Face of Defense: Daughter Continues Family Tradition

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By Kari Hawkins
Redstone Arsenal Public Affairs

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala., Nov. 7, 2011 – As a little girl, Lakisha Scott said she didn't want to be like her mom or dad when she grew up. But destiny has a way of changing things.

Today, Army Pvt. Scott is very much like both her parents, wearing a soldier’s uniform.

"I wanted her to join day one," said Scott's father, Command Sgt. Maj. Larry Turner, of the Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command.

"She comes from a military background and I always believed that after high school and college she was going into the military," he said.

Scott’s mother, Barbara, also served in the Army. Both parents thought the Army could offer their daughter career and personal development opportunities she couldn't get anywhere else.

"The military is really good for young people," Turner said. "It gives you a good start, a good job. It trains you with a skill. It gives you a place to live and pretty much takes care of you. It prepares you for a career and for life, and it prepares you if you do decide to get out after a few years. I think every young person should give the military two years. It can really make a difference for them."

But for Scott, that vision was not so clear. There were a lot of stops and starts along the way to Scott putting on the uniform. She had some difficult memories of growing up in the military, such as being left with other family members when her parents were both deployed. Even when her mother was home, her father often was not there. A three-time Bronze Star recipient, he deployed multiple times in 33 years of service, mostly with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.

"I held that against my parents, especially when my mother deployed,” she said. “I was against the military because of those memories. But when I saw the bigger picture, I could see what the military could do for my family."

As a teenager, Scott toyed with the idea of joining the Army, and imagined herself as a soldier.

"I wanted to join in 11th grade when we lived at Fort Leonard Wood [Mo.]," Scott recalled. "On Bring Your Child to Work day, I visited a basic training unit there and the drill sergeant started teasing me about 'We're going to get you.' So, I was scared and I said 'Nope, I'm not doing it.'"

In 12th grade, while living on Fort Bragg, Scott started thinking again about military service and took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. The possibility of being deployed to Iraq scared her off a second time. She went on to college for a while, had a child and entered cosmetology school.

"I started talking about joining again. But I didn't want to leave my son at such a young age," she said. "When he turned 3, I really got serious about it, but my parents didn't believe I would do it. Then, I went to a recruiting station."

Scott’s father had given up trying to convince his daughter about the positives of a military career long before she finally visited a recruiting station.

"I told her I just didn't want to hear about it anymore," he said. "I was really proud of her, though, when she went to the recruiting station. She was getting kickback, but she still kept trying."

Some issues with scheduling the entry test at the recruiting station made it more difficult for Scott to finally take the plunge into military service.

"I kept crying to my mom about it, and she just said 'Oh, just go ahead and do it,'" Scott said.

"Around Thanksgiving last year, they offered me military occupational specialties as a military police or truck driver when I wanted dental specialist, human resources or supply,” she said. “When they offered me a 42 Alpha -- human resources specialist -- that's when it became serious."

Though in good physical shape, Scott was also worried about passing the Army physical fitness test.

"I had a push-up scare. I just couldn't do it and I was freaking out about it," she said. "But Wii Fit (the Nintendo physical fitness game) helped me get some muscles and I was knocking out those push-ups. I got up to 27 push-ups in one minute. That's when I was good."

Though she finally decided a soldier's life was her path, it wasn't an easy decision to live up to. She got a stress fracture in her knee during the first week of training, and struggled with homesickness.

"It was hard, but my mom helped me," she said. "She told me before I left that boot camp was a mind game, and that they would break you down and build you back up. So, I knew what I went through was nothing personal.

"My mom tried to give me advice about what she and Dad did, and about what I should do in the Army,” she continued. “But I want to make my own mistakes. I want to do it my way."

There were letters home that gave Scott's father a glimpse of what today's boot camp is all about.

"It's not the same. I look at me as a private and I see her as a private, and it's not the same. Of course, I didn't have a dad who was a command sergeant major," he said.

"Basic training has changed. The Army has changed. The soldier has changed,” he added. “But the final results -- the impact basic training had on me, and on her -- that's pretty much the same. Army training still makes soldiers understand they can go above and beyond what they think they can do. The Army still teaches discipline, respect and all the Army values."

Some of the changes Turner has seen through his daughter's experience are in response to the type of person who is now entering military service.

"The soldier that comes in today is a lot smarter walking in the door. They know so much more because of the Internet and all the different ways to communicate," he said. "When I went to basic training, it was a total shock. Now, young people can visit the Future Soldiers website and see what they are getting into. "

"There were 45 in my unit when we started and 15 when we graduated," Scott said. "In the first letter I wrote home, I said I was in the worst camp ever. But I learned to appreciate my time in that unit, and what my drill sergeant taught me about myself and about being part of a team."

Scott again injured her knee while running just before Mother's Day. On that Sunday, her drill sergeant told her the military police were coming to talk to her.

Scott was worried, afraid she’d done something to jeopardize her father’s career. Instead, she found he was just coming to visit her. "I felt I hadn't seen him for 30 years,” she said. “I jumped up and hugged him. My knee wasn't hurting anymore. But I was crying."

Turner admits to taking some advantage of his rank to see his daughter. But the very brief visit made all the difference for Scott.

"It just convinced me that this is where I need to be," she said.

Turner took the few minutes they had together to give his daughter some fatherly advice.

"I told her 'I know what you are going through. You're going to make it. You're going to be OK. You're doing good.' I think that really helped her," he said.

Besides having a command sergeant major for a father, Scott, at 25, was older than most recruits.

"At advanced individual training, some people called me Mama Scott because they thought I was old,” she said. “But at basic there were 35-year-old females, and they could still hustle just as hard as anyone else.”

Along with her son, Scott also left her husband behind during her training. The family is now united at Redstone, where Scott is assigned to the 308th, Bravo Company, Military Intelligence Battalion. Scott's husband works as a contractor.

After her five-year commitment, Scott is not sure whether she will rejoin. It's too early to tell if she'll try to top her father's 33 years of service. For now, she is using every opportunity the Army has to learn and better herself.

"My main focus will be to get back in school and get my degree in business marketing," she said.

So far in her young career, Scott has not leaned on her father to help her along the way. Likewise, her father has kept their relationship quiet in Army circles.

"He didn't tell my recruiter who he was until it was all done and I was signed up, and then as we were leaving the recruiting station he gave the recruiter a coin," Scott said.

Even though their secret is just now getting out, Scott felt her family’s support from the moment she joined.

"They supported me the whole way. My mom was excited. She was happy. My dad was just glad I had made a decision," Scott said. "In boot camp, I wrote them tons of letters and they wrote back."

It seems some things never change.

Soldiers Missing from Vietnam War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of three servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

Army Capt. Arnold E. Holm Jr. of Waterford, Conn.; Spc. Robin R. Yeakley of South Bend, Ind.; and Pfc. Wayne Bibbs of Chicago, will be buried as a group, in a single casket representing the entire crew, on Nov. 9, in Arlington National Cemetery.  On June 11, 1972, Holm was the pilot of an OH-6A Cayuse helicopter flying a reconnaissance mission in Thua Thien-Hue Province, South Vietnam.  Also on board were his observer, Yeakley, and his door gunner, Bibbs.  The aircraft made a second pass over a ridge, where enemy bunkers had been sighted, exploded and crashed, exploding again upon impact.  Crews of other U.S. aircraft, involved in the mission, reported receiving enemy ground fire as they overflew the crash site looking for survivors.

Between 1993 and 2008, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), interviewed witnesses, investigated, surveyed and excavated possible crash sites several times.  They recovered human remains, OH-6A helicopter wreckage and crew-related equipment—including two identification tags bearing Yeakley’s name.

Scientists from the JPAC used forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence to identify the crew.

Today more than 1,600 American remain un-accounted for from the Vietnam War.  More than 900 servicemen have been accounted for from that conflict, and returned to their families for burial with military honors since 1973.  The U.S. government continues to work closely with the governments of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to recover all Americans lost in the Vietnam War.

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.

Wisconsin Guard Soldiers depart for training, Kosovo

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By 1st Sgt. Vaughn R. Larson

Wisconsin National Guard

Approximately 30 Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers from the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade have left Wisconsin today (Nov. 4) for about 10 days of mobilization training at Fort Benning, Ga., before arriving in Bosnia and Kosovo, where they will serve as part of NATO headquarters in Bosnia and Pristina, Kosovo.

The deploying Soldiers will work for the U.S. commander assigned to the KFOR NATO headquarters overseeing the international peace-keeping mission, which is to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all citizens in Kosovo.

Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar acknowledged, during a sendoff ceremony Thursday (Nov. 3) at the Richards Street Armory in Milwaukee, that many people may not be aware of the United States' continuing commitment to Kosovo. He recounted the turmoil the former nation of Yugoslavia experienced following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

"All heck broke out in the early 1990s," Dunbar said. "There was a lot of bloodshed and a lot of fighting along religious lines."

The United States became involved, and helped broker the Dayton Peace Accord in 1995. Since then, U.S. troops have been helping keep the peace in Kosovo and Bosnia.

"This is the United States of America honoring its commitment," Dunbar said. "In World War I and World War II, in that very part of the world, millions of people died in bloodshed. And since we stepped in, a few handful have died. We've been keeping the peace."

Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch recognized the Soldiers for their service.

"I am thankful that the brave men and women of the 157th MEB are prepared to ensure peace in all ways in Bosnia and Kosovo as guardians of freedom and ambassadors of our great country," she said. "It is with courage and with pride that they protect a people, make permanent a calm, spread goodwill, and continue to sow the seeds of liberty."

She presented Lt. Col. Chris Klatt, officer in charge of the deploying Soldiers, with a state flag.

"I hope you will fly it with great pride so that the world knows that champions from Wisconsin don't just play in Lambeau [Field]," she said. "They also defend us every single day in the Wisconsin National Guard."

Klatt thanked the Soldiers taking part in the deployment and the people of Wisconsin for their support. He also thanked the families of the Soldiers.

"They serve right along with us," he said.

Brig. Gen. Mark Anderson, commander of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, agreed.

"When we talk about the Guard family, we talk about not only those in uniform, but the families and the children that serve right alongside our Soldiers," he said. "I want to say thank you for your love and support for your Soldiers. I know full well, and you know, that they could not do what they have done up to this time, and what they are about to embark upon again, without your support, without your love, and without your commitment. And my commitment to you and to the Soldiers is that we are not only here for the Soldiers, but we are here for the families."

Dunbar said that the Wisconsin National Guard has a robust family support network.

"I'm giving my personal pledge that everybody at home is here for your family, so that you can focus on your mission," he told the troops. "I want the families to know that there's nothing too big, nothing too small that we won't give you everything we have. We are a family and we're here for you."

Anderson said the deployment experience of the Kosovo-bound Soldiers would serve them well. State Command Sgt. Maj. George Stopper urged the younger Soldiers to draw on the deployment experience around them.

"Let them guide you through those instances that you're going to come up against," he said. "The first birthday away from home, the first anniversary away from home. They've been there, they've done it - they've made it through. They'll guide you, also.

"I ask you to do what we do best as Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers," Stopper continued. "Go forth and show the rest of the country exactly what you're made of. Show the world just how phenomenal it is to be a Soldier in the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Go forth and be great representatives to the rest of the world."

The 157th MEB has already mobilized approximately 180 members for a different role in the KFOR mission. The brigade's Headquarters Company and members of the 32nd Military Police Company left Wisconsin Sept. 16, and members of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment and the 248th Aviation Support Battalion followed Sept. 24. Those Soldiers are training at Camp Atterbury, Ind., and at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany, in preparation for their deployment, where they will serve as the brigade headquarters unit for Multi-National Battle Group East, also referred to as Task Force Falcon.

Sesame Launches New Resources for Military Families

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va., Nov. 5, 2011 – With hundreds of military families gathered here, Sesame Workshop today unveiled a new collection of resources designed to help children stay connected with military loved ones.

The “Military Families Near and Far” products, which include a bilingual website and mobile application, encourage elementary school-aged children to express their emotions and to communicate as they undergo challenging military transitions. The resources are a team effort by the iconic kids’ TV programs, Sesame Street and The Electric Company, and are provided in cooperation with the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.

“Our families serve and make tremendous sacrifices every day,” said Charles Milam, the Defense Department’s principal director of military community and family policy. Just as President Barack Obama has made the support and care of military families a top priority, “we at the department are committed to increasing opportunities for military children and their families,” he said.

The new products include Military Families Near and Far, a bilingual website where kids can create networks, draw pictures, create songs and write letters to a deployed parent; Free Electric!, a mobile application that encourages children to explore and express their emotions; an Electric Company magazine for military families; and the Electric Company Extended Learning Program, which is packed with literacy and math-based lesson plans, games, activities and tips.

Sesame’s previous efforts to help military children have been aimed at preschoolers. These new products will enable them to reach older children in an age-appropriate and entertaining way, H. Melvin Ming, Sesame Workshop president and CEO, said at the event. “One size does not fit all,” he noted. “Children learn best when the message is age-appropriate.”

The resources will be distributed mid-November through multiple channels including the Department of Defense Education Activity Educational Partnership Program, Boys and Girls Clubs of America-affiliated youth centers and other military-support programs.

Navy Capt. Paul S. Hammer, director of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, cited the importance of joint efforts aimed at helping military families such as this one.

“This is a partnership,” he said. “We bring our understanding about emotion, stress, psychological health, and Sesame Workshop brings the expertise of really understanding how to reach kids and get kids to talk about [their emotions]. I think that’s a good partnership to really help military families.

“There are a lot of programs out there, but this is a significant one in terms of really reaching kids and reaching families in a way that’s really constructive,” he added.

Along with the launch, the children who attended the event learned the importance of expressing their emotions, whether happy or sad, with a song and a dance and the help of some familiar friends from Sesame Street and The Electric Company.

Sesame’s Gordon and Abby Cadabby entertained the kids with a song, Near and Far, and then kids of all ages enjoyed dancing and “beat-boxing” with Electric Company’s Jessica and Shock. They also unveiled the Let it Out music video, which encouraged emotional expression and featured military members and children from across the nation.

After the event, the children dispersed to various play stations to play, snack or try out Sesame’s new Near and Far site and app on computers and iPads set up throughout the hall.

Air Force spouse Vicki Diesing’s two tech-savvy children, ages 4 and 9, were drawn to the computer station. Her younger daughter drew pictures for her deployed dad online as her mom gave her a hand.

“I like the idea they can communicate with their deployed family member through this site,” Diesing said. “I think it’s a good resource. Sometimes it’s hard for kids to express their feelings, and to have characters they can relate to helps them.

“My older daughter is just getting out of Sesame Street phase,” she added, “so the Electric Company really appealed to her.”

Josselyn Velasquez, whose husband is in the Air Force, also was busy navigating Sesame’s new website with her 4-year-old daughter, Tatiana. “I think it’s awesome,” she said of the site. “It’s letting military kids know they’re not alone, feeling the way they do with their families being gone.”

Barbara Thompson, director of the Pentagon’s office of family policy, children and youth, praised Sesame’s efforts for military children. “Sesame is just the best when it comes to creating innovative products,” she said.

The event was well-timed for November, she noted, which the president designated as Military Family Month. “We know that children also serve; they’re a part of our military family,” she said.

Obama: Libya Mission Underscores NATO’s Effectiveness

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – The Operation Unified Protector mission in Libya demonstrated that NATO remains the world’s most effective alliance, President Barack Obama said today as he and French President Nicolas Sarkozy praised the men and women who carried it out.

Speaking alongside Sarkozy at France’s Cannes City Hall following the Group of 20 economic summit, Obama recognized the solidarity their two countries and NATO showed as they protected the Libyan people from Moammar Gadhafi’s brutality.

“The United States was proud to play a decisive role, especially in the early days, taking out Libyan air defenses and conducting precision attacks that stopped the regime in its tracks,” Obama said.

The way the mission was conducted underscored NATO’s effectiveness and set a standard for the future, he said.

“We acted quickly, in days,” the president said. “And whether contributing forces or command staff, every single one of NATO’s 28 members played a role.”

Eighteen nations, including Arab states, provided forces to the operation, he said.

“And in an historic first, our NATO allies, including France, and especially the extraordinary leadership of President Sarkozy, helped us to conduct 90 percent of our strike missions,” Obama said.

This showed more nations bearing the burdens and costs of peace and prosperity, he said. “And that’s how our alliance must work in the 21st century,” he added.

Obama praised the way French and American forces served together -- commanders who planned and executed the operation, pilots who prevented a massacre in Benghazi, tanker crews who sustained the operation from bases in France, airmen who delivered lifesaving aid and the sailors and Marines who enforced the arms embargo at sea, among them.

He noted that American pilots flew French fighter jets off a French carrier in the Mediterranean Sea during the operation. “Allies don’t get any closer than that,” he said.

“Every man and woman in uniform who participated in this effort can know that you have accomplished every objective,” Obama said, noting that they saved Libyan lives and gave the Libyan people an opportunity to enjoy freedom and democracy.

Obama offered a salute to Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, the NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command; Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, commander of Allied Joint Force Command, Naples, Italy, and U.S. naval forces in Europe and Africa; and Air Force Lt. Gen. Ralph J. Jodice II, commander of Allied Air Component Command Headquarters in Izmir, Turkey, the 16th Air Expeditionary Task Force and U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

They and thousands of other personnel who made Operation Unified Protector a success helped show the world that “after a difficult decade, the tide of war is receding,” Obama said.

“The long war in Iraq is finally coming to an end,” he said. Meanwhile, he added, with France and other allies and partners, “we’ve achieved major victories against al-Qaida, including Osama bin Laden.”

The president noted that French and American forces are fighting together in Afghanistan and transitioning security responsibility to Afghan security forces.

Obama recognized the many times through history when the United States and France stood together to defend their shared ideals.

“I’m confident that we’ll continue to stand together, strong and free, for the centuries to come,” he said. “Long live the alliance between our two great nations.”

Vigilant Shield Tests Homeland Defense Processes

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By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2011 – Navy ships, Army ground-based radar and missile systems and Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard aircraft have descended on Key West, Fla., for the field training portion of U.S. Northern Command’s annual homeland defense exercise that kicked off this week.

Northcom’s Vigilant Shield 12 exercise launched Nov. 1 and continues through Nov. 10, combining field and command post exercises to train Northcom and North American Aerospace Defense Command staffs in homeland defense and homeland security processes, Lt. Alain Blondin of the Canadian navy, a command spokesman, told American Forces Press Service.

“The scenario for the exercise is based on potential military threats to the United States and Canada that require extensive military planning to provide a range of military options to our national leadership,” said Army Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr., Northcom and NORAD commander, in a blog announcing the exercise.

Northcom’s operations center at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., working in coordination with a joint deployable integrated air and missile defense system and elements of a logistics support facility dispatched to Naval Air Station Key West, are testing their capabilities against simulated enemy attacks, Blondin said.

Although most of the scenarios are classified, Blondin said, they will involve “the full spectrum of threats,” including simulated terrorist attacks.

“It’s an old Army truth that you have to train like you fight, and the exercise scenario will undoubtedly put us through our paces,” Jacoby said. This exercise will not only train us for that worst-case situation, but it will also aid our planners in preparing for it.”

“Homeland defense is our most important mission, and it’s a sacred trust we share with the citizens of the United States and Canada,” he said. “VS 12 will make us better and, most importantly, make our countries safer in the long run.”

To increase the realism of the scenarios and test the ability of federal, state and international partners to provide a synchronized response to homeland threats, Vigilant Shield planners have piggybacked on other training exercises.

For example, routine training flights under way across the Washington, D.C., region are testing Northcom’s and NORAD’s ability to coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Aviation Administration, among other federal agencies.

This year’s Vigilant Shield is being linked to two other concurrent exercises: Vigilant Guard Arizona and Determined Dragon. Vigilant Guard Arizona, a joint regional exercise sponsored by Northcom and the National Guard Bureau, is designed to improve military processes, procedures and coordination with state and local responders, officials said. Canada Command is conducting Determined Dragon to test the readiness of Canadian forces at the national level.

Jacoby emphasized the importance of a strong exercise program to maintain readiness, noting Winston Churchill’s famous quote, “Everywhere men pray for peace, but prepare for war.”

“I firmly believe that quote accurately reflects how the men and women of these commands go at their business each and every day, and that’s why it’s important as we look at a decreasing military budget to maintain and sustain critical training exercises like Vigilant Shield,” he said. “Every time you exercise, you learn something new.”

Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group Completes PMINT

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By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Lauren G. Randall, Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Public Affairs

USS IWO JIMA, At Sea (NNS) -- Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 8 and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) conducted the PHIBRON-MEU Integrated Training (PMINT) from Oct. 24 through Nov. 3.

PMINT is the first integrated training between the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG) comprised of approximately 1,700 Sailors from amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), amphibious dock-landing ship USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) and amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21), and approximately 1,200 Marines with the 24th MEU.

PMINT enhanced operability between the Sailors and Marines and began the process of forming a blue-green team during three phases and approximately two weeks of training exercises.

During the first phase, Sailors and Marines worked together to safely embark and integrate the 24th MEU including all of the aircraft, vehicles, gear and personnel throughout the three ships within the ARG.

Sailors and Marines conducted many well deck and flight deck operations during the first two days transporting 24th MEU gear from land to the ARG ships.

"PMINT is not new, we understood what we needed to do which is to bring the blue-green team together for the first time underway," said Marine Capt. Jeremey Wilkinson, MEU Battalion Landing Team (BLT) operations officer. "No matter how you cut the cake, green team cannot be successful without the blue and blue team cannot be successful without the green. So we have to learn how to work together to deliver the right solution around the world."

The second and longest phase was integrated training. Phase two of PMINT included a series of air defense exercises, surface gunnery, communication scenarios, boarding exercises, planning, co-mingling standard operating procedures and testing gear.

During the training exercises, Sailors and Marines worked on their driver training for the on and off loading of vehicles, dock landing qualifications, shipboard familiarization and overall team building.

"In the well decks, we've done a lot of integrated training, bringing different types of crafts and vehicles aboard," said Boatswain's Mate 1st Class (SW/AW/SCW) Kenyon Copeland, assigned to Iwo Jima.

"We've worked together with the MEU, the watercraft crews and ships company to stage them to see what kind of storage we can have, and if we would be able to fit any more and still get around."

Post exercise evaluations were held after each operation. All training evolutions were reviewed and critiqued in order to identify any problems and improvement possibilities.

"This is to basically get everyone on the same page before deployment, so that we can operate safely and complete our mission," said Copeland. "All the trainings have gone well; we've worked well together and kept our heads on a swivel."

The debarkation process involved off-loading embarked personnel, aircraft, watercraft and vehicles from the Iwo Jima ARG.

Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Joshua D. Kramer said Sailors and Marines worked well together and expects similar cohesiveness during the next training exercises.

Upon completion of PMINT the Iwo Jima ARG plans to conduct composite unit training exercise (COMPT2X) and a certification exercise (CERTEX) in preparation to deploy in 2012.

Face of Defense: C-17 Crew Gives Aid to Earthquake Victims

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Leah Young
62nd Airlift Wing

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash., Nov. 4, 2011 – A group of U.S. airmen took to the air to deliver humanitarian relief supplies for victims of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck eastern Turkey Oct. 23.

The five-member C-17 Globemaster III crew, assigned to the 10th Airlift Squadron here, flew to Turkey Nov. 1 and delivered a 75,000-pound load of tents at Erzurum Airport.

"The men and women of McChord are always ready to provide airlift at a moment's notice," said Air Force Maj. Corey Simmons, the squadron’s director of operations. "It is an honor for the 10th Airlift Squadron pathfinders to provide relief to our great partner Turkey in their time of need."

According to officials at the 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., the tents will provide shelter to earthquake survivors as recovery efforts continue. The tents are six-sided, pyramidal-shaped shelters that can comfortably house up to 10 people plus their clothing and equipment.

The tent's wind-, mildew- and fire-resistant construction and materials, officials added, ensure the warmth and dryness of the occupants even in frigid temperatures.

"Our airmen are focused on providing support at home and around the world at any time," Simmons said. "Rapid global mobility is a key to providing assistance at times like these."

McCain, Lieberman Receive NDU Foundation Award

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By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – Senior defense and national security leaders were on hand here yesterday as the National Defense University Foundation honored Arizona Sen. John McCain and Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman at its American Patriot Award dinner.

The annual event highlights the role of the National Defense University, based at Fort Lesley J. McNair here, as the pinnacle of professional military education.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said one of his first trips as chairman was to NDU.

“I did that on purpose, because I make three promises to the leaders of our military as I travel around and meet them,” he said. “The first promise I make is that we will probably not design your organizations exactly as you want them to be.”

The second promise, Dempsey said, is that they will get equipment that probably will not be exactly what they need.

“The third promise … is whatever guidance we give you will be a little late,” he said with a grin.

“I’ve lived up to those promises in my first month as the chairman,” the general said, “but the point I make to them is that it is the leaders that we develop that knit together all of that and produce the outcomes that our nation needs. And we ought to be really proud of that.”

The military is the premier leader development institution in the United States, “and leaders are what we need to move into an uncertain future,” he said.

Dempsey said he was delighted to be part of the event honoring McCain and Lieberman. He thanked them for their careers of service to America and for their commitment to character and values and also their commitment to developing leaders.

CIA Director David H. Petraeus, a retired Army general, said McCain and Lieberman have “walked point here in Washington for our troopers, intelligence professionals and diplomats -- two men who have answered the call of duty over expediency, the call of country over party.”

The senators have worked from their convictions to implement policies to meet wartime goals, Petraeus said, even when their positions were not politically popular.

The American Patriot Award recognizes people who have dedicated their lives in service to the United States. “But more importantly, it’s the ideals of our nation that they represent,” said Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, Army chief of staff. “As a result of their efforts, today we have the strongest armed forces in the world as we continue to fight and serve across many continents.”

Lieberman and McCain have spent almost their entire lives serving the American people, Odierno said, “ensuring that we are not only prepared today, but prepared for tomorrow.”

The senators have served together on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and both have made repeated and in-depth visits to Iraq and Afghanistan. Lieberman has served in the Senate since 1989 and was the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee in 2000, but supported McCain, a Republican, in his bid for the presidency in 2008.

John McCain entered the Senate in 1987. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., in 1958, and flew jets for the Navy. He was shot down over Hanoi during the Vietnam War and spent more than five years as a prisoner of war.

Commands Transition to NWU Type II/III

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Tim Drake Godbee, Naval Public Affairs Support Element- West

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Expeditionary commands around the fleet began the scheduled 7-month transition to the Navy Working Uniform Type II and III (NWU Type II/III) this month.

The NWU family of uniforms is intended to replace multiple, less capable legacy uniforms, reduce the Navy's total ownership costs, modernize the warfighter, and complete the vision of Task Force Uniform. As such, these two new uniforms in the NWU series have been developed for use in the tactical expeditionary mission of today's Navy, tailored for desert and woodland environments.

Commands that have been approved to wear the NWU Type II/III uniform will transition to the new uniform in alphabetical order by the name of the respective command.

The NWU Type II (desert) uniform will be worn by Navy Special Warfare (NSW) operators and Sailors assigned to NSW units or units which directly support NSW operations. The NWU Type III (woodland) uniform will be the standard camouflage uniform for all personnel, to be worn in non-desert environments, including most stateside areas. The only difference between the two uniforms is the camouflage pattern.

The NWU Type III will replace the existing tri-colored woodland camouflage utility uniform. It will be the standard camouflage uniform worn in the continental United States, and can be worn while deployed as prescribed by combatant commanders. Occasion for wear of the NWU Type III will be the same as the current woodland camouflage utility uniform per NAVADMIN 188/09.

"The NWU Type II/III approval is a culmination of a four-year effort comprising all of the expeditionary stakeholders, ensuring we capture the true operational requirements our Sailors' need to succeed on the battlefield," said Master Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Robert McCue, NWU Type II/III Conformance Test Monitor during an interview in Aug. "They provide unmatched capabilities to the warfighter enabling tactical advantage and enhancing mission success thus saving lives."

Each Expeditionary Sailor will receive three blouses, three trousers, two cover insignia, one parka, one fleece liner, one helmet cover, and one sun hat (boonie cap). Fleece watch caps will be provided at a later time once available.

Items from the NWU Type II/III will be issued only by the approved commands and will not be available at Naval Exchanges.

The Chief of Naval Operations approved the final design for the NWU II/III Aug. 30.

Testing for the NWU Type II/III began in July.

Services Have Learned Irregular Warfare, Leaders Say

Discover some of the best books on guerrilla warfare and unconventional warfare.

By Lisa Daniel

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2011 – The military has institutionalized lessons learned from the past decade of nonconventional warfare and will work to maintain doctrine and skills that allow the services to balance readiness for traditional defenses as well as irregular fighting, service leaders told a congressional committee today.

“In 2002, the nation effectively went to war with two armies,” Maj. Gen. Peter Bayer, the Army’s director of strategy, plans and policy, told the House Armed Services Committee. “One, comprised of general-purpose forces, was prepared to excel against traditional adversaries in direct combat. The second, comprised largely of special operations forces, was prepared to prevail in an irregular environment.

“The Army quickly learned that success on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq required adaptation in both general-purpose and special operations forces,” Bayer said. The Army has adapted since then by institutionalizing irregular warfare capabilities and capacity across the force, he said.

Bayer was joined by Rear Adm. Sinclair M. Harris, director of the Navy irregular warfare office; Brig. Gen. Daniel O’Donohue, director of the Marine Corps’ capabilities development directorate; and Brig. Gen. Jerry P. Martinez, director for joint integration in the Air Force’s directorate of operational capability requirements. All four said readiness for irregular warfare is critical to future operations, and they described how each of the services has blended conventional and irregular warfighting doctrine and skills.

The Navy has leveraged its Navy Expeditionary Combat Command and established maritime partnership stations and maritime headquarters with maritime operations centers to meet demands, Harris said. “The evolution of intelligence and strike capabilities has enabled the Navy to meet urgent combatant commander requirements for counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations,” he said.

The Navy Irregular Warfare Office, created in 2008, has led the institutionalization of irregular capabilities, Harris said.

The Marine Corps has designed a readiness force for post-Afghanistan operations – beyond 2014 – “that mitigates this hybrid threat, creates options and provides decision space for senior leadership” that considers joint, interagency and allied responses, O’Donohue said.

That force will be fundamentally different from the current or pre-9/11 force, O’Donohue said. “It draws on a rich history of innovations in irregular warfare, but is recast as a scalable crisis response force ready to counter complex irregular, conventional and hybrid threats – and the gray areas in between,” he said.

“Above all,” O’Donohue added, “we prepare to operate in and adapt to unpredictable, uncertain, complex environments at a moment’s notice.” He noted that irregular warfare is not new, and had the same definition in the Marines’ Small Wars Manual of 1940 as it does today.

As for the Air Force, Martinez said, the service is part of a larger, joint, coalition effort, and that works to supplement or improve host-nation and regional capabilities. “Air power directly contributes by establishing a secure environment in which the partner nation can flourish, ultimately without direct assistance,” he said.

By assessing, training, advising and equipping a troubled partner air force, airmen can contribute to that nation’s sovereignty and legitimacy while creating opportunities for economic growth, political development and stability, he added.

Like his counterparts at the hearing, Martinez said the Air Force’s challenge going forward will be how to balance the requirements for irregular warfare with those of traditional fighting, although he added that an increase in capabilities in one area usually helps the other.

The most important thing the Army can do to advance the institutionalization of irregular warfare is to continue educating its leaders, Bayer said.

“By developing adaptive and creative leaders, the Army ensures its ability to respond to a wide range of future tasks,” he said. “Maintaining a highly professional education system is crucial to institutionalizing the lessons of the past decade and ensuring that we do not repeat the mistakes of post-Vietnam by thinking that these kinds of operations are behind us.”

Future battlefields will be populated with hybrid threats, Bayer said, with combinations of regular and irregular tactics against enemies that include terrorists and criminal groups. The Army must remain flexible to operate against “whatever the threat” and in all types of settings, he said.

“As pressures for cuts in defense spending and force structures increase, the Army must assess which capabilities to emphasize, how many of each, and at what level,” he said. “Finding the right mix will be a challenge.”

The key to advancing the Army’s ability to respond to irregular threats will be to ensure the necessary force structure to support a versatile mix of capabilities in an uncertain future, he said.

The Army demonstrated flexibility in Iraq and Afghanistan with modular brigades that included a host of irregular warfare specialties, including information operations, public affairs and civil affairs, Bayer said.

All of the officers said foreign language and cultural training will grow as a requirement for service members.

Japanese-American Vets Earn Highest Civilian Honor

The best World War II books are those written by real World War II veterans!

By C. Todd Lopez

Army News Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2011 – Hundreds of former soldiers wearing blue and red caps bearing the names of their World War II units walked, shuffled or were wheeled into the Capitol Visitors Center here yesterday to witness the presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal awarded for their bravery and contribution to country more than 66 years ago.

The Japanese-American soldiers are the American-born sons of parents who emigrated from Japan to the United States from Japan. In Japanese, they are called Nisei -- the second generation.

But those soldiers are all American, and fought for the United States during World War II as part of segregated, all-Japanese-American units that included the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 100th Infantry Battalion and the Military Intelligence Service. The three units together were the most decorated units of that war.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese-Americans had been rounded up and were forced to live in internment camps inside the United States. They were branded enemies of their own country.

"For Japanese-Americans, the days and months after Pearl Harbor must have seemed like a giant and painful step backward," said U.S. Rep. John Boehner of Ohio. "Removed from their homes and placed in camps, these loyal Americans endured years of discomfort and disgrace. But out of this story of prejudice comes another story that reaffirms America's worth and America's exceptionalism. Today, we honor the thousands of Japanese-Americans who served in the Army's three units we honor today, most of whom were recruited during their internment."

These Japanese-American soldiers, Boehner said, distinguished themselves in nearly every operation in every theater of World War II.

"On behalf of my colleagues and the American people, thank you for fighting to make this the greatest nation on Earth, and God bless all of you for all of your work," Boehner said.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, a Medal of Honor recipient, was among the Congressional Gold Medal recipients. As a Nisei himself, he served as part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II.

After Pearl Harbor, Inouye said, Japanese-Americans like himself were not satisfied to sit and do nothing while America fought. They petitioned the government for an opportunity to demonstrate their love of country and patriotism. Today, those soldiers are recognized for their commitment to the United States, Inouye said.

"This has been a long journey, and a glorious one," the senator said. "We wish to thank all of you, all Americans, for this recognition. It's heartwarming, and I am certain that I speak for all assembled here. But more importantly, I'm certain that those resting in cemeteries are pleased with this day."

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer of California participated in getting the legislation passed to allow the medal to be presented to the veterans.

"Granting this medal is a long-overdue honor which recognizes and expressed our long-overdue appreciation for your dedicated service during World War II," Boxer told those in attendance. She said those service members fought the war on two fronts: the enemy in combat and prejudice at home.

"While we can never repay the debt that we owe you, we can and we must recognize your valor and your patriotism, and that is what we are doing here today," Boxer said.

U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona said America's Nisei veterans of World War II did "everything that was ever asked of them, and more.”

“And what is most remarkable,” he added, “is that they did so despite the fact that our nation at times fell short of its responsibilities to them and Americans like them."

McCain said he and his fellow legislators are appreciative and proud of the Japanese-American veterans’ World War II service and patriotism.

"It's not every day that the leaders and members of Congress have an opportunity to put aside our usual difference over the impending business of the day to join together with bipartisan unanimity to pay tribute to fellow citizens who have served a just cause greater than their own self-interests," McCain said. "When it comes to honoring those among us who have given everything to protect our nation, Americans have always and will always stand as one, just as we do today."

U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California noted that the gathering to award the Congressional Gold Medal was not complete, as many of the soldiers who served were killed in combat or have died since the end of World War II.

"We remember those for whom today came too late, and we particularly honor those who never came home," Pelosi said. "In battle, today's awardees proved that they were great fighters. In their service, they proved they were great patriots. Your cause was not just the end of fascism, but promoted the end of discrimination -- the American ideal of equality, which is our heritage and our hope."

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award that’s bestowed by the U.S. government. Veterans in attendance at the ceremony receive a bronze replica of the medal. A single gold medal will be placed in the Smithsonian Institution for all Americans to see.

More than 33,000 Japanese-Americans served in World War II. Together, the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team earned seven Presidential Unit Citations, two Meritorious Service Plaques, 36 Army Commendation Medals, and 87 Division Commendations. Individually, soldiers earned 21 Medals of Honor, 29 Distinguished Service Crosses, one Distinguished Service Medal, more than 354 Silver Stars, and more than 4,000 Purple Hearts.

Chile Operates with US Naval Forces as part of Submarine Rescue Exercise CHILEMAR III

Discover the best United States Navy books written by real Navy veterans!

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Karolina A. Martinez, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Chilean submariners from CS Carrera (SS 22) along with the U.S. Navy's Deep Submerging Unit (DSU), participated in exercise CHILEMAR III of the coast of Southern California Nov. 3.

CHILEMAR is an annual bilateral exercise between the U.S. and Chile, which is designed to demonstrate interoperability between U.S. submarine rescue systems and Chilean submarines. The exercise also promotes greater understanding and cooperation between the U.S. and Chile.

"This exercise is important because you cannot serge friendship," said Rear Adm. Robert J. Kamensky, vice commander, Submarine Force. "You build that over time. Here's a demonstration of friendship being built so that whenever we have to exercise it, we already know each other. We can trust each other in that we'll be able to operate as a team."

A personal relationship between the U.S. commander of DSU and Chilean submarine commanders provide the genesis for CHILEMAR. Assigned together as classmates Chile's Naval War College, the commanders continued to engage beyond that duty assignment and convinced their respective higher headquarters that a bilateral rescue exercise served beyond both countries' interests. This highlight the importance of personal relationships gained during international programs.

The exercise included a practice rescue scenario in which DSU's pressurized rescue module (PRM), mated with Carrera for a transfer of personnel from the simulated distressed submarine to the rescue vessel.

"We actually went down and mated at 480 feet with the Chilean submarine Carrera," said Navy Diver 2nd Class Joe Olin, a PRM attendee assigned to DSU.

Once the hatch was opened and personnel climbed the ladder safely onto the submarine and up to the PRM, they exchanged gifts, greetings and even a few crewmembers were exchanged between the two nations, before resurfacing.

"We went down and met the captain and the crew," said Olin. "We shook hands and exchanged gifts with them and let them know that submarine rescue is real and that we can deploy all over the world within 72 hours and be on station and ready to do our jobs and provide a real rescue if needed."

CHILEMAR is also designed to prepare and train both nations to perform Submarine Escape and Rescue (SER) which is an international humanitarian aid discipline that requires cooperation across national and alliance boundaries.

"It was an excellent experience all around, not only because we got to see action and be part of it, but we got to watch the interaction between sailors from Chile and Sailors from the United States," said Kamensky, who was one of the personnel who rode in the PRM to witness the evolution. "Watching how they interact was extremely heartening to me as one of the leads in the submarine force because it speaks for how well our coalition can cooperate and make things happen. It was extremely rewarding."

MCPON Visits Everett

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jerine Lee, USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs

EVERETT, Wash. (NNS) -- Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Rick D. West visited Naval Station Everett to speak with Sailors of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, Naval Station Everett Sailors and civilians during an all hands call in the ship's hangar bay, Nov. 3.

West spoke to Sailors about changes in the Navy such as budgeting, warfare pins, retirements and manpower in the Navy. Afterwards, he answered questions from the audience.

"We are a Navy on the go," said West. "Overall, we are doing well but the Navy is constantly changing and we need to stay focused, communicate with each other and keep moving."

In his remarks, he also recognized the dedication of the Sailors and support from their families by thanking them for their service and appreciation for their sacrifices.

"Nothing would get done if it wasn't for the hard work of the Sailors on this great warship," said West. "All those ships out there are just hunks of metal and technology floating in the sea. The engine that truly runs the Navy is you, our Sailors."

Personnel Specialist 1st Class Kathryn Benjamin met and spoke with West and said he brought inspiration to the ship.

"It was really nice to have a senior enlisted leader speak to us so we can relate," said Benjamin. "He is a good person and an even better role model that brought motivation to the crew before the upcoming deployment."

Face of Defense: Creative Marine Loves Music

Discover some of the best military music!

By Marine Corps Cpl. John Robbart III

15th Marine Expeditionary Unit

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., Nov. 3, 2011 – A desire to serve his country and his love of music influenced Lance Cpl. Richard B. Orellana to join the Marine Corps.

Orellana said he started playing the drums when he was 5 years old. At age 13, he taught himself the guitar. At 19, he picked up the trombone.

“There’s always something I can learn. I try to keep pushing myself creatively,” he said.

Orellana’s devotion to music paid off when he auditioned for and was accepted into the Los Angeles Unified School District All-City Honor Marching Band as a junior in high school.

“Richard was the best drummer to ever come through Chatsworth High School, which is why I recommended him for the all-city band,” said Larry O. Williams, Chatsworth High School’s band director. “I remember him as a freshman -- he was so talented, but controlling his energy was the real challenge.”

Orellana’s talent doesn’t end with being an exceptional musician. He also found that he could draw. His high school art teacher, he said, saw his sketches and challenged him to take advanced-level courses.

During his junior year, Orellana competed in a nationwide art competition, which earned him a scholarship to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. He recalled he was surprised at how comfortable he felt with a pen and sketchpad.

“I took courses in design and illustration -- I had found my niche,” he said.

However, Orellana’s scholarship ran out after he’d attended a trimester at the school, and his family could not afford to pay for his art classes or music lessons.

“I was crushed, devastated, you name it,” he said. “I couldn’t believe that my dreams couldn’t be fulfilled because of my economic background.”

Orellana said he found himself making bad decisions and heading toward trouble.

“I needed to get away from that trouble back home and get set on a straight and narrow path,” he said, speaking of a time when he needed discipline in his life. Orellana decided he would join the Marine Corps and audition for the Marine Corps Band.

Before his final audition for the Marine band, Orellana injured his finger skateboarding and was unable to complete the audition. He needed to depart for recruit training and had to reclassify for training in an administration job.

“Orellana is very good at what he does,” said Marine Corps Cpl. Michael A. Travis, Orlellana’s supervisor at the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit here. Orellana, he said, is considering becoming a combat illustrator so that he can use his creative talents.

“He needs a specialty where he can be more free,” Travis said. “Being creative is his ‘thing.’ … He has made creative cover pages, unit symbols and designed different things for our section.”

Meanwhile, Orellana is still making music. He has a drum set in his barracks room, and sometimes plays at local venues.

Orellana said he also makes time to help out his fellow Marines.

“If there’s one thing I’ll always take from my time in the Marine Corps, it’s to look out for others,” Orellana said. “I want to be that person who can help, not only artistically, but also morally, to make sure [other Marines] have that role model who will keep them out of trouble.”