By Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill
National Guard Bureau
(7/29/10) - When Air Force Gen. Craig McKinley was in Jordan last October furthering the National Guard's State Partnership Program, he was offered an intriguing proposal.
An exchange was proposed that would involve chaplains and imams between Jordan and its National Guard SPP partner since 2004, Colorado. The purpose was to improve their mutual understanding of religious diversity.
The idea bore fruit earlier this month when Colorado and National Guard Bureau chaplains hosted Jordanian military religious leaders here in Washington and in Colorado.
Among them was Brig. Gen. (Chaplain) Talal Mohammad Ali Rabab'h, head of the Islamic law department at Prince Hassan College for Islamic Disciplines onthe military campus of Mu'tah University in Karak, Jordan.
"My role is to teach Islamic values and application to our military personnel to ensure they are being good Muslims and good Soldiers," Ali Rabab'h said, speaking through a Guard Bureau translator. "The role of the Muslim chaplains within the military is to perform daily and routine religious rituals inside the unit and when the need arises, to participate in burial ceremonies, to strengthen Soldiers' ethics, to strengthen military discipline ... and tot each them to protect the civilians."
The State Partnership Program started in 1993, following the collapse of the Iron Curtain. State partnerships foster military-to-military, military-to-civilian and civilian-to-civilian cooperation. There are currently 62 SPP partners.
"They are a marvelous tool for building partnership capacity," McKinley, who is the chief of the National Guard Bureau, said in Amman during his visit to Jordan. "We live in a very multi-polar world in which all countries' values,feelings and cultures should be understood, and it is probably the best program ... for the money in helping the foreign nations who participate ...to gain an understanding of how our military works, the fundamentals of our leadership and our noncommissioned officer corps, which is vital.
"It builds on our State Department and Department of Defense guidelines fortheater-security cooperation through the combatant commanders."
The visit from Jordanian military religious leaders was a typical example ofhow the SPP can advance international understanding.
"This exchange showed the importance our countries assign to the partnership between the U.S. and Jordan," Ali Rabab'h said, "and how we both feel that we can learn from each other and support each other. ... This exchange is the fruition of the trust that has been building between Jordan and Colorado.
"One of the most important lessons that we learned here is the openness ofthe U.S. Army to other cultures and faiths and that this Army strives for excellence and likes to learn from others, and this is something that we very much admire and respect."
The exchange included office calls with National Guard leaders, visits to landmarks, such as the National Cathedral.
"I have been impressed with the role that the National Guard has on the state and the federal level," Ali Rabab'h said. "I have also been very impressed with the role of the Guard within their own communities and the diversity of the community and the chaplains. I was happy to hear about the chaplains within the military - whether they are Muslims, Christian or Jewish.
"I hope that we have such exchanges more often, because this ... shows thatt he U.S. military is interested in learning about the true Islam and Muslims and understands that fundamentalism and terrorism is not a true representation of Islam.
"The prophet said that hearts are touched by kindness, Ali Rabab'h said adding that his heart was touched by his hosts.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Hits COMPTUEX Grand Slam
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alan Gragg, Abraham Lincoln Strike Group Public Affairs
USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, At Sea (NNS) -- Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group completed four major exercises July 27-28 as part of Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), flexing its muscles in surface, subsurface, and strike warfare simultaneously.
Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 completed a successful large force strike, simulating the targeting and destruction of critical targets on the ground while simultaneously suppressing enemy radars and anti-aircraft fire. EA-6B Prowlers from Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131 along with F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets from Strike Fighter Squadrons (VFA) 2, 34, 137, and 151 led the 90 minute mission over the Navy's bombing range on San Clemente Island.
USS Cape St. George's (CG 71) air defense commander led a complex air defense exercise, linking the networks of six different Aegis platforms to establish airspace superiority greater than 100 miles from the strike group.
Destroyers from Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 9, along with cruiser Cape St. George, helicopters from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77, and P-3 Orion aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 30 practiced detecting and tracking enemy submarines while protecting USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during an underway refueling. Surface units also fired 90 shells in a precision firing demonstration.
"Wherever the President needs us to go, anywhere in the world, we'll be there and we'll be ready," said Rear Adm. Mark Guadagnini, Lincoln Carrier Strike Group commander.
The COMPTUEX builds upon the strike group's combat readiness by simulating challenges the strike group may encounter on deployment. The advanced training scenarios of COMPTUEX represent the first time a carrier strike group is evaluated as an overall unit. Passing the tests of COMPTUEX certifies Lincoln and its air wing for open-ocean operations, making the force available to deploy wherever and whenever the order is given.
Lincoln Carrier Strike Group consists of flagship Abraham Lincoln, embarked CVW 2, embarked DESRON 9 and the guided-missile cruiser Cape St. George.
Ships assigned to DESRON 9 include the destroyers USS Momsen (DDG 92), USS Shoup (DDG 86), USS Halsey (DDG 97) and USS Sterett (DDG 104). Squadrons from CVW 2 include the "Bounty Hunters" of VFA-2, the "Blue Blasters" of VFA-34, the "Kestrels" of VFA-37, the "Vigilantes" of VFA-151, the "Lancers" of VAQ-131, the "Sun Kings" of VAW-116, the "Saberhawks" of HSM-77 and the "Golden Falcons" of HSC-12.
USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, At Sea (NNS) -- Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group completed four major exercises July 27-28 as part of Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), flexing its muscles in surface, subsurface, and strike warfare simultaneously.
Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 completed a successful large force strike, simulating the targeting and destruction of critical targets on the ground while simultaneously suppressing enemy radars and anti-aircraft fire. EA-6B Prowlers from Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131 along with F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets from Strike Fighter Squadrons (VFA) 2, 34, 137, and 151 led the 90 minute mission over the Navy's bombing range on San Clemente Island.
USS Cape St. George's (CG 71) air defense commander led a complex air defense exercise, linking the networks of six different Aegis platforms to establish airspace superiority greater than 100 miles from the strike group.
Destroyers from Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 9, along with cruiser Cape St. George, helicopters from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77, and P-3 Orion aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 30 practiced detecting and tracking enemy submarines while protecting USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during an underway refueling. Surface units also fired 90 shells in a precision firing demonstration.
"Wherever the President needs us to go, anywhere in the world, we'll be there and we'll be ready," said Rear Adm. Mark Guadagnini, Lincoln Carrier Strike Group commander.
The COMPTUEX builds upon the strike group's combat readiness by simulating challenges the strike group may encounter on deployment. The advanced training scenarios of COMPTUEX represent the first time a carrier strike group is evaluated as an overall unit. Passing the tests of COMPTUEX certifies Lincoln and its air wing for open-ocean operations, making the force available to deploy wherever and whenever the order is given.
Lincoln Carrier Strike Group consists of flagship Abraham Lincoln, embarked CVW 2, embarked DESRON 9 and the guided-missile cruiser Cape St. George.
Ships assigned to DESRON 9 include the destroyers USS Momsen (DDG 92), USS Shoup (DDG 86), USS Halsey (DDG 97) and USS Sterett (DDG 104). Squadrons from CVW 2 include the "Bounty Hunters" of VFA-2, the "Blue Blasters" of VFA-34, the "Kestrels" of VFA-37, the "Vigilantes" of VFA-151, the "Lancers" of VAQ-131, the "Sun Kings" of VAW-116, the "Saberhawks" of HSM-77 and the "Golden Falcons" of HSC-12.
Marine Corps Security Force Battalion Holds Evening Parade
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Scott Dagendesh, Navy Public Affairs Support Element Detachment Northwest
SILVERDALE, Wash. (NNS) -- Service members, family members and guests attended the annual Marine Corps Security Force Battalion (MCSFBn) evening parade, held at Silverdale Stadium in Silverdale, Wash. July 28.
The evening parade is a Marine Corps tradition for the Sailors and Marines attached to MCSFBn, Bangor held since 1977.
The parade honored service members and included patriotic music led by Navy Band Northwest and an introduction of the MCSFBn mascot "Private Lucy Brewer II".
The ceremonial drill platoon observed "Colors," which is the lowering of the nation's flag performed each evening at sunset.
"We had the ceremony off base in order to invite the community, but when it is on base, only military and their family members are able to attend," said Chief Warrant Officer Joellen Schumacher, MCSFBn. "We wanted to share it with the community. What we do and the sacrifices we make on a day-to-day basis endear us to them, so being able to celebrate and share this with them is really important."
Schumacher also said although the community knows about the military's presence, may not understand what they do, and by being present and participating in the parade, it helps the military become more ingrained into the community.
The evening parade featured MCSFBn's silent drill team and a re-dedication of the battalion's battle streamers.
"I thought it was great that the community was coming out here to show their support for our Navy and Marine Corps," said Steve Boyer, Kitsap County sheriff. "I thought the whole parade was very impressive, and it makes me proud to be an American. Just watching them out there confirms that America is in good hands."
The parade concluded with "Taps," a pass and review with Sailors and Marines saluting the flag and refreshments served outside the stadium.
SILVERDALE, Wash. (NNS) -- Service members, family members and guests attended the annual Marine Corps Security Force Battalion (MCSFBn) evening parade, held at Silverdale Stadium in Silverdale, Wash. July 28.
The evening parade is a Marine Corps tradition for the Sailors and Marines attached to MCSFBn, Bangor held since 1977.
The parade honored service members and included patriotic music led by Navy Band Northwest and an introduction of the MCSFBn mascot "Private Lucy Brewer II".
The ceremonial drill platoon observed "Colors," which is the lowering of the nation's flag performed each evening at sunset.
"We had the ceremony off base in order to invite the community, but when it is on base, only military and their family members are able to attend," said Chief Warrant Officer Joellen Schumacher, MCSFBn. "We wanted to share it with the community. What we do and the sacrifices we make on a day-to-day basis endear us to them, so being able to celebrate and share this with them is really important."
Schumacher also said although the community knows about the military's presence, may not understand what they do, and by being present and participating in the parade, it helps the military become more ingrained into the community.
The evening parade featured MCSFBn's silent drill team and a re-dedication of the battalion's battle streamers.
"I thought it was great that the community was coming out here to show their support for our Navy and Marine Corps," said Steve Boyer, Kitsap County sheriff. "I thought the whole parade was very impressive, and it makes me proud to be an American. Just watching them out there confirms that America is in good hands."
The parade concluded with "Taps," a pass and review with Sailors and Marines saluting the flag and refreshments served outside the stadium.
General Officer Assignments
The chief of staff, Air Force announces today the following assignments.
Brig. Gen. Joseph D. Brown IV, who has been selected for the rank of major general, deputy director, nuclear operations, Headquarters U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., to commandant, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington. D.C.
Brig. Gen. Robert E. Wheeler, commander, 509th Bomb Wing, Air Force Global Strike Command, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., to deputy director, nuclear operations, Headquarters U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.
Col. Scott A. Vander Hamm, who has been selected for the rank of brigadier general, assistant deputy director, global operations, J-39, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington D.C., to commander, 509th Bomb Wing, Air Force Global Strike Command, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.
Brig. Gen. Joseph D. Brown IV, who has been selected for the rank of major general, deputy director, nuclear operations, Headquarters U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., to commandant, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington. D.C.
Brig. Gen. Robert E. Wheeler, commander, 509th Bomb Wing, Air Force Global Strike Command, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., to deputy director, nuclear operations, Headquarters U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.
Col. Scott A. Vander Hamm, who has been selected for the rank of brigadier general, assistant deputy director, global operations, J-39, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington D.C., to commander, 509th Bomb Wing, Air Force Global Strike Command, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.
Blue Ridge Sailor Helps Out Community in Palau
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Melvin F. Orr III, USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) Public Affairs
USS BLUE RIDGE, At Sea (NNS) -- Sailors aided in a community relations project in Palau July 28, during a port visit in support of Pacific Partnership 2010.
"I'm honored to be part of the Navy and its humanitarian effort," Operations Specialist 1st Class Angel Aquino, USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), said. "I can go anywhere in the world and give back to the community. The experience helps me grow as a person and learn about other cultures."
Aquino helped paint several school houses at Ngchesar Elementary with the teachers, children and parents on the island of Babeldaob.
"I had a great time. No matter how many times I volunteer for a COMREL, I always discover something unique and fun about the experience," Aquino said. "I look forward to that one moment when I'm at a school and getting the chance to be silly with children because that's something they don't get to see often."
Aquino joined the Navy in 1994 to escape the gang life in Los Angeles and to protect his family. Military service has taught him compassion for those who are less fortunate.
"You think you have it bad, but then you visit another country and see how difficult their lives are," Aquino said. "That kind of experience humbles you."
Other Blue Ridge Sailors participated in several community service projects around the country including Ngchesar Elementary, Melekeok Elementary, Aimeliik Elementary, Palau High School and Bloody Nose Ridge Monument.
Pacific Partnership is an annual joint effort with host nations, partner nations, nongovernmental charity and service organizations and other U.S. government agencies to provide medical, dental, veterinary and engineering civic action programs.
USS BLUE RIDGE, At Sea (NNS) -- Sailors aided in a community relations project in Palau July 28, during a port visit in support of Pacific Partnership 2010.
"I'm honored to be part of the Navy and its humanitarian effort," Operations Specialist 1st Class Angel Aquino, USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), said. "I can go anywhere in the world and give back to the community. The experience helps me grow as a person and learn about other cultures."
Aquino helped paint several school houses at Ngchesar Elementary with the teachers, children and parents on the island of Babeldaob.
"I had a great time. No matter how many times I volunteer for a COMREL, I always discover something unique and fun about the experience," Aquino said. "I look forward to that one moment when I'm at a school and getting the chance to be silly with children because that's something they don't get to see often."
Aquino joined the Navy in 1994 to escape the gang life in Los Angeles and to protect his family. Military service has taught him compassion for those who are less fortunate.
"You think you have it bad, but then you visit another country and see how difficult their lives are," Aquino said. "That kind of experience humbles you."
Other Blue Ridge Sailors participated in several community service projects around the country including Ngchesar Elementary, Melekeok Elementary, Aimeliik Elementary, Palau High School and Bloody Nose Ridge Monument.
Pacific Partnership is an annual joint effort with host nations, partner nations, nongovernmental charity and service organizations and other U.S. government agencies to provide medical, dental, veterinary and engineering civic action programs.
Navy to Commission Submarine Missouri
The Navy’s newest attack submarine, Missouri, will be commissioned Saturday, July 31, 2010, during an 11 a.m. EDT ceremony in Groton, Conn. Missouri is named to honor the people of the “Show Me State” and its leaders for their continuous support of the military.
Missouri Rep. Ike Skelton will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead will also deliver remarks. Becky Gates, wife of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, will serve as the ship's sponsor. In the time-honored Navy tradition she will give the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"
Designated SSN 780, the seventh Virginia class submarine, Missouri is built to excel in anti-submarine warfare; anti-ship warfare; strike warfare; special operations; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; battle group support; and mine warfare missions. Upon entering service, Missouri will directly enable five of the six Navy Maritime Strategy Core Capabilities: sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence.
This is the fourth Navy ship to be named Missouri. The last USS Missouri, a legendary battleship, saw action in World War II, the Korean War, the Persian Gulf War, and was also the site where Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and many other U.S. and allied officers accepted the unconditional surrender of the Japanese at the end of World War II.
Cmdr. Timothy Rexrode of Spencer, W.Va., is the ship’s commanding officer and will lead a crew of approximately 134 officers and enlisted personnel. The 7,800-ton Missouri was built under a unique teaming arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. The boat is 377-feet long, has a 34-foot beam, and will be able to dive to depths of greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged. Missouri is designed with a reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship, reducing lifecycle costs while increasing operational availability.
Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at 703-697-5342. Information about Missouri and high-resolution photos are available online at http://www.public.navy.mil/usff/CSG2/Pages/PCUMissouri(SSN780).aspx. Additional information about Virginia class submarines is available online at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4100&tid=100&ct=4
Missouri Rep. Ike Skelton will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead will also deliver remarks. Becky Gates, wife of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, will serve as the ship's sponsor. In the time-honored Navy tradition she will give the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"
Designated SSN 780, the seventh Virginia class submarine, Missouri is built to excel in anti-submarine warfare; anti-ship warfare; strike warfare; special operations; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; battle group support; and mine warfare missions. Upon entering service, Missouri will directly enable five of the six Navy Maritime Strategy Core Capabilities: sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence.
This is the fourth Navy ship to be named Missouri. The last USS Missouri, a legendary battleship, saw action in World War II, the Korean War, the Persian Gulf War, and was also the site where Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and many other U.S. and allied officers accepted the unconditional surrender of the Japanese at the end of World War II.
Cmdr. Timothy Rexrode of Spencer, W.Va., is the ship’s commanding officer and will lead a crew of approximately 134 officers and enlisted personnel. The 7,800-ton Missouri was built under a unique teaming arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. The boat is 377-feet long, has a 34-foot beam, and will be able to dive to depths of greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged. Missouri is designed with a reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship, reducing lifecycle costs while increasing operational availability.
Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at 703-697-5342. Information about Missouri and high-resolution photos are available online at http://www.public.navy.mil/usff/CSG2/Pages/PCUMissouri(SSN780).aspx. Additional information about Virginia class submarines is available online at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4100&tid=100&ct=4
Southcom Monitors Trafficking, Prepares for Disasters
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
July 30, 2010 - Illegal trafficking remains the biggest challenge for U.S. military forces in Central and South America as they work to balance such nontraditional challenges with the constant threat of natural disasters there, the commander of U.S. Southern Command said yesterday.
Servicemembers and their civilian partners have to keep ahead of the tactics of those involved in illegal trafficking – of drugs, weapons, exotic animals and human beings – that undermine security and stability in the region, and threaten the United States, Air Force Gen. Douglas Fraser said at a military strategy forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies here.
Southcom, with headquarters in Miami, provides contingency planning, operations and security for the region covering Central and South America, and the Caribbean except for U.S. territories. The area is strategically important to the United States, now the fifth-largest Spanish-speaking nation with one-third of its population expected to be of Latino origin by 2015, Fraser said.
The United States has a "great and enduring relationship" with Latin America, Fraser said, but often doesn't give enough attention to its southern neighbors. "A lot of times, we in the U.S. look east to west and not north-south in own hemisphere," he said.
The general said he sees no threat of conventional warfare in Central and South America, either toward the United States or within its own nations. But nontraditional challenges such as trafficking remain high, he added.
Widespread poverty and disproportionate wealth drive crime and corruption, Fraser said, leading to multibillion-dollar trafficking networks adept at changing routes and tactics. For example, he said, the United States has worked with Colombian authorities to confront drug traffickers. However, he added, the criminals have moved their operations to other areas, such as north to Mexico or through the southeast waterways to Africa.
"As we've had success in Colombia, they've gone to other places," Fraser said. "We need to continue to keep pressing on all sides of the balloon."
Southcom has disrupted or obtained about 100 metric tons of cocaine so far this year, but that's only half of what it seized compared to this time last year, Fraser said. "We don't know why," he said. "There are changes going on in the trafficking world, and we're trying to catch up. We need look at [illegal trafficking] as enterprise and treat it as an enterprise."
At least 60 percent of illegal drugs flowing out of Central and South America and the Caribbean end up in the United States, Fraser said, adding that U.S. officials need to address the issue of American demand for illicit drugs.
Urban gangs are plentiful in Southcom's area of responsibility, Fraser said, and there is evidence of financial support there for Middle Eastern-based terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas that have taken root in Central America.
At the same time that Southcom is working such nontraditional challenges, it also has to stay prepared to deal with Mother Nature, Fraser said.
"I was not expecting to respond to an earthquake in Haiti," he said, referring to the Jan. 12 earthquake that devastated the Port-au-Prince area and caused 22,000 U.S. servicemembers to deploy there through June for relief operations.
"I don't know what next crisis will be," Fraser said. "We have to remain prepared."
American Forces Press Service
July 30, 2010 - Illegal trafficking remains the biggest challenge for U.S. military forces in Central and South America as they work to balance such nontraditional challenges with the constant threat of natural disasters there, the commander of U.S. Southern Command said yesterday.
Servicemembers and their civilian partners have to keep ahead of the tactics of those involved in illegal trafficking – of drugs, weapons, exotic animals and human beings – that undermine security and stability in the region, and threaten the United States, Air Force Gen. Douglas Fraser said at a military strategy forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies here.
Southcom, with headquarters in Miami, provides contingency planning, operations and security for the region covering Central and South America, and the Caribbean except for U.S. territories. The area is strategically important to the United States, now the fifth-largest Spanish-speaking nation with one-third of its population expected to be of Latino origin by 2015, Fraser said.
The United States has a "great and enduring relationship" with Latin America, Fraser said, but often doesn't give enough attention to its southern neighbors. "A lot of times, we in the U.S. look east to west and not north-south in own hemisphere," he said.
The general said he sees no threat of conventional warfare in Central and South America, either toward the United States or within its own nations. But nontraditional challenges such as trafficking remain high, he added.
Widespread poverty and disproportionate wealth drive crime and corruption, Fraser said, leading to multibillion-dollar trafficking networks adept at changing routes and tactics. For example, he said, the United States has worked with Colombian authorities to confront drug traffickers. However, he added, the criminals have moved their operations to other areas, such as north to Mexico or through the southeast waterways to Africa.
"As we've had success in Colombia, they've gone to other places," Fraser said. "We need to continue to keep pressing on all sides of the balloon."
Southcom has disrupted or obtained about 100 metric tons of cocaine so far this year, but that's only half of what it seized compared to this time last year, Fraser said. "We don't know why," he said. "There are changes going on in the trafficking world, and we're trying to catch up. We need look at [illegal trafficking] as enterprise and treat it as an enterprise."
At least 60 percent of illegal drugs flowing out of Central and South America and the Caribbean end up in the United States, Fraser said, adding that U.S. officials need to address the issue of American demand for illicit drugs.
Urban gangs are plentiful in Southcom's area of responsibility, Fraser said, and there is evidence of financial support there for Middle Eastern-based terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas that have taken root in Central America.
At the same time that Southcom is working such nontraditional challenges, it also has to stay prepared to deal with Mother Nature, Fraser said.
"I was not expecting to respond to an earthquake in Haiti," he said, referring to the Jan. 12 earthquake that devastated the Port-au-Prince area and caused 22,000 U.S. servicemembers to deploy there through June for relief operations.
"I don't know what next crisis will be," Fraser said. "We have to remain prepared."
Dr. Biden Appears in 'Army Wives' Episode
July 30, 2010 - Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, attended a special screening at Fort Belvoir, Va., last night for an episode of the Lifetime series "Army Wives" in which Dr. Biden plays herself. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and his wife, Sheila, hosted the screening of the episode titled "Mud, Sweat and Tears," which is due to air Aug. 8 at 10 p.m. EDT.
In the episode, Dr. Biden visits the fictional Fort Marshall to host a fun run and to meet with members of the base's Gold Star Wives, a group composed of widows of servicemembers who died on active duty.
"In the last 18 months, I've done a lot of things I never dreamed I would do or could do," she said. "But when I got the opportunity to create awareness of the lives of military members and their families, it's something that I couldn't pass up."
Dr. Biden, an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College, said the experience of filming was wonderful and the cast members were "truly wonderful and supportive."
In introducing Dr. Biden at the screening, Sheila Casey said the role she plays in the "Army Wives" episode is one that she and the vice president play all around the country as they visit with and listen to soldiers and their families. She also noted her common bond with Dr. Biden, as both have sons who serve in the Army.
"She and I know firsthand of the triumphs and challenges of soldiers and their family members," she said, adding her thanks to Dr. Biden for putting military families in the spotlight.
General Casey noted that the television series presents a realistic portrayal of Army life.
"I was very impressed with the commitment of the production crew and the cast to accurately replicate the challenges of Army families," he said.
Dr. Biden said she agreed to go on the show because she wants to do all she can to keep America thinking about servicemembers and their families. To that end, she has started a national challenge with First Lady Michelle Obama to encourage Americans to perform small acts of kindness for military families.
"I wish [the American people] could see what Jill and I see as we go into Army hospitals or Thanksgiving dinners with soldiers," Vice President Biden said. "What absolutely blows me away is the continued sense of patriotism and the desire to serve, even with those who are mortally wounded."
U.S. Fleet Forces Command Selects New Fleet Master Chief
From U.S. Fleet Forces Public Affairs
NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF) announced the selection of USFF fleet master chief July 30.
Adm. J. C. Harvey Jr. announced the selection of Fleet Master Chief (AW/NAC) Mike Stevens.
"I am grateful for the opportunity and humbled to be selected as the Fleet Forces fleet master chief," Stevens said. "I look forward to serving Admiral Harvey, the Sailors, DoD civilians and family members of Fleet Forces Command."
Stevens most recently served as the U.S. 2nd Fleet master chief.
"FLTCM Stevens is a proven deckplate leader with significant operational experience," Harvey said. "He has the background, savvy and judgment I need in my fleet master chief to ensure I'm kept fully informed of what's happening on the waterfront and in the Fleet. I'm also very confident that he won't be the least bit hesitant to give me the fleet Sailor's perspective on the many challenging issues we face today - a perspective I must always have as I go about my daily business."
Stevens fills the position previously held by Fleet Master Chief (SW/AW) Tom Howard, who will retire in November after 28 years of service.
"I'm very grateful for FLTCM Howard's many years of superb service to our Navy, particularly during this past year after I assumed command of U.S. Fleet Forces," Harvey said. "I wish Fleet Howard and his family nothing but the best and fair winds and following seas in the years ahead."
With his new assignment, Stevens becomes the command's senior enlisted advisor for more than 100,000 active duty and reserve personnel who serve on more than 285 ships and submarines and 79 shore activities within the U.S. Fleet Forces Command Area of Responsibility.
Stevens enlisted in the Navy in 1983 and has served in assignments including VQ-2, Rota Spain; Navy Recruiting District Minneapolis, Minn.; HM-14, Norfolk, Va.; HM-18, Norfolk, Va.; Aviation Schools Command, Pensacola Fla.; and HS-4, San Diego, Calif.
In October 2002, Stevens advanced to master chief and reported to VC-8, Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico as the maintenance master chief and command master chief. In October 2003, Stevens reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola and assumed the duties as the base command master chief. In August 2006, he reported to HM-14 as the command master chief.
In September 2007, he was selected by Commander, Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Atlantic to serve as the wing command master chief for the Navy's largest helicopter wing. In January 2009, Stevens was selected as U.S. 2nd Fleet command master chief.
"As we move forward and continue to accomplish our mission with excellence as our standard, I remain optimistic about the future of our Navy and will do all I can as a leader to add value to an already outstanding organization," Stevens said.
Stevens' personal decorations include the Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist, Enlisted Naval Aircrew Wings, Meritorious Service Medal (fourth award) Navy Commendation Medal (fifth award), Navy Achievement Medal (sixth award), and the Coast Guard Achievement Medal with operational "O".
NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF) announced the selection of USFF fleet master chief July 30.
Adm. J. C. Harvey Jr. announced the selection of Fleet Master Chief (AW/NAC) Mike Stevens.
"I am grateful for the opportunity and humbled to be selected as the Fleet Forces fleet master chief," Stevens said. "I look forward to serving Admiral Harvey, the Sailors, DoD civilians and family members of Fleet Forces Command."
Stevens most recently served as the U.S. 2nd Fleet master chief.
"FLTCM Stevens is a proven deckplate leader with significant operational experience," Harvey said. "He has the background, savvy and judgment I need in my fleet master chief to ensure I'm kept fully informed of what's happening on the waterfront and in the Fleet. I'm also very confident that he won't be the least bit hesitant to give me the fleet Sailor's perspective on the many challenging issues we face today - a perspective I must always have as I go about my daily business."
Stevens fills the position previously held by Fleet Master Chief (SW/AW) Tom Howard, who will retire in November after 28 years of service.
"I'm very grateful for FLTCM Howard's many years of superb service to our Navy, particularly during this past year after I assumed command of U.S. Fleet Forces," Harvey said. "I wish Fleet Howard and his family nothing but the best and fair winds and following seas in the years ahead."
With his new assignment, Stevens becomes the command's senior enlisted advisor for more than 100,000 active duty and reserve personnel who serve on more than 285 ships and submarines and 79 shore activities within the U.S. Fleet Forces Command Area of Responsibility.
Stevens enlisted in the Navy in 1983 and has served in assignments including VQ-2, Rota Spain; Navy Recruiting District Minneapolis, Minn.; HM-14, Norfolk, Va.; HM-18, Norfolk, Va.; Aviation Schools Command, Pensacola Fla.; and HS-4, San Diego, Calif.
In October 2002, Stevens advanced to master chief and reported to VC-8, Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico as the maintenance master chief and command master chief. In October 2003, Stevens reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola and assumed the duties as the base command master chief. In August 2006, he reported to HM-14 as the command master chief.
In September 2007, he was selected by Commander, Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Atlantic to serve as the wing command master chief for the Navy's largest helicopter wing. In January 2009, Stevens was selected as U.S. 2nd Fleet command master chief.
"As we move forward and continue to accomplish our mission with excellence as our standard, I remain optimistic about the future of our Navy and will do all I can as a leader to add value to an already outstanding organization," Stevens said.
Stevens' personal decorations include the Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist, Enlisted Naval Aircrew Wings, Meritorious Service Medal (fourth award) Navy Commendation Medal (fifth award), Navy Achievement Medal (sixth award), and the Coast Guard Achievement Medal with operational "O".
Airmen killed in C-17 crash identified
7/30/2010 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AFNS) -- Maj. Michael Freyholtz, 34, from Hines, Minn., and Maj. Aaron Malone, 36, from Anchorage, Alaska, both pilots assigned to the Alaska Air National Guard's 249th Airlift Squadron; Capt. Jeffrey Hill, 31, from York, Pa., a pilot assigned to Elmendorf's 517th Airlift Squadron; and Master Sgt. Thomas Cicardo, 47, from Anchorage; 249th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, were killed in the C-17 crash here July 28.
"We come to work with immense sorrow after four of our fellow Airmen lost their lives in the C-17 crash at Elmendorf Air Force Base Wednesday," said Brig. Gen. Charles E. Foster, the 176th Wing commander, Alaska Air National Guard. "They were more than valued Airmen. They were our teammates, friends, family members and fellow Alaskans. We mourn their loss and share the deep sadness of their families."
"These fallen warriors embody the pride and professionalism of American Airmen," said Col. John McMullen, the 3rd Wing commander at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. "They selflessly served their country and will be sorely missed by our entire (Elmendorf AFB total force) family."
A board of officers is investigating the accident.
"We come to work with immense sorrow after four of our fellow Airmen lost their lives in the C-17 crash at Elmendorf Air Force Base Wednesday," said Brig. Gen. Charles E. Foster, the 176th Wing commander, Alaska Air National Guard. "They were more than valued Airmen. They were our teammates, friends, family members and fellow Alaskans. We mourn their loss and share the deep sadness of their families."
"These fallen warriors embody the pride and professionalism of American Airmen," said Col. John McMullen, the 3rd Wing commander at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. "They selflessly served their country and will be sorely missed by our entire (Elmendorf AFB total force) family."
A board of officers is investigating the accident.
Air Force officials release preferred aircraft basing alternatives
7/30/2010 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials released several announcements regarding five different aircraft July 29.
Michael Donley, the Secretary of the Air Force and Gen. Norton Schwartz, the chief of staff of the Air Force, approved C-27J operations and training candidate bases and announced the transition of Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., to the F-16 Fighting Falcon training mission.
Air Force officials also announced the preferred alternatives for operational and training F-35 Lightning bases, announced Beale Air Force Base, Calif., as the preferred alternative basing option for the MC-12 Liberty and determined the most effective basing for the F-22 Raptor.
Training candidates for the C-27J Spartan are Key Field Air Guard Station, Miss., and Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport, Ohio. Operations candidates are Boise Air Terminal AGS, Idaho, and Great Falls International Airport, Mont.
Air Force officials will conduct site surveys at the candidate locations and initiate the environmental impact analysis process in preparation for a final selection.
Air Force officials determined that Holloman AFB has the capacity to accept two F-16 training squadrons and offers the ability to synergize training activities with MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper training occurring on the same base.
Transitioning Holloman AFB to F-16 training stabilizes an enduring training mission and capitalizes on the existing airspace and range complex.
Implementation of this action is subject to completion of appropriate environmental analysis.
Teams surveyed candidate bases for F-35 operational and training bases for feasibility, timing, cost and planning purposes to meet initial operational capability timelines and the preferred alternative locations for operations are Hill AFB, Utah, and Burlington Air Guard Station, Vt. The preferred alternative location for training is Luke AFB, Ariz.
"This is not a final basing decision," said Kathleen Ferguson, the deputy assistant secretary for installations. "The preferred alternatives with other reasonable alternatives will continue to be evaluated in the Environmental Impact Analysis Process."
Secretary Donley previously announced five operations candidate bases Oct. 29, 2009. They included Hill AFB; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; Shaw AFB/McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C.; Burlington Air Guard Station, Vt.; and Jacksonville AGS, Fla. The secretary also announced training base candidates Oct. 29, 2009. They included Boise AGS, Idaho; Eglin AFB, Fla.; Holloman AFB, N.M.; Luke AFB, Ariz.; and Tucson AGS, Ariz.
The current scope of this basing action includes 250 to 300 F-35 aircraft.
Beale AFB, Calif., was announced as the preferred alternative basing option for the MC-12. Secretary Donley previously approved six candidate bases, including Altus AFB, Okla.; Beale AFB, Calif.; Key Field Air National Guard Base, Miss.; Langley AFB, Va.; Robins AFB, Ga.; and Whiteman AFB, Mo.
"Beale (AFB) is the preferred alternative for basing the MC-12W aircraft, given its access to training opportunities, synergy with existing intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance flying missions, and collocation with the Distributed Ground Station mission," Ms. Ferguson said.
Secretary Donley and General Schwartz determined the most effective basing for the F-22. This requires redistributing aircraft from one F-22 squadron to units at four F-22 bases. A second squadron will be relocated to an existing F-22 base.
The affected bases are Holloman AFB, N.M., where one squadron will be deactivated. That squadron's F-22s will be redistributed to other F-22 units. The remaining squadron will relocate to Tyndall AFB, Fla.
Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, will receive six additional aircraft; Langley AFB, Va., will receive six additional aircraft; and Nellis AFB, Nev., will receive two additional aircraft.
"This plan maximizes combat aircraft and squadrons available for contingencies," Ms. Ferguson said. "By consolidating aircraft at existing bases, F-22 operational flexibility is enhanced."
Michael Donley, the Secretary of the Air Force and Gen. Norton Schwartz, the chief of staff of the Air Force, approved C-27J operations and training candidate bases and announced the transition of Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., to the F-16 Fighting Falcon training mission.
Air Force officials also announced the preferred alternatives for operational and training F-35 Lightning bases, announced Beale Air Force Base, Calif., as the preferred alternative basing option for the MC-12 Liberty and determined the most effective basing for the F-22 Raptor.
Training candidates for the C-27J Spartan are Key Field Air Guard Station, Miss., and Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport, Ohio. Operations candidates are Boise Air Terminal AGS, Idaho, and Great Falls International Airport, Mont.
Air Force officials will conduct site surveys at the candidate locations and initiate the environmental impact analysis process in preparation for a final selection.
Air Force officials determined that Holloman AFB has the capacity to accept two F-16 training squadrons and offers the ability to synergize training activities with MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper training occurring on the same base.
Transitioning Holloman AFB to F-16 training stabilizes an enduring training mission and capitalizes on the existing airspace and range complex.
Implementation of this action is subject to completion of appropriate environmental analysis.
Teams surveyed candidate bases for F-35 operational and training bases for feasibility, timing, cost and planning purposes to meet initial operational capability timelines and the preferred alternative locations for operations are Hill AFB, Utah, and Burlington Air Guard Station, Vt. The preferred alternative location for training is Luke AFB, Ariz.
"This is not a final basing decision," said Kathleen Ferguson, the deputy assistant secretary for installations. "The preferred alternatives with other reasonable alternatives will continue to be evaluated in the Environmental Impact Analysis Process."
Secretary Donley previously announced five operations candidate bases Oct. 29, 2009. They included Hill AFB; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; Shaw AFB/McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C.; Burlington Air Guard Station, Vt.; and Jacksonville AGS, Fla. The secretary also announced training base candidates Oct. 29, 2009. They included Boise AGS, Idaho; Eglin AFB, Fla.; Holloman AFB, N.M.; Luke AFB, Ariz.; and Tucson AGS, Ariz.
The current scope of this basing action includes 250 to 300 F-35 aircraft.
Beale AFB, Calif., was announced as the preferred alternative basing option for the MC-12. Secretary Donley previously approved six candidate bases, including Altus AFB, Okla.; Beale AFB, Calif.; Key Field Air National Guard Base, Miss.; Langley AFB, Va.; Robins AFB, Ga.; and Whiteman AFB, Mo.
"Beale (AFB) is the preferred alternative for basing the MC-12W aircraft, given its access to training opportunities, synergy with existing intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance flying missions, and collocation with the Distributed Ground Station mission," Ms. Ferguson said.
Secretary Donley and General Schwartz determined the most effective basing for the F-22. This requires redistributing aircraft from one F-22 squadron to units at four F-22 bases. A second squadron will be relocated to an existing F-22 base.
The affected bases are Holloman AFB, N.M., where one squadron will be deactivated. That squadron's F-22s will be redistributed to other F-22 units. The remaining squadron will relocate to Tyndall AFB, Fla.
Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, will receive six additional aircraft; Langley AFB, Va., will receive six additional aircraft; and Nellis AFB, Nev., will receive two additional aircraft.
"This plan maximizes combat aircraft and squadrons available for contingencies," Ms. Ferguson said. "By consolidating aircraft at existing bases, F-22 operational flexibility is enhanced."
DOD Announces School Year 2010/2011 Child Care Fee Policy
The Department of Defense announced today the school year 2010/2011 child care fee policy. The policy will adjust fee ranges in child care programs across the services and will be implemented no later than Sept. 30, 2010. Changes will impact families who have children enrolled in DoD child development centers and school age care programs.
The DoD broadened child care fee ranges from six to nine categories, raised the income cap on each fee range, and established the top earning range at $125,000 a year and above for a more equitable policy. Previously, families earning more than $70,000 a year and above all paid the same fee for child care. Under the new policy, families will see either a small decrease or increase in their fees depending on their total family income. Families earning $85,000 and below will experience relatively minimal changes. Each military service will provide fee guidelines specific to their installations.
"This is the first time in six years that the Defense Department has adjusted fee ranges. The action follows an in-depth study that determined that fee ranges were no longer in sync with the total family income for the majority of program users," said Robert L. Gordon III, deputy under secretary of defense, military community and family policy. "As a result of this adjustment, we broadened and added income ranges to achieve greater equity within our military community."
The fee policy represents a balanced solution to the issue of adjusting fees to pay caregiver salaries while limiting the financial impact on the family. Competitive salaries help to recruit and retain quality staff. Retaining high quality staff contributes to continuity of care.
"Ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of the military children entrusted to our care is a number one priority," said Gordon. "We are committed to high quality care for our military children, which includes attracting talented child care staff whose compensation is competitive with the civilian sector."
Ninety-eight percent of DoD's child development centers are nationally accredited compared to 8 to 10 percent of community childcare centers. National accreditation means a commitment of providing high quality services, including a developmentally appropriate curriculum, a healthy and safe environment, sufficient number of adults per children in group sizes appropriate for children's ages; and strong communication between staff and families.
"Child care is a readiness issue. We will continue striving to provide quality care to support our working parents," said Gordon.
For specific information about the installation fees, parents are encouraged to contact their local child development center and school-age care program.
The DoD broadened child care fee ranges from six to nine categories, raised the income cap on each fee range, and established the top earning range at $125,000 a year and above for a more equitable policy. Previously, families earning more than $70,000 a year and above all paid the same fee for child care. Under the new policy, families will see either a small decrease or increase in their fees depending on their total family income. Families earning $85,000 and below will experience relatively minimal changes. Each military service will provide fee guidelines specific to their installations.
"This is the first time in six years that the Defense Department has adjusted fee ranges. The action follows an in-depth study that determined that fee ranges were no longer in sync with the total family income for the majority of program users," said Robert L. Gordon III, deputy under secretary of defense, military community and family policy. "As a result of this adjustment, we broadened and added income ranges to achieve greater equity within our military community."
The fee policy represents a balanced solution to the issue of adjusting fees to pay caregiver salaries while limiting the financial impact on the family. Competitive salaries help to recruit and retain quality staff. Retaining high quality staff contributes to continuity of care.
"Ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of the military children entrusted to our care is a number one priority," said Gordon. "We are committed to high quality care for our military children, which includes attracting talented child care staff whose compensation is competitive with the civilian sector."
Ninety-eight percent of DoD's child development centers are nationally accredited compared to 8 to 10 percent of community childcare centers. National accreditation means a commitment of providing high quality services, including a developmentally appropriate curriculum, a healthy and safe environment, sufficient number of adults per children in group sizes appropriate for children's ages; and strong communication between staff and families.
"Child care is a readiness issue. We will continue striving to provide quality care to support our working parents," said Gordon.
For specific information about the installation fees, parents are encouraged to contact their local child development center and school-age care program.
President Signs Defense Supplemental Bill
American Forces Press Service
July 30, 2010 - President Barack Obama signed the Defense Department's supplemental war-funding bill yesterday.
The House of Representatives earlier this week approved passage of the $59 billion bill that includes $33.5 billion to fund overseas operations. The Senate passed it last week.
Pentagon Spokesman Geoff Morrell said earlier this week that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates applauded passage of the bill.
"Over the past several weeks, we have had to take extraordinary measures to fund our military operations around the world this late in the fiscal year," Morrell said in a statement, "but thankfully the money provided in the supplemental ensures that we will be able to continue the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq while we plus-up forces in Afghanistan as part of our efforts to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida."
Most of the funding will be used for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The supplemental also includes $13.38 billion for Vietnam veterans' Agent Orange exposure programs; $5.1 billion for disaster relief to the Federal Emergency Management Agency; $2.9 billion for Haitian earthquake relief; $178 million for the Army Corps of Engineers to respond to natural disasters; and $50 million to improve port facility access in Guam.
July 30, 2010 - President Barack Obama signed the Defense Department's supplemental war-funding bill yesterday.
The House of Representatives earlier this week approved passage of the $59 billion bill that includes $33.5 billion to fund overseas operations. The Senate passed it last week.
Pentagon Spokesman Geoff Morrell said earlier this week that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates applauded passage of the bill.
"Over the past several weeks, we have had to take extraordinary measures to fund our military operations around the world this late in the fiscal year," Morrell said in a statement, "but thankfully the money provided in the supplemental ensures that we will be able to continue the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq while we plus-up forces in Afghanistan as part of our efforts to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida."
Most of the funding will be used for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The supplemental also includes $13.38 billion for Vietnam veterans' Agent Orange exposure programs; $5.1 billion for disaster relief to the Federal Emergency Management Agency; $2.9 billion for Haitian earthquake relief; $178 million for the Army Corps of Engineers to respond to natural disasters; and $50 million to improve port facility access in Guam.
General Officer Assignment
The chief of staff, Army announced today the following assignment.
Brig. Gen. Lynn A. Collyar, commandant, U.S. Army Ordnance Schools, U.S. Army Sustainment Center of Excellence, Fort Lee, Va., to director, logistics operations, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va.
Brig. Gen. Lynn A. Collyar, commandant, U.S. Army Ordnance Schools, U.S. Army Sustainment Center of Excellence, Fort Lee, Va., to director, logistics operations, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va.
MILITARY CONTRACTS July 20, 2010
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Universal Sodexho, Tacoma, Wash. is being awarded a maximum $180,000,000 firm fixed price, prime vendor, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for maintenance, repair and operations for the Korea region. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was Web solicited with four responses. The date of performance completion is July 31, 2011. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM500-05-D-BP07).
Unicor, Federal Prison Industries, Washington, D.C. is being awarded a maximum $35,000,000 firm fixed price, sole source, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for radio system parts. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Army. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is July 29, 2015. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Warren, Warren, Mich. (SPRBL1-10-D-0011).
Bethel Industries Inc., Jersey City, N.J.** is being awarded a maximum $14,193,225 firm fixed price, sole source contract for coats. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Army. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is July 30, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM1C10-10-D-1068).
Lord Corporation, Erie, Pa. is being awarded a maximum $11,448,064 fixed price with economic price adjustment, sole source contract for helicopter parts. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Army. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is September 12, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Va. (SPM400-02-D-9413).
Missile Defense Agency
John Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory (JPU/APL), Laurel, Md., is being awarded a $147,400,000 ceiling increase to the cost-plus-fixed-fee contract HQ0006-07-D-0001. Under this modification JPU/APL will continue work on advanced technology initiatives by providing technical support to systems engineering and integration for assessments, studies and analyses of command and control, battles management and communications, fire control, missile engineering, combat systems, space component and space systems. The work will be performed in Laurel, Maryland. The performance period for this work is from August 2010 through December 2011. Research, Development, Test and Evaluation funding Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 will be used to incrementally fund these efforts. The Missile Defense Agency is the contracting activity (HQ0006).
NAVY
Alliant Techsystems (ATK), Mission Systems Group, Defense Electronics Systems Div., Woodland Hills, Calif., is being awarded a $50,067,115 firm-fixed-price contract for the Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) II of the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM). This contract provides for the conversion of 37 government furnished AGM-88B High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM) into AGM-88E AARGM All-Up Round (AUR)/Captive Air Training (CATM) missile systems for the Navy (33) and the government of Italy (4), including related supplies and services. Work will be performed in Woodland Hills, Calif. (75 percent); Rocket Center, W.V. (11 percent); Piacenza, La Spezia, Italy (6 percent); Rome, Italy (6 percent); Clearwater, Fla. (2 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 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. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($38,173,005; 76 percent) and the Government of Italy ($11,894,110; 24 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity (N00019-10-C-0065).
DG21 LLC, Dallas, Texas, is being awarded a $47,090,345 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed price plus award fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N62742-06-D-4501) to exercise the fourth option period for base operating support services at U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory. The work to be performed provides for all management, labor, administration, supervision, materials, supplies, and equipment to provide integrated Base Operating Services. The total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $479,042,968. Work will be performed in U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, and work for this option is expected to be completed by July 31, 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $10,229,233 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific Division, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity.
Saab Training USA LLC, Orlando, Fla., is being awarded a maximum $39,076,075 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to modernize U.S. Marine Corps range training systems with various types of automated and non-automated target equipment and simulators. The contract includes a mix of systems and logistics engineering, design, development and systems integration as well as training, installation and delivery of the range training systems. Work will be performed on various Marine Corps installations across the continental United States and overseas in Hawaii and Japan. Individual delivery orders will be issued under the basic contract which will identify specific locations. These locations and percentage of work being completed there won't be available until the delivery orders are issued. Work is expected to be completed August 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $1,579,637 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with four offers received. Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-10-D-8045).
BAE Systems Information and Electronics, Nashua, N.H., is being awarded a $15,257,258 firm-fixed-price contract for the Low Rate Initial Production I (LRIP I) of 325 APKWS II guidance sections for the Navy, including shipping and storage containers. In addition, this contract provides for the APKWS II guided rocket UH-1Y integration, as well as technical and training manual updates and support equipment and support test equipment. Work will be performed in Nashua, N.H., and is expected to be completed in October 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 Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity (N00019-10-C-0019).
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $14,734,424 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-free contract (N00019-09-C-0061) for engineering and technical services in support of the AIM-9X system improvement program. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in February 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force ($7,728,158; 52.5 percent); the Navy ($2,506,266; 17 percent); and the governments of Korea ($2,663,322; 18.1 percent), Australia ($1,687,213; 11.4 percent), and the Turkey ($149,465; 1 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.
CACI, Inc. – Federal, Chantilly, Va. is being awarded a $14,193,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for scientific, technical, and administrative intelligence related services. It is planned to issue the first task order simultaneously with contract award in the amount of $5,003,115. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $28,772,340. Work will be performed in Louisville, Ky., and work is expected to be completed by July 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via Navy Electronic Commerce Online and Federal Business Opportunities as a two phase solicitation. Six offers were received in response to Phase I. Two proposals were deemed acceptable to proceed to Phase II. Only one offer was received in response to Phase II. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head, Md., is the contracting activity (N00174-10-D-0018).
Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded a $12,254,749 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed fee delivery order against a previously issued basic order agreement (N00019-05-G-0008) for the procurement of 30 ECP 6279 retrofit kits to support the F/A-18 radio detection and ranging retrofit program. Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif. (59 percent), Forest, Miss. (31 percent), and Andover, Mass. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $12,254,749 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
CAV International, Colorado Springs, Colo., is being awarded a firm fixed price contract in the amount of $10,505,433 for air terminal ground handling services at Naval Air Station Rota, Spain. This contract includes four one year option periods, which if exercised, bring the total estimated value of the contract to $57,469,122. Work will be performed in Rota, Spain, and work is expected to be completed by September 2011. Contract funds will expire before the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively awarded, with five firms solicited and three offers received. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Signoella, Italy, is the contracting activity (N68171-10-C-0022).
Singh Group Inc., dba Baja Pacific*, Oceanside, Calif., is being awarded an estimated $5,660,650 modification under previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract (N62473-07-D-5005) to exercise option period three for tree trimming and removal services at various Naval and Marine Corps installations located in the San Diego Metropolitan Areas. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by July 2012. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif. is the contracting activity.
Universal Sodexho, Tacoma, Wash. is being awarded a maximum $180,000,000 firm fixed price, prime vendor, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for maintenance, repair and operations for the Korea region. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was Web solicited with four responses. The date of performance completion is July 31, 2011. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM500-05-D-BP07).
Unicor, Federal Prison Industries, Washington, D.C. is being awarded a maximum $35,000,000 firm fixed price, sole source, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for radio system parts. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Army. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is July 29, 2015. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Warren, Warren, Mich. (SPRBL1-10-D-0011).
Bethel Industries Inc., Jersey City, N.J.** is being awarded a maximum $14,193,225 firm fixed price, sole source contract for coats. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Army. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is July 30, 2012. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM1C10-10-D-1068).
Lord Corporation, Erie, Pa. is being awarded a maximum $11,448,064 fixed price with economic price adjustment, sole source contract for helicopter parts. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Army. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is September 12, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Va. (SPM400-02-D-9413).
Missile Defense Agency
John Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory (JPU/APL), Laurel, Md., is being awarded a $147,400,000 ceiling increase to the cost-plus-fixed-fee contract HQ0006-07-D-0001. Under this modification JPU/APL will continue work on advanced technology initiatives by providing technical support to systems engineering and integration for assessments, studies and analyses of command and control, battles management and communications, fire control, missile engineering, combat systems, space component and space systems. The work will be performed in Laurel, Maryland. The performance period for this work is from August 2010 through December 2011. Research, Development, Test and Evaluation funding Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 will be used to incrementally fund these efforts. The Missile Defense Agency is the contracting activity (HQ0006).
NAVY
Alliant Techsystems (ATK), Mission Systems Group, Defense Electronics Systems Div., Woodland Hills, Calif., is being awarded a $50,067,115 firm-fixed-price contract for the Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) II of the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM). This contract provides for the conversion of 37 government furnished AGM-88B High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM) into AGM-88E AARGM All-Up Round (AUR)/Captive Air Training (CATM) missile systems for the Navy (33) and the government of Italy (4), including related supplies and services. Work will be performed in Woodland Hills, Calif. (75 percent); Rocket Center, W.V. (11 percent); Piacenza, La Spezia, Italy (6 percent); Rome, Italy (6 percent); Clearwater, Fla. (2 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 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. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($38,173,005; 76 percent) and the Government of Italy ($11,894,110; 24 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity (N00019-10-C-0065).
DG21 LLC, Dallas, Texas, is being awarded a $47,090,345 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed price plus award fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N62742-06-D-4501) to exercise the fourth option period for base operating support services at U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory. The work to be performed provides for all management, labor, administration, supervision, materials, supplies, and equipment to provide integrated Base Operating Services. The total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $479,042,968. Work will be performed in U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, and work for this option is expected to be completed by July 31, 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $10,229,233 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific Division, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity.
Saab Training USA LLC, Orlando, Fla., is being awarded a maximum $39,076,075 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to modernize U.S. Marine Corps range training systems with various types of automated and non-automated target equipment and simulators. The contract includes a mix of systems and logistics engineering, design, development and systems integration as well as training, installation and delivery of the range training systems. Work will be performed on various Marine Corps installations across the continental United States and overseas in Hawaii and Japan. Individual delivery orders will be issued under the basic contract which will identify specific locations. These locations and percentage of work being completed there won't be available until the delivery orders are issued. Work is expected to be completed August 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $1,579,637 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with four offers received. Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-10-D-8045).
BAE Systems Information and Electronics, Nashua, N.H., is being awarded a $15,257,258 firm-fixed-price contract for the Low Rate Initial Production I (LRIP I) of 325 APKWS II guidance sections for the Navy, including shipping and storage containers. In addition, this contract provides for the APKWS II guided rocket UH-1Y integration, as well as technical and training manual updates and support equipment and support test equipment. Work will be performed in Nashua, N.H., and is expected to be completed in October 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 Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity (N00019-10-C-0019).
Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $14,734,424 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-free contract (N00019-09-C-0061) for engineering and technical services in support of the AIM-9X system improvement program. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in February 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force ($7,728,158; 52.5 percent); the Navy ($2,506,266; 17 percent); and the governments of Korea ($2,663,322; 18.1 percent), Australia ($1,687,213; 11.4 percent), and the Turkey ($149,465; 1 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.
CACI, Inc. – Federal, Chantilly, Va. is being awarded a $14,193,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for scientific, technical, and administrative intelligence related services. It is planned to issue the first task order simultaneously with contract award in the amount of $5,003,115. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $28,772,340. Work will be performed in Louisville, Ky., and work is expected to be completed by July 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via Navy Electronic Commerce Online and Federal Business Opportunities as a two phase solicitation. Six offers were received in response to Phase I. Two proposals were deemed acceptable to proceed to Phase II. Only one offer was received in response to Phase II. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head, Md., is the contracting activity (N00174-10-D-0018).
Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded a $12,254,749 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed fee delivery order against a previously issued basic order agreement (N00019-05-G-0008) for the procurement of 30 ECP 6279 retrofit kits to support the F/A-18 radio detection and ranging retrofit program. Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif. (59 percent), Forest, Miss. (31 percent), and Andover, Mass. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $12,254,749 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
CAV International, Colorado Springs, Colo., is being awarded a firm fixed price contract in the amount of $10,505,433 for air terminal ground handling services at Naval Air Station Rota, Spain. This contract includes four one year option periods, which if exercised, bring the total estimated value of the contract to $57,469,122. Work will be performed in Rota, Spain, and work is expected to be completed by September 2011. Contract funds will expire before the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively awarded, with five firms solicited and three offers received. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Signoella, Italy, is the contracting activity (N68171-10-C-0022).
Singh Group Inc., dba Baja Pacific*, Oceanside, Calif., is being awarded an estimated $5,660,650 modification under previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract (N62473-07-D-5005) to exercise option period three for tree trimming and removal services at various Naval and Marine Corps installations located in the San Diego Metropolitan Areas. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by July 2012. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif. is the contracting activity.
Airman gives of himself to save son
Defense Media Activity-San Antonio
7/30/2010 - NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- An Airman from Hurlburt Field, Fla., donated a portion of his liver to help save the life of a two-year-old boy.
Senior Airman Mario Webb, a ground radio maintainer from the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, acted as a living donor to give his son, Genghis, a liver transplant in April.
Airman Webb and Genghis are scheduled to be released in early August to go home after a more than three-month stay in the Ronald McDonald House here while they recuperated from their surgeries.
In April, Genghis was diagnosed with Tyrosinemia, a genetic, metabolic disorder that affects the liver and prevents the body from properly breaking down proteins. If left untreated, it can lead to developmental delays, cancer or death. He was also diagnosed with cirrhosis, and cancerous cells were found in his liver.
During his 18-month check up, Genghis' doctor discovered that Genghis was only in the 30th percentile for growth in his age group. He sent the Webbs to a civilian gastrointestinal specialist in Pensacola, Fla., who identified the problem in Genghis' liver.
"At first, Dr. Davis (the specialist in Pensacola) thought it was rickets," said Julie Webb, Genghis' mother. "I was really worried."
From there, he was referred to Yale-New Haven Medical Center. After several tests, doctors confirmed Genghis needed a liver transplant right away.
Air Force and Tricare officials ensured the Webb family, including wife Julie and baby sister Zyla, had transportation to Connecticut and lodging accommodations once they arrived for Genghis' appointment.
"Each of the three regional contractors maintains a network of civilian healthcare providers," said Austin Camacho, the chief of public affairs for the Tricare Management Activity. "If the needed care is not available in (the) area, the doctor may refer the beneficiary to an appropriate provider outside the area. If an appropriate provider can't be found within the network, the regional contractor will refer the beneficiary to another Tricare authorized provider.
"When a family member is referred for medically-necessary, non-emergent specialty care at a location more than 100 miles (one way) from the primary care manager, they may be eligible to have 'reasonable travel expenses' reimbursed by Tricare," he said. "Reasonable travel expenses are the actual costs incurred while traveling, including meals, gas, tolls, parking and tickets for public transportation."
After doctors identified that Genghis needed a transplant, he was added to the donor list immediately.
According to www.thelivingbank.org, due to a continuous shortage of donor livers and the high incidence of liver disease, the waiting time is increasing every year. Hundreds of people die each year while waiting for a cadaveric liver to be offered.
In 2003, there were 5,670 liver transplants performed. During that time period, 1,705 people died while waiting for a transplant.
With odds like that, the Webbs decided to go with the alternative -- a living donor.
Dr. Sukru Emre, the chief of transplantation and immunology for the Yale University School of Medicine Department of Surgery and the doctor who performed the transplant, suggested the Webbs look into the living donor process.
A few days after all the necessary screenings and tests were completed, Airman Webb was notified he was a match for Genghis, and his son would be getting his much needed transplant.
"It was probably about two weeks between the time they said he needed an organ transplant to the time we it done," Airman Webb said. "It was a real quick turnaround."
Since the operation, both father and son have recuperated well are expecting to be released in the beginning of August to go back to their home in Florida.
"He is doing extremely well," Airman Webb said about Genghis' progression.
Doctors expect Genghis to make a full recovery and live a normal healthy life.
Global Strike Command director briefs upcoming logistics changes
by Valerie Mullett
341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
7/30/2010 - MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. (AFNS) -- The Air Force Global Strike Command's director of installations, logistics and mission support visited here July 21 through 23 to discuss the base's transformation from the current logistical process to the Expeditionary Combat Support System.
During her site visit, Ann Mitchell stressed the importance of change with regard to ECSS, the system that will manage the logistical infrastructure in the future.
Ms. Mitchell called ECSS the most significant logistics transformation in Air Force history which has great potential to improve warfighter capability.
"ECSS is going to fundamentally change the way we do business," Ms. Mitchell said. "It's going to decommission hundreds of our legacy systems and it's going to give us more valuable information."
The new system of systems will enhance the logistical infrastructure with integrated software, standardized business processes, transformed personnel roles and total asset visibility across the enterprise.
"The way we organize, deploy and employ has changed," Ms. Mitchell said. "Therefore, the way we support the warfighter must also change."
While ECSS will not be fully implemented at Malmstrom until June 2012, Ms. Mitchell said it is important for leaders to start preparing for the transformation early.
"Visible, sustained leadership throughout the transition is the number-one means of effecting change to the desired state," she said.
In order to do so, change-agent coordinators have been appointed at various levels, with Ms. Mitchell serving as the lead for the logistics transformation.
Bases will have a coordinator to lead the base's readiness efforts which will include establishing a network for change-agents, providing training educational materials, in addition to facilitating communication and problem resolution.
"ECSS will drive changes in the way the Air Force does business and the way logisticians perform their jobs," said Steve Gilman, deputy commander for the 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron and Malmstrom's ECCS coordinator. "The result will be an Air Force enterprise better enabled to provide its warfighters the right materiel at the right time and enable logisticians to use their time more productively."
341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
7/30/2010 - MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. (AFNS) -- The Air Force Global Strike Command's director of installations, logistics and mission support visited here July 21 through 23 to discuss the base's transformation from the current logistical process to the Expeditionary Combat Support System.
During her site visit, Ann Mitchell stressed the importance of change with regard to ECSS, the system that will manage the logistical infrastructure in the future.
Ms. Mitchell called ECSS the most significant logistics transformation in Air Force history which has great potential to improve warfighter capability.
"ECSS is going to fundamentally change the way we do business," Ms. Mitchell said. "It's going to decommission hundreds of our legacy systems and it's going to give us more valuable information."
The new system of systems will enhance the logistical infrastructure with integrated software, standardized business processes, transformed personnel roles and total asset visibility across the enterprise.
"The way we organize, deploy and employ has changed," Ms. Mitchell said. "Therefore, the way we support the warfighter must also change."
While ECSS will not be fully implemented at Malmstrom until June 2012, Ms. Mitchell said it is important for leaders to start preparing for the transformation early.
"Visible, sustained leadership throughout the transition is the number-one means of effecting change to the desired state," she said.
In order to do so, change-agent coordinators have been appointed at various levels, with Ms. Mitchell serving as the lead for the logistics transformation.
Bases will have a coordinator to lead the base's readiness efforts which will include establishing a network for change-agents, providing training educational materials, in addition to facilitating communication and problem resolution.
"ECSS will drive changes in the way the Air Force does business and the way logisticians perform their jobs," said Steve Gilman, deputy commander for the 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron and Malmstrom's ECCS coordinator. "The result will be an Air Force enterprise better enabled to provide its warfighters the right materiel at the right time and enable logisticians to use their time more productively."
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Collaboration is Key to Troop Buildup in Guam
By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service
July 29, 2010 - Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said he's departing Guam with a better understanding of the troop realignment challenges that lie ahead there.
"I think the realignment is going to be challenging," Lynn said yesterday in an interview with American Forces Press Service while en route home. "It's a big, programmatic change and we need to do this smart; we need to take into account the concerns of the people of Guam, we need to take into account the size of Guam, the infrastructure that's involved, and we need to work through this in a collaborative way."
About 8,500 Marines and some 9,000 family members are slated to move to Guam from Okinawa in accordance with a 2006 agreement between the United States and Japan. The same agreement also calls for a realignment of Marines to a new location on Okinawa.
Lynn traveled to Guam, a U.S. territory, for a firsthand look at the island's facilities and to speak with government leaders and residents about the troop increase.
"The main purpose was to get an understanding on the ground rather than with just PowerPoint slides," he said. "I think we got a very full plate in those two days."
Guam's residents have a range of opinions regarding the troop realignment, Lynn noted. Some are concerned about the environmental and cultural impacts, while others are very supportive and see an increased military presence as beneficial to Guam's long-term future, he said.
The final environmental impact statement released last week addresses the possible environmental consequences of the buildup. This statement also outlines measures that will help the military and people of Guam create a sustainable future.
Next, Lynn said, a record of decision will be signed in September, after which the actual implementation of the plan will take place.
Meanwhile, "We need to work collaboratively with the government of Guam and the people of Guam to work through the issues they've identified," he said.
Lynn reiterated his commitment to moving ahead respectfully, keeping Guam's culture and resources in mind, and ensuring the buildup "leads to a better and stronger Guam in the end of this process."
Lynn said he's impressed by the patriotism displayed by Guam's citizens, and their support for the military.
Lynn also traveled to Guam's neighboring islands, Saipan and Tinian, to meet with government leaders there and to explore the potential for future cooperative efforts.
"As we do the bigger realignment in the Pacific and maintain a robust presence in the Pacific, there will be broader training needs, training needs that can't be accomplished on the island of Guam or even in other facilities we have in the Pacific," he explained. "So we're looking at what kinds of expansion we might need to do and Saipan and Tinian might be part of that."
Lynn said the prospect of future cooperative efforts was well received by government officials.
American Forces Press Service
July 29, 2010 - Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said he's departing Guam with a better understanding of the troop realignment challenges that lie ahead there.
"I think the realignment is going to be challenging," Lynn said yesterday in an interview with American Forces Press Service while en route home. "It's a big, programmatic change and we need to do this smart; we need to take into account the concerns of the people of Guam, we need to take into account the size of Guam, the infrastructure that's involved, and we need to work through this in a collaborative way."
About 8,500 Marines and some 9,000 family members are slated to move to Guam from Okinawa in accordance with a 2006 agreement between the United States and Japan. The same agreement also calls for a realignment of Marines to a new location on Okinawa.
Lynn traveled to Guam, a U.S. territory, for a firsthand look at the island's facilities and to speak with government leaders and residents about the troop increase.
"The main purpose was to get an understanding on the ground rather than with just PowerPoint slides," he said. "I think we got a very full plate in those two days."
Guam's residents have a range of opinions regarding the troop realignment, Lynn noted. Some are concerned about the environmental and cultural impacts, while others are very supportive and see an increased military presence as beneficial to Guam's long-term future, he said.
The final environmental impact statement released last week addresses the possible environmental consequences of the buildup. This statement also outlines measures that will help the military and people of Guam create a sustainable future.
Next, Lynn said, a record of decision will be signed in September, after which the actual implementation of the plan will take place.
Meanwhile, "We need to work collaboratively with the government of Guam and the people of Guam to work through the issues they've identified," he said.
Lynn reiterated his commitment to moving ahead respectfully, keeping Guam's culture and resources in mind, and ensuring the buildup "leads to a better and stronger Guam in the end of this process."
Lynn said he's impressed by the patriotism displayed by Guam's citizens, and their support for the military.
Lynn also traveled to Guam's neighboring islands, Saipan and Tinian, to meet with government leaders there and to explore the potential for future cooperative efforts.
"As we do the bigger realignment in the Pacific and maintain a robust presence in the Pacific, there will be broader training needs, training needs that can't be accomplished on the island of Guam or even in other facilities we have in the Pacific," he explained. "So we're looking at what kinds of expansion we might need to do and Saipan and Tinian might be part of that."
Lynn said the prospect of future cooperative efforts was well received by government officials.
Guam Tours Provide Insight, Perspective
By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service
July 29, 2010 - Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said a series of tours he'd taken on and above the island of Guam gave him broader insight into the challenges that lie ahead for that U.S. territory, as well as an appreciation of the historical significance of the region.
"It's very helpful to see the geography," Lynn said yesterday in an interview with American Forces Press Service while en route home from Guam. "These are relatively small islands and understanding the limits and capacity of the island is very important. It's difficult to do that without putting your eyes on location."
The secretary toured Guam and several of its neighboring islands by helicopter and land over the course of his two-day visit. His aim was to better understand the impacts of an upcoming troop increase. About 8,500 Marines and some 9,000 family members are slated to move to Guam from Okinawa in accordance with a 2006 agreement with Japan.
An aerial tour of Guam on a Navy SH-60 Seahawk helicopter offered Lynn a bird's-eye view of the overall challenges regarding the troop realignment. Lynn saw firsthand the sites that will be impacted by new facilities and training ranges as the military prepares for the troop increase.
The flying tour took Lynn over lush, green jungles, small communities and beachside resorts, all surrounded by a seemingly endless expanse of turquoise waters. Guam is known for its tourist industry, and is particularly popular among people from Japan, Korea and China.
Yesterday, Lynn said he hopes the troop realignment will offer an economic boost to the people of Guam. The Japanese government will finance $740 million of infrastructure projects, he said yesterday in a speech at the University of Guam, and President Barack Obama has requested congressional authority for the Defense Department to fund an upgrade to Guam's only commercial port.
"Together with matching funds from the Department of Agriculture, we will be making a $100 million investment in the port," Lynn said. Other funds will be funneled into Guam's road system, and groundwork is being laid for improvements to utilities, schools, health care, public safety and other needs. To do so, the nation will "draw on Guam's expertise to the fullest," he said, offering new opportunities for Guam's businesses and citizens.
While Guam will house a small-arms firing range, the military is looking to islands near Guam to accommodate other Marine training needs. Lynn traveled about 150 miles southeast to Saipan to meet with Fitial Benigno, governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, to discuss possibilities for future cooperative efforts.
After a quick helicopter ride, Lynn stopped briefly in Tinian, about five miles southwest of Saipan, where he met with the mayor and visited the bomb pit that housed the first atomic bomb ever to be used in combat, nicknamed "Little Boy." This bomb was loaded aboard the Enola Gay, a B-29 Superfortress bomber piloted by Col. Paul Tibbets Jr., on Aug. 5, 1945, and then dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, the next day.
Don Farrall, who briefed Lynn on the bomb pit, recalled when Tibbets was invited to return to Tinian to mark the 60th anniversary of the invasion of Saipan and Tinian.
Tinian was a protectorate of Japan after World War I and was captured by the United States during World War II in July 1944, after which the island became the busiest airbase of the war. Saipan was governed by the Japanese since World War I, and on June 15, 1944, U.S. Marines landed and fought a three-week battle to take it from the Japanese.
Lynn said it was interesting "to see these islands that played such a large role in our history in World War II."
Back on Guam, Lynn visited Andersen Air Force Base and the U.S. Naval Base.
At Andersen, Lynn toured a cavernous hangar that will eventually house three Global Hawk RQ4 remotely piloted aircraft. In preparation for this new mission, personnel began arriving in 2009, a base spokesman said, and the Air Combat Command's 9th Reconnaissance Wing, 9th Operations Group, Detachment 3, is expected to be operational by early 2011. Air Combat Command pilots will launch and recover the aircraft from Andersen, the spokesman said, while the mission control element will take place at Beale Air Force Base, Calif.
At the naval base, Lynn took time thank the sailors of Submarine Squadron 15 for their service and sacrifice, extending his gratitude to all military members. Their service in the face of difficult challenges doesn't go unnoticed, he told them.
"The performance in that difficulty is recognized," he said. "It's recognized in the department, recognized by [Defense] Secretary [Robert] Gates, recognized by Congress and recognized by President [Barack] Obama."
Overall, the tours offered a helpful, firsthand look, Lynn said.
"The main purpose was to get an understanding on the ground rather than with just PowerPoint slides," he said. "I think we got a very full plate in those two days."
American Forces Press Service
July 29, 2010 - Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said a series of tours he'd taken on and above the island of Guam gave him broader insight into the challenges that lie ahead for that U.S. territory, as well as an appreciation of the historical significance of the region.
"It's very helpful to see the geography," Lynn said yesterday in an interview with American Forces Press Service while en route home from Guam. "These are relatively small islands and understanding the limits and capacity of the island is very important. It's difficult to do that without putting your eyes on location."
The secretary toured Guam and several of its neighboring islands by helicopter and land over the course of his two-day visit. His aim was to better understand the impacts of an upcoming troop increase. About 8,500 Marines and some 9,000 family members are slated to move to Guam from Okinawa in accordance with a 2006 agreement with Japan.
An aerial tour of Guam on a Navy SH-60 Seahawk helicopter offered Lynn a bird's-eye view of the overall challenges regarding the troop realignment. Lynn saw firsthand the sites that will be impacted by new facilities and training ranges as the military prepares for the troop increase.
The flying tour took Lynn over lush, green jungles, small communities and beachside resorts, all surrounded by a seemingly endless expanse of turquoise waters. Guam is known for its tourist industry, and is particularly popular among people from Japan, Korea and China.
Yesterday, Lynn said he hopes the troop realignment will offer an economic boost to the people of Guam. The Japanese government will finance $740 million of infrastructure projects, he said yesterday in a speech at the University of Guam, and President Barack Obama has requested congressional authority for the Defense Department to fund an upgrade to Guam's only commercial port.
"Together with matching funds from the Department of Agriculture, we will be making a $100 million investment in the port," Lynn said. Other funds will be funneled into Guam's road system, and groundwork is being laid for improvements to utilities, schools, health care, public safety and other needs. To do so, the nation will "draw on Guam's expertise to the fullest," he said, offering new opportunities for Guam's businesses and citizens.
While Guam will house a small-arms firing range, the military is looking to islands near Guam to accommodate other Marine training needs. Lynn traveled about 150 miles southeast to Saipan to meet with Fitial Benigno, governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, to discuss possibilities for future cooperative efforts.
After a quick helicopter ride, Lynn stopped briefly in Tinian, about five miles southwest of Saipan, where he met with the mayor and visited the bomb pit that housed the first atomic bomb ever to be used in combat, nicknamed "Little Boy." This bomb was loaded aboard the Enola Gay, a B-29 Superfortress bomber piloted by Col. Paul Tibbets Jr., on Aug. 5, 1945, and then dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, the next day.
Don Farrall, who briefed Lynn on the bomb pit, recalled when Tibbets was invited to return to Tinian to mark the 60th anniversary of the invasion of Saipan and Tinian.
Tinian was a protectorate of Japan after World War I and was captured by the United States during World War II in July 1944, after which the island became the busiest airbase of the war. Saipan was governed by the Japanese since World War I, and on June 15, 1944, U.S. Marines landed and fought a three-week battle to take it from the Japanese.
Lynn said it was interesting "to see these islands that played such a large role in our history in World War II."
Back on Guam, Lynn visited Andersen Air Force Base and the U.S. Naval Base.
At Andersen, Lynn toured a cavernous hangar that will eventually house three Global Hawk RQ4 remotely piloted aircraft. In preparation for this new mission, personnel began arriving in 2009, a base spokesman said, and the Air Combat Command's 9th Reconnaissance Wing, 9th Operations Group, Detachment 3, is expected to be operational by early 2011. Air Combat Command pilots will launch and recover the aircraft from Andersen, the spokesman said, while the mission control element will take place at Beale Air Force Base, Calif.
At the naval base, Lynn took time thank the sailors of Submarine Squadron 15 for their service and sacrifice, extending his gratitude to all military members. Their service in the face of difficult challenges doesn't go unnoticed, he told them.
"The performance in that difficulty is recognized," he said. "It's recognized in the department, recognized by [Defense] Secretary [Robert] Gates, recognized by Congress and recognized by President [Barack] Obama."
Overall, the tours offered a helpful, firsthand look, Lynn said.
"The main purpose was to get an understanding on the ground rather than with just PowerPoint slides," he said. "I think we got a very full plate in those two days."
Panel Suggests Changes in Long-Term Defense Planning
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
July 29, 2010 - A congressionally mandated panel has recommended broad changes to long-term Defense Department strategies and priorities, including funding a major recapitalization of equipment, revamping the personnel system and expanding the number of people serving in the Navy.
Former Defense Secretary William J. Perry and former National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley gave their final report as co-chairs of the Independent Panel's Assessment of the Quadrennial Defense Review to the House Armed Services Committee today. The QDR is a legislatively mandated review of Department of Defense strategy and priorities.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates appointed 12 of the 20-members on the panel in 2009 to assess the 2010 QDR, which was released in February. The other eight panel members were selected by Congress. The panel's report is called "The QDR in Perspective: Meeting America's National Security Needs in the 21st Century."
The panel found that the QDR did not project out far enough to prepare the military for the long term, Perry said. Rather, he said, the QDR focused primarily on the next four to five years around the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "If I were secretary of defense today, I would have done the same thing," said Perry, who served from 1993 to 1997.
Perry, who served in President Bill Clinton's administration, and Hadley, who served under President George W. Bush, said the panel showed remarkable nonpartisanship and was unanimous in its findings.
The panel identified America's four "enduring national interests that transcend politics" as, defense of the homeland; assured access to sea, air, space and cyberspace; a favorable balance of power in western Asia; and overall humanitarian good.
Among the potential threats to U.S. national interests, according to the panel, are radical Islamic extremism and terrorism, the rise of great powers in the East, tensions in the Middle East and competition for resources.
While "soft power" capabilities of diplomacy and civilian support are important, Hadley said, "the world's first order of concern will continue to be security concerns."
Because of that, the panel recommends a recapitalization of military hardware to replace the wear and tear of nine years of war, Perry said. "This will be expensive," he said. "But deferring recapitalization will require even more expenses in the future."
The panel also recommends a restructuring of forces to build up Navy end-strength and improve the Air Force's long-range strike capabilities. Current Army and Marine Corps ground forces are sufficient for the long term, the panel said.
Today's forces are fully capable of handling any threat that may emerge today, Perry said, but the panel believes a buildup of Navy forces in the western Pacific is necessary to counter emerging threats there, notably Chinese militarization.
U.S. allies in the East "are worried about China and they want us there working with China, and we are," Perry said. He added, "I do not anticipate any military conflict with China, and if it were to happen it would be a huge failure of diplomacy."
To avoid a potential arms race in Asia, Perry said, the U.S. military needs to maintain a consistently strong force in the region.
The panel's assessment also calls for a reconsideration of managing resources. Gates' acquisition reform plans are "a good start," Perry said, but they don't go far enough.
Defense officials should require dual competition in all production programs, and set a limit of five to seven years for the delivery of all defined programs, Perry said. Historically, he said, all successful programs are delivered in four to five years, and programs that drag on beyond 10 years "are guaranteed to cost too much."
Also, Pentagon officials need to clarify roles within the department's acquisitions work force as to who is responsible for the delivery of programs, Hadley said. "It's a muddy picture, with lots of layering and lots of review without clear authority," he said.
In its review, Perry said, the panel was firmly supportive of continuing with an all-volunteer force, but found that changes are needed to reduce personnel costs in maintaining pay and benefits that have become increasingly generous since conscription ended in the 1970s. Specifically, the panel recommends establishing a commission to consider cost savings in pay and benefits and the panel's suggestion to increase length of service for retirement eligibility from 20 years to as long as 40 years.
"I don't need to tell this committee that this is politically charged," Perry said. He added that extending service is important to retain people in whom the military has invested much education and training.
The panel also recommends a re-evaluation of how the military uses National Guard and reserve forces. "Our panel thinks we really need to re-think our relationship between the active force and the Guard and reserves, and if we need a mobilization capability beyond our current mobilization force," Hadley said. "How much of the Guard and reserve is an operational reserve? How much of it is a strategic reserve? How much of it is for homeland security? All this needs to be re-thought."
American Forces Press Service
July 29, 2010 - A congressionally mandated panel has recommended broad changes to long-term Defense Department strategies and priorities, including funding a major recapitalization of equipment, revamping the personnel system and expanding the number of people serving in the Navy.
Former Defense Secretary William J. Perry and former National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley gave their final report as co-chairs of the Independent Panel's Assessment of the Quadrennial Defense Review to the House Armed Services Committee today. The QDR is a legislatively mandated review of Department of Defense strategy and priorities.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates appointed 12 of the 20-members on the panel in 2009 to assess the 2010 QDR, which was released in February. The other eight panel members were selected by Congress. The panel's report is called "The QDR in Perspective: Meeting America's National Security Needs in the 21st Century."
The panel found that the QDR did not project out far enough to prepare the military for the long term, Perry said. Rather, he said, the QDR focused primarily on the next four to five years around the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "If I were secretary of defense today, I would have done the same thing," said Perry, who served from 1993 to 1997.
Perry, who served in President Bill Clinton's administration, and Hadley, who served under President George W. Bush, said the panel showed remarkable nonpartisanship and was unanimous in its findings.
The panel identified America's four "enduring national interests that transcend politics" as, defense of the homeland; assured access to sea, air, space and cyberspace; a favorable balance of power in western Asia; and overall humanitarian good.
Among the potential threats to U.S. national interests, according to the panel, are radical Islamic extremism and terrorism, the rise of great powers in the East, tensions in the Middle East and competition for resources.
While "soft power" capabilities of diplomacy and civilian support are important, Hadley said, "the world's first order of concern will continue to be security concerns."
Because of that, the panel recommends a recapitalization of military hardware to replace the wear and tear of nine years of war, Perry said. "This will be expensive," he said. "But deferring recapitalization will require even more expenses in the future."
The panel also recommends a restructuring of forces to build up Navy end-strength and improve the Air Force's long-range strike capabilities. Current Army and Marine Corps ground forces are sufficient for the long term, the panel said.
Today's forces are fully capable of handling any threat that may emerge today, Perry said, but the panel believes a buildup of Navy forces in the western Pacific is necessary to counter emerging threats there, notably Chinese militarization.
U.S. allies in the East "are worried about China and they want us there working with China, and we are," Perry said. He added, "I do not anticipate any military conflict with China, and if it were to happen it would be a huge failure of diplomacy."
To avoid a potential arms race in Asia, Perry said, the U.S. military needs to maintain a consistently strong force in the region.
The panel's assessment also calls for a reconsideration of managing resources. Gates' acquisition reform plans are "a good start," Perry said, but they don't go far enough.
Defense officials should require dual competition in all production programs, and set a limit of five to seven years for the delivery of all defined programs, Perry said. Historically, he said, all successful programs are delivered in four to five years, and programs that drag on beyond 10 years "are guaranteed to cost too much."
Also, Pentagon officials need to clarify roles within the department's acquisitions work force as to who is responsible for the delivery of programs, Hadley said. "It's a muddy picture, with lots of layering and lots of review without clear authority," he said.
In its review, Perry said, the panel was firmly supportive of continuing with an all-volunteer force, but found that changes are needed to reduce personnel costs in maintaining pay and benefits that have become increasingly generous since conscription ended in the 1970s. Specifically, the panel recommends establishing a commission to consider cost savings in pay and benefits and the panel's suggestion to increase length of service for retirement eligibility from 20 years to as long as 40 years.
"I don't need to tell this committee that this is politically charged," Perry said. He added that extending service is important to retain people in whom the military has invested much education and training.
The panel also recommends a re-evaluation of how the military uses National Guard and reserve forces. "Our panel thinks we really need to re-think our relationship between the active force and the Guard and reserves, and if we need a mobilization capability beyond our current mobilization force," Hadley said. "How much of the Guard and reserve is an operational reserve? How much of it is a strategic reserve? How much of it is for homeland security? All this needs to be re-thought."
Blue Ridge Sailors Bring Humanitarian Assistance to Palau
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Pineda, USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) Public Affairs
REPUBLIC OF PALAU (NNS) -- Sailors and Marines aboard 7th Fleet's command flagship, USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), completed more than 2,400 hours of humanitarian assistance projects from July 28-29 at several locations in Palau as part of Pacific Partnership 2010.
"Pacific Partnership 2010 is aimed at strengthening regional partnerships with host nations and partner nations," said Capt. Rudy Lupton, Blue Ridge's commanding officer, during opening ceremonies, which were held at the Ngarachemayong Cultural Center in Koror, Palau, July 26.
By July 29, Pacific Partnership volunteers from Blue Ridge and 7th Fleet have completed six community service (COMSERV) events, including beach cleanups, school maintenance and monument restoration projects.
Along with COMSERVs, Blue Ridge's medical and dental teams have treated more than 1,300 patients, while providing subject matter expert exchanges on topics ranging from neonatal mortality to oral hygiene.
"I think it is a wonderful experience for our Health Services Department to render medical and dental services," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Laregen Valdez.
In addition to providing humanitarian assistance, Pacific Partnership 2010 will also provide valuable experiences for service members to learn from civilian experts. This experience will help ensure the U.S. military is able to rapidly respond in support of emergency relief efforts in the future.
"Pacific Partnership has proven itself to be an invaluable opportunity to provide humanitarian assistance, while enabling those involved to become better prepared to respond effectively to a natural disaster or humanitarian crisis," said Lupton.
Sailors have also had a unique opportunity to experience the rich culture and diversity that Palau and its residents have to offer.
"Being part of this mission is a great way to help people, and at the same time it opens up an opportunity to learn more about their culture and their way of living," said Valdez.
The fifth in a series of annual U.S. Pacific Fleet humanitarian and civic assistance endeavors, Pacific Partnership 2010 is aimed at strengthening regional relationships with host nation and partner nations. While this was Palau's first visit by Pacific Partnership, Lupton believes that much more will be gained through the visit than just providing assistance to those in need.
"We hope that the friendships and relationships we create in the coming days will be sustained long into the future," said Lupton.
Blue Ridge serves under Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7/Task Force (CTF) 76, the Navy's only forward deployed amphibious force. CTF 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with an operating detachment in Sasebo, Japan.
REPUBLIC OF PALAU (NNS) -- Sailors and Marines aboard 7th Fleet's command flagship, USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), completed more than 2,400 hours of humanitarian assistance projects from July 28-29 at several locations in Palau as part of Pacific Partnership 2010.
"Pacific Partnership 2010 is aimed at strengthening regional partnerships with host nations and partner nations," said Capt. Rudy Lupton, Blue Ridge's commanding officer, during opening ceremonies, which were held at the Ngarachemayong Cultural Center in Koror, Palau, July 26.
By July 29, Pacific Partnership volunteers from Blue Ridge and 7th Fleet have completed six community service (COMSERV) events, including beach cleanups, school maintenance and monument restoration projects.
Along with COMSERVs, Blue Ridge's medical and dental teams have treated more than 1,300 patients, while providing subject matter expert exchanges on topics ranging from neonatal mortality to oral hygiene.
"I think it is a wonderful experience for our Health Services Department to render medical and dental services," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Laregen Valdez.
In addition to providing humanitarian assistance, Pacific Partnership 2010 will also provide valuable experiences for service members to learn from civilian experts. This experience will help ensure the U.S. military is able to rapidly respond in support of emergency relief efforts in the future.
"Pacific Partnership has proven itself to be an invaluable opportunity to provide humanitarian assistance, while enabling those involved to become better prepared to respond effectively to a natural disaster or humanitarian crisis," said Lupton.
Sailors have also had a unique opportunity to experience the rich culture and diversity that Palau and its residents have to offer.
"Being part of this mission is a great way to help people, and at the same time it opens up an opportunity to learn more about their culture and their way of living," said Valdez.
The fifth in a series of annual U.S. Pacific Fleet humanitarian and civic assistance endeavors, Pacific Partnership 2010 is aimed at strengthening regional relationships with host nation and partner nations. While this was Palau's first visit by Pacific Partnership, Lupton believes that much more will be gained through the visit than just providing assistance to those in need.
"We hope that the friendships and relationships we create in the coming days will be sustained long into the future," said Lupton.
Blue Ridge serves under Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7/Task Force (CTF) 76, the Navy's only forward deployed amphibious force. CTF 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with an operating detachment in Sasebo, Japan.
NSA Panama City NEX Wins 2009 Bingham Award
By Steve Applegate, Naval Support Activity Panama City Public Affairs
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (NNS) -- Naval Support Activity Panama City Navy Exchange (NEX)received the 2009 Bingham Award during a ceremony at the Long Glass Conference Center July 28.
The Bingham Award was established in 1979 as a way to recognize outstanding performance in customer service and exchange operations. Navy Exchange Service Operations (NEXCOM) presents the awards annually to the exchanges that demonstrate superior performance throughout the year.
"The Bingham Award recognizes Navy Exchanges (NEXs) who do great work every day throughout the year in support of our Sailors," said Gary King, senior vice president of operations in the continental U.S., Navy Exchange Service Command. "This award is presented to the best of the best. Only nine out of 103 Navy Exchanges are selected … you are part of an elite group and you should be congratulated."
Navy Exchange Panama City is the Bingham award winner in the U.S. sales category for $2-$5 million in sales. NSA PC's NEX won the award by boosting sales six percent and reducing costs by more than 10 percent. Ensuring top-notch customer service skills were in place helped yield a 53 percent increase in operating profit and resulted in the first Morale, Welfare and Recreation payout in years.
King emphasized the importance of the associates who earned the award, and said without them and their hard work the award wouldn't have been possible. He recognized that while the Panama City Exchange is small by comparison, the associates here need to be multi-talented. Debbie Elder, Panama City NEX manager, wholeheartedly agreed.
"In this store, everyone does everything," said Elder, who has headed the NSA Panama City store for 18 months. In that time frame, the NEX's customer satisfaction survey score went up an incredible 18 points, to 88, with associate satisfaction up eight points to a score of 85.
"It's a real testament to Deb and her team—they have made Navy Exchange Panama City a great place to shop and work," said King. Nine 'Team Panama City' NEX associates attended the ceremony and were congratulated by command leadership and NEX customers across the base.
"This is a great honor for this base and its tenant commands. The bottom line is improving the quality of life for our Sailors and their families," said Cmdr. Jessica Pfefferkorn, Commanding Officer, Naval Support Activity Panama City. "This award is truly about the associates who made this happen."
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (NNS) -- Naval Support Activity Panama City Navy Exchange (NEX)received the 2009 Bingham Award during a ceremony at the Long Glass Conference Center July 28.
The Bingham Award was established in 1979 as a way to recognize outstanding performance in customer service and exchange operations. Navy Exchange Service Operations (NEXCOM) presents the awards annually to the exchanges that demonstrate superior performance throughout the year.
"The Bingham Award recognizes Navy Exchanges (NEXs) who do great work every day throughout the year in support of our Sailors," said Gary King, senior vice president of operations in the continental U.S., Navy Exchange Service Command. "This award is presented to the best of the best. Only nine out of 103 Navy Exchanges are selected … you are part of an elite group and you should be congratulated."
Navy Exchange Panama City is the Bingham award winner in the U.S. sales category for $2-$5 million in sales. NSA PC's NEX won the award by boosting sales six percent and reducing costs by more than 10 percent. Ensuring top-notch customer service skills were in place helped yield a 53 percent increase in operating profit and resulted in the first Morale, Welfare and Recreation payout in years.
King emphasized the importance of the associates who earned the award, and said without them and their hard work the award wouldn't have been possible. He recognized that while the Panama City Exchange is small by comparison, the associates here need to be multi-talented. Debbie Elder, Panama City NEX manager, wholeheartedly agreed.
"In this store, everyone does everything," said Elder, who has headed the NSA Panama City store for 18 months. In that time frame, the NEX's customer satisfaction survey score went up an incredible 18 points, to 88, with associate satisfaction up eight points to a score of 85.
"It's a real testament to Deb and her team—they have made Navy Exchange Panama City a great place to shop and work," said King. Nine 'Team Panama City' NEX associates attended the ceremony and were congratulated by command leadership and NEX customers across the base.
"This is a great honor for this base and its tenant commands. The bottom line is improving the quality of life for our Sailors and their families," said Cmdr. Jessica Pfefferkorn, Commanding Officer, Naval Support Activity Panama City. "This award is truly about the associates who made this happen."
Time Running Out for Troops, Veterans to Claim 'Stop Loss'
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Eligible service members and veterans have less than three months to apply for Retroactive "Stop Loss" Special Pay.
The special pay was approved by Congress as part of the 2009 War Supplemental Appropriations Act. Service members and veterans who involuntarily served or were on "Stop Loss" from Sept. 11, 2001 to Sept. 30, 2009, are entitled to $500 for each month served past their contracted end-of-service, resignation or retirement date.
"This additional money, this benefit, was granted by Congress to recognize that continued service," Lernes Hebert, acting director of the Defense Department's Officer and Enlisted Personnel Management office, said today in an interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel.
The Pentagon announced the program Oct. 21, 2009. Those eligible must apply by Oct. 21, 2010, to receive compensation. And, survivors of service members who were under 'Stop Loss' orders are entitled to the benefit.
The Defense Department wants to ensure everyone eligible for the special retroactive pay is compensated, Hebert said.
"We only have three months left for individuals to apply for this benefit," he said. "It's time to [apply] and get their application in. Notify anyone you've served with, even if they have separated, even family members of separated folks to apply."
Each service has its own criteria and specific outreach and application process. Members and veterans who qualify, or think they are eligible for the special pay must contact their individual services for eligibility requirements.
For more information about the program, procedures and points of contact for each individual service, visit www.defense.gov/stoploss.
So far $111 million has been paid out to 25,000 troops and veterans affected by 'Stop Loss,' Hebert said. The average payout is $3,000 to $4,000 per claim, he added.
The Pentagon has about $423 million left in the program's fund.
"Congress authorized a fairly generous number, so we're not concerned about the money running out," Hebert said. "We are concerned about individuals getting their applications in."
The Pentagon and individual services have been reaching out to qualified members, veterans and beneficiaries through direct mailings, veteran services organization, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the media. Those efforts will be ongoing through Oct. 21, 2010, as there is much money left to be claimed, Hebert said.
"The services have been doing tremendous outreach trying to get to all the eligibles," he said.
Initially there was a large response for claims under the program, Hebert said, but applications have since slowed down.
"Applications have tailed off," he said. "We suspect that some individuals are either engaged or busy or haven't taken the time to apply. Part of our continuing efforts is to remind them that they only have about three months left to get their application in."
Still, Hebert said he expects a surge of claims as the deadline nears. He urges those who are eligible for the retroactive pay to take advantage of it now.
"Congress authorized this for a one-year period," he said, noting it would require Congress to pass a new law in order to extend the program. "This is firm, so individuals out there who think they might be entitled to this benefit need to get their application in."
An estimated 145,000 service members, veterans and beneficiaries are entitled for the retroactive pay.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates maintains the authority to extend military service during a period of national emergency, an authority that dates back to 1983. Many of these "Stop Loss" troops were extended involuntarily in order for their units to preserve manpower and readiness in critical skill areas, Hebert said.
"The department uses it sparingly and only when it's absolutely necessary," he said. "It's contrary to the way we operate the all-volunteer force, but it's necessary in times when you have very high demands ... where you don't have a significant number of individuals with particular skills that you might need during a national emergency.
"It allows the department a bit of breathing room in order to re-establish additional personnel in those specialties," he added.
The Army is the only service with currently-serving troops affected by the 'Stop Loss' authority. But the Army is on track to have all involuntary service ended by March next year, Hebert said.
"['Stop Loss'] is a mechanism of last resort for maintaining forces during a national emergency, so while the authority for 'Stop Loss' will still exist, the secretary has made it very clear ... he wants the services not to use 'Stop Loss' at the current time," he said.
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Eligible service members and veterans have less than three months to apply for Retroactive "Stop Loss" Special Pay.
The special pay was approved by Congress as part of the 2009 War Supplemental Appropriations Act. Service members and veterans who involuntarily served or were on "Stop Loss" from Sept. 11, 2001 to Sept. 30, 2009, are entitled to $500 for each month served past their contracted end-of-service, resignation or retirement date.
"This additional money, this benefit, was granted by Congress to recognize that continued service," Lernes Hebert, acting director of the Defense Department's Officer and Enlisted Personnel Management office, said today in an interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel.
The Pentagon announced the program Oct. 21, 2009. Those eligible must apply by Oct. 21, 2010, to receive compensation. And, survivors of service members who were under 'Stop Loss' orders are entitled to the benefit.
The Defense Department wants to ensure everyone eligible for the special retroactive pay is compensated, Hebert said.
"We only have three months left for individuals to apply for this benefit," he said. "It's time to [apply] and get their application in. Notify anyone you've served with, even if they have separated, even family members of separated folks to apply."
Each service has its own criteria and specific outreach and application process. Members and veterans who qualify, or think they are eligible for the special pay must contact their individual services for eligibility requirements.
For more information about the program, procedures and points of contact for each individual service, visit www.defense.gov/stoploss.
So far $111 million has been paid out to 25,000 troops and veterans affected by 'Stop Loss,' Hebert said. The average payout is $3,000 to $4,000 per claim, he added.
The Pentagon has about $423 million left in the program's fund.
"Congress authorized a fairly generous number, so we're not concerned about the money running out," Hebert said. "We are concerned about individuals getting their applications in."
The Pentagon and individual services have been reaching out to qualified members, veterans and beneficiaries through direct mailings, veteran services organization, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the media. Those efforts will be ongoing through Oct. 21, 2010, as there is much money left to be claimed, Hebert said.
"The services have been doing tremendous outreach trying to get to all the eligibles," he said.
Initially there was a large response for claims under the program, Hebert said, but applications have since slowed down.
"Applications have tailed off," he said. "We suspect that some individuals are either engaged or busy or haven't taken the time to apply. Part of our continuing efforts is to remind them that they only have about three months left to get their application in."
Still, Hebert said he expects a surge of claims as the deadline nears. He urges those who are eligible for the retroactive pay to take advantage of it now.
"Congress authorized this for a one-year period," he said, noting it would require Congress to pass a new law in order to extend the program. "This is firm, so individuals out there who think they might be entitled to this benefit need to get their application in."
An estimated 145,000 service members, veterans and beneficiaries are entitled for the retroactive pay.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates maintains the authority to extend military service during a period of national emergency, an authority that dates back to 1983. Many of these "Stop Loss" troops were extended involuntarily in order for their units to preserve manpower and readiness in critical skill areas, Hebert said.
"The department uses it sparingly and only when it's absolutely necessary," he said. "It's contrary to the way we operate the all-volunteer force, but it's necessary in times when you have very high demands ... where you don't have a significant number of individuals with particular skills that you might need during a national emergency.
"It allows the department a bit of breathing room in order to re-establish additional personnel in those specialties," he added.
The Army is the only service with currently-serving troops affected by the 'Stop Loss' authority. But the Army is on track to have all involuntary service ended by March next year, Hebert said.
"['Stop Loss'] is a mechanism of last resort for maintaining forces during a national emergency, so while the authority for 'Stop Loss' will still exist, the secretary has made it very clear ... he wants the services not to use 'Stop Loss' at the current time," he said.
Shinseki Addresses Importance of Care for Women Veterans
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
July 29, 2010 - Women in today's military serve closer to the front lines of combat than ever before, and as they become veterans the Veterans Affairs Department will be ready to handle their care, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said yesterday.
Speaking at a forum on women veterans at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Va., Shinseki underscored the need to improve care for women veterans, citing their military contributions and the complexity of issues women may return with from battle.
"Over time, changes in warfighting doctrine dictate changes about where women serve within the battle space and the kinds of missions they are handed," he said. "These doctrinal changes will continue to have an impact on women. So, it becomes [VA's] responsibility to anticipate those changes and prepare for women veterans who will have shaped and lived those changes."
The community of women veterans is growing, Shinseki said. Women represent almost 8 percent of the veteran population, he said, as well as 6 percent of veterans who use VA health care services. VA officials expect that number to double within 10 years, Shinseki said.
"We marvel at the courage of women soldiers," he said. "[Women], like their male counterparts, have long dealt with the after-effects of battle."
The secretary explained that VA experienced a 20 percent spike in women using the department's health care system in 2009. In the previous six years, Shinseki said, VA saw a 17-percent increase.
"We are VA, [and] our goal is 100 percent accessibility to veterans who need us," he said. "We must anticipate and address the challenge faced by women."
Shinseki said VA's benefits administration's regional offices now have women veterans' coordinators to provide assistance. Also, each of the 144 VA medical centers has full-time women veterans' program managers, he said.
Also, he noted, VA is streamlining the process for both men and women veterans to receive treatment and benefits for post-traumatic stress.
Shinseki also pointed to research initiatives the VA is undertaking to improve overall care for women. He noted that VA published more articles on the impacts of women serving in the military from 2004 to 2008 than in the previous 26 years combined.
The topics of such research and related conferences include impacts of trauma and combat exposure among women, women veterans' preferences and health care needs, gender differences in health care for deployed women and women veterans and post-deployment care focused on trauma, mental health and reintegration, he noted.
Women veterans now are more visible in VA publications, marketing materials, posters and messages, Shinseki added.
"We need your insights and your energy to help prepare the way for where we need to be 25 years from now," he told the group. "This forum should establish a critical agenda for an annual dialogue on women, not only to update us, ... but more importantly to provide us the necessary vectors for women's programs in the years ahead."
American Forces Press Service
July 29, 2010 - Women in today's military serve closer to the front lines of combat than ever before, and as they become veterans the Veterans Affairs Department will be ready to handle their care, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said yesterday.
Speaking at a forum on women veterans at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Va., Shinseki underscored the need to improve care for women veterans, citing their military contributions and the complexity of issues women may return with from battle.
"Over time, changes in warfighting doctrine dictate changes about where women serve within the battle space and the kinds of missions they are handed," he said. "These doctrinal changes will continue to have an impact on women. So, it becomes [VA's] responsibility to anticipate those changes and prepare for women veterans who will have shaped and lived those changes."
The community of women veterans is growing, Shinseki said. Women represent almost 8 percent of the veteran population, he said, as well as 6 percent of veterans who use VA health care services. VA officials expect that number to double within 10 years, Shinseki said.
"We marvel at the courage of women soldiers," he said. "[Women], like their male counterparts, have long dealt with the after-effects of battle."
The secretary explained that VA experienced a 20 percent spike in women using the department's health care system in 2009. In the previous six years, Shinseki said, VA saw a 17-percent increase.
"We are VA, [and] our goal is 100 percent accessibility to veterans who need us," he said. "We must anticipate and address the challenge faced by women."
Shinseki said VA's benefits administration's regional offices now have women veterans' coordinators to provide assistance. Also, each of the 144 VA medical centers has full-time women veterans' program managers, he said.
Also, he noted, VA is streamlining the process for both men and women veterans to receive treatment and benefits for post-traumatic stress.
Shinseki also pointed to research initiatives the VA is undertaking to improve overall care for women. He noted that VA published more articles on the impacts of women serving in the military from 2004 to 2008 than in the previous 26 years combined.
The topics of such research and related conferences include impacts of trauma and combat exposure among women, women veterans' preferences and health care needs, gender differences in health care for deployed women and women veterans and post-deployment care focused on trauma, mental health and reintegration, he noted.
Women veterans now are more visible in VA publications, marketing materials, posters and messages, Shinseki added.
"We need your insights and your energy to help prepare the way for where we need to be 25 years from now," he told the group. "This forum should establish a critical agenda for an annual dialogue on women, not only to update us, ... but more importantly to provide us the necessary vectors for women's programs in the years ahead."
HUD, VA officials launch $15 million demo program to prevent veteran homelessness
HUD, VA officials launch $15 million demo program to prevent veteran homelessness
7/29/2010 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- In an effort to prevent homelessness among veterans, primarily those returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs today announced that both agencies will invest a combined $15 million in five selected communities near military installations.
The HUD and VA grant funding is intended to provide housing assistance and supportive services to veterans who might otherwise be living in homeless shelters or on the streets.
Under the new Veterans Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Program, existing HUD grantees, or "Continuums of Care," located near the following military installations will each receive $2 million: MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.; Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Drum, N.Y.; and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
In addition, VA medical centers in the following areas will each receive $1 million: Tampa, Fla.; San Diego; Dallas; Syracuse, N.Y.; and American Lake, Wash.
"The men and women who serve our nation deserve better than a life on the streets when they return home," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "These grants represent a first step toward designing the best interventions possible so that we can prevent homelessness for those heroes who sacrificed so much for us. It is also another step forward toward reaching President Obama's goal of preventing and ending homelessness in all its forms."
"While usually the strongest and most resilient of Americans, veterans still represent a disproportionate share of America's jobless, homeless, depressed, substance abusers, and suicides," said Secretary of VA Eric K. Shinseki. "Nowhere is our obligation to our citizens, and to our veterans who have defended our nation, more important, more visible, or more necessary than in our commitment to prevent and end homelessness."
"This effort is about reaching veterans and their families who are transitioning home and struggling to readjust," said Sen. Patty Murray, who established VHPD in the fiscal 2009 Housing Appropriations bill. "By providing access to stable housing, health care, and job training and outreach services, this program provides targeted support to our heroes who are returning home to a difficult economic climate. All veterans deserve housing and the dignity that comes with it, and this is another step to reach those who have sacrificed so much."
Through this combination of housing, health care and employment services provided through the Department of Labor, VHPD is designed to explore innovative early interventions to help prevent veteran homelessness, targeted to service members returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The three-year grants announced July 29 will help the five identified communities or "Continuums of Care" to use and track client-level data provided by VA and Department of Defense officials to target veterans who meet the eligibility criteria.
VA officials will act as the primary liaison to the grantee and will provide eligible veterans with access to VA health care and benefits.
HUD funds will provide short- or medium-term rental assistance, including security deposits, utility payments and case management. In addition, the program will offer community-based supportive services appropriate for veterans and their families, including child care and family services.
VHPD is also intended to improve the understanding of the unique needs of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.
HUD officials anticipate that it will take approximately 90 days from the date these grant agreements are signed for selected grantees to be able to identify and serve veteran individuals and/or families who qualify for assistance under VHPD.
VHPD also supports the Obama Administration's plan to prevent and end homelessness. Last month, HUD and 18 other federal agencies unveiled Opening Doors, an unprecedented federal strategy to end veteran and chronic homelessness by 2015, and to end homelessness among children, families and youth by 2020.
7/29/2010 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- In an effort to prevent homelessness among veterans, primarily those returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs today announced that both agencies will invest a combined $15 million in five selected communities near military installations.
The HUD and VA grant funding is intended to provide housing assistance and supportive services to veterans who might otherwise be living in homeless shelters or on the streets.
Under the new Veterans Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Program, existing HUD grantees, or "Continuums of Care," located near the following military installations will each receive $2 million: MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.; Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Drum, N.Y.; and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
In addition, VA medical centers in the following areas will each receive $1 million: Tampa, Fla.; San Diego; Dallas; Syracuse, N.Y.; and American Lake, Wash.
"The men and women who serve our nation deserve better than a life on the streets when they return home," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "These grants represent a first step toward designing the best interventions possible so that we can prevent homelessness for those heroes who sacrificed so much for us. It is also another step forward toward reaching President Obama's goal of preventing and ending homelessness in all its forms."
"While usually the strongest and most resilient of Americans, veterans still represent a disproportionate share of America's jobless, homeless, depressed, substance abusers, and suicides," said Secretary of VA Eric K. Shinseki. "Nowhere is our obligation to our citizens, and to our veterans who have defended our nation, more important, more visible, or more necessary than in our commitment to prevent and end homelessness."
"This effort is about reaching veterans and their families who are transitioning home and struggling to readjust," said Sen. Patty Murray, who established VHPD in the fiscal 2009 Housing Appropriations bill. "By providing access to stable housing, health care, and job training and outreach services, this program provides targeted support to our heroes who are returning home to a difficult economic climate. All veterans deserve housing and the dignity that comes with it, and this is another step to reach those who have sacrificed so much."
Through this combination of housing, health care and employment services provided through the Department of Labor, VHPD is designed to explore innovative early interventions to help prevent veteran homelessness, targeted to service members returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The three-year grants announced July 29 will help the five identified communities or "Continuums of Care" to use and track client-level data provided by VA and Department of Defense officials to target veterans who meet the eligibility criteria.
VA officials will act as the primary liaison to the grantee and will provide eligible veterans with access to VA health care and benefits.
HUD funds will provide short- or medium-term rental assistance, including security deposits, utility payments and case management. In addition, the program will offer community-based supportive services appropriate for veterans and their families, including child care and family services.
VHPD is also intended to improve the understanding of the unique needs of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.
HUD officials anticipate that it will take approximately 90 days from the date these grant agreements are signed for selected grantees to be able to identify and serve veteran individuals and/or families who qualify for assistance under VHPD.
VHPD also supports the Obama Administration's plan to prevent and end homelessness. Last month, HUD and 18 other federal agencies unveiled Opening Doors, an unprecedented federal strategy to end veteran and chronic homelessness by 2015, and to end homelessness among children, families and youth by 2020.
Retired, former Airmen eligible for stop loss special pay
Daniel P. Elkins
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs Office
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFRNS) -- Thousands of current, retired and former Air Force members remain eligible to receive $500 in retroactive special pay for each month they were affected by stop loss. Airmen have until Oct. 21 to apply through the Air Force Personnel Center here.
Air Force people eligible include active, retired and former members as well as Reserve component members who served on active duty while their enlistment or period of obligated service was involuntarily extended, or whose eligibility for separation or retirement was suspended as a result of stop loss. Those who accepted a selective re-enlistment bonus subsequent to being affected by stop loss are not eligible for the special pay.
Air Force officials used stop loss for Operation Enduring Freedom from Oct. 2, 2001, through Jan. 31, 2003, and Operation Iraqi Freedom from May 2 through Dec. 31, 2003. Individuals who were deployed during either operation may be eligible beyond the inclusive dates depending on their Air Force specialty and deployment return date. The 2009 War Supplemental Appropriation Act set aside $534.4 million for the retroactive stop loss special pay compensation authority.
Personnel officials are encouraging those who were involuntarily held on active duty during either of the stop loss periods to contact AFPC to determine if they might be eligible for the special pay compensation.
“We want to exhaust all efforts in our attempts to reach as many eligible members as possible while the authority is in place to compensate them for their extended duty,” said Col. Bill Foote, the AFPC director of personnel services. “Of course, many of those eligible to receive this special pay are no longer in our ranks, so we’re opening channels to reach out to veterans to help spread the word about this valuable benefit throughout their communities.”
More than 3,000 claims by Airmen have been approved for retroactive stop loss special pay since officials here began accepting claims in September 2009. Officials estimate an additional 13,000 current and former Air Force members may be eligible for the compensation.
Whether or not Air Force veterans are sure they are eligible, Colonel Foote encourages those impacted by stop loss to apply. Claims are evaluated based upon historical records already available to personnel officials as well as any supporting documentation the applicant may submit.
To file a claim, eligible members or legally designated beneficiaries may download a stop loss claim application at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/stoploss. Applicants who were serving in the Reserve or Guard at the time of stop loss may apply by visiting the Air Reserve Personnel Center website at https://arpc.afrc.af.mil/vPC-GR.
For more information on program eligibility and claims instructions, call the Total Force Service Center at 800-525-0102.
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs Office
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFRNS) -- Thousands of current, retired and former Air Force members remain eligible to receive $500 in retroactive special pay for each month they were affected by stop loss. Airmen have until Oct. 21 to apply through the Air Force Personnel Center here.
Air Force people eligible include active, retired and former members as well as Reserve component members who served on active duty while their enlistment or period of obligated service was involuntarily extended, or whose eligibility for separation or retirement was suspended as a result of stop loss. Those who accepted a selective re-enlistment bonus subsequent to being affected by stop loss are not eligible for the special pay.
Air Force officials used stop loss for Operation Enduring Freedom from Oct. 2, 2001, through Jan. 31, 2003, and Operation Iraqi Freedom from May 2 through Dec. 31, 2003. Individuals who were deployed during either operation may be eligible beyond the inclusive dates depending on their Air Force specialty and deployment return date. The 2009 War Supplemental Appropriation Act set aside $534.4 million for the retroactive stop loss special pay compensation authority.
Personnel officials are encouraging those who were involuntarily held on active duty during either of the stop loss periods to contact AFPC to determine if they might be eligible for the special pay compensation.
“We want to exhaust all efforts in our attempts to reach as many eligible members as possible while the authority is in place to compensate them for their extended duty,” said Col. Bill Foote, the AFPC director of personnel services. “Of course, many of those eligible to receive this special pay are no longer in our ranks, so we’re opening channels to reach out to veterans to help spread the word about this valuable benefit throughout their communities.”
More than 3,000 claims by Airmen have been approved for retroactive stop loss special pay since officials here began accepting claims in September 2009. Officials estimate an additional 13,000 current and former Air Force members may be eligible for the compensation.
Whether or not Air Force veterans are sure they are eligible, Colonel Foote encourages those impacted by stop loss to apply. Claims are evaluated based upon historical records already available to personnel officials as well as any supporting documentation the applicant may submit.
To file a claim, eligible members or legally designated beneficiaries may download a stop loss claim application at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/stoploss. Applicants who were serving in the Reserve or Guard at the time of stop loss may apply by visiting the Air Reserve Personnel Center website at https://arpc.afrc.af.mil/vPC-GR.
For more information on program eligibility and claims instructions, call the Total Force Service Center at 800-525-0102.
Army Releases Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention Report
The Army today released the Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, and Suicide Prevention (HP/RR/SP) Report, the result of a focused 15-month effort to better understand the increasing rate of suicides in the force. This candid report is intended to inform and educate Army leaders on the importance of recognizing and reducing high risk behavior related to suicide and accidental death, and reducing the stigma associated with behavioral health and treatment. This report represents the next phase in the Army's ongoing campaign to promote resiliency in a force that has been at war for nearly a decade.
"The dedicated effort behind this report sends a clear message to our force that we take the resiliency of our soldiers and families very seriously," said Secretary of the Army John McHugh. "This effort is part of our culture to look closely at ourselves, and to make continuous improvements in our capability - but most importantly, to reduce the number of soldiers we lose to suicide."
"This comprehensive review exposes gaps in how we identify, engage, and mitigate high-risk behavior among our soldiers. After nearly a decade of war we must keep pace with the expanding needs of our strained Army, and continuously identify and address the gaps that exist in our policies, programs and services," said Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey.
Casey told the Army's two- and three-star commanders and command sergeants major recently that "our challenge over the next several years will be to maintain our combat edge at an appropriate tempo while reestablishing garrison systems to better care for our soldiers and families. The combination of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness with these health promotion efforts provides the foundation to improve the resilience of the force."
Unprecedented operational tempo has dictated that leaders remain primarily focused on preparing for their next deployment. As a result, enforcement of policies designated to ensure good order and discipline has atrophied. This, in turn, has led to an increasing population of soldiers who display high risk behavior which erodes the health of the force.
The report grew out of a series of visits to six Army installations directed by Casey and led by Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli in Spring 2009 to look at suicide prevention efforts in the force. "What we witnessed were real indicators of stress on the force, and an increasing propensity for soldiers to engage in high risk behavior," Chiarelli said. "We recognized almost immediately we had to widen the aperture - risk in the force cannot be mitigated by suicide prevention alone."
The Army's inward and transparent review is documented in this report. It addresses the full range of issues related to HP/RR/SP, outlines and defines the problem, documents actions taken, and makes recommendations for the way ahead.
Key findings include:
• gaps in the current HP/RR/SP policies, processes and programs necessary to mitigate high risk behaviors;
• an erosion of adherence to existing Army policies and standards;
• an increase in indicators of high risk behavior including illicit drug use, other crimes and suicide attempts;
• lapses in surveillance and detection of high risk behavior;
• an increased use of prescription antidepressants, amphetamines and narcotics;
• degraded accountability of disciplinary, administrative and reporting processes; and
• the continued high rate of suicides, high risk related deaths and other adverse outcomes.
"These findings demonstrate that many of our programs are unbalanced and lack integration, while reinforcing recommendations that will help us improve the quality of our programs and services," Chiarelli said.
McHugh has directed that leaders at all levels become familiar with the report. It informs leaders throughout the force about the consequences associated with high risk behavior; provides a candid, transparent and balanced review of HP/RR/SP issues; documents the Army's actions to date to improve programs and services; integrates policies, processes and programs for oversight of the force; and recommends solutions to eliminate gaps and unnecessary redundancies.
Programs must be realigned to improve support to the soldier, family and unit. Reporting and data-sharing on high risk behavior among unit commanders, medical and garrison service providers, and law enforcement officials must be synchronized. The report also promotes continued use of the Department of the Army's Health Promotion Council which has aggressively addressed this issue for a year-and-a-half.
Report recommendations represent the next phase of the campaign which has already implemented more than 200 separate initiatives over the last 15 months. For example, the Army tightened enlistment standards; established a Community Health Promotion Council at each installation; improved access and coordination between primary (medical) care and behavioral health providers; worked to stabilize unit leadership after redeployment; expanded behavioral health screening; instituted a confidential alcohol treatment program; aggressively recruited new behavioral health counselors; and created 72 new positions for chaplains, among other things.
"Continued focus on mentoring and training our leaders and service providers is key to fixing these problems. Part of leadership is creating an environment where it's okay to ask for help - and where it's our duty to extend a helping hand," Chiarelli said. "This, too, is in keeping with the Army Warrior Ethos to never leave a fallen comrade."
Report findings indicate there are no universal solutions to address the complexities of personal, social and behavioral health issues that lead to suicide.
"We've often said that the Army is a reflection of society, but we have soldiers today who are experiencing a lifetime of stress during their first six years of service. Army leaders at all levels remain dedicated to promoting resiliency, coping skills, and help-seeking behavior across our force," Chiarelli said.
The full report is located at http://www.army.mil/hprrsp
"The dedicated effort behind this report sends a clear message to our force that we take the resiliency of our soldiers and families very seriously," said Secretary of the Army John McHugh. "This effort is part of our culture to look closely at ourselves, and to make continuous improvements in our capability - but most importantly, to reduce the number of soldiers we lose to suicide."
"This comprehensive review exposes gaps in how we identify, engage, and mitigate high-risk behavior among our soldiers. After nearly a decade of war we must keep pace with the expanding needs of our strained Army, and continuously identify and address the gaps that exist in our policies, programs and services," said Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey.
Casey told the Army's two- and three-star commanders and command sergeants major recently that "our challenge over the next several years will be to maintain our combat edge at an appropriate tempo while reestablishing garrison systems to better care for our soldiers and families. The combination of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness with these health promotion efforts provides the foundation to improve the resilience of the force."
Unprecedented operational tempo has dictated that leaders remain primarily focused on preparing for their next deployment. As a result, enforcement of policies designated to ensure good order and discipline has atrophied. This, in turn, has led to an increasing population of soldiers who display high risk behavior which erodes the health of the force.
The report grew out of a series of visits to six Army installations directed by Casey and led by Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli in Spring 2009 to look at suicide prevention efforts in the force. "What we witnessed were real indicators of stress on the force, and an increasing propensity for soldiers to engage in high risk behavior," Chiarelli said. "We recognized almost immediately we had to widen the aperture - risk in the force cannot be mitigated by suicide prevention alone."
The Army's inward and transparent review is documented in this report. It addresses the full range of issues related to HP/RR/SP, outlines and defines the problem, documents actions taken, and makes recommendations for the way ahead.
Key findings include:
• gaps in the current HP/RR/SP policies, processes and programs necessary to mitigate high risk behaviors;
• an erosion of adherence to existing Army policies and standards;
• an increase in indicators of high risk behavior including illicit drug use, other crimes and suicide attempts;
• lapses in surveillance and detection of high risk behavior;
• an increased use of prescription antidepressants, amphetamines and narcotics;
• degraded accountability of disciplinary, administrative and reporting processes; and
• the continued high rate of suicides, high risk related deaths and other adverse outcomes.
"These findings demonstrate that many of our programs are unbalanced and lack integration, while reinforcing recommendations that will help us improve the quality of our programs and services," Chiarelli said.
McHugh has directed that leaders at all levels become familiar with the report. It informs leaders throughout the force about the consequences associated with high risk behavior; provides a candid, transparent and balanced review of HP/RR/SP issues; documents the Army's actions to date to improve programs and services; integrates policies, processes and programs for oversight of the force; and recommends solutions to eliminate gaps and unnecessary redundancies.
Programs must be realigned to improve support to the soldier, family and unit. Reporting and data-sharing on high risk behavior among unit commanders, medical and garrison service providers, and law enforcement officials must be synchronized. The report also promotes continued use of the Department of the Army's Health Promotion Council which has aggressively addressed this issue for a year-and-a-half.
Report recommendations represent the next phase of the campaign which has already implemented more than 200 separate initiatives over the last 15 months. For example, the Army tightened enlistment standards; established a Community Health Promotion Council at each installation; improved access and coordination between primary (medical) care and behavioral health providers; worked to stabilize unit leadership after redeployment; expanded behavioral health screening; instituted a confidential alcohol treatment program; aggressively recruited new behavioral health counselors; and created 72 new positions for chaplains, among other things.
"Continued focus on mentoring and training our leaders and service providers is key to fixing these problems. Part of leadership is creating an environment where it's okay to ask for help - and where it's our duty to extend a helping hand," Chiarelli said. "This, too, is in keeping with the Army Warrior Ethos to never leave a fallen comrade."
Report findings indicate there are no universal solutions to address the complexities of personal, social and behavioral health issues that lead to suicide.
"We've often said that the Army is a reflection of society, but we have soldiers today who are experiencing a lifetime of stress during their first six years of service. Army leaders at all levels remain dedicated to promoting resiliency, coping skills, and help-seeking behavior across our force," Chiarelli said.
The full report is located at http://www.army.mil/hprrsp
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