March 10, 2010 - Considered the Super Bowl for the food specialists, it is the largest culinary competition in the U.S., and brings together more than 200 competitors from 26 military installations, who will be “bringing it to the table” to be named the best of the best of military food specialists.
From ice sculptures, seafood, wild game, pastries, and amazing centerpieces made from chocolate, the competition has it all. There will be cold food displays, ice carving, and live cooking demonstrations daily, including demonstrations by the Original “Grill Sergeant,” Army Sgt. 1st Class Brad Turner Jr., and TV personality, restaurateur, and home décor authority, B. Smith.
Sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation, the competition is open to military members from of all services, Department of Defense Civilians, and United States Army Reserve and National Guard personnel. It has taken place every year since 1973, with the exception of 1991 during Desert Storm and 2003 during the Iraq war kickoff, according to information from the U.S. Quartermaster School, Fort Lee.
“This year’s event is special because all of the military services, including the Coast Guard, are competing. We are a joint activity and need all branches of the military to fight the war today,” said Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert Sparks, Joint Culinary Center of Excellence division chief, responsible for organizing and coordinating the competition. “This is a great opportunity where everyone can come together and showcase their military food service skills and exchange ideas. It also gives the competitors a chance to learn advanced culinary skills that can’t be gotten anywhere else.”
Besides recognizing the skills and talents of the competitors, it also serves as a unique opportunity for food service personnel to interact with world-class culinary professionals. Judges and instructors from England, Sweden, and other countries are brought in to provide valuable feedback to the participants. Many of the judges belong to the American Culinary Federation and World Association of Chefs societies.
“It’s an honor to be on the team. Knowing that I was chosen to represent the entire base is a humbling experience,” said Army Sgt. Scott D. Criddle, a first time team member and soldier with the 583rd Forward Support Company, Fort Bragg, N.C. “Cooking is my passion–I have been cooking since I was six years old. Most of my family has been associated with the military; so being in the food service field with the Army is a natural fit.
According to Criddle, military cooks don’t always get the recognition they deserve. “This competition will let their peers see that there is a lot more effort and responsibility to being a food specialist-more than what they see at a dining facility at a stateside or field location or in the hills and mountains in Afghanistan or Iraq.”
The general public is being allowed to experience the high quality meals that will be prepared by the competitors. As part of the competition, two teams will square off daily, in field kitchens. They will be responsible for preparing and plating 75 five-star meals which will be available to ticket holders for $4.25.
Featuring more than 500 judged events, participants will fight for trophies and special awards in the following categories: Best Team Exhibit; Best Exhibit; Special Judges Award, Most Artistic Piece; Best Overall Table Exhibit in the Competition; Best Entry, Contemporary; Nutritional Hot Food Challenge Team of the Year; Best Centerpiece in Ice; Field Cooking Team Competition; Junior Chef of the Year; Culinary Knowledge Bowl Champions; Chef of the Year; National Culinary Champion of the United States Military; National Pastry Champion of the United states Military; and Installation of the Year.
Medals received from federation entries can be used towards certification as a chef.
Among the teams competing this year are teams from Fort Carson, Colo., which took the top honor last year, followed by Team Korea and Fort Bragg, N.C.
Winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on the 12th of March.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
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By Lt. Gen. Ken Keen,
U.S. Army Commander Joint Task Force – Haiti
March 10, 2010 - I had an opportunity the other day to pay one final visit to the USNS Comfort before she was to set sail and return home to the United States. For nearly two months, the Comfort has been parked in the waters just off-shore of the capital of Haiti supporting the humanitarian assistance and disaster response efforts. The ship’s white hull with its distinctive red cross has been, and will always be a reminder of the enduring bonds of friendship and solidarity the United States has with this Caribbean nation. For many survivors of the earthquake who were treated on the Comfort, I am sure they too will never forget the care and compassion they received.
During her time here in Haiti, the crew has saved lives, healed the sick and injured and, as embodied in her name, comforted not only the patients, but their families too. Even before the Comfort arrived in Port-au-Prince Bay on January 20 in support of Operation Unified Response, she was already treating some of the most urgent cases, ferried to her by helicopter while she was still under way. Her mission was to provide emergency surgical intensive treatment for the victims of the earthquake. The flow of patients began in earnest once the Comfort dropped anchor. From broken bones to spinal injuries, the ship had become Port-au-Prince’s primary emergency trauma center.
The wave of patients would continue for weeks to come. Overall, the Comfort performed more than 900 surgical procedures and conducted nearly 10,000 patient encounters that included primary care, pediatrics and dental. The last of Haiti’s patients was transferred at the end of February to medical facilities in Port-au-Prince; it’s a testament that progress is occurring. With gifts of supplies and equipment from the Comfort herself, as well as a major influx of material from the U.S. and other donors, the Haitian Government and the international community will continue their work to permanently strengthen Haiti’s health care system to meet the long-term needs of the people.
The current situation in Haiti is still fragile. The Government of Haiti, with the support of the international community, has a long road ahead. It won’t be easy, but the resolve of the Haitian people cannot be questioned. The same can be said about the level of health care. It’s improving, but like many aspects of Haiti’s recovery, change will be slow and will require much effort from all of us, Haitians and Haiti’s friends, laboring together. I am often asked, “General, how is progress coming in Haiti?” My response is generally the same every time, “It’s better today than yesterday, and tomorrow will be better than today.”
This oil tanker reborn as a floating hospital and its embarked medical crew of doctors and nurses, military and civilians know that they answered their nation’s call when it needed them most. They did their duty but even more, they performed a labor of love and friendship. For the Haitians who have seen America’s emissary anchored in its waters during times of emergency and those less dire, the Comfort will always be a symbol of the bonds of solidarity between our two countries.
Guard Members Skate in Roller Derby
Special to American Forces Press Service
March 10, 2010 - Some soldiers will do almost anything to stay in shape. Three soldiers from the Oklahoma Army National Guard are lacing up their roller skates, strapping on elbow and knee pads and taking to the rink as members of the Oklahoma City Red Dirt Rebellion Rollergirls.
For those new to the sport, this isn't the roller derby of the 1970s, when practically every move was choreographed as in professional wrestling.
No, this is the real deal -- as evidenced by the bruised and battered bodies of 1st Lt. Jessica duMonceau, 1st Lt. Kristin Sloan and Sgt. Karli Wahkahquah.
All are members of the military intelligence community and became interested in roller derby after attending an evening contest between the Oklahoma City Red Dirt Rebellion and a team from Amarillo.
"We all went to our first bout together, and Kristin and I looked at Karli and said, 'We have to do this!'" said duMonceau, who attended high school in Foley, Minn., before moving to Oklahoma City six years ago. "We can be pretty persuasive like that sometimes."
Wahkahquah said it has been at least 10 years since she donned a pair of roller skates, but she was up to the challenge.
"I'm sure I must have looked like a baby giraffe on skates out there at first," said Wahkahquah, who also hails from Oklahoma City. "There were a lot of bumps and bruises initially, but it's proven to be a lot of fun."
Sloan, a native of Mustang, Okla., said one of the clinchers for her was when "Energizer Honey," a member of the Red Dirt Rebellion, was sent flying over the railing, landed on her feet and got right back into the action without ever batting an eyelash.
"She jumped right up like she knew what she was doing," Sloan recalled. "The crowd went wild, and we knew right then this was the sport for us."
Founded in July 2007 by a group of women with previous flat-track experience, the Red Dirt Rebellion Rollergirls are members of Oklahoma's only all-female banked-track roller derby league.
While flat-track roller derby has taken the nation by storm in recent years, the Red Dirt Rebellion is one of only 11 elite banked-track roller derby teams in the country.
In its heyday, roller derby was one of the most popular sports broadcast on TV. The late 1970s brought viewers professional wrestling-style derby with mixed teams, heated fist fights and dramatic moves.
Then, as if overnight, roller derby disappeared from public view, only to re-emerge 20 years later with a totally revamped attitude. You won't often see men on the derby track any more, unless they're sporting a black-and-white striped jersey and a whistle.
You also won't see any overly dramatic "scripted" behavior on the rink. What you will see are short skirts, fishnet stockings, tattoos and smash-mouth roller derby action.
All the hits, spills, falls and breaks are real, and they're revered in the roller derby community.
Named after the infamous "red dirt" of Oklahoma and their wild "rebellious" spirits, members of the Red Dirt Rebellion Rollergirls come from all different lifestyles and backgrounds, from graphic designers and nurses, to stay-at-home moms and soldiers.
The ladies get together at least three nights a week, and for a few bone-crushing hours, they fly around the track hurling themselves at each other as they participate in their own version of ultimate fighting.
They like to have fun, and they like to play rough, as their motto, "Skate Fast and Kick Butt," states. Once the ladies step onto the rink, they immediately transform into their "alter egos."
Wahkahquah, or "Rolling Death," as she is known by her Red Dirt Rebellion sisters, bulldozes her way through a crowded pack of five girls as she makes her way for the "jammer."
Sloan, or "Bruise Clues" as she is known in roller derby circles, finds the gap through the pack and darts in and out as she bursts her way through, dodging opposing "blockers" as they lunge at her.
The jammers, duMonceau or "La Fleur de Mort" among them, claw their way through what seems like a school of piranhas, while the blockers seek to catch an opposing skater off guard and send her skidding across the floor.
Belly flops, bruised jaws, bloody noses and twisted ankles come with the territory. But these ladies say, "Bring it on!"
After an intense bout, the skaters may seek treatment for their wounds. But, you won't see a single unhappy skater in the bunch. They'll limp out with a grin on their face and glints of roller derby glory in their eyes, eager to live on and to fight another day.
"There are definitely some dedicated people on our team," duMonceaux said.
What makes the trio so successful on the banked track is the same tenacious attitude and "can-do" spirit that helps them thrive and survive in the Guard.
"For me, the organization and the planning are huge," said Sloan. "There was no real structure when we first got started. We used troop-leading procedures to make it go a lot smoother."
Wahkahquah said she noticed the team's method of notifying people about an upcoming practice or bout was broken when she first was involved. One person was contacting everyone on the team, and it was taking hours to get people notified. So she instituted a procedure similar to a military recall roster to help speed up the process.
"Now, all is well," she said. "Roller derby has definitely taught me to be a better leader. When we first got here, it was like herding cats. Now, it's like herding sheep. It's a lot more organized."
"I'm definitely developing my communication skills," duMonceau said. "I'm very direct these days and that helps transition over to the Guard."
The women all claim to have been standout athletes in high school. All said roller derby has helped them elevate their physical fitness.
"We're guaranteed at least three practices per week, even more than that, if we have a 'bout' coming up," Wahkahquah said.
Sloan said their experience has helped with recruiting as well.
Sporting a baby blue Thunderbird on their right shoulder that's symbolic of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team with which they serve, Sloan said some of the other women will come up to them and ask about the National Guard.
Choosing the perfect roller derby nickname is important, the women said, because it becomes registered and is theirs forever. "Someone can call and ask to create a version of your name, but they have to get your permission," Wahkahquah said.
Wahkahquah's last name in Comanche means "riding death." So, in keeping with the Native American theme, she chose "Rolling Death" as her alter ego.
In French, duMonceaux's name means "the mound." So, she "just went a little darker," as she put it, with "La Fleur de Mort," which means "the flower of death."
Sloan said the nickname she arrived at, "Bruise Clues," is probably the least exciting of the three.
"That's just the one I ended up liking," she shrugged. "It was an original."
As for the reaction the Guardsmen get from people when they discover they are members of the Red Dirt Rebellion, they said most people at first don't realize Oklahoma has a team.
Second, they said, people will ask, "Is that real?"
"I tell them everything about it is definitely real," Wahkahquah said, pointing to the bruises on her left arm.
Meanwhile, the Guard members are slated to deploy to Afghanistan next year. Yet, the women will have each other to lean on, just as duMonceaux and Wahkahquah did when they were deployed together to Afghanistan in 2002.
"We're all pretty tight," said Wahkahquah. "We pretty much became mutual friends after that first deployment. We like to mountain bike, rock climb -- just about anything you might consider extreme."
Some might consider roller derby extreme. But for Oklahoma's Guard trio, sustaining a few more bumps and bruises in the rugged, mountainous terrain of Afghanistan might just make them feel right at home.
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Darren D. Heusel serves with the Oklahoma National Guard.)
Soldier Serves in Family's Homeland
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
March 9, 2010 - When he was a child, visiting the Philippines was all about vacationing and fun with the family for C.J. Rueda. But now, at 25, the U.S. Army sergeant views his time in the underprivileged nation as an opportunity to improve his ancestors' country, he said. "Being here now, I have a job and mission, and it has a very emotional and deep impact on me," said Rueda, a Filipino-American soldier with 5th Psychological Operations Group from Fort Bragg, N.C. "This is where my family's from -- my heritage, my origins. I want to help everyone here as much as I can."
Rueda arrived here in November. His psychological operations team is part of the American military task force charged with training Philippine counterterrorism forces and providing humanitarian assistance in the southern Philippines. The San Diego native said he expects to be deployed here for at least eight months.
Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines has maintained a U.S. presence here since December 2001, advising and assisting the Philippine armed forces in their fight against terrorism. However, the U.S. military here is prohibited from engaging in direct combat against would-be terrorists, according the Philippine constitution.
Therefore, the majority of the U.S. military focus here works on quality-of-life improvements for Filipinos in the south. American troops help local governments and security forces with infrastructure projects, the development of anti-terrorism education programs and coordination for much-needed health care services. The goal is to gain support for the Philippine government and its security forces, Rueda said.
"The goal is to increase support for the government in areas known to be heavy in terrorist recruitment and in drug trafficking," he said. "Poor countries are a breeding ground for terrorists, and that's why we're here -- to enlighten the population, support security forces and educate the children to make their country better."
Rueda said he longed to be a part of the mission here for many years. He has tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, but rather than possibly going back to the Middle East, he wanted the opportunity to serve in the Philippines, he said. In fact, he enlisted in the Army six years ago as an artilleryman, but changed his military occupation to psychological operations three years ago primarily to improve his chances of deploying here, he said.
"I was in artillery for a while, but wanted to come to [psychological operations] because I knew there'd be a chance to deploy to the Philippines," he said. "I wanted to experience something new, plus, this is my family's heritage."
Rueda, who wasn't fluent in Tagalog before switching to psychological operations, was selected to learn the native language. Following his initial training and language school, he was assigned to a unit that specializes in support for military operations in Southeast Asia, he said.
Because of his ability to speak Tagalog as well as his understanding of the culture, Rueda said, his team's deployment has gone very smoothly. He noted his relationship with Philippine national police in Iligan City here, describing their partnership as "equally committed."
Rueda works closely with police in their outreach efforts to promote good citizenship among the local school children and educate them on the negative effects of terrorism. Security forces, government officials and even local residents seem to be more supportive and trusting because of Rueda's background, he said.
"Being a U.S. soldier, the Filipinos respect you," he said. "But being Filipino and being able to relate, speak to them in their language and know their culture means a lot to them. The relationship with my team and the Filipinos here is much stronger because of that."
Rueda admits that he's often troubled by the poverty and lack of opportunity for the population here, he said. He described his formative years growing up in San Diego as a blessing that he once took for granted.
"People here walk five or six miles to get water just to take a shower or cook," he said. "The effort many people take here just to live their lives is far beyond how we live in America. It's difficult sometimes to be here and see how hard life is for some of these people You want to do so much, but you can only do a very little."
Still, Rueda said, his dedication to the mission keeps him motivated. As he and his team continue to aid the Filipinos, they're still focused on the main reason for their efforts here, he added.
"We're here to help, and it's easy to get caught up in the humanitarian aspect of the mission," he said. "But you just can't forget about the environment we're in. Terrorists are here training recruits and planning for bad things. Helping [Philippine] forces bring security and eliminate terrorist safe havens is the best way we can really help the people here towards a better future."
Women Pilots of WWII Inspired Generations
By Carol L. Bowers
American Forces Press Service
March 9, 2010 - Under clear blue skies, beneath the spires of the U.S. Air Force Memorial here, military aviators gathered today to pay homage to the achievements of the first women to fly military aircraft during World War II. The memorial service and wreath-laying ceremony, with a reception afterward, was a prelude to the March 10 presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal to the 1,102 pilots who served as Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II.
Retired U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Vivien Crea, the keynote speaker at the service, told those assembled that by answering America's call to duty in 1942, they gave birth to a fledgling service that would become the WASPs with achievements that would go on to inspire another generation of women in the military.
"As aviators, you possessed an invaluable capability that our nation desperately wanted," Crea said. "You joined not because you were great pioneers, but because of your great sense of duty. You served America in its time of peril."
Nearly 200 of the surviving women pilots attended the ceremonies with family and friends, and family members represented other pilots.
Thirty-eight of those women were honored with roses during the memorial ceremony for having made the ultimate sacrifice for their country during their service, and the 20th Figher Wing from Shaw Air Force Base, Ill., performed a flyover in the "mission man" formation.
The WASPs' service, and their ability to fly every type of aircraft, Crea noted, prompted U.S. Air Force Gen. Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold to declare, " 'We have not been able to build an airplane that you can't handle. It is on the record that women can fly as well as men.' "
Crea herself is an accomplished aviator, inspired by the WASPs' service, serving for 36 years of active duty, most recently as the 25th vice commandant of the Coast Guard. She became the 21st and only female Ancient Albatross, a designation given to the longest serving active duty Coast Guard aviator.
"It has taken over six decades for our nation to recognize the unique service and valor of the WASPs with the Congressional Gold Medal you shall receive tomorrow," Crea said. "But your true legacy is much more vital, enduring and transformational than that honored piece of gold. It is in the young women and men, from your peers and your own children to today's youngest generation that you have inspired with your patriotism."
Crea said that because of the WASPs, there is a new generation of women fighter pilots, lifesavers and warriors "who enjoy the absence of any conception that they can't do something because of a coincident of birth...that women are equal partners in war as they are in peace."
From 1942 to 1944, more than 25,000 women applied to the WASP program, which was an experimental Army Air Corps program to explore the opportunity for women to serve as pilots and relieve men for overseas duty; 1,102 women were accepted. The WASP were not granted military status until 1977.
At a reception at the Womens Memorial at Arlington National Cemetary after the service at Air Force Memorial, Gen. Norton Schwartz, U.S. Air Force chief of staff, said that this week's special events, "takes us back to another era, and not merely to honor the past, but truly in a larger sense, also to correct some of its errors. The well deserved respect for the WASPs is long overdue."
Schwartz said it is important to celebrate the WASPs' contributions, not only in wartime service, but for their pivotal roles as women pioneers blazing a trail to the military cockpit.
"Pioneers like you often had to endure persistent criticism, which made your efforts ever more courageous, and your achievements ever more substantial," Schwartz told the WASPs.
The legacy of the WASPs, he said, is that these accomplished women went on to become leaders in civilian life "continuing their noble efforts to vanquish societal limitations and subtle forms of descrimination" and living the example of what diversity can mean.
"You demonstrated that our great nations beneifts most when it rightly harnesses the abundent energy, the generosity, the talents of all of its citizens, and you proved that far our far greater strengths and vitality lie in inclusiveness," Schwartz said. For Jan Nicolai, whose late aunt, Helen Jo Severson, was in WASP Class 43-5, the days of celebration of the WASPs' contributions is very special. She carried roses and a photo of her aunt to the memorial servcie.
"When she was inducted into the South Dakota Air Hall of Fame, and in 2007 she received her star on her grave site, we thought that was it," Nicolai said at the start of the memorial service. "But this, this is magnificent."
For many of the women who became WASPs it was their love of flying, as much as love of country, that set them on a course that would change their lives.
"When Lindbergh flew over the ocean I was seven years old, and I thought, 'I want to be a pilot some day,''" recalled Dolores Reed, 92, WASP Class 44-1. "Not long after, my Dad spent a dollar and put me in the back of a plane. That was a lot of money in the Depression. I could barely see over the seat. And when we landed, I said 'I'm going to fly.'"
When she started working, Reed said she paid $8 an hour for flying lessons, and with 35 hours of flying under her belt, she applied to be a WASP. "I did aerial gunnery. I flew targets four hours a day while the boys sharpened their skills," she said.
She also set her sites on her squadron commander – marrying him and raising three children. She continued flying after the WASP was disbanded, taking up air racing.
Her friend Josephine Swift, 92, also Class 44-1, said she was hooked on flying after her brother, a Navy pilot, took her up. She got her private license and worked for a flying service and jumped at the chance to be a WASP. "I just applied and they accepted - that was the secret, getting accepted," she said.
For Swift, the two days of ceremonies marked an opportunity to reminisce with old friends, and miss the ones who had passed on.
Carol Brinton Selfridge, 92, Class 44-5, said that flying was something she just had to do after following the achievements of Amelia Earhart and test pilot Jaqueline "Jackie" Cochran as a child. Sibling rivalry played its part as well, she recalled. "My brother flew, and I don't let my brother get ahead of me," Selfridge said.
When she joined the WASPs, she had two children, who were cared for by her mother while she flew. Her husband, who worked for Lockheed, could not serve, and Selfridge recalls he told her "I can't go, so you might as well."
After the WASPs disbanded, she went on to have two more children, and she now has a granddaughter in the U.S. Air Force
"It means a lot to me to see them recognized," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Christy Kayser-Cook, Selfridge's granddaughter, who is assigned to Scott Air Force Base, Ill. "I got interested in flying because of my grandmother's experience, but I think a lot of people have't heard of the WASPs before."
Selfridge, however, remains modest about her own achievements and instead conveys pride in her granddaughter's accomplishment. "I don't know why they're making so much of us because I loved every minute of the flying," Selfridge said.
For Jeannette Goodrum, Class 43-8, the service, reception and anticipation of the March 10 award ceremony were "exhilirating."
"It's the greatest story of all to see young people who graduated from the Air Force Academy because of what we did in 1942," she said.
One of those young people was U.S. Air Force Maj. Nicole Malachowski, the first female Thunderbird pilot, who was among the guest speakers at the reception.
Malachowski, who was one of the leaders of the movement to have the WASPs awarded a Congressional Gold Medal, said the WASPs' story "helped write my story."
As a child, she said, she wanted to be a fighter pilot, but few took her seriously. In 1986, her parents took her to the Smithsonian, where there "was a small display in a dusty back room" about the WASPs, and proof that she could achieve her own dreams. As a Thunderbird performing in her third air show, Malachowski recalled how five WASPs elbowed their way to the front of the line to meet her and get her autograph.
"I made a beeline for them, and before I could get a word out of my mouth, they were thanking me for my service," she said. "Here are my heroes, and they're thanking me. They redefined what's possible for women who want to serve their country."
Regional Issues Top Gates' Saudi Arabia Agenda
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
March 10, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will discuss Iran, Afghanistan and military-to-military contacts with Saudi officials here today. Gates, who arrived here after a three-day visit to Afghanistan, is scheduled to meet with King Abdallah and Crown Prince Sultan.
The Saudis are worried about Iran's nuclear ambitions and the affect that Iran's Shiia government can have on the significant Shiia minorities in some of the Gulf states, senior defense officials speaking on background said.
Many of the Gulf states are building up air-defense capabilities in response to Iranian uranium research and continued Iranian missile development. And the threat Iran poses also is causing many of the Gulf States – who don't necessarily get along – to look for ways to cooperate.
"Secretary Gates has said many times that continued Iranian nuclear development doesn't make them safe," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said. The fact that many states in the region are examining ways to share intelligence and radar information and considering other potential forms of cooperation, he added, shows that Gates' contention is correct.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have had excellent military-to-military relations since World War II. U.S. advisors continue to help in training the Saudi military and National Guard.
Saudi Arabia is one of the largest customers for U.S. defense goods, and officials said they expect that all of these matters and more will be on the table during the meetings.
American Forces Press Service
March 10, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will discuss Iran, Afghanistan and military-to-military contacts with Saudi officials here today. Gates, who arrived here after a three-day visit to Afghanistan, is scheduled to meet with King Abdallah and Crown Prince Sultan.
The Saudis are worried about Iran's nuclear ambitions and the affect that Iran's Shiia government can have on the significant Shiia minorities in some of the Gulf states, senior defense officials speaking on background said.
Many of the Gulf states are building up air-defense capabilities in response to Iranian uranium research and continued Iranian missile development. And the threat Iran poses also is causing many of the Gulf States – who don't necessarily get along – to look for ways to cooperate.
"Secretary Gates has said many times that continued Iranian nuclear development doesn't make them safe," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said. The fact that many states in the region are examining ways to share intelligence and radar information and considering other potential forms of cooperation, he added, shows that Gates' contention is correct.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have had excellent military-to-military relations since World War II. U.S. advisors continue to help in training the Saudi military and National Guard.
Saudi Arabia is one of the largest customers for U.S. defense goods, and officials said they expect that all of these matters and more will be on the table during the meetings.
Center Offers Respite for Families of Fallen
By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service
March 10, 2010 - Robin Raine walked through the plush, richly appointed room with purpose, her eyes fixed on a lampshade that was askew, a flaw in the otherwise immaculate sitting area. She was intent on ensuring all was perfect for the families who would arrive shortly. They may not notice a speck of dust or a crooked lampshade, but to Raine, the spotless surroundings are the least she can do to honor their loss.
Raine is the director of the Center for Families of the Fallen, a place where grieving families can wait in comfort for their fallen servicemember to arrive home. All servicemembers who die in support of a combat operation come through the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center here, and their return is marked with what officials call a dignified transfer -- a respectful movement of the remains from the aircraft to a waiting vehicle, then to the port mortuary.
The center opened just a few months ago, but already has hosted hundreds of family members. The 6,000-square-foot building is equipped with sitting areas configured to offer privacy, a meditation room, play areas for children and babies, a fully equipped and stocked kitchen, and a separate room available for families' needs.
"Every detail here was thought about with the comfort of the family in mind," Raine said. "We wanted to offer families a serene environment with all of the creature comforts we could possibly provide to them."
Before the center was built, families waited for a dignified transfer in a chapel annex borrowed from the base, a sparsely furnished area with folding chairs and stark, white walls that offered little privacy to families.
"It just wasn't set up for hosting people, although it was generous of the base to offer its facilities," Raine said. "It just wasn't ever made for that."
Still, the space had worked until recently, because few families traveled to attend the dignified transfer event. But a Defense Department policy change in April created an influx of family members. The new policy offers families an option of media coverage of dignified transfers and funds for up to three family members to travel here for the event.
Since the policy change, "we've had over 1,700 family members come here, and we've only been doing this for 10 months," said Air Force Col. Robert H. Edmondson, commander of the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center. "A tremendous amount of family members want to come."
Leaders recognized the need for a bigger, better-equipped facility, and a visit from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz and his wife clinched the deal.
"They recognized we had to do something better, something designated for the families," Edmondson said. "They championed the cause and really made it happen." The center was built in an existing building in just 90 days.
Todd Rose, director of the mortuary affairs division and a licensed funeral director, and his staff infused lessons learned and private-sector knowledge into designing the center. The furniture, for instance, is purposefully situated in seating groups to optimize privacy.
"We wanted to create an environment that would allow families to be together, but also allow them separation if they should need to be maintained as a family," Rose said.
As families arrive, they're encouraged to make themselves at home. Raine and her two-person staff drift through the center, providing everything from fresh coffee to child care. Raine recently watched four children under age 5 in the nursery so their parents could attend the dignified transfer without worrying about their children being exposed to the rain and cold.
"We do anything we can to make families comfortable," she said.
Also at the center are a family liaison and a family support team that comprises a funeral director, chaplain, chaplain's assistant and mental health specialist. The family liaison, who is a member of the same service as the fallen servicemember, takes care of travel arrangements and serves as a focal point for any questions or concerns.
"When the families get here, they don't see the time and energy that's been put in by the center's staff," Rose said. "Their commitment is amazing."
The family support team travels with the families to attend the dignified transfer on the flightline. The families then head back to hotels or home.
But every morning, without fail, Raine or one of her staff is back to set cushions and chairs back in place, straighten up the play area and ensure the center is as immaculate as possible. More families may be arriving, and Raine won't accept anything less than perfection for them.
American Forces Press Service
March 10, 2010 - Robin Raine walked through the plush, richly appointed room with purpose, her eyes fixed on a lampshade that was askew, a flaw in the otherwise immaculate sitting area. She was intent on ensuring all was perfect for the families who would arrive shortly. They may not notice a speck of dust or a crooked lampshade, but to Raine, the spotless surroundings are the least she can do to honor their loss.
Raine is the director of the Center for Families of the Fallen, a place where grieving families can wait in comfort for their fallen servicemember to arrive home. All servicemembers who die in support of a combat operation come through the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center here, and their return is marked with what officials call a dignified transfer -- a respectful movement of the remains from the aircraft to a waiting vehicle, then to the port mortuary.
The center opened just a few months ago, but already has hosted hundreds of family members. The 6,000-square-foot building is equipped with sitting areas configured to offer privacy, a meditation room, play areas for children and babies, a fully equipped and stocked kitchen, and a separate room available for families' needs.
"Every detail here was thought about with the comfort of the family in mind," Raine said. "We wanted to offer families a serene environment with all of the creature comforts we could possibly provide to them."
Before the center was built, families waited for a dignified transfer in a chapel annex borrowed from the base, a sparsely furnished area with folding chairs and stark, white walls that offered little privacy to families.
"It just wasn't set up for hosting people, although it was generous of the base to offer its facilities," Raine said. "It just wasn't ever made for that."
Still, the space had worked until recently, because few families traveled to attend the dignified transfer event. But a Defense Department policy change in April created an influx of family members. The new policy offers families an option of media coverage of dignified transfers and funds for up to three family members to travel here for the event.
Since the policy change, "we've had over 1,700 family members come here, and we've only been doing this for 10 months," said Air Force Col. Robert H. Edmondson, commander of the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center. "A tremendous amount of family members want to come."
Leaders recognized the need for a bigger, better-equipped facility, and a visit from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz and his wife clinched the deal.
"They recognized we had to do something better, something designated for the families," Edmondson said. "They championed the cause and really made it happen." The center was built in an existing building in just 90 days.
Todd Rose, director of the mortuary affairs division and a licensed funeral director, and his staff infused lessons learned and private-sector knowledge into designing the center. The furniture, for instance, is purposefully situated in seating groups to optimize privacy.
"We wanted to create an environment that would allow families to be together, but also allow them separation if they should need to be maintained as a family," Rose said.
As families arrive, they're encouraged to make themselves at home. Raine and her two-person staff drift through the center, providing everything from fresh coffee to child care. Raine recently watched four children under age 5 in the nursery so their parents could attend the dignified transfer without worrying about their children being exposed to the rain and cold.
"We do anything we can to make families comfortable," she said.
Also at the center are a family liaison and a family support team that comprises a funeral director, chaplain, chaplain's assistant and mental health specialist. The family liaison, who is a member of the same service as the fallen servicemember, takes care of travel arrangements and serves as a focal point for any questions or concerns.
"When the families get here, they don't see the time and energy that's been put in by the center's staff," Rose said. "Their commitment is amazing."
The family support team travels with the families to attend the dignified transfer on the flightline. The families then head back to hotels or home.
But every morning, without fail, Raine or one of her staff is back to set cushions and chairs back in place, straighten up the play area and ensure the center is as immaculate as possible. More families may be arriving, and Raine won't accept anything less than perfection for them.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Former Army Ranger Bank Robber Sentenced to an Additional 20 Years in Prison for Assault and Trying to Hire a Hit Man
Man Dual Canadian and U.S. Citizen Now Sentenced to 44 Years in Prison
March 9, 2010 - LUKE ELLIOTT SOMMER, 23, formerly of Peachland, British Columbia, Canada, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to an additional 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine for assault with a deadly weapon and solicitation of a crime of violence. SOMMER’s total sentence in now 44 years in prison. SOMMER asked U.S. District Judge James L. Robart to recommend treaty transfer, so that SOMMER could serve his time in Canada. However Judge Robart noted that he plays no role in determining whether a defendant is eligible for treaty transfer.
According to the plea agreement, on two occasions in March 2009, SOMMER offered an undercover FBI task force officer as much as $20,000 for murdering an Assistant United States Attorney. Law enforcement was alerted to SOMMER’s interest in hiring a hit man in January 2009, barely a month after SOMMER was sentenced. SOMMER moved forward with the plot in March 2009, when he tried to hire the undercover officer telling him he wanted news reports of the hit to reflect that it was “murder not an accident.”
Additionally, on January 23, 2009, SOMMER used a prison-made knife to attack a co-defendant in the bank robbery case. The two men were to be housed separately at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, but SOMMER schemed to get to the other man’s prison unit with the weapon. SOMMER attacked the other inmate, fighting until the two were pulled apart by staff. SOMMER continued to yell and threaten the safety of the victim. Although the victim suffered a minor stab wound and multiple abrasions, neither man had to be hospitalized.
“There is no doubt that the defendant is a very dangerous man and needs to be locked up to protect society,” said Assistant United States Attorney Gregory A. Gruber. “This was an assault not just on the individual victims, but on the heart of the criminal justice system.”
LUKE SOMMER was sentenced to 24 years in prison on December 12, 2008, for Conspiracy to Commit Armed Bank Robbery, Armed Bank Robbery, Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Possession of an Unregistered Destructive Device – Hand Grenade. SOMMER was the mastermind of the August 7, 2006, robbery of a Tacoma branch of Bank of America. Five men, including SOMMER, participated in the robbery. Two were armed with fully automatic AK-47 machine guns. SOMMER and another man carried loaded semi-automatic hand guns. The men wore soft body armor to protect themselves in case of a shoot-out with police and carried hundreds of rounds of extra ammunition. SOMMER told the others that he wanted to use the proceeds of the robbery to start a crime family to rival the Hell’s Angels in British Columbia, Canada. The men escaped with more than $50,000, but were quickly tracked down and arrested thanks to an alert citizen who noted the license plate of the getaway car.
The FBI investigated the current charges. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory A. Gruber.
For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@USDOJ.Gov.
March 9, 2010 - LUKE ELLIOTT SOMMER, 23, formerly of Peachland, British Columbia, Canada, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to an additional 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine for assault with a deadly weapon and solicitation of a crime of violence. SOMMER’s total sentence in now 44 years in prison. SOMMER asked U.S. District Judge James L. Robart to recommend treaty transfer, so that SOMMER could serve his time in Canada. However Judge Robart noted that he plays no role in determining whether a defendant is eligible for treaty transfer.
According to the plea agreement, on two occasions in March 2009, SOMMER offered an undercover FBI task force officer as much as $20,000 for murdering an Assistant United States Attorney. Law enforcement was alerted to SOMMER’s interest in hiring a hit man in January 2009, barely a month after SOMMER was sentenced. SOMMER moved forward with the plot in March 2009, when he tried to hire the undercover officer telling him he wanted news reports of the hit to reflect that it was “murder not an accident.”
Additionally, on January 23, 2009, SOMMER used a prison-made knife to attack a co-defendant in the bank robbery case. The two men were to be housed separately at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, but SOMMER schemed to get to the other man’s prison unit with the weapon. SOMMER attacked the other inmate, fighting until the two were pulled apart by staff. SOMMER continued to yell and threaten the safety of the victim. Although the victim suffered a minor stab wound and multiple abrasions, neither man had to be hospitalized.
“There is no doubt that the defendant is a very dangerous man and needs to be locked up to protect society,” said Assistant United States Attorney Gregory A. Gruber. “This was an assault not just on the individual victims, but on the heart of the criminal justice system.”
LUKE SOMMER was sentenced to 24 years in prison on December 12, 2008, for Conspiracy to Commit Armed Bank Robbery, Armed Bank Robbery, Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Possession of an Unregistered Destructive Device – Hand Grenade. SOMMER was the mastermind of the August 7, 2006, robbery of a Tacoma branch of Bank of America. Five men, including SOMMER, participated in the robbery. Two were armed with fully automatic AK-47 machine guns. SOMMER and another man carried loaded semi-automatic hand guns. The men wore soft body armor to protect themselves in case of a shoot-out with police and carried hundreds of rounds of extra ammunition. SOMMER told the others that he wanted to use the proceeds of the robbery to start a crime family to rival the Hell’s Angels in British Columbia, Canada. The men escaped with more than $50,000, but were quickly tracked down and arrested thanks to an alert citizen who noted the license plate of the getaway car.
The FBI investigated the current charges. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory A. Gruber.
For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@USDOJ.Gov.
MILITARY CONTRACTS March 9, 2010
NAVY
Ecology and Environment, Inc., Lancaster, N.Y., is being awarded a maximum amount $40,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for environmental planning and engineering services for National Environmental Policy Act and Executive Order 12114, Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions – Aircraft Homebasing Issues. Work will predominantly be performed in Virginia (25 percent), North Carolina (25 percent), Florida (15 percent), California (15 percent), and Washington (15 percent). Work may also be performed within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic area of responsibility and the adjacent waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, including the continental United States, the Caribbean, Europe, and North Africa (5 percent). However, tasks associated with this contract may be assigned anywhere in the world. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of March 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online Web site, with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N62470-10-D-3003).
CKY, Inc.*, Honolulu, Hawaii (N62742-10-D-1805); EATC, JV*, Honolulu, Hawaii (N62742-10-D-1806); FOPCO, Inc.*, Kapolei, Hawaii (N62742-10-D-1807); and WCP-Zapata, JV, LLC*, Honolulu, Hawaii (N62742-10-D-1808), are each being awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract in support of the Environmental Remedial Action Program at various sites in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Pacific area of responsibility (AOR). The maximum dollar value, including the base period and four option years, for all four contracts combined is $30,000,000. Work will be performed at various sites predominantly in Oahu, Hawaii (55 percent); however, work may also be performed at any site within the NAVFAC Pacific AOR, including Guam (15 percent), Japan (5 percent), Okinawa (15 percent), Diego Garcia (5 percent), and other areas in the Pacific and Indian Oceans (5 percent). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of March 2015. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online Web site, with 10 proposals received. These four contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contracts. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity.
BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services, Inc., Rockville, Md., is being awarded a $23,237,133 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee term, level of effort contract (N00421-06-C-0085) to exercise an option for maintenance, logistics, and life cycle services in support of communication-electronic equipment/systems and subsystems for various Navy, Army, Air Force, special operations forces and other federal agencies. The estimated level of effort for this option period is 342,000 man-hours. These services are in support of the Special Communications Requirements Division of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. Work will be performed in Chesapeake, Va. (32 percent); Fayetteville, N.C. (28 percent); California, Md. (22 percent); San Diego, Calif. (6 percent); Fort Bliss, Texas (4 percent); Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (2 percent); Panzer Kaserne, Germany (2 percent); Homestead, Fla. (2 percent); Tampa, Fla. (1 percent); and the District of Columbia (1 percent). Work is expected to be completed in March 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
DCK Pacific Guam, LLC, Barrigada, Guam, is being awarded an $18,394,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of the Guam Army National Guard Readiness Center at the Guam Army National Guard Complex. The work to be performed provides for the design and construction of a permanent masonry type construction, with standing seam roof, concrete floors, and mechanical and electrical equipment with emergency power generator backup. Work will be performed in Barrigada, Guam, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command E-solicitation Web site, with seven proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Marianas, Guam, is the contracting activity (N40192-10-C-1335).
CATLIN Engineers and Scientists, Inc.*, Wilmington, N.C., is being awarded a maximum amount $7,500,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect-engineering contract for civil A-E services at Marine Corps installations at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The work to be performed provides for civil design projects that include, but are not limited to, providing/replacing/upgrading sanitary collection and treatment systems; installation of security fencing and entry control facilities; design of new and resurfacing of existing airfields, roads and parking lots; and facility site work to include demolition, etc. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, N.C. (85 percent), and Havelock, N.C. (15 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through the Navy Electronic Commerce Online Web site, with 20 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-10-D-5303).
U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND
Presidential Airways, Inc., an Aviation Worldwide Services Co., Camden, N.C., is being awarded a $39,084,532 task order for rotary wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance, and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan and the task order will start March 5, 2010, to be completed by Nov. 30, 2010. This contract was a competitive acquisition. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity (HTC711-09-D-0021).
Canadian Commercial Corp., subcontracting services to Canadian Helicopters, Ltd., Toronto, Canada, is being awarded a $20,472,000 task order for rotary wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance, and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan and the task order will start March 5, 2010, to be completed by Nov. 30, 2010. This contract was a competitive acquisition. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity (HTC711-09-D-0022).
Evergreen Helicopters, Inc., McMinnville, Ore., is being awarded a $20,094,000 task order modification for rotary wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance, and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan and the task order will start March 5, 2010, to be completed by Nov. 30, 2010. This contract was a competitive acquisition. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity (HTC711-09-D-0023).
Ecology and Environment, Inc., Lancaster, N.Y., is being awarded a maximum amount $40,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for environmental planning and engineering services for National Environmental Policy Act and Executive Order 12114, Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions – Aircraft Homebasing Issues. Work will predominantly be performed in Virginia (25 percent), North Carolina (25 percent), Florida (15 percent), California (15 percent), and Washington (15 percent). Work may also be performed within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic area of responsibility and the adjacent waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, including the continental United States, the Caribbean, Europe, and North Africa (5 percent). However, tasks associated with this contract may be assigned anywhere in the world. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of March 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online Web site, with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N62470-10-D-3003).
CKY, Inc.*, Honolulu, Hawaii (N62742-10-D-1805); EATC, JV*, Honolulu, Hawaii (N62742-10-D-1806); FOPCO, Inc.*, Kapolei, Hawaii (N62742-10-D-1807); and WCP-Zapata, JV, LLC*, Honolulu, Hawaii (N62742-10-D-1808), are each being awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract in support of the Environmental Remedial Action Program at various sites in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Pacific area of responsibility (AOR). The maximum dollar value, including the base period and four option years, for all four contracts combined is $30,000,000. Work will be performed at various sites predominantly in Oahu, Hawaii (55 percent); however, work may also be performed at any site within the NAVFAC Pacific AOR, including Guam (15 percent), Japan (5 percent), Okinawa (15 percent), Diego Garcia (5 percent), and other areas in the Pacific and Indian Oceans (5 percent). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of March 2015. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online Web site, with 10 proposals received. These four contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contracts. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity.
BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services, Inc., Rockville, Md., is being awarded a $23,237,133 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee term, level of effort contract (N00421-06-C-0085) to exercise an option for maintenance, logistics, and life cycle services in support of communication-electronic equipment/systems and subsystems for various Navy, Army, Air Force, special operations forces and other federal agencies. The estimated level of effort for this option period is 342,000 man-hours. These services are in support of the Special Communications Requirements Division of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. Work will be performed in Chesapeake, Va. (32 percent); Fayetteville, N.C. (28 percent); California, Md. (22 percent); San Diego, Calif. (6 percent); Fort Bliss, Texas (4 percent); Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (2 percent); Panzer Kaserne, Germany (2 percent); Homestead, Fla. (2 percent); Tampa, Fla. (1 percent); and the District of Columbia (1 percent). Work is expected to be completed in March 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
DCK Pacific Guam, LLC, Barrigada, Guam, is being awarded an $18,394,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of the Guam Army National Guard Readiness Center at the Guam Army National Guard Complex. The work to be performed provides for the design and construction of a permanent masonry type construction, with standing seam roof, concrete floors, and mechanical and electrical equipment with emergency power generator backup. Work will be performed in Barrigada, Guam, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command E-solicitation Web site, with seven proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Marianas, Guam, is the contracting activity (N40192-10-C-1335).
CATLIN Engineers and Scientists, Inc.*, Wilmington, N.C., is being awarded a maximum amount $7,500,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect-engineering contract for civil A-E services at Marine Corps installations at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The work to be performed provides for civil design projects that include, but are not limited to, providing/replacing/upgrading sanitary collection and treatment systems; installation of security fencing and entry control facilities; design of new and resurfacing of existing airfields, roads and parking lots; and facility site work to include demolition, etc. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, N.C. (85 percent), and Havelock, N.C. (15 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through the Navy Electronic Commerce Online Web site, with 20 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-10-D-5303).
U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND
Presidential Airways, Inc., an Aviation Worldwide Services Co., Camden, N.C., is being awarded a $39,084,532 task order for rotary wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance, and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan and the task order will start March 5, 2010, to be completed by Nov. 30, 2010. This contract was a competitive acquisition. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity (HTC711-09-D-0021).
Canadian Commercial Corp., subcontracting services to Canadian Helicopters, Ltd., Toronto, Canada, is being awarded a $20,472,000 task order for rotary wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance, and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan and the task order will start March 5, 2010, to be completed by Nov. 30, 2010. This contract was a competitive acquisition. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity (HTC711-09-D-0022).
Evergreen Helicopters, Inc., McMinnville, Ore., is being awarded a $20,094,000 task order modification for rotary wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance, and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan and the task order will start March 5, 2010, to be completed by Nov. 30, 2010. This contract was a competitive acquisition. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity (HTC711-09-D-0023).
Air Force Medical Team Deploys to Chile
American Forces Press Service
March 9, 2010 - An Air Force expeditionary medical support team from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, will arrive here today to help people impacted by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck the nation Feb. 27. The team, consisting of more than 80 airmen, including 63 medical personnel, will conduct humanitarian assistance operations in the city of Angol, southeast of Concepcion, an area that suffered considerable damage as a result of the historic seismic event.
The deployment is being funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance as part of a multiagency relief effort by the U.S. government in Chile. The medical team will join other relief activities already under way.
The medical team is equipped and staffed to provide surgical, primary care, pediatric, radiological, gynecological, laboratory, pharmaceutical and dental services. The airmen will work alongside Chilean civilian medical personnel during their deployment. On March 7, U.S. Southern Command deployed a 10-person
command-and-control team here to assist the U.S. military group overseeing U.S. military assistance to Chile in the earthquake's aftermath.
On March 6, two Air Force C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft and a team of about 50 airmen from the Missouri Air National Guard's 139th Airlift Wing arrived here to support and augment a Chilean air force-led airlift relief operation delivering aid to affected communities near the earthquake's epicenter.
(From a U.S. Southern Command news release.)
March 9, 2010 - An Air Force expeditionary medical support team from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, will arrive here today to help people impacted by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck the nation Feb. 27. The team, consisting of more than 80 airmen, including 63 medical personnel, will conduct humanitarian assistance operations in the city of Angol, southeast of Concepcion, an area that suffered considerable damage as a result of the historic seismic event.
The deployment is being funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance as part of a multiagency relief effort by the U.S. government in Chile. The medical team will join other relief activities already under way.
The medical team is equipped and staffed to provide surgical, primary care, pediatric, radiological, gynecological, laboratory, pharmaceutical and dental services. The airmen will work alongside Chilean civilian medical personnel during their deployment. On March 7, U.S. Southern Command deployed a 10-person
command-and-control team here to assist the U.S. military group overseeing U.S. military assistance to Chile in the earthquake's aftermath.
On March 6, two Air Force C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft and a team of about 50 airmen from the Missouri Air National Guard's 139th Airlift Wing arrived here to support and augment a Chilean air force-led airlift relief operation delivering aid to affected communities near the earthquake's epicenter.
(From a U.S. Southern Command news release.)
Global Threats Demand Broad Response, Admiral Says
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
March 9, 2010 - Increasing global threats such as those to computer networks and growing hostilities from Iran are prompting more NATO expeditionary operations, NATO's top military officer said today. "The demands of these nontraditional, transported threats are moving [European member nations] into this direction," Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Stavridis noted that 100,000 NATO troops are involved in expeditionary operations on three continents, including operations in Afghanistan, off the coast of Africa, and in Bosnia. "The nature of threats in this 21st century [is] going to demand more than just sitting behind our borders," he said.
Among the greatest concerns that impacts both military and civilian realms, the admiral said, is cybersecurity. "Today, we have a billion devices that are accessing the Internet," he said. "Our economies are entangled in this Internet sea, and it's an outlaw sea. Nothing exists in the norms of behavior. There is a military aspect to it, but it's all of society. At some point, there needs to be a very global conversation on this challenge."
European Command, as well as other U.S. commands, trains for widespread computer network attacks, and NATO last year opened a center in Estonia to deal with cyber threats, Stavridis said.
"We're all grappling with this, and the more we cross-communicate and share our efforts, the more successful we will be," he said. "This needs to be taken to a higher level among the nations that want to work on this."
And European nations increasingly have a watchful eye on Iran, Stavridis said. "I find Iran alarming in any number of dimensions," he told the senators, including its state-sponsored terrorism, nuclear proliferation and political outreach into Latin America. "It's fair to say we're seeing a growing appreciation of it in Europe," he added.
Stavridis called the new phased-in approach for European missile defense "timely and flexible," and said it will provide "capability that we can step up and be adaptive, as the Iranian capability to use ballistic missiles goes forward."
The admiral said he is very confident in the first stage of the program, which is sea-based with the Aegis weapons system and "reasonably confident" in the second phase, which is shore-based.
Stavridis also said the missile defense program offers opportunities to partner with Russia on the possible use of its radar for the system, and with Israel on perhaps adapting the Medium Extended Air Defense System to work with existing technologies.
"We in the United States do not have the market cornered on all of the smart technology, and we would be well-served to reach out to our allies about integrating, and MEADS is a player in that," he said.
Turning to other operations, Stavridis called the NATO mission in the Balkans "a real success story" that gets little publicity. The operations have kept the peace in Kosovo even while decreasing troops from 30,000 10 years ago to 1,200 today, he said.
The next step in Balkan operations is to determine how the drawdown should proceed, Stavridis said, adding that tensions still exist in Serbia about Kosovo, which the Serbian government views as a breakaway province, but which 63 nations, including the United States, view as sovereign.
"We need to move carefully in the Balkans so we don't fall back," Stavridis said. "This process has been extraordinary. We don't want to let it go, but it requires watchful service."
American Forces Press Service
March 9, 2010 - Increasing global threats such as those to computer networks and growing hostilities from Iran are prompting more NATO expeditionary operations, NATO's top military officer said today. "The demands of these nontraditional, transported threats are moving [European member nations] into this direction," Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Stavridis noted that 100,000 NATO troops are involved in expeditionary operations on three continents, including operations in Afghanistan, off the coast of Africa, and in Bosnia. "The nature of threats in this 21st century [is] going to demand more than just sitting behind our borders," he said.
Among the greatest concerns that impacts both military and civilian realms, the admiral said, is cybersecurity. "Today, we have a billion devices that are accessing the Internet," he said. "Our economies are entangled in this Internet sea, and it's an outlaw sea. Nothing exists in the norms of behavior. There is a military aspect to it, but it's all of society. At some point, there needs to be a very global conversation on this challenge."
European Command, as well as other U.S. commands, trains for widespread computer network attacks, and NATO last year opened a center in Estonia to deal with cyber threats, Stavridis said.
"We're all grappling with this, and the more we cross-communicate and share our efforts, the more successful we will be," he said. "This needs to be taken to a higher level among the nations that want to work on this."
And European nations increasingly have a watchful eye on Iran, Stavridis said. "I find Iran alarming in any number of dimensions," he told the senators, including its state-sponsored terrorism, nuclear proliferation and political outreach into Latin America. "It's fair to say we're seeing a growing appreciation of it in Europe," he added.
Stavridis called the new phased-in approach for European missile defense "timely and flexible," and said it will provide "capability that we can step up and be adaptive, as the Iranian capability to use ballistic missiles goes forward."
The admiral said he is very confident in the first stage of the program, which is sea-based with the Aegis weapons system and "reasonably confident" in the second phase, which is shore-based.
Stavridis also said the missile defense program offers opportunities to partner with Russia on the possible use of its radar for the system, and with Israel on perhaps adapting the Medium Extended Air Defense System to work with existing technologies.
"We in the United States do not have the market cornered on all of the smart technology, and we would be well-served to reach out to our allies about integrating, and MEADS is a player in that," he said.
Turning to other operations, Stavridis called the NATO mission in the Balkans "a real success story" that gets little publicity. The operations have kept the peace in Kosovo even while decreasing troops from 30,000 10 years ago to 1,200 today, he said.
The next step in Balkan operations is to determine how the drawdown should proceed, Stavridis said, adding that tensions still exist in Serbia about Kosovo, which the Serbian government views as a breakaway province, but which 63 nations, including the United States, view as sovereign.
"We need to move carefully in the Balkans so we don't fall back," Stavridis said. "This process has been extraordinary. We don't want to let it go, but it requires watchful service."
Africom Assists Security, Stability Efforts
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
March 9, 2010 - The Africa Partnership Station, a U.S.-led response to requests by African nations for maritime training, is now in its fifth deployment as it expands its scope along the African coastline, the commander of U.S. Africa Command said today. While its initial focus was on West African nations near the Gulf of Guinea, the program -- which comprises ships that serve as mobile training centers -- has extended its reach to the eastern coast of a continent plagued by problems on both coasts, Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"The Africa Partnership Station, which includes our European and African partners as members of its staff, is now on its fifth deployment and has expanded from its initial focus on the Gulf of Guinea to other African coastal nations," Ward said in a progress update to Congress.
An estimated 80 percent of Europe's cocaine supply transits through West Africa. Much of it originates in Latin America before being shipped across the Atlantic Ocean. In sub-Saharan Africa, roughly $1 billion is lost annually to illegal fishing.
Meanwhile, both the western and eastern coasts continue to be troubled by piracy – specifically in Nigeria and Somalia, which accounted for nearly 70 percent of the worldwide total in 2008, the most recent data available on Africom's Web site.
Visits by the Africa Partnership Station are designed to support and strengthen regional capabilities on the continent and represent one means for building comprehensive maritime security in Africa. The program is inspired by the belief that maritime safety and security will contribute to development, economic prosperity and security ashore, defense officials said.
Training focuses on a broad range of areas, including maritime law enforcement, search and rescue capabilities, civil engineering and logistics, and navigation. Crew members also participate in humanitarian assistance efforts led by interagency and nongovernmental organizations focusing on health care, education and other projects..
The Africa Partnership Station is part of a list of initiatives carried out by Africom, the Defense Department's newest unified combatant command, which oversees security and stability operations in the bulk of the African continent.
Describing other components of the U.S. mission on the continent, Ward said Africom personnel are assisting African partners in building their capacities to counter transnational threats from violent extremist organizations, to stem illicit drug trafficking, to support peacekeeping operations and to prepare for natural disasters.
"Supporting the development of professional and capable militaries contributes to increased security and stability in Africa, [and] allows African nations and regional organizations to promote good governance, expand development and provide for their common defense and better serve their people," he said.
Ward said the United States promotes its interests by helping African states build capable and professional militaries that respect human rights, adhere to the rule of law and more effectively contribute to stability in Africa.
"We do what we do in Africom to protect American lives and to promote American interests," he said. "We do it by supporting security and stability programs in Africa and its island nations."
American Forces Press Service
March 9, 2010 - The Africa Partnership Station, a U.S.-led response to requests by African nations for maritime training, is now in its fifth deployment as it expands its scope along the African coastline, the commander of U.S. Africa Command said today. While its initial focus was on West African nations near the Gulf of Guinea, the program -- which comprises ships that serve as mobile training centers -- has extended its reach to the eastern coast of a continent plagued by problems on both coasts, Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"The Africa Partnership Station, which includes our European and African partners as members of its staff, is now on its fifth deployment and has expanded from its initial focus on the Gulf of Guinea to other African coastal nations," Ward said in a progress update to Congress.
An estimated 80 percent of Europe's cocaine supply transits through West Africa. Much of it originates in Latin America before being shipped across the Atlantic Ocean. In sub-Saharan Africa, roughly $1 billion is lost annually to illegal fishing.
Meanwhile, both the western and eastern coasts continue to be troubled by piracy – specifically in Nigeria and Somalia, which accounted for nearly 70 percent of the worldwide total in 2008, the most recent data available on Africom's Web site.
Visits by the Africa Partnership Station are designed to support and strengthen regional capabilities on the continent and represent one means for building comprehensive maritime security in Africa. The program is inspired by the belief that maritime safety and security will contribute to development, economic prosperity and security ashore, defense officials said.
Training focuses on a broad range of areas, including maritime law enforcement, search and rescue capabilities, civil engineering and logistics, and navigation. Crew members also participate in humanitarian assistance efforts led by interagency and nongovernmental organizations focusing on health care, education and other projects..
The Africa Partnership Station is part of a list of initiatives carried out by Africom, the Defense Department's newest unified combatant command, which oversees security and stability operations in the bulk of the African continent.
Describing other components of the U.S. mission on the continent, Ward said Africom personnel are assisting African partners in building their capacities to counter transnational threats from violent extremist organizations, to stem illicit drug trafficking, to support peacekeeping operations and to prepare for natural disasters.
"Supporting the development of professional and capable militaries contributes to increased security and stability in Africa, [and] allows African nations and regional organizations to promote good governance, expand development and provide for their common defense and better serve their people," he said.
Ward said the United States promotes its interests by helping African states build capable and professional militaries that respect human rights, adhere to the rule of law and more effectively contribute to stability in Africa.
"We do what we do in Africom to protect American lives and to promote American interests," he said. "We do it by supporting security and stability programs in Africa and its island nations."
Future Units Need Balanced Capabilities
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
March 9, 2010 - Although many of the U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are deployed in a mentorship and training role, they're still capable of taking the fight to the enemy, the commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command said today.
Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee and explained that such units are still configured to retain combat power, and that their multifaceted capabilities herald the future for the U.S. military.
"The theme that we're seeing more and more now is the troops going in must have the ability to fight in a coalition atmosphere and be able to partner," Mattis said.
He explained that this shift in unit capabilities is part of a larger policy directed by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for the entire military.
"The entire military force is becoming more attuned to this 'advise and assist' effort, whether it's in Africa, Afghanistan or Iraq," the general said.
The first of the designated advise-and-assist brigades began arriving in Iraq over the summer. They've done well to empower Iraqi security forces and to help ensure the gradual drawdown of U.S. troops, Mattis said.
"When those troops go in, they will focus on the train-and-assist [mission]," he said. "But it would be ill-advised to the enemy to mess with them. They will still have their abilities to fight, and these forces are quite capable of rocking the enemy back on their heels.
"The troops are trained and adjusted to the advise-and-assist mission in Iraq, and from our perspective, these troops are exactly the right thing at the right time," Mattis added.
The Iraq model is adaptive, and is being used by U.S. troops in Afghanistan as well, said Mattis, whose command is responsible for providing efficient training programs to combatant commanders.
U.S. forces in Afghanistan are focusing more on improving the capabilities of Afghan soldiers through training and mentorship. Rather than U.S. forces being the sole tip of the spear in combat operations in the volatile south, U.S. and Afghan forces consistently fight side by side, he said.
"I'd go so far as in saying now that the troops that are going into southern Afghanistan are completely capable on their own as combat units or in partnering with the Afghans," Mattis said.
Military officials in Afghanistan's Helmand province estimate that there is one Afghan soldier per every three American troops rooting out Taliban in the Marja offensive. Only months ago, that ratio was estimated at one Afghan soldier for at least 10 Americans.
Mattis explained that the behavior of the U.S. troops in this capacity is just as important as the shift in their capabilities, shining light on the need to expand advisor and mentorship training to all combat units. Units must be organized to have the best-possible components and elements to execute any mission, he said, and must be tailored to provide maximum flexibility to deal with a wide range of conflicts and contingencies.
"While we cannot accurately predict the type of warfare in which we must be ready to engage in the future, we recognize that we cannot adopt a single, preclusive view of war," he said. "Balance is key. We are learning, [and] we've got it right this time. We are using lessons learned to change the very makeup of the unit training."
American Forces Press Service
March 9, 2010 - Although many of the U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are deployed in a mentorship and training role, they're still capable of taking the fight to the enemy, the commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command said today.
Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee and explained that such units are still configured to retain combat power, and that their multifaceted capabilities herald the future for the U.S. military.
"The theme that we're seeing more and more now is the troops going in must have the ability to fight in a coalition atmosphere and be able to partner," Mattis said.
He explained that this shift in unit capabilities is part of a larger policy directed by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for the entire military.
"The entire military force is becoming more attuned to this 'advise and assist' effort, whether it's in Africa, Afghanistan or Iraq," the general said.
The first of the designated advise-and-assist brigades began arriving in Iraq over the summer. They've done well to empower Iraqi security forces and to help ensure the gradual drawdown of U.S. troops, Mattis said.
"When those troops go in, they will focus on the train-and-assist [mission]," he said. "But it would be ill-advised to the enemy to mess with them. They will still have their abilities to fight, and these forces are quite capable of rocking the enemy back on their heels.
"The troops are trained and adjusted to the advise-and-assist mission in Iraq, and from our perspective, these troops are exactly the right thing at the right time," Mattis added.
The Iraq model is adaptive, and is being used by U.S. troops in Afghanistan as well, said Mattis, whose command is responsible for providing efficient training programs to combatant commanders.
U.S. forces in Afghanistan are focusing more on improving the capabilities of Afghan soldiers through training and mentorship. Rather than U.S. forces being the sole tip of the spear in combat operations in the volatile south, U.S. and Afghan forces consistently fight side by side, he said.
"I'd go so far as in saying now that the troops that are going into southern Afghanistan are completely capable on their own as combat units or in partnering with the Afghans," Mattis said.
Military officials in Afghanistan's Helmand province estimate that there is one Afghan soldier per every three American troops rooting out Taliban in the Marja offensive. Only months ago, that ratio was estimated at one Afghan soldier for at least 10 Americans.
Mattis explained that the behavior of the U.S. troops in this capacity is just as important as the shift in their capabilities, shining light on the need to expand advisor and mentorship training to all combat units. Units must be organized to have the best-possible components and elements to execute any mission, he said, and must be tailored to provide maximum flexibility to deal with a wide range of conflicts and contingencies.
"While we cannot accurately predict the type of warfare in which we must be ready to engage in the future, we recognize that we cannot adopt a single, preclusive view of war," he said. "Balance is key. We are learning, [and] we've got it right this time. We are using lessons learned to change the very makeup of the unit training."
USNS Comfort Completes Haiti Mission
American Forces Press Service
March 9, 2010 - The hospital ship USNS Comfort will leave Haiti tomorrow, as U.S. Southern Command officials have determined its crew has completed its humanitarian relief mission in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake that devastated the Caribbean nation. Medical facilities and field hospitals in Haiti have assumed a greater role in addressing the health-care needs of Haitians, and the need for urgent, life-saving medical care steadily declined, officials explained.
"Over the last 10 days, we've seen over a 65 percent reduction in patients on board the [Comfort], as they have been appropriately transferred to local hospitals for follow-on care," Army Col. (Dr.) Jennifer Menetrez, Joint Task Force Haiti's command surgeon, said during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable March 4. The last patient treated for earthquake-related injuries aboard the Comfort was discharged from the ship on Feb. 27, Menetrez added.
The hospital ship began supporting humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti after receiving its first patients a day before anchoring off Port-au-Prince on Jan. 20. Over the course of seven weeks, the ship's U.S military and civilian medical personnel treated 871 patients, receiving one patient every six to nine minutes at the height of the recovery effort, officials said.
Comfort's medical staff also performed 843 surgeries aboard the ship during the mission, treating more than 540 critically injured earthquake survivors within the first 10 days.
The hospital ship ran 10 operating rooms at full capacity to care for injured Haitian and U.S. earthquake survivors requiring surgical care. Comfort's medics also treated U.S. and international military personnel transferred to the ship by physicians on the ground for surgical and nonsurgical care.
Volunteer experts from the Orthopedic Trauma Association, Project Hope, Operation Smile, National Nurses United, Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine and other nongovernmental organizations provided the ship's medical team with orthopedic trauma, surgical, nursing and anesthesia support.
"We are immensely proud of the contributions made by everyone who helped treat critically injured earthquake survivors aboard [the] Comfort," said Air Force Gen. Douglas Fraser, commander of U.S. Southern Command. "Their efforts saved the lives of many patients and helped everyone treated begin the important process of recovery.
"Their rapid response and contribution to the international relief efforts in Haiti helped the country overcome an urgent medical crisis at a time when access to surgical care on the ground was very limited," the general added.
Comfort's crew worked closely with Haiti's health ministry and health care professionals from the U.S. Agency for International Development, international relief organizations and nongovernmental organizations to secure follow-on care for patients in recovery.
By early February, as relief efforts in the areas near the earthquake's epicenter gained momentum and medical treatment facilities began or resumed operations in those areas, the numbers of patients with earthquake-related injuries arriving aboard Comfort gradually declined. By Feb. 28, Comfort was no longer treating patients with earthquake-related injuries, officials said.
Comfort is scheduled to return to its home port in Baltimore on March 14.
USNS Comfort previously deployed here for 12 days in April as part of Operation Continuing Promise 2009 -- a four-month humanitarian and civic assistance deployment to seven countries in the Caribbean and in Central and South America. During the Haiti segment of the mission, Comfort's medical staff treated 6,731 patients, performed 161 surgeries and filled 15,504 prescriptions.
(From a U.S. Southern Command news release.)
March 9, 2010 - The hospital ship USNS Comfort will leave Haiti tomorrow, as U.S. Southern Command officials have determined its crew has completed its humanitarian relief mission in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake that devastated the Caribbean nation. Medical facilities and field hospitals in Haiti have assumed a greater role in addressing the health-care needs of Haitians, and the need for urgent, life-saving medical care steadily declined, officials explained.
"Over the last 10 days, we've seen over a 65 percent reduction in patients on board the [Comfort], as they have been appropriately transferred to local hospitals for follow-on care," Army Col. (Dr.) Jennifer Menetrez, Joint Task Force Haiti's command surgeon, said during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable March 4. The last patient treated for earthquake-related injuries aboard the Comfort was discharged from the ship on Feb. 27, Menetrez added.
The hospital ship began supporting humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti after receiving its first patients a day before anchoring off Port-au-Prince on Jan. 20. Over the course of seven weeks, the ship's U.S military and civilian medical personnel treated 871 patients, receiving one patient every six to nine minutes at the height of the recovery effort, officials said.
Comfort's medical staff also performed 843 surgeries aboard the ship during the mission, treating more than 540 critically injured earthquake survivors within the first 10 days.
The hospital ship ran 10 operating rooms at full capacity to care for injured Haitian and U.S. earthquake survivors requiring surgical care. Comfort's medics also treated U.S. and international military personnel transferred to the ship by physicians on the ground for surgical and nonsurgical care.
Volunteer experts from the Orthopedic Trauma Association, Project Hope, Operation Smile, National Nurses United, Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine and other nongovernmental organizations provided the ship's medical team with orthopedic trauma, surgical, nursing and anesthesia support.
"We are immensely proud of the contributions made by everyone who helped treat critically injured earthquake survivors aboard [the] Comfort," said Air Force Gen. Douglas Fraser, commander of U.S. Southern Command. "Their efforts saved the lives of many patients and helped everyone treated begin the important process of recovery.
"Their rapid response and contribution to the international relief efforts in Haiti helped the country overcome an urgent medical crisis at a time when access to surgical care on the ground was very limited," the general added.
Comfort's crew worked closely with Haiti's health ministry and health care professionals from the U.S. Agency for International Development, international relief organizations and nongovernmental organizations to secure follow-on care for patients in recovery.
By early February, as relief efforts in the areas near the earthquake's epicenter gained momentum and medical treatment facilities began or resumed operations in those areas, the numbers of patients with earthquake-related injuries arriving aboard Comfort gradually declined. By Feb. 28, Comfort was no longer treating patients with earthquake-related injuries, officials said.
Comfort is scheduled to return to its home port in Baltimore on March 14.
USNS Comfort previously deployed here for 12 days in April as part of Operation Continuing Promise 2009 -- a four-month humanitarian and civic assistance deployment to seven countries in the Caribbean and in Central and South America. During the Haiti segment of the mission, Comfort's medical staff treated 6,731 patients, performed 161 surgeries and filled 15,504 prescriptions.
(From a U.S. Southern Command news release.)
Flag Officer Announcement
March 9, 2010 - Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced today that the President has made the following nomination:
Navy Rear Adm. Carol M. Pottenger has been nominated for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as deputy chief of staff for capability development, Supreme Allied Command Transformation, Norfolk, Va. Pottenger is currently serving as commander, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, Norfolk, Va.
Navy Rear Adm. Carol M. Pottenger has been nominated for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as deputy chief of staff for capability development, Supreme Allied Command Transformation, Norfolk, Va. Pottenger is currently serving as commander, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, Norfolk, Va.
Mortuary Staff Prepares Uniforms for Fallen
By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service
March 9, 2010 - Army Sgt. 1st Class Jimmy Toro slides ribbons onto a rack, then clips the rack onto a brand-new dress uniform, the finishing touch on a lengthy process to ensure the proper medals and decorations are in place. He smiles as he admires his handiwork, lifting the jacket to ensure each medal and insignia is perfectly spaced and no wrinkles have invaded the carefully pressed surface.
Toro has put an inordinate amount of time and effort into this uniform, even though it's not one he'll ever wear. This uniform is for a servicemember who has been killed in combat.
Toro works in the uniform shop of the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center here, and it's his job to prepare the uniforms that will clothe soldiers' remains. His job, he said, is a labor of love.
"Soldiers take pride in their uniforms, and we ensure that pride is sustained even after they pass away," he said.
Toro's focus is on uniforms for soldiers, but Navy, Air Force and Marine representatives also are on hand to prepare uniforms for their service colleagues. All U.S. servicemembers who die in support of a combat operation will come through the operations center here, where their remains are prepared for final disposition.
Marine Corps Cpl. Adam Knebler said it's tough to describe the satisfaction he gets from doing this job.
"I find my work very rewarding," he said while sliding a belt buckle onto a strap. He is building several uniforms for Marines who had arrived the night prior. "This is probably one of the most important things we can do."
Knebler is surrounded by hundreds of uniforms and walls covered with neat rows of new ribbons and insignia from every service branch. The readily available stock helps the staff turn around the uniforms quickly. Their task must be completed by the time the remains are ready for departure home, which can take from 24 hours up to several days.
The staff's job starts when the remains first arrive at the mortuary. It's their job to obtain measurements, then have the uniform custom-tailored on base to ensure the perfect fit. Most families request burial in the service's dress uniform, but the staff also has accommodated other requests.
"We've purchased civilian attire, such as a suit or even jeans and a shirt," Toro said. "We'll do our best to fulfill any request."
For uniform requests, which make up the bulk of their work, their next step is to gather ribbons and medals; even those that have been posthumously awarded will make it onto the uniform. If needed, they will special-order a ribbon or medal, such as a state-specific one for a National Guard member, and have it shipped overnight. The name tag is the finishing touch, with a machine on hand to make them on the spot.
Once complete, the uniform will undergo a quality check. "If it's not right, if the sleeve is too long, for instance, we'll start over," Toro said. Another quality check will take place after modifications, and then a third at shipping.
These extensive efforts all are aimed at making sure the uniform is perfect for the families.
"Families are going through a tough enough time. We want them to have the least stress and worry possible," said Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Richard Mitchell. When they see the uniform, he added, "we want the families to see perfection; we want the uniform to shine."
Wounded Warriors Conquer Liberty Mountain
By: Army Lt. Col. Tom Hall
March 09, 2010
Some of the best snow conditions in recent memory greeted a very special group of skiers during the weekend of February 27-28 at Liberty Mountain in Southern Pennsylvania. The Fourth Annual Wounded Warriors weekend saw 15 soldiers from Ft. Belvoir, Ft. Meade, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center enjoy two days of skiing and snowboarding with their families.
The weekend’s events also included sponsored dinners in Gettysburg on Friday and Saturday evenings, thanks to generous contributions from the Quality Inn and the Best Western Gettysburg Hotel.
However, the highlight of the weekend was almost certainly the surprise visit by First Lady Michelle Obama, who was coincidentally skiing at Liberty on Sunday. During lunch, the First Lady, for whom advocacy of military families is a signature cause, came through and shook hands with warriors and instructors alike, and thanked the soldiers for their service and sacrifice.
The skiers and snowboarders who signed up for the event through their Warrior Transition Units had the opportunity to receive lessons from the instructional staff at Blue Ridge Adaptive Snow Sports (BRASS), a nonprofit organization that links up ski and snowboard instructors from Liberty Mountain with skiers for specialized instruction geared toward individual disabilities.
First-year instructor Bruce Bennett noted the irony in the warriors calling the instructors “heroes,” while his student for the weekend was able to ski without physical support, following a traumatic brain injury that has resulted in three years of physical therapy and requiring a cane to walk.
The warriors’ disabilities ranged from extensive shrapnel wounds and a shattered humerous to amputated legs and traumatic brain injuries, but that stopped no one from enjoying the great snow conditions and warm weather. Depending on the nature of the injury, BRASS is equipped with specialized equipment that can also make the warriors experience
The biggest goal of the weekend is to provide an opportunity to be outside and break the routine of physical therapy, while still getting valuable exercise. Many of the warriors skied and snowboarded prior to their injuries. This program allows them to return to an activity they loved while giving them the tools to adapt to their new physical condition.
Instructor Beth Troutman’s student, who had only skied once before her injury, was so excited that she showed up one hour early. She enjoyed the experience so much that she now hopes to become an instructor herself.
One of the best examples for them to emulate, is one of the BRASS instructors. Manny Pina, who lost a leg in a motor vehicle accident after returning from Iraq. Since then, he has learned to ski without his prosthetic – what is called “three-tracking” – and has been instructing other adaptive skiers for the past two years. During the weekend he skied a double-black diamond (skier lingo for the most difficult terrain) for the first time, while one of the warriors with whom he was skiing made her first trip down an intermediate level trail for the first time since her injury, which had left her knees extremely weak.
Instructor Cheryl Monroe noticed that, while everyone was nervous at the outset on Saturday morning, she saw changes in everyone’s confidence by the afternoon and following day, reflective of the since of accomplishment that came from conquering individual fears and the physical challenge presented by the mountain.
Although the program for wounded warriors has focused on one weekend per season for the last four years, organizers are hopeful that this winter’s record attendance will lead to more regular participation in the future. Ft. Meade Warrior Transition Unit coordinator Sandra Santos called this a worthwhile goal, as her desire, consistent among all the coordinators, was that she could bring the Ft. Meade warriors more often throughout the season.
Adaptive Program Supervisor Leslie White also felt that the very successful weekend made her look forward to a more sustained program for the next season by working directly with the Warrior Transition Units.
The author is a volunteer instructor in the adaptive program and an active duty lieutenant colonel in the Army.
Monday, March 08, 2010
The Green Backpack
Editor's Note: The author of the essay is a former servicemember.
I really wanted that green backpack. It had green and white stripes with a large “ecology” symbol on the back. The symbol was essentially an upside down peace symbol within a circle. Its aluminum frame and nylon construction weren’t particularly comfortable, lightweight or even useful; but, in 1972 it was groovy. I imagined I would explore the wilderness with it on my back. I never imagined the journey it would take me on.
Read On
http://www.police-writers.com/articles/green_backpack.html
I really wanted that green backpack. It had green and white stripes with a large “ecology” symbol on the back. The symbol was essentially an upside down peace symbol within a circle. Its aluminum frame and nylon construction weren’t particularly comfortable, lightweight or even useful; but, in 1972 it was groovy. I imagined I would explore the wilderness with it on my back. I never imagined the journey it would take me on.
Read On
http://www.police-writers.com/articles/green_backpack.html
VA/DOD Expand Electronic Health Information Pilot to Eastern Virginia
March 8, 2010 - The Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense today announced the next phase of the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) Health Communities Program. This initiative improves care and services to our nation's heroes by sharing health information using the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) developed under the leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
DoD and VA selected the Virginia/Tidewater area of Southeastern Virginia as the next area to partner with due to its high concentration of Veterans, military retirees, members of the guard and reserve, and active duty service members and their dependents.
In the Virginia/Tidewater area, VA and DoD will partner with private sector hospitals who have joined a regional health information exchange in this area. The Virginia/Tidewater pilot builds on the continuing success of the first pilot in San Diego with Kaiser Permanente.
Service members and veterans in the Virginia/Tidewater area will be invited to participate in this health data exchange program scheduled to launch this year. Individuals who choose to participate will authorize their public and private sector health care providers and doctors to share specific health information electronically, safely, securely and privately.
The program, through policy and technology, places the highest priority on patient privacy and data security. No exchange of information will occur without the appropriate permissions of the individual patients. Access to care will not be affected by a decision not to participate.
DoD and VA selected the Virginia/Tidewater area of Southeastern Virginia as the next area to partner with due to its high concentration of Veterans, military retirees, members of the guard and reserve, and active duty service members and their dependents.
In the Virginia/Tidewater area, VA and DoD will partner with private sector hospitals who have joined a regional health information exchange in this area. The Virginia/Tidewater pilot builds on the continuing success of the first pilot in San Diego with Kaiser Permanente.
Service members and veterans in the Virginia/Tidewater area will be invited to participate in this health data exchange program scheduled to launch this year. Individuals who choose to participate will authorize their public and private sector health care providers and doctors to share specific health information electronically, safely, securely and privately.
The program, through policy and technology, places the highest priority on patient privacy and data security. No exchange of information will occur without the appropriate permissions of the individual patients. Access to care will not be affected by a decision not to participate.
MILITARY CONTRACTS March 8, 2010
AIR FORCE
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $148,668,470 contract which will provide for 6,565 Lot 14 guided vehicle kits procured for Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) purposes. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 678 ARSS/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8681-10-C-0072, P00003).
Boeing Co., St Louis, Mo., was awarded a $69,702,919 contract which will provide for the QF-16 full scale aerial target basic contract. At this time, $950,000 has been obligated. 691 ARSS, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8678-10-C-0100).
Science Applications Technology Services Co., San Diego, Calif., was awarded a $50,841,636 contract which will provide for Option 3 for system engineering and integration contract. This will provide proactive technical management to enable more effective program execution. At this time, $25,578,521 has been obligated. GPSW/PK, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FAA807-07-C-0002, P00046).
DRS Sustainment Systems, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $23,102,651 contract which will provide the Tunner 60K loader is an air cargo transporter/loader designed to transport and load up to six pallets with a total combined weight of 60 thousand pounds. At this time, $15,401,767 has been obligated. 542 CSW/PKBA, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8519-04-D-0006).
United Launch Services, Littleton, Colo., was awarded a $6,502,811 contract which will provide new capabilities, tools, or resources required to increase the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. SMC/LR, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8816-06-C-0003).
NAVY
Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded $26,192,014 for firm-fixed-priced delivery order #0012 under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5031) for the purchase of extending the performance of 216 field service representatives, life support, and vehicle and equipment rental in support of the TAK-4 Independent Suspension System installation on Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Cougar Vehicles. Work will be performed at the MRAP Sustainment Facility in Kuwait, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
Oceaneering International, Inc., Hanover, Md., is being awarded an $8,230,478 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for worldwide rapid non-nuclear engineering, production, planning, and yard support; Navy sponsored deep ocean search, research escape and rescue, and recovery services; and support for underwater and surface systems in support of the Deep Submergence System Program Office, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Work will be performed in Kittery, Maine (20 percent); Hanover, Md. (20 percent); Chesapeake, Md. (35 percent); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (15 percent); Diego Garcia (5 percent); and Guam (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by March 2015. Contract funds in the amount of $250,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Naval Electronics Commerce Online, Federal Business Opportunities, and Naval Sea Logistics Center Web sites, with one offer received. The Naval Sea Logistics Center, Mechanicsburg, Pa., is the contracting activity (N65538-10-D-0001).
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $148,668,470 contract which will provide for 6,565 Lot 14 guided vehicle kits procured for Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) purposes. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 678 ARSS/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8681-10-C-0072, P00003).
Boeing Co., St Louis, Mo., was awarded a $69,702,919 contract which will provide for the QF-16 full scale aerial target basic contract. At this time, $950,000 has been obligated. 691 ARSS, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8678-10-C-0100).
Science Applications Technology Services Co., San Diego, Calif., was awarded a $50,841,636 contract which will provide for Option 3 for system engineering and integration contract. This will provide proactive technical management to enable more effective program execution. At this time, $25,578,521 has been obligated. GPSW/PK, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FAA807-07-C-0002, P00046).
DRS Sustainment Systems, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded a $23,102,651 contract which will provide the Tunner 60K loader is an air cargo transporter/loader designed to transport and load up to six pallets with a total combined weight of 60 thousand pounds. At this time, $15,401,767 has been obligated. 542 CSW/PKBA, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8519-04-D-0006).
United Launch Services, Littleton, Colo., was awarded a $6,502,811 contract which will provide new capabilities, tools, or resources required to increase the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. SMC/LR, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8816-06-C-0003).
NAVY
Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded $26,192,014 for firm-fixed-priced delivery order #0012 under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5031) for the purchase of extending the performance of 216 field service representatives, life support, and vehicle and equipment rental in support of the TAK-4 Independent Suspension System installation on Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Cougar Vehicles. Work will be performed at the MRAP Sustainment Facility in Kuwait, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
Oceaneering International, Inc., Hanover, Md., is being awarded an $8,230,478 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for worldwide rapid non-nuclear engineering, production, planning, and yard support; Navy sponsored deep ocean search, research escape and rescue, and recovery services; and support for underwater and surface systems in support of the Deep Submergence System Program Office, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Work will be performed in Kittery, Maine (20 percent); Hanover, Md. (20 percent); Chesapeake, Md. (35 percent); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (15 percent); Diego Garcia (5 percent); and Guam (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by March 2015. Contract funds in the amount of $250,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Naval Electronics Commerce Online, Federal Business Opportunities, and Naval Sea Logistics Center Web sites, with one offer received. The Naval Sea Logistics Center, Mechanicsburg, Pa., is the contracting activity (N65538-10-D-0001).
Statement by Deputy Secretary William Lynn on Northop Grumman Tanker Announcement
"We are disappointed by Northrop's decision not to submit a bid for the U.S. Air Force tanker replacement program.
In the last tanker replacement (KC-X) competition, Northrop Grumman competed well on both price and non-price factors. We strongly believe that the current competition is structured fairly and that both companies could compete effectively.
Based on the inputs we received from both offerors to the Department's draft Request for Proposal (RFP), we made changes to reduce the out-year risk to the potential manufacturers of KC-X. However, we did not change the war-fighters' requirements to accommodate either offeror.
The Department strongly supports trans-Atlantic defense industrial ties and believes they benefit the American war-fighter and taxpayer."
In the last tanker replacement (KC-X) competition, Northrop Grumman competed well on both price and non-price factors. We strongly believe that the current competition is structured fairly and that both companies could compete effectively.
Based on the inputs we received from both offerors to the Department's draft Request for Proposal (RFP), we made changes to reduce the out-year risk to the potential manufacturers of KC-X. However, we did not change the war-fighters' requirements to accommodate either offeror.
The Department strongly supports trans-Atlantic defense industrial ties and believes they benefit the American war-fighter and taxpayer."
Security and Stability in Africa: A Development Approach
Authored by Lieutenant Colonel Clarence J. Bouchat (USAF, Ret.).
The security and stability of Africa has recently become an important national issue readily seen in the increased time, effort, and resources now devoted to the continent by such new organizations as the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM). This paper seeks to overcome centuries of ignorance and misunderstanding about the conditions and people of Africa by discussing the fundamental issues of economic development and political governance through which enduring stability and security might be obtained. This paper offers solutions in terms of improving African stability and security and a framework of several key issues which should give policymakers the knowledge they need to work in a constantly changing and very challenging environment.
Read On
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?PubID=964
The security and stability of Africa has recently become an important national issue readily seen in the increased time, effort, and resources now devoted to the continent by such new organizations as the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM). This paper seeks to overcome centuries of ignorance and misunderstanding about the conditions and people of Africa by discussing the fundamental issues of economic development and political governance through which enduring stability and security might be obtained. This paper offers solutions in terms of improving African stability and security and a framework of several key issues which should give policymakers the knowledge they need to work in a constantly changing and very challenging environment.
Read On
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?PubID=964
Something Brewing in Venezuela
By Lieutenant Colonel Phillip R. Cuccia
Strategic Studies Institute
Addressing a regional diplomatic-military problem is made all the more complicated when the region is not at the forefront of U.S. global strategic interests. Such a region simply does not get the attention that it deserves. I fear that may be what is happening now with South America in general and Venezuela in particular.
Read On
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB961.pdf
Strategic Studies Institute
Addressing a regional diplomatic-military problem is made all the more complicated when the region is not at the forefront of U.S. global strategic interests. Such a region simply does not get the attention that it deserves. I fear that may be what is happening now with South America in general and Venezuela in particular.
Read On
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB961.pdf
Security Sector Reform: A Case Study Approach to Transition and Capacity Building
The authors explore the definition of SSR as it has emerged in the international community. The makeup of the security sector is examined, emergent principles are identified for implementing SSR in the community of practice, and the outcomes that SSR is designed to produce are specified. The supporting case studies of Haiti, Liberia, and Kosovo assess the impact of SSR programs on host nation security sectors. The authors conclude that those conducting SSR programs must understand and continually revisit the policy goals of SSR programs so as to develop concepts that support a transitional process that moves forward over time. Intermediate objectives required in support of this transition also articulate what is good enough and fair enough at various stages in the transformational process. State actors must acknowledge and often accommodate nonstate security actors more effectively in SSR planning and implementation, while recognizing both the advantages and the risks of collaborating with such actors. The authors also identify a need for rebalancing resources committed to SSR, especially given that justice and civil law enforcement typically are badly under-resourced as elements of SSR programs. Finally, the authors note the need for more flexible and better integrated funding processes to support SSR activities within the U.S. Government.
Read On
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?PubID=960
Read On
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?PubID=960
Guardsmen feel effects of foreclosure
By Sgt. Will Hill
Indiana National Guard
(2/26/10) -- Tenants throughout Indiana are raking leaves, mowing grass, paying rent and getting evicted.They are discovering being responsible isn't enough to avoid eviction due to foreclosure.
A projected 8.1 million properties across the nation will be foreclosed on, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's National Delinquency Survey taken in 2008. And the effects can be felt here.
Foreclosure can cause anxiety and stress on renters who have no control over property owners allowing their property to go into foreclosure, and the effects can leave good tenants homeless. Fortunately, there are laws that help Soldiers and civilians from losing their residence.
Tarah Jackson of the Camp Atterbury public affairs office has first-hand experience. She was home alone when she heard a pounding at her door. As she peeped through the blinds, she saw a deputy sheriff standing at her step.
Her first thoughts were the safety of her husband, who is a Soldier with the 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Indianapolis.
The deputy sheriff served her a summons, leaving her confused. "I was handed a summons, because the landlord let the house go into foreclosure," said Jackson. "My husband and I were blindsided and thought this had to be some kind of mistake because we have never missed a payment."
After several unsuccessful attempts to contact the property owner, they retained a lawyer who filed documents with the court, allowing them to finish out the remainder of their lease.
"The worst part of all this is the uncertainty," Jackson said. "Hopefully we will be able to finish our lease, which is up in October."
Prior to 2009, most tenants had to be out of their houses before the auction or sale of the property but on May 28 of last year, the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act passed legislation allowing tenants more time before being evicted from a foreclosed home.
Capt. Daniel Bagley, a Judge Advocate General legal assistant for Camp Atterbury, said under the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act, tenants now have a set minimum of 90 days before eviction.
"There is a general rule that the lease has to be honored by the [landlord], unless they turn around and sell the house to somebody who is going to occupy as a primary resident in which case the tenant gets the 90 days before being evicted," said Bagley. In other words, the tenant remains in the property for the reminder of the lease, until the property is sold. If the property is bought before the end of the lease, and the new buyer wishes to live in the home instead of renting it out, the tenant has 90 days before eviction.
"Soldiers confronted with an eviction notice should contact JAG as soon as possible," said Bagley, "because we can make sure documentation gets appropriately filed with the court."
Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard of the Indiana Supreme Court offered words of encouragement to people suffering the effects of foreclosure during his speech at the 2009 State of Indiana Judiciary Address.
"Foreclosures in our state have risen 50 percent in five years," he said. "I promise you this: by the 2009 summer, Indiana will have trained more judges, pro-bono lawyers and mediators to help people facing foreclosure than any other court system in America."
Jackson said that she and her husband have been discouraged by the idea of renting a house from private homeowners.
"Try to rent through a business or a bank, but not a [private homeowner] because the [landlord] might not have your best interests at heart," Jackson said. "You might find yourself out on the street with just your boots and belongings."
Maj. Douglas Downs, housing officer for Directorate of Public Works at Camp Atterbury, said if a Soldier is put on the street, the housing office can provide living quarters for single Soldiers for up to 30 days.
"If a single Soldier lost their home and went through their chain-of-command, the housing office could provide a place to stay," said Downs. "We do not get a lot of these kinds of requests but when we do I think we have never turned a Soldier down," he said.
As Soldiers and civilians suffer from an epidemic of foreclosures, be assured there are laws in place to help the American people stay in their homes.
Before a Soldier decides to rent a house, research the homeowner and have the JAG office review the lease. Soldiers and civilians of Camp Atterbury have options, tools and support at their disposal to protect themselves in the event of foreclosure.
For additional information about foreclosures or evictions call the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development housing help line at 1-800-569-4287.
Indiana National Guard
(2/26/10) -- Tenants throughout Indiana are raking leaves, mowing grass, paying rent and getting evicted.They are discovering being responsible isn't enough to avoid eviction due to foreclosure.
A projected 8.1 million properties across the nation will be foreclosed on, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's National Delinquency Survey taken in 2008. And the effects can be felt here.
Foreclosure can cause anxiety and stress on renters who have no control over property owners allowing their property to go into foreclosure, and the effects can leave good tenants homeless. Fortunately, there are laws that help Soldiers and civilians from losing their residence.
Tarah Jackson of the Camp Atterbury public affairs office has first-hand experience. She was home alone when she heard a pounding at her door. As she peeped through the blinds, she saw a deputy sheriff standing at her step.
Her first thoughts were the safety of her husband, who is a Soldier with the 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Indianapolis.
The deputy sheriff served her a summons, leaving her confused. "I was handed a summons, because the landlord let the house go into foreclosure," said Jackson. "My husband and I were blindsided and thought this had to be some kind of mistake because we have never missed a payment."
After several unsuccessful attempts to contact the property owner, they retained a lawyer who filed documents with the court, allowing them to finish out the remainder of their lease.
"The worst part of all this is the uncertainty," Jackson said. "Hopefully we will be able to finish our lease, which is up in October."
Prior to 2009, most tenants had to be out of their houses before the auction or sale of the property but on May 28 of last year, the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act passed legislation allowing tenants more time before being evicted from a foreclosed home.
Capt. Daniel Bagley, a Judge Advocate General legal assistant for Camp Atterbury, said under the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act, tenants now have a set minimum of 90 days before eviction.
"There is a general rule that the lease has to be honored by the [landlord], unless they turn around and sell the house to somebody who is going to occupy as a primary resident in which case the tenant gets the 90 days before being evicted," said Bagley. In other words, the tenant remains in the property for the reminder of the lease, until the property is sold. If the property is bought before the end of the lease, and the new buyer wishes to live in the home instead of renting it out, the tenant has 90 days before eviction.
"Soldiers confronted with an eviction notice should contact JAG as soon as possible," said Bagley, "because we can make sure documentation gets appropriately filed with the court."
Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard of the Indiana Supreme Court offered words of encouragement to people suffering the effects of foreclosure during his speech at the 2009 State of Indiana Judiciary Address.
"Foreclosures in our state have risen 50 percent in five years," he said. "I promise you this: by the 2009 summer, Indiana will have trained more judges, pro-bono lawyers and mediators to help people facing foreclosure than any other court system in America."
Jackson said that she and her husband have been discouraged by the idea of renting a house from private homeowners.
"Try to rent through a business or a bank, but not a [private homeowner] because the [landlord] might not have your best interests at heart," Jackson said. "You might find yourself out on the street with just your boots and belongings."
Maj. Douglas Downs, housing officer for Directorate of Public Works at Camp Atterbury, said if a Soldier is put on the street, the housing office can provide living quarters for single Soldiers for up to 30 days.
"If a single Soldier lost their home and went through their chain-of-command, the housing office could provide a place to stay," said Downs. "We do not get a lot of these kinds of requests but when we do I think we have never turned a Soldier down," he said.
As Soldiers and civilians suffer from an epidemic of foreclosures, be assured there are laws in place to help the American people stay in their homes.
Before a Soldier decides to rent a house, research the homeowner and have the JAG office review the lease. Soldiers and civilians of Camp Atterbury have options, tools and support at their disposal to protect themselves in the event of foreclosure.
For additional information about foreclosures or evictions call the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development housing help line at 1-800-569-4287.
New Health System Site Makes Information Accessible
American Forces Press Service
March 8, 2010 - The Military Health System has launched a new Health.mil Web site that provides a single point of entry to military health news, information and resources. The site is part of the Defense Department's continued commitment to make health information available and easy to find, officials said. Content is categorized by topic or audience, including servicemembers, retirees and families; health care providers; educators and researchers; Military Health System staff; Defense Department leaders; and the media.
"We've listened to the feedback from our users and redesigned the site to make it better-easier to navigate and easier to find information," said Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, director of strategic communications for the Military Health System. "The new Health.mil is better organized, better looking, and more seamlessly integrated with our social media efforts."
The new design better serves the system's health care beneficiaries by providing links to Tricare and eBenefits up front. An easy-to-navigate layout provides multiple paths to the information, including an exposed site map and a topic index on every page. The new site includes improved Section 508 compliance for the disabled and is easier to use with mobile devices. A robust search function pulls in results from across multiple organizational Web sites within the Military Health System.
America's Military Health System is a unique partnership of medical educators, medical researchers and health-care providers and their support personnel worldwide. This Defense Department enterprise consists of the office of the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs; the medical departments of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard and Joint Chiefs of Staff; the combatant command surgeons; and Tricare providers, including private-sector health-care providers, hospitals and pharmacies.
(From a Military Health System news release.)
March 8, 2010 - The Military Health System has launched a new Health.mil Web site that provides a single point of entry to military health news, information and resources. The site is part of the Defense Department's continued commitment to make health information available and easy to find, officials said. Content is categorized by topic or audience, including servicemembers, retirees and families; health care providers; educators and researchers; Military Health System staff; Defense Department leaders; and the media.
"We've listened to the feedback from our users and redesigned the site to make it better-easier to navigate and easier to find information," said Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, director of strategic communications for the Military Health System. "The new Health.mil is better organized, better looking, and more seamlessly integrated with our social media efforts."
The new design better serves the system's health care beneficiaries by providing links to Tricare and eBenefits up front. An easy-to-navigate layout provides multiple paths to the information, including an exposed site map and a topic index on every page. The new site includes improved Section 508 compliance for the disabled and is easier to use with mobile devices. A robust search function pulls in results from across multiple organizational Web sites within the Military Health System.
America's Military Health System is a unique partnership of medical educators, medical researchers and health-care providers and their support personnel worldwide. This Defense Department enterprise consists of the office of the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs; the medical departments of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard and Joint Chiefs of Staff; the combatant command surgeons; and Tricare providers, including private-sector health-care providers, hospitals and pharmacies.
(From a Military Health System news release.)
Hungary, Serbia leaders meet with Ohio Guard
By Dr. Mark Wayda
Ohio National Guard
(3/5/10) -- Since the early 1990s, state National Guards have responded to an evolving international affairs mission. The State Partnership Program, matching state National Guards with the militaries of countries around the world, now consists of 62 partnerships. The Ohio National Guard has been partnered with Hungary since 1993 and with Serbia since 2006.
On Feb. 26, delegations from Serbia and Hungary, led by Hungarian Chief of Defense Gen. László Tömböl and Serbian Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff Lt. Gen. Miloje Miletić arrived in Central Ohio for trilateral discussions with their mutual partner, Maj. Gen. Gregory L. Wayt, the adjutant general of the Ohio National Guard.
On Feb. 27, both men addressed several hundred of the top Ohio National Guard senior officers and non-commissioned officers at the state's annual Joint Commanders Call.
“(It) is an opportunity for the most senior leadership of Ohio's Army and Air National Guards to come together to achieve a common understanding of the most important issues facing the National Guard,” Wayt said. “I invited the generals to speak here today, because our international partners are critical stakeholders, and core competencies include continuing to grow as valued partners to them.”
Both men spoke of the value of the professional connections between their Soldiers and Airmen and those of the Ohio National Guard, but both spoke also of the personal relationships that have developed over the years and how those relationships transcend any specific operational issues.
Maj. Steven Shilliday, the director of the State Partnership Program for Ohio, explained some of the many projects and events Ohio participates in jointly with its partners.
"The Hungarian partnership has been going on for much longer," Shilliday said, and that may be one reason that the partnership events have evolved into the operational realm.
"Ohio National Guard Soldiers are deploying with Hungarian soldiers in Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams, training the Afghan National Army," he said. "But the relationship with Serbia is also evolving very quickly. Just last summer, Soldiers and Airmen from Ohio spent more than a month performing a humanitarian mission--rehabilitating several school houses--with their Serbian partners."
Hundreds of Soldiers and Airmen from Ohio, Hungary and Serbia have participated in dozens of partnership events just in the past three years.
"Each one of those Soldiers and Airmen have learned from each other and become better at what they do because of the exposure to new ways of thinking and new ways of doing things inherent in these parthership exchanges," Wayt said. "I cannot thank enough Gen. Tömböl and Lt. Gen. Miletić for being here to share their perspectives on our partnerships with Ohio's most senior leaders."
Ohio National Guard
(3/5/10) -- Since the early 1990s, state National Guards have responded to an evolving international affairs mission. The State Partnership Program, matching state National Guards with the militaries of countries around the world, now consists of 62 partnerships. The Ohio National Guard has been partnered with Hungary since 1993 and with Serbia since 2006.
On Feb. 26, delegations from Serbia and Hungary, led by Hungarian Chief of Defense Gen. László Tömböl and Serbian Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff Lt. Gen. Miloje Miletić arrived in Central Ohio for trilateral discussions with their mutual partner, Maj. Gen. Gregory L. Wayt, the adjutant general of the Ohio National Guard.
On Feb. 27, both men addressed several hundred of the top Ohio National Guard senior officers and non-commissioned officers at the state's annual Joint Commanders Call.
“(It) is an opportunity for the most senior leadership of Ohio's Army and Air National Guards to come together to achieve a common understanding of the most important issues facing the National Guard,” Wayt said. “I invited the generals to speak here today, because our international partners are critical stakeholders, and core competencies include continuing to grow as valued partners to them.”
Both men spoke of the value of the professional connections between their Soldiers and Airmen and those of the Ohio National Guard, but both spoke also of the personal relationships that have developed over the years and how those relationships transcend any specific operational issues.
Maj. Steven Shilliday, the director of the State Partnership Program for Ohio, explained some of the many projects and events Ohio participates in jointly with its partners.
"The Hungarian partnership has been going on for much longer," Shilliday said, and that may be one reason that the partnership events have evolved into the operational realm.
"Ohio National Guard Soldiers are deploying with Hungarian soldiers in Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams, training the Afghan National Army," he said. "But the relationship with Serbia is also evolving very quickly. Just last summer, Soldiers and Airmen from Ohio spent more than a month performing a humanitarian mission--rehabilitating several school houses--with their Serbian partners."
Hundreds of Soldiers and Airmen from Ohio, Hungary and Serbia have participated in dozens of partnership events just in the past three years.
"Each one of those Soldiers and Airmen have learned from each other and become better at what they do because of the exposure to new ways of thinking and new ways of doing things inherent in these parthership exchanges," Wayt said. "I cannot thank enough Gen. Tömböl and Lt. Gen. Miletić for being here to share their perspectives on our partnerships with Ohio's most senior leaders."
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