WASHINGTON, March 7, 2011 – The Obama administration today announced the conclusion of its review of detainee policies at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and will resume military commissions there.
“We are announcing that we will go forward with new commissions cases,” a senior administration official said.
President Barack Obama issued an executive order today that says detainees held without a trial will go before a Periodic Review Board within a year to have their cases assessed. The board is to include representatives from the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the State Department.
The order also requires the attorney general and defense secretary to assess whether prosecution is still feasible and in the country’s national security interests.
In a background call with reporters, senior administration officials said the announcement is consistent with Obama’s goals of reforming the detainee process and of closing the GuantanamoBay detention facility.
“This continues the effort our administration has had since our earliest days in office,” an official said. “We’re continuing the president’s effort to prosecute and bring terrorists to justice that is consistent with our values and national security.”
Prosecutions will follow the regulations of the 1949 Geneva Convention on the rights of prisoners of war, an official said. “This is not about who our enemies are, but about who we are: a nation committed to providing its detainees with humane treatment,” he said.
While continuing to reform the detainee process, another official said, the administration also will work with foreign governments to extradite detainees, and will try to overturn congressional impediments to have some tried in federal civilian courts. The end goal remains to close the detention facility at GuantanamoBay, which remains a recruiting tool for terrorists, they said.
No detainees will be released in the United States, they said, noting that 67 have been transferred since the facility opened in 2002.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued statements today saying they support the changes, and Gates rescinded his January 2009 order suspending the filing of new military commission charges.
“I issued the prior order to permit the new administration time to conduct a comprehensive review of the status of each Guantanamo detainee,” he said. “That review is now complete.”
Like other administration officials, Gates said it is important to retain the right to prosecute detainees either in military commissions, or in federal civilian courts.
“In addition to bringing detainees to justice in reformed military commissions, I believe it is important that we maintain the option of prosecuting alleged terrorists in federal courts,” he said. “For reasons of national security, we must have available to us all the tools that exist for preventing and combating international terrorist activity, and protecting our nation. For years, our federal courts have proven to be a secure and effective means for bringing terrorists to justice. To completely foreclose this option is unwise and unnecessary."
In his statement, Mullen also noted his support for the resumption of military commissions for Guantanamo detainees, and the continued use of federal courts to try alleged terrorists.
“I believe the national security threat posed by terrorism is real and persistent,” he said. “And I believe it is incumbent upon the Department of Defense to contribute fairly to the process of bringing these individuals to justice. That outcome is best achieved by a full range of judicial options.”
Gates noted that the Military Commissions Act of 2009 led to several key reforms in the detainee process, and another administration official said those reforms will continue no matter where trials are held.
“The military commissions process reform is something the president has made a commitment to,” he said. “So reforms and prosecutions will remain, irrespective of where detainees are held. This is something we’ve achieved and think we should move forward on.”
The administration officials said Obama remains committed to four goals he outlined during a 2009 speech at the National Archives:
-- to bring detainees to justice in prosecutions in either federal civilian courts, or military commissions;
-- to comply with court-ordered releases of detainees;
-- to transfer detainees from Guantanamo whenever possible to do so safely and humanely; and
-- when neither prosecution or other legal options are available, to hold detainees in lawful military detention.
By Ensign Damon Goodrish-Houska, Rueben James Public Affairs
MUARA, Brunei (NNS) -- USS Reuben James (FFG 57) held a reception for 62 government officials and distinguished guests aboard the ship during its port visit to Muara, Brunei, March 5.
Guests who attended the gathering included U.S. Embassy's Charge d'Affaires Alexander L. Barrasso; Commander of the Royal Brunei Air Force Maj. Gen. Aminuddin Ihsan; Commander of the Royal Brunei Navy Col. Abdul Halim; and representatives from embassies of the United Kingdom, Russia, India, Vietnam, Germany, Laos, Kuwait, the Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of Korea.
During the reception, Cmdr. David E. Miller, USS Reuben James commanding officer, welcomed the guests and thanked them for their hospitality shown to the ship throughout the port visit.
"Hosting receptions and giving people tours of our ship is just one way for us to strengthen the relationship between the U.S. Navy and the Royal Brunei armed forces," said Lt. Anthony Pangjogie, USS Reuben James operations officer. "We are looking forward to continuing to work together to complete our common goals in the region."
The visit to Brunei was filled with public engagement events including 10 group tours and two community service (COMSERV) projects. Local students, government personnel and members of the Royal Brunei military received guided tours of the ship's spaces.
For one of the COMSERV projects, Reuben James Sailors teamed up with Green Frog Humanitarian and Management Services, a local non-governmental organization, to refurbish an elderly man's house and landscape his yard.
Reuben James is currently deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to promote peace and stability in the region, strengthen interoperability with allied countries that share common interests of maritime security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian and disaster assistance cooperation.
SOUDABAY, Crete, March 7, 2011 – The team projecting humanitarian airlift missions into North Africa entered its fourth day of operations today, taking satisfaction from the more than 450 displaced Egyptian citizens ferried home from Tunisia.
While the airlift needs were evolving along with the humanitarian crisis on Libya’s borders, the team continued the behind-the-scenes functions vital to making sure humanitarian airlift are available for further tasking.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Ashley Vazquez, a command post controller with the 435th Air Mobility Squadron, has been working with teammates on everything from tracking people and equipment to building flight plans.
“We track all the personnel and aircraft -- we track flights, we set up all the communications equipment, making sure that we can talk to our flight crews in the air,” she said. At SoudaBay, Vazquez is part of the 435th Contingency Response Group, based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Known as the 435th Contingency Response Element while on Crete, they make the mission happen alongside airmen from the 37th Airlift Squadron.
“We just make sure everyone’s taken care of while they are here,” Vazquez said.
Much of this work is not captured by newsreels of evacuees gratefully touching down in Cairo, but is vital to making it happen, said Air Force Lt. Col. Charles “Doc” Schlegel, the contingency response element commander while deployed here and 435th Air Mobility Squadron commander at Ramstein.
“There are a lot of little things that must be done for us to be able to fly these missions,” Schlegel said. “These guys have done a fantastic job, and when you see us on the news bringing people home safely after they have fled the conflict in Libya, you are only seeing part of the piece of the overall effort. Our whole teams, including our CRE element, aircrew, ravens, public affairs specialists and many others have all been crucial to the success of this important humanitarian mission.”
Flexibility and versatility have made it possible for the small team -- fewer than 30 people are currently supporting the mission at Souda -- to get a lot done, said Air Force Staff Sgt. Justin Hairston, an air transportation craftsman with the contingency response element.
“We’re a small unit, and we use cross-utilization training,” he explained. “Everybody works together; everybody knows a little bit about everybody else’s job. You have your subject matter experts, but everybody helps everybody out. That’s what makes the [contingency response group] great,” Hairston said.
Though their work is behind the scenes, the footage making network news in the United States and Europe is what makes it all worth it, Hairston said.
“Personally, my satisfaction comes from seeing these people getting home,” he said. “It’s nice to be a part of something like this. A lot of times you see things like this on the news, but to actually be a part of it, I feel very fortunate, very blessed to be here to help these people.”
The airlift squadron and contingency response element did not fly today, waiting for further requests for assistance as part of the larger U.S. government and international effort to relieve suffering in the wake of the crisis.
“We are happy with what we’ve been able to get done so far in support of our State Department and U.S. Africa Command [missions],” Schlegel said. “We are standing by for more.”
NEW CASTLE, Del., March 7, 2011 – Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, promised National Guard members and their families here that she will support them during every deployment.
“As family members, we honor and support our [Guard members], but we also know that we will miss them each and every day they’re away from us,” she said during a March 4 call-to-duty ceremony at the Delaware Air National Guard’s 166th Airlift Wing.
Biden announced Feb. 28 that she and First Lady Michelle Obama will launch a campaign this month that’s designed to rally citizens, businesses and nonprofit organizations to provide support for servicemembers and their families.
"We're going to reach out to all Americans," she said. "Michelle and I are going to go on a tour around the country to create this mass-media awareness, so that the 99 percent of Americans that are not serving can now serve the 1 percent who are."
Biden said this initiative was created to recognize the sacrifices families make when they have a deployed Guard member and to identify and fix some of the shortfalls that happen back home when a Guard member is gone.
“Families, you –- like your airmen and soldiers -– are making your own personal sacrifice for this country,” she said. “I want you to know that this country appreciates your courage and your strength.”
Noting her experience as a military mom when her son Beau Biden, who is a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard, returned home from a yearlong deployment to Iraq, Biden said she worked during that time with the grassroots organization Delaware Boots on the Ground. It makes a difference, she added, made when someone reaches out to support Guard families.
“Three years ago, I sat where you families are sitting today as my son Beau deployed to Iraq,” she said. “I have some sense of what some of the parents and loved ones are feeling. I remember the distinct mixed feeling of both pride and concern.
“Where a military family in Delaware has a need, we try to meet it,” she continued, describing the Delaware Boots on the Ground mission as, “whether it’s physical labor or repairs around the house, a fun night out for the kids, or other simple ways individuals, businesses and groups can support a family through a deployment.”
To offer solace during the coming months, Biden shared a prayer that was slipped into her hand by Jane Vavala, wife of Delaware's adjutant general, Army Maj. Gen. Frank Vavala, during Beau Biden's deployment ceremony.
“Dear God, I pray to give each [Guard member] the courage and strength to do the duty that is required of them,” she said. “May they always remember our appreciation for the sacrifice they are making for us. We are thankful for the men and women who willing to risk their lives to protect our freedom. I ask you to go with each one of them and protect them wherever they go, Amen.”
WASHINGTON, March 7, 2011 – Noting Australia’s contributions alongside U.S. service members in the Vietnam War, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today welcomed an Australian gift that will enhance that war’s memorial here.
During a dedication ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial, where Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced her nation would donate $3 million toward an education center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen cited the long relationship between Australia and the United States.
Some 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam, the chairman said, and 521 were killed.
“We remember Australians’ sacrifice as we do our own,” he said. “And this education center will remind future generations of Australians and Americans, and indeed every nation, about the sacrifices of all those who served in Vietnam.”
The United States and Australia share a strong affinity, historical roots, strong democratic institutions and cultures bolstered by immigrants hailing from lands around the globe, Mullen said. The two nations are the closest of allies, he added, fighting alongside each other in every conflict from World War I on.
“Since the Great White Fleet sailed into SydneyHarbor more than 100 years ago,” said Mullen, who served in Vietnam early in his career, “our militaries have likewise enjoyed a strong bond based on professionalism, courtesy and respect.”
Australia is the first government institution to contribute to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund toward the construction of the underground education center. Congress authorized the center in 2003. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 1982, located just yards from the Lincoln Memorial.
The memorial lists the names of all Americans killed or missing during the Vietnam War. A native-born Australian’s name is etched on the memorial. John Louis Molyneaux Jr., whose name appears on Panel 45W, Row 15, served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marines Corps and died on Aug. 31, 1968, in Quang Nam province, South Vietnam.
“It symbolizes so much about the Vietnam era for both of our countries,” Gillard said. “To enter into, and [to] reflect within and emerge from the memorial, is an emotional journey for anyone.”
In a news release announcing the event, Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, said Australia is the first government institution to donate to the education center, and the donation marks the center’s first foreign gift.
“The Australians were our steadfast allies during the Vietnam War,” Scruggs said. “We are gratified that the Australian people feel so deeply about helping us build the EducationCenter at The Wall to honor all who served and sacrificed during that war. We welcome their partnership once again in this important endeavor.”
Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey -- who served in Vietnam and chairs the education center’s advisory board -- also spoke at the ceremony.
“We’re going to build this exhibit and bring to life the memories of the 58,000 U.S. troops killed and the 300,000 wounded,” he said.
The EducationCenter at The Wall was conceived as a way to put faces to the thousands of names on the memorial and to educate current and future generations about the men and women who gave everything for their country, and to tell their stories, officials said.
Other exhibits will showcase some of the 150,000 items left at the memorial in tribute and will provide a timeline of events for the Vietnam War and the memorial’s construction, they added.
(Terri Moon Cronk of American Forces Press Service contributed to this report.)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- The City of Jacksonville's EmergencyOperationsCenter, Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jax), CSX Transportation, Amtrak and other agencies participated in Operation Railcar, a multi-agency emergency response exercise, March 3.
The exercise scenario simulated a chemical tanker truck being struck by an Amtrak passenger train at a railroad crossing. The resulting derailment caused a chemical leak and mass injuries.
"This full-scale operation is an excellent opportunity for local, state and federal responders to interact and implement our emergency response plans," said Marty Senterfitt, DuvalCounty emergency management chief. "In today's exercise, communication is the key because each agency comes in with its own command structure. What I like to see is how well the different uniforms mix together and engage in face-to-face communications. When all the incident commanders meet on site, you end up with a unified command structure, and that increases the opportunity for things to go right."
NAS Jax Commanding Officer Capt. Jeffrey Maclay observed the exercise.
"This is a great opportunity for different agencies to unify their tactics, techniques and procedures in order to work together for the most effective outcome," said Maclay. "Even though the incident takes place on private property near NAS Jax, we have a firefighting assistance agreement with the City of Jacksonville to dispatch the NAS Jax fire and emergency services assets whenever they are the closest responders to an incident in proximity to the base. From what I observed, our local, state and federal responders are well ahead of the curve when it comes to providing a unified emergency response."
The exercise took place at a lumber store across from NAS Jacksonville's southernmost boundary. The exercise was designed not to impact normal business operations and the store remained open during the exercise.
NAS Jax Fire Chief Don Martin kept a close look at how his incident command team communicated with other responders as they arrived on the scene.
"Because of our close proximity to the accident site, Jacksonville9-1-1 routed the call to our regional dispatch center, which in turn dispatched our hazardous materials team and other assets," said Martin. "Operation Railcar enables NAS Jax fire and emergency services personnel to train with outside agencies. Since we were the first set of eyes on the scene, our job was to assess the situation and identify the chemical leaking from the tank truck and pass that information along to our brothers and sisters in the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue department."
"Operation Railcar is a great opportunity to build our communications bridges with other agencies beyond our fence line," Martin said. "Interoperability is always the key to establishing effective communications and operating as one."
Also taking part in the exercise were Soldiers and Airmen of Georgia National Guard Joint Task Force (JTF) 781, one of the state's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) units.
"Our units are able to respond to incidents outside Georgia under the terms of an emergency mutual aid compact with Florida CERFP," said Maj. Michael Collins, JTF-81 commanding officer. "Upon arriving on site, our command and control team coordinates with the on-scene commander to determine how to most effectively employ our unit. Today's drill allows us to reinforce our ongoing training to strengthen ties with other organizations, both military and civilian."
CERFP personnel help remove victims from a contaminated environment, perform mass casualty decontamination, and provide treatment as necessary to stabilize patients for evacuation.
The Naval Hospital Jacksonville (NH Jax) Decontamination Response Team received six mock victims from the train derailment. Injuries ranged from respiratory complications and mental impairment, to lacerations and other injuries typical of this type of disaster. Based on the condition of each patient, they were transported to appropriate diagnostic, medical and surgical care units.
"NavalHospitalJacksonville successfully collaborated with federal, state and local agencies on our local response and support in a mass casualty situation," said NH Jax Commanding Officer Capt. Lynn Welling. "It's all about being prepared, knowing your role and how to collaborate seamlessly in disaster situations. Ultimately, it's about saving lives."
"As the Navy's command authority and primary stakeholder for shore installation training requirements, CNIC developed the Shore Response Training Plan, requiring defense support of civil authority training at the operational and tactical levels," said Randy Morgan, Commander Navy Installations Command (CNIC) director of training and readiness.
Morgan said DuvalCounty's Operation Railcar exercise helps NAS Jax to meet the annual requirement (DoD Instruction 6055.17) to exercise and validate their installation emergency management program.
"Participation in Operation Railcar by leaders representing each of the emergency response functions on the installation and appropriate state, local, private-sector organization partners, improves interagency coordination and communication, highlights capability gaps and identifies areas for improvement," said Morgan. "The end-state will be increased readiness that enables seamless response and recovery to real-world events."
By Thomas Obungen, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Hawaii Public Affairs
PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii completed demolition of two old warehouses along Pearl Harbor's Mike piers Feb. 25, as part of an extensive, multi-year historic preservation initiative that included the restoration and reuse of a third historically significant building.
Many areas of Pearl Harbor are designated part of the U.S. National Historic Landmark program, and the removal of any facility 50 years or older that may have played a role in the December 7th attack at Pearl Harbor is considered significant and requires serious discussions with national and local historic preservation experts.
"The broad scope of this project involved many steps before becoming the final product you see today," said Cmdr. Lore Aguayo, NAVFAC Hawaii assistant regional engineer. "Identifying unnecessary buildings six years ago, to remodeling building 148 in 2010, and the subsequent demolition of buildings 146 and 147 last month, benefits the Navy by consolidating facility requirements and eliminating excess infrastructure so we can best leverage our limited maintenance funds."
In 2005 the Navy identified warehouse buildings 146, 147 and 148 as suitable for demolition under the DoD Programmatic Memorandum of Agreement, which under strict parameters, authorizes the demolition of World War II (1939-1946) temporary structures eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
Before the demolition could take place; however, NAVFAC Hawaii's environmental team consulted with members of the Hawaii State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) about the project and reached an agreement to demolish buildings 146 and 147, only after building 148 was restored to its original character, in accordance with the secretary of the interior's standards for rehabilitation.
In September 2008, NAVFAC Hawaii awarded a design-build contract to Niking Corporation to restore building 148 using new and salvaged materials from buildings 146 and 147, such as wood windows, lighting fixtures, structural support members, and industrial sliding doors. Renovations and upgrades brought the total cost of the contract work to $3.3 million.
"The design process initially began with an on-site, pre-design meeting between the contractor and Navy architects," said Jeff Dodge, NAVFAC Hawaii architect. "Discussions covered the scope of the project and different historical cues, such as divided light windows and corrugated sidings that were important to retain."
After identifying unsalvageable portions of building 148, the contractor installed new corrugated metal roofing and siding, and painted the panels in a style that mimics the original look of the building, circa 1941.
The interior also received an overhaul, starting with its electrical and lighting system that was brought up to code, and ultimately earned the building a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification when renovations were complete in April 2010. Building 148 then began serving as secured storage and office space for the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility.
The completion of the building allowed NAVFAC Hawaii to begin remediation, abatement and finally demolition of the remaining buildings in accordance with the SHPD agreement, thereby reducing the Navy's inventory at Pearl Harbor of underutilized buildings and their associated costs.
By Steve Vanderwerff, Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs
NAVAL AIR STATION OCEANA, Va. (NNS) -- Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) Oceana received Naval Education and Training Command's (NETC) 2010 Award for Achievement in Safety during NETC's professional development conference in San Diego March 6.
The award recognizes CNATTU Oceana's contribution to the quality of safety and high-risk training safety programs throughout NETC's domain.
To maintain safe and healthy working conditions and instill a safety-first mentality in staff and students, CNATTU Oceana implemented training and awareness programs, as well as Navy Occupational Safety & Health (NAVOSH) and operational risk management (ORM) programs.
According to Cmdr. Alan Dean, commanding officer, CNATTU Oceana, the strength and success of its overall safety program is evident by its 78 percent reduction in on duty mishaps, 67 percent decrease in off-duty mishaps, 100 percent reduction in private motor vehicle mishaps, zero military lost workday/lost time rate and a nine year record of zero civilian lost workday/lost time rate.
"We've made safety our top priority and an integral part of our entire training culture," said Dean. "This award recognizes the remarkable efforts of our staff. Day in and day out, they execute our training mission while taking care of themselves and the more than 2,500 students who attend classes at CNATTU Oceana throughout the year."
CNATTU Oceana pursued an aggressive approach toward mishap reduction by continuously developing and implementing effective processes using available knowledge and technology.
A key element to the success of its safety program was its enlisted safety committee. Together, they discussed safety concerns, applied ORM concepts, provided information to the commanding officer and safety council; and used skits to define, discuss and illustrate safety concerns in its monthly training, which resulted in a 74 percent reduction in on and off duty mishaps.
Weekly ORM briefs were given to staff and students about liberty policies, underage drinking, driving under the influence, safe operation of a motor vehicle and general risk management. More than 376 hours of traffic safety training was conducted for staff and students.
Additionally, CNATTU Oceana ensured that motorcycle riders and potential riders attended mandatory motorcycle operational safety training and complete a basic motorcycle rider safety course, experienced rider course or sport bike rider course depending on skill level.
During 2010, the unit had zero ergonomic discrepancies, zero motor vehicle mishaps, and zero motorcycle mishaps.
CNATTU Oceana provides specialized technical training to Sailors and Marines for initial rate 'A' schools, F/A-18 Hornets, Super Hornets and automated test equipment to sustain all facets of aviation maintenance and support, by meeting validated fleet requirements through a range of professional and personal growth. Courses include blended learning including standard classrooms, hands-on labs, simulations and computer-based training.
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead announced the following assignments March 5:
Capt. Peter J. Fanta, who has been selected for the rank of Rear Adm. (lower half), will be assigned as commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Five/commander, Task Force 51/518, Bahrain. Fanta is currently serving as deputy director, surface warfare for combat systems, N86F, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.
Rear Adm. (lower half) Charles A. Rainey will be assigned as vice commander, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif. Rainey is currently assigned as commanding officer, NR Strategic Mission Analysis, Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md.
1778 - Continental Navy frigate Randolph (32 guns) engages HMS Yarmouth (64). Randolph explodes and sinks with the loss of all but four men.
1958 - Commissioning of USS Grayback (SS 574), first submarine built from keel up with guided-missile capability, to fire Regulus II missile.
1960 - USS Kearsarge (CVS 33) rescues four Russian soldiers from their landing craft 1,000 miles from Midway Island.The Soldiers were drifting several weeks after their engine failed off KamchatkaPeninsula.
1966 - The Department of the Navy is reorganized into its present structure under the Chief of Naval Operations.
1967 - River Patrol Boats assist Operation Overload II in Rung Sat Zone, Vietnam.
1968 - Operation Coronado XII begins in Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
1994 - The Navy issues its first orders to women assigned aboard a combat ship - USS Eisenhower (CVN 69).
The chief of staff, Air Force announced today the following assignments:
Maj. Gen. Noel T. Jones, director, strategic plans and assessment, U.S. Forces-Iraq, U.S. Central Command, Baghdad, Iraq, to director, operational capability requirements, deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Masiello, deputy assistant secretary for plans, programs and operations, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C., to director of special programs, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Col. Linda R. Medler, who has been selected for the rank of brigadier general, deputy chief, information officer, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., to assistant deputy director for net centric capabilities, J-8, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jennifer R. Hudson, Joint Base Charleston-Weapons Station Public Affairs
CHARLESTON, S.C. (NNS) -- Command suicide prevention coordinators attended Navy Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training at the Fleet and Family Readiness Center aboard Joint Base Charleston-Weapons Station, Feb. 23-24.
The training, sponsored by Navy Personnel Command (NPC) and Commander, Navy Region Southeast; was geared toward increasing suicide awareness and encouraging shipmates to take care of each other.
"Not one person is immune to suicide," said Cmdr. Linda Beede, NPC suicide prevention outreach coordinator. "Our goal is to heighten awareness and teach command coordinators how to identify early signs of suicide, so they can intervene early and hopefully save a person from taking their own life."
Day one of the two-day seminar offered peer-to-peer sessions for more than 180 instructors at the Navy Nuclear Power Training Command. Discussions were focused on the perspective that anyone, no matter their position in a command, can be on the first line of defense in preventing suicide.
Facilitators also worked with ombudsmen, the Navy's volunteer intermediaries between families and commands, to help them teach military spouses how to identify signs of suicide in their active duty loved ones.
Day two of the training focused on the weapons station's suicide prevention coordinators, enabling them to design their own suicide prevention programs for their respective commands.
"Anyone, regardless of gender, religion, age or rank can be a suicide risk," said Beede. "Each Sailor is that first line of defense, so it is important for Sailors to be able to recognize the warning signs - withdrawal, depression, anger, anxiety, mood changes or talk of suicide. Get involved. Do not let rank interfere when taking care of each other."
The Navy's ACT program promotes three factors in dealing with individuals who may be contemplating suicide; Ask, Care, Treat.
"Ask simply means to ask a person how they are doing," said Beede. "If you see something is bothering a person or they seem to be under more stress than usual, try opening up lines of communication to get them to talk. Asking is always the starting point.
"From there, offer them hope by letting them know there are people who care and are willing to help," she explained. "Finally we want to provide them with the help and care they will need, whether it's a counselor or a chaplain, to get them through whatever they may be dealing with."
Beede said stress can be caused by many different things including financial and economic problems, relationship issues or even job situations. Extreme levels of stress can contribute to a person feeling overwhelmed and ultimately to taking their own life.
"The taking of one's life is one life too many," said Steve Holton, course facilitator. "The key to reducing the numbers of suicides is being proactive and getting help to an individual before the stressors become overwhelming. Early intervention helps keep the circumstances surrounding the at-risk person from spiraling out of control."
According to the training, suicide prevention has the most impact when the initial signs start to manifest themselves; however, most people do not recognize these behaviors as destructive or even dangerous.
"Our most valued resource in the Navy is our Sailors; the ones who defend our country and fight for our freedom," said Naval Health Clinic Charleston Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Cmdr. Keith Goldston. "However, many of these same Sailors go through tremendous amounts of stress, whether it is job related or not, which can affect them not only as a Sailor, but as a person.
"Take care of each other," he continued. "A command is only as strong as their Sailors, and we need all Sailors to be at their full capability to execute the Navy's mission."
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga., March 7, 2011 – When many people hear the odds are against them, they simply give up. But Air Force Master Sgt. Robert Disney does just the opposite and says, "Challenge accepted."
Nearly 14 years ago, when Disney told an Air Force recruiter he had dreams of becoming a cross between a doctor and a Navy SEAL, the recruiter sent him to the back of the office to a stack of dusty pararescue pamphlets.
“He said, ‘I think I have exactly what you're looking for, but don't get your hopes up, kid. No one I've sent has made the cut, and you probably won't, either,’” Disney recalled.
"That's all I needed to hear and I was hooked," Disney added. "Once I dusted off that flyer and saw a dark-haired, handsome-looking, Italian guy in a maroon beret on the cover, I read through it. I immediately knew it was something I wanted to do. I didn't stop talking about it all summer until I left for basic training."
Of the 86 students in his course, only six had what it took to graduate as a pararescue jumper: Disney was one of the six. That was the first of many challenges he has met.
"I walked into the 38th Rescue Squadron, brand new, two stripes on my arm, and this big, tall, muscular guy walked in, and I recognized him immediately as being the guy from the pamphlet," Disney said. "He said to me in a New York accent, 'Is that Bobby Disney? I hear you're a real goofy guy,' and kind of chuckled to himself for his Disney joke. That's how I met Mike [Maltz]. He was the best."
That was Disney's first encounter with the man who eventually would become his mentor and affect his career in more ways than one.
Disney is the 347th Rescue Group's standards and evaluations superintendent, but he’s also known in the rescue community here as the "Black Cloud," a nickname he got from fellow PJs after what he called the "series of the unfortunate three" incidents.
Rewind to August 2002. In the mountains of Afghanistan, then-staff sergeant Disney was on his second real-world rescue, a mission to pick up two men who had been involved in a firefight and transport them to a tiny post in the middle of nowhere. Since they were at such a high altitude, Disney said, the helicopter had to do a marginal power takeoff. But the crew was asking for more than the helicopter’s engines could handle, as the craft couldn’t gain enough altitude or airspeed to avoid a "brownout" -- decreased visibility resulting from a dust cloud. Disney recalled that he was sitting in the left-side door and began to see the ground racing toward them.
"It felt like we were coming down, and fast," he said, "so I determined it'd be best if I wasn't sitting in the doorway if we did impact the ground. I moved inside the helicopter, then I heard the left gunner yelling 'Stop left, stop left!' About that time, I felt a really hard impact.
"Somehow, I don't know how, … I wasn't in that door when it slammed shut. Angels on my shoulder, right?" he added, referring to the pararescue patch, which features an angel that signifies the help PJs provide from above.
"The rotors were chewing into the ground, and there were no blades on it anymore," Disney said. "The engines [were on] full power, and it was just getting louder and louder, higher-pitched and higher-pitched, and I'm just laying there with everything on me, and it's very, very calm [and] serene. It wasn't a struggle to get out. There wasn't anything I could do. It was just laying there until all the violent motion stopped. Knowing what might have been coming was the worst part."
Finally, the pilots shut down the engines, and Disney said he recalls everything going deathly quiet until the helicopter's team leader snapped everyone back to reality by yelling out, "Sound off by crew position." Once the crew sounded off, the team lead yelled "Get out."
Disney said he thought he'd already survived the worst, and he re-enlisted seven days later. Six weeks later, on a different aircraft and in a different country, Disney witnessed an event that rocked him to the core.
"We starting hearing radio chatter of a boy and girl who fell down a hill," he said. "We started referring to this rescue as ‘Jack and Jill.’ In a C-130 Hercules, we launched out of Uzbekistan, and two helicopters launched out Afghanistan. It was one of the darkest nights I've ever seen through night vision goggles -- dark as can be. … [We] could barely see the ground. We refueled both helicopters by colored light signals because of how dark it was."
As he watched through the C-130’s side window, Disney said, he could see the ground through his night-vision goggles, then he would lose it again as if the aircraft was punching in and out of clouds, even 400 feet above the ground. Then, he said, he felt a familiar tug when the second helicopter disconnected from the refueling hose.
"Not five seconds later, I saw a bright flash of light that flooded out my [night-vision goggles]," he said. "Then, all I heard was a blood-curdling screaming coming from the loadmaster. It looked like an explosion. It lit up the whole countryside. I thought someone had been hit by a surface-to-air missile, and we were next. Then I heard, 'Helicopter crash, .'"
The wheels in the veteran PJ's head began turning. Knowing they were at 400 feet and were configured to jump, Disney said, he was ready. The combat rescue officer aboard the C-130 made the decision not to jump until they knew more, because the second helicopter’s crew already had found three of the six crash victims.
Because the area was unknown and hostile, the crew was recalled to home base, and Disney had to leave the crash site against his will.
"When I got back on the ground, I got the word on the guys who were on the bird," Disney said. "One of them was Mike Maltz. I can't tell you how I will always feel about that night. I mean, the Airmen's Creed says 'I will never leave airman behind,’ … and we had to leave guys behind on the ground that night. Everything in me wishes I could have jumped in, [that] I could have done something.
"It was like losing a father -- losing a mentor and losing a friend all at the same time," a choked-up Disney continued. "It was one of the hardest moments. It was hard."
A few months after losing the iconic figure who graced the cover of his recruiting pamphlet, Disney was back in the mix. He was about to stumble upon the last event in “the unfortunate three.”
"It was April 18, Good Friday," Disney said. "I know the date, because I had been practicing to play my guitar at the Easter Sunday service. We were going on a training mission or exercise. It was about a 45-minute flight to get where we were going. When the pilots said, ‘It's out there,’ I looked out and saw what looked like people."
By the time they were committed to land, the people were gone, Disney said. Then he heard two sounds, the second confirming they were taking gunfire from at least four people.
"I racked my weapon,” he said. “As I moved to sit down, I brought my weapon up, and I can see flashes now coming out the back now, and [with] one of those flashes there was a weird disturbance of air. "Then came a sensation of two things at the same time. It was like someone swung a baseball bat in my face and the other was a shockwave that rippled through my whole body."
Defending the helicopter and killing the people who were shooting at them was his only thought at the time, Disney said.
"I looked over at the guy across from me and yelled 'I'm shot! I'm hit!' and then I moved into a position to return fire. He yells, 'Shoot back, shoot back, shoot back,'" Disney said.
Within seconds of the helicopter touching down, three people were wounded. Through the barrage of gunfire and with a gunshot wound to right side of his cheek, Disney returned fire. By the time the crew left the scene, only 30 seconds had passed since initial contact. All the crew members survived and returned to base to seek medical care.
When he returned to Moody Air Force Base after his deployment, the Purple Heart recipient said, he could focus on getting back to normal and performing with his guitar in clubs around Valdosta. Two years later, the only thing that was missing in his life was a little romance, Disney said. He met a local girl named Tess, and they soon fell in love, he added, but the Air Force had other plans, sending the master sergeant to the Royal Air Force base at Mildenhall, England.
Knowing that Tess was the one, Disney said, he proposed.
"I asked Tess to marry me on Christmas Day over the phone," he said. "I sent her a ring in the mail. The company sent her both of the rings at the same time, and she opened the wedding band first and was like 'Awww.'"
Tess Disney laughed and said, "It was messed up," as she continued the story. "This is a wedding band, this isn't an engagement ring. … I was like, ‘Wait a minute, that's for later on."
Now nearly six years later and back at Moody, the Disneys are living happily with two horses and three dogs.
Tess said she has learned to live with her husband's many deployments and knowing that his nickname is Black Cloud. "I'm a strong wife and I have strong faith,” she said. “Worrying isn't going to help anything.”
She tells people with a laugh that she imagines Robert is off staying at a resort. "I know he has someone watching out for him,” she said. “He's been through all that already. He's here for a reason."
After all that has happened in his life, Disney still has one ongoing challenge to face, and that is living up to his name, he said.
"Someone I looked up to once said to me, "When people meet you, you're either going to be one of two things," Disney said. "You're either going to be a big disappointment -- a dirtbag who got shot in the face -- or you're actually going to be ‘that guy,’ the one people can look up to."
These words changed his life, Disney said. Since then, he added, he hasn't stopped saying, "Challenge accepted."
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Gabrielle Blake, USS Frank Cable Public Affairs
POLARIS POINT, Guam (NNS) -- The submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) Religious Ministries Department along with Naval Base Guam (NBG), Naval Hospital Guam Chaplains and Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) representatives held a Marriage Enrichment Workshop (MEW), Feb. 25.
"This workshop is about teaching a communication strategy for couples, so they can learn how to better handle the difficult situations that sometimes wear down and eventually wreck marriages due to spouses misunderstanding and misinterpreting each other," said Cable's Chaplain Lt. Cmdr. Ronald Rinaldi.
The six-hour workshop included interactive training with practice and communication games intended to give couples tools and skills that could last a lifetime.
"We played the game Taboo, showing us how good and bad we communicate with each other," said Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Eric Gonzales. "We talked with our partners about what we felt we needed them to work on, and then the chaplains helped us refine the words we used, so we don't negatively impact the situation causing it to escalate."
Rinaldi said part of the mission is to help prepare young Sailors for marriage and give couples a much better chance for lasting success in those marriages. He said it can also be an enhancer for Sailors who have been married for a number of years.
"This training can help make good marriages better," said Rinaldi. "This workshop is not designed to put their marriages back together. However, for those couples having challenges, it will provide a much better foundation and skills to work out problems in a better way."
This is the second MEW sponsored by Cable's Religious Ministries Team.
"It is intended to be a quarterly training (event) conducted at the NBG Chapel and in conjunction and cooperation with all naval commands in Guam," said Rinaldi.
"I loved the course," said Gonzales. "The most important thing I learned is how to communicate with my partner without causing a fight, and it got me to understand her and respect her more as a person."
Cable conducts maintenance and support of submarines and surface vessels deployed in the U.S. 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility.
WASHINGTON, March 7, 2011 – A commission established to study diversity among military leaders is recommending that the Defense Department rescind its policy that prevents women from being assigned to ground combat units below the brigade level.
In a report issued today, the Military Leadership Diversity Commission recommends that the department and the services eliminate combat exclusion policies for women, as well as other “barriers and inconsistencies, to create a level playing field for all qualified service members.”
Retired Air Force Gen. Lester L. Lyles, who chaired the commission, said the recommendation –- one of 20 in the report and the only one specific to women –- is one way the congressionally mandated body suggests the military can get more qualified women into its more-senior leadership ranks.
“We know that [the exclusion] hinders women from promotion,” Lyles said in an interview with American Forces Press Service. “We want to take away all the hindrances and cultural biases” in promotions.
The commission was established as part of the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act to evaluate and assess policies that provide opportunities for promotion and advancement of women and racial and ethnic minorities in the armed forces.
The 1994 combat exclusion policy, as written, precludes women from being “assigned” to ground combat units, but women have for years served in ground combat situations by serving in units deemed “attached” to ground units, Lyles said. That distinction keeps them from being recognized for their ground combat experience -- recognition that would enhance their chances for promotion, he said.
“If you look at today’s battlefield -- in Iraq and Afghanistan -- it’s not like it was in the Cold War, when we had a defined battlefield,” Lyles said. “Women serve -– and they lead –- military security, military police units, air defense units, intelligence units –- all of which have to be right there with combat veterans in order to do the job appropriately.”
Women serving in combat environments are being shot at, killed and maimed, Lyles said.
“But they’re not getting the credit for being in combat arms,” he said, “[and] that’s important for their consideration for the most senior flag ranks -- three stars and four stars, primarily.”
In the commission’s outreach to military leaders, Lyles said, at least a couple of service leaders thought there would be little interest among women to serve in combat. But when the commission brought in a panel of commissioned and enlisted women from different services, “that’s certainly not what we picked up” from talking to them, he said.
“I didn’t hear, ‘Rah, rah, we want to be in combat,’” he said, “but I also didn’t hear, ‘We don’t want to be in combat.’ What they want is an equal opportunity to serve where their skills allow them to serve. Removing the barriers for that, and removing the barriers to them getting credit for that, was our No. 1 focus.”
Defense Department spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said department officials "will thoroughly evaluate" the panel’s recommendations as part of their ongoing review of diversity policies.
Meanwhile, she said, "Women will continue to be assigned to units and positions that may necessitate combat actions within the scope of their restricted positioning -- situations for which they are fully trained and equipped to respond."
Women make up about 15 percent of active-duty service members; 18 percent of National Guard and reserves; and ten percent of Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans; and 10 percent of those who have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters, Lainez said.
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md., March 7, 2011 – With just over six months left to implement the Base Closure and Realignment Commission plan, the sweeping transformation it has sparked here is well under way and slated to be completed on time and under budget, officials reported.
The BRAC plan took effect in November 2005, and impacts more than 800 military installations. It involves closing some, consolidating or realigning others, and ultimately relocating some 123,000 military members and civilian employees. By law, all these actions must be completed by Sept. 15, 2011.
The plan is bringing major growth to Aberdeen Proving Ground -- more than 6,500 people and more than $1 billion in new construction to accommodate the new workers, Army Col. Orlando W. Ortiz, the garrison commander, told American Forces Press Service.
But it’s also bringing a fundamental change to the post’s historic mission, and how the Army ensures its warfighters have the most advanced equipment and systems possible to succeed on the battlefield.
The U.S. Army Ordnance Center and School, the major tenant that defined Aberdeen Proving Ground’s very identity for nearly a century, already has moved to Fort Lee, Va. There, it is part of the new Sustainment Center of Excellence, another BRAC initiative.
As officials here closed a page on their post’s legacy, they were busy preparing to open an exciting new one that would transform the installation into a hub of cutting-edge communications and electronics technology.
Aberdeen Proving Ground has long been heavily involved in the Army’s research, development, testing and evaluation mission, explained Army Col. Andrew Nelson, deputy garrison commander for transformation. But by consolidating many disparate and geographically separated organizations that supported those processes here at one post, BRAC is “bringing it to the next level,” he said.
“Aberdeen Proving Ground has been, but will be to a greater extent, one of the Army’s major hubs of research and development of new technologies, and the testing and evaluation of those new technologies that lead to fielding new systems to support the warfighter,” Nelson said.
“This is the center of all of that -- the technology development that is leading to soldiers being better equipped and better supported in the operational environment where they are,” he said. “It’s the clothes they wear, the radios they speak through, the computer system that tracks where individual vehicles and soldiers are on the battlefield, to having [unmanned aerial vehicles] that give them the best intelligence of what the enemy is doing.
“That is what Aberdeen Proving Ground already is, and what it will be about,” Nelson said. “Everything we do here is all about ensuring that the individual soldier and the combat leader have the best possible equipment and systems and technology that is giving them the advantage on the battlefield.”
The biggest group of new arrivals to support this expanded mission is a collection of activities referred to as “the C4ISR materiel enterprise” that focuses on command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
The lion’s share of its 7,200 people are coming from Fort Monmouth, N.J., which is closing under BRAC and transferring most of its functions to Aberdeen. The new arrivals hail from FortMonmouth’s Communications and Electronics Command and Communications-Electronic Research, Development and EngineeringCenter and several of their program executive offices. Others are arriving from related activities at Redstone Arsenal, Ala.; Fort Huachuca, Ariz.; and Fort Belvoir, Va.
CECOM established a forward presence at Aberdeen in 2007, and officially uncased its colors here in October 2010. A steady stream of its workforce began arriving this past summer, some directly from FortMonmouth, some from temporary swing space at Aberdeen and others, new hires replacing workers who chose not to relocate.
Today, about 60 percent of the new C4ISR team already has made the move to Aberdeen Proving Ground, settling into the state-of-the-art research and development campus known as the “C4ISR Center of Excellence.”
Meanwhile, construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the second phase of the C4ISR project, which Nelson said is expected to be completed this month or next. The entire C4ISR complex, once complete, will include 13 buildings and more than 2.5 million square feet of new space.
The next-largest group of newcomers to Aberdeen, numbering just over 600, hails from the Army Test and Evaluation Command headquarters and ArmyEvaluationCenter, both in Alexandria, Va. While construction was wrapping up on its new headquarters, Army Maj. Gen. Genaro Dellarocco opted to move directly to Aberdeen, rather than temporarily to Alexandria, when he assumed command in October. Working in swing space at Aberdeen, he’s paving the way for the rest of the headquarters elements to follow, while supervising subordinate commands that were already based at Aberdeen when the BRAC recommendations were announced.
In addition, BRAC is consolidating a variety of other organizations at Aberdeen. These include the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense from Falls Church, Va.; Air Force Non-Medical Chemical-Biological Defense Development and Acquisition, from Brooks City Base, Texas; the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research from Forest Glen, Md., the Army Research Institute from Fort Knox, Ky., and the Army Research Laboratory’s Vehicle Technology Directorate from Langley, Va., and Glenn, Ohio.
The BRAC initiative also has brought a broad range of defense contractors to Aberdeen Proving Ground, where many are operating in a new 416-acre complex just outside the gate.
Ortiz credited detailed planning that started before the ink had even dried on the BRAC 2005 recommendations with ensuring the post is ready to receive the new arrivals.
The planners worked closely with inbound organizations to identify their exact requirements, and with state and local officials to ensure surrounding communities were prepared for the influx.
And, able to take advantage of an economic slump that made bidding on the 17 major construction projects required at Aberdeen Proving Ground highly competitive, they realized huge cost-savings in implementing BRAC.
“In our fiscal year 2010 program, we were awarding contracts at 60 to 70 percent of what the government estimate was [in 2005],” Nelson said. “That’s a big savings, money the Army didn’t have to invest here.”
The first major construction project, a new gate with five vehicle inspection lanes, was completed in May 2009. As the other projects took shape around the installation, less obvious to casual observers were the tremendous infrastructure improvements required to support them. These included multiple-lane gate accesses, roadways, water, sewer and electrical line and miles and miles of fiber optic cabling.
Exciting as these new developments are, Ortiz said he’s made a concerted effort to ensure Aberdeen’s 70-plus previous tenants don’t get short shrift.
“We don’t want haves and have-nots,” he said.
So the post has undertaken a massive plan to upgrade existing facilities and demolish many of its old World War I- and II-era buildings. Ultimately, plans call for demolishing 188 facilities and 775 housing units over the next five years. As these efforts continue, Nelson said he expects lots of activity at Aberdeen during the spring and summer months as workers move into new or renovated facilities. July is expected to be particularly busy.
With the clock ticking down, Ortiz said he’s confident Aberdeen Proving Ground is on track to fully comply with the Sept. 15 BRAC deadline.
“We’ve already integrated a sizeable number of the new workers and the buildings that aren’t already completed are very far along,” he said. “The conditions are pretty well set.”
The plan is going so well, in fact, that Ortiz expects Sept. 16, the first workday after the BRAC deadline, to be “just another day at work” at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
“I honestly do not believe that on Sept. 16, folks are going to notice anything different,” he said. “As the locals will tell you, for us, BRAC has already happened. The magic of that Sept. 15 date has long come and gone.”
So instead of fixating on the BRAC deadline, Aberdeen Proving Ground is focusing on its new, expanded mission, Ortiz said.
“What we’re focusing on is the future,” he said.”That’s where we really need to go.”
PACIFICOCEAN (NNS) -- The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (BOXARG) entered the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility on March 6, as part of the ship's Western Pacific deployment.
BOXARG arrived in 7th Fleet in support of the Navy's maritime strategy, which includes maritime interdiction operations, counter piracy, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and to promote peace and stability in the region.
"We are entering the Western Pacific area of operation on our transit west with all of our mission capabilities at the ready to support U.S. forces and our regional partners," said Commander, Amphibious Squadron 1 Capt. J. Curtis Shaub. "Our Sailors and Marines continue to train during our passage through 7th Fleet, maintaining their already superb level of proficiency."
The ready group consists of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4), amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45). The ARG is comprised of more than 4,000 personnel with approximately 1,800 Sailors and 2,200 embarked Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
"The world is seeing a high amount of unrest in multiple locations, and with the enduring sea-based assets of our Navy/Marine Team, deployable to over 80 percent of the earth, we can deliver a multitude of capabilities across the spectrum of kinetic and humanitarian mission sets," said Shaub. "We also partner with nations, training and exercising, to lend additional stability and learn from our global friends, neighbors and allies."
Other elements of the BOXARG include the Fleet Surgical Team 3; Tactical Air Control Squadron 11; Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, Det. 5; Assault Craft Unit 1, Det. C; Assault Craft Unit 5, Det. C and Beach Master Unit 1, Det. E.
The 7th Fleet area of responsibility includes more than 48 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean, running from the international date line to the eastern coast of Africa, and from the Antarctic to the Kuril Islands, Northeast of Japan. It contains more than half of the world's population.
U.S. 7th Fleet units take part in as many as 100 bilateral and multilateral exercises each year. In addition to these exercises, ships deployed to the 7th Fleet conduct more than 250 port visits every year, as ambassadors of the United States of America.
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