Airmen Cover the Fallen With Dignity, Honor, Respect

By Air Force Capt. Shannon Collins
Special to American Forces Press Service

April 6, 2009 - For some, it means red, white and blue. It means 13 stripes for the original colonies and 50 stars for the states. For the families of the fallen, the American flag means so much more. Because of this, two airmen assigned to the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center here take their mission very seriously.

"These men and women who gave their lives for their country for the sake of freedom deserve the utmost dignity, honor and respect," Air Force Tech. Sgt. Willard Rico, a shipping specialist here, said. "I'm very privileged to be a part of that, especially for the families left behind."

Rico is deployed from the 60th Force Support Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. His co-worker, Air Force Staff Sgt. Star Samuels, a shipping specialist deployed from the 43rd Force Support Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C., echoes his sentiment.

"We're taking care of someone's child, mother, father, husband, wife. They passed away protecting this country; we try to make everything perfect to give them and their families the utmost respect," Samuels said.

The shipping specialists are part of the final process for fallen heroes prior to beginning their journey home to their loved ones. The mortuary staff prepares the remains of fallen U.S. servicemembers, as well as government officials and their families stationed abroad in Europe and Southwest Asia. Since 1955, the remains of more than 50,000 servicemembers have arrived here for identification and funeral preparations.

The shipping specialists, Rico and Samuels, inspect the caskets, as well as perform a final check to make sure the dog tags, ribbons, flag and more are correct and up to standards. They are the final "eyes" before the fallen are sent to their loved ones.

"We make sure everything is perfect," Samuels said. "Our mission is to send them out the way they're remembered, not how they came in."

Before any fallen come through the doors of the mortuary, the airmen prepare the flags. They remove the flags from their protective packaging, unfold them and then slowly feed them into an industrial steamer for pressing. As the airmen gently unfurl the 5-by-9 foot flag and feed it into the steamer, they spray a mist of water on it. The machine folds the flag over as it presses so that the flag never touches the ground.

The airmen slowly take the freshly pressed flag and put it on a frame for later use. The flags will gently caress the caskets of the fallen as they return to their families. Ultimately, these same flags will be folded by an honor guard at the funeral and presented to the family as a final remembrance of their fallen hero's service and ultimate sacrifice.

For Samuels, pressing the flags brings home the experience and importance of what they mean.

"When I'm pressing a flag, I'm pressing a flag for someone who hasn't died yet," she said. "Today, we pressed 12 flags. Those flags could be here until next weekend, then all of a sudden, we're pressing 12 more flags."

The flags drape over a rack until needed. Once a flag is needed, the two airmen, standing on either side of the casket, slowly pull the pressed flag off of the rack and onto the casket. One of them stands at the foot, one at the head, working in harmony, making eye contact, as they carefully and delicately drape the flag to embody the casket with the fallen soldier, sailor, Marine or airman.

The movements are slow, deliberate and in sync. Their eyes roam around the casket, making sure everything is perfect.

"I have so much respect for my fallen heroes," Samuels said. "These heroes have families, loved ones, who could've talked to them just a couple of hours ago. Just one mistake, one trip down the road, anything can happen. I take nothing for granted."

The airmen perform this mission day in and day out for the families.

"We're here for the families," Rico said. "I'm privileged to be working here, giving dignity, honor and respect to the fallen for their families. It's the most rewarding job I've ever done so far in my career."

As the red, white and blue is secured around the casket, the stars and stripes drawn taunt, the airmen prepare to send the fallen home. They render the slow salute as the American flag passes by.

(Air Force Capt. Shannon Collins serves with the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center public affairs office.)

North Korean Missile Launch Requires 'Strong' U.N. Response, Official Says

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

April 6, 2009 - The United States and its allies want the U.N. to issue a robust response to North Korea's April 4 missile launch, a U.S. State Department official told reporters here today. "We're going to continue to go forward in discussions with our partners in the council to see and to seek a strong, coordinated and effective response to the North Korean missile launch," spokesman Robert Wood said at a State Department news conference.

Despite international diplomatic urging not to do so, the North Koreans launched a three-stage missile on April 4. The missile, which the North Koreans say carried a communications satellite as its payload, failed to achieve orbit and fell back into the Pacific Ocean without incident, according to the U.S. military.

Senior world leaders including President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have denounced the missile launch, citing it as a violation of Security Resolution 1718, which prohibits North Korea from making such missile launches or conducting nuclear-weapons research.

Some observers believe that North Korea tested a nuclear-type device in 2006. Also that year, the North Koreans test-fired another missile that also flew over Japan.

The U.N. Security Council met in New York yesterday to discuss the North Korean missile launch, but it didn't issue a statement.

Yesterday's U.N. Security Council session "was trying to deal with the aftermath of this launch," Wood said, noting it is early in the process and the issue is "very complicated."

Consultations at the U.N. over the North Korean missile launch continue, Wood said.

The bottom line, Wood said, is that any missile launch by North Korea is "provocative" and "not in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718."

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said on ABC-TV's "This Week" with host George Stephanopoulos yesterday that the United States is "in close consultation with our allies in Asia, in particular, Japan and South Korea about the appropriate response" to the North Korean missile launch.

Rice also told Stephanopoulos that the U.S. has discussed the North Korean missile launch issue "with the Russians and the Chinese" as well.

"We're working very closely with China," Rice said. "China shares the same goal that we do, which is a denuclearized Korean peninsula."

Gates Lays Out Budget Recommendations

American Forces Press Service

April 6, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today laid out his recommendations for the 2010 budget during a Pentagon press conference. The secretary said he included his experiences in national security to make the decisions.

To start, Gates plans to significantly restructure the Army's Future Combat Systems program. "We will retain and accelerate the initial increment of the program to spin out technology enhancements to all combat brigades," he said.

But he said there are unanswered questions about the program's vehicle design strategy. "I am also concerned that, despite some adjustments, the FCS vehicles -- where lower weight, higher-fuel efficiency and greater informational awareness are expected to compensate for less armor -- do not adequately reflect the lessons of counterinsurgency and close-quarters combat in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said.

The current vehicle program, developed in fiscal 2000, does not include the recent $25 billion investment in the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles that have saved so many lives in Afghanistan and Iraq. Gates also noted problems with the current fee structure, which he said gives the government little leverage to promote cost efficiency.

"Because the vehicle part of the FCS program is currently estimated to cost over $87 billion, I believe we must have more confidence in the program strategy, requirements and maturity of the technologies before proceeding further," he said. "Accordingly, I will recommend that we cancel the vehicle component of the current FCS program, re-evaluate the requirements, technology and approach -- and then re-launch the Army's vehicle modernization program, including a competitive bidding process."

The Army needs a vehicle modernization program to meet the needs of the full spectrum of conflict. "But because of its size and importance, we must get the acquisition right, even at the cost of delay," the secretary said.

The secretary recommended halting the F-22 Raptor procurement at 187, and investing instead in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The secretary also would like to end other under-performing programs, such as the VH-71 presidential helicopter. "This program was originally designed to provide 23 helicopters to support the president at a cost of $6.5 billion," he said. "Today, the program is estimated to cost over $13 billion, has fallen six years behind schedule, and runs the risk of not delivering the requested capability."

Gates said the military will develop options in fiscal 2011 for a follow-on program.

The secretary also would like to terminate the Air Force Combat Search and Rescue X helicopter program. The program has a troubled acquisition history and raises the question of whether this important mission can only be accomplished by yet another single-service solution with single-purpose aircraft.

"We will take a fresh look at the requirement behind this program and develop a more sustainable approach," he said.

Gates said he is recommending an end to the $26 billion transformational satellite program, and instead would like to purchase two more advanced, extremely high frequency satellites as alternatives.

Turning to missile defense, he recommended restructuring the program to focus on the rogue state and theater missile threat, meaning the United States will not increase the number of ground-based interceptors in Alaska.

"But we will continue to robustly fund continued research and development to improve the capability we already have to defend against long-range rogue missile threats -- a threat North Korea's missile launch this past weekend reminds us is real," he said.

The secretary said he would like to cancel the second airborne laser prototype aircraft, and shift the existing aircraft and program to a research and development effort. Under his recommendation, the multiple kill vehicle program also would end "because of its significant technical challenges and the need to take a fresh look at the requirement," he said.

Overall funding at the Missile Defense Agency would drop by $1.4 billion.

The recommendation also calls for the purchase of two destroyers in fiscal 2010. "These plans depend on being able to work out contracts to allow the Navy to efficiently build all three DDG-1000 class ships at Bath Iron Works in Maine and to smoothly restart the DDG-51 Aegis destroyer program at Northrop Grumman's Ingalls shipyard in Mississippi," Gates said.

The secretary also will delay or re-evaluate the next generation cruiser, amphibious landing and sea-basing programs.

Acquisition workforce changes also are imperative for the process to get on the right track.

"Under this budget request, we will reduce the number of support service contractors from our current 39 percent of the workforce to the pre-2001 level of 26 percent and replace them with full-time government employees," he said.

"Our goal is to hire as many as 13,000 new civil servants in fiscal 2010 to replace contract employees, and up to 30,000 new civil servants in place of contractors over the next five years," he said.

These are just a portion of the recommendations Gates will make. The secretary stressed that his recommendations reflect lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I know that in the coming weeks we will hear a great deal about threats, and risk and danger to our country and to our men and women in uniform associated with different budget choices," he said.

"Some will say I am too focused on the wars we are in and not enough on future threats," he continued. "The allocation of dollars in this budget definitely belies that claim.

"But, it is important to remember that every defense dollar spent to over-insure against a remote or diminishing risk -- or, in effect, to 'run up the score' in a capability where the United States is already dominant -- is a dollar not available to take care of our people, reset the force, win the wars we are in, and improve capabilities in areas where we are underinvested and potentially vulnerable. That is a risk I will not take."

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he fully supports Gates' decisions.

"None of them was easy to make; all of them are vital to the future," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said in a written statement.

In his statement, Mullen said it is imperative that the U.S. military invest more in the counterinsurgency mission. Gates' budget recommendations preserve traditional U.S. strengths while investing in this vital mission.

"The secretary presided over a comprehensive and collaborative process to arrive at his decisions," Mullen said. "Every service chief and combatant commander had a voice, and every one of them used it. I know I speak for all of them when I say we are prepared to execute each and every one of these recommendations."

Gates Says People Take Top Priority in Budget Recommendations

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

April 6, 2009 - Personnel needs are at the heart of his proposal to reshape the priorities of America's defense establishment, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said. Gates laid out his budget recommendations today during a news conference at the Pentagon.

The secretary's recommendations will eliminate some high-cost, under-performing programs, but will "fully protect and properly fund" the growth in the Army and Marine Corps and halt reductions in the Navy and Air Force, Gates said.

The secretary's second priority is to rebalance Defense Department capabilities to fund programs that are most needed today and most likely needed in the future. His third priority, he said, is to reform the acquisition process.

Gates said his proposed changes are interconnected and cannot be properly communicated or understood in isolation from one another.

"Collectively, they represent a budget crafted to reshape the priorities of America's defense establishment," he said. "If approved, these recommendations will profoundly reform how this department does business."

Taking care of the all-volunteer force is the secretary's first priority in the budget. In the past, funding for growing the force and other quality of life initiatives was often done on an ad hoc basis in the yearly supplemental. The secretary said he believes these are too important not to include in the base budget.

Growing the land services and halting reductions in the Navy and Air Force will add $11 billion to the fiscal 2010 base budget.

The secretary also would like an extra $400 million to continue growth in military medical research and development.

The secretary noted the importance of recognizing the critical and permanent nature of programs for the wounded, ill and injured, as well as traumatic brain injury and psychological health programs.

"This means institutionalizing and properly funding these efforts in the base budget and increasing overall spending by $300 million," he said. "The department will spend over $47 billion on health care in fiscal 2010."

The department also will increase funding by $200 million for improvements in child care, spousal support, lodging and education.

Since he took office, the secretary has been critical of the lack of a "home for warfighters" in the institution. The budget changes seek to build that home.

"Our struggles to put the defense bureaucracies on a war footing these past few years have revealed underlying flaws in the priorities, cultural preferences and reward structures of America's defense establishment -- a set of institutions largely arranged to prepare for conflicts against other modern armies, navies and air forces," Gates said.

Programs to directly support, protect and care for warfighters have been developed and funded outside the base budget.

"Put simply, until recently there has not been an institutional home in the Defense Department for today's warfighter," he said. "Our contemporary wartime needs must receive steady long-term funding and a bureaucratic constituency similar to conventional modernization programs. I intend to use the fiscal 2010 budget to begin this process."

The U.S. military must maintain support for current wars, but must be ready to contend with the security challenges posed by the military forces of other countries -- from those actively hostile to those at strategic crossroads, he said.

"Last year's National Defense Strategy concluded that although U.S. predominance in conventional warfare is not unchallenged, it is sustainable for the medium term given current trends," Gates said. "This year's budget deliberations focused on what programs are necessary to deter aggression, project power when necessary, and protect our interests and allies around the globe."

Maintaining America's technological and conventional edge requires a dramatic change in the way the department acquires equipment.

"This department must consistently demonstrate the commitment and leadership to stop programs that significantly exceed their budget or which spend limited tax dollars to buy more capability than the nation needs," Gates said. "Our conventional modernization goals should be tied to the actual and prospective capabilities of known future adversaries -- not by what might be technologically feasible for a potential adversary given unlimited time and resources."

The department also must ensure requirements are reasonable and technology is mature enough to allow the department to successfully execute the programs.

"Again, my decisions act on this principle by terminating a number of programs where the requirements were truly in the 'exquisite' category, and the technologies required were not reasonably available to affordably meet the programs' cost or scheduled goals," he said.

The secretary also aimed to realistically estimate program costs, provide budget stability for programs, adequately staff the government acquisition team and provide disciplined and constant oversight.

"We must constantly guard against so-called 'requirements creep,' validate the maturity of technology at milestones, fund programs to independent cost estimates and demand stricter contract terms and conditions," he said.

Every defense dollar is precious, Gates said. Money spent to "over-insure against a remote or diminishing risk is a dollar not available to take care of our people, reset the force, win the wars we are in and improve capabilities in areas where we are underinvested and potentially vulnerable," Gates said.

Gates Addresses NATO Summit, North Korean Missile Launch

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

April 6, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said the recent NATO summit, in which allies pledged additional support to Afghanistan, exceeded his expectations. In a news conference today that centered mainly on the Pentagon budget, Gates fielded questions regarding commitments by NATO allies and a missile launch by North Korea -- both of which took place two days ago.

"I think that what came out of the NATO summit in terms of commitments was for me a pleasant surprise," Gates said. "I think the summit was actually more successful than I expected in what we were able to get."

The April 3 to 4 NATO summit in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany, culminated with allies offering more finances and personnel to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan.

NATO members promised to finance and provide more security -- including 3,000 more personnel -- for the Afghan election in August, to send 300 additional military trainers and mentors, and 70 NATO embedded training teams to help grow the Afghan National Army. Other pledges include $500 million for civilian assistance and $100 million in support of the Afghan army.

"For the Europeans to have pledged an additional 3,000 or so troops plus the trainers I think was a significant achievement," said Gates, who did not attend the summit due to defense budget obligations here.

On North Korea, Gates said the decision by the government in Pyongyang to launch a missile serves as a reminder that long-range rogue missile threats are real.

Pyongyang had maintained the launch was "peaceful" and intended only to send a satellite to orbit, but military officials characterized it as a step toward increasing North Korean weapons technology. President Barack Obama denounced the move as a provocation that violated United Nations international security rules.

The three-stage missile North Korea launched April 4 failed to achieve orbit and fell back into the Pacific Ocean without incident, according to the U.S. military. But a successful launch would not have affected his budget recommendations, Gates said today.

The United States was prepared to use a hit-to-kill technology had the missile threatened Hawaii, and ground-based interceptors in Alaska, he added.

"I think ...we're in a pretty good place with respect to the rogue country missile threat in terms of midcourse and terminal phase," he said. "What we're looking at and doing is continuing the [research and development] on the boost phase."

The midcourse phase allows the longest window of opportunity to intercept an incoming missile up to 20 minutes, whereas the terminal phase occurs when the warhead falls back into the atmosphere -- a process that lasts about 30 seconds to a minute. The boost phase is the part of a missile flight path from launch until it stops accelerating under its own power, according to the Missile Defense Agency.

Regarding the launch, Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the United States was gauging North Korea's ability to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a weapon of mass destruction, and Pyongyang's desire to proliferate and sell the technology.

"The technology they were seeking after the first two failures was the ability to stage -- in other words, transition from one stage of boost to the next. "They failed," Cartwright said during the joint news conference with the defense secretary today.

"On the idea of proliferation," he continued, "would you buy from somebody that had failed three times in a row and never been successful?"

MILITARY CONTRACTS April 6, 2009

U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, Joint Operations Group, Lexington, Ky., is being awarded a $200,000,000 ceiling increase modification to an existing indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract for contractor logistics support services, supporting the United States Special Operations Command, Special Operations Forces Support Activity. The work will be performed in various locations and is expected to be completed by Oct. 24. This increase is required to sustain operations pending the results of a protest filed with the Government Accountability Office.

AIR FORCE
The Air Force is awarding a firm fixed priced contract to United Launch Services, LLC, Centennial, Colo., for $184,000,000. This action will provide launch services for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) mission, NROL-15; the undefinitized contract will ensure that the current launch schedule is maintained. At this time, $138,000,000 has been obligated. LRSW/PK, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8811-09-C-003).

NAVY
Northrop Grumman Space & Mission Systems Corp., (NG), San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $27,305,848 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity, cost plus fixed fee contract for systems engineering and technical support services in support of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific), Command Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) programs. Specific efforts include standards engineering and analysis, test support, configuration management of tactical information design standards, fleet support engineering services, and network design facility operation. These efforts ensure interfacing Navy, joint service, and allied nations air, surface, subsurface and land C4I systems are interoperable. This two-year contract includes one, three-year option, which, if exercised, would bring the potential, cumulative value of the contract to $73,506,359. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and work is expected to be completed Apr. 7, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and posting to the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central web! site, wi th four offers received. SSC Pacific is the contracting activity (N66001-09-D-0077).

Lockheed Martin Services, Inc., Cherry Hill, N.J., is being awarded a $26,324,675 firm-fixed-price task order #EX03 under previously awarded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract (N00189-08-D-Z003) to perform non-guard security functions, which include Armory and ready-for-issue services, Pass and ID Office services, vehicle inspection services, and working dogs services. Work will be performed in Guam (3 percent); Hawaii (4 percent); and various CONUS locations (93 percent); and work is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was awarded under competitive conditions. Two offers were received in response to the solicitation. One contract was awarded as a result of the solicitation. This requirement is a task order under that contract. The Fleet & Industrial Supply Center Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.

Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $9,248,723 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for fabrication of production rate tooling in support of the UH-1Y and AH-1Z helicopters. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, (70 percent) and Amarillo, Texas, (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-09-C-0023).

T.B. Penick & Sons, Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $9,123,862 for firm fixed price task order #0005 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8612) for design and construction of a new combat training tank complex at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The work to be performed provides for construction of a new outdoor combat training tank complex, which includes a swimming pool with a dive tower, lighted concrete pool deck, and a single-story masonry and steel pool building with an attached mechanical equipment building. The site infrastructure improvements include perimeter walls and gates, utilities, parking, and roadwork. The contractor shall provide all labor, supervision, materials, and equipment necessary to complete the work as described in the request for proposal. The task order also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised would increase the cumulative task order value to $10,323,862. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Systems Integration, Owego, N.Y., is being awarded a $7,787,221 modification to a previously awarded firm fixed price contract (N00019-04-C-0028) for the procurement of 18 MH-60S Mission Computers for the MH-60S helicopter. In addition, this modification provides for components for MH-60R/S Common Cockpit Trainers. Work will be performed in Owego, N.Y., and is expected to be completed in Apr. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Special Tactical Services, LLC*, Virginia Beach, Va., is being awarded a $5,764,496 modification to a previously awarded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract (N61339-07-D-0016) to exercise an option for course instructors for various crew-served weapons courses in support of the Center for Security Forces, Little Creek, Va. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., (53 percent); and Chesapeake, Va., (47 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $5,764,496 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Fla., is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Triumph Structures, Westbury, N.Y.*, is being awarded a maximum $7,056,225 firm fixed price contract for UH-60 Blackhawk spare parts. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is the Army. There were originally two proposals solicited with two responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Mar. 20, 2014. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Huntsville, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., (SPRRA1-09-D-0005).

DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY
Marshall University Research Corp., Huntington, W. Va., is being awarded a $6,834,506 modification to a previously awarded cost-reimbursement grant for the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing. Work will be performed in Huntington, W. Va., and is expected to be completed in Jun. 2010. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contracting activity is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va., (HR0011-06-1-0028, P00003).

SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., was awarded on Mar. 23, 2009, a $9,843,152 cost plus fixed fee contract for the Panoptic Analysis of Chemical Traces program. Work will be performed in Menlo Park, Calif., (71 percent); Minneapolis, Minn., (20 percent); Poway, Calif., (8 percent); Newark, Calif., (1 percent); and is expected to be completed in Mar. 2010. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. DARPA issued a solicitation in Federal Business Opportunities on Aug. 19, 2008, and 15 proposals were received. The contracting activity is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va., (HR0011-09-C-0049).

Obama Condemns North Korean Missile Launch

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

April 5, 2009 - In Europe today, President Barack Obama strongly criticized last night's missile launch by North Korea. Yesterday evening, the North Koreans launched a three-stage missile that failed to achieve orbit and fell back into the Pacific Ocean without incident, according to the U.S. military.

Obama was in the Czech Republic today when he was informed of the missile launch. Obama told an audience in Prague that the North Korean missile launch was provocative and had violated UN international security rules.

"Once again, by testing a rocket that could be used for long-range missiles, this provocation underscores the need for action, not just this afternoon at the UN Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons," Obama said.

"Rules must be binding; violations must be punished; words must mean something," Obama continued. "The world must stand together to prevent the spread of these weapons. Now is the time for a strong international response."

According to news reports, the UN Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting this afternoon to discuss the North Korean missile launch issue.

The missile passed over Japan but jettisoned no debris there, according to the U.S. Northern Command news release issued today.

The missile's flight path had presented no threat to North America or Hawaii, the release stated.

The Taepodong 2 missile's first stage fell into the Sea of Japan; the rest of the stages and the payload, reportedly a communications satellite, landed in the Pacific Ocean, according to the release. The North Koreans say the rocket had successfully placed the satellite into orbit, according to news reports.

During his visit to Europe, President Barack Obama reportedly said in Prague after hearing of the launch that North Korea's missile launch was provocative and violated UN international security rules, according to news reports.

Any North Korean missile launch would have a negative impact on efforts to lessen tensions in the region, a U.S. State Department official told reporters in the days leading up to last night's launch.

The North Koreans have insisted that their Taepodong 2 missile launch is for peaceful purposes. North Korea's neighbors South Korea and Japan were alarmed at the possibility of another launch. The North Koreans conducted an unsuccessful missile launch in 2006 when their rocket briefly passed over Japanese territory.

Another North Korean missile launch "would be counterproductive" to soothing tensions in the region, U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters at an April 2 news conference in Washington, D.C.

International diplomats have employed Six-Party Talks to persuade North Korea to jettison its nuclear weapons program. Arms control experts believe that a nuclear-armed North Korea would ratchet up tensions and prompt a nuclear-arms race across the region.

UN Leader Denounces North Korean Missile Launch

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

April 5, 2009 - The UN's top official denounced last evening's missile launch by North Korea, according to a news release issued by the UN today. "Given the volatility in the region, as well as a stalemate in interaction among the concerned parties, such a launch is not conducive to efforts to promote dialogue, regional peace or stability," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement released today.

The secretary general cited the North Korean missile launch as a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1718, which prohibits North Korea from making such launches or conducting nuclear-weapons research. Some observers believe that North Korea had already tested a nuclear-type weapon in 2006.

The UN is scheduled to meet in emergency session this afternoon to discuss the North Korea missile-launch issue.

In his statement issued today, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said it is imperative to persuade North Korea to re-engage in the Six-Party discussions.

All countries involved in the negotiations, including North Korea, the UN Secretary-General stated, should "focus on ways to build confidence and restore dialogue, including the early resumption of the Six-Party Talks."

Yesterday evening, the North Koreans launched a three-stage missile that failed to achieve orbit and fell into the Pacific Ocean without incident, according to the U.S. military.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama was in the Czech Republic when he was informed of the missile launch. Obama told an audience in Prague today that the North Korean missile launch was provocative and had violated UN international security rules.

"Once again, by testing a rocket that could be used for long-range missiles, this provocation underscores the need for action, not just this afternoon at the UN Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons," Obama said.

"Rules must be binding; violations must be punished; words must mean something," Obama continued. "The world must stand together to prevent the spread of these weapons. Now is the time for a strong international response."

The North Korean Taepodong 2 missile had passed over Japan but jettisoned no debris there, according to a U.S. Northern Command news release issued today.

The missile's flight path had presented no threat to North America or Hawaii, the Northcom release stated.

The missile's first stage fell into the Sea of Japan; the rest of the stages and the payload, reportedly a communications satellite, landed in the Pacific Ocean, according to the Northcom release. The North Koreans say the rocket had successfully placed the satellite into orbit, according to news reports.

Any North Korean missile launch would have a negative impact on efforts to lessen tensions in the region, a U.S. State Department official told reporters in the days leading up to last night's launch.

The North Koreans have insisted that their Taepodong 2 missile launch is for peaceful purposes. North Korea's neighbors South Korea and Japan were alarmed at the possibility of another launch. The North Koreans conducted an unsuccessful missile launch in 2006 when their rocket briefly passed over Japanese territory.

Another North Korean missile launch "would be counterproductive" to soothing tensions in the region, U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters at an April 2 news conference in Washington, D.C.

International diplomats have employed negotiations, known as the Six-Party Talks, between the United States, South Korea, Japan, China, North Korea and Russia to persuade North Korea to jettison its nuclear weapons program. Arms control experts believe that a nuclear-armed North Korea would ratchet up tensions and prompt a nuclear-arms race across the region.

Obama: North Korean Missile Launch 'Creates Instability'

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

April 5, 2009 - The North Koreans "have taken a provocative action," President Obama told reporters in Prague today. He said the North Koreans' April 4, three-stage missile launch "creates instability in their region, (and) around the world."

"If they want to take an appropriate path to rejoin the international community and break out of their isolation, that's available to them," Obama said. "That's not the path they're taking right now. And, we intend to work with the international community to deliver a strong message."

Obama told an audience this morning that the North Korean missile launch was provocative and had violated UN international security rules.

"Once again, by testing a rocket that could be used for long-range missiles, this provocation underscores the need for action, not just this afternoon at the UN Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons," Obama said.

"Rules must be binding; violations must be punished; words must mean something," Obama continued. "The world must stand together to prevent the spread of these weapons. Now is the time for a strong international response."

Also today in Prague, Obama announced his intention to work for the worldwide removal of all nuclear weapons.

"Just as we stood for freedom in the 20th century, we must stand together for the right of people everywhere to live free from fear in the 21st century," he said. "And as nuclear power -- as a nuclear power, as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act.

The North Korean missile passed over Japan but jettisoned no debris there, according to the U.S. Northern Command news release issued today. The missile failed to achieve orbit and fell back into the Pacific Ocean without incident.

The missile's flight path had presented no threat to North America or Hawaii, the release stated.

According to news reports, the UN Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting this afternoon to discuss the North Korean missile launch issue.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today also signaled his displeasure with North Korea's missile launch.

"Given the volatility in the region, as well as a stalemate in interaction among the concerned parties, such a launch is not conducive to efforts to promote dialogue, regional peace or stability," the Secretary-General said in a statement released today.

The secretary general cited the North Korean missile launch as a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1718, which prohibits North Korea from making such launches or conducting nuclear-weapons research.

Some observers believe that North Korea had tested a nuclear-type weapon in 2006.

Heads of State Honor NATO Military Personnel

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

April 4, 2009 - President Barack Obama and heads of state representing the other 28 NATO member countries today honored NATO military personnel who died in service of the alliance's mission. On the banks of the historic Rhine River in Strasbourg, France, the heads of state stood in solemn silence broken by a lone military bugler playing what appeared to be France's equivalent of Taps.

"Today we honor in particular those who have given their lives on behalf of our alliance and we extend our deepest sympathies to their families and their loved ones," NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said later at the start of the North Atlantic Council Summit meeting.

"We were able to take part in a ceremony on the banks of the Rhine River (to praise) NATO forces in various operations, and observed in silence and honored the extreme sacrifices of those who have died in the service of our alliance," he said.

NATO has some 32,000 forces in Afghanistan, complemented by roughly 38,000 American troops with the deployment of additional forces to begin in late spring.

De Hoop Scheffer said NATO soldiers our sailors our airmen who frequently risk their lives "so that we can live in complete freedom in our countries and safe at home." He added that the alliance also carries in their thoughts in prayers those injured in the course of the mutual efforts.

The secretary general welcomed military representatives from each of the 28 allies at the summit meeting this morning.

"Each one of you has experience in operations under NATO command and you are here to represent both your nations and your colleagues so that we can express to you, and through you to them, our most profound gratitude," he said.

De Hoop Scheffer reiterated his gratitude to the military representatives and the contribution they embody.

"I thank all of our NATO soldiers again, and express our deepest gratitude to your colleagues for their remarkable service that you continue to make to peace to freedom and to democracy," he said.

Officials Chart Alliance Future at NATO Summit

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

April 4, 2009 - NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer introduced Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as his successor in the alliance post during an end-of-summit press conference in Strasbourg, France today. Scheffer shared the podium with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who co-hosted the summit.

Rasmussen pledged to continue the good work begun by Scheffer to transform NATO to handle the challenges of the 21st century. He will assume leadership of the alliance on August 1.

Scheffer said the summit of the 28 NATO nations went well, and European nations have pledged to send another 5,000 troops to Afghanistan.

Sarkozy complimented the role President Barack Obama played during his first NATO summit. He said the president was easy to work with, "he showed his leadership, he showed how committed he was" to the alliance.

Scheffer listed the accomplishments of the summit, including Albania and Croatia becoming full-fledged members of the alliance.
"In the summit declaration we say we welcome France's decision to fully participate in NATO structures," Scheffer said.

On Afghanistan, the NATO leaders discussed strategy, "and the alliance is united in the need for an overall reagional approach." The alliance heads agreed more civilian personnel are needed and they offered long-term commitments to the fight, Scheffer said.

"They backed up this commitment with resources," he said. "We have established a NATO Training Mission Afghanistan to oversee high-level training for the Afghan National Army and training and mentoring for the Afghan police."

The alliance will deploy the necessary forces to support the Afghan elections in August, he said. NATO countries will provide 5,000 additional personnel and most will concentrate on providing security for the election activities.

"We will also maintain the trust fund to sustain the larger Afghan Army," Scheffer said. "The bottom line is this: when it comes to Afghanistan, this summit and this alliance have delivered."

The alliance chiefs also discussed NATO relations with Russia. The alliance members understand they must cooperate with Russia and want to do so, Scheffer said.

"We want to use the NATO-Russia Council to its fullest potential, to step up cooperation from Afghanistan to arms control to anti-piracy," the secretary general said. "But we must also use the NATO-Russia Council to air our difference – and we have real differences."

The Russia-NATO relationship can deliver more than it has to date if all parties take the necessary steps, he said.

"We will engage Russia in that spirit," Scheffer said.

A final aspect of the summit was the future of the alliance. The North Atlantic Council agreed to update the 1999 strategic concept.

"The new concept, which will be agreed at the next NATO summit, will need to update the theory with what we already do – from piracy, to cyber-defense even to Afghanistan," he said. "And it has to give direction to what NATO must do more in the 21st century."

NATO Council Formally Welcomes Albania, Croatia

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

April 4, 2009 - NATO today marked 60 years of operation by welcoming two new countries – Albania and Croatia – to the alliance during a ceremony in Strasbourg, France. The Western allies established NATO as a defense pact against the Soviet Union on April 4, 1949, in Washington.

The United States maintains the Washington Treaty, and President Obama passed copies of the treaty to the leaders of Albania and Croatia.
"We are very excited about your participation," the president said. "We are proud to have you as Allies."

"In these past 60 years, NATO has contributed to an unprecedented period of peace, freedom and prosperity for all its citizens," said NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. "It is testimony to what can be achieved by a transatlantic community that acts with a clear sense of common purpose."

Scheffer spoke at the beginning of the North Atlantic Council – the senior decision-making body of the alliance. Heads of state and heads of government for the now 28 member alliance sit on the council.

The 60th anniversary of the Washington Treaty was a time of reflection for the alliance, Scheffer said. "At the signing ceremony ... one of the statesmen present expressed his hope that this treaty between North America and Europe would become a 'permanent creation,'" Scheffer said. "Today, we can say with considerable pride that his hopes have come true."

But the world faces many new risks, the secretary general noted, and the alliance must look to the future. In order to maintain peace and preserve security in an unstable world, the alliance must adapt. This means studying the strategic concepts behind the alliance and ways to speed decision making.

Scheffer praised France's decision to rejoin the integrated command structure. "That decision reinforces the community and cohesion of our alliance," he said.

The alliance will discuss the way forward in Afghanistan, where NATO commands the International Security Assistance Force. Scheffer said alliance efforts in the country will take time and require perseverance, but it is necessary as the extremists in the country pose an international threat.

Scheffer also said the leaders on the council will make important decisions on the the long-term status of the alliance. All reaffirmed the fundamental principle that an attack on one country is regarded as an attack on all. But the leaders will discuss a new strategic concept – one that maintains the strong bonds across the Atlantic.

N. Korean Missile Launch Would be 'Counterproductive,' Official Says

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

April 3, 2009 - A potential North Korean test launch of a three-stage missile would have a negative impact on efforts to lessen tensions in the region, a U.S. State Department official told reporters here yesterday. Senior U.S. diplomats have urged North Korea "to desist from launching any type of missile," spokesman Robert Wood said at a news conference.

The North Koreans insist that their Taepodong 2 missile that is expected to be launched in the coming days is carrying a communications satellite for peaceful purposes. North Korea's neighbors South Korea and Japan are alarmed at the possible launch. The North Koreans conducted an unsuccessful missile launch in 2006 when their rocket briefly passed over Japanese territory.

"It would be counterproductive," Wood said of the possibility of the North Koreans conducting another missile test.

"It's provocative. It further inflames tensions in the region," Wood emphasized.

International diplomats have employed Six-Party Talks to persuade North Korea to jettison its nuclear weapons program. Arms control experts believe that a nuclear-armed North Korea would ratchet up tensions and prompt a nuclear-arms race across the region.

"We want to see the North get back to the six-party framework and focus on denuclearization," Wood said.

President Barack Obama met with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak yesterday at the Group of 20 international economic summit held in London.

Before meeting with Lee, Obama told reporters he was concerned about global economic issues, as well as defense, peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

Afterward, a senior U.S. official said Obama and Lee had "a fair amount of discussion on the North Korean issue."

Officials estimate the North Koreans could test their missile within the next few days.

A North Korean missile launch would be a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, the U.S. official told reporters, noting that the United States and South Korea would consult closely about how to respond firmly at the U.N. if the launch occurs.

"I don't know anyone at a senior level in the American government who does not believe this [North Korean missile] technology is intended as a mask for the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during his March 29 appearance on the "Fox News Sunday" TV news show.

China, Russia and other countries also are concerned about a potential North Korean missile launch, Wood told reporters.

"And, we have continued to call on the North to not undertake provocative acts that only inflame the situation in the region," Wood said. "And, we're going to continue to do that, and our allies have certainly done that."

DoD Launches New Sexual Assault Awareness Campaign

As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Department of Defense launched a new social marketing campaign today called Our Strength is for Defending. This research-based prevention strategy is designed to empower service members to intervene in situations where possible sexual assaults may occur.

"We want to capitalize on the strength of our men and women in uniform to ensure they know how to safely intervene in situations to prevent this horrible crime," said Kaye Whitley, director, sexual assault prevention and response office.

The campaign's informational materials and public service announcements address topics such as active bystander intervention; crime reporting: supportive behavior for victims of sexual assault; and services provided by sexual assault response coordinators and victim advocates within each of the armed forces. The campaign was developed with the assistance of Men Can Stop Rape, an organization that has successfully deployed sexual assault prevention programs throughout the United States and several countries.

"Although we are rolling out this campaign during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, our goal is to continue to push hard on these messages throughout the year. Prevention requires everyone to be alert 24 hours a day. We need service members to be constantly on guard to protect their friends and co-workers, both on and off the battlefield," said Whitley.

This will be the department's fifth year directly participating in this important national event. Special events will be held throughout the month by all of the armed forces in an effort to promote awareness of the strategy and to highlight the department's efforts to ensure all service members understand their role in preventing sexual assault.

For more information on DoD events during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, visit http://www.MyDuty.mil.

Soldiers Missing In Action From The Korean War Are Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of four U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

They are Cpl. Samuel C. Harris Jr., of Rogersville, Tenn; Cpl. Lloyd D. Stidham, of Beattyville, Ky.; Cpl. Robert G. Schoening, of Blaine, Wash; and one serviceman whose name is being withheld pending a briefing to his family. All men were U.S. Army. Harris will be buried April 10 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., Stidham will be buried April 13 in Nicholasville, Ky., and Schoening will be buried June 19 in Arlington.

Representatives from the Army's Mortuary Office met with these servicemembers' next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the secretary of the Army.

These soldiers were assigned to Company C, 65th Combat Engineer Battalion, 25th Infantry Division. On Nov. 25, 1950, Company C came under intense enemy attack when it was occupying a position near Hill 222 situated south of the Kuryong River east of the "Camel's Head" bend, North Korea. The men were reported missing in action on Nov. 27.

In 2000, a joint U.S./Democratic People's Republic of Korea team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), excavated a site overlooking the Kuryong River in P'yongan-Pukto Province where U.S. soldiers were believed to be buried. The team recovered human remains and non-biological evidence. One soldier who was also recovered there with this group, 1st Lt. Dixie Parker, was previously identified and buried in December 2007 in Arlington.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of these soldiers' remains. Remains that could not be individually identified will be buried as a group in Arlington on a date to be determined.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169 or (703) 699-1420.

Face of Defense: Soldier Returns After 15-Year Break to be Close to Troops

By Ken Hall
Special to American Forces Press Service

April 3, 2009 - Some people just can't get the military out of their system – nor do they want to. That is the case with Staff Sgt. Dianne Smith, who has re-joined the Army after a 15-year break as a way to show her patriotism and sense of duty to her country again during a troubled time.

Smith, an intelligence analyst with 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion, recently returned to active duty to share her experience and leadership skills with new enlisted soldiers.

She completed basic training at Fort McClellan, Ala. – then the Army Women's Corps headquarters -- in 1978. Following advanced individual training and her initial assignments in 1984, she found herself stationed at Yongin, South Korea, where she met her husband, Tim. They have been married 25 years.

"I was a signal intelligence analyst during my first 13 years of active-duty service, but the best job I had before I got out was platoon sergeant," Smith said. "This is the job that epitomizes the noncommissioned officer position or me, and why I've come back."

Platoon sergeants, she added, have hands-on, direct contact with soldiers.

"You are the first one to know if your soldiers have problems, or if they've accomplished something, and I love being connected with troops," she said. "And next to [being a] sergeant major, I believe this is the best job in the Army."

After training at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., last year, Smith rejoined the Army's military intelligence community. Returning to South Korea for her first active-duty tour in 25 years has been more than a typical overseas duty assignment, she said.

"My husband and I met while serving here in 1984, and it's like a homecoming," she said. "Returning to active duty after all these years was a major commitment I could have never made without his unwavering support."

During her early years of Army service, Smith had mentors who now are nearly gone from the Army rolls: Vietnam Veterans.

"They taught me a lot of things about what I could actually do, what I could endure, and what I could accomplish and overcome," she said. "When I began my first Army enlistment, I was a scared kid from Kentucky. And I was pushed beyond what I thought I could do, but found out I could do far more.

"To see soldiers like I was who come in today and don't have confidence in what they can do or are not aware of what they do," she continued, "my job as an NCO is to push them and encourage them, because we can do so much more than we believe."

In November, Smith met here with an NCO whose service predates her own. Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston has served since 1975.

"SMA Preston asked me about why I came back in, and he encouraged me and welcomed me back into the NCO corps," she said. "I've met many successful people in my life, but I was as nervous as I could be, because he is the sergeant major of the Army, and the one who sets the bar for all of us and who we all strive to be.

"It was an honor for this old soldier to have those few minutes with him," she said. "There was an understanding of all the things that are not needed to be said - because we were Army then, and we are Army now, and we're still hanging in there."

Once you've been a soldier, you have a connection with people, and no matter where you go, you share a bond because you have served, Smith said.

"I've worn a lot of different clothes to work, but there's nothing like putting on this uniform [and] being proud of it. ... "It's the best job in the world, and I will continue to do the job my soldiers deserve up until the day I retire from the Army."

Smith added that female soldiers must respect themselves, treat everyone else with respect and take nothing less.

"Being a female in the military should never be used as an excuse to be less than absolutely all you can be," she said. "We're fellow soldiers, and we drive on."

Smith said she plans to retire in 2013, and she wants caring for soldiers to be her legacy.

"I want to know without a shadow of a doubt that I took care of my soldiers," Smith said. "I'm going to be that old veteran in the wheelchair at parades waving the American flag, proud of our soldiers marching through."

(Ken Hall works in the U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys public affairs office.)

DoD Releases Updated E-Learning Standard

The Defense Department announced today the 4th edition of its Web-based e-learning standard, used by government, commercial and international agencies, allowing organizations to easily exchange online learning, training and educational content. Known as the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) 2004, this e-learning standard ensures the learning experience and performance data tracking is consistent in the distribution of training courses via the Internet, and allows for online collaboration between users.

"SCORM 2004 4th Edition provides a significant step forward for the department—and e-learning communities in general. The proper use of SCORM reduces training time or training costs by a third, by encouraging organizations to reuse established content and reformat that content for their needs," said Robert Wisher, director of the ADL Initiative. "The updates represent a technical achievement for the Defense Department and our many users, and I'm very pleased we've met this important milestone."

Developed by the department and in collaboration with industry and academia partners, SCORM has become a de facto government, international and commercial standard. Dozens of vendors have developed products that comply with SCORM. The 4th edition corrects previous system defects, adds enhancements that were a direct result of community collaboration, and increases SCORM's interoperability across learning management systems.

More information on SCORM can be found at http://www.adlnet.gov . The Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative was established in 1997 to standardize and modernize the delivery of training and education across DoD and other federal agencies. It is a collaborative effort to harness the power of information technologies to deliver high-quality, easily accessible, adaptable, and cost-effective education and training.

Social Software Keys Information Sharing, Security, Researchers Say

By John Ohab
Special to American Forces Press Service

April 3, 2009 - Social software such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter may close information gaps on the battlefield by advancing collaboration and information sharing among warfighters and analysts, according to researchers at the National Defense University. "Social tools ... give people platforms to share information with each other in ways that you really can't do with e-mail or some more traditional forms of communication," said Mark Drapeau, associate research fellow at NDU's Center for Technology and National Security Policy during an April 1 "Armed with Science" audio webcast on Pentagon Web Radio.

"Every warfighter wants the right information at the right time, but in many cases it is very hard to know what the 'relevant' information is in advance," Drapeau said. "Social software can facilitate simple sharing of possibly relevant information to supplement traditional methods, yielding better knowledge for better decision-making."

Social software encompasses a broad range of tools that connect people and promote information sharing over networks such as the Internet. These tools include social networking, video and photo sharing, blogs, wikis, and instant messaging.

While many social software tools are freely available to the public, cyber security concerns, infrastructure limitations, employee demographics and existing federal policy have hindered the integration of these tools in the federal workplace.

"[The Defense Department] is simply the largest organization in the world. Large organizations, in general, are not very good at sharing information," Drapeau said.

Drapeau is working with Linton Wells II, former chief information officer for the Pentagon, on a soon-to-be published research paper that proposes a framework for how the department can use emerging social software to increase information sharing, transparency, and engagement with the public. The paper will address the national security and intelligence concerns that have limited the use of these tools, he said.

Drapeau compared the balance between information sharing and security to the balance between inhaling and exhaling. "We need both," he said.

"While cyber security is a very serious and important issue, completing your mission is a more serious and important issue," Drapeau said. "People need access to tools that will help them accomplish their mission."

Social software has played a role in a number of international events with U.S. national security implications. During last year's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, citizens used the micro-blogging platform, Twitter, to share information about the events as they happened in real-time. In March, the State Department used Twitter to deny rumors that could possibly have led to a siege on the American Embassy in Madagascar.

The push to incorporate social software into the Defense Department is in line with a memo President Barack Obama issued in January, "Transparency and Open Government," which directs leaders to foster in their agencies a system of transparency, public participation and collaboration by leveraging emerging information technologies, including social software.

Drapeau said this effort extends beyond just allowing the use of social software in the department.

"It means the government being more accountable to the people, being more transparent to the people, and working better with the people," he said.

(John Ohab holds a doctorate in neuroscience and works for the Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media directorate.)

Fiscal 2010 Budget to Reflect 'Fundamental Shift' in Defense

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

April 3, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will make budget decisions this weekend that will indicate a "fundamental shift in direction" for the department, the Pentagon press secretary said today. "These are not changes to the margins," Geoff Morrell said. The changes will affect the fiscal 2010 Defense Department budget request, he explained.

Gates is expected to announce the changes during a news conference April 6. The announcement ends more than three months of careful analysis, Morrell said.

"A series of choices have been teed up for the secretary, and he will spend the weekend making those decisions and putting the finishing touches on his recommendations to President Obama," he said.

During the news conference, Gates will discuss his recommendations and the strategic goals that drove his thinking, Morrell said.

The secretary revealed some of his budget concerns during hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee in January. In that testimony, Gates stressed that he was ready to make tough choices. "Any necessary changes should avoid across-the-board adjustments, which inefficiently extend all programs," Gates said. "We must have the courage to make hard choices."

Gates is expected to push for more efficient rates of production and look for economies of scale as he makes his decisions this weekend.

Gates has said he will stress jointness in his deliberations while considering service specifics. "To address a given risk, we may have to invest more in the future-oriented program of one service and less in that of another – particularly when both programs were conceived with the same threat in mind," Gates said before the Senate.

The secretary also wants to implement changes that will increase competition, freeze requirements on programs when contracts are awarded, and increase incentives for proper contract behavior.

Since Obama assumed office, the president and Gates have had ongoing conversations about the process. "The president is well-aware of the decisions facing the secretary," Morrell said. "The president will make his own judgment about the recommendations put forth by the secretary."

This does not in any way suggest the White House has embraced the secretary's recommendations, but White House officials are aware of the process and how the secretary will unveil them, Morrell said.

The secretary wants the process viewed as a whole, rather than as the sum of its parts, Morrell said.

"He wants the opportunity to explain to the Congress and the American people how each of these decisions adds up to a budget that better allocates resources to meet the challenges we are currently facing, to support the warfighters that are currently engaged in conflicts while at the same time not neglecting the very real need to prepare for potential near-peer conventional conflicts down the road," he said.

Youth Have 'Tremendous Responsibility' Amid Global Crossroads, Obama Says

American Forces Press Service

April 3, 2009 - The world is at a crossroads, and it's up to the future generations of leaders to take responsibility, President Barack Obama today told 300 students and young professionals from about 50 countries gathered in Strasbourg, France, for the NATO Youth Summit conference being held in conjunction with the alliance's annual summit. "We find ourselves at a crossroads, ... all of us, for we've arrived at a moment where each nation and every citizen must choose, at last, how we respond to a world that has grown smaller and more connected than at any time in its existence," Obama said.
“But it's also a tremendous responsibility, because it is you who must ultimately decide what we do with this incredible moment in history," he added.

In remarks ahead of the NATO summit today, Obama said the forces that have brought the world closer together have had both good and bad repercussions.

"The same forces that have brought us closer together have also given rise to new dangers that threaten to tear our world apart, dangers that cannot be contained by the nearest border or the furthest ocean," he said.

Outlining some of the 21st century threats the international community faces, Obama cited the spread of nuclear weapons and the theft of nuclear material, which has the potential to lead "to the extermination of any city on the planet."

Describing the global reach of terrorism, the president pointed to attacks on both U.S. and British soil that were hatched domestically and abroad.

"The terrorists who struck in London and New York plotted in distant caves and simple apartments much closer to your home," he said. As a result, every country in the international community has a share in responsibility, he added.

"Every nation bears responsibility for what lies ahead, especially now," Obama said. "For whether it's the recession or climate change or terrorism or drug trafficking, poverty or the proliferation of nuclear weapons, we have learned that, without a doubt, there's no corner of the globe that can wall itself off from the threats of the 21st century.

"The one way forward -- the only way forward -- is through a common and persistent effort to combat fear and want wherever they exist," he continued. "That is the challenge of our time, and we cannot fail to meet it together."

Obama reached into the history of NATO, one day before the military alliance celebrates its 60th birthday. Without firing a single shot, he said, the alliance prevented the Iron Curtain from descending on the free nations of Western Europe, and led to the crumbling of the Berlin Wall and the end of the communist threat.

"Two decades later, with 28 member nations that stretch from the Baltic to the Mediterranean, NATO remains the strongest alliance that the world has ever known," he said, praising the addition this week of Albania and Croatia, and France's recent pledge to deepen its commitment.

Speaking about the alliance's mission in Afghanistan, Obama praised the contributions made by NATO allies to an operation that he characterized as "indispensable to our common security."

"Now I understand that this war has been long. Our allies have already contributed greatly to this endeavor," he said. "You've sent your sons and daughters to fight alongside ours, and we honor and respect their service and sacrifice."

Obama said there's no decision more difficult, and no duty more painful, than signing a letter to the family of somebody who's died in a war. As a result, he understands doubts among Americans and Europeans about NATO's first overseas mission.

"But know this: The United States of America did not choose to fight a war in Afghanistan," he said. "We were attacked by an al-Qaida network that killed thousands on American soil, including French and Germans. Along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan, those terrorists are still plotting today. And if there is another al-Qaida attack, it is just as likely, if not more, that it will be here in Europe, in a European city."

Obama said he has requested more civilian and military assistance from NATO allies to help root out terrorists who pose a threat to international security.

"This is a mission that tests whether nations can come together in common purpose on behalf of our common security. That's what we did together in the 20th century," he said. "And now we need an alliance that is even stronger than when it brought down a mighty wall in Berlin.

"That's why we applaud France's decision to expand and deepen its participation in NATO, just as we support a strong European defense," the president continued. "That's why we welcome Croatia and Albania into the fold. And that is why we must ensure that NATO is equipped and capable of facing down the threats and challenges of this new age."

The president implored the young people into action, cautioning that contentment with the successes of the last century will not help defend against modern threats.

"This is our generation. This is our time," he said. "And I am confident that we can meet any challenge, as long as we are together."

Young people, by virtue of being unburdened by the biases or prejudices of the past, have a unique privilege and responsibility today, Obama said.

"Each time we find ourselves at a crossroads, paralyzed by worn debates and stale thinking, the old ways of doing things, a new generation rises up and shows the way forward," he said.