Official Outlines Global Missile Defense Strategy

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2011 – U.S. efforts to build effective missile defenses are more important than ever for defending the nation and its deployed forces and for cooperating with allies and partners, a senior defense policy official said today.

James N. Miller, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, told attendees at a missile defense conference here that the nation’s missile defense efforts, while focused on a few emerging threats, also span the globe.

“We continue to focus on Iran and North Korea as particular threats to us and our allies,” Miller said.

Iran already has the largest inventory of ballistic missiles in the Middle East, he said, and is working to develop salvo-launch and intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities.

North Korea, despite the “urgent humanitarian needs of its destitute population,” is likewise modernizing its missile arsenal, Miller said. North Korea’s inventory already includes “a substantial number of mobile ballistic missiles that could strike targets in South Korea, Japan, and U.S. bases in the Pacific,” he added.

Both nations’ nuclear potential increases U.S. strategic concerns about missile defense, Miller said, and other nations and nonstate actors also pose a significant threat.

The United States adopted a phased, adaptive approach to European ballistic missile defense in 2009 to deter and defend against “the development, acquisition, deployment and use of ballistic missiles by regional adversaries,” he said. The strategy relies heavily on systems that can be relocated, allowing the United States and its allies to adjust to a complex and changing threat environment, he explained. The approach will bring together sea-, land- and space-based systems in four phases of deployment through 2020, Miller said.

“Technological advances or future changes in the threats could modify the … timing of the later phases,” he said. “That’s one reason the approach is called adaptive.”

NATO endorsed the phased, adaptive approach and agreed to make current and future missile defense systems interoperable across NATO, he said.

Looking beyond Europe, U.S. strategy is to apply the phased, adaptive missile defense approach in other regions, particularly in East Asia and the Middle East, he said.

In Asia, the United States is partnered with key allies including Japan, Australia and South Korea to enhance missile defense, he said. Japan now has a layered ballistic missile defense capability that includes U.S. tracking systems, interceptors, early warning radars and a command-and-control structure that integrates those technologies, Miller said.

“We regularly train together, and have successfully executed simulated cooperative [ballistic missile defense] operations,” he said. “We’re also engaged in cooperative development of the next-generation … interceptor, which is projected to enter service in 2018.”

China obviously is a key component of security strategy in the Pacific, Miller said.

“The United States welcomes a strong, prosperous and successful China that plays a greater global role in supporting international rules, norms of responsible behavior and institutions,” he said. At the same time, he said, the United States and China’s neighbors remain concerned about its military buildup and objectives. Miller noted that China likely is nearing deployment of a medium-range anti-ship missile.

Greater transparency from China about its military strategy could reduce the chance of a misunderstanding or miscalculation, Miller said, and toward that end the United States continues to seek greater government-to-government communication with Chinese leaders.

When Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates visited China earlier this year, he proposed a strategic dialogue to cover space, cyberspace, nuclear missile defense and other topics, Miller said.

“We are quite optimistic about the prospects of beginning such a dialogue in the not-too-distant future,” Miller said.

Turning to the Middle East, Miller noted the region is experiencing tremendous change and uncertainty, adding to its strategic prominence.

The United States and Israel have a long-standing relationship on ballistic missile defense that includes regular military exercises and cooperation in a number of programs, he said.

“In the Persian Gulf, the United States maintains a robust mix of missile defenses,” Miller said. “To protect our troops and facilities in the region, we have developed a series of bilateral missile defense agreements with the nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council.”

Missile defense cooperation between the United States and Russia is also growing, Miller said, noting recent progress in defense cooperation between the two nations includes the entry into force of the New START treaty.

Ultimately, the United States’ objective is to cooperate with both Russia and NATO, but not take the lead for ballistic missile defense in those regions, he said.

“We would operate our respective systems independently but cooperatively,” with that cooperation including sharing sensor data, he said.

As missile defense is a key element of U.S. military strategy, Miller said, funding the technology behind the capability is a high priority.

“DOD is proposing to spend about $10 billion for missile defense in fiscal year 2012,” he said. “This critical investment in our military’s preparedness … contributes materially to the defense of the United States and to international security.”

U.S. Navy Display Patriotic Colors Deep in the Heart of Texas

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist L.A. Shively, Navy Office of Community Outreach

AUSTIN, Texas (NNS) -- Sailors unfurled their patriotic colors in Austin, Texas, with the March 19 launch of Austin Navy Week.

Musician 1st Class Kenneth Ray Horton, accompanied by the University of Texas NROTC Color Guard, kicked off a round-up of activities with an adaptation of the national anthem prior to the Longhorns' come-from-behind victory over Kansas State at Disch-Falk Field.

"It was beautiful," said Dennis Kerry, a long-time Longhorns fan. "I really respect the courage these guys have to represent our country in wartime and in peacetime."

Another Longhorns fan, Janice Scott said she felt it was incredibly important to have the Navy in Austin and in Texas.

"I want people to know that we support our men and women in the armed forces. It's a salute to those in uniform giving service to the honor of America," she said, emotional while remembering the dishonor Vietnam veterans experienced when they returned.

"It's very important," Scott added.

"I thought the color guard was pretty neat," said 10-year-old Jacob Thomas, tossing a baseball in his lap as he spoke. "They represent the United States and I like the U.S. The military keeps us safe."

Texas Governor Rick Perry gave Sailors a warm welcome to the capitol city.

"The U.S. Navy inspires great pride in the hearts of Americans," he wrote. "First Lady Anita Perry and I join you in honoring the U.S. Navy and celebrating the U.S. Navy's ongoing close relationship with the State of Texas."

The Lonestar State share a long and unique history with the U.S. Navy – Texas had two navies prior to the establishment of the U.S. Navy. In 1836, under the provisional Republic of Texas government, a fleet of four ships were purchased using private funds. That first fleet was abandoned when repairs became too costly.

In 1839 a second Navy was created with the commissioning of one steamship that grew into a fleet of four ships the following year. Again, a lack of financing, plus a series of misadventures resulted in the ships' transfer to the U.S. Navy and decommissioning of the fledgling Texian Navy.

Also during that first day of Austin Navy Week, members of the U.S. Navy Parachute Team, the Leap Frogs, guided blue and gold parachutes down to the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo grounds while opening a giant U.S. and Texas flags mid-air.

After jumping, the Leap Frogs mingled with cowboys and cowgirls, signing posters and sharing stories of their service for the Navy.

"It was motivating. Seeing them jump out of a plane with an American flag and the Texas flag makes you kind of wish you were attached to them and up in the air," said Eric Santateresa, who was having a poster signed for his son Alex.

"It's important for our freedom to have these guys here doing what they do," said Paul Armstrong.

The U.S. Navy Band Country Current, a country-bluegrass group and the Navy's premier country music ensemble, performed an original set of tunes during a free performance at Momo's for the South by Southwest Music Festival in downtown Austin, closing out the inaugural day of Austin Navy Week.

The week long schedule of events includes more performances by the Leap Frogs and Country Current, plus civic, corporate and educational engagements with Hon. Juan M. Garcia III, assistant secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

Sailors from USS Constitution, the Navy's oldest commissioned warship, will visit various schools to give students an interactive, hands-on experience of Navy history.

Other events include a mayoral proclamation at City Hall, Sailors lending a hand to the community at Caritas of Austin Soup Kitchen, and Navy SEALs (Sea, Air Land) challenging youth with a variety of physical exercises.

Austin Navy Week activities will engage, inform and enhance understanding about the investment Americans make in the Navy's capabilities and the kinds of career opportunities available.

Officials Extend Deadline for ‘Stop Loss’ Pay

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2011 – The deadline for eligible service members, veterans and their beneficiaries to apply for special retroactive pay as compensation for involuntary extensions of their military service contracts has been extended to April 8, Defense Department officials announced today.

The deadline extension is included in the continuing resolution President Barack Obama signed March 18 that provided funding for government operations through April 8.

The Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay was established to compensate for the hardships military members encountered when their service was involuntarily extended under Stop Loss authority between Sept. 11, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2009. Eligible members or their beneficiaries may submit a claim to their respective military services to receive the benefit of $500 for each full or partial month served in a Stop Loss status.

When the special pay program began on Oct. 21, 2009, the services estimated 145,000 service members, veterans and beneficiaries were eligible for this benefit. Because the majority of those eligible had separated from the military, the services have engaged in extensive and persistent outreach efforts to reach them and remind them to apply, officials said.

Outreach efforts -- such as using direct mail, social networks and media outlets and engaging military and veteran service organizations -- will continue through April 8, officials added.

To apply for Stop Loss pay or for more information, including submission requirements and service-specific links, go to defense.gov/stoploss.

USS Cleveland Sets Sail for Pacific Partnership 2011

By Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Bernardi, Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO, Calif (NNS) -- The USS Cleveland (LPD 7) deployed from its homeport in San Diego, Calif., kicking off Pacific Partnership 2011, March 21.

The origins for Pacific Partnership are rooted in the 2004 U.S. response to the Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated parts of Indonesia and other South East Asian countries. The mission remains in place to strengthen regional relationships with nations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that might be called upon to respond to another natural or humanitarian disaster in the region.

"Pacific Partnership has evolved into much more than a humanitarian mission. It allows the United States, along with all the participating nations and NGOs, to prepare for and better respond to natural disasters around the world like the flooding, earthquakes and tsunami that have recently impacted Australia, New Zealand and Japan," said Capt. Jesse Wilson, Pacific Partnership 2011 mission commander. "By working together we are better prepared to respond to future disasters."

Pacific Partnership is designed to enhance the response to humanitarian and natural disaster efforts though medical, dental and engineering outreach projects.

Cleveland will be the lead vessel during the four-month deployment. Ships from Australia, Japan and New Zealand, and a helicopter crew from France, will join during different phases of the mission. Teams from Canada, Singapore, Malaysia and Spain will also participate.

"This is more than a whole of government approach," Capt. Wilson continued, "It is a whole of several governments."

In addition to these partner nations, NGOs will embark USS Cleveland to work with their host nation counterparts on developing recycling methods, clean water practices and alternative energy initiatives.

"We built more environmental programs into this year's mission in an effort to ensure our partners in the region are even better prepared to withstand the effects of a natural disaster over time," Capt. Wilson said. "Our goal is not to simply give these nations supplies. Our goal is to work with them on infrastructure and training capabilities that can be sustained long after the mission ends."

The five-nation visit will include stops in Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

In the past five years, more than 300,000 patients have received preventive medicine services and more than 150 engineering projects have been completed in over a dozen countries in the region during Pacific Partnership missions.

Today in the Department of Defense, Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates is traveling.

Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn has no public or media events on his schedule.

This Day in Naval History - March 21

From the Navy News Service

1917 - Loretta Walsh becomes the first woman Navy petty officer when she is sworn in as a chief yeoman.

1919 - The Navy installs and tests a Sperry gyrocompass, in the first test of an aircraft gyrocompass.

1945 - The Bureau of Aeronautics initiates rocket-powered surface-to-air guided-missile development by awarding a contract to Fairchild.

Terrorism, Weapons Top Threat List, Gates Says

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, March 21, 2011 – In a nation he spent much of his career studying and a city he last visited at the end of the Cold War, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates answered questions here today from Russian naval officers about the U.S. Defense Department, its problems and its future.

After delivering a speech at the new State Russian Naval Museum, Gates invited questions from his audience of mid-level officers from the Kuznetsov Naval Academy.

“The biggest threats we face are actually those where international cooperation is significantly required,” Gates said. “The first is terrorism, … and the other is the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly proliferation in states that have threatened to destroy other states.”

Terrorism sent the United States into Afghanistan and into a difficult fight with al-Qaida, he added.

Nuclear proliferation in Iran brought “all the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- the United States, Russia, China, Great Britain, France -- together to try and bring pressure to bear” on that nation, he said.

“It is certainly my hope,” the secretary added, “that none of us ever have to use military force to deal with these proliferation problems, but rather that we can persuade these countries … to give up these weapons or weapons programs voluntarily.”

One of the biggest U.S. defense problems, Gates said, involves very expensive weapons systems ordered many years ago. Some have ended up costing much more than anticipated, and others “have proven not to be useful in the 21st century,” he told the Russian officers.

The secretary said he’s made progress on the problem, saving American taxpayers $300 billion or more as a result.

“But being able to be more selective about the weapons programs that we have,” he said, “making them relevant to [tomorrow’s] challenges and getting them delivered on time and as budgeted is a challenge that every military in the world faces in the 21st century.”

The world is not going to face the kinds of threats it experienced in the 20th century, the secretary said.

“We will face a range of potential conflicts that slides along a spectrum of lethality,” he explained. “We will confront nonstate actors that potentially have the capabilities of states, whether it’s in the cyber area or in the case of Hezbollah, which has tens of thousands of rockets and missiles -- more than most governments in the world.”

Perhaps the biggest national security and strategic challenge, Gates told the group, is preparing militaries for diverse threats and security challenges under limited budgets and getting the maximum possible flexibility for using those capabilities technologically and in terms of training.

Gates said the way weapons are procured is a major structural change needed in the U.S. military. Most services still buy their own weapons, he added, “but in fact a number of those capabilities can be shared among all of the services.”

“As we have learned to fight jointly and are structured jointly,” he added, “we need to learn how to buy weapons jointly.”

The secretary cited remotely piloted vehicles as an example, noting that each service has its own program for buying them. “And we think we could save a lot of money if they went together in these programs,” he said.

In a discussion of training and education for U.S. service members, Gates acknowledged repeated rotations for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cut into full-spectrum training for the whole range of missions that each service is supposed to perform.

Turning to U.S.-Russian cooperation, Gates said he would like to see more effort put into an exchange program for Russian and U.S. military officers and noncommissioned officers.

“We would more than welcome exchanging students between our professional military training and education organizations and Russia’s,” Gates said. The effort would benefit both countries, he said, and he promised to raise the issue with Russian Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov during a meeting tomorrow.

“It would do both of our militaries good to learn from one another and have the experience of spending time together,” he added, noting that the U.S. military services “would be very interested in this at every level, not just the most-senior officers but mid-grade officers and even noncommissioned officers.”

Gates: Common Challenges Deepen U.S.-Russian Ties

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, March 21, 2011 – Common security challenges, a deepening military-to-military relationship and the will to expand cooperation have drawn the United States and Russia together to face emerging issues of the 21st century, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.

Speaking at the new State Russian Naval Museum to mid-level naval officers from the Kuznetsov Naval Academy, Gates said the last time he visited St. Petersburg was as director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1992.

“The broader purpose of my 1992 visit … was to explore with my Russian counterpart, head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Evgeniy Primakov, opportunities for the American and Russian intelligence services to begin to work together,” Gates said.

At the time, he said, they addressed common threats in the post-Cold-War world, including terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, global organized crime, narcotics trafficking and others.

“No longer enemies,” the secretary said, “we began to look for ways in which we could cooperate and be partners.”

Gates noted that the Russian naval officers and their American counterparts “entered military institutions that were essentially shaped in response to each other.” Twenty years after the end of the Cold War, he said, U.S. and Russian defense organizations still are working to transform themselves to meet evolving threats and opportunities.

In the 21st century, the secretary said, militaries must be agile and adaptable enough to face threats that involve countering terrorism, fighting piracy and responding to natural disasters.

“They might be battling unpredictable insurgents in failing states as well as providing the defense training to help those states defend themselves,” Gates said. “They might be threats from a rogue nation or terrorists who do not attack though conventional channels or obey the laws of war or care about innocent lives, he said, such as those who recently struck at a Moscow airport.

The broadening spectrum of conflict, Gates added, means military leaders must think harder about the range of missions they will be called on to perform and how to balance capabilities.

“I have pushed all of our military services to institutionalize the asymmetric and unconventional warfare capabilities developed in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. The Russian military has had to adapt to similar external threats and internal adjustments, he added.

Gates noted that he and Russian Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov have had a number of conversations commiserating on the challenges of running large, proud and tradition-bound military institutions. Both, he said, strive to “invest limited funds wisely on truly critical capabilities while doing right by our troops and their families.” These and other evolving 21st century challenges, the secretary said, have created new opportunities for cooperation.

Together, he said, the United States and Russia have coordinated and expanded operation of the northern distribution network into Afghanistan, and Russia has offered aid to the Afghan government in developing its helicopter fleet.

The United States and Russia also have worked together through negotiations and sanctions to persuade the Iranian regime to give up the pursuit of nuclear weapons. Russia also restricted arms sales to Iran and backed the United Nations’ expanded efforts toward that nation.

Both nations also ratified the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, Gates said, “a continuation and expansion of arms-control efforts we worked toward even during the darkest days of the Cold War.”

The two militaries always have learned from each other, Gates said, even in less cooperative times.

Today, the secretary said, the militaries exchange best practices and strategies for training, educating and caring for troops; defense technologies such as ways to counter homemade bombs; logistics, such as efforts along the northern distribution network; and maritime cooperation, including counterpiracy efforts.

Even so, Gates said, Russia and the United States won’t always agree. For example, he noted, “Russia still has uncertainties about the European Phased Adaptive Approach, a limited [missile defense] system that poses no challenge to the large Russian nuclear arsenal.”

But the nations have mutually committed to resolving these difficulties to develop a roadmap toward effective anti-ballistic missile collaboration, Gates said.

Collaboration may include exchanging launch information, setting up a joint data fusion center, allowing greater transparency in missile defense plans and exercises, and conducting a joint analysis to determine areas of future cooperation, the secretary said.

Gates told the Russian officers how the U.S. military has gained valuable expertise by operating with international partners ranging “from the Balkans in the 1990s, where the U.S. military worked with Russian forces, to the international military effort in Libya today.”

Despite his work with Serdyukov, Gates said, future progress is not up to the current defense leaders alone.

“It will be up to you, the next generation of leaders,” the secretary said, “to make what you will of our efforts and decide what history you’ll be telling when it’s your turn to stand up here.”

Face of Defense: Army Medic Builds Medical Career

By Army Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division

FORT BRAGG, N.C., March 21, 2011 – From the ski slopes of Montana to the bomb-laced desert highways of western Iraq to the expert field medical badge course in the pine forests here, an 82nd Airborne Division medic is navigating his own path to a hands-on career in health care.

Army Pfc. Levi Meyer, one of 49 Army medics and health care providers with the division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team who worked to earn the mark of the expert field medic March 7-11, said the pathways and options open to soldiers are many, but he was choosing to take advantage of the military’s nationally recognized Interservice Physician Assistant Program, with the ultimate goal of possibly becoming a neurologist.

“I am applying to IPAP right now,” said the 20-year-old Billings, Mont., native while preparing to navigate the first of three scenario-based testing lanes for the expert field medical badge. As a medic attached to a company of combat engineers, Meyer recently spent a tour in Iraq, traveling the roads between Ramadi and Fallujah hunting for roadside bombs.

Army Capt. Jessica Larson, a physician assistant attached to Meyer’s brigade, said the Army’s PA program is an excellent choice. It rates consistently as one of the country’s top physician assistant programs, she said, and the financial support afforded in exchange for service takes a great burden off students.

“I went to a state school, so my expenses were a third of a normal PA program,” said Larson, a native of Chicago who left a lucrative career in aviation engineering when she was moved by amputees and other service members recovering from wounds received in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“My schooling, housing, books, food and other living expenses cost $106,000 for two and a half years,” she continued, “which included my rotation to Africa. However, without my scholarship, it would have cost around $134,000. PAs who attend private schools are typically coming out with over $200,000 in debt.”

Through the Army’s Health Profession Loan Repayment Program, civilian-trained PAs can have their student loans repaid up to $120,000 in exchange for a three-year additional duty service obligation, which is the route that Larson took. The downside, she said, is that students remain civilians during schooling, so they are not drawing Army pay.

“Meyer is saving a lot if he goes to [the Interservice Physician Assistant Program],” Larson said. “To come from that excellent background with no expenses, while drawing either lieutenant or Officer Candidate School pay for those two years, is a huge stress off the education process.

“However,” she added, “he is giving back with four years of service as an Army PA, and graduates deploy immediately. Being gone from your family for a year is a nonquantifiable cost, too.”

Becoming a physician assistant typically is not a stepping stone to becoming a medical doctor, Larson said, as much of the schooling is redundant. Soldiers considering one or the other should study both career fields and ask lots of questions, she added, because the Army uses physicians and physician assistants in very different ways.

For Meyer, who first treated injuries in Montana as a part-time ski patroller at Red Lodge Ski Resort during high school, a priority is to get more hands-on experience as a provider before committing to the long road into medical school. If Meyer decides to become a physician, he’ll use the Army’s Health Provider Scholarship Program to fund medical school, he said.

“I have had the full support of everyone in my chain of command, and they have been very helpful with writing letters of recommendation and allowing me the time to complete my packet,” Meyer said. “If all else fails, I can still exit the Army with a master’s degree and a useful skill.

“There are a lot of different routes that I can take to arrive at a point where I can start my [scholarship] packet,” he added, “but after doing a bit of research, I feel that [the physician assistant program] is best tuned to my goals.”

Deadline for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay Extended

The deadline for eligible service members, veterans and their beneficiaries to apply for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay (RSLSP) has been extended to April 8, 2011, allowing personnel more time to apply for the benefits they’ve earned under the program guidelines.

The deadline extension is included in the continuing resolution signed by President Obama Friday, providing funding for federal government operations through April 8, 2011.

Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay was established to compensate for the hardships military members encountered when their service was involuntarily extended under Stop Loss Authority between Sept. 11, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2009.  Eligible members or their beneficiaries may submit a claim to their respective military service in order to receive the benefit of $500 for each full or partial month served in a Stop Loss status.

When RSLSP began on Oct. 21, 2009, the services estimated 145,000 service members, veterans and beneficiaries were eligible for this benefit.  Because the majority of those eligible had separated from the military, the services have engaged in extensive and persistent outreach efforts to reach them and remind them to apply.  Outreach efforts including direct mail, engaging military and veteran service organizations, social networks and media outlets, will continue through April 8, 2011.

To apply for more information, or to gather more information on RSLSP, including submission requirements and service-specific links, go to defense.gov/stoploss.

Bataan Amphibious Ready Group Prepares for Deployment

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) Mary Popejoy, Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) is receiving assistance from many organizations to ensure the Sailors, Marines and their familiesis are prepared when the ARG deploys March 23.

The Navy Legal Service Office aboard Naval Station Norfolk provided assistance with powers of attorney aboard USS Bataan (LHD 5) March 16, to support predeployment requirements. Norfolk's Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) and Navy Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) provided predeployment briefs for Bataan, USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) and USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41).

"Our briefs are open to Sailors, Marines and their family members, and we discuss all of the programs that are offered by NMCRS; and we talk about how we can help families while their active duty service member is deployed," said Joe Schnurbusch, NMCRS Norfolk shipboard program coordinator.

The deployment readiness briefs provide service members and their families with practical ideas for getting families prepared, emotionally and practically, to support the service members' deployment.

"Our deployment readiness briefs discuss financial planning, communication and coping skills and strategies for both married and unmarried service members and their families," said Darryl Anthony, FFSC work and family life consultant and deployment support specialist. "Parents and siblings are affected by deployments as well. Additionally, we provide information to help families understand how their children may react to a parent deploying."

The Navy Exchange long-term parking program has been assisting service members with storing their vehicles while they are deployed.

"We do what we can to help them out because not everyone on the ship has a place to store their car during the deployment," said Bill Waite, Navy Exchange long-term parking supervisor. "This is one item of concern they don't have to worry about, because we'll take care of their car, and they'll be able to drive it off the lot when they return."

All FFSC programs are geared toward supporting the service member and their families through any transition or deployment demand placed on them. Personal and financial counseling play a vital role in the successful pre-deployment and deployment readiness planning for families.

"The resources we discuss may be just what the family needs to make it through a difficult event during the deployment," said Anthony. "Many of our younger families have never had to adapt to maintaining a relationship from a distance, so the strategies we discuss provide answers to the questions that they are facing. Many families will be missing the presence of one of the parents. How will my children react and what resources are available if my child has difficulties, are common questions from the parent left at home. We are able to address issues like that during our brief to help families adjust to the changes they will be experiencing.

"

From finances to communication, the organizations are happy to lend a hand, and the Sailors, Marines and their families are grateful for the overwhelming support.

"The amount of work required to set our Sailors up for success on a surge deployment could never be accomplished without the Navy's amazing support system," said USS Bataan Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Brian Collier. "Since we received the order to deploy, not a day has gone by without a phone call from one of a dozen different agencies asking 'how can we help.'"

The Bataan ARG consists of Commander, Amphibious Squadron (CPR) 6, the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit; USS Bataan (LHD 5), USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) and the USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41).

Wisconsin National Guard aviators earn national honors

Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office

A Wisconsin Army National Guard unit currently deployed in Iraq has been named the best aviation unit in the Army National Guard.  The Madison-based 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment - a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter unit that includes Soldiers in Michigan and Indiana - will receive the 2010 Army Aviation Association of America's John J. Stanko award at next month's AAAA Annual Professional Forum and Exposition in Nashville. This is the first such award for a Wisconsin National Guard helicopter unit.

Lt. Col. Marty Pond, battalion commander, described the award as a great honor.

"It is a reflection of our Soldiers and their families," he said, "[and their] commitment to our nation, our mission and overall excellence in performance."

"We are extremely proud of the leaders and Soldiers of the 147th Aviation Battalion in receiving this award," he said. "It is a recognition of the professionalism and dedication of the entire team."

The award is presented to the Army National Guard aviation unit that has made an outstanding contribution or innovation to the field of Army aviation above and beyond the normal assigned mission.

However, the nature of the 147th's current mission in Iraq is itself outside of normal parameters. Operating with aviation units from Colorado and Kansas as Task Force Ironhawk, the 147th covers all of the United States Division-South - including six bases - performing the highest number of missions of any battalion supporting the 1st Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division (the Big Red One). During a four-month span, the 147th flew 1,986 missions totaling more than 15,000 combat hours without accidents. Three of the aviation battalion companies moved more than 5,600 passengers and 660,000 pounds of cargo in that time frame, while a fourth provides round-the-clock medical evacuation coverage at four locations, conducting 102 missions and transporting 109 patients.

On the ground, aircraft from three units across six bases have been integrated into one maintenance program, with an airframe readiness rate greater than 85 percent. Battalion mechanics have provided expert instruction on the UH-60M to contractors and aviation intermediate maintenance units. Roughly one-third of Company E's Soldiers cross-trained to learn refueling operations, and improved the process so that one refueling point can serve six Black Hawks. Company E dispensed nearly 900,000 gallons of fuel with no environmental mishaps.

Pond said Task Force Ironhawk easily distinguished its leadership in implementing the Black Hawk "Mike" model into the total combat force with the exceptionally high operation tempo.

"Remember, this only accounts for the first four months," he said. "[Things] have not slowed down in any way since."

Prior to deploying, the 147th tackled another daunting task - transforming into the first Army National Guard air assault helicopter battalion, which involved intensive training and fielding new equipment. Flight instructors with the 147th also trained helicopter pilots from numerous other Guard and active Army aviation units, resulting in 25 qualified pilots and eight instructor pilots.

In addition, warrant officers in the 147th from Wisconsin and Michigan formed a communications security team to train up on the new communications system for the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter. The process they developed became the standard used by the Army.

"Every day they prove themselves with seamless and tireless support," Pond said of the Soldiers of Task Force Ironhawk. "These Soldiers have a well-deserved reputation for excellence."

The 147th reported for active duty last June 17 for their third Middle East deployment. A portion of the battalion first deployed to Iraq in March 2003. The unit also deployed to Kuwait from July 2001 to August 2002 in support of Operation Desert Spring. A portion of the 147th also deployed in support of Task Force Eagle, the NATO peacekeeping operation in Kosovo, in July 2006 for a one-year mission.

The 147th has played an important role in stateside responses, such as the historic mobilization of National Guard units across the country to respond to Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf coast, and the Wisconsin floods of 2008. In 1998 the 147th deployed to Guatemala for several months following Hurricane Mitch.

Operational Briefing on Libya Announced

Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, director of the Joint Staff will provide the media with an operational update concerning Libya at 4 p.m. EDT in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973).

Journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the Pentagon Third Corridor Entrance only.  Plan to arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification.  Please call 703-697-5131 for escort into the building.

Navy Provides Support to Eligible Family Members of Navy Civilians

From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy announced in NAVADMIN 094/11, released March 20, that eligible family members of Navy civilians, based on the island of Honshu, Japan, are authorized voluntary departure to the continental United States for a period not to exceed 30 days.

"Navy civilians and their families are an integral part of the total force," explained Vice Adm. Mark Ferguson, chief of naval personnel. "We are going to ensure these families receive our complete support."

Family members of Navy civilians participating in the authorized departure may be eligible for entitlements and allowances which include:

- Coverage of Travel Expenses: Transportation expenses and travel per diem may be provided to cover the time traveling from the evacuation site to the safe haven location, including time spent processing through a repatriation site.

- Subsistence Expense Allowance (SEA): SEA is based on the local per diem rate and begins the day after arrival at the authorized safe haven location.

- Advance Pay: Employees who evacuate, when authorized, received 30 days advance pay.

- Unaccompanied Baggage Shipment: Evacuees may ship up to 350 pounds of unaccompanied baggage per evacuee age 12 or older and 175 pounds per evacuee under age 12, up to a total of 1,000 pounds.

A primary source of information for Navy civilians and their families still in Japan is the Fleet and Family Support Center in Yokosuka, Japan, which is currently open 24/7 in support of our Sailors, civilians and families.

Another source of information for civilians is the Department of Navy Human Resources website, http://www.donhr.navy.mil/, where visitors can review a list of frequently asked questions and unique fact sheets about the authorized departure and their entitlements eligibility.

Whether in Japan, in transit or at their designated safe haven location, all Navy civilians, contractors and employees should call the Navy Family Assistance and Assessment System (NFAAS) 24-hour help line at (877) 414-5358 or access the website at https://navyfamily.navy.mil to register their families, as well as to get answers to their questions. The family assessment tool within NFAAS is accessible from any location where there is an internet connection and is designed to provide assistance to personnel and their families while in transit or upon arrival at a point of debarkation.

For more information on the entitlements and allowances available to eligible family members of Navy civilians, visit npc.navy.mil.

Obama: Brazil Offers Example for Freedom Movements

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2011 – Noting that the movements in the Middle East and North Africa demonstrate a universal yearning for freedom, President Barack Obama today held Brazil up as an example of how “a call for change that starts in the streets can transform a city, a country and the world.”

Speaking during a visit to Rio de Janeiro, the president made no mention of coalition military operations under way to enforce a U.N.-endorsed no-fly zone in Libya and halt Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s brutal crackdown on protestors there.

Instead, the president spoke more broadly about the common thread behind struggles unfolding throughout the region and their implications for the future.

“We see a revolution borne out of a yearning for basic human dignity in Tunisia. We have seen peaceful protestors pouring into [Cairo’s]

Tahrir Square

– men and women, young and old, Christian and Muslim,” he said.

“We've seen the people of Libya take a courageous stand against a regime determined to brutalize its own citizens,” he continued. “Across the region, we have seen young people rise up - a new generation demanding the right to determine their own future."

The change they seek, he added, must be driven by their own people.

“But as two nations who have struggled over many generations to perfect our own democracies,” the president said, “the United States and Brazil know that the future of the Arab world will be determined by its people.”

Obama pointed to Brazil -- a nation that has emerged from two decades of military dictatorship to become a thriving democracy and economic powerhouse -- as a model for Libya and others. Brazil offers proof that “a dictatorship can become a thriving democracy," he said.

The president recognized Brazil’s progress toward overcoming poverty and disease at home, and its work as a global partner fighting narcotics trafficking, promoting nuclear security and assisting the African continent.

He also praised Brazil for providing vitally needed assistance and support to Japan following its devastating earthquake and tsunami.

“We will pray with them and stand with them and rebuild until this crisis is passed,” he said.

“When men and women peacefully claim their human rights, our own common humanity is enhanced,” Obama said. “Wherever the light of freedom is lit, the world becomes a brighter place. That is the example of Brazil.”

Obama urged Brazil to join the global call for universal rights.

“These are not American or Brazilian ideas. They are not Western ideas,” he told the audience. “They are universal rights, and we must support them everywhere."

Military Family Members Arrive From Japan

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2011 – About 200 military family members arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington state today after leaving Japan voluntarily, U.S. Army North officials said.

The family members left Yokota, Japan, aboard a government-chartered airplane, Army Col. Wayne Shanks, an Army North spokesman, told American Forces Press Service in a phone interview today.

Shanks stressed that the family members were not forced to flee. Rather, he said, those who decided to leave Japan likely did so as a precaution. The 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Japan on March 11 and the tsunami that followed devastated the country, including destruction to viable infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants.

"We're providing for Department of Defense families who want to [leave] Japan, and that could be for a number of reasons," Shanks said. "I don't think the radiation threat is the overriding reason, … although it is a concern."

As what officials have called a prudent precaution, the Defense Department is providing eligible family members of department personnel an opportunity to voluntarily leave Japan at government expense.

The only priority for volunteers is for those closest to the disaster or threat, Army North officials said, and flights will continue throughout the foreseeable future to accommodate servicemembers and their families.

"The underlying thing is that we're here to help the people coming out of Japan," Shanks said. "We're doing whatever we possibly can to assist them."

USS Decatur Visits India

By Mass Communication Specialist 1sr Class (EXW) Jennifer A. Villalovos, Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet

CHENNAI, India (NNS) -- Arleigh Burke-class, guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG 73) visited Chennai, India, March 16-19, giving the crew a chance to experience the culture of India and participate in community service (COMSERV) projects.

For Cmdr. Shanti Sethi, commanding officer of Decatur, this was a special visit.

"My father was raised in New Delhi and came to the United States to continue his education and met my mother, who is American, and stayed," said Sethi. "While I was born and raised in America, I still consider my ties to India to be very strong. I came to India quite often as a child and my first words were in Hindi."

While Sethi visited India before, this was her first visit to Chennai. It was also a first visit to India for many of the Sailors aboard Decatur.

"This is Decatur's third deployment in less than three years, and when we were planning the deployment, we looked at where we would go for port visits," said Sethi. "One thing my Sailors consistently asked for was some place they hadn't been. India was specifically asked for, and when the request was granted for Chennai, the crew was very excited and has been talking about it ever since.'"

The executive officer and 15 additional officers from the Decatur wardroom toured the Indian navy's Car Nicobar-class, fast-attack craft INS Kora Divh (T 71) March 16 in Chennai. Kora Divh's crew consists of four officers and 42 enlisted Sailors.

"It's amazing how similar the ship is and the way they run their systems to the way we do," said Lt. Kelly Martin, Decatur's operations officer. "The amount of redundancy though the engineering plant and the controlling stations were extremely similar and would be a very easy transition from one of our ships to theirs."

Many crew members volunteered their time taking part in COMSERV events, which included interacting with female high school and college students to commemorate Women's History Month, playing a game of basketball and an introductory lesson into India's most popular sport - cricket.

"In my home country, Guyana, South America, I grew up playing cricket, and I haven't played much since I moved away, and playing with Indian Sailors was a lot of fun," said Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class (SW) Imran Khan. "Most of the U.S. Sailors had never played before, and the Indian Sailors did a great job teaching everyone. Everyone had a good time."

During the visit, Sailors explored the town in search of food, shopping, sightseeing and interactions with the locals in the city.

"This is the first port visit we've had since I've been on the ship," said Chief Fire Controlman (SW) Seth Rusackas. "I got a chance to see their way of life and not the Americanized part of a city. I learned a lot about their culture by trying to find places to eat. I walked around town looking for a restaurant that looks good and in the search for food you find the people."

Decatur's visit to Chennai marks the first visit from a U.S. Navy ship since 2007.

"This is my first time in India. It's an honor to be here and an honor to interact with the local Navy and the local people," said Martin. "It's great to spread our partnership and to encourage more partnership in the future."

For more news from Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/c7f/.

Navy Provides Departure Support for Family Members

From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy announced on March 19 that dependents living on the Japanese island of Honshu have been authorized to depart and will be eligible to receive entitlements and allowances as required by their circumstances.

"Our Sailors and their families need our support," explained Vice Adm. Mark Ferguson, chief of naval personnel. "We must not waiver in our commitment to them during this difficult time."

To assist families evacuating Japan, the Navy will provide entitlements and allowances to those eligible for their transfer to the approved safe haven, which the Department of State has designated as anywhere in the continental United States. Families wishing to evacuate to Hawaii or Alaska may be approved on a case-by-case basis by Principle Deputy Undersecretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) (PDUSD(P&R)) via Navy's Pay and Benefits (N130) office.

Command and non-command sponsored dependents are authorized transportation back to the United States. Other entitlements and allowances command-sponsored dependents may be eligible for include:

1. Per Diem: Transportation expenses and travel per diem are authorized from the time the family departs through the time they reach their selected safe haven.

2. Escort Allowances: Travel and transportation allowances are payable to a person who travels under an official travel authorization as an escort for a dependent who is incapable of traveling to the safe haven alone, due to age, physical or mental incapacity, or other extraordinary circumstances.

3. Household Goods (HHG) Shipping Allowances: Unaccompanied baggage and HHG needed for the dependent's comfort and well-being may be transported at government expense.

4. Personally Owned Vehicles (POV): Although shipment of POVs is not authorized as part of this evacuation, a $25/day, per family, local travel allowance will be authorized to partially off-set the expenses incurred for required local travel at the safe haven.

5. Pet Transportation: Families are authorized transportation to the safe haven of up to two common household pets (to include quarantine fees). Animals such as horses, fish, birds, various rodents and others are excluded due to size, exotic nature, shipping restrictions, host country restrictions and or special handling difficulties.

6. Housing Allowances: Sailors whose dependents are evacuated will continue to be paid their dependent housing allowance while they remain in private sector housing at their permanent duty station.

7. Family Separation Allowance (FSA): Sailors will be entitled to FSA once their family evacuates.

The allowances listed above are not all inclusive and do not contain all the stipulations required to receive them. For questions regarding allowances, travel advances or travel vouchers, Sailors should contact the Travel Processing Center-Hampton Roads, VA (TPC-HR) to obtain information specific to their circumstances by calling (866) 239-0303 or by sending a fax to (866) 708-6985.

An additional concern is access to medical care for dependents in Japan, and following their evacuation. TRICARE Overseas Prime beneficiaries impacted by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan may be unable to access their usual sources of medical care and pharmacy services.

Telephone and internet disruptions may further limit beneficiaries' ability to contact International SOS, the TRICARE Overseas Prime contractor, to arrange referrals.

To compensate, TRICARE is establishing a waiver of the usual referral requirements in order to ensure access to health care and medications, and to prevent enrollees from incurring point of service charges.

This waiver is effective from March 11, 2011 until midnight on June 30, 2011, with the option for extension based upon an analysis of the situation at that time. For more information, visit www.tricare.mil/tsunami.>

Financial and medical well-being are important factors in ensuring our dependents' successful departure from Japan.

The disposition of their personal possessions is also of concern. Due to the temporary nature of this evacuation, families submitting claims now to the Office of the Judge Advocate General for lost or damaged property may be doing so prematurely.

However, if they believe a claim is warranted at this time, they are asked to visit www.jag.navy.mil for more information.

Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) will open an accessibility event in the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System (NFAAS) for Navy members affected by this authorized departure.

All Sailors or family members who are in need of assistance should utilize the NFAAS support site at https://www.navyfamily.navy.mil to ensure the Navy can track and assess support requirements for all parties affected.

For more information on Navy support for the authorized departure, read NAVADMIN 093/11 at www.npc.navy.mil.> For more information from the chief of naval personnel, visit www.navy.mil/cnp.

For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnp/.

Today in the Department of Defense, Monday, March 21, 2011

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates is traveling.

Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn has no public or media events on his schedule.

Today in the Department of Defense, Sunday, March 20, 2011

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates is traveling.

Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn has no public or media events on his schedule.

U.S. Troops Continue Relief Efforts in Japan

Compiled from U.S. 7th Fleet News Releases

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2011 – U.S. troops continue to lend a helping hand to Japan today, committing dozens aircraft along with thousands of Marines and sailors to Operation Tomodachi in the past 48 hours, military officials reported.

About 17,000 U.S. military members and more than 100 aircraft are involved or prepared to assist in relief operations in Japan, Defense Department officials said, and 14 ships from the U.S. 7th Fleet are supporting relief efforts.

About 4,000 Marines and sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Amphibious Squadron 11 arrived off the coast of western Japan yesterday. The troops are capable of delivering relief supplies by ground and air, providing medical assistance, transportation assets and engineering equipment.

More than a dozen aircraft relocated yesterday to Naval Air Facility Misawa in northern Japan from Naval Air Facility Atsugi and Kadena Air Base in southern Japan. A total of 13 helicopters and about 500 sailors are repositioned to Misawa, nearly doubling the base’s Navy population.

Ships from the USS Essex Amphibious Ready Group arrived off the coast of western Japan yesterday with more than 150 amphibious vehicles and 25 aircraft. The ships are providing fresh water, medical support, search-and-rescue support, heavy lift capabilities and amphibious aircraft.

The USS Tortuga delivered 93 vehicles and 273 Japanese soldiers ashore by landing craft March 17 near Ominato in northern Japan. The ship is distributing 5,000 bottles of water and 5,000 meals to Misawa for further distribution.

The amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown in the Sea of Japan received 85 pallets of food and fuel March 17 from various relief organizations.