New York National Guardsmen on Watch New Year's Eve

American Forces Press Service

NEW YORK, Dec. 30, 2010 –  As revelers head for Times Square to welcome 2011, members of the New York National Guard will be on duty to ensure that the holiday is safe and secure.

"New Yorkers can celebrate the New Year with confidence knowing our National Guard remains on duty this holiday weekend to assist our partners in law enforcement and emergency management," said Maj. Gen. Patrick Murphy, New York's Adjutant General.

"Operating at the direction of the governor, that partnership with law enforcement and emergency management in New York City continues to ensure that New York State Military Forces will be ready as New York welcomes thousands of visitors for a safe and secure holiday celebration."

In New York City, the members of the New York National Guard's Joint Task Force Empire Shield will be assisting the New York Police Department in conducting security operations designed to thwart any potential terrorist. These members of the New York Army and Air National Guard have been trained to assist law enforcement and other emergency management agencies in the metropolitan area.

Members of the New York Naval Militia and the New York Guard, state-only defense forces, also serve in Joint Task Force Empire Shield.

Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the New York National's Guard's task force in New York City has been an integral part of security planning.

"Our partnership with the New York City Office of Emergency Management brings great benefits to first responders and our National Guard," said Col. David Martinez, chief of domestic operations for the New York National Guard. "New Yorkers expect to see their National Guard out during critical times, and we're proud to serve."

The New York National Guard's 24th Civil Support Team, a unit of 22 soldiers and airmen trained to detect and identify hazardous materials, as well as the presence of chemical, biological, or radiological weapons, will also be standing by on New Year's Eve in case they are needed to support the New York Police Department or Fire Department.

Based at Fort Hamilton, in Brooklyn, the team's soldiers were recently certified as ready by the Department of Defense. In the past the New York National Guard's 2nd Civil Support Team would send soldiers and airmen to New York City on New Year's Eve from their headquarters at Stratton Air National Guard Base outside Schenectady. New York now has two of these highly trained units, with one focused solely on the New York City metropolitan area.

"As we have recently been certified to respond to natural or man- made emergencies we look forward to be able to support local authorities during this year' s New Year's Celebration in Times Square, " said Lt. Col. Kaarlo Hietala, the commander of the 24th Civil Support Team.

The New York National Guard will also have its Joint Operations Center near Albany manned with enough soldiers and leaders so that in the event of an emergency the Guard can respond quickly if directed to do so by the governor.

Finally in Rome, NY, the New York Air National Guard's Eastern Air Defense Sector will be monitoring the skies above New York City and the northeast while New Year's celebrations are underway.

Known as EADS, the unit of active-duty New York Air National Guardsmen and Canadian Forces personnel are responsible for monitoring the airspace of the United States east of the Mississippi. The unit is part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and can direct assets as needed to defend U.S. airspace.

"The Eastern Air Defense Sector's air sovereignty and air defense mission is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week responsibility," said Col. John Bartholf, EADS Commander. "Our unit was designed and organized to operate all day, every day, and we'll have a fully-manned shift working New Year's Eve, just as we do every night."

Smoking Lamp to Extinguish Dec. 31 on Navy Subs

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30, 2010 – The countdown to the new year is on, and with it, a ban on smoking below decks aboard Navy submarines.

Navy officials announced the new rule April 8, to take effect Navy-wide when the clock strikes midnight Dec. 31.

The ban was instituted to protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke that puts them at risk of developing heart and lung disease, Vice Adm. John J. Donnelly, commander of Submarine Forces in Norfolk, Va., explained in a news release.

“Our sailors are our most important asset to accomplishing our missions,” Donnelly explained in announcing the new policy. “Recent testing has proven that, despite our atmosphere purification technology, there are unacceptable levels of secondhand smoke in the atmosphere of a submerged submarine. The only way to eliminate risk to our non-smoking sailors is to stop smoking aboard our submarines.”

The Navy has been preparing its submariner crews, about 40 percent that smokes, for the change. It offers smoking cessation programs and issues nicotine gum or patches to help sailors kick the habit. Navy officials have also taken steps to make lighting up less convenient, such as limiting smoking time and the number of sailors permitted into the boat’s nonsmoking area or “smoke pit” at any one time.

During a media visit aboard the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Rhode Island in August, crew members agreed that implementing the smoking ban would be tough.

“This is a very high-stress job,” Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Robert McCombs, head of the sub’s engineering department, told reporters. “We push our crew very hard every day, 12 to 18 hours a day, and smoking is how they relax. Some people are saying they don’t want to stay on subs because they can’t smoke.”

Some submarines extinguished their smoking lamps early, to correspond with deployment schedules or other significant events. USS Michigan, for example, instituted the smoking ban July 27 at 7:27 a.m. to correspond with its hull number, 727. The command's plan was for the sailors to quit while deployed, and then return home with a fresh start and plenty of support from their family and friends, Michigan’s senior enlisted personnel explained.

Among them was Command Master Chief Victor Smith, the blue crew’s command master chief.

“As a former smoker for more than 10 years, I understand the challenges of quitting smoking," Smith told Navy News Service. “It is extremely hard to stop when you are at sea. We want our sailors to be successful, so we decided to put the smoking lamp out during this mission cycle. The day we extinguished the smoking lamp onboard was a significant event in the lives of our sailors. I cannot think of a more appropriate day to start a new and healthier life than 727 day.”

USS Georgia, home ported in Kings Bay, Ga., implemented the new smoking ban Aug.15, while it was under way.

“Not being able to smoke onboard after December 31st will be difficult for some,” acknowledged Command Master Chief, Richard Rose, blue crew master chief, during a Navy News Service interview. “This change will be hard, but will be for the better in the long run. Promoting and building a healthier submarine force is the right thing to do for the sailors in the Navy today.”

Littoral Combat Ship Contract Award Announced

Special from Navy Office of Information

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin Corp. and Austal USA each a fixed-price incentive contract for the design and construction of a 10 ship block-buy, for a total of 20 littoral combat ships from fiscal 2010 through fiscal 2015.

The amount awarded to Lockheed Martin Corp. for fiscal 2010 littoral combat ships is $436,852,639. The amount awarded to Austal USA for the fiscal 2010 littoral combat ships is $432,069,883.

Both contracts also include line items for nine additional ships, subject to Congressional appropriation of each year's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program requirements. When all 10 ships of each block buy are awarded, the value of the ship construction portion of the two contracts would be $3,620,625,192 for Lockheed Martin Corp., and $3,518,156,851 for Austal USA. The average cost of both variants including government-furnished equipment and margin for potential cost growth across the five year period is $440 million per ship. The pricing for these ships falls well below the escalated average Congressional cost cap of $538 million.

"The awards represent a unique and valuable opportunity to lock in the benefits of competition and provide needed ships to our fleet in a timely and extraordinarily cost effective manner," said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus.

This award is a unique opportunity to maximize the buying power on the LCS Program by leveraging the highly effective competition between the bidders. Each contractor's 10-ship bids reflect mature designs, investments made to improve performance, stable production, and continuous labor learning at their respective shipyards. The award was based on limited competition between teams led by Lockheed Martin and Austal USA. Under these contracts, both shipbuilders will also deliver a technical data package as part of the dual award, allowing the government a wide range of viable alternatives for effective future competition.

This approach, which is self-financed within the program by adding a year to the procurement and utilizing a portion of the greater than $2 billion total savings (throughout the Future Years Defense Program), enables the Navy to efficiently produce these ships at an increased rate and meet operational requirements sooner.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead praised the Navy's plan to add both ship designs to the fleet: "The LCS is uniquely designed to win against 21st century threats in coastal waters posed by increasingly capable submarines, mines and swarming small craft. Both designs provide the capabilities our Navy needs, and each offers unique features that will provide fleet commanders with a high level of flexibility in employing these ships."

The innovation and willingness to seize opportunities displayed in this LCS competition reflect exactly the improvements to 'the way we do business' in order to deliver better value to the taxpayer and greater capability to the warfighter. Moreover, the Navy's LCS acquisition strategy meets the spirit and intent of the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 and reflects the Navy's commitment to affordability. The benefits of competition, serial production, employment of mature technologies, design stability, fixed-price contracting, commonality, and economies of scale will provide a highly affordable ship construction program.

"The rigor and diligence of the source selection process has resulted in the acquisition of quality, capable ships at fair prices," said Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition Sean Stackley. "This dual award strategy exemplifies the Navy's compliance with Secretary Gates' and Under Secretary Carter's direction to improve the buying power of the Defense Department. Both teams have shown cost control on their second ships, and we look forward to the delivery of these capable fleet assets in the future."

The Navy remains committed to a 55-ship program and the LCS is needed to fill critical, urgent warfighting requirements gaps that exist today. The LCS Program is required to establish and maintain U.S. Navy dominance in the littorals and sea lanes of communication choke points around the world. The LCS Program operational requirements have been virtually unchanged since the program's inception in 2002 and the both hull forms will meet the Navy's operational warfighting requirements.

LDO, CWO Communities Under Review

From Commander, Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- In an effort to ensure the right specialists are in the right place, the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) announced Dec. 29 that it has been conducting a review of its technical leadership since August and will brief Navy leadership in early January 2011.

The Navy's limited duty officer (LDO) and chief warrant officer (CWO) communities are being evaluated so that the right technical specialists are doing technical leadership jobs, said Capt. John Jones, LDO/CWO community manager at BUPERS.

"We want to make sure that we have the right balance within our pay-grade structure to allow the opportunity for upward mobility without bottlenecks or even a lack of opportunity at a particular pay grade," said Jones. "Correcting our structure will ensure better opportunities for advancement, manage expectations and improve opportunity for many designators – particularly CWOs."

The chief of naval personnel ordered the review of both LDO and CWO designators and billets.

"The assumption is that all of the billets reviewed are valid work, so what we have done is identify very small designators where the work is done by both LDOs and CWOs," said Jones. "Billets that look like division officer work were transferred from LDO to CWO. Billets that had significant senior positions were transferred from CWO to LDO."

Additionally, Jones explained that current senior LDOs and CWOs in positions that may transfer will be continued on active duty.

"This 'aging of the workforce' will ensure the Navy gets the technical experts it needs in the future," said Jones.

LDOs and CWOs are technical leaders who are selected from the enlisted ranks based on merit, technical knowledge and sound leadership. LDOs are selected from E-6 to E-9 with eight to 16 years of service. Because they are more technically centered than LDOs, CWOs are only selected from E-7s and above with 12 to 22 years of service. Selection boards for both LDO and CWOs are held in January.

"I think most people, when first hearing of this review, thought that it was all doom and gloom," said Jones. "But the reality is that it's a necessary evolution that will leave us stronger."

"A big problem we had in the past is that we select the numbers we need by designator to keep a balanced entry into each technical field," said Jones. "Later on, we promote with everyone in one large pot and some designators with less sea duty are disadvantaged. We are evaluating a move toward promotion by designator to ensure we get the right balance at the senior level as well – this fits in well with the initiative to keep the communities viable and sustainable."

"The future is bright for the LDO/CWO community," said Jones. "This very necessary review, the largest since our collective inception in 1948, is long overdue. Most encouraging is the consistent overwhelming support from senior Navy leadership who highly value this community of seasoned technical leadership."

For more information visit the Navy Personnel Command LDO/CWO Community page at http://www.npc.navy.mil/Officer/CommunityManagers/LDOCWOOCM/.

USS Ronald Reagan Hosts NCAA Holiday Bowl Luncheon

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alexander Tidd, USS Ronald Reagan Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) hosted the Navy-Marine Corps Holiday Bowl Luncheon in the ship's hangar bay December 28 as part of Bowl Week festivities leading up to the big game between the University of Nebraska and University of Washington.

The Navy-Marine Corps Holiday Bowl Luncheon is an annual event held aboard an aircraft carrier or large deck amphibious assault ship pier side in San Diego the week of the Holiday Bowl.

After a "battle of the bands" on the pier between the marching bands from each school, members of the two football teams and faculty dined with the Ronald Reagan crew before taking tours of the ship.

"Having this luncheon gives these two teams a chance to look at what the Navy does," said Cmdr. Kevin Lenox, Ronald Reagan's executive officer. "This is an opportunity for two very different types of warriors to interact and see what they are all about."

The experience proved enlightening for both the Sailors and the athletes from the two universities.

"I've never had an opportunity like this before," said Air Traffic Controller 3rd Class (AW) Robert Hoth. "It's been very interesting to sit and chat with these guys. Looking around, I realized that they aren't really any different than us."

Sitting across from Hoth during lunch was Marquis Persley, a safety for the Washington Huskies.

"I couldn't help but realize that the guys who are running this massive machine could be the same guys I went to high school with," said Persley. "We both have such different responsibilities, but only because we chose different paths."

Two Ronald Reagan Sailors were surprised with the gift of a very unique experience when they were named honorary captains for each team.

"When they called my name, I couldn't believe it," said Boatswain's Mate 1st Class (SW/EXW/SCI) Jay Norris, a Washington state native and Ronald Reagan's Sailor of the Quarter. "I've been a fan for as long as I can remember. I don't know what to expect, but I'm completely pumped for my inside look into college football and my favorite team."

Electronics Technician 3rd Class Morgan Ryan was just as excited to hear he would be viewing the game from the opposing side of Qualcomm Stadium.

"I was very surprised because I didn't know I had entered," said Ryan. "I haven't been to a 'Huskers game in over four years, and to be down on the field will be incredible. I can't wait to meet Alex Henery (University of Nebraska's kicker)."

The players are being shown the best of San Diego while in town for Bowl Week, with stops at the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld and many other attractions. But the players insisted their time aboard Ronald Reagan was the highlight of their week.

"As soon as we came on board, I was thinking 'get me to the flight deck,'" said Persley. "I've never been on anything close to this before. It's been great."

The benefit of all this attention is an inside look into the lesser-known aspects of the Navy, said Dave Koontz, the chairman of Military Affairs for the Holiday Bowl Board of Directors.

"For most of these guys, this is their first contact with the military," said Koontz, a former Navy public affairs officer. "It's as much fun for the players as it is for the Sailors. They're rubbing elbows with each other, getting to know the different facets of two different lifestyles. Most guys say it's their highlight of Bowl Week."

For more news from USS Ronald Reagan and the Ronald Reagan Strike Group, visit www.reagan.navy.mil or visit the official USS Ronald Reagan Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Coronado-CA/USS-Ronald-Reagan/212147332020?ref=ts&ajaxpipe=1&__a=24.

Family Matters Blog: Families Invited to Dial Into Helping Webinars

By Elaine Wilson

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29, 2010 – The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury has released its monthly webinar series schedule for 2011, and officials there hope the topics will interest everyone from servicemembers and their families to medical professionals.

The webinar series  presents resources and best practices regarding TBI and psychological health care and offers participants an interactive environment to ask questions or comment. This past year, the series featured topics such as family support techniques, combating stigma, suicide prevention and reintegration programs.

In 2011, topics will range from the impact of war on children to post-traumatic stress disorder in the wake of a natural disaster. Webinars are scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. EST.

Here’s the complete schedule:

Jan. 27: Peer-to-Peer Support Model Program

Feb. 24: Compassion Fatigue

March 24: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Co-occurring Psychological Health Disorders:

Focus on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury with Co-occurring Psychological Health

Disorders Toolkit

April 28: Indirect Neurotrauma: The Impact of War on Children

May 26: Operational Stress and In Theater Care

June 23: Anatomical/Physiological Changes Secondary to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

July 28: Reintegrative Medicine: Focusing on Family and Clinical Perspective, and

Adaptation Following Incident

Aug. 25: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Natural Disasters

Sept. 22: Neuropathophysiology of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Oct. 27: Generational Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Post Traumatic Growth

Nov. 17: Holidays Apart from Family

December: No event due to the holidays

For more on the webinar series, visit the DcOE blog . To be added to the DCoE Monthly Webinar Series listserv or to sign up for upcoming webinars, e-mail DCoE.MonthlyWebinar@tma.osd.mil.

To comment on this blog, use the comment feature below. To read other Family Matters posts, visit the Family Matters website. Comments posted here may be re-posted to the Family Matters Website.

Abbott Glucose Test Strips Recall At Naval Medical Center San Diego

By Naval Medical Center San Diego Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Based on recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued on Dec. 22, 2010, Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) and clinics are recalling various lots of Abbot Diabetes Care glucose test strips.

According to the FDA, the test strips being recalled may give falsely low blood glucose results. False results may lead patients to try to raise their blood glucose unnecessarily, or they may fail to treat elevated blood glucose because of a false, low reading. Both scenarios pose risks to a patient's health.

"We do not want patients to be alarmed, but we want our beneficiaries to be aware of the recall so they will discontinue use and return the affected products," said Cmdr. Ed Vonberg, department head of NMCSD's pharmacy.

The test strips are marketed under the following brand names, specifically the Precision Xtra Blood Glucose Test Strips; Precision Xceed Pro; Precision Xtra; Medisense Optium; Optium; OptiumEZ; and ReliOn Ultima. The test strips are used with Abbott's Precision Xtra, Precision Xceed Pro, MediSense Optium, Optium, Optium EZ and ReliOn Ultima blood glucose monitoring systems. As many as 359 million strips may be affected by the recall. The blood glucose monitoring systems are not affected by this recall.

The FDA, working with Abbot Diabetes Care, notes that the recall is related to the test strips' inability to absorb enough blood for monitoring. Strips exposed to warm weather or prolonged storage may be more likely to provide a false result. The test strips were manufactured between January and September 2010 and are sold both in retail and online settings directly to consumers, but are also used in health care facilities.

Patients who have received test strips are encouraged to check the list of lot numbers below.

If any patient has stored any test strips on the list in 86 degree Fahrenheit heat or higher, please return to the pharmacy for replacement. If it takes longer than five seconds to get a reading, and the test strips are on the list, return to the pharmacy. NMCSD patients should call or visit any of the NMCSD Pharmacies listed below:

Naval Air Station North Island Pharmacy

Mon – Fri: 0730 - 1600

Weekend & Fed Holidays: CLOSED (619) 545-4290

Naval Training Center Pharmacy

Mon – Fri: 0800 - 1630

Weekend & Fed Holidays: CLOSED

(619) 524-0931

Branch Health Clinic Miramar Pharmacy

Mon – Fri: 0730 - 1600

Weekend & Fed Holidays: CLOSED

(858) 577-9960

El Centro Pharmacy

Mon – Thurs: 0800 – 1130, 1300 – 1600

Fri: 0800 – 1200

Sat, Sun, & Federal Holidays: CLOSED

(760) 339-2631

Naval Medical Center Pharmacy

Mon – Fri: 0800 - 2100

Sat - Sun: 0800 - 1800

Fed Holidays: CLOSED

(619) 532-8400

Navy Exchange 32nd Street Pharmacy

Mon – Fri: 0800 - 1630

Saturday: 0900 - 1630

Sunday & Fed Holidays: CLOSED

(619) 556-9371

TOC Clairemont Pharmacy

Mon – Fri: 0800 - 1630

Sat: 0900 - 1630

Sun & Fed Holidays: CLOSED

619-645-0168

TOC Chula Vista Pharmacy

Mon – Fri: 0700 – 2000 M - F (Civilian Rx): 0830 - 1700 Sat - Sun, & Fed Holidays: 0800 – 1600

Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year's Day: CLOSED

(619) 744-5388

TOC Santee Pharmacy

Mon – Fri: 0800 – 1630 Mon - Fri (Civilian Rx): 0800 - 1530 Sat - Sun, & Federal Holidays: CLOSED

(619) 645-0110

Beneficiaries can also contact patient relations at 619-532-6418 or 619-532-6416 for clarification.

Additionally, patients can call Abbott Diabetes Care customer service at 1-800-448-5234 (English) and 1-800-709-7010 (Spanish) to speak with a customer service representative.

Precision Xtra Blood Glucose Test Strips That Have Been Affected by the Abbott Recall of December 22, 2010 which may have been affected by Excessive Heat that could cause a false low blood glucose reading:

45001A330, 45001A467, 45001A481, 45001A482, 45001A483, 45001A487, 45001A488, 45001A496, 45001A497, 45001A499, 45001A500, 45001A503, 45001A505, 45001A506, 45001A510, 45001A511, 45001A513, 45001A519, 45001A520, 45001A521, 45001A530, 45001A532, 45001A534, 45001A536, 45001A537, 45001A545, 45001A556, 45001A565, 45001A566, 45001A568, 45001A573, 45001A577, 45001A584, 45001A594, 45001A595, 45001A597, 45001A605, 45001A607, 45001A608, 45001A609, 45001A613, 45001A614, 45001A626, 45001A634, 45001A637, 45001A641, 45001A644, 45001A645, 45001A656, 45001A660, 45001A664, 45001A669, 45001A670, 45001A671, 45001A677, 45001A678, 45001A682, 45001A685, 45001A694, 45001A700, 45001A705, 45001A706, 45001A707, 45001A709, 45001A712, 45001A730, 45001A732, 45001A739, 45001A742, 45001A744, 45001A751, 45001A753, 45001A757, 45001A762, 45001A777, 45001A778, 45001A786, 45001A788, 45001A790, 45001A798, 45001A806, 45001A814, 45001A815, 45001A816,45001A820, 45001A840, 45001A842, 45001A847, 45001A852, 45001A856, 45001A860, 45001A861, 45001A872, 45001A876, 45001A882, 45001A910, 45001A912, 45001A914, 45001A918, 45001A920, 45001A921, 45001A940, 45001A947, 45001A948, 45001A949, 45001A971, 45001A976, 45001A979, 45001A982, 45001A983, 45001C008, 45001C011, 45001C012 45384, 45388, 45396, 45407, 45418, 45455, 45456, 45463, 45464, 45512, 45514, 45516, 45521, 45611, 45612, 45614, 45619, 45627, 45632, 45639, 45645, 45646, 45653, 45670, 45679, 45680, 45682, 45707, 45708, 45724, 45729, 45731, 45732, 45733, 45735, 45737, 45738, 45755, 45777, 45782, 45783, 45784

Family Matters Blog: Blogger Resolves to Support Troops, Families

By Elaine Wilson

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30, 2010 – With the presents unwrapped and stockings bare, my thoughts have finally turned to the New Year and my resolutions for the year ahead.

I must admit I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. My past is littered with a series of unfulfilled vows made with the best of intentions, or in some cases, a burst of bubbly-induced idealism. The list is seemingly endless: lose weight, tone up, exercise more, work less, work more, take a class, and on and on.

But this year, rather than a laundry list of pledges doomed to fall by the wayside, I’m determined to hone in on one resolution I can actually keep.

My sole New Year’s resolution is to offer my support to our troops and their families. And unlike my past pledges, this isn’t a fleeting thought stumbled upon at the stroke of midnight, but a true desire to help that’s been brewing for some time.

My admiration for military members and their families has grown exponentially in recent years. As an American Forces Press Service writer and Family Matters blogger, I’ve talked with servicemembers struggling with the visible and invisible wounds of war, spouses juggling kids and multiple deployments, and couples dealing with the weighty issues of reintegration. They were from different places, branches of services and walks of life, but all had one thing in common: the need for our support.

To borrow a quote from First Lady Michelle Obama, a staunch supporter of military families, “a small percentage of Americans fight our wars, but we need 100 percent of Americans to support these brave men and women and their families back home.”

So, I plan to do my part, however small it is. I’ll be happy to help gather items for a care package, offer to babysit so a military spouse can gain a much-needed reprieve, or even just send a card to a deployed troop. The possibilities are endless.

While I’d still like to curb my sweet tooth and step up my exercise regimen, I’ll mark those goals on another New Year. This year will be my personal call to action on behalf of our servicemembers and their families, a year of gratitude for all that they sacrifice in service of this nation. Without them, after all, an extra five pounds would be the least of my worries.

Wisconsin Guard Agribusiness Team eyes year of growth

Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office

A unique Wisconsin National Guard unit, authorized in July and just weeks away from its first training event, is putting the finishing touches on a training plan that will ultimately lead to its upcoming mission in Afghanistan.

Col. Darrell Feucht, of Columbus, Wis., will command a unit of approximately 60 Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers and Airmen headed to northeastern Afghanistan sometime in 2012 as part of an agribusiness development team - a National Guard initiative that applies the rich farming experience of many Guard members in a way that will allow a developing democracy a safer and more productive way of feeding its people.

Owing to the kinetic operations - also known as a combat environment - still present in Afghanistan, approximately half of the team consists of security personnel gleaned from the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The team's technical members include a high school biology teacher, large animal veterinarians, agronomists and forestry scientists. The team also includes two members of the Wisconsin Air National Guard and five females.

Feucht said there was no shortage of volunteers for this mission, and every position will be filled by Jan. 1, 2011. Families have been notified of their service member's upcoming training commitment and deployment.

"We are bringing together some really good skill sets to accomplish the mission," he said. The agricultural experts will focus on animal husbandry, water and soil conservation, horticulture, irrigation, storage, and distribution and agribusiness education. The team will also assess local farming practices and environments to determine the best strategies to assist Afghan farmers.

Brig. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, said the National Guard is uniquely suited for this type of mission.

"The skills and expertise we bring from our civilian careers demonstrates our versatility and capability for assignments like this," he said.

Next month the team's training for the upcoming year will be detailed down to the hour, and the unit will conduct its first drill in February. Eighty percent of the training in 2011 will meet pre-mobilization requirements dictated by 1st Army.

"But being a [non-traditional] unit, we kind of make up our collective training as we go along due to our unique mission," he explained.

For example, Feucht said he is hoping to collaborate with the University of Wisconsin's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for what he described as a three-week "Extreme Ag 101" this summer to ensure, among other things, that his technical team members are well-versed in Afghan vegetation. That collaboration would continue to allow the deployed agribusiness development team to tap into the university's academic expertise here in Wisconsin - a practice the military refers to as "reach-back" resources.

Feucht intends to enlist Future Farmers of America chapters in Lodi and perhaps Hartford as "reach-back" resources as well. A presentation at Lodi High School earlier this month sparked great excitement, he said.

"They want to be involved in this mission somehow, some way," he said.

Feucht also said that the team will emphasize physical fitness training. The elevation and rugged terrain, much of it unsuitable for motor vehicles, challenges conventional notions of fitness.

"From what I've been hearing, you find that after carrying all that equipment, you're not in the shape you thought you were in," he said. "They will need to be in the best condition of their lives."

The agribusiness development team will support the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Afghanistan, Feucht said. Conditions at that time will dictate if the Wisconsin ADT maintains current projects or takes on new projects.

Language Training Detachment Stands Up in Europe

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30, 2010 – With defense leaders emphasizing the importance of language and cultural training to support military operations worldwide, the Defense Language Institute has stood up a new detachment in Germany to provide follow-on sustainment training for military linguists based in Europe.

The language training detachment, at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, will provide “substantive and direct support” to linguists assigned to both U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command and their subordinate elements, Dan Rugelbrugge, who oversees the effort, said in an interview posted yesterday on the “EUCOMversations” video blog.

Previously, linguists in Europe had to rely on distance learning or mobile training teams for sustainment training after graduating from the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey in California.

With the new language training detachment, “We are going to ensure that the people we initially trained are continually trained at that level, which is a pretty high standard,” Rugelbrugge said.

The detachment will operate like those DLI’s Foreign Language Institute manages at more than a dozen military sites in the continental United States and Hawaii to provide operational units recurrent language familiarization and cultural awareness training.

Rugelbrugge, an Army linguistics specialist and combat veteran who has served all over the world, arrived at his new Eucom post about three months ago. He currently is assessing training requirements and plans to hire permanent teachers and other support staff as he slowly grows the program to support demand.

French language training “is constantly requested,” he said, as well as training in German and Russian. In addition, the detachment is expected to support wartime requirements in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with enhancement training in the Dari and Pashto languages.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, emphasized during a visit last year to the Defense Language Institute that no training is more critical to the U.S. military than education in critical foreign languages and culture.

While language opens doors to an exchange of information and ideas, he said it also can be a window into the culture of a foreign people.

“It is really important that we listen to other people, that we listen to other cultures, that we pay attention to how they see their problems,” Mullen told the DLI students. “I call that seeing it through their eyes -- putting yourself in a position that actually focuses on what they are thinking about, as opposed to how we think about them, or how we think about, in our Western ways, we might solve their problems.”

Boston Bruins Goalie Makes Holiday Call to Abraham Lincoln Sailors

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Seth Clarke, Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs

USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, At Sea (NNS) -- A goalie for the Boston Bruins spoke to hockey fans aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during a phone call to the aircraft carrier Dec. 29.

Fourteen hockey fans aboard Abraham Lincoln gathered to ask Tim Thomas a number of questions throughout the call.

They asked about the Bruins' offensive approach, Thomas' early days in hockey and his early professional career playing in Finland and in the minor leagues.

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Kaleb F. Brown asked what Thomas considered his most memorable moment as a hockey player.

Thomas said that although he has had quite a few memorable moments, his proudest moment came when he was named to the 2010 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team on the same day the Bruins won a shootout against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2010 National Hockey League Winter Classic in front of 40,000 fans at Boston's Fenway Park.

"Being named to the Olympic Team had been my dream since I was five years old, and finally I was able to realize that dream," said Thomas. "It was a great day."

Brown also asked Thomas what kept him motivated to reach his goals.

"If you really want something, just work as hard as you can to try to accomplish it. If you do everything that you possibly can to reach a goal that you want to reach, you'll respect yourself at the end of the day. It's nice to be rewarded, and I think you will be if you want something bad enough and you work at it hard enough," said Thomas.

Thomas reminded the gathered fans that he still has a larger goal looming in his career.

"I want to win a Stanley Cup," said Thomas. "I'm still working on that one."

The hockey star's phone call is the latest in a series of recent calls from prominent Boston sports figures to Abraham Lincoln's sports fans. Ray Allen, Celtics shooting guard; Bill Belichick, New England Patriots Coach; and Wes Welker, New England Patriots wide receiver; called Sailors on Christmas Eve. Red Sox Manager Terry Francona called the ship Dec. 21.

The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts to establish conditions for regional stability.

This article was sponsored by Military Books.

Today in the Department of Defense, Thursday, December 30, 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. 29

By Navy News Service

1798 - First annual report by Secretary of the Navy, sent by Benjamin Stoddert.

1812 - USS Constitution (Captain William Bainbridge) captures HMS Java off Brazil after a three hour battle.

1943 - USS Silversides (SS-236) sinks three Japanese ships and damages a fourth off Palau.

2011 Wings Wheels Rotors and Expo

WHAT: WINGS WHEELS ROTORS & EXPO 2011 (www.WWRExpo.net)

WHEN: SUNDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2011, 9 AM TO 4 PM (0900 -1600hrs)

WHERE: LOS ALAMITOS ARMY AIRFIELD, JOINT FORCES TRAINING BASE

California National Guard          

11200 Lexington Drive

Los Alamitos, California 90720-5000 (OC Thomas Guide, pp 797)

(Katella at Lexington Dr)

WHO: 562-598-6659 / www.WWRExpo.net / info@losalchamber.com / 562-598-7035 fax

WWRE 2011 is an open house and family event sponsored by the Los Alamitos Area

Chamber of Commerce and the California National Guards Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB)

All the activities will take place on the flight line on Los Alamitos Army Airfield (KSLI)

Los Alamitos Army Airfield is the last remaining military airfield in the greater LA/Orange County areas with the longest runways in the OC. The JFTB is also the disaster support area for S. California.

On display will be military aircraft, helicopters, many cars, warbirds along with public safety, first responder and military equipment .Aircraft flyovers are planned including aircraft static displays.

Wings Wheels & Rotors will have various civilian and public safety helicopters with fire, police and military rotorcraft including some of the media aircraft seen daily on the air around SoCal. Along with the airplanes and warbirds are helicopter flights in civilian "choppers" for a small fee.

There will be free flights in general aviation airplanes by the Experimental Aircraft Association Young Eagles for youth between the ages of 8 and 17 years who are interested in flying and aviation.

The largest event will be a huge car show including custom cars, new autos, motorcycles, roadsters, antique vehicles and hot rods. Awards to be presented for best cars. There will be many events for the family at WWRE 2011 along with a Kids Korner. Additionally, there will be food, including breakfast, music, vendors, displays, demonstrations, flybys and other activities on Sunday,23 October.

A portion of the proceeds will go to the JFTB Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) funds to support the armed forces personnel on the base. Sponsor opportunities and vendor space available.  Check with the Los Al Chamber of Commerce at 562-598-6659. Free admission, free parking. Donations accepted. No Smoking, dogs, bikes or alcohol permitted.

Open to the public. Picture I.D. required to enter the base

MEDIA WELCOME   562-598-6659  /  www.WWRExpo.net

Army Officials Work to Treat Invisible Wounds of War

By Fred W. Baker III

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26, 2010 – Military leaders and troops alike need more time at home between deployments to help diagnose and receive treatment for the "invisible" wounds of war such as posttraumatic stress, a senior Army officer said today.

"It affects everything. It affects the divorce rate. It affects substance abuse. It affects everything. And we've kind of taken our focus and shifted it to ensure that we're getting at that," Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the vice chief of staff of the Army, said on ABC's "This Week" with Christiane Amanpour.

"You want to get at these issues. We need more time at home before deployment," Chiarelli said.

Complicating matters, the symptoms of posttraumatic stress take sometimes months or years to show. More research is needed to understand the brain and the effects of stress, Chiarelli said.

"I think we're doing everything we possibly can to learn as much as we can about the brain. And that's really the issue. It's trying to understand the brain as well as we do the other organs in the body," he said.

"We just don't know that much about the brain. We automatically assume so many times that a person that's in a blast has a concussion. Many times, they don't have a concussion. Instead, they have posttraumatic stress," Chiarelli said.

The Army has implemented new programs both in theater and here at home to identify and treat those who show signs of suffering from posttraumatic stress, but there is still much to learn about the brain and how it responds stress and treatment.

In Afghanistan, soldiers are now sent to resiliency centers after suffering a bomb blast.

If a soldier is in a vehicle that is damaged, within 15 meters of a blast, in a building with a blast or if they lose consciousness, they are given an initial medical evaluation and pulled from the fight for 24 hours.

"Sometimes the symptoms of concussion don't display themselves for 24 hours. We give them a second evaluation, and if they pass that, they in fact go back to duty. If they fail either one of those in that 24-hour period, they go to a resilience center where we rest them until the brain has had an opportunity to heal from that concussion," Chiarelli said.

Before, the soldiers would have likely simply continued on duty.

"We had soldiers who knew that they'd had a concussion, knew that they had had their, quote, 'bell rung,' and they did nothing about it," the general said.

Chiarelli said that treating the stress on the battlefield is more effective than waiting until the soldier returns from deployment for medical help.

"We know in treating PTS the closer you treat PTS to the event that occurs, the more likely you are to help that individual," he said. "So much so that ... if the event occurs in the morning, it's very important that you bring the individual's anxiety level down before they go to sleep that night, because in [rapid eye movement] sleep, something happens in the brain that causes an individual to remember that and make the PTS harder to treat."

Once the soldier returns from combat, military leaders at Army installations work to identify those troops who engage in high-risk behaviors.

"What we see is a soldier who's down range for 12 months in a very high adrenaline environment, where every single day, he or she finds themselves facing an enemy. And they come home, and many times, want to replicate that," he said.

"We're looking at programs that, first of all, ensure that we are identifying early on those who are going to have a rough time reintegrating. And then taking soldiers and putting them in high-stress kind of events that are safe for them, such as water rafting and out doing those kind of sports to burn off that adrenaline, rather than getting on a motorcycle and traveling down the road at 100 miles an hour without a helmet on," he said.

Chiarelli said he briefs the leadership of every brigade combat team before deployment on the effects of traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress and needed treatment.

Also, Chiarelli added, the Army works closely with Veterans Affairs to ensure soldiers leaving the service understand their ongoing treatment options.

"You know, the problem with posttraumatic stress is that in the United States, the National Institute of Mental Health will tell you, for regular civilians, it is 12 years between the initiating event and when someone first seeks help. Now the issue there isn't that they finally seek help. It's all the things that happen in between," he said.

“When Families Grieve” receives CINE Golden Eagle Award

The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) is happy to announce that Sesame Workshop’s latest phase of the Talk, Listen, Connect initiative, “When Families Grieve,” which DCoE helped develop, has received the CINE Golden Eagle Award for high quality production in Children’s Programs.

DCoE would like to offer our congratulations to Sesame Workshop and say thank you for their hard work and dedication to the emotional health of our nation’s military children.

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.”