NAVY
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Rolling Meadows, Ill., is being awarded an undefinitized contract action with an estimated value of $77,655,380 for the procurement of 121 AN/AAQ-24(V) 25 Guardian laser transmitter assemblies for installation on CH-53D, CH-53E, and CH-46E helicopters, including associated technical data. The guardian laser transmitter assembly, a component of the large aircraft infrared countermeasures, is a next-generation directable laser-based countermeasures system for protecting helicopters and some fixed-wing aircraft from man-portable air defense systems. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Ill. (39 percent); Edinburgh, Scotland (16.8 percent); Goleta, Calif. (10 percent); Blacksburg, Va. (9.4 percent); Boulder, Colo. (7.1 percent); Dallas, Texas (5.5 percent); Lewisburg, Tenn. (2 percent); Apopka, Fla. (1.8 percent); Woodland Hills, Calif. (1.3 percent); Tampa, Fla. (1 percent); Santa Clara, Calif. (1 percent); Melbourne, Fla. (1 percent); Wheeling, W.V. (1 percent); and various locations throughout the U.S. (3.1 percent), and is expected to be completed in August 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-10-C-0080).
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Tewksbury, Mass., is being awarded a $59,385,135 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-5346) for CVN 78 dual-band radar (DBR) common array power system (CAPS) and common array cooling system (CACS) efforts. The purpose of this modification is to procure factory assembly, integration, and test of one ship set of CAPS, one ship set of CACS, CVN 78 DBR unique components, and whole-life engineering products for the CVN 78 DBR. These efforts are required in order to meet the CVN 78 ship construction in-yard-need-dates at the receiving shipyard to ensure that critical production schedules are maintained for the CVN 78 program. Work will be performed in Andover, Mass. (72.6 percent); Sudbury, Mass. (22 percent); Portsmouth, R.I. (2.3 percent); Tewksbury, Mass. (2.1 percent); and Falls Church, Va. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by November 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Engineered Arresting Systems Corp., Aston, Pa., is being awarded a $20,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the acquisition of interim contractor logistics support for the M31 arresting gear system, which will include management; logistics; administration; spares; maintenance; configuration management; depot rework and repair; training; engineering support; web site support and phone support as production units are fielded. Work will be performed in Aston, Pa., and is expected to be completed in December 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $926,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-10-D-0011).
Ewing Construction Co. Inc.*, Corpus Christi, Texas, is being awarded a $10,325,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of rotor blade processing facility at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. The work performed provides for labor, materials and equipment for design and construction of an addition to existing Building 49. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas, and is expected to be completed by October 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online Web site, with five proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla. is the contracting activity (N69450-10-C-0789).
DCS Corp.*, Alexandria, Va., is being awarded an $8,010,077 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N68936-05-D-0002) to provide additional weapons system integration services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division's integrated product teams and weapons support facilities. The estimated level of effort for this modification is 114,800 man-hours. Work will be performed in China Lake, Calif. (90 percent), and Pt. Mugu, Calif. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity.
The Gyro House*, Auburn, Calif., is being awarded a $6,606,775 firm-fixed-price order via the General Services Administration (GSA) schedule for the procurement of 1,462 Garmin GPSMAP 696 units for the Army (789) and Navy (673). The order also provides for the procurement of 293 GPSMAP 696/695 e-learning program CD-ROMs for the Army (158) and Navy (135). Work will be performed in Auburn, Calif., and is expected to be completed in June 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via a request for quotes under a GSA schedule E-buy; five firms were solicited and one offer was received. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-10-F-0010).
ARMY
GM GDLS Defense Group, LLC, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Aug. 5 a $20,029,812 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract action cuts the modified hull design (double-V hull), into an additional 78 vehicles and revises the obligated amount for the production cut-in of the double-V hull, into the previous 281 vehicles. The double-V hull is an integrated solution that provides improved protection levels to support operations in the Operation Enduring Freedom area of responsibility. Work is to be performed in London, Ontario, Canada (50 percent), and Anniston, Ala. (50 percent), with an estimated completion date of Feb. 22, 2012. One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM, CCTA-AIP, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-D-M112).
General Tactical Vehicles, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Aug. 5 a $8,985,020 cost-share contract. This effort is for the design and development of three joint tactical vehicles (JLTV) subconfigurations for Australia in the right hand drive and the delivery of two JLTV subconfiguration vehicles and one companion trailer for government testing. Work is to be performed in Livonia, Mich. (47 percent); Sterling Heights, Mich. (41 percent); Muskegon, Mich. (9 percent); and South Bend, Ind. (3 percent), with an estimated completion date of May 19, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with seven bids received. TACOM Contracting Center, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-C-0108).
Sauer, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., was awarded on Aug. 5a $18,649,100 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for Special Operations Forces North Operations additions, construction of a new two-story rigid steel frame, block and brick facility addition for a high priority operational mission section a Fort Bragg, N.C. Work is to be performed in Fort Bragg, N.C., with an estimated completion date of Feb. 15, 2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 15 bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Savannah, Ga., is the contracting activity (W912HN-10-C-0054).
General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Aug. 5, 2010 a $9,587,789 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the modification P00156 exercising option on various CLINS for system technical support for the Abrams tank program. Work is to be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 19, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM-Warren, AMSCC-TAC-AHLC, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-C-0046).
AIR FORCE
Raytheon Co., Marlborough, Mass., was awarded a $9,185,971 contract modification which will provide research to develop a modular high-power laser beam controller that efficiently projects a high-quality beam on a distant target in the presence of atmospheric turbulence and does so with high electrical efficiency in a compact and lightweight form. At this time, $2,784,116 has been obligated. AFRL/PKDB, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-05-C-7211 P00012).
Arinc Engineering Services, LLC, Annapolis, Md., was awarded a $5,839,837 contract which will procure, deliver, install, integrate and test air traffic control tower equipment at Tikrit Air Base and Taji Air Base Iraq. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. ESC/HBAK, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (FA8730-10-C0008).
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Enlisted Warfare Qualifications: A Mandatory Requirement
By Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) Sonya Ansarov, Office of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Initial enlisted warfare qualifications are now mandatory for all Sailors per the recent release of NAVADMIN 268-10.
The NAVADMIN announces the release of OPNAVINST 1414.9, Navy Enlisted Warfare Qualification Programs Instruction, which issues the basic overarching requirements for the qualification and designation of all enlisted warfare programs.
The arduous and often unforgiving environment we operate in as a Navy and Sailor dictates the need for all personnel to have a basic understanding and operating knowledge of the platform or command to which they are assigned.
Warfare programs are essential in ensuring our Sailors understand and are able to effectively engage a casualty, operate equipment or platforms safely and ensure backup as needed. Warfare qualifications are about ship, shipmate and self, and ensure the safety and safe operation of each command and platform on a daily basis.
"It's a standard every Sailor must achieve. The warfare device itself is a symbol that the Sailors who are wearing it have a basic level of knowledge to ensure they are capable of fighting the ship, saving a shipmate and ensuring the safety of themselves at all times," said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON), Rick D. West. "Having every Sailor at or working toward that level will only strengthen the war-fighting ability of that command and the Navy."
According to the NAVADMIN, qualification and/or re-qualification is mandatory for all enlisted Sailors assigned to designated warfare qualifying commands.
Warfare sponsors (Type Commanders) will establish specific qualification and re-qualifying timelines however, the maximum allowable time for initial qualification of all enlisted Sailors assigned to designated warfare qualifying commands will not exceed 30 months. Timelines for warfare qualifications are set by the Type Commander's instructions and each TYCOM will have oversight of their programs.
According to West, some of the biggest questions he hears from Sailors are:
- What happens if a Sailor doesn't qualify in time? West stated that failure to qualify in the specific warfare program within the prescribed time requirements shall immediately result in a special performance evaluation that removes promotion recommendation, but the promotion recommendation may be restored with a special performance evaluation when qualification is achieved.
- Will a Sailor be penalized if their command doesn't offer the opportunity for warfare qualification? According to West, Sailors without the opportunity to qualify in a warfare specialty will not be penalized. However Sailors should look for follow-on opportunities to obtain a warfare device when able.
- Will having mandatory qualifications water down the existing programs? West stated, quite the contrary; by mandating warfare qualifications for all enlisted personnel, it will significantly "raise the bar" across the command regarding level of knowledge of the command and the systems our Sailors operate. It is incumbent on those that wear the warfare pin of the command to ensure the integrity and strength of the existing programs.
- How will Sailors stand-out amongst peers if everyone is required to have a warfare pin? According to West, Sailors stand out every day. Performance and the Sailor's overall command support should be the biggest factors to "break out" individuals.
"I often highlight efficient manning and future platforms such as LCS as examples of the need to ensuring our Sailors have a good, basic understanding of the systems and fighting capabilities of the command to which they are assigned," said West.
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Initial enlisted warfare qualifications are now mandatory for all Sailors per the recent release of NAVADMIN 268-10.
The NAVADMIN announces the release of OPNAVINST 1414.9, Navy Enlisted Warfare Qualification Programs Instruction, which issues the basic overarching requirements for the qualification and designation of all enlisted warfare programs.
The arduous and often unforgiving environment we operate in as a Navy and Sailor dictates the need for all personnel to have a basic understanding and operating knowledge of the platform or command to which they are assigned.
Warfare programs are essential in ensuring our Sailors understand and are able to effectively engage a casualty, operate equipment or platforms safely and ensure backup as needed. Warfare qualifications are about ship, shipmate and self, and ensure the safety and safe operation of each command and platform on a daily basis.
"It's a standard every Sailor must achieve. The warfare device itself is a symbol that the Sailors who are wearing it have a basic level of knowledge to ensure they are capable of fighting the ship, saving a shipmate and ensuring the safety of themselves at all times," said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON), Rick D. West. "Having every Sailor at or working toward that level will only strengthen the war-fighting ability of that command and the Navy."
According to the NAVADMIN, qualification and/or re-qualification is mandatory for all enlisted Sailors assigned to designated warfare qualifying commands.
Warfare sponsors (Type Commanders) will establish specific qualification and re-qualifying timelines however, the maximum allowable time for initial qualification of all enlisted Sailors assigned to designated warfare qualifying commands will not exceed 30 months. Timelines for warfare qualifications are set by the Type Commander's instructions and each TYCOM will have oversight of their programs.
According to West, some of the biggest questions he hears from Sailors are:
- What happens if a Sailor doesn't qualify in time? West stated that failure to qualify in the specific warfare program within the prescribed time requirements shall immediately result in a special performance evaluation that removes promotion recommendation, but the promotion recommendation may be restored with a special performance evaluation when qualification is achieved.
- Will a Sailor be penalized if their command doesn't offer the opportunity for warfare qualification? According to West, Sailors without the opportunity to qualify in a warfare specialty will not be penalized. However Sailors should look for follow-on opportunities to obtain a warfare device when able.
- Will having mandatory qualifications water down the existing programs? West stated, quite the contrary; by mandating warfare qualifications for all enlisted personnel, it will significantly "raise the bar" across the command regarding level of knowledge of the command and the systems our Sailors operate. It is incumbent on those that wear the warfare pin of the command to ensure the integrity and strength of the existing programs.
- How will Sailors stand-out amongst peers if everyone is required to have a warfare pin? According to West, Sailors stand out every day. Performance and the Sailor's overall command support should be the biggest factors to "break out" individuals.
"I often highlight efficient manning and future platforms such as LCS as examples of the need to ensuring our Sailors have a good, basic understanding of the systems and fighting capabilities of the command to which they are assigned," said West.
USS Wyoming Sailors Cycle for Fun
By Missile Technician Seaman Grant Dauzat, Commander, Submarine Group 10 Public Affairs
KINGS BAY, Ga. (NNS) -- USS Wyoming SSBN 742 (Blue) Sailors participated in a 42-mile bike ride aboard Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga. Aug 5.
Approximately 20 Wyoming Sailors took part in the noncompetitive event.
Cmdr. William McKinney, USS Wyoming (Blue) commanding officer, organized and took part in the event. He said is was a great opportunity to get the crew together for some group fitness.
"Everyone had a lot of fun, and several less serious bikers found out that riding in a group is a lot more fun than riding alone," said McKinney.
The cyclists' route began at the Pre-Deployment Training Building and took them past Strategic Weapons Facility Atlantic and the Trident Lakes Golf Course, with a brief stopping point located in base housing for rest and rehydration.
The ride consisted of three laps. The first lap was at the pace of the slowest rider, the second lap at a moderate pace, and the final lap at the pace of the fastest group.
Future plans for Wyoming (Blue) include an open field ride with all proceeds going toward a charity.
KINGS BAY, Ga. (NNS) -- USS Wyoming SSBN 742 (Blue) Sailors participated in a 42-mile bike ride aboard Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga. Aug 5.
Approximately 20 Wyoming Sailors took part in the noncompetitive event.
Cmdr. William McKinney, USS Wyoming (Blue) commanding officer, organized and took part in the event. He said is was a great opportunity to get the crew together for some group fitness.
"Everyone had a lot of fun, and several less serious bikers found out that riding in a group is a lot more fun than riding alone," said McKinney.
The cyclists' route began at the Pre-Deployment Training Building and took them past Strategic Weapons Facility Atlantic and the Trident Lakes Golf Course, with a brief stopping point located in base housing for rest and rehydration.
The ride consisted of three laps. The first lap was at the pace of the slowest rider, the second lap at a moderate pace, and the final lap at the pace of the fastest group.
Future plans for Wyoming (Blue) include an open field ride with all proceeds going toward a charity.
Mullen Discusses Army Challenges with Longer 'Dwell' Time
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 9, 2010 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stressed the need for strong garrison leadership today, underscoring the effects longer periods at home between deployments may have on troops and their families in the future. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to soldiers and airmen at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., today. By October, more than 30,000 troops will be "at home" there for the first time since 2003.
Soldiers throughout the Army also will soon enjoy a slower deployment tempo, Mullen noted, as major units are projected to have twice as long at home as deployed by the end of 2012. About 70 percent of those units are expected to have a 2-to-1 "dwell time" ratio by the end of 2011, he added.
"That's based off the projections we see right now, so that is a huge change," Mullen said. "This is a big change, and if you are a leader, leading when things are changing is the most difficult kind of leadership, because it's less predictable."
The chairman explained that although more time at home is long overdue, a slower-paced military always must be ready for the unpredictable. Leaders must ensure troops and their families are cared for, he said, stressing the importance of garrison leadership.
"We've got to focus on those things that we have not been able to focus on, because we haven't had the time, as we've been putting units together and rotating in and out of war," the admiral said. "You need to think about what's happening next in an unpredictable world and environment."
Mullen cited the rising military suicide rate since 2001 to illustrate his point. A recent Army report outlined how units, in an effort to maintain readiness, have overlooked psychological issues soldiers may have. Leaders have overlooked signals and behaviors, including misconduct, that may have indicated an increased risk of suicide for some soldiers, Army officials said last month.
Many troops in today's audience are too young to remember the military in peace time, Mullen said. As fewer troops are needed in the fight, he added, he and Army officials recognize that garrison leadership must improve.
The rate of soldier suicides has risen in each of the past five years. In fiscal 2009, 160 soldiers took their own lives, while there were more than 1,700 attempts. Army suicides exceed the national average.
Although the Army receives much media attention for its suicide rates, Mullen noted, every service's suicide rate has "dramatically" increased since 2004. This trend is a strong indication of the stress the military has undergone since Sept. 11, 2001, he added.
"At the core of that is strong garrison leadership," the chairman said. "We've got to make sure we get it right across the full spectrum -- units, soldiers, families. The only way I know how to get at [suicide prevention] is through leadership and leaders focusing on their people.
"There's just too many people taking their lives, and we've got to get ahead of that," he said. "We've got to stay in touch with them. That's a leadership function."
The Army, and military as a whole, Mullen said, must focus on building resilience from servicemembers and their families' first day in the military. The heart of the military lies in its leadership and how each member takes care of each other, he said.
"Every single person in this audience is a leader," he said. "People have to be bold and step in, and this has to do with taking care of each other, leading and mentoring those who come behind you. You can't just passively sit and watch this happen."
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 9, 2010 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stressed the need for strong garrison leadership today, underscoring the effects longer periods at home between deployments may have on troops and their families in the future. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to soldiers and airmen at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., today. By October, more than 30,000 troops will be "at home" there for the first time since 2003.
Soldiers throughout the Army also will soon enjoy a slower deployment tempo, Mullen noted, as major units are projected to have twice as long at home as deployed by the end of 2012. About 70 percent of those units are expected to have a 2-to-1 "dwell time" ratio by the end of 2011, he added.
"That's based off the projections we see right now, so that is a huge change," Mullen said. "This is a big change, and if you are a leader, leading when things are changing is the most difficult kind of leadership, because it's less predictable."
The chairman explained that although more time at home is long overdue, a slower-paced military always must be ready for the unpredictable. Leaders must ensure troops and their families are cared for, he said, stressing the importance of garrison leadership.
"We've got to focus on those things that we have not been able to focus on, because we haven't had the time, as we've been putting units together and rotating in and out of war," the admiral said. "You need to think about what's happening next in an unpredictable world and environment."
Mullen cited the rising military suicide rate since 2001 to illustrate his point. A recent Army report outlined how units, in an effort to maintain readiness, have overlooked psychological issues soldiers may have. Leaders have overlooked signals and behaviors, including misconduct, that may have indicated an increased risk of suicide for some soldiers, Army officials said last month.
Many troops in today's audience are too young to remember the military in peace time, Mullen said. As fewer troops are needed in the fight, he added, he and Army officials recognize that garrison leadership must improve.
The rate of soldier suicides has risen in each of the past five years. In fiscal 2009, 160 soldiers took their own lives, while there were more than 1,700 attempts. Army suicides exceed the national average.
Although the Army receives much media attention for its suicide rates, Mullen noted, every service's suicide rate has "dramatically" increased since 2004. This trend is a strong indication of the stress the military has undergone since Sept. 11, 2001, he added.
"At the core of that is strong garrison leadership," the chairman said. "We've got to make sure we get it right across the full spectrum -- units, soldiers, families. The only way I know how to get at [suicide prevention] is through leadership and leaders focusing on their people.
"There's just too many people taking their lives, and we've got to get ahead of that," he said. "We've got to stay in touch with them. That's a leadership function."
The Army, and military as a whole, Mullen said, must focus on building resilience from servicemembers and their families' first day in the military. The heart of the military lies in its leadership and how each member takes care of each other, he said.
"Every single person in this audience is a leader," he said. "People have to be bold and step in, and this has to do with taking care of each other, leading and mentoring those who come behind you. You can't just passively sit and watch this happen."
MILITARY CONTRACTS August 9, 2010
AIR FORCE
Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $450,827,357 contract to provide engineering and manufacturing development phase of the Small Diameter Bomb Increment II (SDB II) program (nomenclature, Guided Bomb Unit-53/B). SDB II is a joint Air Force and Navy program. The SDB II will initially be integrated on the F-15E, F-35B and F-35C aircraft. At this time, $23,500,000 has been obligated. Miniature Munitions, AAC/EBMK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8672-10-C-0002).
United Paradyne Corp., Santa Maria, Calif., was awarded a $44,429,836 contract to provide aerospace support services contract for the following services: unconventional propellants; cryogenics and fuels accountability; personal protective equipment operations; hazardous operation support; fleet management; systems and safety engineering; training, and transient aircraft maintenance/aerospace ground equipment support services. Precision measurement equipment laboratory includes test, calibration, and repair of test measurement diagnostic equipment. At this time, no money has been obligated. 30 CONS/LGCZG, Vandenberg, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA4610-10-C-0008).
Boeing Co., St Louis, Mo., was awarded a $20,327,974 contract modification to provide eight Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) extended user evaluation assets: eight MOP warheads and eight MOP toolkits. The modification will also provide various support items: eight MOP loading adapters; eight carriage and release equipment; 16 separation nuts; 16 fuzes; and four separation nut simulators, with associated proposal preparation charges. At this time, $10,000,000 has been obligated. AAC/EDBK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8681-09-C-0280; P00009).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
General Electric, Cincinnati, Ohio, is being awarded a maximum $12,481,700 firm-fixed-price sole-source contract for turbine controls. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is Feb. 28, 2013. The Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA812209G0001-UN55).
ARMY
Willis Mechanical, Inc., Norcross, Ga., was awarded on Aug. 6 a $12,240,200 firm-fixed-price contract to construct and renovate the second hangar addition at Eastover Army Aviation Support Facility at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, to include base award and six options. Work is to be performed in Eastover, S.C., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 13, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 12 bids received. USPFO for South Carolina, Columbia, S.C., is the contracting activity (W912QG-10-C-0005).
BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration, Austin, Texas, was awarded on Aug. 6 an $11,014,052 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for the acquisition of 390 L-Rod aluminum bar armor kits, associated bracketry required for kit installation, and field service representative support outside the contiguous United States, for the RG-31 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle on the base obligation for this undefinitized modification. Work is to be performed in Austin, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 26, 2010. One bid was solicted with one bid received. TACOM Contracting Center, Detroit Arsenal, Warren, Mich., is the contractign activity (W56HZV-09-C-0311)
Hunter Contracting Co., Gilbert, Ariz., was awarded on Aug. 6 a $10,972,945 firm-fixed-price contract. This project is to construct three inline basins and modifying the inlet on High School Wash at Park Avenue. Work is to be performed in Tucson, Ariz., with an estimated completion date of May 30, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with eight bids received. US Army Engineer District, Los Angeles, Calif., is the contracting activity (W912PL-10-C-0032).
Tarlton Corp., Inc., St Louis, Mo., was awarded on Aug. 6 a $9,675,825 firm-fixed-price contract to install pre-stress rock anchors on east and west wall lock monoliths at Lock and Dam 27 located in Granite City, Ill. Work is to be performed in Granite City, Ill., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 15, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with three bids received. U.S Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, St. Louis, Mo., is the contracting activity (W912P9-10-C-0429)
General Tactical Vehicles, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Aug. 5 a $8,985,020 cost-share contract. This effort is for the design and development of three Joint Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) subconfigurations for Australia in the right hand drive, and the delivery of two JLTV subconfiguration vehicles and one companion trailer for government testing. Work is to be performed in Livonia, Mich. (47 percent); Sterling Heights, Mich. (41 percent); Muskegon, Mich. (9 percent); and South Bend, Ind. (3 percent), with an estimated completion date of May 19, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with seven bids received. TACOM Contracting Center, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-C-0108).
NAVY
Seaward Marine Services, Inc., Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $12,648,498 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for waterborne hull cleaning and associated work to support the director of ocean engineering, supervisor of salvage and diving. The primary purpose of this contract is to provide hull cleaning, hull inspection, and other related ship husbandry services on the underwater portion of Navy, Coast Guard, Army, and Military Sealift Command ships and craft. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $51,175,930. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va. (54 percent); Mayport, Fla. (24 percent); Ingleside, Texas (17 percent); and New London, Conn. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by August 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $50,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-10-D-4170).
AT&T Wireless Services, Hanover, Md. (N00244-05-D-0010); Sprint-Nextel, Lone Tree, Colo. (N00244-05-D-0011); and Verizon Wireless, Laurel, Md. (N00244-05-D-0012), are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract extension to provide nationwide wireless cellular phone service to the Navy. For AT&T, the estimated amount of the extension is $10,000,000. For Sprint-Nextel, the estimated amount of the extension is $10,000,000. For Verizon Wireless, the estimated amount of the extension is $10,000,000. Work is to be performed in various locations in and outside the United States, and is expected to be complete December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This requirement was not awarded through full and open competition. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co., Biloxi, Miss., is being awarded $6,826,767 for firm-fixed-price task order #0003 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62467-05-D-0183) for the construction of an Aerial Port Facility at Keesler Air Force Base. Project includes parking, security fencing, exterior lighting and parking for aerial port material handling vehicles. Project includes all site work, utilities, and fire protection. This facility shall be constructed in accordance with current anti-terrorism/force protection standards. Work will be performed in Biloxi, Miss., and is expected to be completed by December 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
CORRECTION: Defense Logistics Agency contract number SPM500-05-D-BP07, published in news release 679-10 on July 30, 2010, announced an award amount of $180,000,000 in error. The correct award amount is $36,000,000.
Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $450,827,357 contract to provide engineering and manufacturing development phase of the Small Diameter Bomb Increment II (SDB II) program (nomenclature, Guided Bomb Unit-53/B). SDB II is a joint Air Force and Navy program. The SDB II will initially be integrated on the F-15E, F-35B and F-35C aircraft. At this time, $23,500,000 has been obligated. Miniature Munitions, AAC/EBMK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8672-10-C-0002).
United Paradyne Corp., Santa Maria, Calif., was awarded a $44,429,836 contract to provide aerospace support services contract for the following services: unconventional propellants; cryogenics and fuels accountability; personal protective equipment operations; hazardous operation support; fleet management; systems and safety engineering; training, and transient aircraft maintenance/aerospace ground equipment support services. Precision measurement equipment laboratory includes test, calibration, and repair of test measurement diagnostic equipment. At this time, no money has been obligated. 30 CONS/LGCZG, Vandenberg, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA4610-10-C-0008).
Boeing Co., St Louis, Mo., was awarded a $20,327,974 contract modification to provide eight Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) extended user evaluation assets: eight MOP warheads and eight MOP toolkits. The modification will also provide various support items: eight MOP loading adapters; eight carriage and release equipment; 16 separation nuts; 16 fuzes; and four separation nut simulators, with associated proposal preparation charges. At this time, $10,000,000 has been obligated. AAC/EDBK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8681-09-C-0280; P00009).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
General Electric, Cincinnati, Ohio, is being awarded a maximum $12,481,700 firm-fixed-price sole-source contract for turbine controls. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response. The date of performance completion is Feb. 28, 2013. The Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA812209G0001-UN55).
ARMY
Willis Mechanical, Inc., Norcross, Ga., was awarded on Aug. 6 a $12,240,200 firm-fixed-price contract to construct and renovate the second hangar addition at Eastover Army Aviation Support Facility at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, to include base award and six options. Work is to be performed in Eastover, S.C., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 13, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 12 bids received. USPFO for South Carolina, Columbia, S.C., is the contracting activity (W912QG-10-C-0005).
BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration, Austin, Texas, was awarded on Aug. 6 an $11,014,052 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for the acquisition of 390 L-Rod aluminum bar armor kits, associated bracketry required for kit installation, and field service representative support outside the contiguous United States, for the RG-31 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle on the base obligation for this undefinitized modification. Work is to be performed in Austin, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 26, 2010. One bid was solicted with one bid received. TACOM Contracting Center, Detroit Arsenal, Warren, Mich., is the contractign activity (W56HZV-09-C-0311)
Hunter Contracting Co., Gilbert, Ariz., was awarded on Aug. 6 a $10,972,945 firm-fixed-price contract. This project is to construct three inline basins and modifying the inlet on High School Wash at Park Avenue. Work is to be performed in Tucson, Ariz., with an estimated completion date of May 30, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with eight bids received. US Army Engineer District, Los Angeles, Calif., is the contracting activity (W912PL-10-C-0032).
Tarlton Corp., Inc., St Louis, Mo., was awarded on Aug. 6 a $9,675,825 firm-fixed-price contract to install pre-stress rock anchors on east and west wall lock monoliths at Lock and Dam 27 located in Granite City, Ill. Work is to be performed in Granite City, Ill., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 15, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with three bids received. U.S Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, St. Louis, Mo., is the contracting activity (W912P9-10-C-0429)
General Tactical Vehicles, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Aug. 5 a $8,985,020 cost-share contract. This effort is for the design and development of three Joint Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) subconfigurations for Australia in the right hand drive, and the delivery of two JLTV subconfiguration vehicles and one companion trailer for government testing. Work is to be performed in Livonia, Mich. (47 percent); Sterling Heights, Mich. (41 percent); Muskegon, Mich. (9 percent); and South Bend, Ind. (3 percent), with an estimated completion date of May 19, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with seven bids received. TACOM Contracting Center, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-C-0108).
NAVY
Seaward Marine Services, Inc., Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $12,648,498 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for waterborne hull cleaning and associated work to support the director of ocean engineering, supervisor of salvage and diving. The primary purpose of this contract is to provide hull cleaning, hull inspection, and other related ship husbandry services on the underwater portion of Navy, Coast Guard, Army, and Military Sealift Command ships and craft. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $51,175,930. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va. (54 percent); Mayport, Fla. (24 percent); Ingleside, Texas (17 percent); and New London, Conn. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by August 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $50,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-10-D-4170).
AT&T Wireless Services, Hanover, Md. (N00244-05-D-0010); Sprint-Nextel, Lone Tree, Colo. (N00244-05-D-0011); and Verizon Wireless, Laurel, Md. (N00244-05-D-0012), are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract extension to provide nationwide wireless cellular phone service to the Navy. For AT&T, the estimated amount of the extension is $10,000,000. For Sprint-Nextel, the estimated amount of the extension is $10,000,000. For Verizon Wireless, the estimated amount of the extension is $10,000,000. Work is to be performed in various locations in and outside the United States, and is expected to be complete December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This requirement was not awarded through full and open competition. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co., Biloxi, Miss., is being awarded $6,826,767 for firm-fixed-price task order #0003 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62467-05-D-0183) for the construction of an Aerial Port Facility at Keesler Air Force Base. Project includes parking, security fencing, exterior lighting and parking for aerial port material handling vehicles. Project includes all site work, utilities, and fire protection. This facility shall be constructed in accordance with current anti-terrorism/force protection standards. Work will be performed in Biloxi, Miss., and is expected to be completed by December 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
CORRECTION: Defense Logistics Agency contract number SPM500-05-D-BP07, published in news release 679-10 on July 30, 2010, announced an award amount of $180,000,000 in error. The correct award amount is $36,000,000.
Joint Forces Command Responds to Gates Announcement
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 9, 2010 - U.S. Joint Forces Command officials issued a statement today in response to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' recommendation to eliminate the command and assign its operational functions to other organizations.
Gates announced the recommendation today among a host of other initiatives designed to make the Defense Department more efficient.
Joint Forces Command is the Defense Department's proponent for joint training, doctrine and operations in the military. Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of U.S. Forces Iraq, is slated to become its new commander, replacing Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, who is taking the reins of U.S. Central Command.
Here is the text of the Joint Forces Command statement:
We all will work to carry out the Secretary's decision to disestablish Joint Forces Command. There will be much hard work and analysis in the time ahead and we will do the best we can to provide solid data on which to base decisions.
We have been assured that our work force will receive the best professional career advice and placement assistance available. This assistance begins with tomorrow's visit of Dr. Clifford Stanley, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, to talk with our leadership about the way ahead.
While this decision will understandably cause concern among our work force, we will be diligent to make sure we keep distractions to a minimum and continue to provide the best possible support to the warfighter.
Monday, August 09, 2010
Shoup, Halsey Strengthen Partnership with Canadian Ally
By Lt. Jacquelyn R. Bengfort, USS Shoup Public Affairs
USS SHOUP, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Shoup (DDG 86) and USS Halsey (DDG 97) refueled with the Canadian oiler HMCS Protecteur (AOR 509) while simultaneously receiving stores by helicopter from USNS Ranier (T-AOE 7) Aug. 5.
The replenishment helped Shoup and Halsey continue with Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group's Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) off the coast of Southern California.
The ability to refuel with allied naval forces provides a significant advantage while conducting sustained overseas operations. To prepare for the evolution, Shoup conducted an extensive brief with key personnel from the refueling and navigation teams. Understanding the differences between Protecteur and the oilers Shoup usually works with helped make the event nearly seamless.
"One significant difference was how much closer we had to keep the two ships, sometimes as close as 120 feet," said Ens. Lauren McKinley, a native of Troy, N.Y., one of two conning officers who drove the ship during the replenishment. "The conning officers had to keep cool and alert to help keep everyone focused on the task at hand."
"It was a pleasure working with such skilled mariners," said Lt. j.g. Chris Crazy Bull of San Mateo, Calif., Shoup's other conning officer for the exercise. "We hope for the opportunity to work with Protecteur again."
Shoup is currently off the Pacific Coast participating in the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group's COMPTUEX.
USS SHOUP, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Shoup (DDG 86) and USS Halsey (DDG 97) refueled with the Canadian oiler HMCS Protecteur (AOR 509) while simultaneously receiving stores by helicopter from USNS Ranier (T-AOE 7) Aug. 5.
The replenishment helped Shoup and Halsey continue with Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group's Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) off the coast of Southern California.
The ability to refuel with allied naval forces provides a significant advantage while conducting sustained overseas operations. To prepare for the evolution, Shoup conducted an extensive brief with key personnel from the refueling and navigation teams. Understanding the differences between Protecteur and the oilers Shoup usually works with helped make the event nearly seamless.
"One significant difference was how much closer we had to keep the two ships, sometimes as close as 120 feet," said Ens. Lauren McKinley, a native of Troy, N.Y., one of two conning officers who drove the ship during the replenishment. "The conning officers had to keep cool and alert to help keep everyone focused on the task at hand."
"It was a pleasure working with such skilled mariners," said Lt. j.g. Chris Crazy Bull of San Mateo, Calif., Shoup's other conning officer for the exercise. "We hope for the opportunity to work with Protecteur again."
Shoup is currently off the Pacific Coast participating in the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group's COMPTUEX.
Gulf Patrol: CGC DECISIVE
CGC DECISIVE has been on the scene of the Deepwater Horizon for the past two weeks. The patrol has been a rewarding one despite the circumstances of the tragedy. For many of the crew, it is an opportunity to contribute to the cleanup of the waters they grew up on.
Serving as a large operational asset on scene during the response, we have hosted many reporters. This has afforded us the opportunity to provide people around the Gulf and around the country with a glimpse into the life of a Coast Guardsman (or woman in my case) and to demonstrate just how much we care about this mission.
As we conduct our mission – search and rescue guard for on scene workers and aircraft, and hurricane guard in the event an evacuation is ordered, media from around the country have landed on our flight deck. In just 24 short hours, NBC 33 from Baton Rouge, LA, learned first hand what the Coast Guard and the men and women of DECISIVE are all about. We are from the Gulf, live on the Gulf and are committed to doing all we can to help restore the Gulf.
I thought I’d share some of those stories with you to give you a glimpse of life aboard DECISIVE during the response.
From Honor Guard to oil spill
As we head back out to patrol the well site after a couple of days to refit, we reflect on time spent bringing stories of the biggest environmental response in our nation’s history to our neighbors – many of whom are out of work and in some cases out of patience. We told them what we saw out there and promised to do everything we can to support the mission when we get back on scene.
We hope the media coverage of our mission has made the surreal events of the past couple of months real for folks around the country, but we also see it as an opportunity to remind the residents of the Gulf that we live among you. Our families and children look forward to fishing the Gulf, enjoying its beaches, and most of all seeing the promise of restoring the Gulf become reality.
ENS Andrea Psimer
CGC DECISIVE
USS Russell Returns to Pearl Harbor from Seven-Month Deployment
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Robert Stirrup, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs
PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after a scheduled seven-month deployment in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet Areas of Responsibilities (AOR) Aug. 6.
Russell deployed under the Middle Pacific Surface Combatant deployment concept, in which Pearl Harbor-based ships deploy in support of operations in the Middle East and western Pacific.
Russell also conducted integrated operations in conjunction with coalition partners, and with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group.
"While on deployment we operated mainly in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOR protecting oil platforms," said Cmdr. Rodney Patton, commanding officer of Russell. "On our way home we conducted operations with the Malaysian Navy, and we stopped in Japan to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Japan-U.S. alliance."
Patton also spoke about how well the more than 200 Russell Sailors performed on the deployment.
"I could not have asked of anything more from the ship and the crew. It was an outstanding performance," said Patton. "We were on station each and every day, and we never missed any tasking."
Friends and families of Russell Sailors lined the pier as they waited for the ship to arrive.
"I really haven't seen my husband that much this year because the ship has been deployed for a while now," said the wife of a Russell Sailor. "I'm just really happy to see him and be able to spend some extended time with him."
Sailors were happy to be home as they walked off the ship to be greeted by their families.
"It was a long deployment and it feels great to be back here in Hawaii," said Operations Specialist 2nd Class Tommy Nickerson. "I think we did a great job on the deployment, and I want to thank everyone who was involved for the support."
Guided-missile destroyers like Russell provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities and can operate independently or as part of carrier battle groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups and underway replenishment groups.
PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after a scheduled seven-month deployment in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet Areas of Responsibilities (AOR) Aug. 6.
Russell deployed under the Middle Pacific Surface Combatant deployment concept, in which Pearl Harbor-based ships deploy in support of operations in the Middle East and western Pacific.
Russell also conducted integrated operations in conjunction with coalition partners, and with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group.
"While on deployment we operated mainly in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOR protecting oil platforms," said Cmdr. Rodney Patton, commanding officer of Russell. "On our way home we conducted operations with the Malaysian Navy, and we stopped in Japan to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Japan-U.S. alliance."
Patton also spoke about how well the more than 200 Russell Sailors performed on the deployment.
"I could not have asked of anything more from the ship and the crew. It was an outstanding performance," said Patton. "We were on station each and every day, and we never missed any tasking."
Friends and families of Russell Sailors lined the pier as they waited for the ship to arrive.
"I really haven't seen my husband that much this year because the ship has been deployed for a while now," said the wife of a Russell Sailor. "I'm just really happy to see him and be able to spend some extended time with him."
Sailors were happy to be home as they walked off the ship to be greeted by their families.
"It was a long deployment and it feels great to be back here in Hawaii," said Operations Specialist 2nd Class Tommy Nickerson. "I think we did a great job on the deployment, and I want to thank everyone who was involved for the support."
Guided-missile destroyers like Russell provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities and can operate independently or as part of carrier battle groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups and underway replenishment groups.
Military, Civilians Celebrate Seafair Festival
By Mass Communication Specialist Nardel Gervacio, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, Det. Northwest
SEATTLE (NNS) -- Service members, their families and the local Seattle community celebrated the 61st annual Seafair festival at Genesee Park in Seattle Aug. 7-8.
The public interacted with service members from all branches and observed a flight demonstration by the Blue Angels air show and hydroplane races.
"I just watched the Blue Angels flight show, and it was really awesome," said Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Angela Alvarado Leal of Long View, Wash., assigned to Naval Security Force Everett. "I think it's great that there are so many different people here, and how they are all here to honor the men and women in uniform."
For some, the festivity at Genesee Park was a way for the public to see what the military has to offer.
"Seafair festival is great for the whole family and pretty much everyone else, a great place to be in any situation, I really enjoyed the Blue Angels performance " said Timothy Porter of Seattle. "I just saw a tour of the USS Kidd (DDG 100) and the USS Port Royal (CG 73) few days ago also, their great ships and I was very impressed with what I saw."
Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Lan Albright of Clearwater, Wash., assigned to Naval Security Force Everett, said that, although he is a Washington native, this was his first time at Seafair.
"I like it even with the rain; you get to meet a lot of wonderful people," said Albright. "I got to see the Blue Angels, which was a first for me. The whole Seafair experience has been great and I'm enjoying myself."
Seafair 2010 offered a unique opportunity to inform the public of the Navy's capabilities and showcase its armed forces through both personal interaction with service members, flight demonstrations and tours aboard visiting ships Port Royal, Kidd and USS Green Bay (LPD 20).
"The events today have been very entertaining, and there were much more than I thought there would be," said Denise Groon of Federal Way, Wash. "My family and I really enjoyed watching the hydroplanes races and the Blue Angels perform. I also enjoyed seeing military personnel interacting with the civilians."
SEATTLE (NNS) -- Service members, their families and the local Seattle community celebrated the 61st annual Seafair festival at Genesee Park in Seattle Aug. 7-8.
The public interacted with service members from all branches and observed a flight demonstration by the Blue Angels air show and hydroplane races.
"I just watched the Blue Angels flight show, and it was really awesome," said Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Angela Alvarado Leal of Long View, Wash., assigned to Naval Security Force Everett. "I think it's great that there are so many different people here, and how they are all here to honor the men and women in uniform."
For some, the festivity at Genesee Park was a way for the public to see what the military has to offer.
"Seafair festival is great for the whole family and pretty much everyone else, a great place to be in any situation, I really enjoyed the Blue Angels performance " said Timothy Porter of Seattle. "I just saw a tour of the USS Kidd (DDG 100) and the USS Port Royal (CG 73) few days ago also, their great ships and I was very impressed with what I saw."
Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Lan Albright of Clearwater, Wash., assigned to Naval Security Force Everett, said that, although he is a Washington native, this was his first time at Seafair.
"I like it even with the rain; you get to meet a lot of wonderful people," said Albright. "I got to see the Blue Angels, which was a first for me. The whole Seafair experience has been great and I'm enjoying myself."
Seafair 2010 offered a unique opportunity to inform the public of the Navy's capabilities and showcase its armed forces through both personal interaction with service members, flight demonstrations and tours aboard visiting ships Port Royal, Kidd and USS Green Bay (LPD 20).
"The events today have been very entertaining, and there were much more than I thought there would be," said Denise Groon of Federal Way, Wash. "My family and I really enjoyed watching the hydroplanes races and the Blue Angels perform. I also enjoyed seeing military personnel interacting with the civilians."
Deputy Navy Surgeon General Retires after 42 Years of Service
From Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs
BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- After 42 years of service in the U.S. Navy, the deputy Navy surgeon general retired during an official ceremony held at the National Naval Medical Center Aug. 6.
Rear Adm. Thomas Cullison said the Navy provided him many opportunities during his more than four decades of service.
"It's been a tremendous ride," said Cullison. "I've always tried to focus on doing the right thing for our men and women in uniform and their families. I hope that I've been able to leave the service just a little better than when I was commissioned."
"During his time in uniform, he has served in everything from the riverines to submarines to the Marines," said Navy Surgeon General Adam M. Robinson, Jr. during his keynote speech at the ceremony. "Tom Cullison has served is a hero who evokes admiration and respect for all he has worked with throughout his career."
A native of Plymouth, Ind., Cullison graduated from Hanover College and received his commission through Officer Candidate School in 1968. He earned his medical degree in 1979 from the Indiana University School of Medicine. After completing a surgical internship and orthopedic surgery residency at the Naval Medical Center San Diego, he reported to Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton in 1984, where he served as the Chief of Orthopedic Surgery in 1986.
Cullison held several positions while stationed at Naval Medical Center, San Diego, from 1987-95 including assistant chairman of orthopedic surgery, director of Sports Medicine Service, surgeon general specialty leader for orthopedic surgery, and director of Surgical Services.
He served as deputy commander, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Va., from 1995-98, commanding officer, Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune from 1998-2001, and fleet surgeon, U.S. Pacific Fleet from 2001-03 and command surgeon, U.S. Pacific Command, from 2003-04. Medical officer of the Marine Corps from 2004-2005. He served as Commander, Navy Medicine East, commander, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth from 2005-2007. Has he been deputy surgeon general since 2007.
Cullison had many significant accomplishments during his tenure as the deputy surgeon general including overseeing noteworthy improvements to the electronic health records program and managing the complex logistics requirements for fielding the Navy medicine response to the humanitarian response mission to Haiti after a 7.0 earthquake killed more than 230,000 people in January 2010.
In less than 76 hours, Cullison coordinated the identification and transportation of more than 1,000 Navy medical personnel from Navy hospitals throughout the United States to Haiti to provide a cornerstone of the U.S. humanitarian assistance mission.
"Providing quality healthcare to our people around the world, as well as, helping those in need has been very satisfying," said Cullison. "I believe the mark of success is to continue to try your best, no matter the situation or condition you are confronted with."
Cullison's personal awards include the Legion of Merit with three gold stars, Bronze Star with Combat V, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon.
Cullison will be retiring to North Carolina with his wife, Marilyn who is a registered nurse. The couple has four daughters, a son, and five grandchildren.
BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- After 42 years of service in the U.S. Navy, the deputy Navy surgeon general retired during an official ceremony held at the National Naval Medical Center Aug. 6.
Rear Adm. Thomas Cullison said the Navy provided him many opportunities during his more than four decades of service.
"It's been a tremendous ride," said Cullison. "I've always tried to focus on doing the right thing for our men and women in uniform and their families. I hope that I've been able to leave the service just a little better than when I was commissioned."
"During his time in uniform, he has served in everything from the riverines to submarines to the Marines," said Navy Surgeon General Adam M. Robinson, Jr. during his keynote speech at the ceremony. "Tom Cullison has served is a hero who evokes admiration and respect for all he has worked with throughout his career."
A native of Plymouth, Ind., Cullison graduated from Hanover College and received his commission through Officer Candidate School in 1968. He earned his medical degree in 1979 from the Indiana University School of Medicine. After completing a surgical internship and orthopedic surgery residency at the Naval Medical Center San Diego, he reported to Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton in 1984, where he served as the Chief of Orthopedic Surgery in 1986.
Cullison held several positions while stationed at Naval Medical Center, San Diego, from 1987-95 including assistant chairman of orthopedic surgery, director of Sports Medicine Service, surgeon general specialty leader for orthopedic surgery, and director of Surgical Services.
He served as deputy commander, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Va., from 1995-98, commanding officer, Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune from 1998-2001, and fleet surgeon, U.S. Pacific Fleet from 2001-03 and command surgeon, U.S. Pacific Command, from 2003-04. Medical officer of the Marine Corps from 2004-2005. He served as Commander, Navy Medicine East, commander, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth from 2005-2007. Has he been deputy surgeon general since 2007.
Cullison had many significant accomplishments during his tenure as the deputy surgeon general including overseeing noteworthy improvements to the electronic health records program and managing the complex logistics requirements for fielding the Navy medicine response to the humanitarian response mission to Haiti after a 7.0 earthquake killed more than 230,000 people in January 2010.
In less than 76 hours, Cullison coordinated the identification and transportation of more than 1,000 Navy medical personnel from Navy hospitals throughout the United States to Haiti to provide a cornerstone of the U.S. humanitarian assistance mission.
"Providing quality healthcare to our people around the world, as well as, helping those in need has been very satisfying," said Cullison. "I believe the mark of success is to continue to try your best, no matter the situation or condition you are confronted with."
Cullison's personal awards include the Legion of Merit with three gold stars, Bronze Star with Combat V, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon.
Cullison will be retiring to North Carolina with his wife, Marilyn who is a registered nurse. The couple has four daughters, a son, and five grandchildren.
Obama Calls Gates Announcement 'Step Forward in Reform'
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 9, 2010 - President Barack Obama today called Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' announcement concerning Pentagon efficiency initiatives "another step forward in the reform efforts he has undertaken to reduce excess overhead costs, cut waste, and reform the way the Pentagon does business."
In a written statement, Obama added that the initiatives "will ensure that our nation is safer, stronger, and more fiscally responsible."
Here is the complete text of the president's statement:
Today, Secretary Gates advanced our effort to invest in the defense capabilities that we need in the 21st century, while being responsible and accountable in spending taxpayer dollars.
I have long said that we need to change the way that Washington works so that it works better for the American people. That's why we undertook the Accountable Government Initiative -- to make government more open and responsive to the American public, and to cut waste and inefficiencies that squander the people's hard-earned money. This effort is particularly important when it comes to our national defense, since waste and inefficiency there detracts from our efforts to focus resources on serving our men and women in uniform, and to invest in the future capabilities we need.
Today's announcement by Secretary Gates is another step forward in the reform efforts he has undertaken to reduce excess overhead costs, cut waste, and reform the way the Pentagon does business. The funds saved will help us sustain the current force structure and make needed investments in modernization in a fiscally responsible way. Change is never easy, and I applaud Secretary Gates and his team for undertaking this critical effort to support our men and women in uniform and strengthen our national security. These reforms will ensure that our nation is safer, stronger, and more fiscally responsible.
Aug. 9, 2010 - President Barack Obama today called Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' announcement concerning Pentagon efficiency initiatives "another step forward in the reform efforts he has undertaken to reduce excess overhead costs, cut waste, and reform the way the Pentagon does business."
In a written statement, Obama added that the initiatives "will ensure that our nation is safer, stronger, and more fiscally responsible."
Here is the complete text of the president's statement:
Today, Secretary Gates advanced our effort to invest in the defense capabilities that we need in the 21st century, while being responsible and accountable in spending taxpayer dollars.
I have long said that we need to change the way that Washington works so that it works better for the American people. That's why we undertook the Accountable Government Initiative -- to make government more open and responsive to the American public, and to cut waste and inefficiencies that squander the people's hard-earned money. This effort is particularly important when it comes to our national defense, since waste and inefficiency there detracts from our efforts to focus resources on serving our men and women in uniform, and to invest in the future capabilities we need.
Today's announcement by Secretary Gates is another step forward in the reform efforts he has undertaken to reduce excess overhead costs, cut waste, and reform the way the Pentagon does business. The funds saved will help us sustain the current force structure and make needed investments in modernization in a fiscally responsible way. Change is never easy, and I applaud Secretary Gates and his team for undertaking this critical effort to support our men and women in uniform and strengthen our national security. These reforms will ensure that our nation is safer, stronger, and more fiscally responsible.
Gates Strives to Change Pentagon's Culture
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 9, 2010 - The initiative to reduce Defense Department overhead and to eliminate duplicative capabilities is part of a larger thrust to change the culture of the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
The department must be more frugal with the taxpayers' money and must put what money it gets to the best use, the secretary said. Gates announced efforts that will freeze civilian hires, cut contract payments, reduce the number of general officers, flag officers and senior civilians, and eliminate two Defense Department offices and U.S. Joint Forces Command.
"My hope and expectation is that the efforts we have launched will lead to the kind of cultural changes that over time become a part of the department's DNA and institutional memory," Gates said during a news conference today announcing the initiatives.
The secretary said his greatest fear is that Americans – all affected by the tough economic times – will look at the defense budget as a cash cow for other parts of government. "My responsibility to the president and to the Congress is to present them with a program that I believe is necessary to defend this nation," he said.
As he looks around, Gates said, he sees an unstable world with more failed and failing states such as Somalia and more rogue countries such as Iran and North Korea. He also sees countries that are investing heavily in their militaries, and new kinds of threats – such as cyber attacks, increasingly accurate cruise and ballistic missile – are emerging.
"My greatest worry is that we will do to the defense budget what we have done four times before, and that is slash it in an effort to find some kind of a dividend to put the money someplace else," he said. "I think that would be disastrous in the world environment we see today and what we're likely to see in the years to come." The United States slashed its defense budget after World War II, Korea, Vietnam and at the end of the Cold War.
"If you were to graph the defense budget going back the last 40 or 50 years, it would look like the EKG of a fibrillating heart," he said. "What we need is modest, sustainable growth over a prolonged period of time that allows us to make sensible investment decisions, and not have these giant increases and giant decreases that make efficiency and doing acquisition in a sensible way almost impossible."
The effort to find savings in the department not only is the right thing to do, but also is a way to make a "persuasive case to the Congress, and through them to the American people, that we are spending tax dollars wisely in the Department of Defense and in areas where they would like to see it spent," Gates said. "And that is in capabilities and in our force structure and investment for the future, as well as our troops."
The only way the department can make such a persuasive case is if it tackles poor acquisition practices, poor business practices, excessive reliance on contractors, waste and abuse, Gates said.
"We need to be able to show that we are actually doing something about these programs in a systematic way that affects every part of the department," he said. "I think under those circumstances, we have a pretty good opportunity to make our case."
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 9, 2010 - The initiative to reduce Defense Department overhead and to eliminate duplicative capabilities is part of a larger thrust to change the culture of the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
The department must be more frugal with the taxpayers' money and must put what money it gets to the best use, the secretary said. Gates announced efforts that will freeze civilian hires, cut contract payments, reduce the number of general officers, flag officers and senior civilians, and eliminate two Defense Department offices and U.S. Joint Forces Command.
"My hope and expectation is that the efforts we have launched will lead to the kind of cultural changes that over time become a part of the department's DNA and institutional memory," Gates said during a news conference today announcing the initiatives.
The secretary said his greatest fear is that Americans – all affected by the tough economic times – will look at the defense budget as a cash cow for other parts of government. "My responsibility to the president and to the Congress is to present them with a program that I believe is necessary to defend this nation," he said.
As he looks around, Gates said, he sees an unstable world with more failed and failing states such as Somalia and more rogue countries such as Iran and North Korea. He also sees countries that are investing heavily in their militaries, and new kinds of threats – such as cyber attacks, increasingly accurate cruise and ballistic missile – are emerging.
"My greatest worry is that we will do to the defense budget what we have done four times before, and that is slash it in an effort to find some kind of a dividend to put the money someplace else," he said. "I think that would be disastrous in the world environment we see today and what we're likely to see in the years to come." The United States slashed its defense budget after World War II, Korea, Vietnam and at the end of the Cold War.
"If you were to graph the defense budget going back the last 40 or 50 years, it would look like the EKG of a fibrillating heart," he said. "What we need is modest, sustainable growth over a prolonged period of time that allows us to make sensible investment decisions, and not have these giant increases and giant decreases that make efficiency and doing acquisition in a sensible way almost impossible."
The effort to find savings in the department not only is the right thing to do, but also is a way to make a "persuasive case to the Congress, and through them to the American people, that we are spending tax dollars wisely in the Department of Defense and in areas where they would like to see it spent," Gates said. "And that is in capabilities and in our force structure and investment for the future, as well as our troops."
The only way the department can make such a persuasive case is if it tackles poor acquisition practices, poor business practices, excessive reliance on contractors, waste and abuse, Gates said.
"We need to be able to show that we are actually doing something about these programs in a systematic way that affects every part of the department," he said. "I think under those circumstances, we have a pretty good opportunity to make our case."
Conformance Testing Begins for Navy's Newest Working Uniforms
By Mass Communication Specialist (SCW/EXW/SW/AW/SG) James G. Pinsky, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Conformance testing of the Navy's newest working uniforms, Navy Working Uniform Types II and III (NWU Type II/III), began July 26 and will last six weeks.
Norfolk will serve as the primary testing location for 150 Sailors, with smaller groups testing the uniform in Tampa Bay and San Diego.
The NWU family of uniforms is intended to replace multiple and less capable legacy uniforms, reduce the Navy's total ownership costs, modernize the warfighter, and complete the vision of Task Force Uniform. As such, these two new uniforms in the NWU series have been developed for use in the tactical expeditionary mission of today's Navy, tailored for desert and woodland environments.
"The NWU Type II/III approval is a culmination of a four-year effort comprising all of the expeditionary stakeholders, ensuring we capture the true operational requirements our Sailors' need to succeed on the battlefield," said Master Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Robert McCue, NWU Type II/III Conformance Test Monitor. "They provide unmatched capabilities to the warfighter enabling tactical advantage and enhancing mission success thus saving lives."
The NWU Type II (desert) uniform will be worn by Navy Special Warfare (NSW) operators and Sailors assigned to NSW units or units which directly support NSW operations. The NWU Type III (woodland) uniform will be the standard camouflage uniform for all personnel, to be worn in non-desert environments, including most stateside areas. The only difference between the two uniforms is the camouflage pattern.
The NWU Type III will replace the existing tri-colored woodland camouflage utility uniform, will be the standard camouflage uniform worn in CONUS, and can be worn while deployed as prescribed by combatant commanders. Occasion for wear of the NWU Type III will be the same as the current woodland camouflage utility uniform per NAVADMIN 188/09.
Commands and Sailors currently authorized to wear the woodland camouflage utility uniform (CUU) will continue to wear the CUU as their primary daily uniform until their transition to the new NWU Type III.
The Chief of Naval Operations' approval of the NWU Type II/III was announced in NAVADMIN 374/09, and Program Management was assigned to Naval Facilities Engineering Command's Expeditionary Programs Office (NEPO).
Norfolk was chosen as the primary testing location due to its heavy Navy population and concentration of expeditionary Sailors who will be primarily wearing the NWU Type II/III.
Norfolk participants will be issued Type III (woodland) uniforms at the Cheatham Annex, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, and the other participants will receive their uniforms on an individual basis. Along with two sets of uniforms, the testers will be given a user handbook, which explains the care and manner of wear of the uniforms. They will maintain a detailed log of their experience regarding the wear and care of their uniform and participate in interviews, focus groups and surveys both during and after the conformance test.
At the completion of the testing, the results will be presented to the chief of naval operations. Contract preparations for the initial production of the NWU Type II/III are underway, with the roll out scheduled to begin in the summer of 2011.
"The conformance testing phase of the uniform is critical to our developmental process because we are focused on the details of refining the uniform for our end-users," said Force Master Chief (SCW) Michael Holdcraft. "How the uniform looks is only a small facet of our design process. We need to know how it wears, if the pockets work in their perspective locations, ease of care and wearing."
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Conformance testing of the Navy's newest working uniforms, Navy Working Uniform Types II and III (NWU Type II/III), began July 26 and will last six weeks.
Norfolk will serve as the primary testing location for 150 Sailors, with smaller groups testing the uniform in Tampa Bay and San Diego.
The NWU family of uniforms is intended to replace multiple and less capable legacy uniforms, reduce the Navy's total ownership costs, modernize the warfighter, and complete the vision of Task Force Uniform. As such, these two new uniforms in the NWU series have been developed for use in the tactical expeditionary mission of today's Navy, tailored for desert and woodland environments.
"The NWU Type II/III approval is a culmination of a four-year effort comprising all of the expeditionary stakeholders, ensuring we capture the true operational requirements our Sailors' need to succeed on the battlefield," said Master Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Robert McCue, NWU Type II/III Conformance Test Monitor. "They provide unmatched capabilities to the warfighter enabling tactical advantage and enhancing mission success thus saving lives."
The NWU Type II (desert) uniform will be worn by Navy Special Warfare (NSW) operators and Sailors assigned to NSW units or units which directly support NSW operations. The NWU Type III (woodland) uniform will be the standard camouflage uniform for all personnel, to be worn in non-desert environments, including most stateside areas. The only difference between the two uniforms is the camouflage pattern.
The NWU Type III will replace the existing tri-colored woodland camouflage utility uniform, will be the standard camouflage uniform worn in CONUS, and can be worn while deployed as prescribed by combatant commanders. Occasion for wear of the NWU Type III will be the same as the current woodland camouflage utility uniform per NAVADMIN 188/09.
Commands and Sailors currently authorized to wear the woodland camouflage utility uniform (CUU) will continue to wear the CUU as their primary daily uniform until their transition to the new NWU Type III.
The Chief of Naval Operations' approval of the NWU Type II/III was announced in NAVADMIN 374/09, and Program Management was assigned to Naval Facilities Engineering Command's Expeditionary Programs Office (NEPO).
Norfolk was chosen as the primary testing location due to its heavy Navy population and concentration of expeditionary Sailors who will be primarily wearing the NWU Type II/III.
Norfolk participants will be issued Type III (woodland) uniforms at the Cheatham Annex, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, and the other participants will receive their uniforms on an individual basis. Along with two sets of uniforms, the testers will be given a user handbook, which explains the care and manner of wear of the uniforms. They will maintain a detailed log of their experience regarding the wear and care of their uniform and participate in interviews, focus groups and surveys both during and after the conformance test.
At the completion of the testing, the results will be presented to the chief of naval operations. Contract preparations for the initial production of the NWU Type II/III are underway, with the roll out scheduled to begin in the summer of 2011.
"The conformance testing phase of the uniform is critical to our developmental process because we are focused on the details of refining the uniform for our end-users," said Force Master Chief (SCW) Michael Holdcraft. "How the uniform looks is only a small facet of our design process. We need to know how it wears, if the pockets work in their perspective locations, ease of care and wearing."
Special Duty Assignment Pay Deadlines Approach
From Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs
MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- Approximately 8,000 Sailors were impacted by revisions to the Special Duty Assignment Pay (SDAP) and the deadline for certification is Aug. 31.
While the revisions adjust SDAP levels for active and Reserve component full-time support (FTS) Sailors, the majority of SDAP pay remains unchanged from 2009.
"This process is critical to ensure that the Navy is accurately compensating Sailors for serving in uniquely challenging assignments," said Operations Specialist 1st Class (SW) Ace Sutton, Navy Personnel Command (NPC) Career Progression SDAP program manager. "Out of 133 line items, one single-level line item was deleted, one single line item was reduced. Twelve single line items were increased and 199 remain unchanged."
According to NAVADMIN 234/10, commanding officers are required to annually review and certify each Sailor's SDAP entitlement and that review is due by Aug. 31.
"Commands and Personnel Support Detachments are responsible for verifying each member is still eligible to receive SDAP and that each member is receiving the correct level," Sutton said. "Once the command has verified that everything is correct, they must submit their verification, signed by the commanding officer or officer-in-charge only to NPC's Active Enlisted Advancement/Conversions/Incentive Section (PERS-811). Failure to submit the annual recertification on time will result in the command having their members' SDAP shut off."
More than 26,000 Sailors receive SDAP each month. Those whose entitlements will be eliminated will receive half of their previous SDAP entitlement for 12 months, or until the Sailor completes their current tour, whichever comes first.
For more information on SDAP, visit www.npc.navy.mil, click on "Messages" and read NAVADMINs 230/10 and 234/10.
MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- Approximately 8,000 Sailors were impacted by revisions to the Special Duty Assignment Pay (SDAP) and the deadline for certification is Aug. 31.
While the revisions adjust SDAP levels for active and Reserve component full-time support (FTS) Sailors, the majority of SDAP pay remains unchanged from 2009.
"This process is critical to ensure that the Navy is accurately compensating Sailors for serving in uniquely challenging assignments," said Operations Specialist 1st Class (SW) Ace Sutton, Navy Personnel Command (NPC) Career Progression SDAP program manager. "Out of 133 line items, one single-level line item was deleted, one single line item was reduced. Twelve single line items were increased and 199 remain unchanged."
According to NAVADMIN 234/10, commanding officers are required to annually review and certify each Sailor's SDAP entitlement and that review is due by Aug. 31.
"Commands and Personnel Support Detachments are responsible for verifying each member is still eligible to receive SDAP and that each member is receiving the correct level," Sutton said. "Once the command has verified that everything is correct, they must submit their verification, signed by the commanding officer or officer-in-charge only to NPC's Active Enlisted Advancement/Conversions/Incentive Section (PERS-811). Failure to submit the annual recertification on time will result in the command having their members' SDAP shut off."
More than 26,000 Sailors receive SDAP each month. Those whose entitlements will be eliminated will receive half of their previous SDAP entitlement for 12 months, or until the Sailor completes their current tour, whichever comes first.
For more information on SDAP, visit www.npc.navy.mil, click on "Messages" and read NAVADMINs 230/10 and 234/10.
Alaska’s battle aboard the black hulls
Monday, August 9, 2010
by: LTJG Stephanie Young
For Alaska’s Coast Guard buoy tenders participating in the buoy tender roundup, this past week has been one of intense training and exercises. But, along with the imperative training, there was camaraderie and fellowship. One such team building event, that is also a highlight of the week long assembly, is the Buoy Tender Olympics.
The buoy tenders, or “black hulls” as they are commonly referred to because of their distinctive black hull paint, contended in five events dating back to a tradition that started in Kodiak, Alaska in 1982.
The “boom spot” is a game of accuracy in which a crane operator tries to place a water-filled 5-gallon bucket, hanging from the ship’s boom, on a 1-foot by 1-foot “x” taped on the deck. Another event is more about brut strength where a team of 5 people compete in the “chain drag” pulling a buoy chain weighing 2,000 pounds 30 yards. Focusing again on strength, the crews compete in a traditional tug-of-war challenge with 10 crewmembers on each side. Exhibiting their endurance, the crewmembers must then compete in a 60-yard swim in the icy 55-degree water wearing their survival gear, such as an immersion suit. The crews are then asked to race time in the final event, the “heat and beat,” in which crewmembers join two lengths of steel chain together by heating a thick stainless steel pin with a torch and then flattening the heated steel with sledgehammers.
“It’s good to see our training and the hard work we put in everyday translate into being the winners of the roundup,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam Season, a Boatswain’s Mate aboard Hickory. “It’s great to have won three of the last four buoy tender roundups especially when competing with such an elite group of buoy tenders.”
Training and camaraderie aboard the black hulls is vital due to their significance to Alaska’s coast. Collectively, the buoy tenders service 1,250 navigational aids along 33,000 miles of coastline while still supporting search and rescue, oil spill response, law enforcement, homeland security and ice breaking missions.
The five buoy tenders that participated were CGC Hickory homeported in Homer, CGC SPAR homeported in Kodiak, CGC Maple homeported in Sitka, CGC Anthony Petit homeported in Ketchikan and CGC Elderberry homeported in Petersburg. CGC Sycamore, homeported in Cordova, was unable to attend due to the crews deployment to the Gulf of Mexico supporting efforts for the Deepwater Horizon response.
by: LTJG Stephanie Young
For Alaska’s Coast Guard buoy tenders participating in the buoy tender roundup, this past week has been one of intense training and exercises. But, along with the imperative training, there was camaraderie and fellowship. One such team building event, that is also a highlight of the week long assembly, is the Buoy Tender Olympics.
The buoy tenders, or “black hulls” as they are commonly referred to because of their distinctive black hull paint, contended in five events dating back to a tradition that started in Kodiak, Alaska in 1982.
The “boom spot” is a game of accuracy in which a crane operator tries to place a water-filled 5-gallon bucket, hanging from the ship’s boom, on a 1-foot by 1-foot “x” taped on the deck. Another event is more about brut strength where a team of 5 people compete in the “chain drag” pulling a buoy chain weighing 2,000 pounds 30 yards. Focusing again on strength, the crews compete in a traditional tug-of-war challenge with 10 crewmembers on each side. Exhibiting their endurance, the crewmembers must then compete in a 60-yard swim in the icy 55-degree water wearing their survival gear, such as an immersion suit. The crews are then asked to race time in the final event, the “heat and beat,” in which crewmembers join two lengths of steel chain together by heating a thick stainless steel pin with a torch and then flattening the heated steel with sledgehammers.
“It’s good to see our training and the hard work we put in everyday translate into being the winners of the roundup,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam Season, a Boatswain’s Mate aboard Hickory. “It’s great to have won three of the last four buoy tender roundups especially when competing with such an elite group of buoy tenders.”
Training and camaraderie aboard the black hulls is vital due to their significance to Alaska’s coast. Collectively, the buoy tenders service 1,250 navigational aids along 33,000 miles of coastline while still supporting search and rescue, oil spill response, law enforcement, homeland security and ice breaking missions.
The five buoy tenders that participated were CGC Hickory homeported in Homer, CGC SPAR homeported in Kodiak, CGC Maple homeported in Sitka, CGC Anthony Petit homeported in Ketchikan and CGC Elderberry homeported in Petersburg. CGC Sycamore, homeported in Cordova, was unable to attend due to the crews deployment to the Gulf of Mexico supporting efforts for the Deepwater Horizon response.
Guard Official Describes Southwest Border Mission Buildup
By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
National Guard Bureau
Aug. 9, 2010 - The National Guard has a long history of supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection efforts along the Southwest border, and it looks forward to the current support mission, the National Guard Bureau's director of communications told participants in a "DoD Live" bloggers roundtable Aug. 6.
Defense and Homeland Security officials announced last month that up to 1,200 Guardsmen would augment U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. In the bloggers roundtable, Jack Harrison said he wanted to discuss the sometimes-inaccurate reporting about the incremental deployment of those Guard members.
Harrison emphasized that the deployment plan is "incremental," with each state providing its own soldiers and airmen. The states also will retain the command and control of the Guardsmen under the governor and adjutant general, he added.
"During the next 60 to 90 days, we anticipate that those states will get [Guard members] on the mission, and they will be doing the support that [the Homeland Security Department] has requested of them," he said.
Training and vetting times always are built into the incremental deployment process, Harrison said, to conform with Customs and Border Protection requirements. The Guard is following the plan as it was agreed to by Defense and Homeland Security officials, he said, and is not missing any deadlines.
"We are uniquely suited to do this mission," he said. "We are implementing the plan agreed to, ... and everything is moving according to that plan, ... allowing our soldiers and airmen to be properly trained and vetted and brought on to the mission."
After cycling through the requisite training, up to 1,200 soldiers and airmen will work primarily in one of two specialties: entry identification or criminal investigative analysis, Harrison said.
National Guard Bureau
Aug. 9, 2010 - The National Guard has a long history of supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection efforts along the Southwest border, and it looks forward to the current support mission, the National Guard Bureau's director of communications told participants in a "DoD Live" bloggers roundtable Aug. 6.
Defense and Homeland Security officials announced last month that up to 1,200 Guardsmen would augment U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. In the bloggers roundtable, Jack Harrison said he wanted to discuss the sometimes-inaccurate reporting about the incremental deployment of those Guard members.
Harrison emphasized that the deployment plan is "incremental," with each state providing its own soldiers and airmen. The states also will retain the command and control of the Guardsmen under the governor and adjutant general, he added.
"During the next 60 to 90 days, we anticipate that those states will get [Guard members] on the mission, and they will be doing the support that [the Homeland Security Department] has requested of them," he said.
Training and vetting times always are built into the incremental deployment process, Harrison said, to conform with Customs and Border Protection requirements. The Guard is following the plan as it was agreed to by Defense and Homeland Security officials, he said, and is not missing any deadlines.
"We are uniquely suited to do this mission," he said. "We are implementing the plan agreed to, ... and everything is moving according to that plan, ... allowing our soldiers and airmen to be properly trained and vetted and brought on to the mission."
After cycling through the requisite training, up to 1,200 soldiers and airmen will work primarily in one of two specialties: entry identification or criminal investigative analysis, Harrison said.
MILITARY SUPPORT CHARITIES PARTNER FOR MILITARY KIDS
Date: August 9, 2010
Media Inquiries: Aaron L. Taylor, Public Relations Manager
Email: Aaron.Taylor@OperationHomefront.net
Phone: 240-403-7294
Military Child Education Coalition and Operation Homefront Sending Kids Back to School
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) and Operation Homefront, two national nonprofits, are entering into a partnership to better serve military families sending their kids back to school.
Operation Homefront’s Back-to-School Brigade program will provide backpacks with school supplies to almost 25,000 military kids around the country. The Military Child Education Coalition is providing materials for parents to be distributed at Ft. Hood and NASJRB-Ft. Worth in Texas August 13 and 14. The two organizations expect to expand the partnership nationwide in 2011.
“This is a great example of how nonprofits can work together to better serve our military families,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of Operation Homefront. “Operation Homefront already had the backpack distribution in place. MCEC has subject-matter expertise and materials for military parents and kids. Working together, we can provide even more value to the families through existing events.”
Dr. Dave Splitek, MCEC VP of Programs added,“Beyond the donated school supplies, which save our military families money, the MCEC materials give the families something that is invaluable – knowledge to help their students be more successful.”
About Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors. A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers across 23 chapters and has met more than 267,000 needs since 2002. A four-star rated charity by watchdog Charity Navigator, nationally, $.95 of total revenue donated to Operation Homefront goes to programs. More information is available at http://www.operationhomefront.net/
About Military Child Education Coalition
The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, world-wide organization. A model of positive leadership and advocacy, the MCEC’s work is focused on ensuring quality educational opportunities for all military-connected children affected by mobility, family separation, and transition. The MCEC performs research, develops resources, conducts professional institutes and conferences, and publishes resources for all constituencies.
Media Inquiries: Aaron L. Taylor, Public Relations Manager
Email: Aaron.Taylor@OperationHomefront.net
Phone: 240-403-7294
Military Child Education Coalition and Operation Homefront Sending Kids Back to School
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) and Operation Homefront, two national nonprofits, are entering into a partnership to better serve military families sending their kids back to school.
Operation Homefront’s Back-to-School Brigade program will provide backpacks with school supplies to almost 25,000 military kids around the country. The Military Child Education Coalition is providing materials for parents to be distributed at Ft. Hood and NASJRB-Ft. Worth in Texas August 13 and 14. The two organizations expect to expand the partnership nationwide in 2011.
“This is a great example of how nonprofits can work together to better serve our military families,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of Operation Homefront. “Operation Homefront already had the backpack distribution in place. MCEC has subject-matter expertise and materials for military parents and kids. Working together, we can provide even more value to the families through existing events.”
Dr. Dave Splitek, MCEC VP of Programs added,“Beyond the donated school supplies, which save our military families money, the MCEC materials give the families something that is invaluable – knowledge to help their students be more successful.”
About Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors. A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers across 23 chapters and has met more than 267,000 needs since 2002. A four-star rated charity by watchdog Charity Navigator, nationally, $.95 of total revenue donated to Operation Homefront goes to programs. More information is available at http://www.operationhomefront.net/
About Military Child Education Coalition
The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, world-wide organization. A model of positive leadership and advocacy, the MCEC’s work is focused on ensuring quality educational opportunities for all military-connected children affected by mobility, family separation, and transition. The MCEC performs research, develops resources, conducts professional institutes and conferences, and publishes resources for all constituencies.
Grand Haven National Memorial Service
Written by: CDR Glynn Smith
The seven crew members aboard Coast Guard aircraft 1705 when it was lost during a search and rescue case in 2009 and a petty officer lost while conducting a dive in 2004 were formally remembered during a National Memorial Service at Escanaba Park in Grand Haven, MI, Friday. Family members of the fallen, Coast Guard personnel, Canadian representatives and the citizens of Grand Haven were in attendance to pay tribute.
“It is my duty and privilege to represent the entire Coast Guard family as we assemble to memorialize those who have given the ultimate sacrifice while performing their duties,” said Adm. Bob Papp, commandant, U.S. Coast Guard. “Of all the events that we face in life, the loss of a husband, a father, a brother, a son or shipmate is one of the most difficult to accept or comprehend.”
Those remembered during the service included Lt. Cmdr. Che Barnes, Lt. Adam Bryant, Chief Petty Officer John Seidman, Petty Officer 2nd Class Carl Grigonis, Petty Officer 2nd Class Monica Beacham, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Moletzsky, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Danny Kreder, from the 1705 accident, and Petty Officer 1st Class Mark Mueller from the diving accident. The three air crew members lost recently in the Coast Guard helicopter 6017, LCDR Sean Krueger, AMT1 Adam Hoke and AMT2 Brett Banks, were also recognized and will be formally remembered at next year’s National Memorial Service.
“We gather to pay tribute to our lost shipmates, past and present,” said Papp, adding, “The air crew members of 1705, the lost air crew members of 6017, Petty Officer Mueller and all the Coast Guard men and women who have passed on while fulfilling the motto “Semper Paratus”, Always Ready.”
The memorial service dates back to Aug. 4, 1943, when more than 6,000 citizens of Grand Haven first gathered to pay tribute to the 101 lost crewmembers from the Grand Haven based Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba during World War II. The ship was deployed to the North Atlantic for convoy duties when it was sunk during the early morning hours of June 13, 1943. Many of the crew were sons of Grand Haven.
“I know you [citizens of Grand Haven] also share in the anguish of Coast Guard men and women lost in the line of duty,” Papp said.
TAP helps Airmen transition to civilian life
by Erin Tindell
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Airmen planning to separate or retire are encouraged to participate in the Air Force transition assistance program to help them make informed decisions on life after active-duty service.
The Department of Defense partners with the Department of Labor and Veterans Affairs to provide TAP workshops at installations worldwide. TAP workshops are hosted by Airmen and Family Readiness Centers with a goal to provide Airmen the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for a successful transition to civilian life or to service in the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve or another branch of the armed services.
Planning early for separation or retirement is a key part of ensuring that transition is successful, Air Force Personnel Center Airman and Family Readiness officials said.
“Transitioning into the civilian sector can be a challenging process,” said Vonda Ware, Airman and Family Readiness Center program manager. “It's a cultural change, and the sooner the member begins their preparation, the more successful their job search will be.”
Airman and Family Readiness Center’s offer congressionally mandated pre-separation counseling, which should be the first step in preparing for transition. Workshops cover topics such as writing resumes, job search techniques, interview skills and salary negotiations. Airmen and their families are eligible to begin participating in TAP activities two years before a retirement and one year before a separation.
Air Force officials have also ensured procedures are in place to expedite the identification of those affected by force management initiatives as the service continues to reduce its personnel to meet its congressionally mandated end strength.
“Airman and Family Readiness Centers provide one-on-one assistance to all those affected by force management,” Ms. Ware said. “They contact those impacted directly to inform them of services available at home or if deployed, at the Al Udeid Airman Readiness Center.”
Besides helping Airmen transition out of the service, Airman and Family Readiness Centers provide personal financial services, relocation services and readiness programs that assist Airmen and their families throughout the entire military life cycle, including deployments.
For more information about TAP and other services available, contact a local Airman and Family Readiness Center. Additional information on TAP benefits available to those affected by force management can be found on the AFPC personnel services page at https://gum.afpc.randolph.af.mil/
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Airmen planning to separate or retire are encouraged to participate in the Air Force transition assistance program to help them make informed decisions on life after active-duty service.
The Department of Defense partners with the Department of Labor and Veterans Affairs to provide TAP workshops at installations worldwide. TAP workshops are hosted by Airmen and Family Readiness Centers with a goal to provide Airmen the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for a successful transition to civilian life or to service in the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve or another branch of the armed services.
Planning early for separation or retirement is a key part of ensuring that transition is successful, Air Force Personnel Center Airman and Family Readiness officials said.
“Transitioning into the civilian sector can be a challenging process,” said Vonda Ware, Airman and Family Readiness Center program manager. “It's a cultural change, and the sooner the member begins their preparation, the more successful their job search will be.”
Airman and Family Readiness Center’s offer congressionally mandated pre-separation counseling, which should be the first step in preparing for transition. Workshops cover topics such as writing resumes, job search techniques, interview skills and salary negotiations. Airmen and their families are eligible to begin participating in TAP activities two years before a retirement and one year before a separation.
Air Force officials have also ensured procedures are in place to expedite the identification of those affected by force management initiatives as the service continues to reduce its personnel to meet its congressionally mandated end strength.
“Airman and Family Readiness Centers provide one-on-one assistance to all those affected by force management,” Ms. Ware said. “They contact those impacted directly to inform them of services available at home or if deployed, at the Al Udeid Airman Readiness Center.”
Besides helping Airmen transition out of the service, Airman and Family Readiness Centers provide personal financial services, relocation services and readiness programs that assist Airmen and their families throughout the entire military life cycle, including deployments.
For more information about TAP and other services available, contact a local Airman and Family Readiness Center. Additional information on TAP benefits available to those affected by force management can be found on the AFPC personnel services page at https://gum.afpc.randolph.af.mil/
Air Force to release staff sergeant promotion list
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Air Force officials selected 13,518 of 28,510 eligible senior airmen for promotion to staff sergeant for a selection rate of 47.41 percent.
The average score for those selected was 282.88, with an average time in grade of 1.97 years and an average time in service of 4.55 years, respectively. The average score was based on the following point averages: 131.31 for enlisted performance reports, 0.94 for decorations, 71.18 for the promotion fitness examination and 59.08 for the specialty knowledge test.
The staff sergeant promotion list will be released publicly Aug. 19 at 8 a.m. CDT on the Air Force Personnel Center's public website at http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil. Airmen also can access their score notices at the same time on the Virtual Military Personnel Flight and Air Force Portal.
Those selected for staff sergeant will be promoted according to their promotion sequence number beginning in September 2010.
As a reminder, selections are tentative until the data verification process is complete, which is no later than 10 days after the promotion release date. AFPC officials will notify Airmen through their military personnel sections if their selection is in question.
The promotion release using the Web is one of the many technological initiatives AFPC has taken to effectively deliver personnel services, allowing Airmen around the world 24-hour access.
For more information, visit the AFPC public website or contact the 24-hour Total Force Service Center at (800) 525-0102.
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Air Force officials selected 13,518 of 28,510 eligible senior airmen for promotion to staff sergeant for a selection rate of 47.41 percent.
The average score for those selected was 282.88, with an average time in grade of 1.97 years and an average time in service of 4.55 years, respectively. The average score was based on the following point averages: 131.31 for enlisted performance reports, 0.94 for decorations, 71.18 for the promotion fitness examination and 59.08 for the specialty knowledge test.
The staff sergeant promotion list will be released publicly Aug. 19 at 8 a.m. CDT on the Air Force Personnel Center's public website at http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil. Airmen also can access their score notices at the same time on the Virtual Military Personnel Flight and Air Force Portal.
Those selected for staff sergeant will be promoted according to their promotion sequence number beginning in September 2010.
As a reminder, selections are tentative until the data verification process is complete, which is no later than 10 days after the promotion release date. AFPC officials will notify Airmen through their military personnel sections if their selection is in question.
The promotion release using the Web is one of the many technological initiatives AFPC has taken to effectively deliver personnel services, allowing Airmen around the world 24-hour access.
For more information, visit the AFPC public website or contact the 24-hour Total Force Service Center at (800) 525-0102.
Gates Praises Incoming, Outgoing Intel Leaders
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 9, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today presided over a ceremony at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency that put in place the first woman to head a major U.S. intelligence agency.
Gates said Letitia Long's 30 years in engineering and intelligence made her the right choice to lead the agency. Gates chose Long, then deputy director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, in February to head NGA, replacing Navy Vice Adm. Robert Murrett, who served as NGA's director since 2006.
The secretary presented Murrett with the Distinguished Service Medal in a ceremony today at NGA's new headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va.
Gates noted his special interest in NGA. As CIA director in 1992, he wanted to create the agency then, and helped to put the processes in place that led eight federal agencies to become the National Imagery and Mapping agency in 1996, the predecessor to the current NGA.
The impact of NGA on U.S. national security is real, Gates said, "and is making a big difference in the lives of our men and women in uniform."
The NGA has provided a "common operating picture" for operations such as earthquake relief in Haiti and oil cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico, Gates said. Also, he said, the agency is helping officials at all levels of government make informed choices with the most up-to-date equipment and analysis.
"This organization has grown into a critical link in the nation's national intelligence apparatus," Gates said. "To the men and women of NGA, I'm grateful for your service and what you do every day to protect our country."
James R. Clapper Jr., a former NGA director and President Barack Obama's nominee to be the director of national intelligence, also spoke at the ceremony, saying the work of Gates and others in creating the agency "allowed us to collaborate, focus outward, and deploy forward."
That focus and collaboration has made NGA "the world experts at imagery, imagery intelligence and mapping," Clapper said. "We are in so many settings, so many places around the world."
For her part, Long said she is "excited by the opportunity to build on the firm foundation that NGA's four former directors have provided." The agency will continue to build on its partnerships in the military and intelligence communities "to benefit our nation and the warfighters," she said.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 9, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today presided over a ceremony at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency that put in place the first woman to head a major U.S. intelligence agency.
Gates said Letitia Long's 30 years in engineering and intelligence made her the right choice to lead the agency. Gates chose Long, then deputy director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, in February to head NGA, replacing Navy Vice Adm. Robert Murrett, who served as NGA's director since 2006.
The secretary presented Murrett with the Distinguished Service Medal in a ceremony today at NGA's new headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va.
Gates noted his special interest in NGA. As CIA director in 1992, he wanted to create the agency then, and helped to put the processes in place that led eight federal agencies to become the National Imagery and Mapping agency in 1996, the predecessor to the current NGA.
The impact of NGA on U.S. national security is real, Gates said, "and is making a big difference in the lives of our men and women in uniform."
The NGA has provided a "common operating picture" for operations such as earthquake relief in Haiti and oil cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico, Gates said. Also, he said, the agency is helping officials at all levels of government make informed choices with the most up-to-date equipment and analysis.
"This organization has grown into a critical link in the nation's national intelligence apparatus," Gates said. "To the men and women of NGA, I'm grateful for your service and what you do every day to protect our country."
James R. Clapper Jr., a former NGA director and President Barack Obama's nominee to be the director of national intelligence, also spoke at the ceremony, saying the work of Gates and others in creating the agency "allowed us to collaborate, focus outward, and deploy forward."
That focus and collaboration has made NGA "the world experts at imagery, imagery intelligence and mapping," Clapper said. "We are in so many settings, so many places around the world."
For her part, Long said she is "excited by the opportunity to build on the firm foundation that NGA's four former directors have provided." The agency will continue to build on its partnerships in the military and intelligence communities "to benefit our nation and the warfighters," she said.
Recruit Joins Marines to Return Favor
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Aug. 9, 2010 - People have many reasons for joining the Marine Corps. These reasons can include family tradition or a strong desire to serve, but one recruit here joined the Corps because a group of Marines saved his father's life. Marine Corps Pfc. Weldu Aregawi Gebrimichael said he was inspired to join after hearing how a Marine sniper team saved his father's life.
His father, Weldu Aregawi Gebrimichael, was an activist against the communist government in Ethiopia, and was known to have valuable information that could be used to fight them, Gebrimichael said. The communist government had gained a foothold in Ethiopia in the early 1980s after a series of droughts and famines that affected 8 million people and left 1 million dead.
His father fled to Sudan with other activists, but was captured by the Ethiopian government. Later, he was rescued by Marines who were conducting operations in Sudan at the time, said Gebrimichael.
He said his father returned to Ethiopia in 1988, and shortly afterward Gebrimichael was born and given his father's full name, which is an Ethiopian custom.
A short while later, his father moved to the United States for his safety. Gebrimichael grew up in Ethiopia with his mother, never having known his father or hearing the story of the Marines who had save his father's life.
It wasn't until five years ago, at the age of 17, that Gebrimichael was able to come to the United States, sent for by the father he had never met. It was then he learned that his father's life was saved by Marines.
"I knew I wanted to join the Marine Corps as soon as I heard the story about Marines saving my father's life," Gebrimichael said. But first, he chose to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to learn English.
"I will finish college while I am in the Marine Corps, but I stopped for now so I could enlist," he said.
"He shone among his pears because he had a better attitude and was very enthusiastic and motivated," said Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Zachary Taylor, Gebrimichael's drill instructor. "He refused to quit, even when it got hard on him. He did more than exceptionally well on the tests."
Gebrimichael has earned a sharpshooter badge on the rifle range and excelled in his physical fitness test. He finished the 54-hour Crucible, the final task to complete before earning the title of Marine, with his fellow recruits, culminating in a nine-mile hike called the Reaper, on July 29, and then received his eagle, globe and anchor emblem, the symbol of the Marine Corps.
"On the Crucible, he worked hard," Taylor said. "I think he put out max effort. It was exhausting, and he never lagged behind. At the emblem ceremony, he really had earned it."
Sunday, August 08, 2010
USS Iwo Jima Completes Haiti Phase of Continuing Promise 2010
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jennifer Hunt, USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) Public Affairs
PORT DE PAIX, Haiti (NNS) -- USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) departed Haiti Aug. 3 after delivering humanitarian aid for the first phase of Continuing Promise 2010.
Service members, along with members of nongovernment organizations (NGO), provided medical assistance for local Haitians and renovated key structures in various communities.
A large portion of the mission relied heavily on both the ship and embarked medical staff. Two medical sites were arranged on shore and serviced 4,054 patients, while 34 patients came aboard Iwo for surgical care. The embarked veterinary staff also rendered a total 1,212 services.
"We did everything from providing primary and surgical care to preventative medical care and health education," said Capt. Michael Hopkins, Iwo Jima senior medical officer. "It's really about the small things that leave lasting effects. Just giving reading glasses to someone, removing cataracts and restoring the gift of sight, and also trying to improve their quality of life, that's why we were there."
Naval Construction Forces Seabees from Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 202 of Norfolk helped to restore the Northwest Christian Mission building and Immaculate Conception Hospital. A total of 30 Seabees a day, with the help of various community relations project participants and Haitian workers, facilitated structural repairs, roof restorations, bathroom installations and constructed a pavilion over the hospital's outdoor washing area.
"The Mission serves roughly 250 orphans, so it's a huge impact to improve the sanitation within that facility. Building bathrooms right next to the operating room in the hospital allows them to clean and provide facilities for all of the patients," said Lt. j.g. Kelly Stevens, CBMU 202 officer-in-charge. "This is a different world for us, a different mission."
Three community relations projects (COMRELs), with a total of 103 service member volunteers, took place during the Haitian humanitarian assistance in addition to the medical and engineering portions of the mission. Volunteers visited each engineering site to help with beautification projects as well as boosting the morale of nearby locals. During the first COMREL, Lt. Cmdr. John Sears, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF) chaplain, and his volunteers even made balloon animals for children at the Northwest Christian Mission.
"There is so much work to be done," said Iwo Jima Chaplain Cmdr. Timothy Oswald. "We're helping them get something accomplished that would be difficult to complete themselves, but the larger benefit is the interaction with the community. The locals see something run down one day, and they come back the next to see it fixed and freshly painted. It really changes their outlook on everything, and they see that we're here to help. It's that human connection that really makes this worthwhile."
Iwo Jima was harbored in Port De Paix, Haiti, from July 24 to Aug. 3 and will continue on to Covenas, Colombia.
The assigned medical and engineering staff embarked aboard Iwo Jima will work with partner nation teams to provide medical, dental, veterinary and engineering assistance in eight nations.
PORT DE PAIX, Haiti (NNS) -- USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) departed Haiti Aug. 3 after delivering humanitarian aid for the first phase of Continuing Promise 2010.
Service members, along with members of nongovernment organizations (NGO), provided medical assistance for local Haitians and renovated key structures in various communities.
A large portion of the mission relied heavily on both the ship and embarked medical staff. Two medical sites were arranged on shore and serviced 4,054 patients, while 34 patients came aboard Iwo for surgical care. The embarked veterinary staff also rendered a total 1,212 services.
"We did everything from providing primary and surgical care to preventative medical care and health education," said Capt. Michael Hopkins, Iwo Jima senior medical officer. "It's really about the small things that leave lasting effects. Just giving reading glasses to someone, removing cataracts and restoring the gift of sight, and also trying to improve their quality of life, that's why we were there."
Naval Construction Forces Seabees from Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 202 of Norfolk helped to restore the Northwest Christian Mission building and Immaculate Conception Hospital. A total of 30 Seabees a day, with the help of various community relations project participants and Haitian workers, facilitated structural repairs, roof restorations, bathroom installations and constructed a pavilion over the hospital's outdoor washing area.
"The Mission serves roughly 250 orphans, so it's a huge impact to improve the sanitation within that facility. Building bathrooms right next to the operating room in the hospital allows them to clean and provide facilities for all of the patients," said Lt. j.g. Kelly Stevens, CBMU 202 officer-in-charge. "This is a different world for us, a different mission."
Three community relations projects (COMRELs), with a total of 103 service member volunteers, took place during the Haitian humanitarian assistance in addition to the medical and engineering portions of the mission. Volunteers visited each engineering site to help with beautification projects as well as boosting the morale of nearby locals. During the first COMREL, Lt. Cmdr. John Sears, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF) chaplain, and his volunteers even made balloon animals for children at the Northwest Christian Mission.
"There is so much work to be done," said Iwo Jima Chaplain Cmdr. Timothy Oswald. "We're helping them get something accomplished that would be difficult to complete themselves, but the larger benefit is the interaction with the community. The locals see something run down one day, and they come back the next to see it fixed and freshly painted. It really changes their outlook on everything, and they see that we're here to help. It's that human connection that really makes this worthwhile."
Iwo Jima was harbored in Port De Paix, Haiti, from July 24 to Aug. 3 and will continue on to Covenas, Colombia.
The assigned medical and engineering staff embarked aboard Iwo Jima will work with partner nation teams to provide medical, dental, veterinary and engineering assistance in eight nations.
Army Strives to Reduce Suicide, Mental-health Issues
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 8, 2010 - The Army is striving to reduce soldier suicides and mental-health problems by giving troops more dwell time between deployments, identifying tell-tale symptoms more quickly and eliminating the stigma of seeking help, the Army vice chief of staff said today.
Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli recapped findings of a task force he commissioned to reduce soldier suicides and mental-health problems during an interview with Christiane Amanpour on ABC's "This Week."
The task force offered 250 recommendations, including establishing health promotion councils at each installation, expanding behavioral health screenings and recruiting additional behavioral health counselors.
"We have a force that has been stressed after almost a decade of war," Chiarelli said today, with many that have been home for just 12 to 16 months between 12- to 15-month deployments.
In some cases, this stress has led to problems with alcohol and drug abuse, legal troubles, mental-health issues and, in the most extreme cases, suicide.
The first step in reducing that stress level, Chiarelli said, is to provide soldiers 24 months before year-long deployments, and ultimately, three months at home for every month deployed.
"We know when that happens many of the problems that we've seen will in fact meliorate themselves," Chiarelli said.
Meanwhile, the Army is bolstering its behavioral health staff and encouraging more soldiers to take advantage of their services, he said.
It's an effort Chiarelli said starts at the top. "If you want to get at stigma, you start with the brigade commander [and] brigade command sergeant major and work right down the chain of command so every soldier sees his leader going through the same checks that the soldier's going to go through," he said.
"Leaders need to lead, to know their soldiers, to look for those signs that they see that Pfc. Chiarelli has changed. Pfc. Chiarelli is going out and maybe drinking a little bit too much, showing up for work late, whatever it might be," he said.
Part of the problem, he conceded, is that too many soldiers recognize that they need help, but put off getting it because they feel such a personal responsibility to their units and battle buddies.
"That's one of the issues that we have to get through is we try to break down stigma -- to get soldiers to understand that these hidden wounds of war are things that they've got to seek help for when they have problems," Chiarelli said.
The Army also is exploring innovative approaches to identify troops grappling with the emotional stresses of combat and get them the care they need.
"We're looking for new ways to be able to deliver behavior health, such as virtual behavior health where we literally bring up a network using the Internet, using the network of doctors, say 200, from all over the United States who can, in fact, provide a good, good look at our soldiers when they return," Chiarelli said.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 8, 2010 - The Army is striving to reduce soldier suicides and mental-health problems by giving troops more dwell time between deployments, identifying tell-tale symptoms more quickly and eliminating the stigma of seeking help, the Army vice chief of staff said today.
Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli recapped findings of a task force he commissioned to reduce soldier suicides and mental-health problems during an interview with Christiane Amanpour on ABC's "This Week."
The task force offered 250 recommendations, including establishing health promotion councils at each installation, expanding behavioral health screenings and recruiting additional behavioral health counselors.
"We have a force that has been stressed after almost a decade of war," Chiarelli said today, with many that have been home for just 12 to 16 months between 12- to 15-month deployments.
In some cases, this stress has led to problems with alcohol and drug abuse, legal troubles, mental-health issues and, in the most extreme cases, suicide.
The first step in reducing that stress level, Chiarelli said, is to provide soldiers 24 months before year-long deployments, and ultimately, three months at home for every month deployed.
"We know when that happens many of the problems that we've seen will in fact meliorate themselves," Chiarelli said.
Meanwhile, the Army is bolstering its behavioral health staff and encouraging more soldiers to take advantage of their services, he said.
It's an effort Chiarelli said starts at the top. "If you want to get at stigma, you start with the brigade commander [and] brigade command sergeant major and work right down the chain of command so every soldier sees his leader going through the same checks that the soldier's going to go through," he said.
"Leaders need to lead, to know their soldiers, to look for those signs that they see that Pfc. Chiarelli has changed. Pfc. Chiarelli is going out and maybe drinking a little bit too much, showing up for work late, whatever it might be," he said.
Part of the problem, he conceded, is that too many soldiers recognize that they need help, but put off getting it because they feel such a personal responsibility to their units and battle buddies.
"That's one of the issues that we have to get through is we try to break down stigma -- to get soldiers to understand that these hidden wounds of war are things that they've got to seek help for when they have problems," Chiarelli said.
The Army also is exploring innovative approaches to identify troops grappling with the emotional stresses of combat and get them the care they need.
"We're looking for new ways to be able to deliver behavior health, such as virtual behavior health where we literally bring up a network using the Internet, using the network of doctors, say 200, from all over the United States who can, in fact, provide a good, good look at our soldiers when they return," Chiarelli said.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
USS Georgia Returns from Maiden Deployment
KINGS BAY, Ga. (NNS) -- The fourth of the four guided-missile submarines (SSGNs) returns home from its maiden operational deployment as a newly converted SSGN to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., August 7.
USS Georgia (SSGN 729) (Gold), commanded by Capt. Mike Brown, returns to its homeport after a 12-month deployment in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility.
"These Sailors transformed the ship from a shipyard environment to completing its first deployment, conducting the full spectrum of submarine operations," said Brown.
Georgia has two crews, Blue and Gold, which alternated manning the submarines while on deployment. Each crew completed two deployment periods, swapping crews in Diego Garcia.
"As two crews, team Georgia achieved great success in a myriad of mission areas, demonstrating the SSGNs full capacity to support the combatant commander in forward deployed operations," said Brown.
Georgia's deployment accomplishments include three mission periods supporting national and theater tasking and multiple Tomahawk strike exercises in the European Command and Central Command areas of responsibility. The Kings Bay Trident Refit Facility conducted four voyage repair periods in Diego Garcia to maintain the high operational tempo of Georgia.
"The ship operated for over a year away from home, traversing thousands of miles, piloting many straits, including two liberty ports of call in Souda Bay, Crete, and Manama, Bahrain," said Brown.
Georgia has been homeported in the state of Georgia since December 2007 and is one of two U.S. Navy vessels named after their namesake states that are currently homeported in their namesake state.
"Now it is time for Georgia's Sailors to spend some much deserved time with their family and friends," said Brown. "We sincerely appreciate the continued support of our families, the Kings Bay community, and the citizens fro the great state of Georgia as we prepare for Georgia's next deployment."
Georgia completed its conversion from a ballistic missile submarine to a guided-missile submarine and returned to service March 28, 2008.
Seattle Mariners Host Navy Appreciation Night During Seafair
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Thomas Brennan, Navy Public Affairs Support Element-West, Det. Northwest
SEATTLE (NNS) -- The Seattle Mariners hosted a Navy appreciation night at Safeco Field Aug. 6 as part of Seattle Seafair Fleet Week.
Hundreds of Sailors & Marines from the three visiting ships, USS Green Bay (LPD 20), USS Port Royal (CG 73) and USS Kidd (DDG 100), and from around the Puget Sound attended the baseball game as the Mariners played against the Kansas City Royals.
Service members received early admission to the ball park to watch the teams warm up prior to the start of the game and had countless pieces of memorabilia signed by several of the major league players.
The Naval Hospital Bremerton color guard paraded the colors, and Navy Northwest Band performed the national anthem, beginning the ceremony. The band also had a concert just prior to the game on the 3rd level of the stadium.
Seattle Mariner outfielder Lee Tinsley made a point of signing for every service member waiting in line for autographs before the game.
"It boils down to taking the time to show my appreciation for the dedication these servicemen and women display while they protect our country, especially when you consider how few games these Sailors actually get to attend," Tinsley said.
It was the least he could do to show his appreciation, Tinsley added.
Along with discounted tickets to the game, service members and their families also received a complimentary party sponsored by the United Service Organization consisting of food, drinks and entertainment.
Service members said they were enjoying their time during the game and Seafair.
"I have been having a great time so far, and I got to do almost everything in town for free," said Atlanta native Gas Turbine System Technician Mechanical 3rd Class Jeremy Hammock, who is stationed aboard USS Port Royal (CG 73).
Another Sailor from USS Green Bay (LPD 20), Boatswain's Mate 1st Class(SW) Munira Ferah said people have been very friendly.
Before the game began 50 new recruits from the Seattle Navy recruiting office took their oaths.
Seafair is a month-long event sponsored by the city of Seattle. During the last week of Seafair, the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Canadian navy participate in the event. Visiting ships are available for tours, allowing the public get an up close look at the life of a Sailor. Service members, their families and the general public also have the opportunity to attend an air show featuring the Blue Angels performing over Lake Washington, as well as hydroplane races.
SEATTLE (NNS) -- The Seattle Mariners hosted a Navy appreciation night at Safeco Field Aug. 6 as part of Seattle Seafair Fleet Week.
Hundreds of Sailors & Marines from the three visiting ships, USS Green Bay (LPD 20), USS Port Royal (CG 73) and USS Kidd (DDG 100), and from around the Puget Sound attended the baseball game as the Mariners played against the Kansas City Royals.
Service members received early admission to the ball park to watch the teams warm up prior to the start of the game and had countless pieces of memorabilia signed by several of the major league players.
The Naval Hospital Bremerton color guard paraded the colors, and Navy Northwest Band performed the national anthem, beginning the ceremony. The band also had a concert just prior to the game on the 3rd level of the stadium.
Seattle Mariner outfielder Lee Tinsley made a point of signing for every service member waiting in line for autographs before the game.
"It boils down to taking the time to show my appreciation for the dedication these servicemen and women display while they protect our country, especially when you consider how few games these Sailors actually get to attend," Tinsley said.
It was the least he could do to show his appreciation, Tinsley added.
Along with discounted tickets to the game, service members and their families also received a complimentary party sponsored by the United Service Organization consisting of food, drinks and entertainment.
Service members said they were enjoying their time during the game and Seafair.
"I have been having a great time so far, and I got to do almost everything in town for free," said Atlanta native Gas Turbine System Technician Mechanical 3rd Class Jeremy Hammock, who is stationed aboard USS Port Royal (CG 73).
Another Sailor from USS Green Bay (LPD 20), Boatswain's Mate 1st Class(SW) Munira Ferah said people have been very friendly.
Before the game began 50 new recruits from the Seattle Navy recruiting office took their oaths.
Seafair is a month-long event sponsored by the city of Seattle. During the last week of Seafair, the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Canadian navy participate in the event. Visiting ships are available for tours, allowing the public get an up close look at the life of a Sailor. Service members, their families and the general public also have the opportunity to attend an air show featuring the Blue Angels performing over Lake Washington, as well as hydroplane races.
MCPON Visits USS Kearsarge
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mike Lenart, USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) Public Affairs
NORFOLK (NNS) -- The master chief petty officer of the Navy (MCPON) visited the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) to meet and speak with chief petty officers and crew Aug. 5.
MCPON (SS/SW) Rick D. West came aboard Kearsarge to not only meet with the crew, but to field their questions and address their concerns.
His visit began in the chief's mess, where West spoke about the exceptional level at which Kearsarge has performed during its preparation for its fall 2010 deployment.
"This ship and its crew are ready to support our 15,000 Sailors on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan," said West. "I can't wait to come out to Kearsarge while you are in the 5th Fleet area of operation to see Sailors doing what the deckplate leadership has prepared them for."
On his way through the hangar bay to the flight deck to address the crew, West witnessed some of the hard work he spoke of as Sailors were busy moving supplies and stores aboard in preparation for their certification exercise scheduled for the week of Aug. 9.
"It's the hard work and dedication of every Sailor that makes this ship and our Navy the force it is today," said West.
Keeping those hard-working Sailors in the Navy is one of the many areas West talked about with the crew as they gathered around the Navy's highest enlisted leader on the flight deck.
"Right now the Navy has a very high retention rate and a very low attrition rate," said West. "There is a year-long wait just to get into the Navy. About four times a week I get a Facebook message from Sailors who got out of the Navy wanting to know how to get back in. If you make the decision to leave the Navy, it needs to be carefully thought out because coming back may not be easy."
As if to emphasize his point that the Navy is holding on to its best and brightest, West took a moment to frock Chief Air Traffic Controller David Buehner to the rank of senior chief, an honor that Buehner said meant the world to him.
"How many people can say the MCPON promoted them?" said Buehner. "This was a thrilling experience, and I am honored he took the time to recognize me and my family."
West also spoke about important programs in the Navy, such as perform to serve (PTS), individual augmentees (IA) and warfare qualifications.
"Warfare qualifications couldn't be any more important," said West. "When a Sailor earns a surface warfare pin, it's telling everyone that they know what they need to do to fight the ship in case of a casualty."
For Quartermaster Seaman Ashley DeArmitt, the MCPON's stressing of the importance of warfare qualifications has given her the motivation to complete the program.
"He put everything in perspective when it comes to earning your pin," said DeArmitt. "It's something I've always known I had to do, but now I want to do it for me and the ship. You never know when you may need to use the knowledge you acquire on the way to earning your pin."
West also took time to pose for photos and speak one-on-one with Sailors, something that DeArmitt said she will remember for some time to come.
"I feel honored that out of all of the ships on the waterfront, he came to Kearsarge," said DeArmitt. "I have a lot of respect for him. He has reached the pinnacle of the enlisted Sailor, but he started as a quartermaster seaman, just like me."
West is the 12th Sailor to hold the Navy's highest enlisted rank and serve as the enlisted advisor to the chief of naval operations.
NORFOLK (NNS) -- The master chief petty officer of the Navy (MCPON) visited the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) to meet and speak with chief petty officers and crew Aug. 5.
MCPON (SS/SW) Rick D. West came aboard Kearsarge to not only meet with the crew, but to field their questions and address their concerns.
His visit began in the chief's mess, where West spoke about the exceptional level at which Kearsarge has performed during its preparation for its fall 2010 deployment.
"This ship and its crew are ready to support our 15,000 Sailors on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan," said West. "I can't wait to come out to Kearsarge while you are in the 5th Fleet area of operation to see Sailors doing what the deckplate leadership has prepared them for."
On his way through the hangar bay to the flight deck to address the crew, West witnessed some of the hard work he spoke of as Sailors were busy moving supplies and stores aboard in preparation for their certification exercise scheduled for the week of Aug. 9.
"It's the hard work and dedication of every Sailor that makes this ship and our Navy the force it is today," said West.
Keeping those hard-working Sailors in the Navy is one of the many areas West talked about with the crew as they gathered around the Navy's highest enlisted leader on the flight deck.
"Right now the Navy has a very high retention rate and a very low attrition rate," said West. "There is a year-long wait just to get into the Navy. About four times a week I get a Facebook message from Sailors who got out of the Navy wanting to know how to get back in. If you make the decision to leave the Navy, it needs to be carefully thought out because coming back may not be easy."
As if to emphasize his point that the Navy is holding on to its best and brightest, West took a moment to frock Chief Air Traffic Controller David Buehner to the rank of senior chief, an honor that Buehner said meant the world to him.
"How many people can say the MCPON promoted them?" said Buehner. "This was a thrilling experience, and I am honored he took the time to recognize me and my family."
West also spoke about important programs in the Navy, such as perform to serve (PTS), individual augmentees (IA) and warfare qualifications.
"Warfare qualifications couldn't be any more important," said West. "When a Sailor earns a surface warfare pin, it's telling everyone that they know what they need to do to fight the ship in case of a casualty."
For Quartermaster Seaman Ashley DeArmitt, the MCPON's stressing of the importance of warfare qualifications has given her the motivation to complete the program.
"He put everything in perspective when it comes to earning your pin," said DeArmitt. "It's something I've always known I had to do, but now I want to do it for me and the ship. You never know when you may need to use the knowledge you acquire on the way to earning your pin."
West also took time to pose for photos and speak one-on-one with Sailors, something that DeArmitt said she will remember for some time to come.
"I feel honored that out of all of the ships on the waterfront, he came to Kearsarge," said DeArmitt. "I have a lot of respect for him. He has reached the pinnacle of the enlisted Sailor, but he started as a quartermaster seaman, just like me."
West is the 12th Sailor to hold the Navy's highest enlisted rank and serve as the enlisted advisor to the chief of naval operations.
Marking 20 Years Since Operation Desert Shield
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 7, 2010 - When Iraqi forces began pouring over the border into neighboring Kuwait, most Americans would have had a hard time finding the country on a map.
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered his troops to occupy Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990 – calling the oil-rich nation Iraq's "19th province."
At the top of the Persian Gulf, Kuwait is a strategic country. It is a prominent member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. It has one of the highest standards of living in the world. Controlling Kuwait meant that Iraq would significantly increase its share of the world's oil reserves.
The world was shocked by the Iraqi move, and neighboring Saudi Arabia was alarmed. No one was sure whether Iraq would stop at the border with Saudi Arabia or move forces into some of the most productive oil fields in the world.
A total of 140,000 Iraqi soldiers, supported by 850 tanks, entered Kuwait on Aug. 2. While tensions with Iraq were high, Kuwait had not alerted its forces. Iraqi aircraft bombed Kuwait City and the air bases in the country. Kuwaiti army units launched attacks against the invading forces, but they were far outnumbered, and the ruling family barely was able to escape to Saudi Arabia before Iraqi forces ringed Kuwait City.
Kuwait turned to the United Nations, and the Security Council passed a resolution calling for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait and asking member nations to work together toward that goal.
President George H.W. Bush ordered American air, sea and ground forces to Saudi Arabia, beginning Operation Desert Shield on Aug. 7, 1990. That day, the Air Force sent 48 F-15 fighters of the 1st Fighter Wing from Langley Air Force Base, Va., to Saudi Arabia, where they immediately began patrolling the Saudi-Kuwait-Iraq border areas. The Navy sent the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Independence carrier battle groups to the region. The Army and Marine Corps mobilized to send ground forces to Saudi Arabia, with the leading edge of the Army's 82nd and 101st airborne divisions arriving Aug. 8.
Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Colin L. Powell began a schedule of near-constant traveling to meet with counterparts around the world.
Those other nations hurried troops, ships and aircraft to the area, where they fell in on the American and Saudi forces and what was left of the Kuwaiti military. The coalition that eventually formed was broad-based, and included 34 nations from Argentina to Bangladesh. Iraqi neighbors Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt also participated to roll back the aggression.
The troops landed in Saudi Arabia during the hottest time of the year. Anyone who can afford to tries to leave Saudi Arabia in August; the temperatures regularly rise to more than 130 degrees, and the prevailing winds from the Persian Gulf bring humidity. The media were full of pictures of American servicemembers slamming down bottles of water as sweat stained their "chocolate chip" desert camouflage uniforms.
In the United States, Desert Shield necessitated the first major call-up of reserve component forces since the war in Korea. Under an order Bush signed on Aug. 22, National Guard and other reserve-component forces reported for duty.
The coalition commander they reported to was Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf. The media called him "Stormin' Norman." A West Point graduate who had served in Vietnam, Schwarzkopf had been the commander of U.S. Central Command since 1988. One of the plans on Centcom's shelf was the defense of the oil fields against an Iraqi invasion.
At the time, the Iraqi army was the fourth-largest in the world. American planners stressed the force was battle tested and had a large percentage of combat veterans from the Iran-Iraq War in its ranks. That war – the first launched by Saddam Hussein – lasted from 1980 to 1988, and Iraq held its own against a country three times larger. Centcom officials expected a battle to drive Iraq out of Kuwait would be long and costly.
At the beginning of August, there was little that would halt any Iraqi offensive into Saudi Arabia. By the middle of the month, air, sea and ground assets had grown. By the end of August, Desert Shield had grown to be able to defeat any attack into Saudi Arabia.
Now the question was: What next?
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 7, 2010 - When Iraqi forces began pouring over the border into neighboring Kuwait, most Americans would have had a hard time finding the country on a map.
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered his troops to occupy Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990 – calling the oil-rich nation Iraq's "19th province."
At the top of the Persian Gulf, Kuwait is a strategic country. It is a prominent member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. It has one of the highest standards of living in the world. Controlling Kuwait meant that Iraq would significantly increase its share of the world's oil reserves.
The world was shocked by the Iraqi move, and neighboring Saudi Arabia was alarmed. No one was sure whether Iraq would stop at the border with Saudi Arabia or move forces into some of the most productive oil fields in the world.
A total of 140,000 Iraqi soldiers, supported by 850 tanks, entered Kuwait on Aug. 2. While tensions with Iraq were high, Kuwait had not alerted its forces. Iraqi aircraft bombed Kuwait City and the air bases in the country. Kuwaiti army units launched attacks against the invading forces, but they were far outnumbered, and the ruling family barely was able to escape to Saudi Arabia before Iraqi forces ringed Kuwait City.
Kuwait turned to the United Nations, and the Security Council passed a resolution calling for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait and asking member nations to work together toward that goal.
President George H.W. Bush ordered American air, sea and ground forces to Saudi Arabia, beginning Operation Desert Shield on Aug. 7, 1990. That day, the Air Force sent 48 F-15 fighters of the 1st Fighter Wing from Langley Air Force Base, Va., to Saudi Arabia, where they immediately began patrolling the Saudi-Kuwait-Iraq border areas. The Navy sent the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Independence carrier battle groups to the region. The Army and Marine Corps mobilized to send ground forces to Saudi Arabia, with the leading edge of the Army's 82nd and 101st airborne divisions arriving Aug. 8.
Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Colin L. Powell began a schedule of near-constant traveling to meet with counterparts around the world.
Those other nations hurried troops, ships and aircraft to the area, where they fell in on the American and Saudi forces and what was left of the Kuwaiti military. The coalition that eventually formed was broad-based, and included 34 nations from Argentina to Bangladesh. Iraqi neighbors Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt also participated to roll back the aggression.
The troops landed in Saudi Arabia during the hottest time of the year. Anyone who can afford to tries to leave Saudi Arabia in August; the temperatures regularly rise to more than 130 degrees, and the prevailing winds from the Persian Gulf bring humidity. The media were full of pictures of American servicemembers slamming down bottles of water as sweat stained their "chocolate chip" desert camouflage uniforms.
In the United States, Desert Shield necessitated the first major call-up of reserve component forces since the war in Korea. Under an order Bush signed on Aug. 22, National Guard and other reserve-component forces reported for duty.
The coalition commander they reported to was Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf. The media called him "Stormin' Norman." A West Point graduate who had served in Vietnam, Schwarzkopf had been the commander of U.S. Central Command since 1988. One of the plans on Centcom's shelf was the defense of the oil fields against an Iraqi invasion.
At the time, the Iraqi army was the fourth-largest in the world. American planners stressed the force was battle tested and had a large percentage of combat veterans from the Iran-Iraq War in its ranks. That war – the first launched by Saddam Hussein – lasted from 1980 to 1988, and Iraq held its own against a country three times larger. Centcom officials expected a battle to drive Iraq out of Kuwait would be long and costly.
At the beginning of August, there was little that would halt any Iraqi offensive into Saudi Arabia. By the middle of the month, air, sea and ground assets had grown. By the end of August, Desert Shield had grown to be able to defeat any attack into Saudi Arabia.
Now the question was: What next?
Father, Daughter Share Aircraft Heritage
27th Special Operations Wing
Aug. 6, 2010 - While many daughters may share similar interests with their fathers, one noncommissioned officer here relates the challenges of her job with an understanding dad. He's been there and done that.
When retired Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 William Seibt learned that his daughter, Jennifer, was going to be promoted from technical sergeant to master sergeant July 30, he made the trip here from Hillsboro, Ore., to share the event with her. As a retired avionics officer for a Coast Guard C-130, he got the opportunity to revisit his old airframe, albeit a 73rd Special Operations Squadron MC-130W Dragon Spear, courtesy of his loadmaster daughter.
"We had a different philosophy in the Coast Guard," he said as he looked at the electronic panels of the aircraft. "I fixed the equipment on the ground and was a navigator in the air."
He recognized most of the electronic panels as if 20 years had not passed since he retired, pointing his finger at various components. "That's the same, and that's the same, but over there, that's different," he said. He then tapped the frame holding the electronic components and said, "This used to be all mine."
After he had satisfied himself with a personal self-inspection, his daughter steered him through the rest of the aircraft, explaining its various configurations and capabilities. When she approached the back of the plane, she waved her hand over the neatly stacked pallets of equipment and announced, "This is all mine."
Sergeant Seibt grew up in a military environment. She was with her dad as he served three tours in Alaska: two in Kodiak, and one in Sitka. She lived in Astoria, Ore., and Elizabeth City, N.C. When her time came to serve, she joined the Air Force. Initially she worked in vehicle operations at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, but has been a loadmaster for the last seven years.
"When I was at Ramstein in vehicle ops, I was told that my personality might be better suited for that of a loadmaster," she said. "I took this as an incentive to crosstrain. I'm glad I did."
She said that perhaps the family tie to flying in airplanes was genetic. Her grandfather was a member of one of the first Army Air Forces units that became today's Air Force.
"He would tell me the stories about when he was a loadmaster during the Berlin Blockade," she said.
Although the two served in different services, their common bond with the venerable C-130 airframe has made their personal relationship grow stronger over the years, the Seibts said.
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