Coast Guardsman Train aboard Boone

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Steve Smith, Southern Seas 2011 Public Affairs

USS BOONE, At Sea (NNS) -- Three U.S. Coast Guardsmen from USCGC Escanaba (WMEC 907) embarked guided-missile frigate USS Boone (FFG 28) April 9, to experience first-hand how the Navy operates in a joint service environment.

Boone and Escanaba will join guided-missile frigate USS Thach (FFG 43) and guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) for UNITAS Atlantic phase (LANT) in South America. UNITAS LANT is a joint exercise involving navies from Brazil, the United States, Argentina, and Mexico.

Days before the exercise kicked off, Escanaba and Boone used the time for information exchanges, training and familiarization.

"This is our first time exclusively working with the U.S. Navy," said Ensign Alicia Flanagan, Escanaba combat information center officer and communications officer. "We have a lot of the same equipment and a lot of the same standards and procedures. I'm actually quite surprised at how similar the two services are. It's been an easy integration."

During UNITAS, forces will participate in a series of theater security cooperation events, including military-to-military cooperation, humanitarian assistance, disaster response, combined exchanges, exercises and operations, and maritime security.

"I think we have a lot to benefit from each other, especially now, with the Coast Guard expanding its missions and the locations we are working," said Flanagan. "I know the Navy is heavily involved in anti-drug trafficking and that's also one of our primary missions, but we bring the law enforcement capability. It's important that we're able to work together."

Aside from the larger interoperability scenarios and exercise planning, much of the information came down to simple hands-on experience with the smaller issues. The Coast Guardsmen learned how to tie down a Navy helicopter on a Coast Guard cutter, travel as part of a battle group and basic Navy combat watch stations.

"It's always good to get a perspective from how different U.S. services operate," said U.S. Coast Guardsman Operations Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Fojtik. "You understand the capabilities and limitations of the other ships, for example, how often can they set flight quarters? They might not be able to support the same things we can."

The Coast Guardsmen spent four days aboard, standing the regular watch rotation in the combat information center (CIC) and on the bridge.

"I had a great experience cross-training with the Navy," said U.S. Coast Guardsman Operations Specialist 2nd Class Timothy Goodson. "Understanding what the other ships that we're steaming with are doing is definitely a great experience. I found it very beneficial and would recommend it to other Coast Guardsmen."

COMUSNAVSO/C4F supports U.S. Southern Command joint and combined full-spectrum military operations by providing principally sea-based, forward presence to ensure freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain, to foster and sustain cooperative relationships with international partners and to fully exploit the sea as maneuver space in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.

Navy Hospital Ship Arrives in Jamaica

By Senior Airman Kasey Close, Continuing Promise 2011 Public Affairs

KINGSTON, Jamaica (NNS) -- Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in Kingston, Jamaica, for its first stop for Continuing Promise 2011 (CP11) April 13.

Comfort's deployment to the region exemplifies the U.S. commitment to cooperative partnerships in the Caribbean, Central and South America.

For this mission, Comfort's hospital, called the Medical Treatment Facility (MTF), is configured with specialized medical equipment and staffed by multi-specialized medical teams of military and civilian health care providers.

These caregivers will provide a range of services ashore, as well as on board the ship for approximately 250 patients.

"The staff aboard Comfort is excited about their first country as part of CP11 and to get started on the humanitarian assistance," said Capt. Kathy Becker, USNS Comfort MTF executive officer.

Continuing Promise will offer a variety of services to each country it visits including surgical, general surgery, neurology, emergency medical technicians, orthopedics, anesthesiology, dental, family medicine, pediatrics, preventative medicine, diagnostics and veterinarian.

These efforts are intended to foster cooperation, collaboration and interoperability with U.S. regional partners.

Members of the Navy's construction force, known as the Seabees, will perform several construction and repair projects throughout the Jamaican community. Seabees can provide construction projects, utility system repairs and construction/technical assistance, drainage and trenching projects.

Utilitiesman 1st Class Kevin Geegan, Navy Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 28, is participating in his first Continuing Promise mission, but has been part of several other humanitarian missions. He said he is looking forward to improving the lives of the people in the Kingston community.

COMUSNAVSO/COMFOURTHFLT supports U.S. Southern Command joint and combined full-spectrum military operations by providing principally sea-based, forward presence to ensure freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain, to foster and sustain cooperative relationships with international partners and to fully exploit the sea as maneuver space in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.

Airman Missing in Action from WWII Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Martin P. Murray, 21, of Lowell, Mass., will be buried on April 16 in Marshfield, Mass.  Murray, along with 11 other crew members, took off on Oct. 27, 1943, in their B-24D Liberator from an airfield near Port Moresby, New Guinea.  Allied plans were being formulated to mount an attack on the Japanese redoubt at Rabaul, New Britain.  The crew’s assigned area of reconnaissance was the nearby shipping lanes in the Bismarck Sea.  But during their mission, they were radioed to land at a friendly air strip nearby due to poor weather conditions.  The last radio transmission from the crew did not indicate their location.  Multiple search missions in the following weeks did not locate the aircraft.

Following World War II, the Army Graves Registration Service conducted searches for 43 missing airmen, including Murray, in the area but concluded in June 1949 that all were unrecoverable.

In August 2003, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) received information on a crash site from a citizen in Papua New Guinea while it was investigating another case.  The citizen also turned over an identification card from one of the crew members and reported that there were possible human remains at the site of the crash.  Twice in 2004 other JPAC teams attempted to visit the site but were unable to do so due to poor weather and hazardous conditions at the helicopter landing site.  Another team was able to successfully excavate the site from January to March 2007 where they found several identification tags from the B-24D crew as well as human remains.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA in the identification of Murray’s remains. 

At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans.  Today, more than 74,000 are unaccounted-for from the conflict. For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.

George Washington Sailors Assist in Sasebo

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Cheryl Callahan, USS George Washington Public Affairs

SASEBO, Japan (NNS) -- USS George Washington (CVN73) Sailors spent some of their liberty time in Sasebo, Japan, with residents of the Sakura Challenged Home for handicapped citizens, April 12.

The volunteers cleaned the grounds of the facility, washed windows and watered plants.

"This particular community service (COMSERVE) event was an excellent opportunity to give our Sailors a chance to meet with some of the local people and help the community," said Lt. Cmdr. Jose Pimentel, USS George Washington chaplain. "This particular project also gave them a chance to interact with people of a capacity that they may not be used to interacting with or may not be comfortable interacting with."

The Challenged Home has been in operation for approximately 10 years and has 25 volunteers who help out during the week. The residents consist of people that are either physically handicapped, mentally handicapped or both. The residents spend the majority of their time learning to cope with their disabilities while making bread to sell to the local community. This serves as a way to keep them gainfully employed.

At the conclusion of the visit, the residents sang several songs and danced to show their appreciation for the work the Sailors completed. Sailors were then given the chance to sample the different breads made by the residents.

"This was a really nice trip," said Logistics Specialist Seaman Samuel Bly, from Marais, Minn. "I'm glad we could help out and after this experience I plan on doing more COMSERVEs."

"One of the bonuses of having these COMSERVEs is that when one person participates for the first time, they're hooked," said Pimentel. "This is the case for many Sailors, and not just from George Washington. They tend to sign up for multiple COMSERVEs events in the future because the very first event they participated in was such a positive and rewarding experience for them."

George Washington has been underway since March 21, after departing her forward-deployed homeport of Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, in response to the complex nature of the natural disaster that struck Japan, March 11.

George Washington is the Navy's only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier, ensuring security and stability across the western Pacific Ocean.

Reservist Sailors Complete Joint Readiness Exercise

By Capt. Bryan Lewis, Defense Logistics Agency Joint Reserve Force

FORT EUSTIS, Va. (NNS) -- Ninety-four Sailors, seven Marines and more than 80 additional DLA Reservists from the Army and Air Force participated in the fifth annual Joint Reserve Training Readiness Exercise (JRTRX) aboard Ft. Eustis, Va., April 4-10.

The objective of the exercise was to enhance total force readiness while simultaneously completing service-required training and promoting teamwork.

"Our goal is to take every service and put them in a pseudo deployment environment; increase the operations tempo, increase their training, basically put them in an environment that is alien to them," said Lt. Cmdr. Onofrio Margioni, JRF deputy director of training and readiness and JRTRX director.

"The JRTRX mirrors exactly what our Reservists will be doing at the CONUS Replacement Center (CRC) and Navy Individual Augmentee Combat Training (NIACT). The reason why we offer JRTRX is to enhance the training for our troops."

More than 110 Joint Reserve Force (JRF) Reservists are deployed for combat logistic support at any given time. Prior to deployment Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen and Marines attend stateside, theatre-specific trainings in order to prepare for the downrange demands and environment.

Much like CRC and NIACT, which deploying service members must complete prior to heading downrange, the JRTRX provides its attendees with Theater Specific Individual Requirements Training (TSIRT). This includes the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT), the Engagement Skills Trainer (EST) 2000, the Leadership Reaction Course, weapon familiarization and firing range for M-4 and M-9 qualification, IED identification and reaction, Distribution Service instruction and joint physical training.

"We hit every milestone that we set out with the objective of ensuring our Reservists get a taste, and sometimes a bit more than just a taste, of what they'd be experiencing at CRC and NIACT, including an increase in ops temp that would give a familiarization of what to expect in theatre," Margioni said.

Adding flavor to the "taste" of the simulated deployment was the successful firing of more than 12,000 rounds of ammunition via M4s and M9s. Each Sailor, Soldier and Marine had the opportunity to qualify with the appropriate weapon for his or her rank. Of those who fired a M9, 90 percent qualified, with 72 percent qualifying with the M4. Additionally, Airmen were given the opportunity to complete weapon familiarization fire, and all attendees had a hands-on opportunity to safely aim and fire a weapon. .

Leading the way in qualification on the M9 range was Navy Reserve Rear Adm. Ray English, director, DLA Joint Reserve Force, who reminded participants of the most important aspect of this exercise – taking care of each other.

"Of all the experience and training you gained, the most important thing I hope you've learned and keep with you when you deploy is we take care of each other," English said. "If we take care of each other, everything else will turnout right."

The importance of team that English spoke about was lived out on the Leadership Reaction Course and the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer. The LRC challenges teams physically and mentally as they attempt to complete obstacles, such as maneuvering a wounded Soldier across a barrier. Much like the reaction course, HEAT recreates the physical sensation of a rollover to train personnel how to respond safely and quickly when exiting a compromised vehicle. The five service members must work as a team to safely egress the flipped vehicle.

The participants were intentionally divided into joint teams during the training to further demonstrate the nature of many deployed environments, especially those DLA members find themselves in.

The JRF's objective is to support the DLA mission worldwide, and it prides is self in being a "high-performing, customer-focused, globally responsive force." To further improve on this skill, members completed instruction on current activities by DLA Distribution. Members from this field activity's headquarters in New Cumberland, Pa., completed multiple hours of instruction for all attendees.

"This is more opportunity to hone your skills, and give you that confidence, so that when you are that DLA representative in theatre, you can do your best to provide that mission success; that difference helping the warfighter be successful," said Celia Adolphi, JRF deputy director. "You have the confidence in your combat skills to make your functional mission easier."

Members had additional opportunities to demonstrate their confidence as this year's event was two days longer than in previous years. The lengthened training schedule was a result of previous years' surveys and allowed for an extra day on the firing ranges, six more hours in the EST 2000, a full day of HEAT and a cookout to relax and celebrate all that the participants accomplished.

Upon completion of the JRTRX, members completed surveys about the training. A common theme amongst the comments was the high quality of the training, and that once again, they wished it was longer.

"In the end this was all about bringing people together and teaching them how to work together," said Margioni. "In the joint world if you can achieve that, you've done your job."

BATARG/22nd MEU Complete Integrated Training

From Bataan Amphibious Ready Group Public Affairs

USS BATAAN, Atlantic Ocean (NNS) -- The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (BATARG) and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) completed three weeks of intensive training with Special Operations Training Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, and Commander, Strike Force Training Atlantic (SFTL) April 11 - 12.

The BATARG and 22nd MEU deployed three months ahead of their original schedule to relieve the Kearsarge ARG and 26th MEU, currently conducting operations in the Mediterranean Sea.

An SFTL team of more than 60 active-duty service members and civilians embarked on board the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) to evaluate the ARG's ability to identify and respond to a broad range of operational challenges. Representatives from the Marine Corps' SOTG also embarked Bataan to conduct training and evaluate integration.

"This training allows us to test the ARG-MEU team's proficiency and decision-making abilities," said Rear Adm. Dennis FitzPatrick, commander, SFTL. "We're able to train, then assess their ability across multiple mission areas to include their ability to protect themselves, as well as their ability to project power."

Only 5 percent of Marines from 22nd MEU had been on board a Navy ship prior to their embarkation March 29. For many Sailors and Marines, the pre-deployment emergent integrated training (PDEIT) was their first experience operating at sea together.

"Things are coming together nicely," said Cpl. Leeland VanLeer, assigned to Easy Company, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd MEU, on board USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41). "Over the past few weeks, we've become more comfortable with the ship and the crew, and I'm confident we're ready. I know we are."

In addition to learning each others' capabilities as an ARG-MEU team, watch standers from the three ships benefited from multiple air and surface defense exercises with guided missile destroyers USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) and USS James E. Williams (DDG 95).

Complete focus was demanded of every Sailor and Marine as the exercises grew in scope and complexity including flight and well deck operations; replenishments-at-sea; air-defense exercises; non-combatant evacuations; tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel; medical evacuations; small boat operations, and visit, board, search and seizure missions.

"I've never been through a compressed training cycle like this before," said Operations Specialist 2nd Class Terrance Bellock, assigned to Amphibious Squadron Six. "Everything comes at you all at once, and your body and mind have to adapt quickly to each event."

Because of all the pieces that need to come together to make each event successful, each person needs to understand his or her role and how that role contributes to the decision-making process, said Bellock, who is experiencing his fourth deployment.

"Communication is extremely important at the technical and procedural level and establishing relationships is critical for success," said FitzPatrick. "Watch standers need to know what information is important and how to make sure information flows through the correct channels to reach the right person or organization."

FitzPatrick expressed his confidence that a solid foundation had been established and that BATARG and 22nd MEU Sailors and Marines will continue to build upon that foundation throughout deployment.

"I am very impressed with this Navy and Marine Corps team," said FitzPatrick. "With their deployment accelerated, they have quickly and professionally come together and formed a powerful team."

The BATARG is comprised of Bataan, amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), and amphibious dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41).

Face of Defense: Marine Answers Corps’ Call Twice

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jovane M. Holland

Marine Corps Bases Japan

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2011 – On Dec. 7, 1987, Derrick Butler raised his right hand and swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, as a United States Marine.

More than a decade later, on July 6, 1999, he swore the oath a second time.

Although the circumstances behind each oath were radically different, both carried great pride and a sense of achievement, said Butler, a St. Louis native.

“My first enlistment was the result of a Marine Corps recruiter calling for my friend, and me picking up the phone. It was completely by chance,” Butler said. “The second time I enlisted, it was because the company I was working for shut down, and I missed the military way of life.”

Working as a cook throughout his first enlistment, Butler was unable to re-enlist at the end of his contract and left the Corps as a corporal. He moved to Missouri, where he worked at a manufacturing and exporting factory. When the factory closed its doors in 1999, he re-enlisted in the Corps.

The Marine Corps he returned to had undergone major changes since the late 1980s, but Butler, now a staff sergeant, said his love of camaraderie in the military has not changed.

“The Corps is still near and dear to my heart, no matter how much it has changed,” said Butler, who now serves as a construction wireman at Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler on Okinawa, a prefecture of Japan.

“No challenge I have faced since my return has been too overwhelming to face. I just adapt and overcome,” Butler said.

Butler’s comrades are glad he’s back.

“Staff Sergeant Butler is a mainstay in his junior Marines’ lives, because he has the ‘Marines are family’ mind set everyone needs when things get rough,” said Marine Corps Sgt. Benjamin Martin, a telephone surveyor who has known Butler since 2002. “He’s the Marine that gives you the safety brief and instills in you the pride in watching out for the Marine to the left and right of you. I couldn’t ask for a better staff noncommissioned officer.”

Butler said things have changed since his initial enlistment.

“We fought hard and played hard back in the day, but the day-to-day battle is much harder now than it was back then,” he explained. “I’m so glad the tools I acquired in the past help me to relate to and teach the new generation of Marines today.”

Butler plans to retire in five years and said he hopes to pick up promotion to gunnery sergeant before that time comes.

For young Marines who struggle with or experience regret over their decision to join, Butler shared some words of advice.

“Boot camp may not be a dreamboat, but to travel, see the world and embrace so many different cultures can be inspiring,” Butler said. “People look up to who we are and what we do for the world. Many of them only dream of living the life we live. We live it every day.”

Story of Heroism and Brutality During World War II

The Wereth Eleven Story of Heroism and Brutality During World War II to be Featured at the Prestigious GI Film Festival in Washington, D.C. in May

As seen on National Geographic Channel, “Caught by the SS: The Wereth Eleven” will be featured in full-length at the Fifth Annual GI Film Festival on Saturday, May 14 at 4:45 p.m. at the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. in honor of Armed Forces Appreciation Month

Southold, N.Y. – April 12, 2011 – “The Wereth Eleven,” an epic docudrama based on the true story of the dramatic escape made by 11 American soldiers at the start of the Battle of the Bulge during World War II, will be featured in full-length at the Fifth Annual GI Film Festival in celebration of American servicemen and women. The world premiere will be held at the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, May 14 at 4:45 p.m. EST.

“The Wereth Eleven” is one of 31 films to premiere at the GI Film Festival between May 9 and May 15 that honor the heroic stories of the American Armed Forces and the worldwide struggle for freedom and liberty. The festival films are known to express the courage and selflessness of American soldiers and the value of their work.

Narrated by “The Closer’s” Corey Reynolds, “The Wereth Eleven” retraces the steps of 11 soldiers of the segregated African-American 333rd Field Artillery Battalion who escaped The 18th Volksgrenadiers after their unit was overrun at the start of the Battle of the Bulge. Their 10-mile trek from their battery position to Wereth, Belgium led them to refuge with a Belgian family until a Nazi sympathizer revealed their presence to an SS Reconn Patrol. The soldiers surrendered, but were taken to a field, where they were tortured, maimed, and shot on Dec. 17, 1944. The killings were investigated, but never prosecuted.

“This story really moved me and I’m proud to have it featured on film at the GI Film Festival,” stated Joseph Small, executive producer of “The Wereth Eleven” and CEO of The Ardennes Group. “My mission has been to increase awareness of these heroic men and their story. People need to know what happened to the 11 soldiers and learn of the contributions of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion during World War II. The GI Film Festival will be instrumental in helping get the word out about our heroes and their sacrifices for our nation.”

The powerful and poignant film is an epic docudrama with stunning Hollywood-grade visual effects, interviews with people who were there, and archival footage.

“The Wereth Eleven” was produced by The Ardennes Group with executive producers Small, Robert Child, and Frederic Lumiere. The film was directed and written by Child, and edited by Lumiere: producer, director and editor of the groundbreaking Emmy Award-winning series “WWII in HD,” narrated by Gary Sinise.


The GI Film Festival screening of “The Wereth Eleven” will be on Saturday, May 14 at 5:30 p.m. EST at the United States Navy Memorial located at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 7th Street Northwest and 9th Street Northwest in Washington, D.C . Click here to view the trailer for “The Wereth Eleven.”

About The Ardennes Group
Launched in 2009 by CEO Joseph Small, The Ardennes Group develops and produces historical military documentaries and films. The company’s productions include the World War II docudrama, “The Wereth Eleven,” which premiered nationwide on National Geographic Channel (credited as “Caught by the SS: The Wereth Eleven”) and the soon-to-be released war documentary, “USS Franklin: Honor Restored,” based on Joseph A. Springer’s book, “INFERNO: The Epic Life and Death Struggle of the USS Franklin in World War II.”

About Robert Child
Originally from New England, Robert Child has worked behind the scenes as a writer, technical director, and director for more than a decade with network clients including HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NBC, ABC, and CBS. Child produced a series of highly regarded and award-winning Civil War films including “Gettysburg: The Boys in Blue” and “Gray and the docudrama Gettysburg: Three Days of Destiny.” Child also directed “Lincoln and Lee at Antietam: The Cost of Freedom,” “Silent Wings: The American Glider Pilots of World War II,” “The Wereth Eleven,” and “USS Franklin: Honor Restored.” Child has won numerous awards including five Telly, two CINE Golden Eagles, Best Director at the New York Independent Film Festival, and Special Jury at World Fest Houston. In 2011, Child was selected to receive the highly coveted Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts from the Bucks County Chamber of Commerce. His work has also been named as Official Selection at major United States film festivals including the New York Independent Film Festival and the Washington DC Independent Film Festival. Click here to view Child’s Director Reel.

About Frederic Lumiere
Frederic Lumiere is an award-winning filmmaker who’s first feature film, “Tomorrow is Today” starring Scout Taylor-Compton (“Halloween I,” “Halloween II”) received 11 awards, including the Directorial Discovery Award from the Rhode Island International Film Festival. He has also produced, directed, and edited award-winning programming for Cinemax, A&E, History, Biography, and The National Geographic Channel. Before executive producing and editing “Caught by the SS: The Wereth Eleven,” Lumiere produced, directed, and edited the groundbreaking Emmy Award-winning series “WWII in HD,” narrated by Gary Sinise. Click here for more work by Lumiere.

Twitter: @TheWereth11 Story of Heroism & Brutality During #WWII Featured at Prestigious GI Film Festival in D.C. 5/14 #Wereth11 http://bit.ly/hy3u8m


For Official Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YULUUoc-fI


For press information, contact:
Verena King
702-354-3527
Verena@verenakingpr.com

Today in the Department of Defense, Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates hosts an honor cordon to welcome Latvian Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks to the Pentagon today at 10 a.m. EDT.  The cordon will be held on the steps of the Pentagon River Entrance.  Journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the Pentagon River Parking Entrance only.  Plan to arrive no later than 30 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification.  Please call 703-697-5131 for escort to the cordon.

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

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Ashton Carter testifies at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee on DoD Acquisition Program in the Fiscal Year 2012 budget at 10 a.m. EDT in room H-140, Capitol.

Bataan Amphibious Ready Group Receives Visit from Commander, U.S. Second Fleet

From Bataan ARG Public Affairs

USS BATAAN, Atlantic Ocean (NNS) -- Sailors and Marines assigned to the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (BATARG) and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) received a visit from the Commander, U.S. Second Fleet, April 11-12.

Vice Adm. Daniel Holloway visited each of the three ARG ships during the final two days of a rigorous integration training cycle designed to prepare the blue-green team for a broad range of amphibious operations.

During the three weeks of accelerated training, Sailors and Marines tested their ability to perform in such areas as flight deck and well deck operations, air and surface-defense exercises, replenishments-at-sea, small boat operations, medical evacuations, non-combatant evacuation, and tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel.

"I came out here for one reason only, and that is to congratulate you on the way you have come together during this training," said Holloway in an address to Sailors and Marines on board USS Bataan (LHD 5). "It is no small feat to surge like you have. You have risen to the occasion and knocked this training out of the park."

The integrated training, conducted by Strike Force Training Atlantic and the Marine Corps' Special Operation Training Group, began shortly after the Marines embarked March 29.

For many Sailors and Marines, the training marked their first experience working together.

"This is my first deployment, and it took awhile to get used to being on a ship," said Lance Cpl. Dijon Terry, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (Reinforced). "I spent the first few days lost and trying to get used to the ship rocking. I feel much more comfortable now, and I really like the Sailors and Marines I work with. As we head east, I know we're ready."

Holloway was present during the final training exercise, a complex scenario that tested each watch stander's ability to make tactical decisions and work together as a unified team.

Holloway expressed his satisfaction with the considerable progress Sailors and Marines had achieved during their short time underway, as well as his confidence that the team will only continue to grow stronger as they 'sharpen the sword' and refine their skill sets.

"We are proud of you," said Holloway. "You are the face of the Navy and Marine Corps and the face of the nation."

The BATARG deployed three months ahead of their original schedule to relieve the Kearsarge ARG and 26th MEU, currently conducting operations in the Mediterranean Sea.

The BATARG is comprised of Bataan, amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), and amphibious dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41).

Online Skills Program Helps 10,000th Sailors with College, Career Change

By Ed Barker, Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- The Navy's Online Academic Skills Course (OASC) logged its 10,000th Navy user April 12, less than one year since transitioning to a solely Web-based program.

"Sailors looking at a change of rating should start with their Command Career Counselor," said Master Chief Navy Career Counselor (SW/SCW/AW) Tod Shuls, Naval Education and Training Command force retention program manager. "The OASC is one of the tools that we can use to get Sailors where they need to be career-wise, and counselors review and track individual progress and verify completion of the program."

The OASC is a self-paced academic skills improvement program that evaluates an individual's reading level, vocabulary, and math ability. The program then designs customized individual lessons to increase proficiency in each of these academic areas.

Participants start by taking a pre-test to establish their areas that need improvement. After each module completion, a post-test is given to determine improvement. Participants can choose the length and depth of the courses based on needs and time available, including an abbreviated review with shortened lessons.

"The OASC helped me not only increase my ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) score by nearly 20 points, but also helped me prepare for college placement exams," said Ship's Serviceman 2nd Class (SW/AW) Ashlei Alexander, assistant to the Career Counselor at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola. "I'll be using the OASC again soon for a college math test I'm about to take."

The program gives Sailors 24-hour world-wide access to OASC from any computer with an internet connection. Each lesson is supported by interactive exercises such as drag-and-drop matching, and videogame-style, multiple choice or dynamic flash cards. Quizzes and practice problem sets help students gauge how well they are mastering the material.

"The OASC is accepted as one of the qualifiers that Sailors must have to retake the ASVAB," said Tom Smith, enlisted education coordinator for the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC). "One justification choice is showing that they have improved their educational and academic skills since their initial test, and the OASC online courses are accepted as demonstrating positive improvement in education. The test that current active-duty and Reserve service members take to improve their ASVAB score is the AFCT (Armed Forces Classification Test)."

In addition to around-the-clock access from any Internet connection, the OASC is also available to Department of Defense family members and government civilians at no charge.

OASC is available at www.nko.navy.mil via the NKO Learning Tab and on the Navy College Website under the academic skills link. Navigation to OASC is also available at: http://www.nelnetsolutions.com/dantes/.

True Stories, Not War Stories

With the addition of Staff Sergeant Jack Lewis, Military-Writers.com now lists 1241 US Military Servicemembers and the 3948 books they have authored.


Staff Sergeant Jack Lewis, USA, was “Born in Portland (Oregon) in 1964, he is a middle-aged curmudgeon of catholic writing proclivity. Jack holds a BA English cum laude from Washington State University and an MFA in screenwriting from the University of Southern California. He wears thick glasses, drinks Ardbeg, owns two motorcycles and a chainsaw, and prefers slip-on shoes. He lives with his wife, young daughter and two large dogs in a small house just north of Seattle.”

Jack Lewis said of his military service, “served as team sergeant to Tactical PSYOP Team 1291, a slice of Tactical PSYOP Detachment 1290 from the 361st PSYOP CO (Tactical), 12th PSYOP Battalion (Moffet Field). We were deployed to NW Iraq for OIF III from summer 2004 through summer '05, first supporting 2nd Infantry Division's 3-2 SBCT, then 1-25 SBCT from 25th ID. Along the way, we also supported Task Force Freedom, MNCI, the National Guard's 81st BDE.” Jack Lewis is the author of Nothing in Reserve: true stories, not war stories.

According to the book description of Nothing in Reserve, it “invites the reader to an intimate glimpse of one middle-aged soldier's journey to Iraq and back. True stories set in wartime, these are not war stories. Jack Lewis offers an unexpectedly vulnerable glimpse into one of the timeless tests men have faced: going to war, and returning home.

While the veteran will find honesty and truth within, this book is accessible to the uninitiated as well. Early stories give an authentic but often funny glimpse of military life, building to a crisis of personality all too common among returning soldiers. Exploring the universal human question of how we move through our lives, acknowledging mortality and pain without becoming lost within it, Jack shares with us his own journey toward elusive redemption.”

This Day in Naval History - April 12

From the Navy News Service

1861 - The Civil War begins when Confederates fire on Fort Sumter, S.C.

1911 - Lt. Theodore Ellyson qualifies as the first naval aviator.

1962 - The Navy demonstrates a new landing craft, LCVP (H), with retractable hydrofoils.

1975 - Operation Eagle Pull, the evacuation from Cambodia, takes place.

1981 - First launching of reusable Space Shuttle Columbia (STS 1) with an all-Navy crew. Capt. John W. Young commanded, while Lt. Cmdr. Robert L. Crippen was the pilot. Mission duration was two days, six hours and 20 minutes. Sixteen of the shuttle's heat-shielding silicon tiles were lost and 148 damaged during reentry.

1993 - Aircraft from USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and NATO forces begin enforcing the no-fly zone over Bosnia in Operation Deny Flight.

Military Family Support a ‘National Priority,’ Obama Says

By Fred W. Baker III

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2011 – President Barack Obama today made caring for military families a national priority, calling to action his entire administration and communities across the United States on their behalf.

“The strength and the readiness of America's military depend on the strength and readiness of our military families,” the president said. “This is a matter of national security. It's not just the right thing to do. It also makes this country strong.”

Obama made the remarks at the White House accompanied by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and other senior officials as he announced a national initiative aimed at increasing support for the families of American service members.

The initiative will focus on employment, education and wellness, and aims to raise awareness about the sacrifices and needs of military families. First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, will this week launch a national tour as part of the initiative.

The president praised the efforts of today’s military, but added that no troop serves alone.

“Behind every American in uniform stands a wife, a husband, a mom, a dad, a son or a daughter, a sister or brother,” he said. “These families, these remarkable families are the force behind the force. They, too, are the reason we've got the finest military in the world.”

In Obama’s travels to military installations since taking office, he said, one theme recurs in his conversations with service members.

“There's one thing they request more than anything else: Take care of my family. Take care of my family. Because when our troops are worried about their families back home, it's harder for them to focus on the mission overseas,” Obama said.

The president cited his recent directive to establish a coordinated federal approach to support military families. Released in January, the report detailed nearly 50 commitments from Cabinet agencies to reform, strengthen, or better coordinate the federal government’s efforts.

The efforts range from protecting families from financial scams, to improving education for military children and spouses, to helping end homelessness among veterans.

“As commander in chief, I'm not going to be satisfied until we meet these commitments,” Obama said. “Across this administration, we're going to keep doing everything in our power to give our military families the support and the respect that they deserve.”

But, the president said, national support for military families cannot be solely a government function. Support needs to be at the community level.

“Our military and our military families can't be the only ones bearing the burden of our security,” he said. “The United States of America is strongest -- and as Americans, we are at our best -- when we remember our obligations to each other; when we remember that the price of freedom cannot simply be paid by a select few, when we embrace our responsibilities to each other, especially those who serve and sacrifice in our name.”

Biden, whose son deployed for a year to Iraq, said he understands first-hand the value of family support to deployed troops.

“We learned at that time how much it means to those who are in a war zone thousands of miles away, knowing that their family is being cared for, that their next-door neighbor has offered to cut their grass while their husband is overseas or that the next-door neighbor will give a jumpstart on that cold morning when they're trying to get their daughter or son to elementary school,” Biden said. “They know that those little things are the things that make every day work or not work. It matters. It matters because it's one less thing they have to worry about in theater.”

Biden said a little support at the community level goes a long way toward easing the burden of both the families and the deployed troops.

“All Americans should know that one act of kindness extended to a family of a soldier, a sailor, a Marine, a Coast Guardsmen, reverberates across the water, over the mountains and through the desert into the heart of the warrior who's standing there alone thinking as much about his family as his family's thinking about him or her,” he said. “I promise you, I promise you, all those of you who are listening on the television or radio, it matters. It matters.”

Changed South Korea Duty Tours Aid Readiness

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2011 – Normalizing U.S. military duty tours in South Korea will increase combat readiness and greatly reduce stress for service members and their families, the top U.S. military commander in the region told the Senate Armed Services Committee here today.

“A force multiplier, tour normalization keeps trained and ready military personnel in place for longer periods of time,” said Army Gen. Walter “Skip” Sharp, commander of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea. “It improves readiness, combat capability, lowers turbulence in units and reduces the stress placed on our troops, units and families.”

Tour normalization in South Korea is an initiative the Defense Department and Sharp have been working on since December 2008. The initiative increases troop tour lengths in South Korea to three years and allows their families to accompany them.

The initiative is part of the Strategic Alliance 2015 agreement that hands over wartime operational control on the Korean Peninsula to the South Korea military in December 2015. The agreement also calls for U.S. forces to reposition to two enduring hubs under the Yongsan Relocation Plan and Land Partnership Plan.

Repositioning U.S. forces “realizes stationing efficiencies and signals a continued American commitment to defense of Korea and the engagement,” Sharp said. “Restationing also enhances force protection and survivability.”

Currently, 4,400 military families are in South Korea on command-sponsored tours. About 12,000 families will be there once tour normalization is fully implemented by the end of 2015.

“I think everyone is aware of the importance of tour normalization, with the increase of the readiness that it brings to our units that are over there; with the fact that it does show our commitment, which is a great deterrent value to North Korea,” the general said.

Sharp said the tour normalization plan he will present this week to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will be “an affordable plan to get to full tour normalization.” However, he acknowledged, the duty tour initiative’s initial costs for moving an additional 10,000 families and compensating troops’ housing needs will not be cheap.

“We are looking at many different options in order to be able to reduce the costs, and looking at many different options as far as how long it will take,” Sharp said.

Casey Retires After Four Decades of Army Service

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2011 – Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. expressed great pride in his soldiers and their families as he ended more than four decades of military service yesterday.

“I couldn’t be prouder of your courage, your resilience and your commitment to the values and ideals that make this country and this Army great,” Casey, the 36th Army Chief of Staff, wrote in a farewell letter to the troops.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called Casey “a valued leader” yesterday during the general’s Pentagon retirement ceremony.

“The Army George Casey leaves behind, a force that has borne the brunt of our nation’s wars, is more resilient, better trained, more balanced and vastly more lethal because of his leadership,” Gates said. “He served as a stalwart advocate and guide for thousands of brave young men and women, and their loved ones.”

Before becoming chief of staff in 2007, Casey served as commander of Multinational Forces Iraq. The general led the force through a difficult time including Iraq’s transition to a sovereign government, three elections, and the growth -- in size and capability -- of the Iraqi army and police, Gates said.

Casey’s “personal demeanor, steady confidence and care for the well being of his troops served as an important example for our young men and women on the front lines,” the secretary said.

Upon becoming the Army’s chief of staff, Casey found that the service was out of balance.

The Army at that time was “so weighed down by current demands that we couldn’t do the things we needed to do to sustain the all-volunteer force and simultaneously prepare ourselves for the full range of missions,” Casey wrote.

Casey and his wife, Sheila, journeyed to installations and units around the world to speak to Army families and see firsthand how they were handling the strain of simultaneously fighting two wars, Gates said.

Under Casey’s tenure as chief of staff, the Army expanded programs to help America’s wounded sons and daughters receive needed treatment and recover from war’s physical and emotional trauma.

“George greatly increased the number of behavioral health providers and improved mental health screening for returning soldiers in order to identify those at risk,” Gates said. “He pushed the Army to reduce the stigma associated with combat stress and traumatic brain injuries and to treat them as the injuries they truly are.

“General Casey led the battle to provide long-term support to survivors of the fallen, creating the Army Survivor Outreach Services,” he added.

Casey also implemented alcohol treatment and suicide prevention programs at Army installations around the country to help returning soldiers struggling to adjust to life at home.

When the president authorized an increase in the size of the Army, Casey pushed to exceed the service’s recruiting goals.

Because of Casey’s efforts “the Army was able to end the practice of stop-loss and increase soldiers’ home station dwell time -– developments that have greatly increased force readiness,” Gates said.

“Nearly 70 percent of the Army is now on a path to meet the goal of two years at home for every year deployed,” the secretary added. “As the drawdown in Iraq continues, and the transition in Afghanistan begins, I hope the Army will be able to achieve its longer-term goal of three years home for every year deployed.”

During the ceremony, Gates presented Casey with the Distinguished Service Medal.

Soldier Missing from Korean War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Cpl. John W. Lutz, 21, of Kearny, N.J., will be buried tomorrow at Arlington National Cemetery.  From May 16-20, 1951, Task Force Zebra, a multinational force made up of Dutch, French, and U.S. forces, was attacked and isolated into smaller units.  Lutz, of the 1st Ranger Infantry Company, part of Task Force Zebra, went missing while his unit was attempting to infiltrate enemy lines near Chaun-ni, South Korea, along the Hongcheon River Valley.

After the 1953 armistice, surviving POWs said Lutz had been captured by enemy forces on May 19, marched north to a POW camp in Suan County, North Korea, and died of malnutrition in July 1951.

Between 1991-94, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 servicemen.  North Korean documents turned over with one of the boxes indicated the remains inside were exhumed near Suan County.  This location correlates with the corporal’s last known location.

Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 58 years.  Through interviews with surviving POW eyewitnesses, experts validated circumstances surrounding the soldier’s captivity and death, confirming wartime documentation of his loss.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of his niece—in the identification of the remains. 

More than 2,000 servicemen died as prisoners of war during the Korean War.  With this accounting, 8,001 service members still remain missing from the conflict.  For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703- 699-1169.

U.S., South Korea Prepare Defense Against North’s Provocations

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2011 – The South Korean and U.S. militaries are well prepared to defend South Korea should North Korean provocations continue, the top U.S. military commander posted in the region told Congress today.

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee here, Army Gen. Walter “Skip” Sharp, commander for United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea, said South Korean and U.S. military leaders have been working to hone their defenses and are ready to effectively respond to an array of North Korean provocations.

“We have been working on a whole range of possible provocations from North Korea,” Sharp said. If North Korea should stage an act of provocation or aggression, he said, then South Korea “will immediately strike back in a proportionate self-defense manner. I do believe we are prepared.”

Sharp cited North Korea’s sinking of the South Korean navy frigate Cheonan in March 2010 that killed 48 sailors, and the November artillery barrage on Yeonpyeong Island from North Korea that killed two South Korean service members and wounded others, including some civilians.

These attacks, along with North Korea’s continuing development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile capabilities have strengthened the South Korean-U.S. alliance, Sharp said. The alliance, he emphasized, is fully prepared to deter North Korean aggression.

The South Korea-U.S. alliance “continues to deter a North Korea that threatens both regional and global peace and security,” the general said. “Maintaining this preparedness is accomplished through the development and the refinement of our bilateral plans to deter and defeat provocations -- attacks like we saw last year -- while maintaining the ability to respond to other destabilizing conditions.”

U.S. Pacific Command commander Navy Adm. Robert F. Willard, who testified along with Sharp, added that North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear efforts are helping the rogue nation become more than just a threat to its neighbor to the south.

“I do agree that North Korea is becoming a direct threat to the United States,” Willard said, noting that North Korea’s ballistic missile programs are working toward an intercontinental capability.

“It becomes an international threat and, for sure, a potential future threat to the United States,” the admiral said.

Willard said the international community is becoming increasingly impatient with North Korea’s unpredictable and hostile behavior. It’s important that the People’s Republic of China realize the international community’s impatience with North Korea, he said, noting that China is North Korea’s only ally by treaty in the region.

Key to ending North Korea’s weapons development and a potential nuclear and ballistic arms race in the region is productive dialogue with China, Willard explained. “I think it’s appropriate that [China] understands the United States’ impatience and recognize that what is occurring on the Korean Peninsula is not static or stable,” the admiral said. “Rather, we have seen an advancing nuclear capability being developed in the midst of what are very conventional provocations.”

Regional talks with China are focused on making it clear to leaders in Beijing that South Korea is fed up with North Korea’s bellicose actions.

“The situation on the Korean Peninsula has changed; both in South Korea and their unwillingness to tolerate the continued provocations that have become deadly …, as well as the impatience of the international community over the nuclearization piece,” Willard said. “China’s understanding of the acuteness of both of those things is an important factor in generating what influence they can exhort over Pyongyang in order to change this.

“We have a significant challenge on the Korean Peninsula – one that we cannot allow to fester any longer,” he added.