High-Performance MRO in the Military

Nov. 18, 2009 Military supply chains are unique because what is supplied to the end user is routinely returned to the supply chain for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). Offering a blueprint for transforming military depot workload and processes into those of high-performance commercial facilities, Enterprise Sustainability: Enhancing the Military’s Ability to Perform Its Mission provides a powerful system of concepts and tools for enhancing the ability of the military to perform MRO on its weapon systems. These concepts and tools are applicable to any enterprise, military or commercial, that is concerned about sustainability.

The text focuses on five abilities that must be considered to achieve efficient, cost-saving operations: Availability of required parts, facilities, tools, and manpower; Dependability of the weapon systems; Capability of the enterprise to perform the mission; Affordability and improving the life cycle cost (LCC) of a system or project; Marketability of concepts and motivating decision makers; Aging weapons systems, an aging workforce, limited financial resources, new technologies, and an increased military operational tempo demand that the military develop an aggressive transformation plan for its sustainability.

This book follows An Architecture for a Lean Transformation, the first in a series dedicated to sustaining an enterprise. In this second volume, the authors continue to provide an analysis of, and prescription for, the strategies, principles, and technologies that are necessary to sustain an enterprise like the military and the weapons system it develops and utilizes.

About the Authors
Dennis F.X. Mathaisel holds the Doctor of Philosophy degree from MIT. He was a Research Scientist in the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics at MIT for over 20 years, where most recently he was a lead researcher for the MIT Lean Sustainment Initiative and consultant for the U.S Air Force. He was founder and President of a computer software firm that developed systems for airline scheduling and resource allocation, and he was a Branch Manager for Operations Research at the McDonnell Douglas Corporation. Currently, he is Professor of Management Science at Babson College, where his teaching interests are in the fields of management science and quantitative methods, and his research is focused on the sustainment of complex aging systems and lean manufacturing. His publications appear in numerous academic and professional journals, and he is a Full Member of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI), and the Airline Group of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (AGIFORS). He was President of the Air Transportation Research International Forum (ATRIF). Dennis is a private pilot and an owner of a Cessna 182 aircraft.

Joel M. Manary is a senior systems engineer for Ocean Systems Engineering Corporation. He has more than 20 years experience in acquisition program management and systems engineering management. He was a program manager of an automated tool improvement project. He was a senior systems analyst, staff consultant and advisor to senior managers in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense, and Naval Air Systems Command. He also has more than 20 years experience in operational systems support, as an active duty Air Force maintenance officer. He holds a master of science degree in logistics and systems acquisition management at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He is an MIT research fellow and has participated in several studies as part of the MIT Advanced Studies Program.

Clare L. Comm is professor of marketing in the College of Management at the University of Massachusetts – Lowell, where she specializes in services marketing and buyer behavior. She has also taught at Babson College, Radcliffe Seminars Program, and the University of Indonesia for MIT’s Flight Transportation Laboratory. She is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Business Excellence. She also is an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation affiliate. She holds a Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Cincinnati.

More Information

Homeless Dogs Help Healing Troops

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 18, 2009 - Lawrence Minnis never met a dog he didn't like. "I want just about every dog I see," the Army captain said with a laugh. Minnis is especially fond of pit bulls, and he somewhat resembles his favorite breed -- broad-shouldered, stocky and muscular. He sat on the floor in the back of a classroom at a Washington Humane Society shelter here recently, stroking his adopted black pit bull, Ebony.

As happy and healthy as the two appear now, they met when they were both on the mend – Minnis from a near-crippling infection and Ebony from nearly starving and freezing to death. The two shared a companionship that helped them heal and ultimately altered the course of their lives.

Minnis met Ebony through the Humane Society's Dog Tags program in which soldiers recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center sign up to help the shelter dogs learn to behave. It's a program in which everyone benefits, officials said; the soldiers get out of the hospital and learn to care for and train the dogs, and the dogs learn better behavior, making them more adoptable.

"They're really loving those relationships with the animals," said Diana Foley, behavior and training counselor with the Humane Society. "It gives them a way to get away from Walter Reed. They can come here and interact with the animals."

The program began simply enough more than a year ago. The shelter is located just across the street from the Walter Reed campus. Soldiers out walking would come across shelter staff members walking the dogs. They would stop and pet the dogs and seemed to enjoy getting to know them. Officials at the shelter had the idea to hook the two together through a training program for the troops and the dogs.

The society now offers two classes weekly that teach soldiers about dog behavior and training. Troops filter through the Georgia Avenue shelter learning the basics of dog behavior and how to read dog body language and train the dogs. The mix of hands-on and classroom training offers the troops enough expertise that they can use the skills as a launching pad for a career.

"We want the program to be educational so that if there are servicemembers in the program that want to potentially pursue this as a career, ... they're getting as much information as possible and as much hands-on time as possible with the dogs," Foley said. "We also want it to be recreational, too, for people who ... just love animals and like spending time with the dogs."

The six-month program is split into three levels, ranging from beginner to advanced. In the beginner class, troops learn basic animal body language and obedience commands such as "sit" and "stay." In the advanced classes, troops learn to evaluate the dogs' temperament and how to begin working with aggression issues and separation anxiety.

The skills the dogs learn in the classes translate to better placement opportunities, Foley said. The program has far expanded the amount of training the shelter's dogs received previously.

"This is another way our dogs are outside of their kennels being talked to and touched and interacting with people," she said. "That's extremely beneficial to reduce the stress levels of the animals in our kennels, and at the same time, it makes the animals far more successful in their new homes if they come into it with some basic obedience training."

But for all of the good it is for the dogs, it is equally beneficial for the recovering troops, Foley said.

"It's really just an outlet to be social with people and social with the animals and have time away from the hospital," she said.

Foley described one soldier who came to the class who was having difficulty interacting with people. He didn't make eye contact and kept to himself. Working with the dogs built his confidence and helped to bridge his shyness with the staff.

"It really helped him develop social relationships with people," Foley said. "He went from being a very, very shy person when he first entered. [Now] he's totally not that same shy person that he came into the program being."

Some of the dogs are at the shelter for a few months, and many of the soldiers develop close relationships with them. Others develop friendships with the staff. Some soldiers remain on as volunteers at the shelter long after the classes end, Foley said. Minnis continues to work with the shelter.

After a viral infection in his brain stem left him temporarily unable to walk and barely able to talk, the Army officer found himself recovering at Walter Reed. He was deployed to Iraq at the start of a promising Army career when he got sick. At Walter Reed, he found out he couldn't deploy again.

In May 2008, his occupational therapist recommended him to the Dog Tags program. Minnis said he had wanted to get a dog for a pet anyway, so he thought it would be a good opportunity to learn a few skills. The shelter had several of his favorite breed on hand, and the dogs were good companions and good for his physical therapy.

"It helped me while I was still trying to walk, being active, having to walk around with the dog. [During training], I'm not focused on me having balance issues or [not] being able to speak. I'm concentrating on what I need to do to train the dog," Minnis said. "It takes the focus completely off of me and puts it on the dog and what we're doing."

But Minnis' interests soon expanded, and often he would visit the shelter just to sit and play with the dogs. He said it was his quiet time.

"You don't have anybody asking you what's going on. You don't feel a threat. It's a just a dog to bond with and have fun with," he said.

As it looked more like he would be medically retired, Minnis said the training took on a different perspective. He was a business major in college, and always wanted to be an entrepreneur. He figured a dog training business would be easy to start and not require a lot of money or overhead.

"I figured it's a perfect opportunity," he said. "I get to learn how to train [and] have a business I can work on, or at least a side business."

Minnis eventually adopted Ebony, one of his favorite dogs. The two now regularly attend the shelter classes, helping to train others on animal behavior. Minnis also takes Ebony to the Metropolitan Police Department when he speaks to cadets going through training there, noting that he hopes to cast a more positive light on a breed that has captured a lot of negative attention.

He teaches the cadets to read a dog's body language so they can tell when there is a real threat.

"I would take her with me ... so they can get used to seeing a pit bull that's not what they see on TV," Minnis said. "Often, officers don't really know if the dog is friendly, scared or ready to attack."

In fact, Ebony is one of the friendliest dogs the cadets will meet, he said -- friendly enough that he felt comfortable bringing her home to his two small boys.

"It's never about the breed. It's about who owns them and how well you train them and the structure you have around them," Minnis said. "From Day One, she was perfect around my kids. She respected them."

In the end, though, it is not a dog-training business that Minnis decided to pursue. It is, however, what he learned from the lessons during the training and while working with the dogs that led to what he hopes is a promising career.

During the training, Minnis said, he began pondering how leadership principles in dog training are the same as with dealing with people.

"Dogs are pack creatures. Humans are pack creatures. It's the same leadership," he said. "It's not about a title, or in our case in the military, your rank, that makes you a leader. It's if you're doing the natural things that make you a leader in your pack."

Now Minnis is researching and writing a book on the principles of leadership and packaging a presentation targeting businesses, the military and government. He already has given a few presentations on his theories, and is refining and expanding on them.

Minnis still is a few weeks away from his medical retirement, and is working to get back to 100 percent. He has joined a gym, started jogging, and adopted another pit bull from the shelter named Nina.

Between working on his recovery and his book, Minnis said, he hopes to help the humane society expand the Dog Tags program. It is worthy, he said, of reaching beyond the Capital Beltway and out to other active duty installations.

"Anywhere you go, there are going to be dogs that need training and soldiers who are going through some type of therapy that will benefit from it," he said. "I want to make sure that's going to be able to expand and reach out to a lot more soldiers. It's a great program."

Maersk Alabama Crew Repels Suspected Pirate Attack

By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Schaeffer
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 18, 2009 - The U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama's security team repelled an attack from suspected pirates this morning 560 nautical miles off the northeastern coast of Somalia, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command officials reported. Four suspected pirates in a skiff came within 300 yards of the Maersk Alabama and used small-arms weapons in an attempt to board the ship.

The ship's security team responded with evasive maneuvers, long-range acoustic devices and small-arms fire, causing the suspected pirates to break off their attack. The acoustic devices emit a high-pitched sound that can be painful to human ears.

"Due to Maersk Alabama following maritime industry's best [anti-piracy] practices such as embarking security teams, the ship was able to prevent being successfully attacked by pirates," said Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet. "This is a great example of how merchant mariners can take proactive action to prevent being attacked, and why we recommend that ships follow industry best practices if they're in high-risk areas."

No injuries or damage were reported aboard the ship, which is proceeding to its destination of Mombasa, Kenya.

Suspected Somali pirates briefly seized the Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia on April 8 and held the ship's skipper, Capt. Richard Phillips, hostage for five days on a skiff. U.S. naval forces rescued Phillips on April 12, killing three suspected pirates and taking one into custody.

(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Schaeffer serves with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.)

National Guard (In Federal Status) And Reserve Activated As Of November 17, 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 1,045 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 106,104; Navy Reserve, 6,516; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 13,756; Marine Corps Reserve, 7,838; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 774. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 134,988, 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/d20091117ngr.pdf.

Pentagon Ceremony Honors Top Teachers

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 18, 2009 - The top teachers in the Defense Department's worldwide school system were recognized yesterday by the U.S. military's senior officer at a Pentagon ceremony. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, greeted and thanked the Department of Defense Education Activity's Teacher of the Year and District Teachers of the Year award recipients for 2010.

"There is probably no more important profession at this time in our history than teaching," Mullen told the assembled educators.

The annual Teacher of the Year program highlights the significant role that DoDEA teachers play in students' lives and the contributions they make to the quality of life for military families, particularly the stability and consistency they provide during times of deployment and separation. A panel selects the annual Teacher of the Year from among district nominees.

DoDEA's teachers have "been a big part of the glue that is holding us together in an enormously stressful time," said Mullen, noting many military parents are deployed overseas in support of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It is important, Mullen said, for military parents "to know that their kids are in good schools and [are] being well taught."

Susan S. Morris, nominated by the Heidelberg District in Germany, is the 2010 DoDEA Teacher of the Year.

District Teachers of the Year also honored at the ceremony include:

-- Gretchen Wall, Bavaria District, Germany;

-- Pam Koon, Georgia/Alabama District;

-- Juana Aguon, Guam District;

-- Margaret Ann Bruce, Isles District, England;

-- Cleo Strazdas, Kaiserslautern District, Germany;

-- Brenda Schultz-von-Hawker, Kentucky District;

-- Clover Stephenson, Korea District;

-- Suzanne Sperl, Mediterranean District;

-- Lynn Magalong Lowe, New York/Virginia/Puerto Rico District;

-- Darla Williamitis, North Carolina District;

-- Seth Renquist, Okinawa District, Japan; and

-- Mitch Finley, South Carolina/Fort Stewart District.

"It is just the ultimate milestone of my career to represent the men and women of the military and their children and all the teachers that we have in DoDEA," Morris said. She teaches social studies to 7th and 8th graders in Heidelberg, Germany.

Teaching "is a personal calling," Morris said, and good teachers build positive relationships with students and their families.

"Get to know your kids and develop a great relationship with them," she said. "From that, you invest in the families, and you find out what their needs are."

Aguon teaches algebra and geometry at Guam High School.

"I really shouldn't be self-congratulatory" about being recognized as a district-level DoDEA Teacher of the Year, she said, noting her honor is "all about" the teaching profession.

"We all have a responsibility to our kids; especially to our military kids," she said.

Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, was on hand to congratulate the department's top teachers.

"These teachers represent the highest quality of educators that we have in this country," said Thomas, noting that DoDEA's Teacher of the Year recipient goes on to compete in the National Teacher of the Year competition. President Barack Obama is slated to announce the winner in April.

"Our Department of Defense teachers have one of the highest pass rates of students in the country – and that's on a global scale," Thomas said. "It is important to recognize the fact that they are teaching and building American citizens through education."

More than 85,000 students, ranging from pre-kindergarten through grade 12, began this school year at 192 DoDEA schools worldwide. About 8,700 teachers work at DoDEA schools located stateside and in 12 foreign countries.

"We understand that as we teach them, both abroad and stateside, it is for the well-being of the country," Thomas said. "And that is our future."

A CRITICAL LOOK AT NAVY V. EGAN

A 1988 U.S. Supreme Court decision known as Department of the Navy v. Egan has often been interpreted to support broad presidential authority over national security generally and over access to classified information in particular. Along with United States v. Reynolds, Curtiss-Wright, and a few other cases, Egan is regularly cited in support of strong, even unchecked executive authority and judicial deference to executive claims. It has become a cornerstone of national security law as practiced today.

But the case has often been misunderstood and misrepresented, according to a new study by Louis Fisher of the Law Library of Congress, who reviewed the development and interpretation of Egan in more than 180 judicial decisions.

The Egan decision was prompted by a narrow statutory dispute: Did the Merit Systems Protection Board (an executive branch body) have the authority to review the revocation of a security clearance by the Navy (another executive branch body)? The court concluded that Congress had not intended to permit such review.

But in reaching that straightforward conclusion, "various passages in Egan strayed from this central issue and created confusion and misconceptions"
about the scope of executive authority and the role of the courts, wrote Dr. Fisher. Among such passages was a discussion of the President's constitutional powers culminating in the statement that "Unless Congress specifically has provided otherwise, courts traditionally have been reluctant to intrude upon the authority of the Executive in military and national security affairs."

Over time, Egan came to signify the notion that courts should grant the "utmost deference" -- or even absolute deference -- to the executive on issues of national security. Citing Egan, one court in 1993 held that "the presumption of reviewability is entirely inapplicable in matters concerning national security." This is an extreme view that would exclude the courts altogether from national security affairs. "Egan does not support that interpretation," wrote Fisher. But there it is.

In a 2002 report on leaks of classified information, Attorney General John Ashcroft cited Egan in support of the proposition that "The President has the power under the Constitution to protect national security secrets from unauthorized disclosure. This extends to defining what information constitutes a national security secret and to determining who may have access to that secret." These statements are true except for the implication that such authority is exclusively the province of the executive. The Attorney General conspicuously neglected to note the qualification in Egan which stated "Unless Congress has specifically provided otherwise...."

Recently, observed Fisher, some courts have presented a more nuanced reading of Egan. In proceedings such as Al-Haramain and Horn v. Huddle, courts have rebuffed executive arguments for complete deference in cases where Congress has legislated its intent into statute.

Fundamentally, Fisher concludes, "Nothing in Egan recognizes a plenary or exclusive power on the part of the President over classified information."
See "Judicial Interpretations of Egan" by Louis Fisher, Law Library of Congress, November 13, 2009:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/eprint/egan.pdf

Dr. Fisher will be the luncheon speaker at a day-long conference November
18 on "The State of the State Secrets Privilege" at American University Washington College of Law.

MILITARY CONTRACTS November 17, 2009

NAVY
Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $41,100,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-03-C-5102) for combat systems engineering (CSE) and installation and test aboard KDX-III Ship 2 to support Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Military Sales. ROK competitively selected the U.S. Navy/Lockheed Martin Aegis Combat System (ACS) for its KDX-III shipbuilding program. These requirements include the necessary CSE, computer program development, and ship integration and test support to deliver a variant of the U.S. Navy Aegis weapon system Baseline 7 Phase I computer program and equipment to support the construction of the second Korean ship in the KDX-III class. In addition, this contract funds an integrated test team to assist the Korean shipyard in performing installation and testing of the ACS. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (53 percent), and (Korea 47 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

ARMY
GM GDLS Defense Group, LLC, JV, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Nov. 12, 2009, a $16,623,805 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. This contract is to determine and provide long lead materials required to support the reset of Stryker Brigades 3/2, 4/2 and 5/2. Work is to be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich. (3 percent), and Shelby Township, Mich. (97 percent), with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Tank Automotive & Armament Command, SFAE-GCS-BCT-P, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-D-M112)

Ascend Intelligence, LLC, Arlington, Va., was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $14,035,223 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the research and development, sustainment and procurement of an advanced tactical information system, a tactical ground reporting system of networked information systems with map based user interface. Work is to be performed in Arlington, Va. (86.95 percent), Fort Washington, Pa. (4.7 percent), San Diego, Calif., (1.95 percent), Falls Church, Va. (5.36 percent), and Cherry Hill, N.J. (1.04 percent), with an estimated completion date of Nov. 16, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 59 bids received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contract Management Office, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-10-C-0030).

King Fisher Marine Service, LP, Port Lavaca, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $8,937,945 firm-fixed-price contract. The work will consist of maintenance deep draft channel dredging of approximately 3.6 million cubic yards and spillbox repair. Work is to be performed in Harris County, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2010. Ten bids solicited with three bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Galveston, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-10-C-0007).

Kustom Truck & RV, Inc., Coos Bay, Ore., was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $6,480,000 firm-fixed-price contract for 200 each and 100 percent option maintenance kits, for the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck. Work is to be performed in Coos Bay, Ore., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 14, 2010. One bid was solicited with two bids received. U.S. Army Tank, Automotive Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-10-C-0017).

GTS International, LLC, Euless, Texas, was awarded on Nov. 16, 2009, a $5,942,797 firm-fixed-price contract for various night vision equipment items and various support items for Foreign Military Sales cases. Work is to be performed in Euless, Texas, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2010. One sole source bid was solicited with one bid received. The CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (W12P7T-10-C-D210).

SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
L-3 Services, Inc., of Reston, Va., was awarded a $24,827,222 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a base year and four optional years for the imagery analysis services requirement in support of Special Operations Command. The work will be performed primarily at Fort Bragg, N.C. The services will run through Nov. 16, 2014, if all options are exercised. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was awarded through full and open competition. The contract number is H92222-10-C-0005.

Fort Hood Casualties to Receive Combatant Status Under New House Legislation

Army and civilian personnel who were wounded or killed in the shooting attack on Fort Hood would be granted the same legal status as combatant casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, if bipartisan legislation introduced today by U.S. Representative John Carter (R-TX31) passes into law. Carter was joined by U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX10) for a news conference unveiling the bill in the House Radio-TV Gallery in the U.S. Capitol this afternoon. Watch the news conference here.

“Our Fort Hood casualties should receive the same benefits and recognition as other combat casualties,” says Carter, who represents the Fort Hood area in the House, “as this was a planned terror attack on U.S. military personnel. It should make no difference in our care for the wounded and the families of the slain whether it occurred on an Army base in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Texas.”

While many military and survivor benefits are the same regardless of the status of the casualty, combatant status allows military personnel to receive the Purple Heart, and civilians to receive the equivalent award, the Secretary of Defense Medal of Freedom. Combatant status would also guarantee that the beneficiaries of all military personnel who lost their lives in the attack would receive the maximum life insurance available, extended family housing privileges, and other benefits.

“This bill is not about investigations or assigning blame,” says Carter. “It is about taking care of our troops and their families first. That’s why we have such strong support from both sides of the aisle, and why we hope and expect this to move quickly.”

Over 30 House Members nearly evenly split between parties joined Carter as original co-sponsors on the legislation. Carter is Co-chairman of the House Army Caucus for the 111th Congress, and is Secretary of the House Republican Conference.

Obama Offers Tough Talk on North Korea, Iran

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 17, 2009 - President Barack Obama today emphasized the importance of keeping international efforts focused on nuclear weapons programs in North Korea and Iran. In a joint news conference in Beijing with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Obama said both leaders agreed on the need for the six-party dialogue involving the United States, China, Japan, Russia and both Koreas to resume as soon as possible. He also warned of potential "consequences" if Iran fails to demonstrate its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.

"North Korea has a choice: It can continue down the path of confrontation and provocation that has led to less security, less prosperity, and more isolation from the global community," Obama said, "or it can choose to become a full member of the international community, which will give a better life to its people by living up to international obligations and foregoing nuclear weapons."

North Korea backed out of talks last spring after receiving widespread international condemnation for conducting a missile launch in April, which it followed with a second nuclear test.

Obama expressed appreciation to China, considered one of North Korea's main allies, for supporting nuclear nonproliferation efforts aimed at Pyongyang.

"I told [Hu] how appreciative I am of China's support for the global nonproliferation regime as well as the verifiable elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons program," Obama told reporters following a meeting with his Chinese counterpart at the Great Hall.

Speaking about the nuclear program in Iran, Obama said he and Hu agreed that the government in Tehran must provide assurances to the international community that its nuclear program is peaceful and transparent.

"On this point, our two nations and the rest of our P5-plus-1 partners are unified," Obama said, referring to the five permanent U.N. Security Council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany.

The International Atomic Energy Agency this week demanded Iran provide more information about the purpose of a previously secret nuclear site and indicated Tehran could be hiding other facilities, according to reports.

"Iran has an opportunity to present and demonstrate its peaceful intentions," Obama said. "But if it fails to take this opportunity, there will be consequences."

Air Force Warfare Center Improves Warfighter Support

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nev., Nov. 17, 2009 - At the Air Force Warfare Center here, lessons learned supporting ground troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are being shared with the aviation community and incorporated into the training as quickly as they're developed. Meanwhile, the center's operational arm, the 57th Wing, is helping to train warfighters to take maximum advantage of air assets available to support them, as well as airmen who operate directly with them in the combat theater.

"When you look around the warfare center, it is hard to think of what really isn't connected to today's fight in some shape or form," said Air Force Maj. Gen. Stanley "Ted" Kresge, Air Force Warfare Center commander. "The entire institution is responding to what is going on, and how it can better support the troops on the ground."

The 561st Joint Tactics Squadron is the most forward edge of that effort. Its members regularly deploy into the combat theater to identify emerging tactics, techniques and procedures, as well as gaps in warfighter support.

"We form teams of experts across mission areas and travel to Iraq and Afghanistan to interview people at war, sit down and have discussions about what's working, what's not working, what's going on, and [asking], 'What have you learned since you have been here?'" Kresge said. "They're not only trying to find out what is working, but also what is not working, then to close the book and do something about it with a feedback cycle."

The teams report their findings back to the schoolhouse to incorporate into its programs, which provide the world's most advanced training in weapons and tactics employment to combat air forces officers.

The warfare center shares these lessons with the Air Force aviation community, as well as Army and Marine Corps leaders, during regular joint forums. But another popular venue, the Web-based "Community of Practice," reaches out to a broader population with a real-time tactics exchange. The forum is by far the most-viewed network on the Air Force Knowledge Now portal.

"Folks can get on there and prepare their training plan before they go to the [combat theater]," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Russell J. Handy, the 57th Wing commander. "It gives them the opportunity to learn first-hand what is going on over there, and what they need to train for differently."

Meanwhile, as the warfare center's operations arm, the 57th Wing supports this effort through tactics development geared to the evolving threat.

For example, the wing helped to identify the best ways for the F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft, designed as a long-range interdiction platform, to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and close-air support missions in the current fight.

Also, training on the massive Nevada Test and Training Range here, it tested tactics used to provide reconnaissance and close-air support in conditions found in the combat zone. The wing came up with techniques for tracking high-value targets riding in fast-moving vehicles, "skipping" bombs deep inside tunnels serving as insurgent hiding grounds, and increasing the precision of strikes in busy urban centers without causing collateral damage.

Currently, the wing is focused heavily on taking better advantage of digital tools such as the remote operated video enhanced receiver, or ROVER, to improve coordination between ground troops and Air Force support elements, Handy said.

"What we found over the years is that there is a lot more efficient and better way to pass information than just jumping on the radio and talking to each other," he said.

Far better, he explained, is enabling front-line forces to receive streaming video directly from both manned and remotely piloted aircraft. Digitally aided close-air support tools provide the same operational picture to ground commanders, the on-the-ground joint terminal attack controller and aircraft pilot, he explained.

"Every time you hear better or different ways of doing things, we're on top of it," Handy said. "It's all about how to most quickly and efficiently support those troops on the ground."

As the 57th Wing advances new tactics, techniques and procedures, the Air Force Warfare Center works to get them out to the Air Force community as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, the wing also helps to train ground troops to take maximum advantage of air support available to them.

It provides air support for ground forces about to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq during their mission rehearsal exercises at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., and the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.

A detachment based at the Army Fires Center at Fort Sill, Okla., trains joint fires officers operating at the platoon level to coordinate close-air support, when needed.

In addition, the wing provides advanced training for airmen who working directly with ground troops in the combat theater, with an increasing focus on training more joint terminal attack controllers who typically work at the corps level to coordinate close-air support.

"We are rapidly expanding that program to meet the demands in the area of responsibility, and looking for better and more efficient ways to train," Handy said.

Ultimately, he said, the mission comes down to increasing the Air Force's effectiveness in supporting ground troops in harm's way. "It's all about being able to find out that there is someone in trouble on the ground, and as quickly and efficiently as possible, help that soldier on the ground," he said.

The joint effort – ground forces supported by air assets – brings a capability exponentially larger than what either ground or air forces could provide alone, he said. "I've never seen the joint relationship any stronger," he added.

Army Leaders Struggle With Soldier Suicide Rate

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

Nov. 17, 2009 - The rate of soldier suicides continues to concern Army leadership, with 211 active-duty and reserve-component suicides confirmed this year, the Army's No. 2 officer told Pentagon reporters today. "Simply stated, it is not a single problem with a defined set of symptoms or markers," said Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff. "There are no easy answers or solutions. We still haven't found any statistically significant causal linkage that would allow us to effectively predict human behavior."

As of yesterday, 140 active-duty soldiers and 71 reserve-component troops had taken their own lives this year. The Army reported 140 active-duty suicides for all of 2008, a record high since 1980, when the Army first began tracking suicide statistics.

Although 2009 likely will be another record high for suicides in the Army, Chiarelli said, a variety of actions and studies have made progress. The general noted the recently launched Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, the Suicide Prevention Task Force and the Army's five-year research partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health. But leadership intervention is the biggest factor in prevention, he said.

Almost one-third of the Army's suicides this year occurred in January and February. The trend for most months since then has been significantly lower because of the Army's initiatives to raise awareness, identify undiagnosed mental illnesses and remove the stigma of psychological issues, Chiarelli said.

"We're making progress," the general said. "The general trend line, with the exception of a couple of months, has been down. If you were to ask me the single reason why I think we're starting to make progress, it's leader involvement across the entire force."

The reality, Chiarelli noted, is that each incident is as unique as the individual. While the Army's initial cause for concern was in the stresses brought on by frequent deployments, he said, about one-third of suicides have been by soldiers who never deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Soldier suicides increased this year at Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, but were down at other frequently deployed Army posts such as Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Bragg, N.C.; and Fort Drum, N.Y., the general said.

Army officials are having difficulty pinpointing specific contributing reasons for suicide, he acknowledged, but have gained a better understanding of traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress as factors, he said.

"Fortunately, we've come to a better understanding of some of the specific symptoms that may indicate high-risk individuals," he said. "We continue to focus on the related areas of undiagnosed mild TBI, PTSD and mental illnesses, risky behavior and other stressors."

The Army continues to study the individual cases and learn more about prevention methods through its civilian partnerships and internal programs. Data from the Suicide Prevention Task Force, the National Institute of Mental Health and the execution of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness "looks very promising," Chiarelli said.

"We're continuing to conduct a holistic program review on all programs related to health promotion, risk reduction and suicide prevention," he said. "We're examining our legacy programs to ensure they are coordinated, streamlined, properly resourced and appropriate for today's soldiers, Army civilians and family members."

Comprehensive Soldier Fitness is "the biggest step" the Army has taken to enhance mental wellness through prevention rather than treatment, he added.

"It's an investment in the readiness of our force that gives the same emphasis to psychological, emotional and mental strength that we have previously given to physical fitness," he said.

Army Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum, chief of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, said that although the Army historically has focused primarily on physical fitness and technical proficiency of soldiers in their job-related field, psychological fitness is essential in today's era of persistent conflict.

Through Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, she said, Army leadership and individual soldiers can assess and build on their decision-making abilities, coping skills and communication skills. Eventually, more mentally fit soldiers will be able to pass their knowledge on to less-fit soldiers, just as soldiers always have done with physical fitness, she said.

"Those things together, if you improve on them, are increasing resilience and psychological fitness," Cornum said. "And happily, these are things that can be taught. We need to give everybody an education so that we bring everybody up to a higher level than they came.

"Just like physical fitness," she added, "we need to bring [soldiers] up to their psychological potential. And if people are already good at those things, we then teach them how to be an example."

Chiarelli and Army leadership have their first of what will be annual briefings from the National Institute of Mental Health in early December. For the past year, the Army has been providing the institute with information and data on its suicide cases.

The institute's recommendations will be implemented in the Army's current programs and initiatives, he said, adding that such briefings will be constant for at least the next five years.

Commander Returns to Vietnam

By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew R. White
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 17, 2009 - Nearly 35 years ago, Navy Cmdr. H.B. Le left Vietnam aboard a fishing trawler. He returned at the helm of a U.S. Navy warship when the guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen arrived here Nov. 7 for a scheduled port visit. "My crew and I are proud to be able to represent our country to the people of Vietnam," said Le, Lassen's commanding officer. "This visit is a symbol of the friendship between our two nations, and we are deeply honored to be a part of it. I'm very humbled by the amazing opportunity to get to Vietnam after more than 34 years. I feel so fortunate to bring Lassen and my crew to Vietnam."

Le's story of escape followed by prosperity in the United States reads like a Hollywood script.

"My father was a commander in the South Vietnamese Navy and was serving as the deputy commanding officer of Nha Be Naval Support Base when we left Vietnam," he said. "The evening of the 29th of April, 1975, his commanding officer left the country with his family without telling my dad, and when his officers told him about that, he assumed command.

"The next day, only after realizing Saigon had fallen, did my dad tell his remaining men to go home to their families and to make sure to take care of them," he continued. "My dad navigated a fishing trawler with 400 passengers out to sea, where we were picked up by USS Barbour County on May 2, 1975."

Leaving Vietnam had a profound impact on his family, Le said. "My parents had to start all over again with no money in their pockets. Thanks to some truly generous and wonderful Americans who sponsored us, my dad was able to forge a new beginning," he said.

The Le family settled in Virginia. As his father had many years before him, Le heard the call of the seas as he grew older. He became a U.S. citizen in 1985, and graduated with merit from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1992 and received his commission a U.S. Navy officer.

"Growing up, my father never pushed me to join the Navy or anything like that," Le said. "He said, 'Do what you want to do, but whatever you do, do your best at it.' So when I did decide to go to the Naval Academy, he was proud of me for that."

The crew Le leads is one of few in the Navy who have had the opportunity to visit the Asia-Pacific nation since the end of hostilities in 1975.

"I never thought I'd have a chance to visit Vietnam," said Navy Seaman Michael McLean, a logistics specialist from Gahanna, Ohio. "All that history that happened in Vietnam, and now I get to see it first-hand," he said.

The port visit gives McLean and his fellow sailors the opportunity to interact with the people of Da Nang and experience their customs and culture, and to compete in soccer and basketball games against students from the University of Da Nang. But the visit is not just about fun and games; Lassen's crew will take part in two community service projects in the Da Nang area.

Le assumed command of Lassen and its crew of nearly 300 in April. The ship is one of seven destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15, forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, as part of the U.S. 7th Fleet.

(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew R. White serves with Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, Detachment Japan.)

Official Calls Military Child Care 'Model for Nation'

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 17, 2009 - The Military Child Care Act of 1989 has made the military child care system the one to emulate. "We have come a long way," said Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, during the opening remarks of the department's annual child development conference. "The Department of Defense Child Development System is ... a model for this nation."

Thomas' statement echoes what President Bill Clinton said about the military's child development programs in 1997.

In the 20 years since enactment of the Military Child Care Act, military child care has undergone enormous change. Those changes have led to recognition by a number of organizations, including the National Association of Regulatory Administration and the National Women's Law Center for the department's commitment to high-quality, accessible, affordable child care.

Nancy Duff Campbell, co-president of the National Women's Law Center, lauded the military's approach to improving its system. The Military Child Care Act was particularly important, she said, because it applied a systemic approach to improving the quality, affordability, and availability of child care for all servicemembers, regardless of rank or income.

"The military child care system has been faithful in adhering to these goals in operations and furthering them in a systemic way," she said.

By contrast, she said, the private-sector child care industry is a patchwork of legislative initiatives resulting in an incomprehensive approach to addressing the challenges of providing affordable child care to the civilian population.

Speakers at the Defense Department conference agreed that accreditation, inspection and training are necessary for a successful child-care program. In fact, 97 percent of the more than 300 military child development centers serving more than 200,000 children are accredited through the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Army suicides to top 2008, but progress reported

By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – Soldier suicides this year are almost sure to top last year's grim totals, but a recent decline in the pace of such incidents could mean the Army is starting to make progress in stemming them, officials said Tuesday.

Army Vice Chief of Staff General Peter Chiarelli said that as of Monday, 140 active duty soldiers were believed to have died of self-inflicted wounds so far in 2009. That's the same as were confirmed for all of 2008.

"We are almost certainly going to end the year higher than last year ... this is horrible, and I do not want to downplay the significance of these numbers in any way," he said.

But Chiarelli said there has been a tapering off in recent months from large surges in suspected suicides in January and February.

"Our goal since the beginning has been to reduce the overall incidence of suicide and I do believe we are finally beginning to see progress being made," Chiarelli told a Pentagon press conference.

He attributed those hints of a turning to some unprecedented efforts the Army has made since February to educate soldiers and leaders about the issue.

Officials are still stumped about what is driving the historically high rates across the military force. When asked whether the rates reflect unprecedented high stress from long and repeated deployments to provide manpower for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Chiarelli said he didn't know.

"The reality is there is no simple answer," he said. "Each suicide is as unique as the individuals themselves."

Chiarelli said that on top of the 140 suicides reported from the active duty force, there were another 71 suicides by troops in the National Guard and Reserve.

All of the numbers are preliminary in that investigations into some of the deaths are still ongoing. Of the 140 so far this year among active duty troops, 90 have been confirmed as suicides and 50 are suspected but the probes are not yet finished.

Each year, nearly all suspected suicides are eventually confirmed. For instance in 2008, there were 143 suspected and 140 were eventually confirmed.

Chiarelli said officials will continue to focus on things that are symptoms of high-risk individuals such as undiagnosed brain injuries like concussions; on Post-Traumatic Stress, and on risky behavior such as poor diet and sleep habits as well as more serious behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse.

The Army widened its suicide prevention in March in an attempt to make rapid improvements. In October, the service introduced its Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, which Chiarelli called "the biggest step ... taken to enhance wellness in the entire force through prevention rather than treatment."

The program aims to put the same emphasis on mental and emotion strength as the military traditionally has on physical strength. Basic training now includes anti-stress programs as part of a broader effort to help soldiers deal with the aftereffects of combat and prevent suicides.

Also last month, the Army started using a new screening questionnaire to try to determine preexisting or current mental health issues among troops as part of the enlistment process.

Despite those campaigns, another jump in suicide figures for 2009 would make it the fifth straight year that such deaths have set a record within the military. Last year's 140 record erased a high 115 in 2007 and 102 in 2006.

Chiarelli said officials are concerned with increases this year at Fort Campbell, Fort Stewart and Schofield Barracks and are trying to learn why suicides rates are down at Fort Hood, Fort Bragg and Fort Drum.

At Fort Campbell in Kentucky there were 18, while at Fort Bragg, N.C., which has almost double the population, there have been six all year.

Using some bases as examples of the trend downward, Chiarelli said that of the 18 suicides reported this year at Fort Campbell, 11 of those were in the first four months of the year. At Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, there were seven all year so far — five in the first five months of the year and only two since.

The numbers kept by the service branches don't show the whole picture of war-related suicides because they don't include deaths after people have left the military. The Department of Veterans Affairs tracks those numbers and says there were 144 suicides among the nearly 500,000 service members who left the military from 2002-2005 after fighting in at least one of the wars.

The true incidence of suicide among military veterans is not known, according to a report last year by the Congressional Research Service. Based on numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the VA estimates that 18 veterans a day — or 6,500 a year — take their lives, but that number includes vets from all previous wars.

___

On the Net: http://www.army.mil

Casey Visits Soldiers in Resilience Training

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 16, 2009 - Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. visited a program designed to help soldiers and their families develop resilience here today. asey met with about 200 soldiers and civilians studying to be master resilience trainers at the University of Pennsylvania. About 50 other soldiers and civilians participated in the course via video teleconference from Fort Jackson, S.C.

Resilience is more than a buzzword; it is a new way of thinking for the service. "All soldiers want to do better – whether it is physically or mentally," Casey said. "This is a way to help them do that."

The group Casey addressed here had noncommissioned officers and officers from a variety of different military occupations. The video screen from Fort Jackson showed soldiers with drill sergeant hats on their desks.

"You will be the first group to go out and help me bring this way of thinking to the Army," Casey said during a news conference and in an interview. "I firmly believe that this effort to build resilience and enhance performance is fundamentally necessary if we are going to sustain this force over the coming years."

The soldiers in the class supported this notion. "The [master resilience trainer] program is not a module to teach, but a concept to embrace and use in all things," an NCO from Fort Campbell, Ky., said.

Casey and other Army leaders began thinking of the need in the summer of 2008. Active duty soldiers were deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan for a year and returning to their home stations for a year. Reserve-component units were deploying for a year and at home for three. "We had been doing that for about five years," Casey said. The Army may be called on to continue this personnel tempo.

The Army understood it faced a problem, Casey said. The effects of repeated deployments – particularly with short "dwell times" at home stations between them are cumulative. "All our studies show that the more times you deploy with little time between deployments, the more susceptible you are to having mental fitness challenges," the general said.

Service leaders looked at what was available to combat the problem. The general said there were pre- and post-deployment assessments. There were education programs. Finally, there were good programs and treatments if there were problems. "But when we looked at the front end, we were very light on the preventive tools," Casey said. "We didn't have ways of building resilience and enhancing performance."

The Army brought together some of the best minds in the country on the subject and that led them to the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Martin Seligman, director of the university's Positive Psychology Center. Seligman put together a course for NCOs and officers to use to train their soldiers in resilience skills. "People say this helps them, not only as a soldier, but as a person," Casey said.

The goal is to have a master resilience trainer in each battalion by this time next year, Casey said. General officers and sergeants major all have been briefed on the program, and Casey is putting out another letter to them about the program.

The program has to do more than just train skills, Casey said. It also has to change attitudes.

"There is a perception out there that everyone who goes into combat gets post-traumatic stress," the general said. "That's just not true. In fact, science tells us just the opposite; the majority of people who go to combat have post-traumatic growth. They're confronted by something very difficult, and they are stronger as a result."

Studies show that people do grow from adversity. The program seeks to give trainers skills they can pass on to soldiers.

"Someone said to me that we are trying to change the Army, one soldier at a time," Casey said. "No, I want to change the Army one NCO at a time, because they will go back and change 10 soldiers."

The soldiers are receptive, Seligman said. "I was very pleasantly surprised by the way they have responded," he said during a news conference. "I think the soldiers are taking this to their lives at least as well, if not better than the many civilians we have taught."

Karen Reivich, the main teacher of the course, said "everyone in that room is putting their heart and soul into this training." She said the soldiers are "engaged and task-focused."

Reivich noted similarities between the Army training and that for civilians. "We're all humans after all," she said, but the "situations that these soldiers deal with are more complex."

This was Casey's third visit to the facility. The general also visited two pilot classes, and has studied the feedback from students and suggested changes.

"The intent of this program is to give more and more of our soldiers the skills they need so when they come out of combat they will have a growth experience," he said.

MILITARY CONTRACTS November 16, 2009

NAVY
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $96,682,393 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering, technical, design, configuration management, integrated logistics support, database management, research and development, modernization, trade, and industrial support for Los Angeles, Seawolf, Virginia, Ohio SSBN, and Ohio SSGN Class submarines, special mission submersible interfaces, submarine support facilities, as well as Foreign Military Sales programs. This contract includes options which, if exercised, will bring the total cumulative value of the contract to $635,287,686. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by September 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $44,473,900 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-10-C-2102).

Lockheed Martin MS2, Manassas, Va., is being awarded a $59,592,068 cost-plus incentive-fee, performance based, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide development, integration, and testing of the multistatic active coherent modification to the P-3C aircraft acoustic subsystem and tactical software. Work will be performed in Manassas, Va. (80 percent), and Patuxent River, Md. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $400,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-10-D-0003).

Northrop Grumman Corp., Electronic Systems, Linthicum Heights, Md., is being awarded a $44,490,000 modification under previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (M67854-07-C-2072) to increase the estimated cost ceiling for the Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar System development and demonstration, target cost, and target cost plus target fee of contract line item number 0001 by $17,490,000 to reflect undefinitized change orders for the UPX40, change to medium tactical vehicle replacement as the prime mover and the up armor. Additionally, this contract modification increases the estimated cost ceiling, target cost and target cost plus target fee of contract line item number 0001 in increase by an additional $27,000,000 to reflect the estimated cost increase associated with the 9 month schedule extension. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Md. (75 percent), and Syracuse, N.Y. (25 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 15, 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

The L3/Interstate Electronics Corp., Anaheim, Calif., is being awarded a $39,187,635 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide flight test data acquisition, processing and analysis of the TRIDENT missile flight test missions for the United States and United Kingdom. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the contract value to $49,437,854. Work will be performed in Anaheim, Calif. (50 percent); Austin, Texas (20 percent); Ascension Island (10 percent); Cape Canaveral, Fla. (10 percent); and St. Croix (10 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2010 (Sept. 2012 with options). Contract funds in the amount of $33,863,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured. The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-10-C-0009).

McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $28,000,000 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order, against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to incorporate a revised specification and statement of work for the infrared search and track technology development effort for the F/A-18E/F aircraft weapon system. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla. (50 percent); St. Louis, Mo. (40 percent); Santa Ana, Calif. (5 percent); and Irvine, Calif. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in September 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 $20,005,318 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order, against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to provide necessary supplies and services to support follow-on test and evaluation of the F/A-18E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be completed in October 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.

Seaward Marine Services, Inc., Fairfax, Va., was awarded a $9,096,597 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-D-4219) on Nov. 13, 2009, for waterborne hull cleaning and associated services to support the director of ocean engineering, supervisor of salvage and diving. The primary purpose of this contract is to provide hull cleaning, hull inspection and other related ship husbandry services on the underwater portion of Navy, Coast Guard, Army and Military Sealift Command ships and craft. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va. (54 percent); Mayport, Fla. (24 percent); Ingleside, Texas (17 percent); and New London, Conn. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by August 2010. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE
ITT Industries, Inc., of Cape Canaveral, Fla., was awarded a $66,370,706 contract which will exercise Option Year 10 contract line items. This modification will provide for the continued support for program management, interface management, systems engineering and integration, depot maintenance transition, product acquisitions and modifications, and instrument modernization for operational systems and infrastructure. At this time, $8,563,882 has been obligated. SMC SLG/PK, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., is the contracting activity (F04701-01-C-0001, P00601).

Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $18,423,384 contract which will provide for the High-Speed Anti-Radiation Mission Targeting System fiscal year 10 contractor logistics support option. At this time, $4,608,096 has been obligated. 693 ARSS/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8675-09-C-0003, P00003).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Caterpillar, Inc., Mossville, Ill., is being awarded a maximum $7,167,408 cost-plus fixed-price with economic price adjustment for vibratory compactors. Other location of performance is in Minnesota. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. The original proposal had two solicitations with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2010. The Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-01-D-0059-0393).

Nellis Plans for F-35's Opportunities, Challenges

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 16, 2009 - With the new F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft's arrival just four years away, officials at the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center here are looking forward to joint training opportunities while recognizing the challenges of providing realistic training on such a technologically advanced aircraft. Air Force Maj. Gen. Stanley "Ted" Kresge, the warfare center's commander, said there's a lot of excitement about the next-generation fighter jet slated to begin arriving here in 2014.

Much of the construction under way here will provide the new hangars, maintenance facilities and other infrastructure the new aircraft will require. Meanwhile, Kresge's staff is focused on establishing a new weapons school for F-35 pilots – an effort he said lends itself to interservice collaboration as the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps prepare for their first joint aircraft program since the Vietnam War.

Unlike the Vietnam-era F-4 Phantom II fighter-bomber, initially developed for the Navy, then adopted by the Marine Corps and Air Force, the F-35 was conceived from the drawing board as a single platform with three different variants to meet the needs of three services.

The Air Force will receive the F-35's "A" variant, which will provide conventional takeoff and landing capabilities. The Marine Corps is slated to receive the "B" variant, which has a vertical-lift capability. The Navy will receive the "C" variant, designed for carrier launches.

Plans are on track to equip the first F-35 training squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., by 2011, and for the Marine Corps to reach initial operational capability by 2012.

Kresge said he looks forward to working with his Navy counterparts as the Air Force stands up the first F-35 weapons school program at Nellis. Weapons schools provide graduate-level instructor courses, including the most advanced tactics, techniques and procedures for pilots and aircrews.

"If we are going to build a weapons school first, let's partner on it and then make it easier for them to build their weapons school," he said.

Even with three aircraft variants, the airplanes are going to be more alike than different, he said. "So since we are fundamentally going to be flying the same aircraft, I think we can all benefit from a closer collaboration," he added.

For the Air Force program, Kresge expects to tap F-35 test pilots, along with other Weapons School graduates who fly other aircraft. "We'll put them in a room, lock the door for six months, and they'll come up with the syllabus, courseware and academics," Kresge said.

They'll share their efforts as the Navy Fighter Weapons School, known as "Top Gun," prepares to start up its own F-35 program, he said, while soliciting different approaches to incorporate into the Air Force program.

"It would make no sense for the Navy to discover a new way of doing business, and then a year later, we stumble onto it ourselves," Kresge said.

The general stressed the importance of F-35 leader training to the future Air Force, noting that today's young fighter pilots will be tomorrow's F-35 squadron commanders.

"Set your watch," he said. "Fifteen years from now, we are going to want that F-35 squadron commander to be prepared to lead a squadron in war, and to bring along the squadron full of young lieutenants and captains to be the next squadron commander."

As Kresge wrestles with the training and leadership challenges associated with the F-35, the staff here is working to ensure that when the F-35 arrives, crews will have the most realistic training environment possible at the sweeping Nevada Test and Training Range.

That's particularly challenging, explained Air Force Col. John P. "Bama" Montgomery, the 98th Range Wing commander, because the F-35's systems are so advanced that they can tell simulated targets from the real thing.

"The F-35 is so smart that if it is not a real target, it won't let you hit it, because it knows what a real target is," he said. Montgomery oversees the nearly 3 million acres of ranges and 12,000 square miles of airspace that make up the Nevada Test and Training Range. A big part of the job is making the battle space as close as possible to what aircrews will experience in combat, including realistic targets.

So long before the F-35 arrives here, Montgomery and his staff are trying to figure out ways to build the next-generation targets the next-generation aircraft will need.

"We are planning ahead for it now, to give it the right kind of target sets that look visually, optically, [through] infrared and radar like the real thing," he said. "It's got to have the same acoustics, and smell like it, too."

Meanwhile, he's trying to figure out what kind of aircraft will be capable of standing in for the opposing force during advanced-level training exercises, and how to replicate multiple threats simultaneously.

"The F-35 is a very capable system, and we only have so many aircraft to throw against it," Montgomery said, noting the need to create virtual threats that the F-35 will recognize.

"It is not the same kind of problem that we used to solve," he said. "It was an easier problem before stealth [technology], and the fact that these [F-35s] are just amazingly capable. All of a sudden, the targets have to look a lot like the real thing, and the threats have to be a lot more capable, and there have to be a lot of them."

Montgomery said he's committed to working through those challenges before the F-35s start arriving at Nellis. "It's a tough problem," he said. "But the Air Force knows about it, the Department of Defense knows about it. Lots of people are working on it to solve that problem."

Ultimately, the goal is to provide F-35 crews the same level of training their counterparts receive at the Nevada Test and Training Range. "In the end, the guy gets real feedback, real time about how we has done against the threat he's going at, in a high-pressure environment," Montgomery said. "And he gets to live – and to come back and do it all over again tomorrow."

Initiative Helps Disabled Vets Stay Active

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

Nov. 16, 2009 - A recent initiative launched by the Veterans Affairs Department and the U.S. Olympic Committee is giving disabled veterans a chance to rediscover their potential through athletics and competition. memorandum of understanding was signed between the two organizations Oct. 21 to expand Paralympics sport programs to wounded warriors rehabilitating at community-level recreational facilities. Before the memorandum, Paralympics programs were offered primarily through warrior transition units at facilities such as Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and VA rehabilitation centers.

Through the agreement, the Paralympics division of the U.S. Olympic Committee and VA hope to ensure disabled veterans can be physically active when they return home, Charlie Huebner, the Paralympic division's chief, said in a recent telephone interview with American Forces Press Service.

"There's 24-hour-a-day care when you're at a VA medical center, and you've got the best care in the world there," he said. "But what we're most concerned about is when you leave that facility and go home. You might go home to a rural community that just doesn't have the resources and expertise to provide a person in a wheelchair everyday physical activity."

When rehabilitating veterans return home and they've left VA therapy behind, there may not be much opportunity to continue physical training and activity, Huebner said. Making programs available and providing training at existing recreational facilities will help to alleviate that issue.

"We've identified a significant need for injured veterans," he said. "When they return home, we want to ensure that there's expert programming, support, equipment and mentors available to them to participate in everyday physical activity. It's a significant need, and we see every day the importance of physical activity in the rehab process."

Adaptive sports rehabilitation has proven time and again to have a positive, long-lasting effect on wounded warriors, Huebner added.

Although the Paralympics focus on physical rehabilitation, it's difficult not to recognize the psychological impact, Huebner said. Something as simple as learning to play basketball or to ski with a disability, and to do so with friends and families, can greatly improve a disabled person's mental strength, which is an important aspect to recovery, he added.

"We see on a daily basis the additional outcomes that aren't necessarily our mission," he said. "Our mission isn't to find jobs and to get people in college, but what we see is persons with a physical disability going to college [or] pursuing careers who are active in their community because of the confidence they gained through sports."

The partnership gives $10 million of the VA's annual budget to the Paralympics. About $8 million of that will go to community-level recreation facilities that already serve veterans. Other funds from private Paralympics organizations will assist, Huebner said.

Huebner wouldn't speculate on exactly how many communities would be affected, but said Paralympics mentors and trainers will be on hand to enhance programs for community facilities across the country.

Since 2003, the Paralympics have been providing services for 105 community recreation facilities, 14 wounded warrior transition units and 15 VA health care systems.

"The healing power of sports is amazing," Huebner said. "When people become physically disabled, they think about all the things they can't do. That's just human nature, but something as simple as being able to shoot a basketball or skiing or playing catch with your child ... makes people realize a whole level of opportunity. Things are going to be different, but they're going to be OK."

Soldiers Compete for Barbecue Bragging Rights

By Army 1st Lt. Juan Torres Jr.
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 16, 2009 - A little bit of home made its way to this remote base in Iraq's Maysan province recently, as soldiers tested their skills in a barbecue competition. Despite unexpected downpours, violent wind gusts and hail Nov. 1, an afternoon that might otherwise have been lost to inclement weather served instead as a cloudy backdrop for a delicious contest at Task Force Saber.

"If it ain't raining, we ain't training," Army Capt. Rick Cook said with a laugh. Cook is attached to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment.

"But seriously," the captain added, "the competitors really came through and cooked up some scrumptious dishes under less-than-favorable conditions. The rain was just a challenge they needed to overcome to win. Once they got on a cooking 'glide path,' everything really fell into place."

Soldiers used closely guarded spice and sauce combinations from their hometowns, some getting their secret ingredients from as far as Washington and Georgia. They hovered over charcoal and flames as they turned otherwise average ribs, steaks and chicken into personalized, mouth-watering, culinary creations.

The competition's judges, spearheaded by Army Sgt. Maj. Steve Lewis, squadron operations sergeant major, based their appraisals on factors including taste, texture and presentation.

"The seasonings used by [B Troop] were probably the best," Lewis said. "They weren't planning on sharing their secret recipe, though."

Teams spent the final minutes of the competition perfecting their presentations, using each second to make memorable first impressions. Leading the way in overall presentation, B Troop pulled out all the stops: silver plates with matching cutlery created a sight no judge could ignore.

"We certainly took presentation into account while assessing the entries," Lewis said.

Border Transition Team Tribal, led by Army Master Sgt. Michael Grimes, used just the right blend of seasoning, mixed with a little personal touch and a dash of experience, to push its dishes into victory lane.

By the end of the competition, a broad representation of other victors emerged, including B Troop for the best chicken, and B Company, 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment for the best steak.

(Army 1st Lt. Juan Torres Jr. serves with the 1st Armored Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team.)

Officer Works to Walk Again

By Heather Graham
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 16, 2009 - Five months ago, Army Lt. Col. Tim Karcher was in Sadr City, Iraq, commanding the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, and preparing to complete the hand-off of the volatile region to the Iraqis. Today, he is relearning how to walk.

On June 28, Karcher was on his way to a ceremony to hand over control of a joint security station in Sadr City to Iraq, when a powerful roadside bomb designed to pierce armor ripped through the mine-resistant, ambush protected vehicle in which he was riding. Karcher lost both legs above the knees.

It was Karcher's third deployment. He was shot in his left shoulder in January 2006 during his second deployment, but recovered quickly and returned to his unit in Iraq six months later. This time, things were different.

Karcher was transferred from the U.S. Army Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on July 5. There, complications arose. Amputation of both legs above the knees was not the most serious of his injuries.

"Four weeks after getting to Walter Reed, they stopped talking about his legs," his wife, Alesia, said.

Karcher lost 120 pounds, dropping from his original weight of 225 to 105 pounds. Massive blood loss and the blast trauma affected his internal organs. He was nauseated and had difficulty eating. His kidney function was so poor he was on dialysis. One medication caused him to go blind for a day, which he later said was the only part of this journey that scared him.

But things slowly improved, and Karcher arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center here Aug. 19. He now stays at the Fisher House on the medical center's campus and receives therapy at the Center for the Intrepid, an outpatient rehabilitation institute for wounded warriors.

Now, the whole challenge is physical, Karcher said, adding that he is in the best place to overcome his physical challenges.

"This is the single most capable place on Earth to get us better," he said.

Family Support

Steadfast in their love and support, Karcher's wife and their three daughters -- Anna, 14, Audrey, 13, and Abbey, 8 -- have been with him every step of the way. Audrey has taken on the role of Karcher's caregiver during the time he stays at the family home near Killeen.

Karcher said he was concerned his teenage daughters would worry about the image of a father with no legs. But his concern was unfounded, he added, as all three daughters treat him the same as ever.

The family took a trip to San Diego recently for the Challenged Athletes Foundation's Triathlon Challenge. There, Karcher saw his daughters helping some of the athletes and saw their desire to help others. They also saw the possibilities of people who cannot walk or see.

Karcher attends soccer games, cross-country meets and has had lunch at his daughters' school since the injury. To his family, he is the same upbeat man who loves a challenge. "He is very much the same," Alesia said.

The family describes the support they've received from Fort Hood, the 1st Cavalry Division, the girls' schools and their church as "overwhelming."

"It makes you proud to be an Army family," said Alesia, who temporarily has stopped working as a home health-care physical therapist to focus on her family. "It definitely does not have to be the end of the world. It could always be worse."

She looks forward to their "new normal," she added. "I'm not afraid of it," she said. "I think our life will be different, but not in a bad way."

Her biggest challenge, she said, has been time management to ensure her husband's and their daughters' needs are met. While her husband stays in the Fisher House, Alesia splits her time. She cooks meals and brings them to San Antonio. She still does his laundry.

Karcher said he welcomes his opportunities to leave his "cloistered environment" to spend time with his family. "It's awesome to get to church, soccer games and cross-country meets," he said. Alesia agreed. "It makes a huge difference to be able to go home and live in our own world," she said.

Trips home remove Karcher from an environment where everything is handicapped-accessible and catered toward people with injuries such as his. But he said he likes the challenges, and knowing that they can be addressed during sessions at the Center for the Intrepid.

"Being able to go home does as much for me as a week of therapy," Karcher said. "Life continues at home. I fit into it."

Family life also includes plans made before Karcher was injured.
Alesia ran the Army 10-Miler in October that she had signed up for with a group of Cavalry spouses in April.

Dealing With Reality

After an injury, e-mails and calls taper off. Friends, families and comrades get back to their everyday lives, said Army Maj. Stuart Campbell, officer in charge of physical therapy at the Center for the Intrepid, and some patients can have a letdown when the attention fades.

"There is a protective bubble here," he said. "My job is to return these guys to the highest level possible."

Campbell knows Karcher as "Hercules." Everyone at the center gets a nickname from Campbell. "I'm bad with names," he explained with a smile.

Campbell said he also gives the nicknames to encourage the feeling of being in a military unit, and the bonding that comes with that. Good-natured ribbing and joking are frequent as Campbell works to recreate the unit environment from which they have been removed.

"When you come here, you would think you are in an infantry unit," he said, noting that for these wounded warriors, the strongest piece of their rehabilitation is the peer support.

"That's as powerful as anything," Campbell said. "They motivate each other."

Amputees such as Karcher have to retrain their hip strategy and learn to balance using their hips, gluteus and core, Campbell said.

Karcher will always have to think to walk.

"A lot of this is mental," he said.

At this point, Karcher stands on "stubbies" and still is working on his balance. He is getting his legs and muscles accustomed to bearing weight and fitting in sockets. As he progresses, he will get longer prosthetics and, eventually, knees.

"You work out muscle groups you didn't know you have," Karcher said. "It's a new challenge." He took his first steps Nov. 3, traveling about 20 feet on stubbies.

Karcher said he expects to be here for at least a year or 18 months. He is progressing well, but wants to accomplish more, he said. He is not sure how much more, he added, but walking is a definite goal.

He uses humor and willpower to embrace his new life. "It's your choice of how you choose to handle it," he said.

The New Normal

At the Center for the Intrepid, amputees work out in often unorthodox ways to strengthen their bodies and stop boredom. A modified rock wall, a wave pool and creative exercises throw some diversity in to break up the monotony of physical therapy.

The wounded warriors have devised a hierarchy of injuries. There are jokes and laughs, and many of them come from Campbell.

"The last thing we want is sympathy," Karcher said.

He doesn't want people tip-toeing around him.

"People stare, they point," Campbell said. "We make fun of them [and] treat them like they're in a normal unit."

Good-natured teasing can be motivating as well as bonding.

"From the outside, it can look odd," Campbell admitted.

Karcher said he finds it motivating to see those with injuries similar to his who are farther along. "Morale here is great," he said. "Everybody wants to get better. You just need to use good judgment on where you are."

Every case is different. While some are happy to sit back and just let things happen, others work harder to reach their goals. Seeing buddies get better is motivating for everyone, Karcher said.

"There's a total atmosphere here of seeing everybody excel, everybody getting back to where they want to be," he said. "The only thing that limits us is ourselves."

In addition to the young soldiers he sees daily, a special child has been an inspiration to the battalion commander. Karcher met 8-year-old Cody McCaslund on Sept. 17. Cody also is a bilateral transfemoral amputee. Born without knees and missing several bones in both legs, he lost his legs as an infant. But don't tell Cody he is any different.

"That kid is a ball of fire," Karcher said. "He is just an awesome kid."

Cody offered to show Karcher how to use his new legs when he gets them. Through Cody, he said, he saw that the loss of legs does not mean the loss of a normal life.

"You realize he's as normal as any kid," he said. "You see a little kid doing [what Cody does], and you've got to stop feeling sorry for yourself."

Moving Forward

Karcher is quick to laugh and sees no sense in having a pity party about his injury. "It's a waste of your time," he said. "It's not going to change anything."

He said he knows his injury will limit him in some ways, but that the Center for the Intrepid staff is around to help the wounded figure out ways to do the things they want to do.

"There shouldn't be things we can't do," he said. For example, he said, he wants to stand more than six feet tall again -- because he doesn't want to have to buy new pants.

Amputees can change their height, Campbell said, but they want to be careful not to become unbalanced. "Body image is a big deal for a lot of these guys," Campbell said. Expectations are different for each person, but the wounded warriors all seem to have some in common. "Walking is an expectation. Sports are an expectation," he said.

Life Goes On

Karcher said he expects to continue his journey with humor and with his family by his side. And throughout his recovery, the soldiers of his regiment have been consistently on his mind and in his heart.

He keeps in contact with his Black Knight soldiers via e-mails, and many have visited him. Karcher said he always wants to know how his battle buddies are doing, and the fact that they are still in harm's way is never far from his mind.

"It feels rotten," he said.

Meanwhile, as his soldiers are completing their mission in Iraq, Karcher is focused on his mission at home: recovering. And one of his biggest goals is to be standing on Cooper Field at Fort Hood to welcome home his troops.

"I'm just wondering what is next," he said. "Right now, I am focusing on the here and now."

He wants to stay in the Army.

"I am hoping to stay in," he said. "I've been in 20 years, and this is the only thing I want to do."

(Heather Graham works in the public affairs office at Fort Hood, Texas.)

DOD and VA Announce Disability Evaluation System Pilot Expansion

The Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that beginning in January 2010, the Disability Evaluation System (DES) pilot will expand to an additional six installations across the country. The new locations will include: Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Riley, Kan.; and Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Va. This expansion brings the total number of military facilities using the pilot to 27.

"The decision to expand the pilot was based upon favorable reviews focusing on the program's ability to met timeliness, effectiveness, transparency, and customer and stakeholder satisfaction," said Noel Koch, deputy under secretary of defense, Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy.

In November 2007, the DoD and VA implemented the pilot test for disability cases originating at the three major military treatment facilities in the national capital region. The pilot is a test of a new process design eliminating the duplicative, time-consuming, and often confusing elements of the two current disability processes of the departments. Key features of the DES pilot include one medical examination and a single-sourced disability rating. To date, more than 5,431 service members have participated in the pilot since November 2007.

"Streamlining our disability claims system and working closely with DoD to care for today's generation of heroes are among VA's top priorities," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We will never lose sight of the fact that veterans and military personnel have earned their benefits from VA and DoD by virtue of their service to the nation."

In October 2008, DoD and VA approved expansion of the DES pilot to 18 sites beyond the three initial national capital region sites. This process was successfully completed on May 31, 2009. The estimated completion date for the new six site expansion is scheduled for March 31, 2010.

"This expansion encompasses an additional 20 percent of total service member population enrolled in the program to achieve 47 percent overall enrollments, which will allow us to gather and evaluate data from a diverse geographic area, prior to determining worldwide implementation," said Koch.

The pilot was authorized by the Defense Authorization Act of 2008 and stems from the recommendations from the reports of the Task Force on Returning Global War on Terrorism Heroes, the Independent Review Group, the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors (the Dole/Shalala Commission), and the Commission on Veterans' Disability Benefits.

Pentagon, VA Expand Disability Claims Test

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

Nov. 16, 2009 - Defense and Veterans Affairs officials today announced another step in their efforts to streamline the process of determining veterans' disability ratings. Beginning in January, the Disability Evaluation System pilot program will expand to six installations. The new participants are medical facilities at Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Riley, Kan.; and Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Va.

Twenty-seven other military facilities already take part in the program.

"The decision to expand the pilot was based upon favorable reviews focusing on the program's ability to meet timeliness, effectiveness, transparency and customer and stakeholder satisfaction," said Nole Koch, deputy undersecretary of defense for wounded warrior care and transition policy, in a statement released by the Defense Department.

The pilot program began in November 2007 within the national capital region and concerns servicemembers who separated from the military under honorable conditions for service-related injuries. It addresses redundancy and inconsistent decisions in medical evaluations in separate disability processes used in the Defense Department and VA.

Outside of the medical facilities using the pilot programs, evaluations for veterans are managed first by Defense Department physicians, then by VA. Through this program, physicians in both departments collaborate on medical findings, speeding the claims and benefit payment processes for disabled veterans.

"The pilot is a test of a new process design eliminating the duplicative, time-consuming, and often confusing elements of the two current disability processes of the departments," the Defense Department statement said. "Key features of the [pilot] include one medical examination and a single-sourced disability rating."

More than 5,400 military members have participated in the pilot program.

"Streamlining our disability claims system and working closely with [the Defense Department] to care for today's generation of heroes are among VA's top priorities," VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said in the statement. "We will never lose sight of the fact that veterans and military personnel have earned their benefits ... by virtue of their service to the nation.”