town hall session on fatherhood. Navy Chief Petty Officer John Lehnen, the father of four children with special needs and recipient of the 2009 National Fatherhood Initiative-Lockheed Martin Military Fatherhood Award, was among five fathers invited to participate in the forum slated to coincide with the national Father's Day observance.

Lehnen, a quartermaster, shared his story about the challenges he and other military fathers face, and how he stays connected to his children's lives during deployments and reconnects with them after he returns home.

Obama recognized in his Father's Day proclamation issued today the strength military fathers like Lehnen bring, not just to their families, but to their country as well.

"We ... express special gratitude to fathers who serve in the United States armed forces for the sacrifices they and their families make every day," the president said. "All of these individuals are making great contributions, and children across the country are better off for their care."

While most Americans are planning backyard barbecues and family outings to celebrate Father's Day, many military families with deployed husbands and fathers will be settling for more subdued observances.

At Camp Lejeune, N.C., for example, three 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit families whose babies were born after the MEU deployed in May will get treated tomorrow to an interactive video with their loved ones.

Frank Smith, the unit's family readiness group officer, said it will be the first time most of the Marines have seen their newborn children in anything but e-mailed photos.

"It will be an opportunity for them to see and hear them face to face," said Smith, a retired Marine master sergeant. "And it's also a way to let them know that while they are out there in the face of danger, those of us in the rear appreciate what they are doing and are looking our for their families."

Meanwhile, other families of deployed servicemembers – an estimated 150,000 of them fathers -- and their families are expected to observe Father's Day in quieter ways.

Many already have made their treks to the post office to ship off Father's Day cards and care packages of snack foods, batteries and other coveted goodies.

Air Force Lt. Col. James "Andy" Leinart, an operations analyst deployed to Baghdad, knows a care package is en route from his wife and three daughters in Annandale, Va.

While he's not expecting a repeat of last year's breakfast in bed and carefully crafted gifts from his little girls, Leinart is keeping a stiff upper lip about missing his special day with his family.

"I miss my wife and children every day, whether it's Father's Day or not," he said. "I guess the only real difference is that Father's Day will give me a pause to reflect more on it." Quickly brushing any hint of melancholy aside, Leinart said he'll be happy with a call home or a Skype session on the Internet.

And he'll make a point to call his own father in Waco, Texas. "There's probably no better day than Father's Day to do that," he said.

MILITARY CONTRACTS June 19, 2009

NAVY
Austal USA, Mobile Ala., was awarded a $99,557,548 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-C-2217) on Jun. 17, 2009, for long lead time material (LLTM) for Ships 2 and 3 of the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) Program. This contract provides LLTM for main propulsion engines, aluminum, waterjets, reduction gears, generators, and other components to support construction of JHSV Ships 2 and 3, commencing in June 2010. The LLTM procured or manufactured for construction or installation in JHSV 2 and 3 will be subsumed with their associated costs into their respective ship construction line items upon award of construction contracts for JHSV 2 and 3. Work will be performed in Detroit, Mich., (38 percent); Chesapeake, Va., (18 percent); Henderson, Australia, (13 percent); Gulfport, Miss., (10 percent); Ravenswood, W.Va., (9 percent); and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., (4 percent); Mobile, Ala., (3 percent); Auburn, Ind., (2.6 percent); Winter Haven, Fla., (1 percent); Gardena, Calif., (1 percent); and Davenport, Iowa, (.4 percent). Work is expected to be complete by July 2013. Contract funds will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity.

J&R Tool Inc. Loogootee, Ind.*, (N00164-09-D-JS60); Process Development & Fabrication Inc., Brazil, Ind., * (N00164-09-D-JS61); C&S Machine, PlainVille, Ind.*, (N00164-09-D-JS62), and American Manufacturing Solutions, North Vernon, Ind.*, (N00164-09-D-JS63), are being awarded a $49,900,000 multiple award, ($5,000 min) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for machine shop services used for the fabrication of prototype hardware and items requiring low rate production. This contract will provide prototype fabrication, low rate production, prototyped development support to include but not limited to items manufactured from: metals, polymers, ceramics, fabrics, woods, glass, masonry materials, and coatings for such materials. Work will be performed in Loogootee, Ind.; Brazil, Ind., PlainVille, Ind., and North Vernon, Ind., as determined by each task order, and is expected to be completed by May 2013. These four contractors will compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the contract, therefore, definitive location percentages for where the work will be performed cannot be determined at this time. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with unlimited proposals solicited and 15 offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Ce! nter, Cr ane, Ind., is the contracting activity.

Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded a $31,411,443 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for ultra-high frequency satellite communications and high frequency communications waveform software support for the network enterprise domain under the Joint Program Executive Office Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS). This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $45,401,519. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is expected to be completed by June 2011. If all options are exercised, work could continue until June 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured and one offer was received via the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central website. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N00039-09-D-0021).

Converteam, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., is being awarded a $22,984,640 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-4203) for the DDG 1000 Baseline Tactical High Voltage Power Subsystem (HVPS) for use in the Navy's integrated power system land based test site. The DDG 1000 HVPS includes an advanced induction motor, motor drive, harmonic filters and resistors for dynamic braking and neutral grounding. The HVPS distributes electrical power for the ship's turbine-generators to the various electrical loads and also provides for electric propulsion. These components will meet the same specification established by the DDG 1000 shipyards for the lead ships installation. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pa., and is expected to be completed by March 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego, N.Y., is being awarded a $13,819,474 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of Specialized Test Equipment used to perform depot level repairs to the Common Cockpit Avionics Suite Components for the MH-60. The Specialized Test Equipment consist of one Audio Management Computer, one Relay Assembly, one Flight Management Computer, one Mission Computer, and the Communication Systems Controller testers. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., (50 percent); Owego, N.Y., (25 percent); and Farmingdale, N.Y., (25 percent), and is expected to be completed in Oct. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., (N68335-09-C-0149).

T B Penick & Sons, Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $10,199,734 for firm-fixed price task order #0005 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8618) for construction of a Marine Corps Reserve Training Center at the Naval Air Station Lemoore. The work to be performed provides for construction of two new single story buildings to provide training facilities, administrative spaces and support spaces in a Reserve Training Center and a Vehicle Maintenance Facility for Marine Wing Support Squadron 473, Detachment Alpha and incidental related work. The facility will replace the existing inadequate facilities. The task order also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised would increase cumulative task order value to $10,482,734. Work will be performed in Lemoore, Calif., and is expected to be completed by July 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $9,983,058 cost-plus fixed-fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-06-G-0001) for Cuff and Yoke conceptual design and preliminary tooling release for the H-1 aircraft, to include a rotor parametric study. Work will be performed in Ft. Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in October 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $5,626,065 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Corp., Rolling Meadows, Ill., is being awarded an $8,481,024 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of 3 Electro-Optic Third Generation Consoles for the Governments of Australia (2) and Finland (1), to include spares, installation kits, and ancillary equipment, in support of F/A-18 and MH-60R/S weapon systems. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Ill., and is expected to be completed in August 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Government of Australia, ($4,426,670; 52 percent) and the Government of Finland, ($4,054,354; 48 percent), under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-09-C-0333).

Navistar Defense LLC, Warrenville, Ill., is being awarded a $6,413,738 firm-fixed-priced delivery order #0004 modification under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5032) for the procurement of OCONUS field service representative mechanics, back ramp retrofit kits, and several contract data requirement lists. This order is in support of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle Program. The MRAP vehicles are armored vehicles with blast resistant underbodies designed to protect the crew from mine blasts, fragmentary, and direct fire weapons. Work will be performed in West Point, Miss., and in Iraq, and work is expected to be completed August 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $7,291,171 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The base contract was competitively awarded, and the new requirements are sole source additions to the contract. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
US Foodservice Lexington, Lexington, S.C., is being awarded a maximum $40,857,062 firm fixed price, prime vendor contract for food and beverage support. Other location of performance is Lexington, South Carolina. Using services are Army Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Non-DOD customers in South Carolina. The original proposal was Web solicited with four responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option. The date of performance completion is Jun. 19, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-08-D-3057).

AIR FORCE
The Air Force is awarding an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to SNC Telecommunications of Washington, D.C., for $23,000,000. This contract action will provide Airman Battle System Fire Resistant Gear (coats/shirts/trousers). At this time, $2,694,600 has been obligated. ASC/648th AESS/TAC, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8621-09-D-6287, Delivery order 0001).

The Air Force is modifying an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to Jacobs Technology, Inc., of Tullahoma, Tenn., for $25,083,864. This contract will provide Technical, Engineering and Acquisition Support at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and various other tenant organizations. This modification is to increase work requirement. At this time no funds have been obligated. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA9200-07-C-0006, P00030).

ARMY
E.W. Howell Co., Inc., Woodbury, N.Y., was awarded on Jun. 18, 2009 a $ 15,493,883 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction addition and alteration of existing Army Reserve Center (ARC). Work is to be performed in Suffolk County, N.Y., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 20, 2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with six (6) bids received. Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, Louisville, Ky., was the contracting activity (W912QR-09-C-0040).

Great Lakes Dredge & 7 Dock Co., LLC. Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded on Jun. 18, 2009 a $ 28,834,000 firm-fixed-price contract for WBV-14c.1, West Bank and Vicinity, New Orleans, Louisiana, Hurricane Protection Project, Westwego to Harvey Canal, New Westwego Pumping Stations to Orleans Village Levee, Third Enlargement. Work is to be performed in Jefferson parish, La., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2010. Bids were solicited via FedTeds with three (3) bids received. U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, New Orleans District, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-09-C-0071).

Advanced Interactive Systems, Inc. Orlando Fla., was awarded on Jun. 16, 2009 a $ 6,351,670 firm-fixed-price contract to procure the Light Armor Range Complex-C for U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center. Work is to be performed in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., with an estimated completion date of Jun. 26, 2010. Bids were solicited using the World Wide Web with two (2) bids received. U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-09-C-0080).

Flight to Nation's Capitol Honors World War II Veterans

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 19, 2009 - When an "honor flight" from Long Island, N.Y., lands here tomorrow with 31 mostly World War II veterans aboard, it's likely to be met in the same manner as others before it: with much applause and fanfare. The Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit group that transports World War II survivors and other veterans who may be terminally ill to the nation's capital to visit and reflect at their memorials. Hundreds of veterans have taken advantage of the opportunity to visit the national memorials at no cost.

"The reason I'm involved in this is to make a difference, and I feel that we are," said retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Eric L. Haney, whose book, "Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counter-terrorist Unit," was the basis for the hit TV series "The Unit."

Haney also is a spokesman for Theragenics Corp., a partner with the Honor Flight Network for this year's honor flights. On behalf of the corporation, Haney said, he hopes to educate the veterans about the risk of prostate cancer and available treatments.
"We've helped make it possible for hundreds of veterans who would never have gone to D.C. to take a trip to their memorial," he said. "So many of them tell me it's an experience they will never forget, [and] many say it was the best day they've had in a long time. I'm grateful to give back to them. On a larger scale, we're helping to spread a message that is so important but rarely discussed: men's health."

The Long Island veterans will begin their one-day excursion around 10:30 a.m. and wrap it up around 8 p.m. In between, they'll visit the World War II Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and the Marine Corps War Memorial, more commonly referred to as the Iwo Jima Memorial.

The experience understandably is an emotional one for the veterans, but it also has an impact on the relatives and guardians who accompany each flight.

"The trip allowed me conversation time with men and women who became remarkable heroes by their response to duty," said Dr. Jack Griffeth, who served as a medical guardian aboard an Honor Flight from Atlanta earlier this year, in his blog on the tohonortocure.com Web site.

"I conversed with men who stormed the beaches of Normandy, survived the bombing of Pearl Harbor, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, leaped from the sinking [USS] Yorktown, saw the flag raised on Iwo Jima, liberated the prisoners from Japanese and German prisons ... [and] took on shrapnel and continued to fight," he said.

Griffeth said the veterans often told their stories through tears, and occasionally with enthusiasm and excitement. The doctor said he was only too enthused to relay all he'd learned when he encountered groups of students who had volunteered to assist the veterans.

"I went up to several groups ... exclaiming, 'Remember reading about Pearl Harbor? This guy was at the airfield during the attack! This guy was on the Yorktown when it was torpedoed and sank! Remember reading about D-Day? This guy was on Omaha Beach,'" he wrote. "'These old guys you are pushing in wheelchairs saved the world!'"

The kids truly seemed to get it, he said.

So, as the plane lands tomorrow and the veterans make their rounds, a new generation has a chance to learn about The Greatest Generation from the men and women who earned that moniker.

The Honor Flight Network has four more flights planned this year.

Commander Calls for More Enablers to Support Special Ops Missions

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

June 19, 2009 - With heavy demand on special operations capabilities and limitations on how quickly these forces can grow, it's critical that the services develop more capabilities to support special operators, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command told Congress yesterday. Navy Adm. Eric T. Olson told a Senate Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities that it's impossible to increase special operations forces by more than 3 to 5 percent per year, primarily due to the enormous training requirements involved.

"This growth rate will not meet the already-obvious appetite for the effects of [special operations forces] in forward operating areas," he conceded.

Eighty-five percent of special operators have deployed to U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility during the last several years, he reported. And while special operators continue their missions as trainers, advisors and combat partners around the world – operating in 106 countries during fiscal 2009 alone – Olson said heavy demands within the Centcom region have detracted from efforts elsewhere.

"We have been in fewer places with fewer people less often and for shorter periods of time around the rest of the world because of our commitment in Centcom," he told the senators.

The mission requirement in Centcom isn't likely to diminish any time soon, Olson said, even as U.S. forces begin drawing down in Iraq. And as more troops deploy into Afghanistan, Olson expressed concern that it will leave his special operators lacking in the airlift capability they need to operate effectively.

So while growing specific special operations capabilities, Olson said, the best way to mitigate demands on these forces is to develop and sustain supporting capabilities within the services beyond their own organic needs that can be used to directly support special operations commanders. This would enhance the impact of forward-deployed special operations forces without placing additional demand on their own limited enabling units, the admiral told the Senate panel.

Olson rattled off the "enabling capabilities" he needs the services to provide more of: mobility, aerial sensors, field medics, remote logistics, engineering planners, construction, intelligence, regional specialists, interpreters and translators, communications, dog teams, close-air support specialists and security forces, among them.

These forces, if provided in greater numbers, would free up more special operations operators to focus more directly on their missions, he said.

"We are and will be dependent upon our service partners for key force enablers," he said. "Assigned at the unit or detachment level to support joint [special operations forces] commanders away from main bases, the effects of such a combined force can be impressive."

Meanwhile, Olson said, he's focused on growing special operations forces in a responsible way that maintains their unique capabilities and emphasizes the human element over equipment.

"Fundamental to this effort is the recognition that humans are more important than hardware, and that quality is more important than quantity," he said. "Investments in weapons platforms and technologies are sub-optimized if we fail to develop the people upon whom their effective employment depends."

So within Special Operations Command, Olson said, "we strive first to select and nurture the extraordinary operator and then to provide the most operationally relevant equipment."

The complexity of current strategic environments and those likely to be faced in the future raises the bar on what special operators must deliver, he said. It "requires that our [special operations forces] operators maintain not only the highest levels of warfighting expertise, but also cultural knowledge and diplomacy skills," he told the panel.

Toward this end, Special Operations Command is developing what Olson calls "3-D operators." These troops will make up a multi-dimensional force he said will be trained to "lay the groundwork in the myriad diplomatic, development, and defense activities that contribute to our government's pursuit of our vital national interests."

Pentagon Delegation to Visit Beijing for Military Talks

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

June 19, 2009 - Defense Department officials hope for more military-to-military engagement with China as a result of the 10th U.S.-China Defense Consultative Talks, a senior defense official said today. The official, speaking on background, said Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy will head the U.S. delegation. Her counterpart is Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian, the deputy chief of the Peoples' Liberation Army's general staff. The meetings in Beijing are scheduled for June 23 and 24.

Flournoy also will visit Tokyo and Seoul, the South Korean capital, during the trip.

The talks are the forum for strategic conversations between the nations, and allow the Chinese and U.S. militaries "to build cooperative capacity, foster institutional understanding and develop a shared strategic vision," the official said. The talks are the first since President Barack Obama met Chinese President Hu Jintao in April and the first in the continuing series since Obama took office.

"We look to this to establish a framework for U.S.-China military-to-military relations, translate common interests into concrete action, expand those areas where we can cooperate, discuss expectations for behavior and regional security affairs, and build a plan for military-to-military exchanges for the rest of 2009," he said.

The meetings come at a tense time in northeastern Asia, with North Korea testing a nuclear warhead and launching intermediate and intercontinental missiles. That situation is helping to drive cooperation between China and the United States.

"We are working with China to try and achieve ever greater transparency," the official said. Military-to-military exchanges encourage this transparency and may help U.S. officials understand the continuing Chinese military build-up, he added.

Cooperation with China is on the upswing, the official said, noting that China has sent a ship to the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy patrols.

"The contacts and the dialogue that goes on in these visits will help transparency by clarifying intentions, clarifying world views, clarifying strategies," the official said. "And I'm quite positive that, given the state of the world the way it is, we'll find many more ways where the United States and China can operate with common interests in mind."

The delegations will discuss Chinese harassment of U.S. survey ships. "The incidents between our ships and their ships are a matter of record," the official said. "We have a vehicle for [dealing with] that: the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement from 1997. We would hope to reinvigorate those discussions, so that we can make sure that we're both operating in a safe and prudent manner."

In Seoul, the delegations will discuss not only North Korea, but also the joint vision statement agreed to between Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. "The vision statement is ... a very top-level, high-level view," the official said. "It's necessary to periodically reaffirm mutual goals and objectives within each of our alliance relationships."

The talks in Seoul will reaffirm continued support for ongoing efforts such as tour normalization for U.S. servicemembers, relocation of U.S. forces in South Korea and continued adjustments to both Korean and U.S. force structures "in lieu of the changing threat and the exceptional capabilities of the Republic of Korea military forces now," the official said.

"We're working to continue the strong relationship that we have," he said, "and make sure that we're adapting the alliance for future -- for the current and future conditions, and not fall into the trap of looking only at one threat."

Declassified Documents Reveal the Inner Workings and Intelligence Gathering Operations of the National Security Agency

For more information contact:
Matthew Aid - 202/994-7000

http://www.nsarchive.org

Washington, DC, June 19, 2009 - Declassified documents confirm that prior to the launch of the first spy satellites into orbit by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in the early 1960s, the Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) collected by the National Security Agency and its predecessor organizations was virtually the only viable means of gathering intelligence information about what was going on inside the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, North Vietnam, and other communist nations. Yet, for the most part, the NSA and its foreign partners could collect only bits and pieces of huge numbers of low-level, uncoded, plaintext messages, according to Archive visiting fellow, Matthew M. Aid, who today posted a collection of declassified documents obtained for his new book The Secret Sentry on the Archive's Web site.

The Secret Sentry discloses that the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 was far from the first time when U.S. government officials, including senior military commanders and the White House, "cherry picked" intelligence information to fit preconceived notions or policies and ignored intelligence which ran contrary to their expectations. The Secret Sentry and the documents posted today show that widespread manipulation of intelligence also occurred during the Korean and Vietnam Wars for example, when Washington ignored intelligence on Chinese intervention in Korea, resulting in catastrophic consequences.

The Secret Sentry also details how since the end of World War II, constant changes in computer, telecommunications, and communications security technologies have been the most important determinants of NSA's ability to produce intelligence. NSA has oftentimes found itself behind the curve in terms of its ability or willingness to adapt to technological changes, with delays and bureaucratic inertia causing immense harm to the agency's ability to perform its mission. As a result, during the past four decades NSA has dramatically increased the amount of the raw material that it collects, even while it has produced less and less intelligence information.

According to Matthew Aid's informed sources, during the Reagan administration in the 1980s, NSA processed, analyzed, and reported approximately 20 percent of the communications traffic it intercepted. Today, that number has dropped to less than 1 percent. For example, during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, NSA was unable to process 60 percent of the Iraqi messages it intercepted, while the U.S. military SIGINT units participating in the invasion processed less than 2 percent of the Iraqi military communications traffic that they intercepted.

Today's posting of 24 documents consists of a selection of reports and memoranda prepared by NSA officials concerning the role played by Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) in selected military conflicts and crises, a number of classified internal histories written by NSA historians on key events in the agency's past, and a selection of declassified articles from NSA internal journals.

Archive Visiting Fellow Matthew M. Aid obtained the documents while conducting research for his new book, The Secret Sentry: The Untold History of the National Security Agency (Bloomsbury, 2009). For the National Security Archive, Aid has edited a comprehensive set of declassified documents on the history of the NSA and its predecessor organizations from 1945 to the present, which ProQuest will publish later this year.

http://www.nsarchive.org

Careers in Corrections

Editor's Note: Guest is former USMC; and, potential career path after military service.

On June 26, 2009, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion with corrections official Tracy E. Barnhart.

Program Date: June 26, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Careers in Corrections
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/06/27/Careers-in-Corrections

About the Guest
After completion of a Marine Corps combat tour of duty in Iraq in 1991, Tracy E. Barnhart completed the National Registry requirements as an Emergency Medical Technician. He responded to calls of emergency medical nature for over three years until he became a police officer for the City of Galion (Ohio). After three years on patrol he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Later leaving the City of Galion Tracy E. Barnhart was hired as the Chief of Police for the City of Edison (Ohio). After 3 years as chief of police, and with a total of ten years experience in law enforcement he changed careers leaping into the realm of corrections where he is currently employed at the Marion Juvenile Correctional Facility.

Tracy E. Barnhart is the Law Enforcement coordinator the Tri-Rivers Public Safety Adult Education where he designs and coordinates continuing educational courses for law enforcement and correctional officers. He has established courses on verbal de-escalation, criminal behavior analysis, use of force, and ground fighting and take down techniques for law enforcement.

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in Law Enforcement, public policy, Public Safety Technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in Law Enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/06/27/Careers-in-Corrections

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Chance Phelps Foundation Donates $10,000 to 'Hope for the Warriors'

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

June 19, 2009 - A foundation formed by the family of a fallen Marine whose story was told in the HBO movie "Taking Chance" has donated $10,000 to a group that works to help wounded veterans and their families. Hope for the Warriors, a national nonprofit group, received the donation from the Chance Phelps Foundation during Fleet Week activities in New York on May 22.

Gretchen Mack, mother of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Chance R. Phelps and founder of the Chance Phelps foundation, said her family decided to make the donation based on what they experienced last year in New York at a Hope for the Warriors event that included wounded warriors involved in extensive rehabilitation at the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio for loss of limbs, eyesight, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We spent a lot of time with these servicemembers, and were very impressed and touched," Mack said. "This year, we decided to donate to Hope for the Warriors because what they do for those that serve is incredible."

The Chance Phelps Foundation, founded after Phelps was killed in Iraq in April 2004, is a nonprofit organization that raises money for donations to various charities that support quality-of-life issues for servicemembers, particularly those who have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Tina Atherall, Hope for the Warriors vice president, said the contribution was gratefully accepted and will assist the group in its mission of "No sacrifice forgotten, nor need unmet."

"We are forever grateful for their dedication and support to the wounded, their families and the families of the fallen," Atherall said. "This donation will help enhance our various programs: Immediate Needs, Above and Beyond, Hope and Morale, A Warriors Wish, Spouse Scholarships, Family Support Program, Wounded Warrior Barracks and Warrior House."

Mack and the fallen Marine's father, John Phelps, presented the donation to Robin Kelleher, president of Hope for the Warriors.

Mack said money donated to Hope for the Warriors was given to her family after she lost her son, and the family wanted to pass the money on.

"Hope for the Warriors help veterans with quality-of-life issues that they and their families may face after deployment," Mack said. "This may include physical injuries, financial issues and, of course, making sure they get the medical treatment they need and an opportunity to enjoy some well deserved rest and relaxation. We are very passionate about being a part of helping our veterans and their families."

New Navy Secretary Stresses Commitment to Sailors, Marines, Families

By Darren Harrison
Special to American Forces Press Service

June 19, 2009 - Navy Secretary Raymond E. Mabus Jr. assumed office yesterday, pledging that commitment to sailors, Marines and their families will be the cornerstone of his service. "The law requires me to ensure that the Department of the Navy is properly manned, trained and equipped, fully prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st century," Mabus said. "I deeply believe that this involves not just what our sailors and Marines do for us, but what we do for them and for their families."

Mabus made the remarks after Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates swore him in ceremonially at Admiral Leutze Park on the Washington Navy Yard. Earlier in the day, Vice President Joe Biden administered another ceremonial oath at the White House.

Senior government and military leaders and roughly 500 guests attended the ceremony at the Navy Yard. In addition, 27 foreign ambassadors attended the event.

"We face great challenges, and we have great friends and allies," Mabus said. "To representatives of the international community here today, welcome. I look forward to the opportunity to strengthen ties that are already strong, and I know our collaboration will advance the interests of peace and a more just and stable world."

President Barack Obama nominated Mabus, the former governor of Mississippi, to be the Navy's civilian leader March 27. Following his Senate confirmation, he was sworn in during a private ceremony May 19 so he "could be piped aboard immediately," he said.

Mabus oversees almost 900,000 people and a budget of $150 billion His duties include recruiting, equipping and mobilizing to overseeing the construction and repair of equipment, facilities and ships. Mabus also will formulate Navy policy and programs.

During his speech, Mabus spoke of the Navy's "noble and storied legacy," relating episodes in naval history from the capture of the HMS Margaretta in 1775 to the "bravery and skill of the Navy and Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan today."

"There is a long, unbreakable line of heroism that stretches from there, back to the beginning," Mabus said. "The heroes of our country are the heroes of our own families. They come from us. They defend us. Wearing the uniform from 1775 until today, they are the shining fabric of America."

He identified shipbuilding, aircraft production and meeting the needs of the Navy and Marines in an age of nonexpanding budgets as some of the challenges he faces.

Mabus served in the Navy from 1970 to 1972 as a surface warfare officer aboard the cruiser USS Little Rock. Prior to his active-duty service, he had been a member of the Naval ROTC as an undergraduate at the University of Mississippi.

"I am proud of that first tour of duty on a cruiser, and proud beyond words to finally come home to the Department of the Navy," Mabus said. "Early on, I saw the sacrifices that our servicemembers make every day to defend and secure our country."

Mabus graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor's degree in English and earned a master's degree in political science from Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from Harvard Law School.

The secretary served as governor of Mississippi from 1988 to 1992 and as ambassador to Saudi Arabia for two years during former President Bill Clinton's administration.

"Conscious of this service's long and glorious tradition, with confidence in its men, its women and its mission, I am privileged to assume the office of secretary of the Navy," Mabus said.

(Darren Harrison works in the Naval District Washington public affairs office.)

Nork Missile

North Korea has threatened to launch a nuclear capable missile at Hawaii. There are all kinds of ways for the US to shoot it down; an Air Born Laser over Korea, an Aegis destroyer in the Sea of Japanese, an Anti Ballistic Missile out of Ft. Greely, a Theater Area Defense Missile in Hawaii. The North Korean ICBM will get nowhere near the 50th state.

That's not the point. Threatening to shoot an ICBM at a state (or territory for that matter) is an act of war, or it should be, anyway. How much of this is the Obama Administration willing to take?

If the Nork threat to fire a missile at Hawaii isn't ample justification for the United States to destroy said missile on the launch pad, I don't know what is.

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

Sub Hunter

On July 17, 2009, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion with Captain Edward M. Brittingham, USN (ret.).

Program Date: July 17, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: Sub Hunter
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/07/18/Sub-Hunter

About the Guest
Captain Edward M. Brittingham, USN (ret.) “was in the Air Force ROTC in college, made pilot, but dropped out in his junior year. Drafted in 1962, he joined the Navy as a navigator (Naval Aviation Observer) and then reported to NAS Norfolk, Virginia for submarine training. He joined VP-10 and transitioned to the P-3A aircraft where antisubmarine warfare became the primary mission. He moved up the ranks ultimately to Commanding Officer of VP-11.” Edward M. Brittingham is the author of The Iranian Deception; Sub Chaser; Operation Poppy; and, Terrorism in the United States.

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in Law Enforcement, public policy, Public Safety Technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in Law Enforcement.
Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/07/18/Sub-Hunter

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

United States vs Hamas & Hezbollah

Hamas, all of organizations, with Israeli help, recently foiled an assassination attempt on former president Jimmy Carter.

Question, had the effort succeeded, would that mean war? I think so. But how to proceed? Might it simply be a matter of outsourcing the job to our Israeli friends, who no doubt would love to eradicate Hamas once and for all? Or would national honor require US Marine landing on Gaza Beach. Americans, of course have been killed by Hamas and Hezbollah.

Had the attempt succeeded, Hamas one suspects, could be crushed relatively easily, with Gaza pinned up against Israel.

Hezbollah, ensconced as it is in southern Lebanon, would be a far tough nut to crack, requiring a Marine Expeditionary Unit, in this case the II out of Camp Lejune, supported by elements of the Army and the 6th fleet.

The 22nd MEU would land north of the Litani River and drive for the Bekka Valley. The 26th MEU would make up the follow on wave and push north to the Bekka . To cut off Syrian help from the north, would below Beirut and take up blocking positions. Sealing up the Bekka would be critical. To that end, the 173rd Airborne Brigade could be dropped into the valley, with one battalion keeping a watch on Syria while the other guards the southern approach.

The key would be to pin Hezbollah south of the Litania River and destroying their paramilitary forces, amounting to several thousand well armed and organized militia boasting a large arsenal of anti tank rockets. Hezbollah could certainly slow an American advance, and inflict casualties, as they did upon the IDF in 2006.

Of course, all this begs the question, what would the 12 infantry brigades and special operations brigades of Lebanese army do. They could not stop the Marines, they could barely fight them, but the sight of Lebanese Army troops being slaughtered by American forces would be bad publicity to say the least.

Are Hamas and Hezbollah stupid enough to give the United States a reason to go to war with them?

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

Air Force Audit Finds Agency Lacks Basic Systems to Comply with the Freedom of Information Act

Three years after a federal court found a pattern and practice of not processing FOIAs in a lawsuit brought by the National Security Archive, Air Force still has not fixed its system

For more information contact:
Meredith Fuchs - 202/994-7000

http://www.nsarchive.org

Washington, DC, June 18, 2009 - A report issued by the Air Force Audit Agency that was released to the National Security Archive this week identifies significant mismanagement in the Air Force Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) program. The findings demonstrate a pattern of noncompliance with statutory timeframes to respond to records requests from the public and misrepresentations about the state of the Air Force FOIA program. In particular, the Air Force audit agency found that the Air Force:

* Did not properly track or record FOIA requests;
* Overstated the number of requests it received and understated its response times, leading to inaccurate reporting about its program to Congress;
* Failed to comply with the Electronic Freedom of Information Act requirements to include all frequently requested records in its Electronic Reading Room;
* Failed to inform all requesters of their appeal rights under the law; and
* Failed to notify interested third parties, such as government contractors, of the intent to release information.

"Four years after our law suit, and despite multiple court orders, the Air Force system remains broken," said David P. Dean, of the law firm James & Hoffman, P.C., who represents the Archive. "The facts, though stunning, speak for themselves. In 2005, we complained about 82 unprocessed FOIA requests that the Archive had submitted up to eighteen years earlier. Despite several court orders requiring the Air Force to complete processing and to create a functioning FOIA system, today six requests are still outstanding and the system is still dysfunctional."

The Archive's suit was filed in March 2005 and alleged that the Air Force failed to acknowledge FOIA requests, lost FOIA requests, failed to process requests, tried to discourage the public from pursuing FOIA requests, failed to respond to inquiries about the status of the requests, and let requests languish while records were destroyed or transferred to other agencies. The Archive's lawsuit resulted in a court decision in 2006 finding that the Air Force had a pattern and practice of not processing FOIA requests in accordance with the law. At that time, the court noted that "the Air Force only woke up in May 2005 to its need to fulfill its FOIA obligations on a more timely basis..."

Since that time, and as a result of the lawsuit, the Air Force has instituted numerous changes to its FOIA program, including:

* Committing to training all Air Force personnel about the agency's FOIA obligations;
* Committing to posting all released records in its Electronic Reading Room and linking all of its Electronic Reading Rooms;
* Putting in place a centralized database system that will track FOIA requests from initial submission to completion; and
* Receiving FOIA requests online through its FOIA web site.

"While we are extremely glad that our litigation has forced the Air Force to bring its program closer to what the public is entitled to expect under the law, we are concerned that these small changes are not sufficient to bring about the transformation that is needed at the Air Force," commented Meredith Fuchs, the Archive's General Counsel. "The Air Force has not yet addressed its problems with interagency referrals and consultations--which has proven to be a significant black hole--and it has not yet gotten the old, long pending requests into its new tracking system." Ms. Fuchs concluded, "If the Air Force is going to enter the new era of transparency promised by President Obama, then it is going to have to shift its culture to one that appreciates the agency's legal obligation to keep the public informed about its activities on their behalf."

Defense Schools' Director Pleased With Year's Accomplishments

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

June 18, 2009 - For the Department of Defense Education Activity, the 2008-2009 school year was all about improving education for military children, the agency's director said as she reflected on the accomplishments of what she's dubbed "Team DoDEA." "The whole year involved continuous improvement and that whole philosophy of taking some small steps [and] to really focus in on what we needed to improve," Shirley Miles said. "We are -- I've said many times -- a very good organization, and we can be great. We just have to look at what we do, review it, and then plan for that greatness."

Miles said she holds no opinion that the organization needs to make any sharp turns in its operations. It simply needs to "right the rudder," to borrow a Navy term, and focus on student achievement, she said.

In the past school year, the agency conducted its regular customer satisfaction survey, as well as listening to employees' opinions and suggestions through its first employee-satisfaction survey. Miles said those responses, combined with input from other sources including the combatant commands and the Dependent Education Council, helped to guide her decisions.

The budget was prioritized, she said, so in the event of a budget cut, the "have tos" are crystal clear.

"If we have to make cuts, we can say, 'Here's the cut line, and if you cut us by 10 percent, 15 percent, we can't do all of these things," Miles said. "Of course, in our $1.8 billion budget, if we're cut [by] 10 percent, that's $180 million, and $180 million dollars [less] means you can't do a lot of things."

In addition, all of the school buildings in all 15 districts were evaluated and given a quality rating based on their state of repair. Taking the ratings and the need for a new school complex -- elementary, middle school and high school -- in Kaiserslautern, Germany, into account, Miles raised the organization's military construction budget request from $35 million to $100 million.

The bill for the Kaiserslautern complex alone comes in at $75 million.

"If we don't get the $100 million, we're going to have to piecemeal [the complex]," Miles said. "Obviously, we will do the remodeling and the repairs that we always do, [but] the [military construction] issue is a big issue, because we have old schools."

A program aimed at providing students who may miss classes for a deployed parent's rest and recuperation visit or who live in remote locations takes learning to the Internet.

"The virtual school, I think, is going to be fabulous," Miles said. "The virtual school really is going to help our home-schooled students, our children in remote locations [and] our children [who are absent] for two or three weeks at a time."

The virtual classroom will provide face-to-face instruction 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Staffs of teachers around the globe in different time zones will keep the "school" staffed. "Hubs" will help keep teachers from having to come in and teach on a second shift schedule.

"We're establishing a hub already in Europe, [and] we have a hub that's going to start in the fall in the Pacific, and then we'll have a hub in [the United States]," Miles said.

The school will provide students with the opportunity to retake classes they've failed or classes not offered at their schools -- including advanced placement classes -- and to keep up with class work during an extended absence.

Miles wants each of the classes offered accredited through the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement so that students using the virtual school will have a diploma when they graduate.

Perhaps the largest undertaking of the school year was a reorganization of administrative personnel. No school can run without administrators, but staffing needs to be done wisely, Miles said.

"My goal is always to focus resources as close to the school as possible," she said. "So we evaluated, particularly our [curriculum content] coordinators. Those coordinators were at the area offices, but they were doing, in my opinion, a lot of paperwork, and they needed to get out to the schools."

All of the coordinators for each curriculum area are being moved to the district levels so they are better able to help the teachers and the students. In the past, each of the organization's 15 school districts had two assistant superintendents. That number has been reduced.

"We were, in my opinion, a little too top heavy," Miles said. "I have eliminated one assistant superintendent per school district, and have moved those folks into different positions. Some of them are principals. Some of them are coordinators."

Because the turnover of the education activity's 16,000 employees is relatively high due to factors such as retirements and relocations, none of the organization's administrative personnel lost jobs in the shuffle.

"Only two teachers lost their jobs because they didn't have any other certification," Miles said. "They were certified in cosmetology, and we don't offer that any more."

Miles said she's amazed at what her team has accomplished in the past year.

"It's been a great year of thoughtful and purposeful effort, and I'm proud of that," she said. "I'm very proud of the staff across the world."