ARMY
Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., was awarded on Nov. 10, 2009, a $438,440,000 firm-fixed-price contract for 1,000 of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, All Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs) and associated basic items of issue (BII) with an option for 400 M-ATVs and BII. Work is to be performed in Oshkosh, Wis., with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2012. Five bids were solicited with five bids received. U.S. Army TACOM Contracting Center AMSTA-TAC-ATBC, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-D-0111).
ManTech International Corp., Chantilly, Va., was awarded on Nov. 9, 2009, a $286,541,415 cost-plus-award-fee contract for the scientific and engineering support services in support of the U.S. Army Electronic Proving Ground, Fort Huachuca, Ariz. Work is to be performed in Fort Huachuca, Ariz. (70 percent), Fort Lewis, Wash. (15 percent), and Fort Hood, Texas (15 percent), with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2014. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with three bids received. Information Technology, E-Commerce and Commercial Contracting Center, Division C, Fort Huachuca, Ariz., is the contracting activity (W91RUS-10-C-0001).
Kiewit Louisiana Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 6, 2009, a $194,463,128 firm-fixed-price contract for Lake Pontchartrain & vicinity Hurricane Protection Project, fronting protection and breakwater modification, Jefferson lakefront, Pumping Stations No. 1 through 4, Jefferson Parish, La. Work is to be performed in Jefferson Parish, La., with an estimated completion date of Apr. 12, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with six bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-10-C-0007).
Navistar Defense LLC, Warrenville, Ill., was awarded on Nov. 6, 2009, a $171,640,345 firm-fixed-price contract for 783 petroleum/oil/lubricant trucks and 59 water trucks. Work is to be performed in West Point, Miss., with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army TACOM LCMC, AMSCC-TAC-ADBA, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-D-G097).
Navistar Defense LLC, Warrenville, Ill., was awarded on Nov. 6, 2009, a $127,348,595 firm-fixed-price contract for 905 each of general transport trucks. Work is to be performed in West Point, Miss., with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army TACOM LCMC, AMSCC-TAC-ADBA, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-D-G097).
Navistar Defense LLC, Warrenville, Ill., was awarded on Nov. 6, 2009, a $48,557,110 firm-fixed-price contract for 181 recovery (wrecker) trucks. Work is to be performed in Ooltewah, Tenn., with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army TACOM LCMC, AMSCC-TAC-ADBA, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-D-G097).
Longbow LLC, Orlando, Fla., was awarded on Nov. 6, 2009, a $29,962,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of mast mounted assemblies for the National Guard. Work is to be performed in Orlando, Fla., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 30, 2012. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aviation and Missile Command Contracting Center, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-06-C-0134).
Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., was awarded on Nov. 6, 2009, a $20,252,889 firm-fixed-price contract for 44 heavy equipment tractors (HETs), 44 Fontaine 635NL trailers, 9 spare engines for HETs, and ancillary services for the above mentioned vehicles, trailers, and engines. Work is to be performed in Oshkosh, Wis. (71.15 percent), Springfield, Ala. (27.54 percent), and Egypt (1.31 percent) with an estimated completion date of Aug. 30, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army TACOM Contracting Center AMSTA-TAC-ATBC, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-C-0594).
J.D. Abrams, LP, Austin, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 4, 2009, a $14,971,608 firm-fixed-price contract. This work consists of confined levees to be repaired and renovated, drop-outlet structures to be repaired or replaced, and road repair. Work is to be performed in Jefferson County, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2010. Thirty-two bids were solicited with eight bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Galveston, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-10-C-0005).
Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Ind., was awarded on Nov. 6, 2009, a $11,123,996 firm-fixed-price contract for a minimum of 20 and a maximum quantity of 135 gas turbine engines (model 250/C30R/3) to support the OH-58D Kiowa safety enhancement program. Work is to be performed in Indianapolis, Ind., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2012. One bid solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aviation and Missile Contracting Center, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-09-D-0190).
APS Contracting, Inc., Patterson, N.J., was awarded on Nov. 6, 2009, a $10,368,000 firm-fixed-price contract to complete as outlined in the plans and specifications for the construction of the new guns and weapons laboratory and building 3350 at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. Work is to be performed in Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., with an estimated completion date of Feb. 25, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with six bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, CENAN-CT, New York, N.Y., is the contracting activity (W912DS-10-C-0001).
Homeland Contracting Corp., Chesapeake, Va., was awarded on Nov. 5, 2009, a $7,450,000 firm-fixed-price contract. This procurement is for the design and construction of the child development center located at Fort Eustis, Ga. This project includes site design and construction outside the five-foot line, facility design and overall building construction complete to the five-foot line. Work is to be performed in Fort Eustis, Va., with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2011. Three bids were solicited with three bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Norfolk, (CECT-NAO), Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (W91236-08-D-0070).
Manson Construction Co., Seattle, Wash., was awarded on Nov. 6, 2009, a $6,976,300 firm-fixed-price contract for the Mississippi River, Cubit's Gap and Southwest Pass, Hopper Dredge Rental Contract No. 11-2009, Plaquemines Parish, La. Work is to be performed in Plaquemines Parish, La., with an estimated completion date of July 24, 2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with two bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-10-C-0014).
NAVY
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Tewksbury, Mass., is being awarded a $241,270,876 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-5346) for completion of Total Ship Computing Environment software for the DDG 1000 Zumwalt Class Destroyer Program to meet lead ship integration and construction schedules. There are two major components of the scope for this effort: re-planning of Release 6 software development to align with detail design and integration software schedule Revision F (Revision F re-phased the software development schedule; providing for increased efficiency, productivity, and overall affordability of the DDG 1000 Class); and additional required software development efforts for Release 6, implementation of engineering control/damage control human computer interface for distributed contract work stations, Release 4 and 5 software maintenance, and implementation of required changes to support both land based test site testing and ship activation software deliveries needed to maintain shipyard schedules. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Mass. (64.7 percent), Moorestown, N.J. (27 percent), Indianapolis, Ind. (2.7 percent), Burlington, Mass. (1.5 percent), and the remaining 4.1 percent will be performed at the following locations: Marlborough, Mass., Falls Church, Va., King George, Va., Fort Wayne, Ind., Aurora, Colo., and Marlborough, Mass. Work is expected to be completed by March 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Agusta Westland, Inc., Reston, Va., is being awarded a $17,349,173 modification to definitize a previously awarded undefinitized contract action (N00019-09-C-0011) to a cost-plus fixed-fee contract. This contract provides depot level maintenance for three H-3 helicopters, Mk-2 variant, for the government of Egypt under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in Hagerstown, Md., and is expected to be completed in December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $10,760,468 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-09-D-0010) to exercise an option to provide in service support for F/A-18 aircraft of the governments of Switzerland, Australia, Finland, Canada, Kuwait, Malaysia and Spain. This effort will include, but is not limited to, program management, engineering and logistics support. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed in December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the governments of Switzerland ($2,690,117; 25 percent); Australia ($1,614,070; 15 percent); Finland ($1,614,070; 15 percent); Canada ($1,614,070; 15 percent), Kuwait ($1,076,047; 10 percent); Malaysia ($1,076,047; 10 percent); and Spain ($1,076,047; 10 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Southern Counties Oil Co., dba SC Fuels, Orange, Calif.*, is being awarded a minimum $19,228,200 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. 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 Sept. 30, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-10-D-4519).
LaBatt Food Service, San Antonio, Texas, is being awarded a maximum $9,000,000 firm-fixed, indefinite-quantity contract for full line food distribution. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army and Air Force. There were originally five proposals solicited with three responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the third year option period out of four one-year options. The date of performance completion is Nov. 13, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM300-08-D-3212).
AIR FORCE
ITT Corp., Systems Division, Cape Canaveral, Fla., was awarded a $6,970,000 contract which will purchase interim supply support for Eastern and Western Range fiscal year 2010 3080 projects. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. SMC SLG/PK, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., is the contracting activity (F04701-01-C-0001, P00602).
Harris Corp., of Rochester, N.Y., was awarded a $6,883,000 contract which will provide for 152 handheld radios, 104 repeater adapters and 380 single vehicle adapters. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 653d ELSG/PK, Hanscom Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8726-10-F-0001, GS35-F-0163N).
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Fort Hood Offers 24-Hour Grief Counseling
By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joy ParianteSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 12, 2009 - In the aftermath of the Nov. 5 shootings here that left 13 dead and 38 wounded, soldiers, family members and civilians who work on post are looking for answers, and for help in grieving. Following any loss, individuals and communities go through a grieving process which can be complicated, unpredictable and long-term. Fort Hood leaders have set up a Grieving Center at the Spiritual Fitness Center within the Resiliency Campus that is being staffed 24 hours a day with chaplains and Military Family Life counselors to help anyone in need.
Since the massacre, the Spiritual Fitness Center has doubled the number of chaplains and Military Family Life counselors on duty to ensure there are enough to meet with all the people who need someone to talk to, , said Chaplain (Maj.) David Waweru, on-site coordinator of the Spiritual Fitness Center.
Although the shooting was over in a matter of minutes, the grieving and healing process will take much longer to run its course, Army chaplains said. "An event takes a second, but the complete ramifications can take months or years to show the strain it's put on people," said Chaplain (Capt.) Edward Harris, 4-4 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion.
The five-stage grieving process model developed by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, which she and David Kessler have written about, is widely accepted as a standard list of steps taken by someone who is moving through a healthy process of grieving, according to the National Institute of Health.
The first stage of grief is denial and denial, along with shock, helps to numb people to the event and enable them to keep moving through each day. Stage two is anger, where the individual lashes out at many different people in an attempt to channel all the denied feelings into something tangible. Stage three is filled with "If only" and "What if" statements. The bargaining stage deals with people trying to "make a deal" in order to make the pain stop.
Stage four of the grieving process is one of the most widely known stages of grieving – depression. This is when a person truly deals with their feelings of loss. While painful, it is a necessary step towards healing. The final stage of the grieving process is acceptance. It doesn't mean that you're all right with losing someone; it just means that you've learned to live with the event. People can move on and begin to enjoy the activities and people in their lives again. It is necessary to reach this final stage in order to fully cope with a traumatic event or loss.
While it seems structured, the process isn't actually a checklist and there is no timeline for how long each stage will last. "People will grieve differently," Waweru said. "The process of getting back to normalcy is different from one to another. There is no time limit. Some will be done as soon as this week, but others will take longer.
"The Fort Hood family is dealing with a tragedy, which is initially accompanied by shock and, later, denial," Waweru said. Following the initial period of four or five days, most likely after the memorial ceremony ... people will start processing how the incident affected them personally, he said.
"Everyone is holding up together right now, but as time goes by you'll start seeing the individual reactions," he explained. "Unfortunately, many soldiers are used to these kinds of tragedies in combat."
One of the best ways to better cope with the feelings and issues arising from an incident like this is to try and return to a regular schedule, Waweru said. Getting involved in hobbies and interests again is a good way to help readjust to life following a traumatic event, he explained.
Soldiers are encouraged to look out for themselves and others in the coming weeks to make sure everyone is learning to cope with these tragic events. According to Harris, difficulty sleeping, withdrawal, depression and coping difficulties are signs that indicate that soldiers are having issues with the grieving process.
"Everyone knows himself; if you feel you're not where you're supposed to be, that should be a red flag to seek help," Waweru said.
Following the initial adjustment period, the Spiritual Fitness Center staff will be working with brigade and battalion elements to ensure that soldiers having coping issues receiving long-term help and care, Waweru said.
(U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joy Pariante is assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, III Corps.)
Americans Aid Salvadoran Flood Victims
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 12, 2009 - American personnel based in Central America are deploying to aid flood victims in El Salvador, U.S. Southern Command officials said today. A total of 37 Joint Task Force Bravo personnel left Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, yesterday to aid assessment efforts in El Salvador, where torrential rains have caused mudslides and flooding.
One mudslide killed 124 people in a village 30 miles outside the capital of San Salvador.
The task force personnel are bringing four helicopters – an HH-60, a CH-47 and two UH-60s – and a command and control package. They will meet up with a team of U.S. Army engineers to conduct damage assessments in the area.
Southern Command officials are working closely with the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador, said Southern Command spokesman Jose Ruiz. Though American assistance has not formally been requested, the deployment is "under the commander's authority to save life and limb," Ruiz said.
"Joint Task Force Bravo will play a critical role by providing air capability to the damage-assessment team," said the mission commander, Army Lt. Col. Curtis Anderson. "With help from our helicopters, the assessment team will be able to get a broad, bird's-eye view of the damage done by the recent storm."
El Salvador declared a state of emergency Nov. 9 as rain storms ahead of Hurricane Ida had saturated the Central American country. In addition to the deaths, thousands of people are homeless and seeking shelter in Nicaragua, Mexico and other areas in El Salvador.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 12, 2009 - American personnel based in Central America are deploying to aid flood victims in El Salvador, U.S. Southern Command officials said today. A total of 37 Joint Task Force Bravo personnel left Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, yesterday to aid assessment efforts in El Salvador, where torrential rains have caused mudslides and flooding.
One mudslide killed 124 people in a village 30 miles outside the capital of San Salvador.
The task force personnel are bringing four helicopters – an HH-60, a CH-47 and two UH-60s – and a command and control package. They will meet up with a team of U.S. Army engineers to conduct damage assessments in the area.
Southern Command officials are working closely with the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador, said Southern Command spokesman Jose Ruiz. Though American assistance has not formally been requested, the deployment is "under the commander's authority to save life and limb," Ruiz said.
"Joint Task Force Bravo will play a critical role by providing air capability to the damage-assessment team," said the mission commander, Army Lt. Col. Curtis Anderson. "With help from our helicopters, the assessment team will be able to get a broad, bird's-eye view of the damage done by the recent storm."
El Salvador declared a state of emergency Nov. 9 as rain storms ahead of Hurricane Ida had saturated the Central American country. In addition to the deaths, thousands of people are homeless and seeking shelter in Nicaragua, Mexico and other areas in El Salvador.
Experts Answer H1N1 Questions Online
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 12, 2009 - Experts did their best to answer questions and allay fears over H1N1 flu and the associated vaccine during a Nov. 10 online town-hall meeting hosted by the Military Health System. Questions -- submitted via a special Web site -- included concerns such as whether it's possible to distinguish between seasonal or H1N1 flu based on symptoms. The answer, provided by Army Col. (Dr.) Ted Cieslak, the Defense Department's liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was simple.
"You cannot differentiate seasonal flu from H1N1 based on symptoms," he said. He later emphasized that it's tough to make a claim that one version of the flu is more dangerous than another.
"'Dangerous' can be defined in many different ways," Cieslak said. "This particular strain does not appear to produce more severe disease in most people, but it does affect certain subgroups [such as pregnant women and people with some underlying medical conditions] disproportionately.
"Moreover," he continued, "susceptibility to the H1N1 strain is almost universal in persons under 50 years of age, which is not always the case with seasonal flu."
The topic of alcohol-based hand sanitizer versus good old soap and water as a way to keep from preventing the spread of H1N1 was broached, as well. Soap and water wins out, one doctor said, because that method removes and kills organisms.
"Alcohol-based hand gel can and should be used when soap and water are not available," said Navy Capt. (Dr.) Tanis Batsel Stewart, director of Emergency Preparedness and Contingency Support for the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. "Use enough to fully wet your hands, and rub them together."
Some participants were concerned with the content of the H1N1 vaccine and its safety overall, especially for children.
Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Tom Shimabukuro offered assurances that the vaccine is safe, contains no squalene, and was licensed in the same way that seasonal flu vaccines are licensed every year. Squalene, a substance found in some vaccines, has been the subject of some controversy, with opponents to its use claiming a link between the substance and Gulf War Syndrome.
"The H1N1 vaccines were licensed as a strain change to an existing biologic license application with the [Food and Drug Administration]," he said. "There was no fast track or waiver provided to the vaccine manufacturers, and the vaccine is not experimental. H1N1 vaccines are licensed flu vaccines, and [people should] expect them to have a safety profile similar to regular flu vaccines."
Shimabukuro is the pandemic influenza vaccine coordinator for the immunization services division of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Army Col. (Dr.) Wayne E. Hachey addressed the effects the H1N1 vaccination might have on small children in response to a participant's question about the controversy over childhood vaccinations and links to autism.
Hachey, director of preventive medicine and surveillance in the Military Health Affairs force health protection and readiness division, said no evidence exists that the H1N1 vaccine -- in either its injectable or mist forms -- poses a threat to the neurodevelopment of children.
The experts also provided guidance on the spacing of vaccinations for the seasonal flu and H1N1, and age restrictions for the mist version of the vaccine.
A person can receive two injectable flu vaccines or one nasal-spray vaccine and one injectable vaccine at the same time, Shimabukuro said. But someone who gets nasal spray vaccines for both strains should separate those vaccines by at least 28 days, he added.
The nasal vaccine is available only to people age 2 to 49, said Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Philip Gould, chief of preventive medicine operations for the Air Force Medical Support Agency. "There are three injectable vaccines," he added, each with different ... age limits: one from 6 months and older, one from 4 years and older, and one from 18 years and older."
Those over the age of 49 must get the injectable vaccine, he added.
A replay of the town-hall session is available on the Military Health System's Web site. The Military Health System is a worldwide partnership of medical educators and researchers, health-care providers and support personnel, including Defense Department and military officials, combatant command surgeons and Tricare providers.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 12, 2009 - Experts did their best to answer questions and allay fears over H1N1 flu and the associated vaccine during a Nov. 10 online town-hall meeting hosted by the Military Health System. Questions -- submitted via a special Web site -- included concerns such as whether it's possible to distinguish between seasonal or H1N1 flu based on symptoms. The answer, provided by Army Col. (Dr.) Ted Cieslak, the Defense Department's liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was simple.
"You cannot differentiate seasonal flu from H1N1 based on symptoms," he said. He later emphasized that it's tough to make a claim that one version of the flu is more dangerous than another.
"'Dangerous' can be defined in many different ways," Cieslak said. "This particular strain does not appear to produce more severe disease in most people, but it does affect certain subgroups [such as pregnant women and people with some underlying medical conditions] disproportionately.
"Moreover," he continued, "susceptibility to the H1N1 strain is almost universal in persons under 50 years of age, which is not always the case with seasonal flu."
The topic of alcohol-based hand sanitizer versus good old soap and water as a way to keep from preventing the spread of H1N1 was broached, as well. Soap and water wins out, one doctor said, because that method removes and kills organisms.
"Alcohol-based hand gel can and should be used when soap and water are not available," said Navy Capt. (Dr.) Tanis Batsel Stewart, director of Emergency Preparedness and Contingency Support for the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. "Use enough to fully wet your hands, and rub them together."
Some participants were concerned with the content of the H1N1 vaccine and its safety overall, especially for children.
Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Tom Shimabukuro offered assurances that the vaccine is safe, contains no squalene, and was licensed in the same way that seasonal flu vaccines are licensed every year. Squalene, a substance found in some vaccines, has been the subject of some controversy, with opponents to its use claiming a link between the substance and Gulf War Syndrome.
"The H1N1 vaccines were licensed as a strain change to an existing biologic license application with the [Food and Drug Administration]," he said. "There was no fast track or waiver provided to the vaccine manufacturers, and the vaccine is not experimental. H1N1 vaccines are licensed flu vaccines, and [people should] expect them to have a safety profile similar to regular flu vaccines."
Shimabukuro is the pandemic influenza vaccine coordinator for the immunization services division of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Army Col. (Dr.) Wayne E. Hachey addressed the effects the H1N1 vaccination might have on small children in response to a participant's question about the controversy over childhood vaccinations and links to autism.
Hachey, director of preventive medicine and surveillance in the Military Health Affairs force health protection and readiness division, said no evidence exists that the H1N1 vaccine -- in either its injectable or mist forms -- poses a threat to the neurodevelopment of children.
The experts also provided guidance on the spacing of vaccinations for the seasonal flu and H1N1, and age restrictions for the mist version of the vaccine.
A person can receive two injectable flu vaccines or one nasal-spray vaccine and one injectable vaccine at the same time, Shimabukuro said. But someone who gets nasal spray vaccines for both strains should separate those vaccines by at least 28 days, he added.
The nasal vaccine is available only to people age 2 to 49, said Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Philip Gould, chief of preventive medicine operations for the Air Force Medical Support Agency. "There are three injectable vaccines," he added, each with different ... age limits: one from 6 months and older, one from 4 years and older, and one from 18 years and older."
Those over the age of 49 must get the injectable vaccine, he added.
A replay of the town-hall session is available on the Military Health System's Web site. The Military Health System is a worldwide partnership of medical educators and researchers, health-care providers and support personnel, including Defense Department and military officials, combatant command surgeons and Tricare providers.
Nation's Capital Hosts Throngs for Veterans Day Memorials
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 11, 2009 - The nation's capital today hosted throngs of people paying tribute to men and women who currently or previously wore the uniform of the U. S. military. At the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Wall here, where more than 58,000 names of fallen troops are etched into the granite partitions, attendees of a veteran's day ceremony placed flowers, wreaths and other mementos by the names of loved ones.
Standing a few feet from the carved granite wall was Daniel Hernandez of Galveston, Texas, who fought in Vietnam 40 years ago.
"I know a lot of people on this wall," said Hernandez, a former Army specialist in the 1st Cavalry Division.
As a chaplain's assistant during the war, one of young Hernandez's duties was to help with memorial services for troops killed in action – from junior enlisted servicemembers to the most senior ranking in his chain of command, including Gen. George Casey, the father of the current Army Chief of Staff.
"There's joy because I'm here, the joy of being here with fellow soldiers who served," he said of the day's event. "And there's of course the heavy heart of sadness for those that we lost and those that we'll never see again."
Designed by architect Maya Lin and built in 1982, the memorial consists of two black walls sunken into the ground, with a rolling mound of earth behind it sloping toward a heavily trafficked street.
On the one hand, the design serves a practical purpose of separating the visitor from the noise and the traffic of Constitution Avenue and the noise of the city. But according to architects familiar with the designer's vision, the wall also was intended to appear as a rift in the earth.
The memorial was one landmark that retired Army Master Sgt. Archie Ellinger said he wanted to visit before it was too late.
"For many years I haven't been able to come up here," said Ellinger, who made the trip from Kentucky. "I'm getting old, and I wanted to come up here and honor those veterans. Before I die, I wanted to do it that one time."
Ellinger, who served as an aviator assigned to the 227th aviation battalion of the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam, also was in town for a reunion with his battle buddies in nearby Crystal City, Va. But thoughts of those unable to make the reunion were not far from his mind.
"There's many of them," he said, referring to names on the wall that belonged to his fellow servicemembers, "probably about a dozen or so."
Walking the grounds today was a cross-section of military society, from Vietnam veterans wearing leather jackets with POW/MIA patches sewn on, to Gold Star Mothers – women whose servicemember sons or daughters died in war. Soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, where this week tragedy struck when a gunman fatally shot 13 people and wounded 38 others on base, also were recognized in the course of the memorial event.
One surprise guest speaker was Ken Salazar, the secretary of the Department of Interior, who later participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the foot of the wall. Salazer, addressing an audience gathered at the wall, expressed gratitude to U.S. servicemembers.
"Thank you to all of you who are here making sure we never forget those who have made sure we are free in America, and the sacrifices they have made," Salazar said.
Observing the activity near the wall was Diane Carlson Evans, founder and president of the Vietnam Women's Memorial – erected 16 years ago as an homage to the nurse corps comprised of female servicemembers who deployed to Vietnam.
As she watched veterans pay tribute to the names of their fallen troops, Evans, who served as an Army nurse during the war, discussed the enduring bond wounded troops have with their medical caretakers even long-after their recovery is complete.
Many years after her service in Vietnam, in an odd twist of fate, Evans ended up in the same town – River Fall, Wis. – as one of the wounded troops she treated during the war.
"We were neighbors for about five years and he didn't know I was in Vietnam and I didn't know I had been to Vietnam," she recalled. The neighbors realized their connection during a conversation about the memorial wall when it was being built some 27 years ago.
"He was wounded in March 1969 and went to 71st evacuation hospital and I was his nurse," she said. "He remembered he had a red-headed nurse from Minnesota and her name was Carlson.
"And I said, 'Well, my name was Carlson, I'm from Minnesota and I have red hair,'" Evans said, referring to her maiden name. "And we have kept up a friendship ever since."
Across the Potomac River, a memorial stands with the express purpose of recognizing contribution of women like Evans. At the foot of the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., where President Barack Obama honored the nation's fallen today, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial today hosted it's a separate veteran's day event.
Addressing the audience gathered inside the memorial was a panel of female servicemembers representing of each branch, including Lt. Hannah L. Bealon of the U.S. Coast Guard.
In her remarks, Bealon said she was inspired by two of her uncles who served in the Vietnam War and wanted to follow their footsteps into service. But upon hearing her decision, one of Bealon's uncles discouraged her from joining because she was a woman – he suggested instead that she marry a servicemember and reap the benefits.
"It did not matter; I knew I wanted to serve," she said. "Their life experiences and their long-time friends inspire me to serve my country and to have great respect for Veteran's Day."
"To my beloved veterans: Thank you for your service, devotion duty, and sacrifices. You will not be forgotten," she continued. "For I am your legacy and my children will be your future."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 11, 2009 - The nation's capital today hosted throngs of people paying tribute to men and women who currently or previously wore the uniform of the U. S. military. At the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Wall here, where more than 58,000 names of fallen troops are etched into the granite partitions, attendees of a veteran's day ceremony placed flowers, wreaths and other mementos by the names of loved ones.
Standing a few feet from the carved granite wall was Daniel Hernandez of Galveston, Texas, who fought in Vietnam 40 years ago.
"I know a lot of people on this wall," said Hernandez, a former Army specialist in the 1st Cavalry Division.
As a chaplain's assistant during the war, one of young Hernandez's duties was to help with memorial services for troops killed in action – from junior enlisted servicemembers to the most senior ranking in his chain of command, including Gen. George Casey, the father of the current Army Chief of Staff.
"There's joy because I'm here, the joy of being here with fellow soldiers who served," he said of the day's event. "And there's of course the heavy heart of sadness for those that we lost and those that we'll never see again."
Designed by architect Maya Lin and built in 1982, the memorial consists of two black walls sunken into the ground, with a rolling mound of earth behind it sloping toward a heavily trafficked street.
On the one hand, the design serves a practical purpose of separating the visitor from the noise and the traffic of Constitution Avenue and the noise of the city. But according to architects familiar with the designer's vision, the wall also was intended to appear as a rift in the earth.
The memorial was one landmark that retired Army Master Sgt. Archie Ellinger said he wanted to visit before it was too late.
"For many years I haven't been able to come up here," said Ellinger, who made the trip from Kentucky. "I'm getting old, and I wanted to come up here and honor those veterans. Before I die, I wanted to do it that one time."
Ellinger, who served as an aviator assigned to the 227th aviation battalion of the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam, also was in town for a reunion with his battle buddies in nearby Crystal City, Va. But thoughts of those unable to make the reunion were not far from his mind.
"There's many of them," he said, referring to names on the wall that belonged to his fellow servicemembers, "probably about a dozen or so."
Walking the grounds today was a cross-section of military society, from Vietnam veterans wearing leather jackets with POW/MIA patches sewn on, to Gold Star Mothers – women whose servicemember sons or daughters died in war. Soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, where this week tragedy struck when a gunman fatally shot 13 people and wounded 38 others on base, also were recognized in the course of the memorial event.
One surprise guest speaker was Ken Salazar, the secretary of the Department of Interior, who later participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the foot of the wall. Salazer, addressing an audience gathered at the wall, expressed gratitude to U.S. servicemembers.
"Thank you to all of you who are here making sure we never forget those who have made sure we are free in America, and the sacrifices they have made," Salazar said.
Observing the activity near the wall was Diane Carlson Evans, founder and president of the Vietnam Women's Memorial – erected 16 years ago as an homage to the nurse corps comprised of female servicemembers who deployed to Vietnam.
As she watched veterans pay tribute to the names of their fallen troops, Evans, who served as an Army nurse during the war, discussed the enduring bond wounded troops have with their medical caretakers even long-after their recovery is complete.
Many years after her service in Vietnam, in an odd twist of fate, Evans ended up in the same town – River Fall, Wis. – as one of the wounded troops she treated during the war.
"We were neighbors for about five years and he didn't know I was in Vietnam and I didn't know I had been to Vietnam," she recalled. The neighbors realized their connection during a conversation about the memorial wall when it was being built some 27 years ago.
"He was wounded in March 1969 and went to 71st evacuation hospital and I was his nurse," she said. "He remembered he had a red-headed nurse from Minnesota and her name was Carlson.
"And I said, 'Well, my name was Carlson, I'm from Minnesota and I have red hair,'" Evans said, referring to her maiden name. "And we have kept up a friendship ever since."
Across the Potomac River, a memorial stands with the express purpose of recognizing contribution of women like Evans. At the foot of the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., where President Barack Obama honored the nation's fallen today, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial today hosted it's a separate veteran's day event.
Addressing the audience gathered inside the memorial was a panel of female servicemembers representing of each branch, including Lt. Hannah L. Bealon of the U.S. Coast Guard.
In her remarks, Bealon said she was inspired by two of her uncles who served in the Vietnam War and wanted to follow their footsteps into service. But upon hearing her decision, one of Bealon's uncles discouraged her from joining because she was a woman – he suggested instead that she marry a servicemember and reap the benefits.
"It did not matter; I knew I wanted to serve," she said. "Their life experiences and their long-time friends inspire me to serve my country and to have great respect for Veteran's Day."
"To my beloved veterans: Thank you for your service, devotion duty, and sacrifices. You will not be forgotten," she continued. "For I am your legacy and my children will be your future."
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Bidens Host Veterans, Troops, Families at Naval Observatory
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 11, 2009 - Today's military is the "best-equipped, best trained, best educated, and the most competent military in the history of mankind," Vice President Joe Biden told 240 servicemembers and veterans at his home at the U.S. Naval Observatory today.
Biden and his wife, Jill, hosted a Veterans Day luncheon for the servicemembers and veterans and their families at the official vice president's home in northwest Washington, D.C.
"Welcome to your home," Biden told the crowd gathered in a tent for picnic food outside of the main residence on a rainy Veterans Day here. "We're honored to occupy it, but we want to share it. I'm truly grateful to the service all of you have rendered and humbled by your sacrifice."
In his three decades in the U.S. Senate, Biden noted, he met many people. "If I had to list ten of the most impressive men and women I've known in my career, six were wearing a uniform at the time," he said.
Biden said he's made 30 trips to combat zones in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. "Everywhere I've gone, I've marveled at how incredible our fighting forces are... they're dedication, they're courage," he said. "I've seen the fire of patriotism in their eyes."
"I see the most tested among us – citizens who didn't fear the future, but helped shape the future," he said.
Everyone wants to know how the American military turns out such great servicemembers, Biden said. "Well, first they come from a good gene pool – the American gene pool. Then, you train them, you give them the lead," he said. "It's the only military in the world that I'm aware of where you give a 19-year-old kid responsibility over multimillion-dollar equipment and let him or her make their own decisions. It's remarkable."
Biden noted that his wife and First Lady Michelle Obama have taken on the cause of military families as a top priority for the Obama administration. In fact, he said, even before he became Barack Obama's vice presidential pick, his wife told him, "'More has to be done, Joe'" for military families.
Jill Biden noted that she and Mrs. Obama have been visiting U.S. military bases "to listen and to learn from their experiences.
"At each visit, I am overwhelmed by the courage of our men and women in uniform," she said. "The dignity and sense of patriotism that military families just like yours exhibit every day is an inspiration."
The administration is working to improve access to child care, improved housing for military families and quality care and treatment for wounded warriors, Mrs. Biden said, while she and Mrs. Obama have started a campaign to encourage all Americans "to show their thanks through simple acts of support."
When the Bidens' son, Beau, recently returned from service in Iraq, Mrs. Biden said, he was touched by how many people met him at the airport in New Hampshire in a sign of support.
"As a military mom, I know how a simple act of kindness can make a difference," Biden said. "One thing Beau said when he arrived home was 'I can't tell you how much it meant to be greeted by hundreds of people who said 'thank you for your service.'
"On Veterans Day and every day, it is our sacred duty to honor those who sacrifice so much," she said.
The vice president estimated it will take more than $67 billion to give lifelong care for the 15,000 servicemembers severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. But he said it is a cost that is, and must continue to be, a top priority for any administration, and one veterans groups must "stay vigilant" about.
"There is only one truly sacred obligation and it is in giving all those we send all they need and care for them and their families when they come home and the families of those who don't come home," he said. "It is more important than education, health care, the FBI -- anything else in our federal budget."
Veterans Affairs Secretary Ret. Army Gen. Eric Shinseki opened the luncheon by saying it is fitting that Veterans Day is so close to Thanksgiving, "because Veterans Day is an act of Thanksgiving."
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Leon Caffie, a reservist from Gainesville, Fla., was among those who attended the luncheon. Drafted in 1970 and scheduled to retire in January, Caffie said it was important for him to reflect on Veterans Day this year because it is his last in uniform.
"This has been a part of my life for 39 years," Caffie said. A Vietnam and Iraq war veteran, he said it was important to him for leaders to honor servicemembers.
"When I returned from Vietnam as a young American soldier who felt like I'd done my duty to protect our democracy and our way of life, we expected bands and crowds and citizenry, and that didn't happen," he said.
When he returned from Iraq in 2003, Caffie said, he received that long-awaited recognition. And, he said, today's servicemembers are greatly deserving. "I've commanded 170 Army Reserve enlisted soldiers stationed around world, and I'm amazed at what they do when they are asked to perform. They are the silent heroes. They do everything we ask them to do. The young men and women today are full of enthusiasm and want to do whatever you ask of them."
Another soldier, Capt. Stephen Betts, said he was honored to be selected to attend the luncheon. This year is the second that Betts, severely wounded in Afghanistan in April 2008, has faced as a wounded warrior.
"Veterans Day means so much now, now that so many people have gone and been wounded," he said. "The fact that the vice president took the time out of his day to do things like this means a lot."
Betts, an embedded technical trainer recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, said he is trying to return to duty.
Nov. 11, 2009 - Today's military is the "best-equipped, best trained, best educated, and the most competent military in the history of mankind," Vice President Joe Biden told 240 servicemembers and veterans at his home at the U.S. Naval Observatory today.
Biden and his wife, Jill, hosted a Veterans Day luncheon for the servicemembers and veterans and their families at the official vice president's home in northwest Washington, D.C.
"Welcome to your home," Biden told the crowd gathered in a tent for picnic food outside of the main residence on a rainy Veterans Day here. "We're honored to occupy it, but we want to share it. I'm truly grateful to the service all of you have rendered and humbled by your sacrifice."
In his three decades in the U.S. Senate, Biden noted, he met many people. "If I had to list ten of the most impressive men and women I've known in my career, six were wearing a uniform at the time," he said.
Biden said he's made 30 trips to combat zones in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. "Everywhere I've gone, I've marveled at how incredible our fighting forces are... they're dedication, they're courage," he said. "I've seen the fire of patriotism in their eyes."
"I see the most tested among us – citizens who didn't fear the future, but helped shape the future," he said.
Everyone wants to know how the American military turns out such great servicemembers, Biden said. "Well, first they come from a good gene pool – the American gene pool. Then, you train them, you give them the lead," he said. "It's the only military in the world that I'm aware of where you give a 19-year-old kid responsibility over multimillion-dollar equipment and let him or her make their own decisions. It's remarkable."
Biden noted that his wife and First Lady Michelle Obama have taken on the cause of military families as a top priority for the Obama administration. In fact, he said, even before he became Barack Obama's vice presidential pick, his wife told him, "'More has to be done, Joe'" for military families.
Jill Biden noted that she and Mrs. Obama have been visiting U.S. military bases "to listen and to learn from their experiences.
"At each visit, I am overwhelmed by the courage of our men and women in uniform," she said. "The dignity and sense of patriotism that military families just like yours exhibit every day is an inspiration."
The administration is working to improve access to child care, improved housing for military families and quality care and treatment for wounded warriors, Mrs. Biden said, while she and Mrs. Obama have started a campaign to encourage all Americans "to show their thanks through simple acts of support."
When the Bidens' son, Beau, recently returned from service in Iraq, Mrs. Biden said, he was touched by how many people met him at the airport in New Hampshire in a sign of support.
"As a military mom, I know how a simple act of kindness can make a difference," Biden said. "One thing Beau said when he arrived home was 'I can't tell you how much it meant to be greeted by hundreds of people who said 'thank you for your service.'
"On Veterans Day and every day, it is our sacred duty to honor those who sacrifice so much," she said.
The vice president estimated it will take more than $67 billion to give lifelong care for the 15,000 servicemembers severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. But he said it is a cost that is, and must continue to be, a top priority for any administration, and one veterans groups must "stay vigilant" about.
"There is only one truly sacred obligation and it is in giving all those we send all they need and care for them and their families when they come home and the families of those who don't come home," he said. "It is more important than education, health care, the FBI -- anything else in our federal budget."
Veterans Affairs Secretary Ret. Army Gen. Eric Shinseki opened the luncheon by saying it is fitting that Veterans Day is so close to Thanksgiving, "because Veterans Day is an act of Thanksgiving."
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Leon Caffie, a reservist from Gainesville, Fla., was among those who attended the luncheon. Drafted in 1970 and scheduled to retire in January, Caffie said it was important for him to reflect on Veterans Day this year because it is his last in uniform.
"This has been a part of my life for 39 years," Caffie said. A Vietnam and Iraq war veteran, he said it was important to him for leaders to honor servicemembers.
"When I returned from Vietnam as a young American soldier who felt like I'd done my duty to protect our democracy and our way of life, we expected bands and crowds and citizenry, and that didn't happen," he said.
When he returned from Iraq in 2003, Caffie said, he received that long-awaited recognition. And, he said, today's servicemembers are greatly deserving. "I've commanded 170 Army Reserve enlisted soldiers stationed around world, and I'm amazed at what they do when they are asked to perform. They are the silent heroes. They do everything we ask them to do. The young men and women today are full of enthusiasm and want to do whatever you ask of them."
Another soldier, Capt. Stephen Betts, said he was honored to be selected to attend the luncheon. This year is the second that Betts, severely wounded in Afghanistan in April 2008, has faced as a wounded warrior.
"Veterans Day means so much now, now that so many people have gone and been wounded," he said. "The fact that the vice president took the time out of his day to do things like this means a lot."
Betts, an embedded technical trainer recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, said he is trying to return to duty.
First Lady Urges Vets to Join Volunteer Campaign
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 11, 2009 - First Lady Michelle Obama today urged all Americans, including military veterans, to put their skills to use in volunteer service to assist U.S. communities and citizens in need. "One of the greatest privileges that I have as First Lady is the chance to meet with veterans and to meet with servicemembers and their families all across America," Obama said at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium during the announcement of ServiceNation's Mission Serve volunteer-initiative program.
ServiceNation is a national campaign that encourages service and volunteerism as a means to help address homelessness, unemployment, under education, crime, mental illness and other societal problems.
America's servicemembers, veterans and their families inspire a "sense of awe – true awe," Obama said, through their service and sacrifice to the nation.
And America's veterans, she said, can channel their energy, skills, experience and commitment into the performance of volunteer service.
"What they've learned standing watch over the homeland and fighting wars abroad is precisely what we need to meet our biggest challenges here at home," Obama said. "And that's whether it's turning around a failing school or managing a big-city homeless shelter – we need that energy; whether it's running a rural health clinic or rescuing a community struck by a natural disaster – our veterans have what it takes for success."
For example, as part of Mission Serve's 35 public-private partnership initiatives, Obama said, wounded warriors are mentoring young people and combating gang violence.
And, "veterans are building homes in New Orleans, and working to reduce the dropout rate in Boston and Philadelphia, and helping their fellow veterans reintegrate into communities all across America," the First Lady said.
Supporting servicemembers as they go off to war "requires an active citizenship," Obama said.
"The freedoms they fight for are ones that every single one of us enjoys," she pointed out.
"So it's up to every single one of us to honor their service with service of our own," Obama said. "It's up to us to recognize our veterans not just for all they've done for this country – but for all they will continue to do for this country.
"That's what Mission Serve is all about," she said.
Dr. Jill Biden, spouse of Vice President Joe Biden, and Alma J. Powell, chair of America's Promise Alliance and spouse of former Secretary of State and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff retired Army Gen. Colin Powell, accompanied Obama at the ceremony.
Dr. Biden and Mrs. Powell, Obama said, take great interest in programs that assist servicemembers, veterans and their families. The Bidens' son, Beau, an Army captain, recently returned home from a year of duty in Iraq.
The concerns of servicemembers, veterans and their families "are our top priority," Biden said. "And, we are working hard to expand access to child care, to improve housing conditions and to provide quality care and treatment for our wounded warriors."
Meanwhile, Biden said, everything that citizens can do to support and recognize the nation's servicemembers and veterans can make a real difference.
"On Veterans Day and every other day it's our sacred duty to honor the service of those who sacrifice for our country – and we can all play a role," Biden said.
"I hope that all of us will pause today and think about how we can join in this call for service," she added. "I know what an impact it will have."
Biden thanked ServiceNation and its partners "for giving Americans concrete ways to participate" in programs that help servicemembers, veterans and their families.
Mrs. Powell received ServiceNation's inaugural Award for Excellence in Military and Civilian Service at the ceremony.
She said that she shares the award "with many military families and countless Americans who step forward every day to help make life better for those around them."
Prior to the ceremony, Mrs. Powell said, volunteers at George Washington University's Marvin Center wrote letters to servicemembers and their families and assembled care packages for troops.
"Efforts like this, and the larger effort behind the ServiceNation civilian-military initiative, are essential, vital to the well-being of our American community," she said.
It takes all citizens "to build a stronger America," Mrs. Powell said, involving partnerships between civilians and military members, schools and communities, and public and private sectors.
Nov. 11, 2009 - First Lady Michelle Obama today urged all Americans, including military veterans, to put their skills to use in volunteer service to assist U.S. communities and citizens in need. "One of the greatest privileges that I have as First Lady is the chance to meet with veterans and to meet with servicemembers and their families all across America," Obama said at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium during the announcement of ServiceNation's Mission Serve volunteer-initiative program.
ServiceNation is a national campaign that encourages service and volunteerism as a means to help address homelessness, unemployment, under education, crime, mental illness and other societal problems.
America's servicemembers, veterans and their families inspire a "sense of awe – true awe," Obama said, through their service and sacrifice to the nation.
And America's veterans, she said, can channel their energy, skills, experience and commitment into the performance of volunteer service.
"What they've learned standing watch over the homeland and fighting wars abroad is precisely what we need to meet our biggest challenges here at home," Obama said. "And that's whether it's turning around a failing school or managing a big-city homeless shelter – we need that energy; whether it's running a rural health clinic or rescuing a community struck by a natural disaster – our veterans have what it takes for success."
For example, as part of Mission Serve's 35 public-private partnership initiatives, Obama said, wounded warriors are mentoring young people and combating gang violence.
And, "veterans are building homes in New Orleans, and working to reduce the dropout rate in Boston and Philadelphia, and helping their fellow veterans reintegrate into communities all across America," the First Lady said.
Supporting servicemembers as they go off to war "requires an active citizenship," Obama said.
"The freedoms they fight for are ones that every single one of us enjoys," she pointed out.
"So it's up to every single one of us to honor their service with service of our own," Obama said. "It's up to us to recognize our veterans not just for all they've done for this country – but for all they will continue to do for this country.
"That's what Mission Serve is all about," she said.
Dr. Jill Biden, spouse of Vice President Joe Biden, and Alma J. Powell, chair of America's Promise Alliance and spouse of former Secretary of State and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff retired Army Gen. Colin Powell, accompanied Obama at the ceremony.
Dr. Biden and Mrs. Powell, Obama said, take great interest in programs that assist servicemembers, veterans and their families. The Bidens' son, Beau, an Army captain, recently returned home from a year of duty in Iraq.
The concerns of servicemembers, veterans and their families "are our top priority," Biden said. "And, we are working hard to expand access to child care, to improve housing conditions and to provide quality care and treatment for our wounded warriors."
Meanwhile, Biden said, everything that citizens can do to support and recognize the nation's servicemembers and veterans can make a real difference.
"On Veterans Day and every other day it's our sacred duty to honor the service of those who sacrifice for our country – and we can all play a role," Biden said.
"I hope that all of us will pause today and think about how we can join in this call for service," she added. "I know what an impact it will have."
Biden thanked ServiceNation and its partners "for giving Americans concrete ways to participate" in programs that help servicemembers, veterans and their families.
Mrs. Powell received ServiceNation's inaugural Award for Excellence in Military and Civilian Service at the ceremony.
She said that she shares the award "with many military families and countless Americans who step forward every day to help make life better for those around them."
Prior to the ceremony, Mrs. Powell said, volunteers at George Washington University's Marvin Center wrote letters to servicemembers and their families and assembled care packages for troops.
"Efforts like this, and the larger effort behind the ServiceNation civilian-military initiative, are essential, vital to the well-being of our American community," she said.
It takes all citizens "to build a stronger America," Mrs. Powell said, involving partnerships between civilians and military members, schools and communities, and public and private sectors.
Obama's Pledge: America Will Fulfill Obligations to Veterans
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 11, 2009 - America will fulfill its obligation to take care of and value those who have sacrificed for the country, President Barack Obama said here today. A day after attending a memorial service at Fort Hood, Texas, the president presided over a Veterans Day ceremony here. The Memorial Amphitheater was cold, rainy and wet, yet still packed as people from around the United States gathered to pay respects to veterans for their contributions and sacrifices.
Obama referenced his visit to Fort Hood, where soldiers and their families are coming to terms with a horrific attack that killed 13 and wounded many others.
"Yesterday I visited troops at Fort Hood," the commander-in-chief said. "We gathered in remembrance of those we recently lost. We paid tribute to the lives they led. "There was something that I saw in them, something that I see in the eyes of every soldier and sailor, airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman that I have had the privilege to meet in this country and around the world. And that thing is determination."
Obama said today's servicemembers already deserve a place alongside previous generations' for their courage and the sacrifices that they have made.
"In an era where so many acted only in pursuit of narrow self-interest, they've chosen the opposite," he said. "They chose to serve the cause that is greater than self, many even after they knew they'd be sent into harm's way."
Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen have deployed to serve in distant and difficult places, Obama said.
"They have protected us from danger and they have given others the opportunity for a better life," he said. "So to all of them, to our veterans, to the fallen and to their families, there's no tribute, no commemoration, no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice."
The president vowed the country would recognize their services and said that America is going to do right by them. He noted the words of President George Washington who said, "When we assumed the soldier, we did not lay aside the citizen."
American servicemembers continue to contribute to the United States once they are through with service.
"Just as the contributions that our servicemen and women make to this nation don't end when they take off their uniform, neither do our obligations to them," Obama said. "When we fulfill those obligations, we aren't just keeping faith with our veterans; we are keeping faith with the ideals of service and sacrifice upon which this republic was founded."
Obama said the nation has not always acted that way. Vietnam veterans served with great honor, he said, but were met with condemnation and neglect when they returned from war.
"That's something that will never happen again," the president said. "To them and to all who have served in every battle, in every war, we say that it's never too late to say thank you. We honor your service. We are forever grateful. And just as you have not forgotten your missing comrades, neither, ever, will we."
The president said the nation also has an obligation to the families of those who serve, and vowed the country "will not let you down. We will take care of our own."
Obama had a special message to Americans serving around the world. "When your tour ends, when you see our flag, when you touch our soil, you will be home in an America that is forever here for you, just as you've been there for us," he said. "That is my promise – our nation's promise – to you."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 11, 2009 - America will fulfill its obligation to take care of and value those who have sacrificed for the country, President Barack Obama said here today. A day after attending a memorial service at Fort Hood, Texas, the president presided over a Veterans Day ceremony here. The Memorial Amphitheater was cold, rainy and wet, yet still packed as people from around the United States gathered to pay respects to veterans for their contributions and sacrifices.
Obama referenced his visit to Fort Hood, where soldiers and their families are coming to terms with a horrific attack that killed 13 and wounded many others.
"Yesterday I visited troops at Fort Hood," the commander-in-chief said. "We gathered in remembrance of those we recently lost. We paid tribute to the lives they led. "There was something that I saw in them, something that I see in the eyes of every soldier and sailor, airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman that I have had the privilege to meet in this country and around the world. And that thing is determination."
Obama said today's servicemembers already deserve a place alongside previous generations' for their courage and the sacrifices that they have made.
"In an era where so many acted only in pursuit of narrow self-interest, they've chosen the opposite," he said. "They chose to serve the cause that is greater than self, many even after they knew they'd be sent into harm's way."
Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen have deployed to serve in distant and difficult places, Obama said.
"They have protected us from danger and they have given others the opportunity for a better life," he said. "So to all of them, to our veterans, to the fallen and to their families, there's no tribute, no commemoration, no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice."
The president vowed the country would recognize their services and said that America is going to do right by them. He noted the words of President George Washington who said, "When we assumed the soldier, we did not lay aside the citizen."
American servicemembers continue to contribute to the United States once they are through with service.
"Just as the contributions that our servicemen and women make to this nation don't end when they take off their uniform, neither do our obligations to them," Obama said. "When we fulfill those obligations, we aren't just keeping faith with our veterans; we are keeping faith with the ideals of service and sacrifice upon which this republic was founded."
Obama said the nation has not always acted that way. Vietnam veterans served with great honor, he said, but were met with condemnation and neglect when they returned from war.
"That's something that will never happen again," the president said. "To them and to all who have served in every battle, in every war, we say that it's never too late to say thank you. We honor your service. We are forever grateful. And just as you have not forgotten your missing comrades, neither, ever, will we."
The president said the nation also has an obligation to the families of those who serve, and vowed the country "will not let you down. We will take care of our own."
Obama had a special message to Americans serving around the world. "When your tour ends, when you see our flag, when you touch our soil, you will be home in an America that is forever here for you, just as you've been there for us," he said. "That is my promise – our nation's promise – to you."
National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Activated as of November 10 2009
This week the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard announced an increase in activated reservists, while the Army and Marine Corps announced a decrease. The net collective result is 468 fewer reservists activated than last week.
At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 107,405; Navy Reserve, 6,432; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 13,500; Marine Corps Reserve, 7,931; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 765. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 136,033, including both units and individual augmentees.
A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2009/d20091110ngr.pdf.
At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 107,405; Navy Reserve, 6,432; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 13,500; Marine Corps Reserve, 7,931; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 765. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 136,033, including both units and individual augmentees.
A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2009/d20091110ngr.pdf.
Chairman Hails Nation's Veterans
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 10, 2009 - In his annual Veterans Day message, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, notes that gratitude for U.S. military veterans is evident not only in the United States, but also overseas. Here is the text of the admiral's message:
Since the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, our Nation has reverently reflected upon those who selflessly defend America. This day now symbolizes the deep gratitude of citizens for their military: the millions of dedicated Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen and their families.
Tangible depictions and memorials to military service exist in cities across our land and even overseas: commemorating Soldiers and Airmen who liberated Europe, Sailors who won the war in the Pacific, Marines who etched their glory in stone at Iwo Jima, and Coast Guardsmen who stand watch over our shores. But the spirit behind such service truly resides in the hearts and souls of our veterans themselves. America could not be more proud of you.
This spirit of service continues to shine in the faces of veterans today. I have seen them this year in my travels around the world and throughout our Nation. We are committed to remembering their service, caring for wounded warriors and their families, and overcoming the challenge of homelessness.
On this day we stop to reflect on the invaluable sacrifice so selflessly given by those who have gone before us. We will never forget them, their families or the freedoms we enjoy today because of their devotion to duty.
To all our veterans – past and present – and your families, the Joint Chiefs and I salute you and thank you for your service.
Sincerely,
M.G. MULLEN
Admiral, U.S. Navy
Nov. 10, 2009 - In his annual Veterans Day message, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, notes that gratitude for U.S. military veterans is evident not only in the United States, but also overseas. Here is the text of the admiral's message:
Since the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, our Nation has reverently reflected upon those who selflessly defend America. This day now symbolizes the deep gratitude of citizens for their military: the millions of dedicated Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen and their families.
Tangible depictions and memorials to military service exist in cities across our land and even overseas: commemorating Soldiers and Airmen who liberated Europe, Sailors who won the war in the Pacific, Marines who etched their glory in stone at Iwo Jima, and Coast Guardsmen who stand watch over our shores. But the spirit behind such service truly resides in the hearts and souls of our veterans themselves. America could not be more proud of you.
This spirit of service continues to shine in the faces of veterans today. I have seen them this year in my travels around the world and throughout our Nation. We are committed to remembering their service, caring for wounded warriors and their families, and overcoming the challenge of homelessness.
On this day we stop to reflect on the invaluable sacrifice so selflessly given by those who have gone before us. We will never forget them, their families or the freedoms we enjoy today because of their devotion to duty.
To all our veterans – past and present – and your families, the Joint Chiefs and I salute you and thank you for your service.
Sincerely,
M.G. MULLEN
Admiral, U.S. Navy
Gates Notes Poignancy of Veterans Day Observance
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 11, 2009 - The Nov. 5 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, provides a special sense of poignancy to this year's Veterans Day observance, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in his annual message commemorating the holiday. Here is the text of the secretary's message:
On this our ninth Veterans Day since the attacks on September 11th, let us take a moment to remember those, past and present, who have served our nation in uniform.
Today we remain a nation at war with hundreds of thousands of men and women deployed far from home. Those serving on the front lines face hardship, danger, and a ruthless and resourceful enemy. Their families keeping vigilant watch for their loved one's return serve and sacrifice as well.
This Veterans Day is especially poignant given the atrocity that took place at Fort Hood, where those who stepped forward to serve were cut down as they were preparing to deploy. The thoughts and prayers of the entire country are with the wounded and the families of the fallen. Our hope is that time will eventually assuage the anguish that this terrible act has caused.
Our nation cannot fully repay the debt owed our veterans and their families, but we can use this opportunity to reflect and remember what these brave Americans have done. David Lloyd George, speaking during the opening months of World War I, the conflict that began this day of remembrance, said: "The stern hand of fate has scourged us to an elevation where we can see the everlasting things that matter for a nation – the great peaks we had forgotten, of Honor, Duty, Patriotism, and clad in glittering white, the towering pinnacle of sacrifice pointing like a rugged finger to Heaven."
To America's veterans: on behalf of a grateful nation, thank you for your towering pinnacle of sacrifice on behalf of your countrymen.
Nov. 11, 2009 - The Nov. 5 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, provides a special sense of poignancy to this year's Veterans Day observance, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in his annual message commemorating the holiday. Here is the text of the secretary's message:
On this our ninth Veterans Day since the attacks on September 11th, let us take a moment to remember those, past and present, who have served our nation in uniform.
Today we remain a nation at war with hundreds of thousands of men and women deployed far from home. Those serving on the front lines face hardship, danger, and a ruthless and resourceful enemy. Their families keeping vigilant watch for their loved one's return serve and sacrifice as well.
This Veterans Day is especially poignant given the atrocity that took place at Fort Hood, where those who stepped forward to serve were cut down as they were preparing to deploy. The thoughts and prayers of the entire country are with the wounded and the families of the fallen. Our hope is that time will eventually assuage the anguish that this terrible act has caused.
Our nation cannot fully repay the debt owed our veterans and their families, but we can use this opportunity to reflect and remember what these brave Americans have done. David Lloyd George, speaking during the opening months of World War I, the conflict that began this day of remembrance, said: "The stern hand of fate has scourged us to an elevation where we can see the everlasting things that matter for a nation – the great peaks we had forgotten, of Honor, Duty, Patriotism, and clad in glittering white, the towering pinnacle of sacrifice pointing like a rugged finger to Heaven."
To America's veterans: on behalf of a grateful nation, thank you for your towering pinnacle of sacrifice on behalf of your countrymen.
National Defense University Foundation Announces 2009 Service Heroes
Five Unsung Heroes to Be Honored at the American Patriot Award Gala
November 11, 2009—The National Defense University Foundation (NDUF) announced today five military heroes who will accept the American Patriot Award on behalf of their services along with General David Petraeus, USA, at the American Patriot Award Gala. The event, one of Washington, D.C.’s most prestigious galas, will be held on Friday, November 13, 2009, in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Gala program participants include honoree General David Petraeus, USA, General Ann Dunwoody, USA, and General John Rogers Galvin, USA (Ret). Grammy nominated jazz saxophonist Ski Johnson will perform live.
The 2009 gala will honor and pay tribute to this year's American Patriot Award recipients: General Petraeus, Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Men and Women of CENTCOM. The American Patriot Award Gala supports the National Defense University (NDU) and its crucial mission of educating national security leaders. Students of NDU are the next generation of ambassadors, national and international military commanders, and civilian defense industry leaders – patriots who have committed their lives to furthering the security of our nation and the world.
The five service members will receive honors before a crowd of more than 600 guests, including senior Administration officials, Members of Congress, senior military officials, Ambassadors, and corporate and community leaders.
CSM Rocky Shapla, USA
CSM Rocky Shapla will be honored for his more than 40 years of service with the Army, which he began with the 1st and 2nd ACR in Germany. In 1975, he was promoted and served as 1st Sergeant for the 398 and 399 company units in the 100 Division. After completing Sergeant Major Academy in 1997, he was appointed as a CSM at Armor Battalion at Ft. Knox. His overseas tours include Germany with the 1st and 2nd Armored Cavalry, a tasking by CJCS as CSM of Eagle Base in Bosnia, and a mobilization as Victory Base CSM in Baghdad Iraq, where he sustained an injury. He is currently recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
CDR Stephen Hall, USN
CDR Hall will be honored for his leadership of the Brigade EWO in CENTCOM, where he assumed the responsibilities and requirements as a Naval Officer in support of the U.S. Army. His support and leadership lead to better Electronic Warfare training, management, and execution, increasing the safety of operations of Army and Marine Units forward deployed in theatre.
GYSGT Josue Magana, USMC
GYSGT Magana will be honored for his dedication to the service. From 2002 to 2004, he was a Primary Marksmanship Instructor with Weapons Field Training Battalion at Camp Pendleton. In 2004, he was reassigned to Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines and deployed to Fallujah Iraq. While in Iraq, he was wounded in action and spent the next year recovering from his injuries. In 2006, he laterally moved into the Marine Corps Community Service field. In 2008, he received orders to Marine Barracks Washington. Presently, Magana is preparing to deploy to Afghanistan in January 2010.
Tech. Sgt. Timothy R. Evans, USAF
Tech. Sgt. Evans will be honored for his service to others. Evans manages the daily operations of eight MWD Teams and a MWD Trainer. In addition to his daily supervisory duties, he is responsible for the establishment and oversight of all training ensuring Department of Defense certification requirements are met and maintained by each Military Working Dog Team. He recently received recognition as the 11th Mission Support Group 2008 NCO of the Year and Air Force District of Washington’s 2008 Colonel Billy Jack Carter award recipient.
LCDR Holly Harrison, USCG
LCDR Harrison will be honored for her leadership while in command of the Aquidneck. Harrison received orders to the Northern Arabian Gulf (NAG) to take part in Operation Iraqi Freedom; she became the first woman to command a Coast Guard vessel in a combat zone. Under Harrison’s command, the cutter and its dedicated crew conducted innumerable search and rescue, maritime interdiction, convoy and combat-related operations. In July 2003, Harrison received the Bronze Star medal; she was the first female member of the U.S. Coast Guard to receive this distinguished award.
“As true heroes among us, these five remarkable service members epitomize the concept of ‘service above self’ by representing the values of courage, sacrifice, and patriotism,” said Walter Stadtler, Ambassador (Ret), President and CEO, National Defense University Foundation. “Their actions are an inspiration to Americans everywhere.”
The five service members and nearly two-dozen others from each of the five services are hosted at the gala through the generosity of the supporters of the “Sponsor a Patriot” Program. This program brings our everyday service “Patriots” to be recognized and to share in the celebration of patriotism. For more information on this program, please visit www.NDUFoundation.org/sponsorapatriot.
The National Defense University Foundation, Inc. was established in 1982 to support and enhance the mission and goals of the National Defense University through promoting excellence and innovation in education by nurturing high standards of scholarship, leadership and professionalism.
The National Defense University is the country’s preeminent institution for military, diplomatic and civilian national security education, research and outreach. It is the only university providing a common educational experience for all the various professional communities engaged in national security. The main campus is located at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C.
For more information on the American Patriot Award and the Gala, please visit our websites at www.americanpatriotaward.org and www.NDUFoundation.org , or contact Nancy Miller at 202/685-2527, email: millern@nduf.org.
November 11, 2009—The National Defense University Foundation (NDUF) announced today five military heroes who will accept the American Patriot Award on behalf of their services along with General David Petraeus, USA, at the American Patriot Award Gala. The event, one of Washington, D.C.’s most prestigious galas, will be held on Friday, November 13, 2009, in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Gala program participants include honoree General David Petraeus, USA, General Ann Dunwoody, USA, and General John Rogers Galvin, USA (Ret). Grammy nominated jazz saxophonist Ski Johnson will perform live.
The 2009 gala will honor and pay tribute to this year's American Patriot Award recipients: General Petraeus, Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Men and Women of CENTCOM. The American Patriot Award Gala supports the National Defense University (NDU) and its crucial mission of educating national security leaders. Students of NDU are the next generation of ambassadors, national and international military commanders, and civilian defense industry leaders – patriots who have committed their lives to furthering the security of our nation and the world.
The five service members will receive honors before a crowd of more than 600 guests, including senior Administration officials, Members of Congress, senior military officials, Ambassadors, and corporate and community leaders.
CSM Rocky Shapla, USA
CSM Rocky Shapla will be honored for his more than 40 years of service with the Army, which he began with the 1st and 2nd ACR in Germany. In 1975, he was promoted and served as 1st Sergeant for the 398 and 399 company units in the 100 Division. After completing Sergeant Major Academy in 1997, he was appointed as a CSM at Armor Battalion at Ft. Knox. His overseas tours include Germany with the 1st and 2nd Armored Cavalry, a tasking by CJCS as CSM of Eagle Base in Bosnia, and a mobilization as Victory Base CSM in Baghdad Iraq, where he sustained an injury. He is currently recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
CDR Stephen Hall, USN
CDR Hall will be honored for his leadership of the Brigade EWO in CENTCOM, where he assumed the responsibilities and requirements as a Naval Officer in support of the U.S. Army. His support and leadership lead to better Electronic Warfare training, management, and execution, increasing the safety of operations of Army and Marine Units forward deployed in theatre.
GYSGT Josue Magana, USMC
GYSGT Magana will be honored for his dedication to the service. From 2002 to 2004, he was a Primary Marksmanship Instructor with Weapons Field Training Battalion at Camp Pendleton. In 2004, he was reassigned to Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines and deployed to Fallujah Iraq. While in Iraq, he was wounded in action and spent the next year recovering from his injuries. In 2006, he laterally moved into the Marine Corps Community Service field. In 2008, he received orders to Marine Barracks Washington. Presently, Magana is preparing to deploy to Afghanistan in January 2010.
Tech. Sgt. Timothy R. Evans, USAF
Tech. Sgt. Evans will be honored for his service to others. Evans manages the daily operations of eight MWD Teams and a MWD Trainer. In addition to his daily supervisory duties, he is responsible for the establishment and oversight of all training ensuring Department of Defense certification requirements are met and maintained by each Military Working Dog Team. He recently received recognition as the 11th Mission Support Group 2008 NCO of the Year and Air Force District of Washington’s 2008 Colonel Billy Jack Carter award recipient.
LCDR Holly Harrison, USCG
LCDR Harrison will be honored for her leadership while in command of the Aquidneck. Harrison received orders to the Northern Arabian Gulf (NAG) to take part in Operation Iraqi Freedom; she became the first woman to command a Coast Guard vessel in a combat zone. Under Harrison’s command, the cutter and its dedicated crew conducted innumerable search and rescue, maritime interdiction, convoy and combat-related operations. In July 2003, Harrison received the Bronze Star medal; she was the first female member of the U.S. Coast Guard to receive this distinguished award.
“As true heroes among us, these five remarkable service members epitomize the concept of ‘service above self’ by representing the values of courage, sacrifice, and patriotism,” said Walter Stadtler, Ambassador (Ret), President and CEO, National Defense University Foundation. “Their actions are an inspiration to Americans everywhere.”
The five service members and nearly two-dozen others from each of the five services are hosted at the gala through the generosity of the supporters of the “Sponsor a Patriot” Program. This program brings our everyday service “Patriots” to be recognized and to share in the celebration of patriotism. For more information on this program, please visit www.NDUFoundation.org/sponsorapatriot.
The National Defense University Foundation, Inc. was established in 1982 to support and enhance the mission and goals of the National Defense University through promoting excellence and innovation in education by nurturing high standards of scholarship, leadership and professionalism.
The National Defense University is the country’s preeminent institution for military, diplomatic and civilian national security education, research and outreach. It is the only university providing a common educational experience for all the various professional communities engaged in national security. The main campus is located at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C.
For more information on the American Patriot Award and the Gala, please visit our websites at www.americanpatriotaward.org and www.NDUFoundation.org , or contact Nancy Miller at 202/685-2527, email: millern@nduf.org.
Iraqi Airmen Score Bull's Eye with Hellfire Missile Shoot
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 11, 2009 - For the first time since the re-formation of the Iraqi air force, an Iraqi pilot fired a missile from an aircraft Nov. 04. A three-man Iraqi aircrew from Squadron 3 fired an AGM-114 Hellfire missile from an AC-208 Caravan at a target on a bombing range near Al Asad Air Base, officials at Multinational Force Security Transition Command Iraq announced in a Nov. 10 press release.
The event marked a milestone for the Iraqi military as they become increasingly responsible for their own security. The ability for Iraqi aircrews to launch missiles from the AC-208 will dramatically improve their ability to operationally support Iraqi security forces on the ground and achieves a key foundational capability for a credible and enduring Iraqi air force.
"These rockets will have a great and active role in fighting terrorism in all parts of Iraq," said Staff Lt. Gen. Anwar Hamad Amen Ahmed, commander of the Iraqi air force.
"I'm extremely proud of both the Iraqi Air Force and our Advisor Team," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Rob Kane, director of Iraq Training Advisory Mission-Air Force. "Together we have all worked hard to make this important day a reality. From the enlisted crews who loaded the missiles, to the aircrew who employed the system, to the air operations directors who integrated the entire sequence of clearance and authorization, this live-fire exercise was a perfect example of what a strong professional partnership between air forces looks like."
The capability is several years in the making and is a dramatic step forward in establishing the Iraqi military as a credible and effective force for defending the people of Iraq, said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Barbero, commander of Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq.
Nov. 11, 2009 - For the first time since the re-formation of the Iraqi air force, an Iraqi pilot fired a missile from an aircraft Nov. 04. A three-man Iraqi aircrew from Squadron 3 fired an AGM-114 Hellfire missile from an AC-208 Caravan at a target on a bombing range near Al Asad Air Base, officials at Multinational Force Security Transition Command Iraq announced in a Nov. 10 press release.
The event marked a milestone for the Iraqi military as they become increasingly responsible for their own security. The ability for Iraqi aircrews to launch missiles from the AC-208 will dramatically improve their ability to operationally support Iraqi security forces on the ground and achieves a key foundational capability for a credible and enduring Iraqi air force.
"These rockets will have a great and active role in fighting terrorism in all parts of Iraq," said Staff Lt. Gen. Anwar Hamad Amen Ahmed, commander of the Iraqi air force.
"I'm extremely proud of both the Iraqi Air Force and our Advisor Team," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Rob Kane, director of Iraq Training Advisory Mission-Air Force. "Together we have all worked hard to make this important day a reality. From the enlisted crews who loaded the missiles, to the aircrew who employed the system, to the air operations directors who integrated the entire sequence of clearance and authorization, this live-fire exercise was a perfect example of what a strong professional partnership between air forces looks like."
The capability is several years in the making and is a dramatic step forward in establishing the Iraqi military as a credible and effective force for defending the people of Iraq, said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Barbero, commander of Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq.
Little Red Flowers and Remembering Veterans
By Army Capt. Dayna RowdenAmerican Forces Press Service
Nov. 11, 2009 - Ever wonder what the significance is of the little red flowers that the Veterans of Foreign Wars hand out? What are they and what do they mean? The answer to the first question is simple. They are poppies. Red-flowered corn poppies. So, what's with the poppies?
Poppies have long been used as a symbol of both sleep and death: sleep because of the opium extracted from them, and death because of their blood-red color. In Greco-Roman myths, poppies were used as offerings to the dead. The bright scarlet color symbolized the promise of resurrection after death.
One of the most poignant symbols of the cost of World War I is the cemetery at Flanders Field in Ypres, Belgium. In the nearly 150 cemeteries in this area, row upon row of crosses and headstones mark the graves of the some of the one million U.S., European and Australian soldiers and civilians who gave their lives in almost four years of combat on the salient near Ypres. More than 54,000 crosses mark the graves of unknown dead.
Among the rows in the gardens of stone, life and resurrection spring forth in the form of the red-flowered corn poppy, a common plant in Europe. Canadian surgeon and soldier, Lt. Col. John McCrae wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields" May 3, 1915, after witnessing the death of his friend, Lt. Alexis Helmer.
In tribute to the opening lines of McCrae's poem, Moina Michael vowed in her 1915 poem "We Shall Keep the Faith" to always wear a red poppy as a symbol of remembrance for those who served in the war. Thus the plant became a symbol for the dead World War I soldiers.
Veterans groups in England, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States have adopted the red poppy as not only a symbol of remembrance of the sacrifice of veterans who have died but of the continued sacrifice that veterans make in service to their countries.
While serving a year in Iraq, days may seem to pass with little difference from one to the next. We try to mark important holidays through decorations, barbeques, picnics and concerts. These celebrations help to remind us of our loved ones and of our rituals and normalcy back at home. Still, the significance of holidays and celebrations may be lost in our separation from what makes them so dear.
Veterans Day is not one of those holidays. In fact, being in a combat zone reminds us of the sacrifice and service that make this holiday so significant. Strip away the barbeques. Get rid of the days off. Take down the red, white and blue bunting and the patriotic parades. What do you have left? You have the essence of this somber day. Remembrance.
What are we remembering? We remember that by the signing of the Armistice at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 marking the end of World War I, more than 20 million from over 26 countries were dead.
We are not alone in this remembrance. In many parts of the world people take a two-minute moment of silence at 11 a.m. as a sign of respect for people who died in the war.
When you see the simple and humble poppy, think about the sacrifice of the veterans who have come before you and the ones that will follow. Though poppies grow, we should not sleep. We should remain vigilant and remember.
(Army Capt. Capt. Dayna Rowden serves with Multinational Division South in Iraq)
Gates Discusses Reagan's Role in Fall of Berlin Wall
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 11, 2009 - A flexible American strategy based on Ronald Reagan's inflexible belief in liberty was key to the fall of the Berlin Wall, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here yesterday. The secretary spoke at the Library of Congress at a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Wall. The Reagan Library sponsored the event.
And Gates was in a position to know: he served as the deputy director of intelligence at the CIA, and as deputy National Security Advisor under President George H.W. Bush.
When Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, American influence was low: Iran had humiliated the United States in taking hostages at the embassy in Tehran, the country was in what President Jimmy Carter called a malaise and the Soviet Union looked to match or surpass American military might.
Gates called Reagan "the ultimate Cold Warrior." The new president's first job was to restore America's military strength. "A broad U.S. defense build-up began early in the Reagan administration, with more advanced planes, ships, submarines, combat vehicles and nuclear weapons added to America's arsenal," Gates said during his speech.
And Reagan wasn't afraid to use this new American power. Libya challenged American naval might in the Mediterranean Sea with the "Line of Death" at the Gulf of Sidra. In 1981, Reagan sent two aircraft carriers across the line, and Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi sent two fighters to challenge the American ships. \
"Big mistake," Gates said. Under Ronald Reagan's new, aggressive rules of engagement, two F-14 Tomcats splashed the two Libyan fighters."
Reagan extended the strategy of containment of the Soviet Union far beyond the primary theater of Europe. The Soviets found themselves being confronted in Africa, Asia and Central and South America, Gates said.
"While countering the Soviets ... had been a common feature of every administration since the end of World War II, under President Reagan this struggle gained new moral energy, purpose and sense of urgency," Gates said.
Reagan believed that the West would triumph over communism in his lifetime, and through his two terms in office he never lost sight of that, the secretary said. On Jun 12, 1987, Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate on the western side of the Berlin Wall and issued a challenge to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
"Mr. Gobachev, tear down this wall," Reagan said.
Gates said there were some in Reagan's own State Department who didn't want him to say those words, but the president stuck to his guns.
But Reagan was not simply an ideologue. "President Reagan also had the insight, the sense of historical moment, to know when it was time to sheathe the sword, soften the tone and re-engage – even with our most implacable enemy," Gates said.
Reagan's meeting with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko in 1984, was "a turning point," the secretary said. The president followed this with meeting with new Soviet Leader Gorbachev in 1985. And there were items the two sides could negotiate, Gates said.
"He made it clear that we did not value the ICBMs, tanks, or warships in and of themselves. They were negotiable," the secretary said. "No, the West's differences with the East – the democracies' dispute with communism – was, he said, 'not about weapons, but about liberty.'"
Reagan never lost sight of the fact that the Cold War was a struggle of ideas and economic systems at it root. There were treaties with the nation Reagan called "the Evil Empire." Gorbachev and Reagan signed the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987, banning the use of these missile systems.
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Gates was President George H.W. Bush's deputy national security advisor. He spoke of his wonder at seeing hundreds of thousands of Berliners dancing on the Wall, hacking away pieces of it and knocking down whole sections with bulldozers.
"There were hundreds of thousands of people in the streets and virtually no violence," Gates said. "Within two years, the other Soviet satellites had broken free as well, and again, largely without violence. The effort to reform communism, as suspected, actually ended up sweeping it away. For its foundation was force and terror and without them, communism could not survive."
The world changed when the wall fell 20 years ago, and people are still trying to devise strategies that work in a different, but still dangerous world, the secretary said. "In many ways geopolitics are much more complex than when two nuclear-armed superpowers tested each other," he said.
Still there are lessons to be learned, and first among them is the appeal of freedom – political, economic and spiritual. "And the idea that free men and women of different cultures and countries can, for all the squabbling inherent in democracy, come together to get the big things right, and make the tough decisions to deter aggression and preserve their liberty," Gates said.
Each generation must make this choice, he said. "It is a sad reality that in our time and in the future ... there will be those who seek through violence and crimes to dominate and intimidate others," Gates said. "We saw this on (/11, and we see it today in Afghanistan, where more perseverance, more sacrifice and more patience is required to prevent the terrorists who attacked us from doing so again.
"We see it anywhere nations, movements or strongmen are tempted to believe the United States does not have the will or the means to stand by our friends, to meet our commitments and to defend our way of life," he continued.
President Reagan knew this inherently, Gates said. "Ronald Reagan was a great president who acted and planned, but most importantly, who dreamed and believed," the secretary said. "And he truly accomplished great things."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 11, 2009 - A flexible American strategy based on Ronald Reagan's inflexible belief in liberty was key to the fall of the Berlin Wall, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here yesterday. The secretary spoke at the Library of Congress at a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Wall. The Reagan Library sponsored the event.
And Gates was in a position to know: he served as the deputy director of intelligence at the CIA, and as deputy National Security Advisor under President George H.W. Bush.
When Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, American influence was low: Iran had humiliated the United States in taking hostages at the embassy in Tehran, the country was in what President Jimmy Carter called a malaise and the Soviet Union looked to match or surpass American military might.
Gates called Reagan "the ultimate Cold Warrior." The new president's first job was to restore America's military strength. "A broad U.S. defense build-up began early in the Reagan administration, with more advanced planes, ships, submarines, combat vehicles and nuclear weapons added to America's arsenal," Gates said during his speech.
And Reagan wasn't afraid to use this new American power. Libya challenged American naval might in the Mediterranean Sea with the "Line of Death" at the Gulf of Sidra. In 1981, Reagan sent two aircraft carriers across the line, and Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi sent two fighters to challenge the American ships. \
"Big mistake," Gates said. Under Ronald Reagan's new, aggressive rules of engagement, two F-14 Tomcats splashed the two Libyan fighters."
Reagan extended the strategy of containment of the Soviet Union far beyond the primary theater of Europe. The Soviets found themselves being confronted in Africa, Asia and Central and South America, Gates said.
"While countering the Soviets ... had been a common feature of every administration since the end of World War II, under President Reagan this struggle gained new moral energy, purpose and sense of urgency," Gates said.
Reagan believed that the West would triumph over communism in his lifetime, and through his two terms in office he never lost sight of that, the secretary said. On Jun 12, 1987, Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate on the western side of the Berlin Wall and issued a challenge to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
"Mr. Gobachev, tear down this wall," Reagan said.
Gates said there were some in Reagan's own State Department who didn't want him to say those words, but the president stuck to his guns.
But Reagan was not simply an ideologue. "President Reagan also had the insight, the sense of historical moment, to know when it was time to sheathe the sword, soften the tone and re-engage – even with our most implacable enemy," Gates said.
Reagan's meeting with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko in 1984, was "a turning point," the secretary said. The president followed this with meeting with new Soviet Leader Gorbachev in 1985. And there were items the two sides could negotiate, Gates said.
"He made it clear that we did not value the ICBMs, tanks, or warships in and of themselves. They were negotiable," the secretary said. "No, the West's differences with the East – the democracies' dispute with communism – was, he said, 'not about weapons, but about liberty.'"
Reagan never lost sight of the fact that the Cold War was a struggle of ideas and economic systems at it root. There were treaties with the nation Reagan called "the Evil Empire." Gorbachev and Reagan signed the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987, banning the use of these missile systems.
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Gates was President George H.W. Bush's deputy national security advisor. He spoke of his wonder at seeing hundreds of thousands of Berliners dancing on the Wall, hacking away pieces of it and knocking down whole sections with bulldozers.
"There were hundreds of thousands of people in the streets and virtually no violence," Gates said. "Within two years, the other Soviet satellites had broken free as well, and again, largely without violence. The effort to reform communism, as suspected, actually ended up sweeping it away. For its foundation was force and terror and without them, communism could not survive."
The world changed when the wall fell 20 years ago, and people are still trying to devise strategies that work in a different, but still dangerous world, the secretary said. "In many ways geopolitics are much more complex than when two nuclear-armed superpowers tested each other," he said.
Still there are lessons to be learned, and first among them is the appeal of freedom – political, economic and spiritual. "And the idea that free men and women of different cultures and countries can, for all the squabbling inherent in democracy, come together to get the big things right, and make the tough decisions to deter aggression and preserve their liberty," Gates said.
Each generation must make this choice, he said. "It is a sad reality that in our time and in the future ... there will be those who seek through violence and crimes to dominate and intimidate others," Gates said. "We saw this on (/11, and we see it today in Afghanistan, where more perseverance, more sacrifice and more patience is required to prevent the terrorists who attacked us from doing so again.
"We see it anywhere nations, movements or strongmen are tempted to believe the United States does not have the will or the means to stand by our friends, to meet our commitments and to defend our way of life," he continued.
President Reagan knew this inherently, Gates said. "Ronald Reagan was a great president who acted and planned, but most importantly, who dreamed and believed," the secretary said. "And he truly accomplished great things."
Hood, Nation Pay Tribute to Victims of Post Shooting Spree
By Andrew Evans
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 11, 2009 - The mournful and all too familiar scene of a bugler playing Taps occurred again here Tuesday as the Fort Hood community paid its respects to fallen warriors struck down last week allegedly at the hands of a lone gunman, who also happened to wear an Army uniform. "No words can ever express our sadness," Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, III Corps and Fort Hood commanding general said before President Barack Obama took the stage. "We can never accept the loss of soldiers at home," Cone added. "Our Army family shares in the loss of your loved ones."
The general also praised the courage of the soldiers who disregarded their own safety to render aid to others at the scene.
Prior to his public address, the president spoke with many of the survivors and the families of the fallen. Speaking to an estimated 15,000 people at the memorial, Obama vowed that justice will be done in the attack that left 13 dead and 43 wounded.
"No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts," Obama said, noting that Soldiers who responded to the attack "remind us of who we are as Americans."
Although the president told the families that "no words can fill the void that has been left," he added, "your loved ones endure through the life of our nation.
"Their life's work is our security and the freedom that we too often take for granted. Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town; every dawn that a flag is unfurled; every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – that is their legacy," the president said.
The Fort Hood community has suffered 545 soldiers killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Cone said, "but never did we expect to pay such a high price at home."
The Army Chief of Staff, Gen. George Casey, added, "Grieve with us. Don't grieve for us.
"Those who have fallen did so in the service of their country," he said. "They freely answered the call to serve, and they gave their lives for something that they loved and believed in."
The fallen came from 11 different states and from all walks of life to answer the call of service, Cone said, emphasizing their diversity. The deadly incident will motivate Soldiers to renew their resolve and commitment of the military and to win the nation's wars, the general said.
"May our continued service be a tribute to them," Cone said.
Like generations before them, President Obama said this generation of servicemembers has paid the price for freedom.
"Their life's work is our security and the freedom that we too often take for granted. Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town; every dawn that a flag is unfurled; every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – that is their legacy."
At the conclusion of the memorial ceremony, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama laid a presidential coin before each of the 13 battlefield crosses – the helmet, boots and rifle representing each of those killed – before family members and comrades filed past.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 11, 2009 - The mournful and all too familiar scene of a bugler playing Taps occurred again here Tuesday as the Fort Hood community paid its respects to fallen warriors struck down last week allegedly at the hands of a lone gunman, who also happened to wear an Army uniform. "No words can ever express our sadness," Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, III Corps and Fort Hood commanding general said before President Barack Obama took the stage. "We can never accept the loss of soldiers at home," Cone added. "Our Army family shares in the loss of your loved ones."
The general also praised the courage of the soldiers who disregarded their own safety to render aid to others at the scene.
Prior to his public address, the president spoke with many of the survivors and the families of the fallen. Speaking to an estimated 15,000 people at the memorial, Obama vowed that justice will be done in the attack that left 13 dead and 43 wounded.
"No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts," Obama said, noting that Soldiers who responded to the attack "remind us of who we are as Americans."
Although the president told the families that "no words can fill the void that has been left," he added, "your loved ones endure through the life of our nation.
"Their life's work is our security and the freedom that we too often take for granted. Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town; every dawn that a flag is unfurled; every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – that is their legacy," the president said.
The Fort Hood community has suffered 545 soldiers killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Cone said, "but never did we expect to pay such a high price at home."
The Army Chief of Staff, Gen. George Casey, added, "Grieve with us. Don't grieve for us.
"Those who have fallen did so in the service of their country," he said. "They freely answered the call to serve, and they gave their lives for something that they loved and believed in."
The fallen came from 11 different states and from all walks of life to answer the call of service, Cone said, emphasizing their diversity. The deadly incident will motivate Soldiers to renew their resolve and commitment of the military and to win the nation's wars, the general said.
"May our continued service be a tribute to them," Cone said.
Like generations before them, President Obama said this generation of servicemembers has paid the price for freedom.
"Their life's work is our security and the freedom that we too often take for granted. Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town; every dawn that a flag is unfurled; every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – that is their legacy."
At the conclusion of the memorial ceremony, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama laid a presidential coin before each of the 13 battlefield crosses – the helmet, boots and rifle representing each of those killed – before family members and comrades filed past.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
VA Official Celebrates 'Alive Day' With Crew
By Navy Lt. Jennifer CraggSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 10, 2009 - As the nation honors its past and present servicemembers on this Veterans Day, many who have worn the uniform of their country will reflect on their service's creed and what it means to them. One wounded warrior drew strength from the Soldier's Creed during some of the darkest days in her recovery.
Maj. L. Tammy Duckworth, an Army National Guard helicopter pilot and the Veterans Affairs Department's assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, taped copies of the Soldier's Creed outside her door and across from her bed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here as she struggled to recover from injuries she suffered in Iraq in 2004.
These are the words she said helped her survive:
"I am an American Soldier. I am a Warrior and member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army values. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. I am an expert and I am a professional. I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat. I am guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an American soldier."
"For me, the Soldier's Creed was critical to my survival after I was injured," Duckworth said. "When I woke up and I was going through everything I was going through in an intensive care unit and when I finally went to my room, they just had my name on the outside of my door. And, I wanted people to know that a soldier was in this room.
"I put that creed outside of my door because that is what I lived by," she continued. "I put it on my room on the wall opposite of my bed so that I could read it every day, and on the days when I didn't think I could make it."
This year, the day after Veterans Day, Duckworth and the Black Hawk crew that was with her the day their helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade will get together to reminisce and celebrate their "alive day" -- a day known to wounded warriors as the day they were wounded and lived.
"We get together once a year on 'alive day' to celebrate survival, to celebrate a new birthday," she said. "That day will be stuck in our minds for the rest of our lives. It can be a really sad day or it can be a really happy day, and we chose to make it a happy day."
The crew has come together to celebrate every year since 2005, except for last year, when some deployed with the Missouri National Guard. The crew, all of whom serve with the Illinois and Missouri National Guards, consists of Chief Warrant Officer Dan Milberg, Chief Warrant Officer Pat Meunks, Sgt. Chris Fierce, Warrant Officer Kurt Hanneman, Sgt. Matt Backeus and Duckworth.
Deployment to Iraq
Duckworth, a Guardsman for 18 years, deployed to Iraq in March 2004 as the assistant operations officer for an aviation task force consisting of more than 400 soldiers and 44 Black Hawks and Chinook helicopters.
"I was a battle captain," she said. "I ran the tactical operations center, and I did everything from receiving missions, assigning them to the various task forces, keeping track of aircraft as they flew their missions."
In addition, Duckworth sought permission to carry on flying twice a week.
"All aviators want to do is to just fly," she explained. "We don't want to man a desk. We want to go outside the wire and fly."
Duckworth had logged about 200 hours of flight time when her aircraft was struck. When she wasn't flying, she was managing aircraft from the tactical operations center.
"We had aircraft mishaps, but nobody was injured by hostile fire," she said. "It was really interesting, because I was the battle captain when those mishaps happened, and I had to be the one to lead the response. ... And as a result of a series of mishaps before mine, I had actually put into place and refined a procedure of how we would operate for the next mishap."
On the day Duckworth was injured north of Baghdad, she had served in Iraq eight months to the day.
She recalled that she and her crew were approaching the end of their eight-hour mission when they received orders to divert to Taji to retrieve some passengers.
"We diverted over, but the personnel were gone by the time we got to their location," she said.
After reaching Taji and with no additional passengers, Duckworth and her crew resumed the last leg of their flight to Balad. "We had a really great day, as a matter of fact," she said. "We had a crew that I really enjoyed flying with."
Duckworth said she had always looked forward to the flight with Milberg, a senior pilot who had flown in Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and always prepared for the "what ifs."
"I had just handed over the flight controls to Dan when I heard the 'tap, tap, tap' on the fuselage, and I knew that we were hit," she said. "I was in the position of reaching forward when the RPG hit, and that blew off the entire back of my right arm. It basically anatomized my right leg. It kicked my left leg up into the instrumental panel, and that sheared my leg off and the cockpit filled with smoke."
The RPG punched a gaping hole into the aircraft's floor and control systems. Duckworth continued to attempt to fly the aircraft, but was in and out of consciousness. With her entire instrument panel inoperable, she recalled calling on her other crew members to check their status, but received no response. She thought she was the only one alive. She instinctively fell back on her training to try to complete the landing, she said.
At the time of the landing, she recalled, she didn't know her legs weren't attached. "How often do you look down to see if your legs are there?" she said. "I could still feel them."
While Duckworth searched for a safe place to land, the perfect clearing materialized. "We were over a grove of trees with no place to land, but it was like a miracle when I saw an open space in a field," she said.
Duckworth was fading in and out of consciousness, but unbeknownst to her, Milberg also spotted the same clear landing. It was Milberg who flew and landed the aircraft, she said, adding that she is satisfied she attempted to do her job despite being incapacitated.
Duckworth credits Milberg's superior pilot skills and his clear-headed actions with saving their lives. Milberg later received the Distinguish Flying Cross for his actions.
Once their Black Hawk landed, a medical evacuation helicopter arrived in seconds. Duckworth's crew did not realize she was alive, due to the severity of her injuries. But the crew chiefs of the two aircraft suspected she might still be alive and called for medical attention, even as one of them was severely injured himself.
The medevac aircraft crew checked on Duckworth and realized she was in critical condition; her femoral artery was severed along with her legs. She would have bled out within minutes without the proper medical treatment.
Duckworth received treatment in Baghdad and later Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany to stabilize her condition. She woke up eight days later at Walter Reed.
Though she didn't know it at the time, it was the procedures Duckworth had written that ultimately helped her unit handle the downing of the aircraft. Her immediate supervisor later told her that the center's staff began pulling together the proper procedures to follow, and at the time, he realized they were using what she had recently implemented. Essentially, her best efforts to save others in time of distress would instead be used to respond to her own shootdown.
Arriving at Walter Reed
"When I woke up in Walter Reed in intensive care, I had the imprints of the flight controls bruised into both of my hands," Duckworth said. "I was hanging on to them as hard as I could, even though they were probably severed from the blast."
Waiting by her bedside were the first four female amputee warriors, whose friendship she values in the bond they share.
"Before I even woke up, all four of the previous female amputees had been in to see my family and to see me," Duckworth said. While they may not see each other every day, they are always there for her if she needs to talk, she said.
One of the female wounded warriors who helped her during the most difficult part of her recovery was Army Sgt. 1st Class Juanita Wilson, who helped Duckworth manage the pain when her body wouldn't tolerate morphine before one of her many surgeries.
"I lay in bed for five days in pain. She was the only one who really understood," Duckworth recalled. "She radiated this peace and this serenity, and I would lay there in absolute agony, counting down the minutes, and I would look at her and she would just smile ... and tell me that I could do it. Even so soon after her own injuries, she was still a true [noncommissioned officer], and backbone of the Army for this soldier."
Duckworth spent 13 months at Walter Reed, and was released on Dec. 14, 2005, nearly a year after she was injured.
Moving On
Soon after leaving Walter Reed, Duckworth became the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, where she served until 2008. The U.S. Senate confirmed her for her current job on April 22 and she was sworn in by Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki on April 24.
"There is no way I could have predicted that I would end up here," she said. Prior to her deployment, she worked for Rotary International, working on international public health projects.
"The last thing I was trying to do before I was deployed was trying to get wheelchairs sent to Iraq for war victims and civilians who had been injured," she added. "I loved that public health aspect, and I am very concerned about the health aspect."
Duckworth said she reflects on her injury day, and while she doesn't know why she survived, she realized very soon afterward that she would make it count.
"I don't know why I survived Iraq, and I don't know why I made it home, but I want to use this time to give back to my buddies from Iraq," she said.
Despite her injuries, Duckworth is still able to fly. When she returns home to Illinois and the weather accommodates, she flies a Piper Warrior.
"Being able to still fly is two things: it is joy, ... and the other component of it is just control of my life," she said. "And, it is not letting the insurgent who shot an RPG at me have control of my life, and he is not going to take something away from me. For me, it is also a determination to live my life the way I want to live it."
For her heroism and ability to live up to the Soldier's Creed, Duckworth was awarded the Purple Heart, the Air Medal and the Combat Action Badge.
(This is the 15th installment of the Wounded Warrior Diaries series. Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Fort Hood Renders Emotional Farewell to Fallen Comrades
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 10, 2009 - Thousands of soldiers, veterans, military family members and civilian employees gathered here beneath brilliant blue skies to bid an emotional farewell to 13 of their own killed during last week's shooting rampage, and to support the families left behind. Many of the 38 wounded during the attack had recovered enough from their injuries to attend today's memorial service, which included eulogies by President Barack Obama, Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey Jr. and Army Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone, the 3rd Corps and Fort Hood commander.
The service, held in front of the flag-draped 3rd Corps headquarters, opened with the haunting call of bagpipes. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Donald Felt read a roll call, marked by painful silences after the names of the fallen. The 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Air Cavalry Brigade broke the quiet with the roaring firing of volleys.
A flag fluttered in the breeze at half-staff as the 1st Cavalry Division's Army Master Sgt. Natasha Harley delivered a soulful rendition of "Amazing Grace." But nothing captured the solemnity of the occasion as movingly as Army Sgt. Christopher William's gut-wrenching wail of taps.
"For those families who have lost a loved one, no words can fill the void that has been left," Obama told those gathered in a sea of Army combat uniforms that stretched across the parade field.
But the president assured the families that their mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters and brothers won't be forgotten. "Your loved ones endure through the life of our nation," he said. "Their memory will be honored in the places they lived and by the people they touched. Their life's work is our security, and the freedom that we too often take for granted."
Official comments during today's service, and in interviews with soldiers here, reflected an unshakable bewilderment that the losses allegedly came at the hands of one of Fort Hood's own soldiers.
Cone noted the hundreds of losses Fort Hood has suffered on the battlefield. "Never did we expect to pay such a high price at home," he said.
"It's just sad that it had to be one of our own," Army Spc. Brian Hill of the 2nd Warrior Transition Battalion said of the suspected gunman. "That's been the hardest part to deal with. At home, you don't expect things like this to happen."
Hill, who walks with a cane after being wounded in Iraq, said he's working through the stages of grief and acceptance since the incident – first shock, then grief and sadness, and now, as he hears more details, anger. Stopping short of assigning blame, he said, "it's senseless, and it never should have happened."
"It was a kick in the gut," Casey acknowledged during his address, but also one that evoked countless acts of bravery and selflessness amidst the tragedy.
The fallen shared a belief in the United States' values and ideals and a willingness to put themselves on the line to protect it, he said. "They gave their lives for something they loved and believed in," he told their families.
Cone joined Obama and Casey in calling on his soldiers, their families and the close-knit local community to take care of each other as they work through the tragedy.
Many of his soldiers called today's service an important step in a healing process they said begins with honoring the fallen and their families.
"It reaffirmed who we are and what we stand for," said Army Spc. Jerry Jeanlouis, an Army reservist with the 478th Transportation Company here preparing for his upcoming deployment.
Jeanlouis was scheduled to be at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center when the gunshots erupted there last week. But instead, he had asked to postpone his appointment so he could go to the range for additional weapons training.
Several of his fellow soldiers were at the facility, but none were among those killed or wounded.
"Now, we must move on," Jeanlouis said after today's service. "We will carry the memories of the fallen in our hearts."
Army Sgt. John Vacaro, a Ranger assigned to the 38th Cavalry's B Troop, came to today's service "to honor our comrades, our brothers in arms."
He was across post in West Fort Hood when the shooting occurred, and didn't know anyone directly affected. But Vacaro said the incident struck deeply throughout the Fort Hood community.
Back home only since August after a 12-month deployment to Iraq, Vacaro shook his head contemplating that a soldier had allegedly taken his fellow soldiers' lives on their home soil. "This is supposed to be your safe spot," he said.
Army Spc. Peter Kniskern, a 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery soldier who returned from Iraq in July, was two blocks away when the shots rang out that afternoon of Nov. 5.
Kniskern had just come off the previous night's staff duty, and was catching some shut-eye in his barracks room when his cell phone started buzzing. Anxious family members in Alabama were calling and sending text messages, wanting to know if he was OK. He'd heard sirens in the distance, but not yet aware of the shooting, had dismissed them as some kind of drill.
"It's an eye-opener," he said of the incident, still unable to accept that the accused is a soldier. "It was one of our own guys who we trusted."
Today, as he waited for the memorial service to begin, Kniskern said the significance of today's service transcended the luminaries at the podium.
"This is about us paying respect," he said. "I'm just happy that they are being honored, and that the family members are being taken care of and respected."
Army Sgt. John Newhof, a 38th Cavalry B Troop soldier, said today's service sends a message beyond Fort Hood's gates. "It shows the outside world that we take care of our families and each other," he said. "This is one large family."
"This shows the world that we stick together....It shows that we are a family," echoed Jenni Yacub, wife of retired Army Sgt. Harold Yacub, who works at the base's military pay office.
Yacub wasn't at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center during the shootings, but several of her coworkers were, helping soldiers just returned from deployments or preparing to deploy soon.
Behavioral counselors arrived at her office the next day to give the staff an opportunity to talk about the whirlwind of emotions they were experiencing. "That helped a lot," Yacub said.
"We have to get through this," she said, her voice choking with emotion. "It's all a part of moving beyond what has happened."
Yacub called today's service a big step in that direction. "It's very, very important to us," she said, particularly with the president's show of support. "It touches us," she said. "It shows that he cares about the soldiers."
Her husband, who retired from Fort Hood and has lived in the local community for the past 15 years, said today's service helps bring a sense of closure from last week's tragedy.
"This is a very supportive, military-oriented community. We're bonding together and dealing with the tragedy," he said. "But it really helps to know that we have support from the president, the vice president and the whole chain of command ... We as a community will get through this."
As he began walking off the parade field after today's service, cane in hand, Hill said he was happy to see the fallen properly honored. "This is a part of closure that will start the healing process," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 10, 2009 - Thousands of soldiers, veterans, military family members and civilian employees gathered here beneath brilliant blue skies to bid an emotional farewell to 13 of their own killed during last week's shooting rampage, and to support the families left behind. Many of the 38 wounded during the attack had recovered enough from their injuries to attend today's memorial service, which included eulogies by President Barack Obama, Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey Jr. and Army Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone, the 3rd Corps and Fort Hood commander.
The service, held in front of the flag-draped 3rd Corps headquarters, opened with the haunting call of bagpipes. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Donald Felt read a roll call, marked by painful silences after the names of the fallen. The 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Air Cavalry Brigade broke the quiet with the roaring firing of volleys.
A flag fluttered in the breeze at half-staff as the 1st Cavalry Division's Army Master Sgt. Natasha Harley delivered a soulful rendition of "Amazing Grace." But nothing captured the solemnity of the occasion as movingly as Army Sgt. Christopher William's gut-wrenching wail of taps.
"For those families who have lost a loved one, no words can fill the void that has been left," Obama told those gathered in a sea of Army combat uniforms that stretched across the parade field.
But the president assured the families that their mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters and brothers won't be forgotten. "Your loved ones endure through the life of our nation," he said. "Their memory will be honored in the places they lived and by the people they touched. Their life's work is our security, and the freedom that we too often take for granted."
Official comments during today's service, and in interviews with soldiers here, reflected an unshakable bewilderment that the losses allegedly came at the hands of one of Fort Hood's own soldiers.
Cone noted the hundreds of losses Fort Hood has suffered on the battlefield. "Never did we expect to pay such a high price at home," he said.
"It's just sad that it had to be one of our own," Army Spc. Brian Hill of the 2nd Warrior Transition Battalion said of the suspected gunman. "That's been the hardest part to deal with. At home, you don't expect things like this to happen."
Hill, who walks with a cane after being wounded in Iraq, said he's working through the stages of grief and acceptance since the incident – first shock, then grief and sadness, and now, as he hears more details, anger. Stopping short of assigning blame, he said, "it's senseless, and it never should have happened."
"It was a kick in the gut," Casey acknowledged during his address, but also one that evoked countless acts of bravery and selflessness amidst the tragedy.
The fallen shared a belief in the United States' values and ideals and a willingness to put themselves on the line to protect it, he said. "They gave their lives for something they loved and believed in," he told their families.
Cone joined Obama and Casey in calling on his soldiers, their families and the close-knit local community to take care of each other as they work through the tragedy.
Many of his soldiers called today's service an important step in a healing process they said begins with honoring the fallen and their families.
"It reaffirmed who we are and what we stand for," said Army Spc. Jerry Jeanlouis, an Army reservist with the 478th Transportation Company here preparing for his upcoming deployment.
Jeanlouis was scheduled to be at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center when the gunshots erupted there last week. But instead, he had asked to postpone his appointment so he could go to the range for additional weapons training.
Several of his fellow soldiers were at the facility, but none were among those killed or wounded.
"Now, we must move on," Jeanlouis said after today's service. "We will carry the memories of the fallen in our hearts."
Army Sgt. John Vacaro, a Ranger assigned to the 38th Cavalry's B Troop, came to today's service "to honor our comrades, our brothers in arms."
He was across post in West Fort Hood when the shooting occurred, and didn't know anyone directly affected. But Vacaro said the incident struck deeply throughout the Fort Hood community.
Back home only since August after a 12-month deployment to Iraq, Vacaro shook his head contemplating that a soldier had allegedly taken his fellow soldiers' lives on their home soil. "This is supposed to be your safe spot," he said.
Army Spc. Peter Kniskern, a 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery soldier who returned from Iraq in July, was two blocks away when the shots rang out that afternoon of Nov. 5.
Kniskern had just come off the previous night's staff duty, and was catching some shut-eye in his barracks room when his cell phone started buzzing. Anxious family members in Alabama were calling and sending text messages, wanting to know if he was OK. He'd heard sirens in the distance, but not yet aware of the shooting, had dismissed them as some kind of drill.
"It's an eye-opener," he said of the incident, still unable to accept that the accused is a soldier. "It was one of our own guys who we trusted."
Today, as he waited for the memorial service to begin, Kniskern said the significance of today's service transcended the luminaries at the podium.
"This is about us paying respect," he said. "I'm just happy that they are being honored, and that the family members are being taken care of and respected."
Army Sgt. John Newhof, a 38th Cavalry B Troop soldier, said today's service sends a message beyond Fort Hood's gates. "It shows the outside world that we take care of our families and each other," he said. "This is one large family."
"This shows the world that we stick together....It shows that we are a family," echoed Jenni Yacub, wife of retired Army Sgt. Harold Yacub, who works at the base's military pay office.
Yacub wasn't at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center during the shootings, but several of her coworkers were, helping soldiers just returned from deployments or preparing to deploy soon.
Behavioral counselors arrived at her office the next day to give the staff an opportunity to talk about the whirlwind of emotions they were experiencing. "That helped a lot," Yacub said.
"We have to get through this," she said, her voice choking with emotion. "It's all a part of moving beyond what has happened."
Yacub called today's service a big step in that direction. "It's very, very important to us," she said, particularly with the president's show of support. "It touches us," she said. "It shows that he cares about the soldiers."
Her husband, who retired from Fort Hood and has lived in the local community for the past 15 years, said today's service helps bring a sense of closure from last week's tragedy.
"This is a very supportive, military-oriented community. We're bonding together and dealing with the tragedy," he said. "But it really helps to know that we have support from the president, the vice president and the whole chain of command ... We as a community will get through this."
As he began walking off the parade field after today's service, cane in hand, Hill said he was happy to see the fallen properly honored. "This is a part of closure that will start the healing process," he said.
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 10, 2009
NAVY
Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc., Monroeville, Pa., is being awarded a $110,459,702 modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-2102) for naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Schenectady, N.Y. (86 percent), and Monroeville, Pa. (14 percent). No contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on contracts supporting the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. The contracting activity is the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C.
EG&G Technical Services, Inc., Stafford, Va., is being awarded a $39,421,851 time-and-material contract for the procurement of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle contract support services. The MRAP vehicles are armored vehicles with blast resistant underbodies designed to protect the crew from mine blasts, fragmentary and direct fire weapons. This contract will procure services to support the MRAP program in the following areas: program management, acquisition, systems engineering, test and evaluation, logistics, safety, quality and administrative support. Work will be performed in Stafford, Va., and is expected to be completed by the end of November 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $39,421,851 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured, with two proposals solicited and two offers received. The contracting activity is the Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., (M67854-10-F-5023).
W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co., Biloxi, Miss., is being awarded a $37,258,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a community hospital tower at Keesler Air Force Base. Work will be performed in Biloxi, Miss., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website,with seven proposals received. The contracting activity is the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., (N69450-10-C-0763).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
US Foodservice Baltimore/Washington, Severn, Md., is being awarded a maximum $19,387,500 fixed-price with economic price adjustment, prime vendor contract for total food and beverage support. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was web solicited with three responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Nov. 13, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-08-D-3186).
Jianas Brothers Packaging Co., Kansas City, Mo.*, is being awarded a maximum $7,369,320 firm-fixed-price, total set aside contract for MRE Program food components. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. There were originally seven proposals solicited with five responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Nov. 13, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM3S1-06-D-Z119).
Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc., Monroeville, Pa., is being awarded a $110,459,702 modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-2102) for naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Schenectady, N.Y. (86 percent), and Monroeville, Pa. (14 percent). No contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on contracts supporting the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. The contracting activity is the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C.
EG&G Technical Services, Inc., Stafford, Va., is being awarded a $39,421,851 time-and-material contract for the procurement of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle contract support services. The MRAP vehicles are armored vehicles with blast resistant underbodies designed to protect the crew from mine blasts, fragmentary and direct fire weapons. This contract will procure services to support the MRAP program in the following areas: program management, acquisition, systems engineering, test and evaluation, logistics, safety, quality and administrative support. Work will be performed in Stafford, Va., and is expected to be completed by the end of November 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $39,421,851 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured, with two proposals solicited and two offers received. The contracting activity is the Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., (M67854-10-F-5023).
W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co., Biloxi, Miss., is being awarded a $37,258,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a community hospital tower at Keesler Air Force Base. Work will be performed in Biloxi, Miss., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website,with seven proposals received. The contracting activity is the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., (N69450-10-C-0763).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
US Foodservice Baltimore/Washington, Severn, Md., is being awarded a maximum $19,387,500 fixed-price with economic price adjustment, prime vendor contract for total food and beverage support. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was web solicited with three responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Nov. 13, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-08-D-3186).
Jianas Brothers Packaging Co., Kansas City, Mo.*, is being awarded a maximum $7,369,320 firm-fixed-price, total set aside contract for MRE Program food components. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. There were originally seven proposals solicited with five responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the fourth option year period. The date of performance completion is Nov. 13, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM3S1-06-D-Z119).
Chairman Hails Nation's Veterans
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 10, 2009 - In his annual Veterans Day message, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, notes that gratitude for U.S. military veterans is evident not only in the United States, but also overseas. Here is the text of the admiral's message:
Since the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, our Nation has reverently reflected upon those who selflessly defend America. This day now symbolizes the deep gratitude of citizens for their military: the millions of dedicated Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen and their families.
Tangible depictions and memorials to military service exist in cities across our land and even overseas: commemorating Soldiers and Airmen who liberated Europe, Sailors who won the war in the Pacific, Marines who etched their glory in stone at Iwo Jima, and Coast Guardsmen who stand watch over our shores. But the spirit behind such service truly resides in the hearts and souls of our veterans themselves. America could not be more proud of you.
This spirit of service continues to shine in the faces of veterans today. I have seen them this year in my travels around the world and throughout our Nation. We are committed to remembering their service, caring for wounded warriors and their families, and overcoming the challenge of homelessness.
On this day we stop to reflect on the invaluable sacrifice so selflessly given by those who have gone before us. We will never forget them, their families or the freedoms we enjoy today because of their devotion to duty.
To all our veterans – past and present – and your families, the Joint Chiefs and I salute you and thank you for your service.
Nov. 10, 2009 - In his annual Veterans Day message, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, notes that gratitude for U.S. military veterans is evident not only in the United States, but also overseas. Here is the text of the admiral's message:
Since the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, our Nation has reverently reflected upon those who selflessly defend America. This day now symbolizes the deep gratitude of citizens for their military: the millions of dedicated Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen and their families.
Tangible depictions and memorials to military service exist in cities across our land and even overseas: commemorating Soldiers and Airmen who liberated Europe, Sailors who won the war in the Pacific, Marines who etched their glory in stone at Iwo Jima, and Coast Guardsmen who stand watch over our shores. But the spirit behind such service truly resides in the hearts and souls of our veterans themselves. America could not be more proud of you.
This spirit of service continues to shine in the faces of veterans today. I have seen them this year in my travels around the world and throughout our Nation. We are committed to remembering their service, caring for wounded warriors and their families, and overcoming the challenge of homelessness.
On this day we stop to reflect on the invaluable sacrifice so selflessly given by those who have gone before us. We will never forget them, their families or the freedoms we enjoy today because of their devotion to duty.
To all our veterans – past and present – and your families, the Joint Chiefs and I salute you and thank you for your service.
Gates Notes Poignancy of Veterans Day Observance
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 10, 2009 - The Nov. 5 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, provides a special sense of poignancy to this year's Veterans Day observance, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in his annual message commemorating the holiday. Here is the text of the secretary's message:
On this our ninth Veterans Day since the attacks on September 11th, let us take a moment to remember those, past and present, who have served our nation in uniform.
Today we remain a nation at war with hundreds of thousands of men and women deployed far from home. Those serving on the front lines face hardship, danger, and a ruthless and resourceful enemy. Their families keeping vigilant watch for their loved one's return serve and sacrifice as well.
This Veterans Day is especially poignant given the atrocity that took place at Fort Hood, where those who stepped forward to serve were cut down as they were preparing to deploy. The thoughts and prayers of the entire country are with the wounded and the families of the fallen. Our hope is that time will eventually assuage the anguish that this terrible act has caused.
Our nation cannot fully repay the debt owed our veterans and their families, but we can use this opportunity to reflect and remember what these brave Americans have done. David Lloyd George, speaking during the opening months of World War I, the conflict that began this day of remembrance, said: "The stern hand of fate has scourged us to an elevation where we can see the everlasting things that matter for a nation – the great peaks we had forgotten, of Honor, Duty, Patriotism, and clad in glittering white, the towering pinnacle of sacrifice pointing like a rugged finger to Heaven."
To America's veterans: on behalf of a grateful nation, thank you for your towering pinnacle of sacrifice on behalf of your countrymen.
Nov. 10, 2009 - The Nov. 5 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, provides a special sense of poignancy to this year's Veterans Day observance, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in his annual message commemorating the holiday. Here is the text of the secretary's message:
On this our ninth Veterans Day since the attacks on September 11th, let us take a moment to remember those, past and present, who have served our nation in uniform.
Today we remain a nation at war with hundreds of thousands of men and women deployed far from home. Those serving on the front lines face hardship, danger, and a ruthless and resourceful enemy. Their families keeping vigilant watch for their loved one's return serve and sacrifice as well.
This Veterans Day is especially poignant given the atrocity that took place at Fort Hood, where those who stepped forward to serve were cut down as they were preparing to deploy. The thoughts and prayers of the entire country are with the wounded and the families of the fallen. Our hope is that time will eventually assuage the anguish that this terrible act has caused.
Our nation cannot fully repay the debt owed our veterans and their families, but we can use this opportunity to reflect and remember what these brave Americans have done. David Lloyd George, speaking during the opening months of World War I, the conflict that began this day of remembrance, said: "The stern hand of fate has scourged us to an elevation where we can see the everlasting things that matter for a nation – the great peaks we had forgotten, of Honor, Duty, Patriotism, and clad in glittering white, the towering pinnacle of sacrifice pointing like a rugged finger to Heaven."
To America's veterans: on behalf of a grateful nation, thank you for your towering pinnacle of sacrifice on behalf of your countrymen.
Executive Order Seeks More Veterans in Government
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 10, 2009 - President Barack Obama signed an executive order yesterday aimed at hiring more veterans to work in the federal government. A governmentwide Council on Veterans' Employment will be chaired by Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.
The order calls on each federal agency to establish a veterans employment program office designed to help veterans get through the maze of paperwork as they apply for positions in the federal work force and mandates that agencies train personnel specialists on veteran employment policies.
It calls on agencies to work with the Defense Department and VA to develop and apply technologies designed to help disabled veterans.
A smaller steering committee that includes the defense, VA and labor secretaries and the director of the Office of Personnel Management also was created by the order. The smaller committee will focus on the kinds of employment opportunities available to veterans and the assistance that they need to transition from the military to federal civilian jobs.
Marilee Fitzgerald, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for civilian personnel policy, said the executive order is intended to promote and showcase opportunities for veterans. "The idea is to generate attention to the skills and capabilities that our men and women in the military possess across the federal government," she said.
The Defense Department has 750 career fields and employs about 350,000 veterans. "We're very fortunate in the Defense Department to understand how good our veterans are and how they train, what they do, and other federal agencies don't," Fitzgerald said in an interview. "The idea is to ensure we can leverage and coordinate our efforts across the federal entity to ensure they become as acquainted with our veterans as the Department of Defense."
The directors of the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget have placed special emphasis on improving the hiring process governmentwide, Fitzgerald said, and the veterans initiative will benefit from that. The federal hiring process will be streamlined to make it easier for people to apply for federal jobs, she explained.
Noel Koch, deputy undersecretary of defense for wounded warrior care and transition policy, said the executive order will make it easier for disabled veterans to gain federal employment. Medical advances have changed just what a disability is in the United States today, he noted.
"We have double amputees jumping out of airplanes, and they still are able to serve in the military," Koch said. "We have a different idea about what is fit to fight than we used to have."
The problems come with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. "There is still a stigma associated with that, no matter what we try to do to erase that," he said. "They don't want this on their record. Many of our people want to go into law enforcement, for example. If you've got this on your record, there is a prejudice against people who have this disorder from carrying weapons. These are just some of the obstacles these people face."
The president's order will go a long way toward solving many of these problems, Koch said, noting that the Defense Department and the VA hire many veterans.
"Department of Homeland Security could and should [hire veterans]," he said. "Where the real issue comes is with the domestic agencies – Department of Transportation, Health and Human Services, Education and so on. There, the numbers [of veterans hired] are much lower, and we have to correct that."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 10, 2009 - President Barack Obama signed an executive order yesterday aimed at hiring more veterans to work in the federal government. A governmentwide Council on Veterans' Employment will be chaired by Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.
The order calls on each federal agency to establish a veterans employment program office designed to help veterans get through the maze of paperwork as they apply for positions in the federal work force and mandates that agencies train personnel specialists on veteran employment policies.
It calls on agencies to work with the Defense Department and VA to develop and apply technologies designed to help disabled veterans.
A smaller steering committee that includes the defense, VA and labor secretaries and the director of the Office of Personnel Management also was created by the order. The smaller committee will focus on the kinds of employment opportunities available to veterans and the assistance that they need to transition from the military to federal civilian jobs.
Marilee Fitzgerald, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for civilian personnel policy, said the executive order is intended to promote and showcase opportunities for veterans. "The idea is to generate attention to the skills and capabilities that our men and women in the military possess across the federal government," she said.
The Defense Department has 750 career fields and employs about 350,000 veterans. "We're very fortunate in the Defense Department to understand how good our veterans are and how they train, what they do, and other federal agencies don't," Fitzgerald said in an interview. "The idea is to ensure we can leverage and coordinate our efforts across the federal entity to ensure they become as acquainted with our veterans as the Department of Defense."
The directors of the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget have placed special emphasis on improving the hiring process governmentwide, Fitzgerald said, and the veterans initiative will benefit from that. The federal hiring process will be streamlined to make it easier for people to apply for federal jobs, she explained.
Noel Koch, deputy undersecretary of defense for wounded warrior care and transition policy, said the executive order will make it easier for disabled veterans to gain federal employment. Medical advances have changed just what a disability is in the United States today, he noted.
"We have double amputees jumping out of airplanes, and they still are able to serve in the military," Koch said. "We have a different idea about what is fit to fight than we used to have."
The problems come with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. "There is still a stigma associated with that, no matter what we try to do to erase that," he said. "They don't want this on their record. Many of our people want to go into law enforcement, for example. If you've got this on your record, there is a prejudice against people who have this disorder from carrying weapons. These are just some of the obstacles these people face."
The president's order will go a long way toward solving many of these problems, Koch said, noting that the Defense Department and the VA hire many veterans.
"Department of Homeland Security could and should [hire veterans]," he said. "Where the real issue comes is with the domestic agencies – Department of Transportation, Health and Human Services, Education and so on. There, the numbers [of veterans hired] are much lower, and we have to correct that."
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