National Guard Highlights Top 10 Missions of 2010

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Orrell

National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 28, 2010 – This year has been a busy one for members of the National Guard. Here’s a look at some of the National Guard’s most memorable missions and events in 2010:

No. 10: Agribusiness Development Teams

Agribusiness Development Teams comprising Army National Guard soldiers with agribusiness expertise are performing training and advising missions at Afghan universities, provincial ministries and farms.

ADTs have ensured improvements are sustainable with local assets and within the context of the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock’s abilities. The ADT concept includes providing immediate agricultural expertise and security forces to enable daily community engagement.

No. 9: Homeland Response Forces

The National Guard added a Homeland Response Force package to its Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosive response capabilities, providing a more robust response to any homeland incident.

When activated, HRFs perform search and extraction from collapsed buildings, victim decontamination, medical triage and transport to stabilization facilities, where doctors treat victims before they are moved to a hospital or other designated medical facility.

HRFs offer a bigger force, providing command and control of multiple CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Packages, weapons of mass-destruction, civil support teams and other Guard assets.

Ten HRFs -- one for each Federal Emergency Management Agency region -- are scheduled to stand up by Oct. 1, 2012.

No. 8: 2010 Winter Olympics

National Guard members from multiple states competed in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

Army Sgts. Mike Kohn and Shauna Rohbock -- both of the Utah Army National Guard and the National Guard Outstanding Athlete Program -- along with Army Sgt. John Napier, of the Vermont Army National Guard and a soldier-athlete in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, competed in multiple U.S. Olympic bobsled team events throughout the Winter Games.

Army Sgt. William Tavares -- a 26-year veteran of the Army National Guard and bobsled coach in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program stationed at Lake Placid, N.Y. -- was an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Bobsled team.

Army Sgt. Jeremy Teela, of the Utah Army National Guard and the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, competed in the biathlon.

No. 7: State Partnership Program

The almost 20-year-old, 62-nation National Guard State Partnership Program continued to flourish in 2010, recognized by combatant commanders in their annual posture statements and congressional testimony for its contributions to expanding partnership capacity.

Guard members participated in military-to-military exchanges in their home states or partner countries, senior leaders -- including country leaders -- visited at home and overseas and National Guard bilateral affairs officers served in U.S. embassies worldwide.

Citizen-soldiers served side by side with colleagues from their partner nations in Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams on deployments in Afghanistan.

Back home, a multiagency roundtable recommended enhancing the SPP as a tool for citizen diplomacy.

Originating in Europe after the collapse of the Soviet bloc, the SPP has expanded to numerous other regions of the world, most recently Africa.

No. 6: First F-22 assigned to the Air National Guard

On July 9, members of the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam community gathered for a dedication service for the National Guard’s first F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft.

The 199th Fighter Squadron of the 154th Fighter Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard, welcomed their first F-22, a fifth-generation fighter, replacing the F-15 Eagle fighter the squadron had flown since 1987.

No. 5: Operation New Dawn

Sept. 1 marked the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the end of combat operations by United States forces in Iraq and the beginning of Operation New Dawn.

During the drawdown of forces, National Guard members conduct stability operations, focusing on advising, assisting and training Iraqi security forces.

Operation New Dawn represents a shift from a predominantly military U.S. presence to one that is predominantly civilian, as the Defense and State departments work together with governmental and nongovernmental agencies to help build Iraq’s civil capacity.

The president plans to withdraw American forces from Iraq by the end of 2011.

No. 4: Pakistan flood relief

National Guard members collaborated with joint forces to provide relief to those affected by the unusually heavy monsoon rains that triggered floods through the Swat River Valley.

More than 40,000 Pakistanis were rescued during five months of operations, and C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster cargo aircraft delivered bulk goods to distribution sites around the country, including almost 8,000 Halal meals.

U.S. aircraft delivered more than 25 million pounds of relief supplies during the operation.

No. 3: Haiti earthquake relief

The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a magnitude 7.0 tremor, with an epicenter near the town of Léogâne, about 16 miles west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital.

Army and Air National Guard members supported relief efforts for the almost 3 million people affected by this natural disaster.

No. 2: Supporting the Department of Homeland Security on the Southwest border

National Guard members are assisting Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on the nation’s Southwest border.

Up to 1,200 Guard members are serving as criminal investigative analysts and Entry Identification Team members in the four border states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

No. 1: Operation Deepwater Horizon

Citizen-soldiers and -airmen supported Operation Deepwater Horizon, the Coast Guard-led effort to corral the oil spill that followed the April 20 explosion and fire on the oil rig for which the operation was named.

More than 1,600 Guard members were assigned to the Gulf Coast states.

Troops helped clean up and contain the almost 5 million barrels, or 200 million gallons, of crude oil that leaked into the Gulf of Mexico.

Face of Defense: Army Artist Captures Life on Canvas

By Paul Bello

Fort Belvoir Public Affairs Office

FORT BELVOIR, Va., Dec. 29, 2010 – More than two decades ago the young artist possessed a portfolio of work that could have opened the doors to any college or art school, yet becoming an Army illustrator appealed to him the most.

Today, after nearly 25 years of service, Army Master Sgt. Martin Cervantez believes his decision to join the military remains the best of his career.

Cervantez, who works here at the Army Museum Support Center as its artist in residence, is a native of Clarkston, Mich. He has been with the organization for a little more than two years and has spent the bulk of his career taking pictures and working as a field artist while a part of numerous psychological and other special operations.

A self-taught artist, Cervantez found during his childhood that he had a passion to draw and paint. As he got older, he said it was his grandmother who encouraged him to explore his talents and consider a future in art. As it turned out, it was advice that stuck.

“I heard the Army was looking for an illustrator and just went for it. I told recruiters if I couldn’t do anything artistic then I wasn’t really interested,” Cervantez said. “To be a part of an organization like this is the icing on the cake for me. Here, I can lend my skills to our nation’s history. That’s an amazing opportunity to have.”

Besides serving in mostly leadership positions for the past 12 years, Cervantez has documented such things as strategy briefings, military exercises and routine air and ground patrols. His work comes from personal experiences and believes it takes a real talent to create something out of nothing.

He spent four months in Afghanistan at the end of 2008 and was in Haiti earlier this year after a massive earthquake crippled the island nation.

With so many images of life in his head, Cervantez finds he can’t wait to get back to the studio and put them on canvas. His time in Afghanistan produced some oil paintings he’s most proud of and he is hopeful to visit the country again before his military career ends.

“Normally, I’ll draw field sketches and take photos while on an assignment. Then, I’ll come back and sift through all the material to see what I want to make a larger presentation out of,” Cervantez said. “My goal during this process is to capture what soldiers experience and how it affects them and the community. It’s a thrill for me to have a soldier see a piece of art and say that’s who I was and that’s what I did.”

Cervantez admits he has become more responsible in what he portrays in his work and said there are mental images he will not even go near as an artist. In Afghanistan, he’d witnessed a suicide bomber blowing his body apart. As horrible as that was to experience firsthand, he said it pales in comparison to the time he saw a Haitian civilian bend down to light a cigarette off the charred and smoldering remains of another individual.

A fan of impressionism and abstract art, Cervantez has applied all kinds of methods to his artwork. This includes using oils and acrylics, to accentuate a particular moment he has captured either by hand or through a photo. He also said it’s his preference to keep his work ambiguous so everyone can relate to it. He has never inserted himself into anything he’s done and has no plans to start now.

When not at his Belvoir studio, Cervantez may be found in front of a classroom mentoring fellow soldiers at Fort Meade, Md. Besides being a senior artist in his field, he is part of a Critical Task Site Selection Board and enjoys sharing his zest of art with young students.

He has been invited to speak at art galleries and currently has two of his oil paintings on display as part of the “Art of the American Soldier” show at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

“I’ve told students how fun and personally rewarding this has been for me. I also stress the importance of not interfering with the safety of the soldiers out in the field,” Cervantez said. “I’m not worried about the dangers that come with the job. I believe that’s inherent with living. I’m an American soldier and it’s my fate to continue doing this.”

And, to his three children, who have all shown flashes of artistic talent, their father has some keen advice.

“I tell Kellie, Jaymz and Frank to sketch whatever they can whenever they can,” Cervantez said. “Every artist needs to discover themselves and I encourage them to draw from their own experiences. It’s worked for me and I thank God for it.”

This Day in Naval History - Dec. 28

By Navy News Service

1867 - U.S. claims Midway Island, first territory annexed outside Continental limits.

1905 - Drydock Dewey left Solomon's Island, MD, enroute through the Suez Canal to the Philippines to serve as repair base. This, the longest towing job ever accomplished, was completed by Brutus, Caesar, and Glacier on 10 July 1906.

1941 - Chief of Bureau of Yards and Docks requests that construction battalions be recruited.

1982 - Recommissioning of USS New Jersey (BB-62), the first of four Iowa-class battleships that were returned to service in 1980s.

1990 - LCDR Darlene M. Iskra becomes commander of USS Opportune, a salvage vessel.

1998 - USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and USS America (CV-66) Carrier Battle Groups deploy from Norfolk, VA, for Middle East to join Operation Desert Shield.

USS Constitution Gives Back to Veterans during Holiday Season

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kathryn E. Macdonald, USS Constitution Public Affairs

BOSTON (NNS) -- USS Constitution Sailors helped spread holiday cheer to veterans of the New England Center for Homeless Veterans (NECHV) in Boston, Dec. 25.

Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Savage, USS Constitution executive officer; Chief Hospital Corpsman (SW/SS) Timothy Shaeffer; Gunner's Mate Seaman Kali Morris, Master-at-Arms Seaman Gary Matthias; and Airman Sang Nguyen served Christmas dinner and talked to veterans as part of Constitution's partnership with the NECHV.

"I enjoyed volunteering at the veteran's center," said Matthias. "Since it was my first Christmas in Boston, it felt good to spend time with them. It really opened my eyes to a world I have never seen before."

Since establishing their partnership with the NECHV in April of this year, Constitution's Sailors have lent 1,113 man hours helping veterans. They also served Thanksgiving dinner.

"It's an honor for us to have this special partnership with the Sailors aboard the USS Constitution," said Steve Cunniff, NECHV director of community affairs. "The legacy of 'Old Ironsides' as our nation's oldest commissioned ship - having remained undefeated since its launching in 1797 - provides also a symbolic inspiration to veterans experiencing any kind of hardship; helping them to remember that a strong and united nation stands behind them to lend its support."

USS Constitution Sailors participate in more than 50 volunteer projects annually. They were also winners of the Commander Navy Region Middle Atlantic Good Neighbor Flagship award for small shore commands, lending more than 3,000 hours of community service in 2010.

"The NECHV is there to help veterans who are suffering from any number of setbacks, including trauma, mental illness or unemployment," said Savage. "Constitution's partnership with the center allows our Sailors the opportunity to help these veterans, and the veterans at the center really appreciate seeing volunteers in uniform. I believe being with Sailors bolsters the pride in their service."

Constitution is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard of Boston Harbor. It is the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat and welcomes more than 500,000 visitors a year.

For more information on Constitution, visit http://www.history.navy.mil/ussconstitution or www.facebook.com/ussconstitutionofficial.

Today in the Department of Defense, Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn have no public or media events on their schedules.

A National Capital Region flyover of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium occurs at 2:25 p.m. EST with four F-16s.

Senior Executive Service Announcements

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced the following Department of Defense Senior Executive Service appointments  and reassignments.

Paul D. Mann has been appointed to the Senior Executive Service and is assigned as assistant deputy director, ground systems, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C.  Mann previously served as supervisory program manager, U.S. Marine Corps, Quantico, Va.

Gerald Doyle has been assigned as director, enterprise engineering, Defense Information Systems Agency, Falls Church, Va.  Doyle previously served as systems engineering transformation executive, Defense Information Systems Agency, Falls Church, Va.

Face of Defense: Marine Shooter Earns Spot on Team USA

By Andrew Revelos

Marine Corps Base Quantico

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va., Dec. 28, 2010 – A Marine who barely qualified on the rifle range in boot camp will compete in an international shooting competition next year.

Sgt. Emily Windmassinger of the Marine Corps Rifle Team earned a spot with the USA Young Eagle Rifle Team. In October she’ll travel to Brisbane, Australia, to compete in the 2011 Palma World Long Range Championship matches.

As a member of Team USA in the under 25 category, known as the Young Eagles, Windmassinger will shoot in the team and individual competitions.

“I think it’s such an awesome opportunity not only for me but for the Marine Corps,” she said. “For a long time we’ve had the tradition of being the best marksmen on and off the battlefield. Now I get to carry on that tradition at an international level … and show the world what a well-disciplined Marine looks like.”

Windmassinger said she wasn’t a very good rifle shot during boot camp and that her new-found shooting ability has come as a surprise to her. She first attended a shooting match when assigned to Marine Corps Support Activity in Kansas City. The Loves Park, Ill., native went to the match with her husband Mark, a Marine and competitive shooter. Another participant gave her a chance to shoot and she earned a high score. Four years later, the Windmassingers are both members of the Marine Corps Shooting Team.

“It’s really exciting,” she said. “It all happened really fast. I started doing Palma matches this year. Things just started to make sense for me in August. I met up with the Young Eagles at the [2010 Spirit of America Fullbore Rifle Prone Championship].”

Kelly Bachand, a coach for the Young Eagles who gained national attention as a contestant in the History Channel program “Top Shot,” asked Windmassinger to join the team for the international Palma match.

The Palma rifle matches date back to the 1876 centennial celebration when members of the National Rifle Association invited rifle teams from Australia, Canada, Ireland and Scotland to a long range rifle competition. Since then Palma matches have become one of the world’s best known long-range rifle competitions.

During the team match, shooters fire a total of 45 recorded rounds -- 15 each at the 800, 900 and 1,000-yard lines. All shooters compete with 7.62 x 51 mm NATO rifles fitted with aperture sights.

“A lot of people think of those distances as very far, but the shooting fundamentals are the same whether you’re at the 200 yard line or back at the 1,000,” Windmassinger said. “If you apply the fundamentals correctly and you read the wind you’re going to be fine.”

Shooting Team officer-in-charge Marine Corps Capt. Donald Traves is creating a Palma team from members of the rifle team who will compete at national-level matches. His goal is to add a measure of battlefield-like realism to his shooters’ skill set.

“If you’re in Afghanistan up on a hill, you don’t know if [the enemy] is 500, 700 or 800 meters away; you’re making your best guess and trying to shoot at him,” Traves said. “You have to be able to read the wind and read where the round is going.

“I’m hopeful with what Sergeant Windmassinger is doing with Palma, and by creating a Palma team, it will bring us into what the operating forces are doing,” he continued. “It’s a huge accomplishment for us.”

MCPON Stresses Do Your Part for 'Zero Tolerance' on Sexual Assault

By Special from Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON)(SS/SW) Rick D. West

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON)(SS/SW) Rick D. West released the following message on Sexual Assault to the Fleet Dec. 28.

"Shipmates,

As this year comes to an end and we start to focus on priorities for 2011, I'd like to address a subject that is impacting our great Navy, and that is sexual assault.

It is incomprehensible that a shipmate would commit such a horrible crime to another shipmate. Sexual assault in our Navy undermines teamwork, morale, unit cohesion, and operational readiness. Also, the long-term effects of sexual assault dramatically impact the victim for years to come.

For these reasons, sexual assault does not belong in our Navy. We have a 'zero tolerance' policy for this criminal offense and it is each and every Sailor's responsibility to adhere to this policy and do your part to alleviate this crime within our ranks

At the close of this year, reports of sexual assault have increased from last year, which could be attributed to victims' increased willingness to report the crime, but data also shows that sexual assaults are still occurring in our Navy. The highest risk group for victims over the past several fiscal years remains E-1 to E-4, ages 20 to 24, with most incidents occurring during the weekends. In most sexual assault incidents alcohol was a major factor impairing the judgment of predators, victims and bystanders.

Additionally, the most common sexual assault scenarios include off base parties, hotel rooms, barracks, night clubs and bars during liberty. Simply put, sexual assault knows no boundaries and the majority of victims know their offender.

Sexual assault is a personal crime and we should all take it personally and think 'what if it was my sister/brother, my son/daughter or my wife/husband?' Wouldn't you do everything in your power to protect them? That's how we should think about our shipmates — we are a Navy family, we rely on each other every day. Shipmates should be looking out for Shipmates and getting involved when you see someone starting to steer into danger.

In order to remove sexual assault from our Navy we need to ensure commands have a strong partnership with Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARC) and a robust Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program which fosters an environment where 'shipmates help shipmates' by not allowing destructive behavior to occur.

One of the ways to encourage the idea of 'shipmates helping shipmates' is through the Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD) peer mentoring program. The Navy launched the CSADD program June 24 with the focus on helping junior Sailors make better decisions.

CSADD's mission is: to provide Sailors with the best prevention and intervention tools possible to deal with the issues of drinking, reckless driving, and other destructive decisions while maintaining good order and discipline; to assist Sailors in making life decisions that will maintain positive lifestyles in keeping with the Navy's core values; to guide Sailors away from making poor and destructive decisions by providing them with positive and dynamic training; and to show Sailors how to make quick positive decisions and put their training to use in moments of high stress and peer pressure.

Every command is encouraged to start a CSADD chapter with Sailors in the age group of 18-25 and enable them to take on a leadership role within their CSADD chapter. For more information on starting a CSADD chapter, see OPNAVINST 1500.80 Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions Peer Mentoring Program, or the CSADD Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Coalition-of-Sailors-Against-Destructive-Decisions-CSADD/299642495316

We must continue to promote a positive command climate based on our Navy core values and Ethos in order to defend against sexual assault and continue to promote responsible, personal behavior. Eliminating sexual assault from our Navy is an All Hands effort, and I am confident that each of you will step up and take on this charge for the betterment of our Navy. Everyday you're making a difference and working hard in all corners of the world. YOU can put a stop to this crime!

HOOYAH!"

Face of Defense: B-52 Tail-gunner Recalls MiG Downing

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Don Branum

U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo., Dec. 27, 2010 – If the landmarks here could speak, the B-52 Stratofortress bomber sitting near the academy’s north gate would have quite a Vietnam War story to tell.

The crew of the “Diamond Lil,” a B-52D, tail number 55-083, took off from Utapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield on Christmas Eve in 1972. The crew’s mission was to bomb the North Vietnamese railroad yards at Thai Nguyen as part of Operation Linebacker II, which took place Dec. 18 to 29, 1972.

However, the Diamond Lil's crew faced enemy air power. A North Vietnamese MiG-21 raced to intercept the B-52. The bomber’s tail gunner, Airman 1st Class Albert Moore, noticed the MiG's approach.

"I observed a target in my radar scope 8:30 o'clock, low at eight miles," Moore wrote six days later in his statement of claim for enemy aircraft destroyed. "I immediately notified the crew, and the ‘bogie’ started closing rapidly. It stabilized at 4,000 yards, 6:30 o'clock. I called the pilot for evasive action and the [electronic warfare officer] for chaff and flares.

"When the target got to 2,000 yards, I notified the crew that I was firing. I fired at the bandit until it ballooned to three times in intensity then suddenly disappeared from my radar scope at approximately 1,200 yards, 6:30 low. I expended 800 rounds in three bursts."

Another gunner aboard the B-52, Tech. Sgt. Clarence Chute, verified Moore’s kill in his report.

"I went visual and saw the ‘bandit’ on fire and falling away," Chute wrote. "Several pieces of the aircraft exploded, and the fireball disappeared in the under-cast at my 6:30 position."

Moore's kill is one of only two confirmed kills by a B-52D in the Vietnam War and the last confirmed kill by a tail gunner in wartime using machine guns.

Following the MiG kill, Moore wrote, "On the way home I wasn't sure whether I should be happy or sad. You know, there was a guy in that MiG. I'm sure he would have wanted to fly home too. But it was a case of him or my crew. I'm glad it turned out the way it did. Yes, I'd go again. Do I want another MiG? No, but given the same set of circumstances, yes, I'd go for another one." Moore died in 2009 at age 55.

Linebacker II brought the North Vietnamese government back to the negotiating table after earlier talks had broken down. A month after the campaign, North Vietnam and the United States signed a ceasefire agreement.

Diamond Lil continued serving long after the end of the Vietnam War. In all, the aircraft flew more than 15,000 hours and more than 200 combat missions between its commissioning in 1957 and its decommissioning in 1983. It came to the Air Force academy shortly after it was decommissioned.

Today in the Department of Defense, Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn have no public or media events on their schedules.

Army Col. Viet Luong, commander of Task Force Rakkasan and 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, will brief the media live from Khost Province, Afghanistan, at 10:30 a.m. EST in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973) to provide an update on current operations.  Journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the River Entrance only.  Plan to arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification.  Please call 703-697-5131 for escort into the building.

DOD Urges Troops to Quit Tobacco in 2011

From a Tricare News Release

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Dec. 27, 2010 – Each year, more than a million people successfully quit tobacco, and the Defense Department wants more military members included in that number in 2011.

“In the tradition of New Year’s, we are asking our active duty and retired servicemembers and their families to make a resolution to quit tobacco,” said U.S. Public Health Service Cmdr. (Dr.) Aileen Buckler, chair of the DOD Alcohol and Tobacco Advisory Committee. “Tobacco use impairs military readiness and results in serious health problems, so New Year’s is a great time to commit to stopping tobacco use.”

With studies showing people are 10 times more likely to succeed in behavior change when acting on a resolution, New Year’s appears to be the perfect opportunity to start the process of quitting tobacco.

“But making a resolution to quit tobacco is just the beginning. Developing a strategic plan to overcome obstacles and stay on course is the ultimate key to successful quitting,” Buckler said. “DOD has developed a comprehensive set of tools and a support system to help individuals prepare to follow through on their New Year’s resolution.”

Buckler is referring to several Tricare resources, including “Quit Tobacco -- Make Everyone Proud,” DOD’s tobacco cessation campaign. Tricare is DOD’s managed health care system. The campaign’s website, www.ucanquit2.org, features Train2Quit, an online support system that uses interactive quit tools, self-assessment questionnaires, quizzes and other activities. The support system shows servicemembers how to create a customizable quit plan with a calendar to track progress and learn how to beat cravings, overcome weight gain and cope with the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

The site also offers live help with links to personal quit coaches, available seven days a week, 24 hours a day to get answers to questions about quitting tobacco and how to stay tobacco-free.

The website also features a New Year’s resolutions page, where individuals can post their resolution to quit tobacco. Individuals can send e-cards of their resolution to quit tobacco, and family and friends also can send e-cards of encouragement to those trying to quit. Free New Year’s smoking cessation materials are available for health professionals and other installation leaders to order or download to help promote events. The site also features an “I made a resolution to quit tobacco in 2011” badge that can be downloaded to a Facebook page.

Users of the DOD website can sign up to receive quit tips via text messages or personal widget downloads. The DOD site also has a savings calculator, fun games like Texas hold ‘em and blogs for peer support, as well as social-networking links to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The site provides medication information, news articles, podcasts, RSS feeds, special monthly features and much more.

All non-Medicare eligible beneficiaries can receive assistance with smoking cessation through Tricare’s toll-free smoking help line. Toll-free telephone lines are available in each Tricare region offering around-the-clock support.

“We are committed to helping all members and former members of our armed services and anyone close to them start the journey to a healthier lifestyle in the coming New Year,” Buckler said.

National Guard Responds to East Coast Storm

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Orrell

National Guard Bureau

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27, 2010 – As of 8 a.m. today, 430 National Guard members had been activated in response to an East Coast winter storm that left as much as 2 feet of snow in some areas and prompted six governors to activate their National Guard.

Guard members from Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia are providing equipment and manpower support to civilian authorities conducting emergency operations throughout their respective states.

“The key to rapid response for this event is having personnel in place and ready to respond,” Army Col. Gerald Catrett, joint operations officer for the Virginia Guard, said. “We are staging personnel, vehicles and equipment … to support missions such as transportation through heavy snow.”

Massachusetts Guard members are assisting local police to evacuate some homes affected by coastal flooding caused by the storms.

Maryland Guard members are calling on the lessons they learned during the “snowpocalypse” earlier in 2010.

“During the blizzards of earlier 2010, we helped deliver babies and rescue motorists on the highway,” Army Maj. Gen. James Adkins, the adjutant general of Maryland, said. “Who knows what the next call may be.”

Virginia Guard members are assisting Virginia State Police and local emergency response organizations in the Eastern Shore by conducting Humvee-mounted route patrols to assess road conditions and assist stranded motorists.

At about 4:45 a.m. today, they transported one adult and two children stranded on a side street and also were scheduled to transport emergency services personnel to work at a local hospital.

At about 6:30 a.m. they also rescued three people trapped in their car for more than four hours and transported them to a local shelter for further assistance.

Gates to Travel to China

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27, 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will travel to China from Jan. 9 to 12, and then to Japan Jan. 13 and 14. He'll also make a stop in South Korea on Jan. 14,  according to defense officials.

"We look to use this trip to confirm recent progress in advancing the defense component of the U.S.-China relationship, expand upon those areas where we can cooperate, and sustain a dialog aimed at improving our mutual understanding and reducing the risk of miscalculation,” Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.

The trip comes at the invitation of China's minister of national defense, Morrell said. While there, Gates will meet with his counterpart and other members of the defense and political leadership, he said.

“The secretary's visit to China will underscore the importance the United States places on building toward a sustained and reliable military-to-military relationship with China, which we view as an essential part of a U.S.-China relationship that is positive in tone, cooperative in nature and comprehensive in scope," Morrell said.

Following the visit, Gates will then travel to Japan, where he will meet with the defense minister and other senior members of the Japanese government Jan. 13 and 14.

"We will use that portion of the trip to discuss recent security developments in the region and to further develop our long-term agenda for strengthening and deepening the bilateral alliance,” Morrell said. “The visit will underscore the centrality of the U.S.-Japan relationship for addressing regional and global challenges, now and in the years to come."

Gates has added a brief stop in South Korea to his upcoming trip to Asia. Following previously announced visits to China and Japan, the secretary will travel to Seoul on January 14 to meet with Minister of Defense Kim. "They will discuss North Korea's recent actions and consult on the way forward for the alliance to address the threats posed by North Korean provocations and its nuclear and missile programs," Morrell said.

Family Matters Blog: Blogger Shares Secrets for Creating Exceptional Care Packages

By Elaine Wilson

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27, 2010 – I’m pleased to introduce a new Family Matters guest blogger, Megan Just, a Navy veteran and the editor of the weekly newspaper at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif.

As both the sender of less-than-ideal care packages and the receiver of awesome ones, Megan discusses the importance of care packages to deployed military personnel and the elements that distinguish an outstanding care package from a run-of-the-mill one. 

By Megan Just

One of my most vivid memories of my deployment to Iraq is the adrenaline rush of receiving care packages. The arrival of a care package could instantly turn a bad day into a euphoric one.   Receiving care packages was so important to me that I often wrote about them in my diary.

At the beginning of the deployment I wrote, "I received Eric's (my boyfriend) package today and I've been waiting all night to open it. I've been so looking forward to it that I don't want the anticipation to be over."

The next day, after opening his package, I wrote, "Eric's box was great. He sent my favorite fig sugarless cookies (which I am finishing as I write), a bunch of Cliff Bars and a variety of dried fruit. He also sent two issues of ‘National Geographic’ and ‘Climbing.’"

In that care package, Eric had also enclosed a small book he made that contained his favorite quotes, photos of us together and a long letter. My reaction to the book tugged at my heartstrings enough to nauseate you, so I'll pass on sharing that section of my diary here, but I can assure you, the book meant a lot more than the fig cookies and it is still a treasured item today.

Toward the end of deployment, even as the recipient of an estimated 50 care packages, I was still raving about them. "I love getting care packages," I wrote. "It is hands-on proof that somebody loves me. Opening them is like being a kid on Christmas morning. Each package contains a surprise and what is inside is additionally valuable because the contents are things that I can't procure myself."

While all care packages are great to receive, I did notice a difference in the emotional impact of a run-of-the-mill care package versus one where the sender put a lot of thought into selecting the contents and packaging them in a creative manner.

A run-of-the-mill care package contains generic items and things servicemembers can easily buy themselves at the Exchange on base or order online. A run-of-the-mill care package is one that might as well have been packed by one of the many web-based care package companies. See, the preparation of an exceptional care package cannot be outsourced. The preparation and thought that goes into a care package is half of its value and the servicemember can perceive this extra effort.

Now, I must confess that buried in my past is a string of these generic care packages. Back then, I was dating a servicemember who was deployed to Iraq and although I am a procrastinator by nature, I was determined to send him care packages at regular intervals and I was determined to do it in an efficient manner.

From the post office, I gathered an armload of identical Priority Mail boxes and customs forms.  At Costco, I stocked up on a variety of jumbo packs of single-serve snack items like trail mix, crackers, beef jerky and sunflower seeds. Once a month, like clockwork, I tossed a handful of each type of snack item into a Priority Mail box and, voila! I had a care package!   I think I added a note to each box before taping it up, but I couldn't be sure. (FYI: Not including a note -- even if it's just a sentence -- is the cardinal sin of care package preparation.)

I sent this string of care packages before I'd been deployed myself. The care packages I send to friends now are different.  They are smaller, for one, and I think about details like picking a nice card for my note so the servicemember can use it to decorate their trailer. I sent a small box of gourmet chocolates to a friend around Valentine's Day one year and now, when I bake batches of cookies to send, I pay close attention to the packaging so the cookies don't turn into a plastic bag of crumbs by the time they arrive overseas.

While I'm on the topic of baked goods, it's important to mention that one of the greatest joys of a care package is being able to share homemade treats with the members of your unit and your trailermate. Keep this in mind if you send baked goods to servicemembers and send enough so the servicemember can share without jeopardizing his or her own stash of treats.  Help them out by packing a large container for sharing and a smaller container for hoarding.

In some cases, however, the servicemember may be watching his or her weight and you shouldn't send them a double batch of Aunt Hermonie's Triple-Fudge Buttery Delights. Depending on the servicemember's level of self control, you might consider sending a single serving of the baked good: enough so they can enjoy the special treat, but not enough to throw their diet off course.     

What I found especially touching as a deployed servicemember was when I would receive a care package from someone unexpected, like the parents of a close friend, a distant cousin or a co-worker who I didn't know very well. Recently, a friend of mine sent a care package of gag gifts to the goofy husband of one of our mutual friends who is deployed on a Navy ship.

Family members back home can facilitate this process by making a list of the types of things the servicemember would like to receive and circulating the list with the servicemember's mailing address. Also include an approximate date range –- so you don't violate operations security -- so senders can spread packages through the entirety of the deployment.

If you have the time and desire, savor the process of preparing the care package. While you're packing, think about the servicemember who is absent. Tuck a family photo into the spine of a book. Wrap a brightly colored ribbon around a fancy chocolate bar. Have the kids make crafts. Go to an imports store and pick up a food item that you enjoyed together during your honeymoon in Paris. Make a good, old-fashioned mix CD. Clean a few seashells from your summer vacation and nestle them inside the package of undershirts your servicemember requested. In the end, you're not shipping goods. You're showing that you care.

The following are some care package items I found especially awesome while I was deployed:

-- A stack of 11x17 landscape prints from a friend who is a professional photographer.

-- A peppy comforter and matching curtains sewn to fit the dimensions of my trailer window.  Also, a new sheet set and a foam mattress pad to make my bed more comfortable.

-- A mini-rice maker and a bag of rice helped me stay healthy by enabling me to skip occasional meals at the all-you-can-eat dining hall. Just-add-boiling-water meals were nice, too.

-- Good books friends and family members back in the States had recently read. I discovered several great books by authors that I might not have otherwise picked up and it gave me something interesting to discuss in letters and e-mails.

-- Ground coffee from my favorite coffee roaster in San Diego.

-- Fashion magazines and current newspapers from back home.

-- Watercolor paints.

-- Fancy shampoos, lotions and soaps.

-- Tape and scissors.

-- Decorations for the holidays, including the minor holidays, like a small pumpkin for Halloween.

-- Blank cards for sending thank you notes.

And here are some questions for you:

What have been some of your favorite items you've sent or received in a care package?

What are your strategies for sending thoughtful care packages ... efficiently?

This Day in Naval History - Dec. 27

By Navy News Service

1814 - Destruction of schooner Carolina, the last of Commodore Daniel Patterson's make-shift fleet that fought a series of delaying actions that contributed to Andrew Jackson's victory at the Battle of New Orleans. After loss of craft, the naval guns were mounted on shore to continue the fight.

SEAL Doc: The Story of the First US Navy SEAL Team in Vietnam

Lieutenant Commander Donald R. Davis, MSC, USN (Ret), Ph.D is the 1235Th US Military Service member to be added to http://www.military-writers.com/, his book joins the the 3925 books listed. He is the author of SEAL Doc: The Story of the First US Navy SEAL Team in Vietnam.


According to the book description, "A small team from the US Navy arrives in Vietnam in the spring of 1962. At first, its members only hear whispers about what they are supposed to accomplish. The unit goes by the name MTT 10-62 because its mission is so secret. This is the first Sea, Air and Land team—later known as the SEALs—and it’s gearing up to train a group of volunteers from the Vietnamese Junk Force in counterinsurgency and maritime warfare.

Told mostly through the perspective of Chris “Doc” David—a first class hospital corpsman, first class diver, and diving medical technician—and Lt. Bill Evans, SEAL Doc shows how the first SEALs work in conjunction with Army Special Forces and others to stop the spread of communism. While the SEALs are outstanding fighters and tacticians, they get little material support to accomplish their mission. The team arrives in Da Nang with nothing but stateside uniforms, and their vehicles and gasoline must be “liberated” from Vietnamese motor pools. Meanwhile, the daily challenges the SEALs face are preparing them for a final explosive mission and setting the stage for the future development of Navy SEALs in SEAL Doc, a historical novel based on the true story of the SEALs."

New Bridge Provides Path To Realistic Training in Okinawa

By Ensign Michael Yoshihara, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Public Affairs

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- Marines at the Jungle Warfare Training Center (JWTC) can now conduct safer and more realistic training with the opening of a new $1.1 million bridge Dec. 20 at Camp Gonsalves, Okinawa, Japan.

Before the bridge was built, transporting Marines by vehicle to the village, which is located in a ravine accessible by a narrow road, was difficult.

"We were having a problem getting to the Marines that trained down there (in the village) because of safety reasons, so we stopped letting units come down here," said Marine Corps Maj. Kisha Flagg, Camp Gonsalves commander.

After having been shut down for more than a year and only open to foot traffic, the JWTC will now re-open the village to full units and vehicles and expand the scope of training for Marines.

The cast-in-place concrete bridge spans 34 meters and can hold up to 20 tons. It was completed by Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East's Resident Officer-in-Charge of Construction, Camp Butler and contractor, WITCO Industries.

The JWTC is the last facility of its kind in the Department of Defense used by Marines. Training there includes obstacle courses, team building, combat operations and survival skills. The area in which the bridge is located simulates a village; troops training there live in basic housing shelters surrounded by small creeks, wild animals and dense brush. The goal is to closely simulate something like the jungles of Vietnam.

MCAT Partners with Peru Navy

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Jeffery Tilghman Williams, High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift Public Affairs

CALLAO, Peru (NNS) -- Maritime Civil Affairs Team (MCAT) 207 completed a two-week subject matter expert exchange with Peruvian naval officers on the topic of civil military operations in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief environments in Callao and Lima, Peru, Dec. 17.

The five-man team, assigned to Maritime Civil Affairs and Security Training Command (MCAST), exchanged information and reference material with 15 Peruvian civil affairs officers on doctrine and the organizational value of civil affairs using five main pillars: populace and resources control, foreign humanitarian assistance, civil information management, nation assistance and support to civil administration.

The officer in charge of the subject matter expert exchange said that his Peruvian counterparts are just beginning to conduct civil affairs, and that they were eager to learn and exchange information for their program.

"It was a mutually beneficial exchange on a tactical level between two nations committed to building enduring relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my team's experiences in Haiti as well as understanding the Peruvian navy's role in future disaster response situations," said Lt. Jason Schechter, MCAT 207 officer in charge.

During the joint service information sharing venture, the Peruvian sailors shared their new disaster relief task-force organization, which incorporates the aviation, physical security, operations and public works force of Naval Base Callao into an immediate response group able to deploy and respond to earthquakes, floods or tsunamis in the Callao region.

The MCAT team also discussed tactics and procedures used by the U.S. government in response to recent efforts throughout the world including Haiti.

"Getting to know our counterparts in foreign navies allows my team to gain a broader understanding of how other countries view civil military operations," said Schechter. "It promotes interoperability and partnerships at a time when our countries share common security concerns."

MCAST staffs, trains, equips and deploys Sailors to facilitate and enable a Navy component or joint task force commander to establish and enhance relations between military forces, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and the civilian populace.

Accomplished in a collaborative manner across the spectrum of operations in the maritime environment, MCAST executes civilian to military operations and military to military training, as directed, in support of security cooperation and security assistance requirements.

SPS 2011 is an annual deployment of U.S. ships to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility in the Caribbean and Latin America involving information sharing with navies, coast guards and civilian services throughout the region.

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (COMUSNAVSO) is the naval component command for U.S. Southern Command and is responsible for all naval personnel and assets in the area of responsibility.

COMUSNAVSO conducts a variety of missions in support of the U.S. maritime strategy, including theater security cooperation, relationship building, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, community relations, and counter-illicit trafficking operations.

For more information, contact COMUSNAVSO/C4F Public Affairs by e-mail at comusnavso-c4f_mypt_pao@navy.mil, visit www.public.navy.mil/comusnavso-c4f, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT.

Chairman’s Corner: Happy Holidays

By Navy Adm. Mike Mullen

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2010 – As our Nation celebrates this holiday season, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen serve around the world in Afghanistan, Iraq, and a multitude of other locations, protecting all of us. Thanks to your commitment – and sacrifice – our friends and families can enjoy the good tidings long associated with this most meaningful time of the year.

While we celebrate this season’s goodwill, we also remain mindful that many of our men and women in uniform remain in harm’s way as our Nation enters its tenth year at war. We deeply honor your service and that of your families who serve along with you. Our thoughts and prayers are particularly with our wounded warriors, their families, and the families of the fallen and missing. These Americans have borne the most solemn burden in our fight to secure a better future – for our children and our grandchildren – in a very dangerous world, and we must never forget them.

On behalf of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and our families, I thank you for all you do for our country. We wish you and your families a joyful holiday season, and wherever you serve, we extend our deepest hopes and prayers for a safe and happy 2011.

Coast Guardsmen get holiday call from President Obama

Written by: LT Connie Braesch

Part of President Obama’s Christmas morning included a personal phone call to members of the military, thanking them for their service.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Dustin Monroe, a yeoman assigned as a hazardous materials inspector to the Coast Guard’s Redeployment Inspection-Assistance Detachment (RAID), spent about two minutes chatting with the President.

“It was definitely an honor and a cool experience,” said Monroe, a Missoula, Montana native who is halfway through a yearlong deployment with the 17-member RAID team. “He asked me how things were going so far and wished us a happy holiday season. It was fun and I’m glad I was able to share the experience with my Coast Guard and Army teammates.”


“Today, we’re also thinking of those who can’t be home for the holidays – especially all our courageous countrymen serving overseas,” Obama said in his Weekly Address with the First Lady. “America’s brave servicemen and women represent a small fraction of our population. But they and the families who await their safe return carry far more than their fair share of the burden.”

Monroe has spent the past six months at forward locations throughout Iraq in order to help Army units return equipment and personnel to the States. The RAID team is one of a handful of units assigned to Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia, a 300-member strong unit based in Bahrain, which supports missions throughout the Operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn theaters.

Monroe was one of just two Coast Guardsmen to receive phone calls from the Commander in Chief this holiday morning. The other is aboard a Coast Guard patrol boat in the Arabian Gulf.

Today in the Department of Defense, Monday, December 27, 2010

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn have no public or media events on their schedules.

Today in the Department of Defense, Saturday, December 25, 2010

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn have no public or media events on their schedules.

Today in the Department of Defense, Sunday, December 26, 2010

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn have no public or media events on their schedules.

Today in the Department of Defense, Saturday, December 25, 2010

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn have no public or media events on their schedules.

This Day in Naval History - Dec. 22

From the Navy News Service

1775 - Congress commissions the first Naval officers: Esek Hopkins, commander in chief of the fleet, Capts. Dudley Saltonstall, Abraham Whipple, Nicolas Biddle and John Hopkins. Lieutenants appointed included John Paul Jones.

1841 - USS Mississippi, the first U.S. ocean-going side-wheel steam warship, is commissioned in Philadelphia.

1942 - Pharmacist's Mate 1st Class Thomas A. Moore performs an appendectomy on Fireman 2nd Class George M. Platter aboard USS Silversides (SS 236).

1942 - Sue Dauser takes the oath of office as Superintendant of the Navy Nurse Corps, becoming the first woman with the relative rank of captain in U.S. Navy. She was promoted to the rank of captain on Feb. 26, 1944.

1944 - The first two African-American Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service officers, Harriet Ida Pickens and Frances F. Wills, are commissioned.

1960 - USS Valley Forge (CV 45) helicopters rescue 27 men from oiler SS Pine Ridge. Pine Ridge was breaking up in heavy seas off of Cape Hatteras.

MTV College Network Names Gates ‘Man of the Year’

By Elaine Wilson

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2010 – MTV’s college network bypassed a plethora of pop, rock and movie stars, and bestowed a top honor on a man they call a “true role model”: Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.

The mtvU network yesterday named Gates its inaugural 2010 Man of the Year.

“College students inherently believe that they have the power and ability to change the system,” Stephen Friedman, general manager of MTV, said yesterday in an mTVU news release. “mtvU is proud to honor Secretary Gates because he stood up for what was right, and made historic changes to the system by focusing on the issues at hand rather than partisan rhetoric.”

The network cited Gates for making “bold, reasoned” choices on issues such as gender bias, fiscal restraint, military modernization and the so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. Gates has been a long-time proponent of repealing the law, which bars gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military. Yesterday, President Barack Obama signed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 into law.

The network praised Gates for keeping the focus on servicemembers even as he dealt with two “controversial and difficult” wars.

“Although young people are sharply divided on the war, Secretary Gates and this generation are completely aligned in their unwavering support of the troops,” Friedman said.

The network posted an online video yesterday that features Gates speaking on key issues interspersed with praise for the defense secretary’s service to the nation.

“Secretary Gates has been awarded the National Security Medal, the Presidential Citizens Medal and has twice received the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal,” the release said. “Now, in 2010, for consistently focusing on solutions for today so they’re not problems for tomorrow, and for rational and reasoned discussion instead of polarizing sound bites -- he can add ‘mtvU Man of the Year’ to his list of accomplishments.”

The network’s Woman of the Year was hip hop artist Nicki Minaj.

The mtvU network is broadcast to more than 750 college campuses and via cable distributors in 700 college communities nationwide, according to its website, and reaches nearly 9 million U.S. college students.