Soldier Siblings Serve Together

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Laura Goodgame
Regional Command East

May 4, 2010 - Sibling rivalry isn't a problem for a brother and sister from Collegeville, Pa., who are serving a deployment here together. "My brother was my best friend growing up; he was all I had," said Army Pfc. Jessica Kimball, 20, a mechanic assigned to Company B, 82nd Division Special Troops Battalion out of Fort Bragg, N.C. "I didn't have the picture-perfect childhood."

Kimball was 11 when her grandmother died, and she was placed into her brother's family for foster care. She said her brother, Army Pvt. Logan Yost, 21, an infantryman assigned to the same unit, always took her under his wing.

Kimball said she planned to go to college, but couldn't afford it. After hearing about GI Bill education benefits, she decided to see a recruiter.

"The recruiter mentioned the opportunity to go Airborne, [and] being of competitive nature, it intrigued me," she said. "I talked it over with my brother. He did not want me to go alone, so we both joined the Army together."

After basic training and Airborne School, the siblings were assigned to the same airborne unit. Soon, they deployed to Afghanistan, where they have been on several missions together and look out for each other.

"Sometimes we would be outside the wire for several days in a row," Yost said. "At night, we would all take turns staying awake to pull security. When it was Jessica's turn, I would go sit with her to keep her company so she wouldn't be alone." His sister returned the favor when it was his turn for security detail, he added.

"I feel for anyone who has siblings in the military," Yost said. "We are lucky to have gotten stationed together, because most of the time siblings get split up and sent halfway around the world from each other."

The siblings already were close when they joined the military, they said, but their time in Afghanistan has made their bond stronger.

"The deployment has brought us closer together," Kimball said. "It is like a hardcore friendship, and it is comforting to know someone has your back in a foreign country away from anything we've ever known."

Guard Responds to Storm Damage, Water Main Break

By Army Spc. Darron Salzer
National Guard Bureau

May 3, 2010 - Severe storms ripped through several southern states over the weekend, leaving floods and damage throughout the region. National Guard members were called upon in Arkansas and Tennessee to assist local emergency management organizations in search-and-rescue and evacuation efforts, respectively.

In Arkansas, the Guard responded to calls for support teams and equipment to assist with search-and-rescue efforts due to tornado damage to infrastructure such as power and water, National Guard Bureau officials said.

"At roughly 10 p.m. [April 30], we received word that we were to deploy two county support teams of about 50 personnel," said Army Capt. Chris Heathscott, public affairs officer for the Arkansas Guard. "Our troops were on the ground shortly after 1 a.m. in order to support the communities of East End and Scotland."

Soldiers from the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team provided support and equipment to the mission in Scotland, and airmen from the 189th Airlift Wing provided support in East End, Heathscott said.

"As of today, the airmen are still supporting the East End community with security operations and traffic control," he said.

In addition to the personnel support, the Guard had two additional missions in Arkansas over the weekend, sending a 500-gallon water tanker to Scotland and a generator to Jackson County, Arkansas Guard officials said.

Severe storms dumped heavy rains that caused flash flooding in Tennessee, and the Tennessee Guard provided evacuation support in Williamson and Houston counties.

"We had the 1176th Transportation Company go out yesterday and escort people that were recovered from areas that had been walled up by water," said Army Capt. Darrin Haas, deputy director of public affairs for the Tennessee Guard. "They assisted about 240 individuals and brought them out to staging areas and shelters. They drove house-to-house also with high-water vehicles to knock on doors and ask people if they wanted to be escorted out."

The Guard also transported sandbags in Clarksville, Tenn., but most of their efforts had been focused on getting people to safety, Haas said.

"Today, we're beginning missions to do debris removal," he said. "The governor of Tennessee and the adjutant general will be flying around to access the damage. We're doing everything the governor asks, and we're [here] to help the first responders from our state and local governments, who are doing a fantastic job."

Guard members also were called out in Massachusetts for a massive rupture of a critical water main that supplies millions of residents in the Boston area. About 450 Guardsmen helped to distribute bottled water and provided other support functions, Guard officials said.

"The commonwealth can rely on the Guard's diverse capabilities, our strategically located units and our quick response during times of need," said Army Maj. Gen. Joseph C. Carter, Massachusetts adjutant general.

CNO Meets with Navy Families Displaced by Flooding in Millington

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) Tiffini Jones Vanderwyst, Chief of Naval Operations Public Affairs

May 3, 2010 - MILINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead visited Naval Support Activity Mid-South command to meet with Sailors and families affected by severe flooding and survey the damage to the base on May 3.

CNO was accompanied by Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) Vice Adm. Mark Ferguson and Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) Vice Adm. Mike Vitale. The Navy leaders got a firsthand look at the condition of the base and discussed the path ahead for the Sailors, Navy civilians and their families as they recover from the flooding that overtook the base Saturday, May 1.

CNO said the Sailors' and Navy civilians' swift reactions to the flooding ensured the safety of those who work and live on the base.

"I can't say enough about how prepared this base was and how responsive everyone who serves here was," said Roughead,. "First and foremost [to] safety, but then volunteering and making sure that everybody was taken care of."

During a town hall meeting with Sailors, families, volunteers and other base personnel, Roughead told those affected that the entire Navy is working to ensure they remain safe and cared for during the difficult time.

"I want to assure everyone here that the entire Navy is going to lean forward to make sure that we take care of your needs, that we meet the needs of your family and that we get the base restored and get your lives back to normal as soon as we possibly can," said Roughead.

Roughead also expressed the importance of a quick recovery due to the business of the Navy that takes place in Millington.

"There is a lot that goes on here that affects everybody [in the Navy]," said Roughead. "I also want to make sure everybody understands we are going to do everything necessary to get Millington and the Navy personnel system back in battery, back in business and back to serving the fleet."

Gates: Sea Services Must Question Embedded Thinking

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

May 3, 2010 - The Navy and Marine Corps are going to have to question some embedded thinking, such as whether the Navy needs 11 carrier battle groups or whether the Marines ever will launch another amphibious landing, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. Gates spoke at the Navy League's annual Sea-Air-Space Convention at the Gaylord National Convention Center.

The world is changing, and the sea services must be on the leading edges of those changes, Gates said to an auditorium full of Navy and Marine Corps officers and defense contractors that was just a bit smaller than an aircraft carrier's hangar deck.

Gates made a case for examining the bedrocks of naval strategy, noting that carrier battle groups have been the Navy's main fleet formation since 1942.

"Our current plan is to have eleven carrier strike groups through 2040," Gates said. But a look at the facts is warranted, he added. The United States now has 11 large, nuclear-powered carriers, and there is nothing comparable anywhere else in the world. "The U.S. Navy has 10 large-deck amphibious ships that can operate as sea bases for helicopters and vertical-takeoff jets," he said. "No other navy has more than three, and all of those navies belong to allies or friends."

The U.S. Navy can carry twice as many aircraft at sea as the rest of the world combined, Gates said. Under the sea, he told the group, the United States has 57 nuclear-powered attack and cruise-missile submarines – more than the rest of the world combined, and 79 Aegis-equipped surface ships that carry about 8,000 vertical-launch missile cells.

"In terms of total-missile firepower, the U.S. arguably outmatches the next 20 largest navies," Gates said. "All told, the displacement of the U.S. battle fleet – a proxy for overall fleet capabilities – exceeds, by one recent estimate, at least the next 13 navies combined, of which 11 are our allies or partners."

The United States must be able to project power overseas, Gates said. "But, consider the massive overmatch the U.S. already enjoys," he added. "Consider, too, the growing anti-ship capabilities of adversaries. Do we really need 11 carrier strike groups for another 30 years when no other country has more than one?"

The Marine Corps is now 202,000 strong. It is the largest force of its type in the world, and exceeds in size most nations' armies. Between the world wars, the Marine Corps developed amphibious warfare doctrine and used it to great effect against the Japanese during World War II. Whether that capability still is needed, however, is worthy of thought, the secretary said.

"We have to take a hard look at where it would be necessary or sensible to launch another major amphibious landing again – especially as advances in anti-ship systems keep pushing the potential launch point further from shore," Gates said. "On a more basic level, in the 21st century, what kind of amphibious capability do we really need to deal with the most likely scenarios, and then how much?"

The sea services must be designed to meet new challenges, new technologies and new missions, Gates said.

Nations and terror groups are not going to challenge the conventional might of the United States, he noted. Rather, they are working on asymmetric ways to thwart the reach and striking power of the U.S. battle fleet.

"At the low end, Hezbollah, a non-state actor, used anti-ship missiles against the Israeli navy in 2006," Gates said. "And Iran is combining ballistic and cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, mines, and swarming speedboats in order to challenge our naval power in that region."

A bit farther up the scale, the virtual monopoly the United States has had with precision-guided weapons is eroding, the secretary said, especially with long-range, accurate anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles that can potentially strike from over the horizon.

"This is a particular concern with aircraft carriers and other large, multi-billion-dollar blue-water surface combatants, where, for example, a Ford-class carrier plus its full complement of the latest aircraft would represent potentially $15 billion to $20 billion worth of hardware at risk," Gates said. "The U.S. will also face increasingly sophisticated underwater combat systems – including numbers of stealthy subs – all of which could end the operational sanctuary our Navy has enjoyed in the Western Pacific for the better part of six decades."

The sea services already are addressing many of the challenges of the 21st century, the secretary said. The Navy, for example, is building partnership capacity through the Africa Partnership Station in the Gulf of Guinea. Sailors are training with friends and allies to secure vital shipping lanes in Southeast Asia. Seabees and other sailors are digging wells and building schools in Djibouti. Naval officers lead the multinational efforts to counter the piracy around the Horn of Africa. Naval doctors, nurses and corpsmen that treated those injured in the Haitian earthquake and sailors also are helping with crises like the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Gates said.

"Then, there are the wars," he said. "With roughly 25 ships – and more than 20,000 sailors – in the [U.S. Central Command] area of operations, there is no doubt that this is a Navy at war."

Tens of thousands of sailors also have served on the ground alongside soldiers and Marines. The sailors serve on provincial reconstruction teams, as finance clerks, on riverine crews, as Seabees, as SEALs and as medical corpsmen. "These men and women are vital to the mission and helping to ease the strain on our ground forces – and doing so without fail and without complaint," Gates said.

The secretary said the Marines have been "game-changers" in Iraq, and now in Afghanistan. "In March, I had a chance to meet with Marines at the tip of the spear in a town called Now Zad – a place that had been, for nearly four years, a ghost town under the jackboot of the Taliban," Gates said. "Then came a battalion of Marines, who, after months of hard work and sacrifice, have slowly brought the town back to life – creating a model for operations elsewhere."

The military needs more innovative strategies and joint approaches, the secretary said. He called the agreement by the Navy and Air Force to develop an Air-Sea Battle Concept encouraging. It has "the potential to do for America's military deterrent power at the beginning of the 21st century what Air-Land Battle did near the end of the 20th," he said.

But the military also must shift investments toward systems that provide the ability to see and strike deep along the full spectrum of conflict, Gates said.

"This means, among other things, extending the range at which U.S. naval forces can fight, refuel, and strike, with more resources devoted to long-range unmanned aircraft and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities," he explained.

It also means new sea-based missile defenses and a submarine force with expanded roles that is prepared to conduct more missions deep inside an enemy's battle network. "We will also have to increase submarine strike capability and look at smaller and unmanned underwater platforms," Gates said.

The secretary acknowledged talk that his push to rebalance the force to provide more resources to fight today's wars has gone too far.

"In reality," he said, "in this fiscal year, the Department of Defense requested nearly $190 billion for total procurement, research, and development – an almost 90 percent increase over the last decade. At most, 10 percent of that $190 billion is dedicated exclusively to equipment optimized for counterinsurgency, security assistance, humanitarian operations or other so-called low-end capabilities.

"In these last two budget cycles," Gates continued, "I have directed a needed and noticeable shift – but hardly a dramatic one, especially in light of the significant naval overmatch."

Resource discussions always foster debates about gaps in military capabilities, Gates said, and the solution usually offered is "either more of what we already have or modernized versions of pre-existing capabilities."

"This approach ignores the fact that we face diverse adversaries with finite resources that consequently force them to come at the U.S. in unconventional and innovative ways," he continued. "The more relevant gap we risk creating is one between the capabilities we are pursuing and those that are actually needed in the real world of tomorrow."

Gates said the sea services must remember that as the wars draw down, money will be required to reset the Army and Marine Corps – the services that have borne the brunt of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"And there will continue to be long-term – and inviolable – costs associated with taking care of our troops and their families," he said. "In other words, I do not foresee any significant top-line increases in the shipbuilding budget beyond current assumptions. At the end of the day, we have to ask whether the nation can really afford a Navy that relies on $3 [billion] to $6 billion destroyers, $7 billion submarines, and $11 billion carriers."

U.S. Declassifies Nuclear Stockpile Details to Promote Transparency

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

May 3, 2010 - The United States released newly declassified details about its nuclear stockpile today, including significant progress made in dismantling warheads, in an effort to promote transparency and help stem nuclear proliferation.

The United States had 5,113 warheads in its nuclear weapons stockpile as of Sept. 30, a senior defense official told reporters today on background.

That represents an 84 percent reduction from the end of fiscal 1967, when the U.S. nuclear arsenal was its largest, with 31,255 warheads, the official said. The current stockpile is 75 percent lower than when the Berlin Wall fell in late 1989, and the United States had 22,217 warheads.

The United States is making continued progress in dismantling nuclear warheads: with 8,748 dismantled between fiscal years 1994 and 2009 and several thousand more currently retired and awaiting dismantlement, the official noted. Meanwhile, the number of non-strategic nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal dropped about 90 percent from Sept. 30, 1991, to Sept. 30, 2009.

"For those who doubt that the United States will do its part on disarmament, this is our record, these are our commitments," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told the U.N. conference on the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty today in New York. "And they send a clear, unmistakable message." A senior defense official expressed hope that it would set a standard for the rest of the world, including China, to be more transparent about their nuclear weapons programs.

Clinton said the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia, once approved, will further limit the number of strategic nuclear weapons deployed by both countries to levels not seen since the 1950s.

Clinton also noted that the new Nuclear Posture Review, released in April, rules out the development of new U.S. nuclear weapons and new missions and capabilities for existing weapons. It also prohibits the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons states that are parties to the NPT and comply with its nonproliferation obligations.

President Barack Obama has made reducing the threat posed by nuclear weapons and nuclear materials a central mission of U.S. foreign policy, Clinton told the conference.

"I represent a president and a country committed to a vision of a world without nuclear weapons, and to taking the concrete steps necessary that will help us get there," she said. "And, along with my delegation, I come to this conference with sincere and serous proposals to advance the fundamental aims of the NPT and strengthen the global nonproliferation regime."

Although most nations live up to their nonproliferation responsibilities, Clinton said Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions put the entire world at risk and urged the international community to hold it accountable.

She called out Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for spewing "the same tired, false and sometimes wild accusations" against the United States and other nations during his address to the assembly earlier today. "Iran will do whatever it can to divert attention away from its own record and ... attempt to evade accountability," she said.

Clinton urged Iran to join with other countries represented at the conference to "fulfill our international obligations and work toward the goal of a safer world."

"When President Obama came into office, he recognized that the greatest potential danger facing the United States comes from a terrorist group like al-Qaida obtaining a crude nuclear device, not from a global nuclear war," she said. "The threats of the 21st century cannot be addressed with a massive nuclear stockpile. So we are taking irreversible, transparent, verifiable steps to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in our arsenal."

But in the meantime, Clinton emphasized that the United States won't eliminate all its nuclear weapons until it's safe to do so. "The United States will maintain a nuclear deterrent for as long as nuclear weapons exist, one that can protect our country and our allies," she said.

The U.S. nuclear stockpile includes both active and inactive warheads, defense officials explained. Active warheads include strategic and non-strategic weapons maintained in an operational, ready-for-use configuration, warheads that must be ready for possible deployment within a short timeframe, and logistics spares.

Inactive warheads are maintained in a non-operational status at depots, and have their tritium bottles removed.

Obama Presents Navy With Seventh Trophy

By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service

May 3, 2010 - President Barack Obama presented the Naval Academy football team with its seventh straight Commander-in-Chief's Trophy in the White House Rose Garden this afternoon. The trophy is awarded each year to the winner of the college football series among the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

"Does this ever get old?" Obama joked. "According to the 22nd Amendment, you're only allowed to come back here one more time before it's somebody else's turn."

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Jeffrey Fowler also were on hand for the event, as well as the academy's first African-American graduate, Lt. Cmdr. Wesley Brown from the class of 1949.

Noting that Navy has been in a college bowl game every year since 2003, Obama said, "I know it's an understatement to say this program has been pretty successful."

Obama congratulated the team and singled out Quarterback Ricky Dobb for setting the NCAA rushing record for touchdowns with 27.

"In the end, it's the willingness to put others above yourselves that sets this team -- and all the service academies -- apart," Obama said. "Your days are packed with morning inspections and a full load of classes, football practice and military duties. And oftentimes, you're lucky if you can get a few minutes to yourselves before studying into the night. But you do it because each of you has a higher calling -- to serve your country in a time of war."

In a few short weeks, Obama said, 32 of the players will become Naval or Marine Corps officers. "Wherever you go, you'll remember the brothers standing with you today. And you'll remember the lessons that you learned at the academy and as a member of this team. And you'll know what it takes to go through fire and emerge a better man and a better leader.

"So I want you to know that I have no greater honor, and no greater responsibility, than serving as your commander in chief," he continued. "And I promise you that this country will stand with you, from the moment you put on the uniform to the moment you take it off, as you devote your lives to freedom's cause."

Top Navy Officer Describes Navy's Busy Pace, Emphasizes Affordability

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Kyle P. Malloy, Chief of Naval Operations Public Affairs

May 3, 2010 -WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead said the Navy's pace of operations remains busy due to global demands, and emphasized the importance of improving affordability during the Service Chiefs' Panel at the Navy League Sea Air Space 2010 Exposition in National Harbor, Md. May 3.

Roughead told audience members that he expects current multinational counter-piracy missions to continue, and pointed out the Navy's role at the forefront of ballistic missile defense in highlighting the Navy's versatility in global operations.

"Even as we're engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan, we continue our normal activity, our normal presence, our normal assurance [and] deterrence in so many other places around the world," Roughead said. "Whether it's the Indian Ocean, the Western Pacific, Africa or South America, we continue to keep watch in those areas."

Roughead, the Navy's 29th CNO, joined the Commandant of the Marine Corps General James T. Conway and the Commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. Thad W. Allen to address attendees of the exposition and discuss "Seapower and America's Security."

Roughead told the audience that in the face of future fiscal pressures and an industrial base that has "changed markedly since the last pressurization within the Defense Department," controlling costs will become increasingly important.

"We need to look at every way to improve affordability. Common hulls, common components, open architecture are key," said Roughead.

The Navy is focused on the "ability to fight the fights that we find ourselves in today," even as it develops future capabilities in programs such as the Littoral Combat Ship, the Joint High Speed Vessel, unmanned vehicles and in the cyber technology. According to Roughead, and affordability is central to developing those future capabilities.

"There's no question that in the coming years we will have to look extraordinarily hard at costs, not just procurement costs, but the issue of total ownership cost will continue to be foremost in my mind," said Roughead.

Prior to the panel, CNO helped kick off the event by attending the opening ceremony and being part of the ceremonial ribbon cutting, marking the official opening of the exposition.

San Diego County Girl Scouts Give 1.6 Million Cookies for Operation Thin Mint

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marie A. Montez

May 3, 2010 - SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The Girl Scouts San Diego-Imperial Council honored their top cookie sellers for Operation Thin Mint (OTM), aboard the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Midway (CV-41), May 1.

The girls were given the opportunity to see a Coast Guard helicopter take the cookies from the flight deck of the carrier and off to the troops.

"This is so neat," said Gabby Gutierrez, age 10, of Junior Troop #5325. "I am glad that me and my friends could watch this together."

Among the top sellers were Madison Perno, age 12, of Cadet Troop 8432, selling 3,967 boxes and Gabriela Setting, age 6, of Daisy Troop 6226 selling 1,549 more boxes for OTM.

Operation Thin Mint began in 2002 just after the September 11 devastation. Girl Scouts worldwide stepped up to the plate to show their gratitude to the troops in serving throughout the world by sending "a taste of home and a note to show they care." The girl scouts have followed this motto ever since.

To symbolize OTM and how the cookies are transported from the council to the troops, a Coast Guard helicopter co-piloted by former girl scout Lt j.g. Amanda Sardone lifted a pallet of cookies off the flight deck of Midway and carried it away to the troops.

After the cookies were flown off the deck, the girl scouts and their leaders took self guided tours throughout the Midway and experienced the history of the carrier and the Navy.

"I never had an opportunity like this when I was a little girl," said Carmen Gutierrez, junior troop leader for Troop #5325. "I'm happy my daughter can experience this and appreciate our Navy."

Airmen deploy to Hungary for bilateral training exercise

by Staff Sgt. Tina Maddock
Ohio Air National Guard Public Affairs

5/3/2010 - KECSKEMET, Hungary (AFNS) -- Approximately 100 members of the Ohio Air National Guard's 178th Fighter Wing from Springfield, Ohio, arrived here April 22 through 27 in support of the Load Diffuser Exercise 2010.

This is a joint exercise with the Hungarian Joint Force Command. The exercise aims to sharpen the combat capabilities of the participating forces.

Air Force pilots and Hungarian air force pilots are training together in air-to-air combat scenarios using the Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon, Hungarian air force JAS-39 Gripen, MiG-29 Fulcrum and the Mi-24 Hind aircraft.

"It is one of the few training opportunities (the Hungarian air force) have to fly against a larger formation," said Lt. Col. Nathan Thomas, the exercise's project officer. "It is to help improve their skills and a way to improve ours."

U.S. Air Force and Hungarian air force pilots are working with the Hungarian joint terminal air controllers to direct aircraft against simulated ground targets, Colonel Thomas said. The Hungarian JTACs were trained in the United States.

The Hungarian Mi-24 helicopters are working with the U.S. and Hungarian airmen to conduct ground-base air defense exercises, Colonel Thomas said.

In addition to practicing air combat maneuvers against the F-16, Hungarian airmen are training to work with the F-16. Airmen from the 178th FW are educating aircraft maintainers from the Hungarian air force on F-16 maintenance operation.\

The exercise is scheduled to last two weeks.

Airmen, soldiers continue tradition of joint operations training

by Ryan Mattox
oint Hometown News Service

5/3/2010 - POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFNS) -- Airmen from here and Soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division at nearby Fort Bragg joined forces April 26 to 29 to demonstrate to each other and master the capabilities their service can provide and help each branch achieve its objectives in a combat or humanitarian environment.

This four-day joint exercise, known as Joint Forcible Entry, is conducted quarterly and offers Airmen and Soldiers at this centrally located area the opportunity to practice how they can come together and operate in a joint environment.

This means two things. For the Air Force, it's about moving large amounts of equipment and large numbers of people from one location to another anywhere in the world in a moment's notice and securing a runway for future use. For the Army, it's about mastering their ability to take an airfield or airport in another country and make it usable by the Air Force and other U.S. forces during contingency operations.

Since Fort Bragg and Pope AFB are located next to each other, this makes their location ideal for Airmen and Soldiers to train and prepare for any future joint operations.

In fact, some say it is the type of training being conducted during this exercise that made humanitarian relief operations performed this past winter in Haiti operate smoothly.

"My first operational mission was Haiti," said 1st Lt. Steven Parsons, a pilot with the 2nd Airlift Squadron at Pope AFB. "I was tasked to fly operations in response to the earthquake in Haiti a day after it happened. We airlifted food, water, communication equipment, water purification equipment, and we returned with 10 patients back to the States."

However, Lieutenant Parsons credits exercises like JFEX with teaching Airmen and Soldiers the operations tempo needed to move equipment and servicemembers quickly to any place around the world and deal with situations similar to those in Haiti.

"I'm here to support the airlift mission requirements, from dropping paratroopers from Fort Bragg to last minute requests from higher headquarters. We are ready to go because of the preparation done here," Lieutenant Parsons said.

For those Airmen working flightline operations or working with aircraft during JFEX, their portion of the exercise is this: how to move a very large unit like their Army neighbors, the 82nd Airborne Division, all at once.

"The objective is to provide the aircrews with quality aircraft to fly their training missions," said 1st Lt. Jose Perez, an aircraft maintenance officer with the 2nd Airlift Squadron. "We take these aircraft and help the Army achieve its objective by getting them to their destination. This exercise forces you to continually think outside the box and multitask. You learn to balance and accomplish multiple assignments and issues that are impeding the mission. This exercise really does a good job preparing you to deploy."

For the Army's side of the exercise, it's about taking an airfield or airport. This means Army leaders need aircraft to move paratroopers and equipment as quickly as possible to any place in the world. Once over their target, Army paratroopers jump to a destination below them.

"Seizing control of an airfield is a very complex operation, which requires several units with far-ranging capabilities," said Army 1st Lt. Jason Jones, company executive officer with the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Fort Bragg. "For our unit, we learn to quickly assemble as a company and destroy any enemy in a specific location to prevent them from affecting airfield operation and keep delivery of supplies coming into that particular location."

The "seizing control of the airfield" portion of this exercise entails soldiers and airmen conducting nighttime air drops. During the jump, more than 800 soldiers parachuted over their landing zone to "take an enemy airfield," and completed their mission and the exercise with an 11-mile march back to a predetermined area on Fort Bragg.

Military Supports Federal Oil Spill Response

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

May 3, 2010 - After flying over a massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico during the weekend, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, today reiterated the Defense Department's commitment to work hand-in-glove with other U.S. agencies to reduce the slick's environmental impact.

"It's a tragic event that we're all focused on, and there's an awful lot of effort on the part of the entire government to mitigate this as quickly as we possibly can," Mullen said during a podcast interview to be posted on the Defense Department Web site.

Mullen noted the military's support role, being coordinated through U.S. Northern Command in support of the Department of Homeland Security, which has the lead for the federal response.

An Air Force Reserve C-130H aircraft conducted an aerial spraying mission this weekend to help disperse the oil, but weather prevented a second C-130H deployed to the region from spraying, Northcom spokesman John Cornelio told American Forces Press Service.

Both aircraft are expected to resume spraying missions as the weather clears, and when results of tests being conducted to assess the subsurface dispersant activity are completed, Cornelio said.

The aircraft, assigned to the 910th Airlift Wing's 757th Airlift Squadron at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Ohio, are equipped with Modular Aerial Spray Systems. They can fly up to three flights a day, as needed to support operations, Pentagon spokesman Col. David Lapan said.

In addition, nearly 600 Louisiana National Guard troops have been called to federal active duty to support the mission, with up to 5,400 more to mobilize as needed, based on Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' approval of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's request last week. Jindal requested as many as 6,000 National Guard troops to add security, medical support, engineers, communications capability and cleanup crews to the oil slick containment effort.

The Guardsmen will serve under Title 32 authority, meaning they'll serve under state control, but are funded through the federal government, Lapan explained.

Meanwhile, the onsite incident coordinator, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry, is reviewing similar requests from the governors of neighboring Alabama, Mississippi and Florida to mobilize their Guard forces under Title 32 authority, Lapan said.

Meanwhile, as the oil slick moves landward, the Navy has positioned equipment aimed at reducing the slick's impact on Gulf Coast beaches and critical wetlands. The Navy dispatched 66,000 feet of inflatable oil boom with anchoring equipment, along with seven skimming systems and supporting gear to the region, along with 50 civilian contractors to operate and maintain it, reported Navy spokesman Lt. Myers Vasquez.

Workers at a staging area at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., also set out booms to help protect the shoreline and eco-system in the Pensacola area from the spill, reported Navy Lt. Michael Frost, the station's port operations officer.

Naval Air Station Pensacola is one of seven staging areas that have been set up from Louisiana to Florida to protect sensitive shorelines, Frost said. Other staging areas are in Biloxi and Pascagoula, Miss.; Venice, Port Fourchon and Port Sulphur, La.; and Theodore, Ala.

Nuclear Stockpile Fact Sheet Available

May 3, 2010 - "Increasing Transparency in the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Stockpile" fact sheet is now available on Defense.Gov .

The recently declassified information on the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile is being made publically available for the first time. The declassification of the data was approved by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

The fact sheet is available at: http://www.defense.gov/news/d20100503stockpile.pdf

National Guard Supports Oil Spill Response

By Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill
National Guard Bureau

May 3, 2010 - National Guard soldiers and airmen are on the ground in Louisiana, Alabama and Florida supporting civilian authorities tackling the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response.

"We're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster," President Barack Obama said during a Gulf Coast visit yesterday. "The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf States, and it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home."

The Louisiana National Guard will assist local communities in the cleanup and removal of oil and protect critical habitats from contamination, according to a news release.

In Alabama, troops from the 711th Bridge Support Battalion were out yesterday placing barriers around Dauphin Island, according to Gov. Bob Riley's office. The barriers are filled with a chemical compound that solidifies if oil seeps into them. The solidified material can be removed, disposed of safely and replaced as necessary, officials said.

Florida sent Guard members to a unified command center in Alabama and to its own emergency operations center in Tallahassee.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour ordered his state's National Guard to aid local officials with emergency response.

By this morning, more than 1,800 National Guard troops had been placed on Title 32 status to assist in Louisiana. Among other duties, the Guard members are providing command and control and sandbagging support to St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes, Guard officials reported.

The Guard is expected to provide security, medical capabilities, engineers, communications support and clean-up, a spokesman for Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal told reporters. Boats, all-terrain vehicles, dump trucks, security vehicles and communications equipment are among Guard resources deploying to the affected area.

The National Guard is supporting what the president characterized as "an all-hands-on-deck, relentless response to this crisis."

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad W. Allen is serving as the national incident commander for the response.

Jindal requested federal funding April 29 to pay for up to 6,000 National Guard troops to assist. Pentagon approval came late the next day, though Defense Department officials noted that the governor could deploy his Guard at any time.

"Governor Jindal has the authority vested in him to deploy his National Guard forces in the event of an emergency and can do so at a time of his choosing," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.

A Defense Department spokesman today confirmed that Alabama, Florida and Mississippi have filed similar requests for a federal mobilization of the Guard.

MILITARY CONTRACTS May 3, 2010

U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND

CACI-WGI Inc., Chantilly, Va.; SRA International, Inc., Fairfax, Va.; Jacobs Technology, Inc., Tampa, Fla.; and Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va., were awarded Global Battlestaff and Program Support Services (GBPS) contracts on April 30. The contracts are indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity with a $2,500 minimum guarantee per prime contract award and a $1.5 billion maximum ceiling. Under the GBPS contracts, the contractors will provide all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and other items necessary to perform the services and provide support to all mission areas of USSOCOM as specified in the performance work statement and ordered under individual task orders. The objective of this contract action is to acquire global, non-personal services unique to special operation forces, and expertise to provide intellectual capital to assist with day-to-day business operations. In addition, the contractors shall provide subject matter expertise in areas of, but not limited to: time sensitive planning; interagency support; intelligence operations; military planning; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance program analysis; biometrics, socio-cultural analysis, geospatial analysis, signals intelligence, and human terrain initiatives with ISR support; administrative support; public affairs; training; accounting; budgeting; joint planning, budget and resource management; readiness planning and reporting; personnel reporting; acquisition and life cycle program management; procurement support; engineering support including research, development, science, technology, and systems engineering; graphics support and other business for USSOCOM. The anticipated period of performance is a three-year base period with one two-year option period, for a total contract period of performance not to exceed five years. The place of performance is multiple locations in the United States and overseas. USSOCOM is the contracting activity. The contract numbers are H92222-10-D-0016, H92222-10-D-0017, H92222-10-D-0018, and H92222-10-D-0019.

NAVY

Navistar Defense, LLC, Warrenville, Ill., is being awarded a $102,324,363 firm-fixed- priced delivery order #0013 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of various kits and parts for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. Parts include 937 gunner restraints; 3,251 120V wiring harnesses; 5,716 air conditioning circulation switches; 5,722 rear ramp hydraulics, rear ramp hydraulic - non-reoccurring equipment (NRE); 3,251 rear ramp storage; 2,630 fire support systems kits, fire support systems kits - NRE; and 822 heating, ventilation, and air conditioning kits. The objective of these vehicle systems is to support operations in Afghanistan. Work will be performed in West Point, Miss., and is expected to be completed by the end of October 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $102,324,363 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-07-D-5032).

Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $91,300,000 firm-fixed-price not-to-exceed modification to a previously awarded contract for advance procurement of the consolidated bill of material and associated labor to support beryllium oxide resistors, phase shifters, surface mount work center production and engineering services support of production of the DDG 114 and 115 Aegis weapon system. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (85 percent), and Clearwater, Fla. (15 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-5110).

Research and Engineering Development, Inc.*, Lexington Park, Md., is being awarded a $49,712,139 cost-plus-fixed-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide acquisition, engineering, analysis, development, and integration services in support of irregular warfare efforts sponsored by the Naval Air Systems Command's Human Systems Department (AIR-4.6). The estimated level of effort for this contract is 237,720 man-hours. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md. (80 percent), Fallon, Nev. (10 percent), and various locations outside the United States (10 percent). Work is expected to be completed in May 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-10-D-0001).

Heco Pacific Manufacturing*, Union City, Calif.; American Equipment, Inc.*, Salt Lake City, Utah; Advanced Crane Technologies, LLC*, Reading, Pa.; American Monorail of California*, Santa Fe Springs, Calif.; Crane Technologies Group, Inc.*, Rochester Hills, Mich.; and American Crane & Equipment Corp.*, Douglassville, Pa., are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract for ordering new and overhauling existing weight handling equipment located primarily within Navy, Marine Corp, and other federal activities worldwide. The maximum dollar value, including the base period and four option years, for all six contracts combined, is $30,000,000. Work will be performed at Navy, Marine Corps, and other federal activities worldwide, including work on existing or installation of new weight handling equipment. Manufacturing or crane fabrication includes sites in California (30 percent), Pennsylvania (30 percent), Utah (20 percent), and Michigan (20 percent). Work is expected to be completed by May 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 six contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Navy Crane Center, Portsmouth, Va., is the contracting activity (N62470-10-D-8000/8001/8002/8003/8004/8005).

Barbour Well, Inc., Henderson, Nev., is being awarded a $28,315,000 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the drilling of geothermal test holes. Efforts under this American Recovery and Reinvestment Act award will obtain geophysical data for determining potential geothermal resources. Work will be performed in Fallon, Nev. (50 percent), El Centro, Calif. (18 percent); Twentynine Palms, Calif. (16 percent), and the Hawthorne Army Depot, Hawthorne, Nev. (16 percent). Work is expected to be completed in August 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $12,077,858 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; four offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity (N68936-10-D-0021).

R. A. Burch Construction Co., Inc., Ramona, Calif., is being awarded a $15,917,288 firm-fixed price task order 0002 under a multiple award construction contract for the design and construction of the mess hall expansion at Marine Corps Recruitment Depot San Diego. The task order also contains one planned modification which, if issued, would increase the cumulative contract value to $20,617,288. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by November 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Six proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N62473-08-D-8613).

Lockheed Martin-MS2, Liverpool, N.Y., is being awarded a $10,226,726 modification to a previously awarded contract for low cost conformal array production (LCCA) units and engineering and technical services for the LCCA systems. Work will be performed in Syracuse, N.Y. (97.5 percent), Walpole, Mass. (1 percent), Forest Hill, Md. (1 percent), and Millersville, Md. (0.5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by June 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-08-C-6283).

ARMY

MPRI, a division of L-3 Services, Inc., Alexandria, Va., was awarded on April 29 a $53,003,000 time-and-material contract for the extension of support services for professional mentoring and training support services with reforming the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense and their subordinate organizations, policies, and procedures. Work is to be performed in Alexandria, Va., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 30, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Research Development & Engineering Command Contracting Center, Aberdeen Contracting Division, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-05-D-0014).

MPRI, a division of L-3 Services, Inc., Alexandria, Va., was awarded on April 29, 2010 a $32,241,459 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the extension of support services for professional mentoring and training support services with reforming the Afghanistan Ministry of Interior and Afghan National Police, and their subordinate organizations, policies, and procedures. Work is to be performed in Alexandria, Va., with an estimated completion date of April 29, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Research Development & Engineering Command Contracting Center, Aberdeen Contracting Division, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-10-C-0100).

Tip Top Construction Corp., Christiansted, Virgin Islands, was awarded on April 29 a $18,312,480 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of a regional training institute, Virgin Islands, National Guard, St. Croix, Virgin Island. Work is to be performed in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 15, 2012. Bids were solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities Web site with six bids received. National Guard Bureau, USPFO-Virgin Islands, Kingshill, Virgin Islands, is the contracting activity (W9127P-10-C-0001).

Project Times & Cost, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., was awarded on April 29 a $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the architect-engineering services nationwide cost engineering support for the Walla Walla District Directory/Center of Expertise. Work is to be performed in Atlanta, Ga., with an estimated completion date of April 5, 2014. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with four bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, Walla Walla, Wash., is the contracting activity (W912EF-09-D-0002).

Alatec, Inc., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded on April 29 a $13,480,400 firm-fixed-price contract. The contractor shall provide personnel expertise and skills required to support the Training and Doctrine Command Analysis Center (TRAC) White Sands Missile Range mission related to analysis, studies, modeling, simulation, and information technology. TRAC supports the Training and Doctrine Command by providing the analytical capabilities required to support Army decisions. Work is to be performed at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., with an estimated completion date of May 2, 2012. Four bids were solicited with four bids received. Mission & Installation Contracting Command Directorate of Contracting, White Sands Missile Range, N.M., is the contracting activity (W91QF-07-D-0004).

Two Young Children Have a Day of Their Dreams

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Leah Stiles, Fleet Week Media Center

May 3, 2010 - PORT EVERGLADES, Fla. (NNS) -- April 29 started off pretty grim for a young sister and brother, but thanks to Sailors stationed aboard USS Newport News (SSN 750), they ended up having a day of their dreams.

Six-year-old Amanda Topple was on her fourteenth day of being hospitalized at the Joe Dimaggio Children's Hospital for complications from cystic fibrosis. Although her three-year-old brother Cole also suffers from the same condition, he was only in the hospital as a visitor this time.

The day began to brighten when they were told that Amanda would be discharged today. To top the good news off, the children heard rumors there were Sailors from Newport News visiting as part of the 20th Anniversary Fleet Week Port Everglades.

"Where are they?" said Amanda as she peeked out her door and down the hallway.

"I see them!" claimed Cole. "One Sailor, two Sailors, three Sailors, woah! A lot of Sailors!"

The Sailors spent the day visiting various wards to wish the children well and pass out gifts. The children grinned as they received stickers and photos of the submarine.

"I really want to go there, I want to go on a submarine!" said Cole as he looked at the photo.

Fortunately, this was a dream that these Sailors could make come true. They arranged a visit to the submarine for the Topple family.

"The little boy was telling us about how he wanted to be on a submarine, it made me feel proud," said Machinist's Mate 2nd Class (SS) Stephen Lowman.

The family arrived at Port Everglades later that day. Walking on the pier, the children dropped their jaws in awe of the mighty submarine.

"After meeting Cole and Amanda at the hospital, I think we were all looking forward to their visit, the crew anticipated it very much," said Machinist's Mate 2nd Class (SS) John Lane.

They made their way down the port hole and headed straight for the periscope. From there they went to see the torpedoes upon Cole's request. They continued to the berthings where they bumped into Cmdr. J. Carl Hartsfield, commanding officer of Newport News.

"Want to see the captain's stateroom?" Hartsfield asked.

In the captains' stateroom they were presented stickers, ball caps, and a book about the submarine. They put the caps on and posed for a photo with Hartsfield.

"We are very pleased to have visitors on board. I hope they continue to be healthy and happy and live good lives," said Hartsfield. "Hopefully, they just had a good day, that's what is most important."

"It was great, I've always wanted to do this since I joined the Navy, going to a children's hospital and trying to help people," said Lane. "It was an excellent opportunity to meet great kids as brave and fun as they are. This was just amazing."

General Officer Assignments

May 3, 2010 - The chief of staff, Army announced today the following assignments:

Army Reserve Maj. Gen. Bruce A. Casella, to commanding general, Army and Air Force Exchange Service, Dallas, Texas. He most recently served as commander, 63d Regional Support Command, Moffett Field, Calif.

Maj. Gen. Joseph L. Votel, deputy commanding general, Joint Special Operations Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., to chief of staff, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

Army Reserve Brig. Gen. Douglas P. Anson, director, legislative affairs, international military affairs, U.S. Special Operations Command, Washington, D.C., to deputy director of operations, J-3, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

Army National Guard Brig. Gen. David B. Enyeart, assistant adjutant general/deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center, Oregon Army National Guard, Salem, Ore., to deputy senior military representative/chief, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Advisory Team-Sarajevo, Bosnia.

Brig. Gen. Anthony R. Ierardi, director, joint and futures, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C., to director of force management, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C. Brig. Gen. Kevin W. Mangum, deputy commanding general-center, U.S. Division-Center, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, to commanding general, Army Special Operations Aviation Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.

General Officer Assignments

May 3, 2010 - The chief of staff, Air Force announced today the following assignments:

Maj. Gen. Noel T. Jones, deputy chief, Central Security Service, National Security Agency, Fort George G. Meade, Md., to director, J5, U.S. Forces-Iraq, U.S. Central Command, Baghdad, Iraq.

Brig. Gen. Jim H. Keffer, deputy director for intelligence, CJ2, U.S. Forces-Iraq, U.S. Central Command, Baghdad, Iraq, to deputy chief, Central Security Service, National Security Agency, Fort George G. Meade, Md.

Brig. Gen. Scott A. Bethel, deputy director of intelligence, operations and nuclear integration for technical training, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, to director, strategy, integration and doctrine, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Brig. Gen. Andrew M. Mueller, deputy commander, Combined Air Operations Center 6, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Eskisehir, Turkey, to commander, 81st Training Wing, Air Education and Training Command, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.

Soldier Follows in Father's Footsteps

By Army Cpl. Brandon Babbitt
3rd Army

May 3, 2010 - As an infantryman in World War II, Royce Glass was part of one of the most challenging achievements in American military history as a member of Gen. George Patton's 3rd Army. His division was one of the first to pivot and move north to engage the German forces surrounding Bastogne, Belgium. Today, his son, Army Lt. Col. Scott Glass, the 3rd Army's logistics operations plans branch chief, is serving in support of Lt. Gen. William Webster's drawdown in Iraq and buildup in Afghanistan.

The colonel's father was one of four brothers from Greensboro, Ga., who fought in World War II. He was a "replacement" in Patton's Own, which meant he would go into a unit after a soldier was wounded or killed.

The elder Glass fought in many battles, including the Battle of the Bulge. He earned the Bronze Star for valor and two Purple Hearts in the European Theater and won the admiration of a son who knew he wanted to serve at a young age.

"He lost his best friend, who was killed next to him," Glass said. "That is an inspiration from which we can all draw strength."

Taking a job as butcher in small-town Georgia after the war, he said, his father became a devoted husband to his wife, Hilda, a loving father of three sons, a patient Little League coach and a man who never lost his temper - except that time his sons accidentally burned down his beehives. People in trouble and needing help could always call on him, day or night, he added.

Glass is married and has two sons with military aspirations of their own. They are involved in the ROTC and Junior ROTC programs at their respective schools.

"My wife, Paige, and I are so proud of our boys, Michael and Matthew," Glass said. "My daddy attended the commissioning ceremony for me and cried like a baby. I too, can see myself getting very emotional if one of my sons ever fulfills their goal of becoming a commissioned officer."

Meanwhile, Glass said, he is drawing on his father's inspiration in his own service.

"My father was and still is the greatest man I ever knew," he said. "If I live to be as respected as he was, I think I will have done well."

USNS Mercy Sets Sail for Pacific Partnership 2010

By Lt. Marissa Myatt, Pacific Partnership 2010 Deputy Public Affairs

May 2, 2010 - SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Pacific Partnership 2010 commenced as the Military Sealift Command (MSC) hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) departed its homeport in San Diego on May 1.

Pacific Partnership 2010 is the fifth in a series of U.S. Pacific Fleet humanitarian and civic assistance endeavors aimed at strengthening regional relationships with host and partner nations in Southeast Asia and Oceania. The mission is made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Pacific nations as well as non-governmental organizations and military personnel.

Pacific Partnership 2010 will visit six nations during the five-month deployment. USNS Mercy is the lead ship and will visit Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Timor-Leste, while two additional Navy ships will visit Palau and Papua New Guinea. At each of the visits, military and civilian personnel will participate in civic action projects and community service engagements, all part of the goodwill the ships will bring to the nations.

"This is going to be an outstanding opportunity to do good throughout the world," said U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Richard W. Hunt, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, who was on hand to bid the crew farewell. "This is clearly a mission that develops partner nation capabilities, operating with host nations and our allies to provide assistance in developing the ability to respond during a time of crisis."

USNS Mercy was originally built and used as an oil supertanker but was subsequently delivered to the Navy's Military Sealift Command in Dec. 1986. It has since been outfitted as a fully functional hospital ship. More recently, Mercy came out of the shipyard in San Francisco in March, where it was refurbished and updated to best serve the mission this year. The ship has a full spectrum of surgical and medical services, is capable of maintaining up to 5,000 units of blood, and has a total patient capacity of 1,000 beds.

At each visit the ship makes, teams of military and civilian specialists will deliver valuable medical, dental, biomedical repair, engineering, and veterinary services based on the needs, as identified by the host nations. A majority of these services are done at sites in the country, however some services, such as surgery, are done on board the Mercy.

Equally important are subject matter expert exchanges, where those deploying with Mercy will work closely with personnel from the host and partner nations to learn from one another. This will greatly serve all parties involved, as they are preparing and practicing in a time of calm should a natural disaster occur.

The partnerships developed during Pacific Partnership missions help ensure first responders have had the opportunity to collaborate in an environment that would come as close to resembling a real-world natural disaster. The U.S. Navy is no stranger to the region as it has been the first responder during past natural disasters.

Mercy has participated in past disaster relief missions. Mercy responded to the December 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia as part of Operation Unified Assistance. Then in 2006, Mercy provided humanitarian assistance to the Republic of Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Timor-Leste by leading Mercy Deployment. Most recently, Mercy led Pacific Partnership 2008, which visited the Republic of the Philippines, Vietnam, the Federated States of Micronesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea.

CNO Makes Fleet Week Appearance on Iwo Jima

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jennifer Hunt

May 2, 2010 - PORT EVERGLADES, Fla. (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Adm. Gary Roughead visited USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) for a reception celebrating the 20th anniversary of Fleet Week Port Everglades April 30.

The reception, which also included Battle of Iwo Jima veterans, was a show of appreciation from both the local community and visiting maritime services.

"This port, whether it is for Fleet Week or a single ship that comes to visit, it doesn't make any difference because this community, the Navy League, the men and women of this county, and the towns that surround them treat every Sailor the same; as if they are the most special person around," said Roughead.

The CNO went on to say that Fleet Week isn't just about hospitality; it's about highlighting our ever-impressive military and our partnerships with our allies.

"Today and throughout this week, you've seen our Navy. You've seen it in Iwo Jima, Porter and Newport News. You've seen a glimpse of our future in Independence, and you see the strength of our partnerships with our German allies who are here as well," said Roughead.

After the CNO's remarks, he received a key to the city from Fort Lauderdale Mayor, John Seiler.

"It is such an honor to have the Navy here for Fleet Week," said Seiler. "When you leave here you don't realize how much you touch this community. The men, women and children of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., are better because of your visit. You have helped make this community a better place to live, and you have been for the last 20 years."

And it is because of that relationship, military members and local communities are able to partner together on different projects and make a positive difference.

"The men and women of our military don't do what they do for money. They do what they do because they know the American people care about them and they have their support," said Roughead.

This is the 20th Fleet Week Port Everglades, South Florida's annual celebration of the Maritime Services. More than 2,500 American and German Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are participating in a number of community outreach activities and enjoy the hospitality and tourism of South Florida.

Iraq War Veteran

On May 14, 2010, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a conversation with former United States Army Special Forces soldier and Iraq War Veteran David Johnson, the founder of ArmedZilla.com

Program Date: May 14, 2010
Program Time: 2100 hours Pacific
Topic: Iraq War Veteran
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2010/05/15/iraq-war-veteran

About the Guest
David Johnson, USA “was born in Saudi Arabia because of his father’s work with the State Department. Having learned Arabic while growing up, Johnson decided to take his skill and utilize it in the United States Army. In August of 2000, soon after he graduated from high school, he enlisted under the Army’s language program in Phoenix, AZ. Johnson ultimately spent 6 years in the Army. He was involved in a Special Operations Unit and was deployed three times to Iraq engaged in combat operations. After spending three birthdays in Iraq, Johnson departed the service in late 2005.

Upon his honorable discharge from the Military, Johnson returned to his hometown of Phoenix to pursue a degree from Arizona State University. After being separated from the military for only one full day, he immediately realized how much he missed the Army, his buddies, and just how little he belonged to the place that used to be called “home.”

It took several months, but Johnson realized that in most of his classes there were “Veterans”. Men and Women just like him who faithfully served, departed the service, and were now going to school. After the realization that there were fellow “brothers in Arms” in the same classes and instantly forming that bond, stronger friendships emerged than those he ever had with his friends from high school. In 2009 Johnson was told that there were 600,000 plus veterans in the Phoenix area. He thought to himself, “Why do I only know about 30 of them?” And a light bulb suddenly came on, and he thought “There has to be a better way for veterans to connect!” To fill the gap, David Johnson formed http://www.armedzilla.com/.

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is Police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. American Heroes Radio brings you to the watering hole, where it is Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

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

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2010/05/15/iraq-war-veteran
Archive:
www.americanheroesradio.com/iraq_war_veteran.html

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

Ramstein youth wins Air Force video competition

by Capt. Tony Wickman
U.S. Air Forces in Europe Public Affairs

May 2, 2010 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) -- A U.S. Air Forces in Europe youth was named the Air Force-level winner for his submission to the Year of the Air Force Family video competition April 21.  Gen. Roger Brady, the USAFE commander, presented Hunter Koltes, 13, a $2,000 gift check toward the purchase of a new computer and video camera and a commander's coin for his tribute video called, "Life of a Military Brat."

Hunter is the son of Lt. Col. Jason Koltes, the USAFE vice commander executive officer, and Heather Koltes.

The video was seen at the April commander's conference and all who saw it liked it, General Brady said.

"We appreciate the spirit of your family and capturing it for us," the general said. "Your video showed there are a whole lot of positive things to being an Air Force family. I appreciate and say thank you for making a really cool video."

The Ramstein American Middle School eighth grader said he wanted to make a video that showed what it was like to be a child of an Air Force member.

"I'm excited to win, it's amazing," he said. "I know people have different lives and I wanted to show people not related to the military how our families live. I liked the experience of showing my life to people. I put it together to see where it would go. It was a great experience...awesome."

When he grows up he wants to be an Air Force pilot like his dad, Hunter said.

After posting his video, it was sent around the world to family and friends and went viral from there, ringing true to people past and present who lived the life Hunter showed.

"Once it was out there, I heard from everyone," Hunter said.

His mother echoed those sentiments.

"We shared it with family and friends and put it on Facebook. What was amazing is we heard from people we didn't even know, and it spiraled off Facebook. It went all the way around the world," Mrs. Koltes said.

Mrs. Koltes said the entire family was extremely proud and overwhelmed by Hunter's achievement.

"It was all Hunter's idea," she said. "He saw an ad for it and wanted to do it. He is into computers and designing web sites and things like that, so the competition was right up his alley. We didn't help him at all. He knew he wanted to do a slide show and came up with all the words, all I did was help him find some of the pictures and he got it done quickly."

Colonel Koltes said the competition demonstrates the support for the Air Force and Air Force families.

"Within minutes of him posting it went nationwide and worldwide." he said. "There is a lot of support for the military. I guess you can say the technology revolution is definitely upon us."

The Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force named July 2009 to July 2010 as the Year of the Air Force Family to recognize and celebrate the many members of the Air Force Family, while providing education and awareness on how Air Force programs and community partners support them.

The Koltes video can be seen at http://www.myairforcelife.com/contests/videos.cfm.

Mullen Urges Graduates to Consider Ways to Serve

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

May 1, 2010 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff evoked civil rights leader Martin Luther King's contention that "everybody can be great, because anyone can serve" in commencement remarks to the Class of 2010 at Florida A&M University here today. "Service in uniform is not exactly what I am driving at," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told graduates, faculty and staff, families and friends gathered in the Alfred L. Lawson Gymnasium. "Although if the Marching 100 seniors feel like taking all that energy and precision to another level," he joked, "I have some recruiting applications available in the back."

The Marching 100, Florida A&M's marching band, has performed at five Super Bowls and has been credited with creating more than 30 techniques that have become standard for high school and college marching bands around the country.

Mullen told the graduates that military life has been good for him.

"I was raised a Hollywood, Calif., kid," he said, "but I really grew up at sea. Ships have been my home, and many sailors have been as close to me as family. I would not have dedicated my life to it otherwise."

But, he said, that service doesn't necessarily require wearing a military uniform.

"I also believe there are many ways to serve something bigger than yourself – many ways to make a difference," Mullen said. "Whether it's serving others through teaching, through volunteer work, in the Peace Corps, or in other parts of our government at the federal or local level, the need for service is huge, and yours is a generation that has signaled you want to serve.

"And that need is going to continue to grow," he continued. "Overseas and at home, the world needs young, bright people to serve the common cause of humanity."

King's message is great, the admiral said, because it means anybody can serve, and service will make everybody great.

Service and citizenship have changed since he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968, the year King was assassinated, Mullen said, but the face of America also has changed.

"The faces of those who influence have become more diverse – more representative of the breadth and the depth of our country," he said, "and I believe that change represents the best of what's possible in any democracy.

"It's our differences [and] our ability to adapt that make America great," he continued. "Diversity of thought, gender, ethnicity, faith or language truly bring us to 'E Pluribus Unum' – 'Out of Many, One.'"

Mullen recalled going to a diversity conference in New Orleans in 2005, when he was serving as chief of naval operations.

"I walked in with my immediate staff, which was all white males," he said. "A young officer from the Coast Guard sent me a note after that that said, 'You have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.' He wasn't happy with what my staff looked like.

"About 18 months later in my home," he continued, "I was having a farewell party for my immediate staff of about 15 to 20 officers, and I stood back and looked at that immediate staff, and I think I was the only white male in the group."

What struck him, the admiral said, is the missed opportunities of the past and how long it took him to figure it out.

"In fact, all I did was create opportunities for them, and they excelled," he said. "They made me better, they made our Navy better, and I stood there looking at what I could have done had I figured this out earlier. And I would urge you to think that way, because you are young – to reach out and make sure you grasp and take advantage of the diversity that we have as a country. It will become more and more critical in the future."

Since the 1960s, Mullen said, the world also has become more open and collaborative.

"And I give you '20-somethings' a lot of credit," the chairman said. "You are eager to be on the edge of our technologically advanced, global marketplace. You aren't afraid to try new things [and] you're not afraid to make mistakes, whereas my generation is just trying to hang on and figure it out."

Mullen told the Class of 2010's engineering science and technology graduates that their research on sensors and imaging systems will save lives and limbs by helping the military detect and defeat the most lethal threats it faces: roadside bombs and nuclear, chemical and biological attacks.

Business graduates can contribute to national security, the admiral said, because America's security depends largely on its economy.

"Now, more than ever, in our complex global marketplace, economic engines drive a nation's stability," he said. "Where economies fail, violence usually flourishes. Entrepreneurship can help create growth. Growth creates jobs. Jobs yield productivity. Productivity leads to prosperity."

In turn, he added, prosperous people have hopes and dreams for their children and grandchildren, and "tend to resist the brand of extremism that plagues so many parts of the world."

Mullen praised agriculture, education and health sciences graduates for their commitment to "the most fundamental aspects of global security."

"In all my travels in countries around the world, and particularly in Afghanistan right now," he said, "these things – schools and farms and hospitals – are literally the cornerstones around which a secure foundation is built. We can have all the security in the world, but if we cannot educate our youth, feed them and care for them, and help them pursue productive lives, we cannot hope to advance beyond mere survival."

The admiral gave the graduating class some advice that he said will help them turn challenges into opportunities in whatever careers they pursue.

"Speak truth to power," he said. "Listen to your juniors. See problems through other people's eyes, and never be afraid to admit your mistakes."

Noting that success in a life of service is a product of guidance, grace and love from leaders and mentors, the chairman cited Dorothy Height, hailed by President Barack Obama as the godmother of the civil rights movement and a hero to all Americans in marking her death last week.

"[Height] reminded us that 'Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It's important to the person who serves, as well as to the recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop,'" Mullen said.

He reminded the graduating class that they stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before them.

"Those who preceded us gave their best so we could have the opportunity to be our best," he said. "Times are changing, and your nation needs nothing less than your best."

Before the commencement ceremony, the chairman met with Florida A&M's Army ROTC cadets and Navy ROTC midshipmen, and with James Ammons, president of the university.

At the ceremony Mullen administered the oath of office to 12 ROTC graduates who will serve in the Army, Navy and Marine Corps.

He noted that Florida A&M's ROTC programs have turned out more than 1,500 military officers, including Army 1st Lt. Randolph Powell from the Class of 2008, who is finishing a year-long tour in Iraq, where he has helped to build structures and security stations that will help the Iraqi army provide for their own country's defense.

Ammons conferred an honorary doctorate of humane letters on Mullen.

USS George H.W. Bush Hosts 7,000 for Friends and Family Day

May 2, 2010 - By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael Tackitt, USS George H.W. Bush Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- The crew of the Navy's newest aircraft carrier welcomed aboard more than 7,000 of their friends and loved ones for first ever USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) Friends and Family Day Cruise, May 1.

After being welcomed aboard by the ship's commanding officer, Capt. Chip Miller, the guests got to feel what it was like to be on a Navy ship in open waters after the ship weighed anchor at 9 a.m., and headed out to sea.

The crew's guests were able to see firsthand what their loved ones do for a living, as well as what goes into making a $6.2 billon aircraft carrier come to life.

Included in the day's events was an air power demonstration, which included catapult-assisted takeoffs by F/A-18 Hornet squadrons, based out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.

"My favorite part of the day was watching the aircraft launch off the catapult," said Michael Trent, whose wife serves aboard the ship. "That's not something you can see in person every day. Some people never see it in a lifetime."

Doro Bush Koch, the daughter of former president George H.W. Bush and the ship's sponsor, hosted a special event titled, "A Celebration of Reading at Sea." The event featured authors James Bradley, who wrote "Flags of Our Fathers," and Antwone Fisher, a former Navy Sailor whose screenplay "Fish" became the basis for his self-titled movie, directed by and starring Denzel Washington.

The rest of the hangar bay was transformed into a carnival-type atmosphere, with an inflatable rock wall and moon bounce, face painting and tattoo artists on hand for the kids, as well as a static display of an F/A-18 Hornet.

The event required months of planning and extensive coordination from nearly every department on the ship, working together to bring the Friends and Family Day Cruise from the drawing board to execution.

"It's a thousand moving pieces," said USS George H.W. Bush Friends and Family Day Cruise coordinator, Lt. Shawn T. Rumbley. "Each goal we accomplish is a huge undertaking."

USS George H.W. Bush is scheduled for its first deployment in 2011.

Navy SEALs Help Fulfill Young Boy's Dream

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class William Parker, Naval Special Warfare Group 2 Public Affairs

May 2, 2010 - NORFOLK (NNS) -- The Make-A-Wish foundation teamed up with U.S. Navy SEALs to help make a young boy's dream to be a Navy SEAL come true during his visit to Naval Special Warfare Group 2 at Joint Expeditionary Base, Little Creek, Va., April 28 and 29.

Eleven-year-old, Colton Seybert from the Orlando area, has battled leukemia into submission and has now conquered an equally tough challenge of becoming an honorary frogman (Navy SEAL).

His morning started early with his uniform issue, a brand new pair of BDU's (battle dress uniform) and boots. Colton was then briefed on what it takes to be a SEAL and asked if he was up to the challenge.

"I'm ready to try," said Colton.

He then took a quick tour of the parachute lockers, learning all about the different types of parachutes he'll have to use (in later training). Afterwards he joined some of the SEALs for a quick morning workout and a run around the obstacle course.

The next big hurdle was a jump from the 10-meter dive platform and some water performance work. Later in the afternoon he directed fast roping from a helicopter, his first ride ever.

After a quick trip in a decked out combat hummer to the close-quarter combat house, he gained insight on weapons systems and how to take on bad guys in a small space. Then like a true leader he helped take out some tough looking paper targets.

"The experience we have had here is just indescribable, it's been every bit if not above and beyond fulfilling Colton's dream," said Connie Seybert, Colton's mother.

"I've gone from the crying mom in the corner to the smiling mom watching Colton and his brother, Nick, interact with the SEALs."

"It was fun and exciting but mostly tiring. I will hopefully be bigger the next time I go through training like this," said Colton.

A sand-covered exhausted little man stood stiffly with a smile creeping across his face when his uniform was finally completed. The empty spot next to his heart filled with the coveted trident pin, as it was planted firmly on his chest. The world is safer now with the toughest warrior one could imagine, Honorary U.S. Navy SEAL, Colton Seybert.

Americans, Australians Commemorate the Battle of the Coral Sea

By Lt. Cmdr. Denver Applehans, Commander, Amphibious Force, U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs

SURFER'S PARADISE, Australia (NNS) -- Americans and Australians commemorated the World War II Battle of the Coral Sea in Surfer's Paradise, Australia May 1.

The event marked the 68th anniversary of the battle which occurred May 4-8, 1942 and is known by many in Australia as the battle that saved Australia. An allied naval task group composed of U.S. and Australian ships fought an Imperial Japanese Fleet that was pressing to invade Port Moresby in New Guinea.

The battle was the first naval battle in which the fleets did not come within naval gun range but instead fought the entire battle with aircraft launched from their respective aircraft carriers.

The battle itself ended in a stalemate, but stopped the Japanese advance, kept the supply and communication lines between the U.S. and Australia open and led to a strategic victory for the allies by reducing the number of Imperial aircraft carriers and aircraft available for the Japanese invasion of Midway Island.

The ceremony in Surfer's Paradise honored those lost in the battle as well as the close relationship between the United States and Australia that was forged in part from this battle.

Speakers included Mr. Chris Corkey of the U.S. Consulate in Sydney, Mr. Brett Raguse, a member of the Australian Parliament, Rear Adm. Richard Landolt, commander, Amphibious Forces U.S. 7th Fleet and veterans of the Battle of Coral Sea.

"Let us today remember the heroes of the Battle of the Coral Sea, let us celebrate our enduring friendship and continue our mutual commitment to supporting peace and stability in the region and around the globe," said Landolt.

The ceremony ended with the laying of 24 wreaths on the monument from various Australian and American groups in honor of those who died at that pivotal battle. Many of the wreaths included sashes that echoed the words written on the monument, "Lest we forget."

Many of the veterans and their family members who attended the ceremony commented that holding ceremonies such as this one help to remind both Americans and Australians of the sacrifices made and the cost of freedom.