When Your Child is Missing: A Family Survival Guide.

What do to if your Child is Missing provides parents with the most current information on, and helpful insights into, what families should do when a child is missing. The first edition of this Guide was written in 1998 by parents and family members who have experienced the disappearance of a child. It contains their combined advice concerning what to expect when a child is missing, what needs to be done, and where to go for help. It explains the role that various agencies and organizations play in the search for a missing child and discusses some of the important issues that need to be considered. The Guide is divided into seven chapters, each of which is structured to allow information to be found quickly and easily. Each chapter explains both the short- and long-term issues and contains a checklist and chapter summary for later reference. A list of recommended readings and a list of public and private resources appear at the back of the Guide. This third edition of the Guide was published in 2004.

DOWNLOAD THE MANUAL
http://www.hitechcj.com/missing_child.html

Military Legal Resources

The U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Legal Center & School Library in Charlottesville, VA, holds extensive collections of primary source materials and publications in the field of military law. Selections from these collections are now being made accessible in full text PDF versions via the Library of Congress Federal Research Division (FRD) Web site. As more materials are converted to digital formats, they will be added to this page. Samples of the currently available, downloadable, documents are: Operational Law Handbook, 2007; Geneva Conventions; The Army Lawyer (1971-2007); War Crimes Trials Materials; Army JAG Corps Historical Monographs; Military Law Review (1958-2007); Manuals for Courts-Martial; UCMJ Legislative History; U.S. Army TJAGLCS: Selected Theses; U.S. Army Field Manuals; Ethics Handbook for Army Leaders; Army Regulations; and, Military Law Historical Monographs, Studies, Texts and Treatises.

You can access this material at:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/military-legal-resources-home.html

Gates to Visit China, Korea, Japan

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 1, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today announced he will leave Nov. 4 for a six-day trip to China, Korea and Japan. "In Tokyo and Seoul, I'll touch base with two valued friends going back five decades and two strong partners in the war on terror," he said during a Pentagon news conference. "With regard to China, it will be a chance to keep open the lines of communication and strengthen the relationship between our two countries."

The secretary stated that he does not consider China a military threat to the United States. "I have concerns with a variety of the military programs they have under way, developmental programs," he said. "I have concerns with the lack of transparency. Those are the issue we will be talking about in addition to the ways we can strengthen the relationship."

In Korea, Gates will participate in the 39th annual Defense Consultative Meeting. Civilian and military leaders will discuss the way forward for the U.S.-Republic of Korea Pact.

In Japan, Gates will meet with his new counterpart Shigeru Ishiba and discuss Japan ending its refueling mission in the Indian Ocean. Japanese oilers refueled coalition ships supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The government of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has not been able to get authorization through the Japanese Diet, the country's legislature, even though the government wants to continue the mission.

Gates said Japan ending the mission will not have an impact on the U.S.-Japan defense relationship. "My hope is that relatively soon -- in a matter of weeks and not more, I hope, than a few months -- this assistance will be renewed," he said.

Gates said he welcomes Japan's partnership in the war on terror and said the country is combating terrorism in other ways. "But this is important, and we hope it will be renewed," he said.

Face of Defense: Bagram Airman Uses Music to Bring Families Together

By Capt. Michael Meridith, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 2, 2007 - Thousands of miles from home, one airman here is finding a way to bring servicemembers a little closer to their families. For the last few weeks, Air Force Master Sgt. Tim Chandler of Ashland, Ohio, a member of 455th Expeditionary Communications Flight, has been hosting an Internet-based radio show during his free time, giving Bagram airmen a vehicle to send long-distance dedications back home to their loved ones.

"I started practicing in May while I was still back in the States, and when I told the station manager (for the Web-based "Taboo Radio") I was coming over here, he suggested that I do a show for the troops," Chandler said. "I thought it was a cool idea."
Chandler, who goes by the handle "Guardstar" while on the air, has about 60 listeners from across the globe, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. However, he said, audience response has been so positive that plans are in the works to expand his show's capability so it can support up to 500 listeners.

"I think it is a great idea, and all of us here (in the U.S.) are behind the effort totally," Tom Pepple, the Taboo Radio station manager, said in an interview during the live show. "It is nice to see the response."

Chandler attributes some of his show's popularity to its eclectic mix of country, pop and oldies from the 1960s and 1970s, but mostly to the patriotism and compassion of his audience.

"(The listeners) all want to adopt the troops and be their pen pals," Guardstar said. "We've also received lots of packages with blankets and clothes people have donated for the Afghans."

Air Force Staff Sgt. John DeLeon, a singer/songwriter from Redlands, Calif., and currently assigned to 455th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight, said Chandler's efforts have opened an important communications channel between the airmen of Bagram and the rest of the world.

"We're so remote that people don't understand that we have real lives and real feelings out here. Being able to use an artistic ability to give some people gratification is really rewarding," said DeLeon, who performs his songs on the show.

For Chandler, the most fulfilling part of the show remains bringing airmen and loved ones together. "One of my first guests sent a greeting home to his wife and daughter -- he has a three-and-a-half-year-old little girl – and afterwards his wife told him that she was laughing and crying at the same time and his daughter was looking at the computer and saying, 'Daddy is in there!' When you hear that, it makes you feel good," he said.

(Air Force Capt. Michael Meridith is assigned to 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)

Why We Serve: Army Captain Cites Communication for Iraq Success

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 2, 2007 - An Army officer who commanded an infantry company in Iraq says enhanced communication with local Iraqis increased civic cooperation and boosted stability within his area of operations. Capt. Cedric L. Burden, 32, deployed to Iraq in September 2005 for a one-year tour of duty. Burden's unit was responsible for conducting security operations in an area about 18 miles west of Kirkuk.

"It was more like Dodge City," Burden said of the situation when he arrived in Iraq, comparing his area of operations to the wild Kansas frontier town of America's Old West.

Burden said he quickly realized that mission success would be predicated on gaining the respect and trust of the Iraqi citizens he and his soldiers were pledged to protect. The captain directed his troops to get out of their vehicles during patrols and walk among and communicate with local residents.

"It showed that we're here for security, but we didn't want to 'bully' them off their own streets," he explained.

Getting to know the Iraqi people was a turning point, Burden recalled. "We went from people not even speaking to us, to having Iraqis knowing our names," he said.

As relations improved, more Iraqis came forward with information that was used to disrupt insurgent operations, and instances of violence decreased, the Gary, Ind.-born officer said.

Burden is among a group of 10 servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community, business, veterans and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.

Why We Serve began in fall 2006 and was originally the idea of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Burden and the other nine servicemembers in his group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.

Burden, who wanted to be a soldier since he was a young child, also wants to tell speaking-tour audiences about the importance of supporting U.S. servicemembers. "It's important to support soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen," Burden said. "Freedom isn't free, and someone has to do hard things during hard times."

There "is no greater honor" than to serve your country in its time of need, the captain said.

Military service is "a noble thing to do, because it is being selfless," Burden said.

Troops Warned of Blood Clot Risk, Especially During Deployments

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 2, 2007 - The wife of an NBC News correspondent who died of a blood clot while embedded with a U.S. unit during the Iraq invasion is working to increase awareness to prevent others from sharing her husband's fate. Melanie Bloom remembers getting a call from her husband, David Bloom, who was embedded with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division as it approached Baghdad on April 4, 2003. Bloom whispered into the satellite phone, explaining that he was sleeping on the fender of his retrofitted tank and didn't want to be overheard and risk getting attacked. He was sleeping outside so he could stretch out his legs, which had been cramping up inside the confines of the tank, he told his wife.

Two days later, the award-winning journalist who brought the sights and sounds of war into America's living rooms live from his "Bloom-mobile" was dead at age 39. He died of deep-vein thrombosis, or DVT, and a related condition called a pulmonary embolism, in which a blood clot broke free from a vein in his leg and moved into his lung.

Bloom's death brought widespread attention to a killer that claims 300,000 Americans every year -- more than AIDs and breast cancer combined, said Melanie Bloom, who's become a national spokeswoman raising awareness about the affliction that claimed her husband.

Servicemembers in circumstances like Bloom's -- spending long periods in close quarters that limit their ability to move and dehydrated due to heat and failure to drink enough water -- are particularly at risk, she said. In addition, like many deployed troops, Bloom had spent many hours on long flights that limited his mobility.

An autopsy revealed that Bloom also had an undiagnosed blood disorder that increased his risk of DVT. He had no family history of blood clots and, except for his cramped legs, appeared to be the picture of health, his wife said.

Like families of troops serving in the combat zone, Melanie Bloom had fears about her husband's safety while he was in Iraq, she said during a joint interview yesterday with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service. What she hadn't expected was that he'd die from "the bomb within his own body" that would take his life so quickly, she said.

Expressing gratitude for the way the military reached out to her and her three daughters after her husband's death, Melanie said she's now dedicating herself to ensure servicemembers and others recognize the dangers of DVT and take steps to protect themselves.

She urged troops to arm themselves with information so they can be proactive in their own health care. "You are in dangerous places, and you are risking your life every day for our country," she said. "My message for the troops is: In the areas that you can, take care of your health and stay healthy and alive."

She encourages troops and everyone else whose mobility is restricted for long periods to pump their legs up and down to stimulate circulation. This works just about anywhere DVT might strike: on an airplane, in a bus or tank, or even at a computer desk, she said. "If one person hears this and lives, if one life is saved, then David's death is not in vain," she said.

Army Dr. (Col.) David Gillespie, chief of vascular surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, in Bethesda, Md., said there's no evidence that military people suffer from DVT at higher rates than the general population.

But U.S. troops, including those in a combat zone, have died of the disease, which strikes without warning or with symptoms that some people dismiss as temporary annoyances, he said.

Gillespie cited two military populations at the highest risk: ground troops in Iraq or Afghanistan in restricted environments, particularly in high temperatures that can lead to dehydration, and wounded troops whose mobility is restricted.

He credits strict "water discipline" within the military, in which leaders ensure their troops drink sufficient water, with helping reduce the incidence of DVT. Another factor is the stringent pre-deployment medical screening troops undergo before leaving for a combat theater, he said.

Gillespie urged troops to ensure their doctors know if they have any family history of blood clots. And he emphasized the importance of seeking medical advice quickly if they notice symptoms -- particularly swelling or discoloration in one leg, and tight, shiny, painful skin around it.

The military has state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment to diagnose DVT, even at forward locations, he said. Often it takes little more than a handheld ultrasound machine to make a diagnosis. "So we can make the diagnosis, and we treat it on the spot," Gillespie said.

Typically treatment involves a blood thinner injection to stabilize the clot while the body deploys its own clot-busting defenses, he said. And the earlier the diagnosis is made and treatment begins, the fewer complications are likely to occur, he said.

Wounded troops who are immobile for long periods and particularly susceptible to DVT should get preventative care to protect against it, he said.

Despite the emphasis on ground troops' vulnerability, Gillespie called DVT an equal-opportunity killer that doesn't discriminate between services. "All services are at risk," he said, regardless of whether the person afflicted is a shipboard sailor, a flight mechanic or a nurse operating on a vessel at sea.

"If you are traveling long distances, if you are in hot environments, you need to stay hydrated, and you need to stay mobile," he said.

Americans Can Text 'Thanks' to Troops

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 2, 2007 - For those seeking a quick way to show appreciation to troops serving far from home this holiday season, look no further than "Giving Thanks," a new initiative from the Defense Department's America Supports You program. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

"This is a simple way to connect our citizens to our soldiers using modern technology," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison.

Between 6 a.m. Nov. 17 and midnight Nov. 22, people wishing to express gratitude to the troops for their service can text a brief one- or two-line message to 89279. Each text message sent will receive a response from an active-duty servicemember.

"We know that thousands of families will be sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner and thinking about loved ones who are far away from home serving their country," Barber said. "We are counting on other American families to take a moment during their holiday celebration to think of those families and their family members who are serving and say, 'Thanks.'

"The reassurance that others are thinking about them will mean a lot to our troops," Barber added.

Those who send a message during the six days of the "Giving Thanks" program also will be directed to the America Supports You Web site. There they'll find a sampling of messages from the public and a running tally of how many messages have been received. They'll also be able to read messages from the troops.

Some servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan already have sent messages thanking the public for the support. Angie, an airman serving in Iraq, wrote: "Your support means so much, especially during the holidays. God Bless."

Members of Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan also wrote to express their appreciation for the continued support they receive: "To all the great Americans who go out of their way to support all the Soldiers of the Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan -- Thank You."

Barber is hoping troops around the globe will participate, as well. Troops serving anywhere in the world can e-mail a brief message to americasupportsyou@osd.mil to communicate their gratitude for support from back home. Responses must be received by Nov. 9.

In an effort to reach the Hispanic community, which is represented in large numbers in the armed services, America Supports You is working with Interlex, an advertising, marketing and public relations firm with multicultural capabilities.

"What we are doing is complementing the general market efforts to mobilize the Hispanic community to become involved in America Supports You," said Rolando Rodriguez, Interlex's managing director for public relations and community-based outreach. "Obviously that's important because many Hispanics do consume different press than the general market would."

The firm's goal is to inform the Hispanic communities that a number of Hispanic youth are serving in the military. "There (also) are a number of Hispanic families that (will be) impacted during the holidays because (the servicemembers) are not sitting at the table with them, so it's important to show their appreciation," Rodriguez said.

He added that his team is working to get the message out to the Hispanic communities in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas through Spanish-language media outlets, as well as entertainment and sporting venues. These are the same types of venues that will carry information about the America Supports You "Giving Thanks" program to the general market.

Army Withdraws Command Post from California Wildfire Duty

American Forces Press Service

Nov. 1, 2007 - An Army organization that provides support to civil authorities during emergencies is withdrawing its command-and-control detail from southern California, according to a U.S. Army North news release. The nearly 70 departing servicemembers belong to San Antonio-based U.S. Army North, a component of U.S. Northern Command, the unified command on Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., that's responsible for homeland defense and civil support.

Since Oct. 25, the Army command post coordinated Defense Department assets in fighting a series of wildfires that raged across southern California.

Army North will keep Col. Mark Armstrong in southern California for now as the Defense Department's senior representative on the ground to facilitate requests from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the lead federal agency assigned to California wildfire-fighting efforts.

Meanwhile, an eight-person Joint Task Force Civil Support planning team from Fort Monroe, Va., is being deployed to Sacramento, Calif., to support the state's Army and Air National Guard's planning effort, NORTHCOM officials said. The team consists of military planners with expertise in medicine; intelligence; logistics; military operations; air operations; and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives. It will work out of the state's Joint Force Headquarters.

The joint task force provides operational control of federal military forces deployed to support civilian agencies in emergencies. Its mission is to save lives and prevent injury.

Other military air and ground assets in California continue to assist as the wildfires are extinguished. California fire control officials have said they expect the fires to be out by tomorrow.

Nearly 3,000 California Guardsmen have been employed in firefighting, security and communications duties.

The wildfires destroyed more than 2,700 buildings. More than 500,000 people were evacuated from their homes from an area north of Los Angeles to the Mexican border. Seven people were killed as a result of the blazes, and 117 were injured.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also is working with FEMA to address local power, housing, planning, debris removal and disposal needs.

Defense, Veterans Affairs Departments to Coordinate on Patient Care

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 31, 2007 - The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have partnered to put in place 10 federal recovery coordinators charged with managing the care of severely injured servicemembers and their families for as long as a lifetime. Officials from the two departments today signed an agreement outlining the role of the coordinators. These are the first positions of their kind in the military health care system and were put into place in response to recommendations from servicemembers, families and by the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors.

"This agreement will help ensure our nation's wounded warriors and their families receive the care they need and deserve at the right time, right place, and by the right person across the continuum from recovery through to their reintegration into their communities," said Michael L. Dominguez, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, in a news release.

VA will hire the coordinators and hopes to have them on board by January. They will be assigned to either Walter Reed Army Medical Center here; the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md.; Brooke Army Medical Center, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and Naval Medical Center San Diego. The coordinators are charged with managing all the needs of severely injured servicemembers and their families as the troops move through the recovery and rehabilitation process and return to their communities.

The coordinators will work with only the most seriously injured servicemembers, including those with major amputations, burns, severe traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, spinal cord injury, severe sight or hearing loss, or severe multiple injuries.

The coordinators are expected to carry a case load of about 30 patients each, officials said. Coordinators will meet with the servicemembers and families within days of their admission into the hospital and begin developing an individual recovery plan, said Dr. Lynda Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for military personnel. She is the Defense Department's lead official for the reform of wounded warrior care, specializing in case management.

"A plan will be developed for them that is patient-centered, family-centered, comprehensive, (and) which will put together all of the resources from the federal, state, and local government and private sectors in one place," Davis said.

The coordinators will act as a hub connecting the servicemembers and families to resources. She said military and family members reported sometimes being confused and overwhelmed by the multitude of support services available.

"(The servicemember) won't have to go looking through a stack of 100 business cards and try to remember who to call and when. It will all be there in one place. And it will change as their goals and healing changes," Davis said.

Recovery coordinators will help with all types of services, medical or otherwise. Coordination could include ensuring that families have travel orders and housing arrangements when they arrive at the hospital to be with the servicemember. Or it could include helping to find a home through a community volunteer organization for family pets while a family is at the hospital, Davis said.

"There is a variety of needs that we find don't have anything to do with medical care, and there are a lot of people who want to help. It's just making sure that they are appropriately connected to the family in the right way and at the right time," Davis said.

Also, Davis said, families complained they were often lost in the gaps of transitioning from one stage of care to the other, such as when patients change hospitals for more specialized care, leave the service and transition to veteran status, or when they return to their communities and start to reshape their lives. Recovery coordinators will predict those transition points and help prepare families so there are no gaps in care or benefits, she said.

Coordinating care for the veterans could last a lifetime, Davis said. "(Coordinators) say goodbye when that veteran says, 'I don't need you any more,'" Davis said.

Kristin Day, the chief consultant with VA's newly established Care Management and Social Work Service, said the coordinators will have the clout and connections to work out any problems with the system that servicemembers and families face.

In May, the VA stood up an Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom case management program and hired 105 transition patient advocates. They are stationed at local VA centers and will also help in the transition of servicemembers to those services. But, federal recovery coordinators will help all servicemembers regardless of whether they choose VA facilities after their separation to provide their continued care, Day said.

The VA may hire more coordinators later, depending on the workload, she said. "We're taking a learning approach to developing this program. This is a new approach to care. It goes beyond health care and assists the person with all of their life needs," Day said. "During the first six months, we're going to be doing extensive evaluation to make sure we are meeting our customers' needs and that we are providing the services as they need them."

National Guard Ready for Fires' Aftermath

By Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 31, 2007 - Under a sky still smoky from active wildfires, National Guard citizen-soldiers prepared for the flash floods and mudslides that will come long after the flames are extinguished. About 50 citizen-soldiers from the California Army National Guard's Battery A, 1st Battalion, 144th Field Artillery, set out to fill about 5,000 sandbags for residents in the Valley Center area north of San Diego. Other National Guard units performed the same service in other communities hit by the Southern California wildfires.

"The purpose is to help residents out here when the rainy season starts, so they're sure to have something to protect their houses so they don't get flooded," 1st Lt. Nelson Varas, of Battery A, said.

Wildfires like the ones that have hit Southern California this month are typically followed by flash floods and mudslides. That's because rain runs off faster when vegetation is gone and also because fire changes the chemistry of the soil.

In some places, the burning process creates a waxy coating on the soil, hindering the absorption of water and speeding its flow, fire officials explained. The phenomenon is known as "hydrophobicity." Water beads and runs over hydrophobic soil instead of soaking in, increasing the likelihood of flash floods and mudslides for months following wildfires.

Sandbags can protect homes and businesses from water and mud damage. The sandbags will be stored for distribution by area fire departments and the California Department of Forestry, Army 1st Sgt. John Wood, of Battery A, said.

Like many of the citizen-soldiers working through the weekend to fill sandbags, Varas has served in Iraq. He balances a civilian job with his family, overseas deployments and homeland missions. "We're all dedicated," he said. "We know what we signed up for."

He said he was particularly pleased to serve in his own backyard. "That's what we're here for," he said. "That's our mission. We're National Guard. We're part of the state, and since we've got a crisis going on and people need help, the National Guard's here for that."

For the battery's Army Spc. Angel Flores, the sandbag mission was only his second time reporting to his unit after a stint on active duty. During his year in Baghdad, Flores's thoughts frequently turned to the family, friends and community that his service separated him from. He was still thinking of them as he filled sandbags Oct. 27.

"I figure that the people who need it most are the people that I was thinking about while I was gone," Flores said.

National Guardmembers said the gratitude they get from the neighbors they're helping only makes the task easier. In Southern California, restaurants have refused to let soldiers and airmen pay for meals, retailers have declined payment for supplies, and residents have offered handshakes and pats on the back. "It's been outstanding support," Varas said.

"We're happy to be here to help," Sgt. Timothy Miller said. "You have to take care of home. Home comes first."

More than 2,500 citizen-soldiers and –airmen have been assisting civilian authorities tackling the Southern California wildfires. The National Guard has provided communications capabilities, supplied fire incident commanders with aerial images of the fires, dropped water from helicopters and retardant from aircraft, patrolled evacuated neighborhoods, handed out relief supplies, and performed numerous other tasks.

(Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill is assigned to the National Guard Bureau.)

Bush Proclaims 'National Veterans Awareness Week'

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 31, 2007 - President Bush is urging Americans to recognize veterans' valor and sacrifice through ceremonies and prayers during "National Veterans Awareness Week" next month. From Veterans Day on Nov. 11 through Nov. 17, the president encourages Americans to remember the brave men and women who have served as members of the U.S. armed forces, according to a proclamation released by the White House today.

"Throughout our history, America has been protected by patriots who cherished liberty and made great sacrifices to advance the cause of freedom," Bush said. "On Veterans Day, we honor these extraordinary Americans for their service and sacrifice, and we pay tribute to the legacy of freedom and peace that they have given our great nation."

In times of war and of peace, servicemembers have shouldered great responsibility and lived up to the highest standards of duty and honor to defend their fellow citizens and the country they love, Bush said.

"Our veterans held fast against determined and ruthless enemies and helped save the world from tyranny and terror," he said. "They ensured that America remained what our founders meant her to be: a light to the nations, spreading the good news of human freedom to the darkest corners of the earth."

Like the heroes before them, Bush said, today a new generation of men and women are fighting for freedom around the globe. "Their determination, courage, and sacrifice are laying the foundation for a more secure and peaceful world," the president added.

Bush said Veterans Day is dedicated to the extraordinary Americans who protected our freedom in years past and to those who protect it today. They represent the very best of our nation, he said.

"Every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman has earned the lasting gratitude of the American people, and their service and sacrifice will be remembered forever," Bush said. "In the words of Abraham Lincoln, 'Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle.'"

The president called upon federal, state and local officials to display the American flag and support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. Bush also invited civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.

America Supports You: Adventure Trip Hits Mark With Veterans

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 31, 2007 - Five days after their adventure began, seven injured veterans packed up with the satisfaction of knowing they'd done what they set out to do: conquer sand, sea and the cloud of mosquitoes that seemed to follow them everywhere. Their adaptive-sports adventure in the Virgin Islands was organized by the nonprofit group Team River Runner. Team River Runner is a chapter of Disabled Sports USA, a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

"I'm glad to get the opportunity, ... because this is stuff that just doesn't happen on a normal basis," said Scott Morgan, a former soldier whose legs were severely damaged in a mortar attack Feb. 18, 2004, in Taji, Iraq. "It's pretty awesome. It makes me want to go home and start pursuing some of this stuff just so I can get out on the open water."

Kevin Pannell, a former soldier who lost both legs above the knee when a hand grenade exploded during a foot patrol in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad, agrees. He said trips like the adaptive paddling trip Pannell and six other wounded warriors went on are a great benefit for servicemembers dealing with life after a catastrophic injury.

"There's a real isolation whenever you get home," Pannell said, explaining that he thinks he is the only person in his hometown of Hot Springs, Ark., whose amputation is the result of combat. "(The trip) is great. You compare notes and find out about new stuff."

The trip had some simpler benefits, as well. Aside from being a safe way to test some boundaries and talk to others who face the same situations, it was a chance to get away from the daily grind and relax. For most of the participants, it provided new experiences, as well.

"I've never snorkeled, but I've done a little bit of kayaking," Pannell said, adding that "hands down" snorkeling was his favorite part of the trip. "I saw like a five-foot barracuda."

The fish startled Pannell, who said he wasn't scared, just curious what the fish, famous for its own curiosity, would think of his prosthetic legs. "They're attracted to shiny things, and I have all the little screws and twinkles on my legs," he said. "I didn't know how into that he was going to be.

"I guess if he attacked my legs it'd be all right," Pannell said with a chuckle.

The troops' spouses may not have been as flippant about being so near a barracuda, but they all agreed the trip was better than anything the doctor could have ordered.

"The water is absolutely beautiful," Amber Jones said. "I have never in my life seen water this clear. Even in Hawaii, which I've always considered the best of the best, ... the water doesn't even compare."

Amber's husband, former Marine John Jones, lost both his legs below the knee on Jan. 3, 2005, when the vehicle he was riding in hit a double-stacked land mine in Qaim, Iraq.

Danielle Pannell, Kevin's wife, said the trip offered the spouses almost as much benefit as it did the veterans. "It's just neat getting to see that I'm not the only one that gets frustrated sometimes," she said. "For so long I was like, 'It's just me.' But I got to talk to (the wife of another veteran with post traumatic stress disorder), and we were sharing stories, and I was like, 'My husband does that!'"

As the trip all-too-quickly came to an end, Joe Mornini, Team River Runner's director and the trip's organizer, contemplated the recent events and looked forward to making the next trip even better.

"I can't believe that I'm sitting here in the Virgin Islands with all these people," Mornini said. "We've accomplished some great snorkeling. We've (paddled) to the British Virgin Islands, and we've got seven guys here that all of them are either amputees or mobility impaired.

"I just knew that if we did it right it would work, but I didn't know what right was," he added.

He may still not know exactly what "right" is, but he's relying on feedback from the group to get him closer for the next trip. "I'm really going to feel better about this trip after I hear from people after it's over," Mornini said.

While challenges cropped up -- sand and broken prosthetics topping the list -- and Mornini took notes on lessons learned, the trip seemed to come off exactly as he envisioned it. It allowed wounded warriors to push boundaries, learn some new skills and heal just a little more.

Defense Department Works to Battle Remaining California Fires

American Forces Press Service

Oct. 30, 2007 - Defense Department personnel continue to help state authorities battle five wildfires still burning in California, Pentagon officials said today. According to U.S. Northern Command officials, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard C-130s flew 10 sorties yesterday dropping fire retardant. They will continue the mission today. The aircraft have flown 74 sorties since arriving in southern California.

The Global Hawk, the Air Force's state-of-the-art unmanned aerial vehicle, flew missions to spot fires, as did an Air Force U-2 reconnaissance plane and a Navy P-3C Orion.

On the ground, more than 2,700 California Guardsmen are working in a variety of roles from firefighting to security and communications assistance.

In addition, the Army Corps of Engineers is helping to coordinate public works and engineering support for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, NORTHCOM officials said. The Corps is addressing four emergency support missions under FEMA: temporary power, temporary housing, planning, and debris removal and disposal.

The wildfires destroyed 2,772 structures and damaged another 437. At their height, the fires forced more than 500,000 people from their homes from an area north of Los Angeles to the Mexican border. California officials said the fires killed seven people and hurt 117. California fire control officials said they expect the fires to be out by Nov. 2.

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Landstuhl Outpatient Facility Makes Good on Promise to Wounded

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Germany, Oct. 30, 2007 - Patients at a new medical transient detachment barracks that opened here earlier this month point to the facility as proof that the military is living up to its promises to ensure troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan get the best care possible.

When word broke in February of substandard conditions at Washington's Walter Reed Army Medical Center, outpatients at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center here were getting shuttled to their appointments from a barracks almost 20 miles away.

Their 10-person, open-bay rooms at Kaiserslautern's Kleber Kaserne were noisy and offered little privacy. But the biggest headache was the 30-minute bus ride back and forth to meet with doctors, case managers and liaisons.

Those days are gone. Two weeks ago, wounded and sick servicemembers from the combat theater undergoing outpatient treatment here transferred to the new facility, which offers a higher quality of life and easier access to care.

The four-story, two-building facility -- a former Air Force hotel transformed by a $2.5 million renovation -- sits directly on the Landstuhl hospital grounds. It boasts one- and two-person rooms equipped with computers with free Internet access, cable TV with DVD players, and telephones to stay in touch with loved ones.

Up to 230 residents can pop popcorn in their in-room microwaves and keep sodas cold in their own mini refrigerators. They can wander down the hall to play video games, use the full-service laundry, or follow the aroma that wafts through the facility to pour themselves a fresh cup of coffee.

Work on the new facility started in the spring, shortly after news of problems at Walter Reed came to light and officials promised quick fixes throughout the military medical system. The Air Force donated the buildings and most of the money for renovations, and construction moved along quickly until the recent ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"They went all out for the warriors, I have to say," said Army Capt. Katrina Gawlik, medical transient detachment commander.

Gawlik called the conditions optimal for soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen who typically spend up to two weeks here getting care. "We tell our warriors who come here their only mission is to heal," she said.

About 60 percent of the patients who leave here will go on to other treatment facilities in the continental United States, including Walter Reed. The other 40 percent will return to duty -- most in Iraq and Afghanistan, but others in Djibouti or Kosovo.

Among those to return to their units is Army Capt. Paul Tarman, a 1st Cavalry Division soldier evacuated out of Iraq due to a shoulder injury. After 16 years in the military, Tarman has seen the full range of military medical care facilities, including some that needed improvement. When facilities aren't up to snuff, "you lose a little bit of hope," he said.

Tarman raved about the new Landstuhl facility and said it goes a long way in promoting healing. "You have everything you physically need," he said, adding that the amenities "put you in a different mindset," to focus on getting better.

He called the new outpatient treatment unit here a perfect example of the military living up to its promise to pull out all stops in caring for wounded and sick soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. "You want to believe that people care about what you've gone through," he said. "This is a perfect example" of that care.

Army Col. Kirk Lawrence, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Army Europe, pointed to the new facility as an example of the services working together to care for wounded warriors. "All we want is the best care for our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines," he said.

Gates Considers Extending Brigades in Europe

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 30, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is leaning toward approving a proposal to temporarily hold two Army brigade combat teams in Europe rather than move them to the United States, a defense official said today. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said that Army Gen. Bantz J. Craddock, commander of U.S. European Command, has proposed a short-term solution that would keep a greater force presence in Europe to accomplish theater security engagement missions.

"It's not a request for an indefinite period," Whitman said.

Four brigades are currently based in Europe: 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, in Grafenwoehr, Germany; 173rd Airborne Brigade, in Vicenza, Italy; 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, in Baumholder, Germany; and 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Craddock's proposal would keep the two brigades due to rotate back to the United States in Germany for another year, Whitman said. This will enable Craddock to carry out EUCOM's theater engagement mission of military-to-military contacts among European nations and the U.S. military, U.S. Army Europe officials speaking on background said.

EUCOM officials have expressed concern that a reduction to two brigade combat teams would cut manpower on the continent to a point that the organization could not meet currently scheduled theater cooperation exercises.

Keeping the two brigades in place "would enable the U.S. military to continue engaging with the new democracies and our established allies in Europe," the official said.

Defense officials are looking at the proposal and working out issues that would be raised if the brigades remained in place. Among them are Base Realignment and Closure issues, building at stateside bases, and closing bases in Germany.

Unless Gates approves the extension, the brigades are due to rotate back to the United States in fiscal 2008 and 2009.

Adaptive Adventure Equals Healing for Injured Vets

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 30, 2007 - A group of injured war veterans on a 12-mile round-trip kayak adventure paused on the shores of this small British island earlier this month for a two-night stay at a campground locally known as "Ivan's." The most structured thing about Ivan's, or as it's formally known, White Bay Campground, is "Ivan's Local Flavor Stress Free Bar," which still works on the honor system; take a beverage, write it down and pay up before you leave. Decorated from floor to ceiling, inside and out, with shells and shell art from previous patrons, it exudes relaxation.

"It's like being deserted on a tropical island, but you know you're going to be rescued," said Army Sgt. Peter Rooney, who lost both legs above the knee in April when the Humvee he was riding in hit a roadside bomb near Ramadi, Iraq. "Peaceful, but at the same time you know you're in a remote location, so it has that edge to it."

One sign verifies that past visitors agree with Rooney. In pieces of coral and shell it says, "Ivan's = Healing."

Getting to Ivan's was the reward for a long day that began with what surely sounded like a strange request to others staying at Cinnamon Bay campground on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands: "All legs in the dry bag!" yelled Joe Mornini, director of Team River Runner, which organized the trip for the veterans, most of whom have lost both legs serving in a combat zone.

The laughter his command drew only increased with Danielle Pannell's response. "Have legs will travel!" she said, dropping her husband's prosthetic legs into a blue rubber bag. A power boat carried the bag of legs as well as three of the veterans' wheelchairs on the trip to Jost Van Dyke.

Danielle's husband, Kevin Pannell, is a former soldier who lost both of his legs above the knee while on a foot patrol in Baghdad.

With hardware and passengers settled into their respective vessels, all left Cinnamon Bay on a trek across the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea.

About four hours later, the group was setting up camp and figuring out how to negotiate the new beach with its unique sand. The soft, almost powdery sand that makes up Ivan's campground was worse for traction than the variety found at Cinnamon Bay.

"Everybody's front axles are below the sand," Bill Johnston said of his and the other wheelchairs. Johnston, a former Marine, lost both of his legs nearly 40 years ago while serving in Vietnam.

The chairs, in fact, sank into the sand, making it difficult for Johnston and the others to move. The immediate solution was a plastic tarp that kept the wheels on the sand instead of in it.

The lack of mobility in the sand for those in wheelchairs - Johnston, Rooney and former Marine Christopher Fesmire - encouraged creativity and teamwork, however. Fesmire got a piggyback ride out of the surf from Phil Sayre, a member of Team River Runner's board of directors, after snorkeling.

"He described the sand to me," Mornini said of the director of the Arawak Expeditions, a local company that guided the international expedition. "Well, it's a hell of lot more sand than I thought it was going to be. Then the guys that are here say, 'Well, this is cool. We'll get through it. We'll make it, but next time, do this, bring this,'" he said.

To help battle the sand and the chafing it caused, Mornini said, he'd dig deep into his bag of parenting tricks for the next trip.

"If everybody had two bottles of baby powder, they wouldn't care about the sand," Mornini said. "When you get sand on your skin ... the talcum bonds with the sand, and you brush it all off and it's gone, and there's no abrasion.

"It's on my list now," he added. "It's on my list to get a wheelchair with balloon tires, too."

The second night on the island, the group ate dinner at "Foxy's" a restaurant favored among local residents and tourists alike. Here, the veterans and their wives discovered something that's definitely nice to have while camping so far from home. It won't be found on any packing list, however.

While the group ate in the open-air restaurant under rafters covered with mementoes of past diners, a patron picked up the tab and quietly left, asking an employee to pass along a message of thanks to the veterans.

As everyone packed up the next morning, Mornini declared it a successful trip of "yakking and snorking." He reserved his greatest praise, however, for the landing at Cruz Bay, St. John, after everyone had cleared U.S. Customs.

"That's where we just came from," he said pointing out the taxi window at Jost Van Dyke, seemingly forever away. "We did great."

Team River Runner is a chapter of Disabled Sports USA, a supporter of "America Supports You," a Defense Department program connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

Iraqi Police Learn Basics During Prep Course

By Spc. Shejal Pulivarti, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 30, 2007 - The Military Police Platoon from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, has developed a 10-day preparatory class to implement the basics for Iraqi police recruits before they attend the Baghdad Police Academy, which initiates them as official police officers. This course is designed to give police recruits a basic understanding on what their job will consist of, said Army Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Brinson, the MP Platoon's top sergeant.

The trainees waiting to attend the academy come from various stations in the surrounding area to learn basic police skills, he added. It's an orientation, ensuring all new police cadets go into the academy with the same level of general knowledge.

"The training covers basics on ethics, principles, Iraqi law, first aid, basic rifle marksmanship, responding to a crime scene, and search techniques in various scenarios," said Brinson, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native. "The recruits follow a structured daily schedule emphasizing teamwork and discipline."

The 10 days are spent introducing the material in the classroom and then actively applying what they've learned. The last two days consist of practical exercises that incorporate the entirety of the course.

"Everything learned has to be applied during the hands-on scenarios. The situations gradually get harder to test their understanding," Brinson said.

"Everything is a perishable skill; they have to practice it in order to retain it," he continued. "They understand the task; they are definitely learning what they need to know to be successful."

"The trainees get better every day. The course helps them become good IPs and work with the coalition forces to do our job," said Iraqi Police 1st Lt. Hesham Saman Ali Sauba Boor, a course instructor.

Each Iraqi police station is responsible for sending an academy graduated officer to teach the new recruits. Military personnel rotate through as instructors from the MP Platoon and are assisted by Iraqi army liaison officers.

"Having the IP officers teach them accomplishes a lot; it mainly helps the Iraqi police force become self-sufficient," Brinson said. "It's another step in the progress to make security forces stronger."

As he watched the recruits successfully complete a bounding exercise, Brinson noted, "I see the trainees take more pride in themselves. This course is helping them to become a cohesive unit to accomplish the mission."

Staer Gabar Abedallah, a trainee, said he chose to become an Iraqi police officer to serve his country, secure his community and stop the terrorists.

"The training is a great opportunity to concentrate on training and help the Iraqi people move forward in self governance," said Stonington, Ill., native Army Sgt. David Ashbridge, a military police leader.

(Army Spc. Shejal Pulivarti is assigned to 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)

Defense Official Calls U.S-India Partnerships Critical

By Donna Miles
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 30, 2007 - Broad-based partnerships between the United States and India are critical as the South Asian republic increasingly exerts its influence on the world, a senior Defense Department policy maker said today. "The U.S.-India strategic potential is very, very profound," James Clad told online journalists and bloggers during a conference call from the Pentagon. Clad is deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia. "It's been slow in coming - I think it will be slow in coming in the future - but it is steady. The trend lines are unmistakable," he said.

While India's sometimes contentious neighbor, Pakistan, continues to search for Osama bin Laden and help wage the global war on terrorism, Clad explained, the U.S.-Indian relationship is more important in the long run.

"India simply must, as a long term consideration, matter more for us than Pakistan," he said. "India, I think, is seen as a potentially a power with global reach."

India is on a major course to ramp up its military infrastructure, Clad said, with a multi-billion budget at the ready to purchase, among other equipment, 126 multi-role combat aircraft.

"It is the largest external-announced defense procurement budget in the world," Clad said. "And people are obviously interested in this."

Clad noted that 52 U.S. defense corporations, including "brass nameplates" like Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Ratheon, Honeywell and General Electric, have all set up offices in India. "That's a lot."

Each U.S. military service participates in training exercises with Indian troops, Clad explained, and Indian ports welcome U.S. Navy ships. He noted a recent visit by the USS Nimitz to Chennai, an Indian city situated along the Bay of Bengal.

"The visit was an enormous success, greeted with great interest by the people of the city," he said.

The U.S. Navy also recently refurbished its former USS Trenton and presented it as a gift to the Indian navy, Clad explained. "This is a substantial vessel which has been very well received in Indian naval circles."

Besides military partnerships, Clad said, Indian-American economic partnerships also are important, and in many cases already are in place.

"You hit a golf ball on the Bangalore golf course, and that ball, unless you're careful, is going to go right through a window of IBM, which is right next to Infosys, which is an Indian firm staffed by Indian-Americans who are also listed on the New York Stock Exchange. So it's a much bigger relationship."

That relationship, Clad explained, consists of multiple, rich layers.

"The India relationship now is more comprehensive in trade, information technology, movement of its peoples, he said. "There are 2 million Indian-Americans now living in the United States."

Rather than fear India's global transformation, Clad said, The United States should embrace the opportunity to assist and advise the country.

"It's about maintaining a type of equilibrium, about accepting India's rise into a type of maturity and power and prowess I think we broadly welcome," he said. "We're coming into something that's naturally there. It's like a seat which is already at the table, and we're sliding into it."

(David Mays is assigned to New Media at American Forces Informations Service.)

Auditor Finds Tallil Fish 'Most Finicky'

By John Connor
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 29, 2007 - Bill Zett, an auditor with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, believes it's nice to catch a fish when fishing, but not always necessary. Zett goes fishing most Friday mornings at Lake Wisconsin, a manmade lake not far from the headquarters of the Corps' Gulf Region South district on this sprawling onetime Iraqi air base. He said it is peaceful and relaxing and helps break up the routine of long work weeks.

Zett said he has been told Lake Wisconsin is so named because it was built by a National Guard unit from Wisconsin. He said it is home to three kinds of fish: asp, which he likened to small-mouth bass back home, catfish and carp.

On his most recent outing, Zett caught none of the above. In fact, he only had a few nibbles and saw just one fish break the surface. "I can't believe they're not biting," he said at one point.

"These are the most finicky fish I've ever been around," he added later.

Still, Zett said, it was a most enjoyable couple hours, a pleasant break from his work as the command's internal auditor. And he applied some homespun wisdom to the fishless fishing expedition, saying, "All I know is if you don't fish, you won't catch anything."

On this day, Zett used dates as bait. He said Patricia Biltoft, the Gulf Region South administrative chief, accompanied him to the fishing hole recently and caught seven fish using corn and peas as bait.

He said he has caught some 3- or 4-pounders in Lake Wisconsin and remarked that people believe all sorts of things about the key to catching fish, such as the fullness of the moon or the time of day.

When he does land some fish, he said, he throws them back.

Zett, a native Texan who worked for the Texas National Guard since 1969, is on his second year in Iraq, having extended for a year. He left the Texas Guard altogether "to support my country" in Iraq. He said his work can be taxing at times, but that he enjoys the people and the mission and serving his country, something his family has done before.

Zett said his father and two other relatives were at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when the Japanese attacked on Dec. 7, 1941, and that his father managed to get off the USS Utah before it sank. He said all three survived and that his father spent nearly two years afloat during World War II without touching land.

(John Connor is a public affairs officer with the Gulf Region South District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Iraq.)