Female Soldiers Continue Footprint in Army Aviation

American Forces Press Service

Aug. 5, 2009 - Women have actively supported the U.S. military since the Revolutionary War. By providing medical care to wounded soldiers and support to their militia men, women introduced themselves as an asset to protecting the nation. Today, female soldiers are offered the same jobs as male soldiers, with the exception of combat-arms careers such as infantry, armory and artillery.

Women, however, continue to deploy in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom on the ground and in the air as truck drivers, military police, field medics and Army aviation aircrew members.

Amelia Earhart and other female aviators paved the way for women in the sky in the 1920s, but it wasn't until the 1970s that female pilots were considered for U.S. military aviation programs. But serving their country from the cockpit of fixed-wing or rotary-wing combat aircraft still was not an option for women.

In 1993, then-Defense Secretary Les Aspin opened combat presence from the aircraft cockpit to women, including female enlisted aircrew members.

In southern Afghanistan, women serve on aircrews that provide medical evacuation throughout the combat zone. Company C, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, includes men and women among its aviators and medical specialists.

"I can't think of a better job I'd rather be doing," said Army Chief Warrant Officer Monica Narhi, a medevac pilot. "What motivates me is the significance and direct purpose in my job every day; this is a great mission."

Narhi, a 10-year Army pilot, said she has wanted to be a medevac pilot since she was a girl. A former Army aviation officer and a veteran of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, Narhi retired her commission as a captain, but continued her military career. She returned to Army aviation as a warrant officer to continue pursuing her dream to be a pilot.

In the late 1980s, the Army responded to the prohibition of women being involved in combat roles -- such as directly engaging the enemy with crew-served weapons, which excluded female helicopter pilots from the combat zone -- by using helicopters for transportation and medical evacuation.

Army Capt. Jennie Richey, a medevac pilot, commands of the battalion's Company D. Her mission is to ensure the maintenance and operability of CH-47F Chinook helicopters. "I don't change the standards set for my soldiers or see them different from each other," Richey said. "It doesn't matter if they are male or female; they all work hard to accomplish their missions.

"I am who I am, and I won't change how I command because I'm a female," Richey continued. "And as a pilot and member of an aircrew, we see each other as just that -- a crew; there is no difference."

Army Sgt. Christine Chaney, a flight medic with Company C, served in the Army for more than five years. Before joining the company, she was an emergency room nurse in Germany.

"The team provides group support to each other while on missions," Chaney said. "It doesn't matter if it's a female medic or a male medic; what matters are patients receiving immediate care."

In the combat zone, medevac crews treat not only casualties of homemade bombs and gunshot wounds, but also servicemembers suffering from heat stroke or injured in accidents.

"The hardest part about being a flight medic is treating injured children," Chaney said. "My priority is treating the patient; their life is in our hands."

Chaney said she hopes to pursue her medical degree and serve in the Army as a physician's assistant or doctor.

Many women like Chaney have served in the military as medical specialists. Evacuation nurses have aided in the rescue of casualties for more than 60 years.

Army Lt. Elsie S. Ott, an air evacuation nurse in the 1940s, was the first woman to receive the Air Medal for her performance in support of the air evacuation mission. The Air Medal is awarded to crew members for their performance during an aviation mission in a hostile environment.

Along with flight medics and pilots, Army aviation also employs crew chiefs to assist in the maintenance and security of the aircraft. Army Spc. Nicole Hyde, a crew chief assigned to Company C, is responsible for helicopters' serviceability, making sure the aircraft is ready for launch when a medevac mission is called in.

"After I've made sure the aircraft is ready, ... communication calls, engines are operational and equipment is secure, my focus is to assist the pilots and flight medic on board," she said.

Women now make up 15 percent of the Army, and working side by side with their male counterparts, have expanded their footprint in the U.S. military.

(From an 82ND Combat Aviation Brigade news release.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS August 5, 2009

NAVY
Souza Construction, Inc.*, Farmersville, Calif., (N62473-09-D-1652); Bilbro Construction Co., Inc.*, San Diego, Calif., (N62473-09-D-1653); Allen Engineering Contractor, Inc.*, San Bernardino, Calif., (N62473-09-D-1654); K.O.O. Construction, Inc.*, West Sacramento, Calif., (N62473-09-D-1655); RMA Land Construction, Inc.*, Brea, Calif., (N62473-09-D-1656); I.E.-Pacific, Inc.*, San Diego, Calif., (N62473-09-D-1657); A&D GC Inc.*, Santee, Calif., (N62473-09-D-1658); and San Juan Construction, Inc.*, Montrose, Colo., (N62473-09-D-1659), are each being awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract small business set-aside for new construction and renovation of general building construction at various locations within the NAVFAC Southwest area of responsibility. The work to be performed provides for the design, new construction, renovation and repair for industrial, commercial type and institutional buildings, systems and infrastructure. The work may include civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and communication systems and will include supervision, equipment, materials, and labor, to provide complete and usable facilities. The maximum dollar value for all eight contracts combined is $750,000,000. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Work will be performed at various federal sites within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including but not limited to Calif., (83 percent), Ariz., (12 percent), Nev., (2 percent), Utah, (1 percent), Colo., (1 percent), and N.M., (1 percent), and work is expected to be completed July 2014. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 46 proposals received. These eight contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics, Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $65,200,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for installation of a hull patch, bridge access trunk, sail and port retractable bow plane, as well as perform mandatory corrective maintenance actions required for the repair and restoration of USS Hartford (SSN 768). Work will be performed in Groton, Conn., (90 percent) and Quonset, R.I., (10 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $31,950,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-4413).

McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $15,999,645 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-04-C-0014). This modification provides for the procurement of additional ancillary mission equipment for the F/A-18 E/F and E/A-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif., (96 percent); and Irving, Calif., (4 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $3,502,299 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Basic Contracting Services, Inc.*, Artesia, N.M., is being awarded a maximum $15,297,613 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity services contract for armed security guard services including harbor patrol services for Naval Magazine Indian Island. The work to be performed provides for armed entry control point security, fixed post security, roving land patrols, and harbor patrols. Work will be performed at Port Hadlock, Wash., and is expected to be completed by September 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website,with 10 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Northwest, Silverdale, Wash., is the contracting activity (N44255-09-D-5000).

K2 Solutions, Inc.*, Southern Pines, N.C., is being awarded an $8,733,779 firm-fixed price contract for the purchase of 112 trained and certified Improvised Explosive Device Detector Dogs (IDD). This requirement also involves procuring and maintaining a pool of 247 IDDs; training for the selected IDDs; and five weeks of training of IDD handlers. The contract will also provide for kenneling of the IDDs, to include feeding and medical care of IDDs during the period of performance; team integration training for four weeks at a training venue designated by the United States Marine Corps, currently Twenty-nine Palms, Calif.; and contractor field support services to assist the USMC after deployment. This contract will include an option for the procurement of replacement IDDs, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $8,763,779. The work will be performed in Southern Pines, N.C., and Twenty-Nine Palms, Calif., and work is expected to be completed Aug. 4, 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $8,733,779 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via a request for proposals, with three proposals solicited and three offers received. The USMC, Regional Contracting Office, National Capitol Region, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M00264-09-C-0028).

Northrop Grumman Guidance and Electronics Co., Woodland Hills, Calif., is being awarded an $8,004,225 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed fee contract for engineering and technical services in support of the Fiber Optic Conformal Acoustic Velocity Sensor (FOCAVES). Efforts will include engineering and technical support of the phase 7 development of the FOCAVES system. The purpose of phase 7 is to build a working model for testing, and create a TDM receiver for interrogation of the optical sensors. Work will be performed in Woodland Hills, Calif., and is expected to completed by August 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, R.I., is the contracting activity (N66604-09-D-0053).

Obama: VA Outreach Aims at Seamless Transition

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 5, 2009 - The days of the Department of Veterans Affairs waiting passively for veterans leaving the military to come seeking benefits and services are over, President Barack Obama told military reporters yesterday. Today's VA is reaching out, while servicemembers are still in uniform, to make sure they know what their benefits are and what services are available to them, he said during a White House roundtable interview.

Obama called this "active outreach" an important first step in ensuring servicemembers don't "fall through the cracks" as they transition from the Defense Department to VA systems.

"We have been placing a lot more emphasis on outreach, because although there are hundreds of thousands of veterans who are using our services, we know that there are hundreds of thousands more who may not know that benefits are available," he said.

Obama said he wants to ensure that "every single veteran -- not just our active forces, but also the National Guard and reservists -- are aware of the benefits that are available to them."

"Guiding them through that process, we think, is extraordinarily important," he said.

That's particularly true in the cases of wounded warriors, he said, whose transitions are being eased by VA's additional claims adjusters and technological improvements to streamline the application process.

"What we're trying to do is just break down the hurdles that exist between veterans and the VA," he said.

Obama called the new joint virtual lifetime electronic record one of the longer-term answers to promoting a more seamless transition process. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates proposed the measure to improve care and services to transitioning veterans by smoothing the flow of medical records between the two departments.

"When a member of the armed services separates from the military, he or she will no longer have to walk paperwork from a [military] duty station to a local VA health center," Obama explained as he announced the initiative in April.

The new electronic record, which includes administrative as well as medical records, will reduce lost hard-copy files and delays in getting benefits processed, the president said. It also provides a framework to ensure health-care providers have all the information they need to deliver high-quality health care, while reducing medical errors, officials noted.

Shinseki told reporters yesterday the new record represents a big step forward that will require a merger of the electronic records within the two departments.

Noting that he lived under the Defense Department's system for many years when he served in uniform, the retired Army general said he's "very proud" of the VA's electronic records system. "We have to get them to talk, or to come together," he said. "That's what this is about."

The full impact of an integrated system will take some time to realize, Shinseki said.

"Trying to do the seamless transition when a youngster takes off a uniform today and is inducted into the Veterans Department tomorrow -- nearly impossible," he said. "And so what we've agreed to do is create a system where a youngster takes the oath of office today, and while he or she is serving, we begin the process of creating an electronic record in [the Defense Department] that is mirrored in VA."

This will go a long way toward plugging any gaps that inadvertently occur during the transition process, he said.

"However long they serve -- whether it's two years or 10 years -- when they take the uniform off, a seamless transition has already occurred," Shinseki said. "They're a known quantity. We know where they've been. We know what injuries [they'd had], what operations they've been on."

President, VA Chief Cite Post-traumatic Stress as Priority

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 5, 2009 - Citing the direct correlation between military deployments and post-traumatic stress disorder, President Barack Obama said he's hopeful that increasing the size of the force will help to reduce incidents of stress. Obama joined Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki yesterday to discuss a broad range of veterans issues, including his commitment to tackling the causes behind PTSD and providing resources to help those experiencing it.

"There is a direct connection between the problems of PTSD and the pace of military operations," Obama told military reporters during a roundtable interview at the White House.

"As we are phasing down our operations in Iraq, we're going to see fewer PTSD cases coming out of Iraq," he said. "As we're seeing increased velocity of operations in Afghanistan, that's going to put more strain on the military personnel who are located there."

Faced with that hard reality -- one he said he takes to heart as he deploys troops in the first place -- Obama said he wants to reduce the incidents of PTSD. And one of the best ways to do that, he said, is "to reduce the amount of time in theater without a break."

Obama noted steps he's taken to increase the size of the military, particularly the Army and Marine Corps, which have been most heavily stressed with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

He also gave Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates authority to advance the Army's growth to end its "stop-loss" policy more quickly. The unpopular policy keeps some soldiers in uniform beyond the terms of their enlistment contracts.

The president also approved Gates' recommendation to temporarily boost the Army's active force by 22,000 members, a move expected to begin making an impact in January.

"All those things are going to make a difference in reducing stress, because what you've seen is that the incidents of post-traumatic stress disorder increase with each deployment," the president said.

But Obama called that just the first step in addressing the issue. Identifying people with symptoms of PTSD and getting them help also are key to a comprehensive approach.

"Step No. 2 is making sure that we are doing the screening that's necessary so that problems don't fester, and eliminating the stigma that may have historically existed when somebody is showing symptoms of PTSD -- particularly if they're still in theater, or still on active duty," he said.

The military has been working hard to change that paradigm, he noted. "I think that you've seen steps both within all the armed forces to talk about these issues, encourage people to avail themselves of services while they're in theater, but also when they get home," he said.

The president recognized "much more aggressive, systemic screening" VA conducts for every veteran entering its system.

The third step in addressing PTSD is to provide mental health services to those who need them.

Obama said his fiscal 2010 budget, which includes the largest VA funding increase in 30 years, will help to confront PTSD and traumatic brain injuries in a "more robust way."

"Throwing money at the problem by itself is not enough," he conceded. But, he added, money does help by funding more counselors, mental health specialists and treatment facilities. "We're hiring mental health providers," Shinseki pointed out. "We're up to 18,000 in the VA today."

Shinseki also noted the success of VA's national suicide hotline, staffed by mental health professionals. In the year since it went operational, the hotline -- 1-800-273-TALK (8255) -- has received about 150,000 calls.

But the biggest measure of the hotline's effectiveness, Shinseki said, are the 3,200 "online interventions" in which mental health professionals were able to help stop suicides "in the process."

"Because you have a mental health professional recognizing some cues, with an electronic health record -- you have a name, you know a location -- you can begin to vector, whether it's police or local authorities, to help," Shinseki said.

Among those 3,200 interventions, one involved a suicide in process in Baghdad, he said. A mother who was online with her troubled son called the hotline. That sparked a chain of events that led to getting notification to the servicemember's unit commander, who stepped in to help.

More money will fund more research into PTSD to get a better understanding of its causes, Shinseki said. "We know a lot about PTSD, but we don't know enough," he said.

Why, for example, are two people who have had the same experience affected differently? "There's something here that we don't understand," Shinseki said. "Is it personal makeup, resilience, how kids were raised, or whatever? But unlocking that door, for both [the Defense Department] and VA, will be important because it will help us understand how we can teach resilience."

Even with more understanding and treatment options for PTSD, Shinseki acknowledged another challenge: getting people to acknowledge they need help in the first place.

Mandatory screenings will help, he said. In addition, VA is moving its mental health care into the primary care areas of its hospitals. "We're trying to attack that stigma of, 'I'm going to mental health,' as opposed to 'I'm going to the hospital,' where it's not so visible," Shinseki said.

Another challenge is getting veterans, particularly younger ones who think they can deal with the problem themselves, to reach out for help. "Some of that is having to break through ... the invincibility of youth, convincing them that they have an issue [and that] we can help," he said.

"We know if we get them into treatment, they get better," he said. "We also know [that] if we don't get them into treatment, it doesn't get better, and most often it becomes debilitating."

Shinseki pointed to 131,000 homeless veterans, many of whom began their downward spiral with undetected and untreated PTSD or other mental health problems.

As VA works with other agencies to address the homeless veteran problem, he said, it wants to resolve issues that can help the newest veterans from facing the same plight in the future.

Obama said he's seen a change in attitudes about PTSD since the Vietnam era. "And I think both [the Defense Department] and VA take the issue of PTSD very seriously," he said.

"I'm confident that we're moving in the right direction," he said. "We're putting resources behind it. We're putting time and energy behind it. I'm focused on it personally. But it's going to take some time."

Face of Defense: NCO Follows in Grandfather's Footsteps

By Thad Moyseowicz
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 5, 2009 - The Atomium monument is an iconic landmark of Brussels. Made in the shape of an iron crystal's unit cell, it was built as a centerpiece for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, and has remained standing long after the fair's closing. Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan James, installation provost sergeant for U.S Army Garrison Brussels, first became conscious of the Atomium as a child in Kelso, Wash.

"My grandfather was a career soldier," James said, "and he had this funny paperweight shaped like an atom. I once asked him what it was, and he explained to me that it was part of the Brussels World's Fair, and that he and grandma had seen it when they went to the fair in 1958 from Germany.

"I never dreamed that I'd someday not only see the Atomium," he said, "but that I'd live in Brussels, too."

James credits his grandfather with having inspired his interest in the Army. He enlisted following graduation from high school in 2004, and went through basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

He was drawn to the Military Police Corps after completing a high school law enforcement project with the Washington State Highway Patrol, he said, adding that he figured MP training would give him entry to future civilian employment in law enforcement.

James initially was assigned to the 92nd MP Company in Baumholder, Germany, where his grandfather was stationed, and deployed with his unit to Afghanistan for a year as a gunner. The experience, he said, was incredibly maturing. "I went to Afghanistan straight out of mom's house," he recalled, "and came out transformed."

The Afghanistan experience also cooled his interest in a civilian career.

"I found I really enjoyed the company of soldiers, the sense of mission and pride, the camaraderie," he said. "I especially enjoyed working as a team member."

After his return to Baumholder, James found he was up for orders. He also found himself increasingly involved with his high school sweetheart, Natalie.

"I proposed to Natalie in Paris," he said with a chuckle, "because I figured it would be hard for her to say no. She accepted, we were married, and my first sergeant, who knew I wanted some time to establish my family, talked me into volunteering for orders to Brussels."

James said the Brussels assignment has done everything he expected and more.

"Natalie and I had our first child here," he explained. "Owen is now 2, and we're now expecting our second child in January. We definitely are established as a family now."

Professionally, the assignment has seen James rocket in rank from specialist to staff sergeant. He has occupied every position available for an enlisted MP at the garrison, from patrolman to desk sergeant to installation provost sergeant.

"Sergeant James is, simply stated, a spectacular NCO," said his boss, Army Capt. Antonio Espinal, director of emergency services. "He's transformed what was, frankly, an underachieving MP station for the better in every measurable way. And he's done it through sound, hard-nosed leadership and attention to detail."

Army Sgt. Ryan Cody, the garrison desk sergeant, called James "the best NCO I've ever worked for in the Army."

"He sets very high standards, and we know we have to aim high to reach those standards," he said. "Most important, he really cares about each of us, both on the job and off duty. It's not show with him; he really cares."

James said he prefers to remain modest, even in the face of such high praise. "I find it extremely rewarding being able to positively affect my peers, to influence the lives of larger groups," he said, "but I don't like to talk about it."

James credits two people with his accomplishments: his wife and his drill instructor.

"I would not be where I am without my wife, Natalie," he said. "There were times when I was preparing for boards when she knew the material I was going to be boarded on better than I did. I'd come home tired, and she'd tell me we were going to start reviewing the material.

"She loves the Army," he added, "and has told me she wants to go back to school when we go back to the U.S. to study physical therapy -- so she can take care of wounded soldiers."

James said he continues to draw inspiration from his basic training drill instructor. "I'll never forget him," he said. "He really set me on the path to success in the Army."

The James family has orders to report to Fort Leonard Wood in October. James' request for drill instructor duty will bring him full circle to where he started his career. "This is something I really want to do," he said. "The circle keeps getting bigger. I'll be able to do for others what my drill instructor did for me."

Espinal said James will leave Brussels having made it a better place.

"Sergeant James lives the NCO core leadership values of 'Be, Know, Do,'" Espinal said. "I'm happy he's going to a position where he'll touch lots of soldiers with his example."

(Thad Moyseowicz works in the U.S. Army Garrison Brussels public affairs office.)

Obama: Health Care Reform Won't Impact VA, Tricare

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 4, 2009 - In ongoing discussions about health-care reform, President Barack Obama offered assurance today to those receiving medical care through Tricare or the Department of Veterans Affairs: Your benefits are safe. Eligibility for health care under VA or Tricare "will not be affected by our efforts at broader health-care reform," Obama told military reporters at the White House today.

Obama said he also made that point clear after today's meeting with the American Legion's national commander, Dave Rehbein, and executive director, Peter Gaytan.

"I want to make sure that message gets out to our veterans," the president said. "I think it's very important to get the message out: If you are in the VA system and are happy with your care, great. We have no intention of changing your eligibility."

While a new, national program won't force anyone to change health-care systems, Obama said it could offer benefits or geographic convenience that might make some veterans elect to join it. A national program "will actually give them more choices, more flexibility," he said.

Obama cited problems in U.S. health-care delivery systems, which he said cost more than other countries' programs and too often deliver less.

The VA "has probably made more progress than most systems out there in increasing quality" during the past 25 years, and could help shed light on better ways of delivering health care, he said.

But the cost of delivering that care is high even at VA, and Tricare consumes a big piece of the Defense Department's budget, he said.

With the fiscal 2010 budget reflecting the largest VA funding increase in 30 years, Obama told American Legion leaders he is committed to ensuring that VA provides America's veterans the highest-quality health care possible.

Meanwhile, he told reporters VA will increase its outreach to more veterans to make sure they're aware of their medical benefits and other entitlements.

"Although there are hundreds of thousands of veterans who are using our services, we know there are hundreds of thousands more who may not know that benefits are available," he said.

"And we are working really hard to make sure that every single veteran – not just our active force, but also National Guard and reservists, are aware of the benefits that are available to them.

"Guiding them through that process, we think, is extraordinarily important."

New PTSD Program Answers Nee

|by Capt. Bryan Lewis

LANDSTUHL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, Germany - Symptoms of combat stress and post-traumatic stress disorder include continual nightmares, avoidance behaviors, denial, grief, anger and fear.

Some Soldiers, battling these and other symptoms, can be treated successfully as an outpatient while assuming their normal duties. For others, however, returning to work and becoming their old selves again were challenges recognized by several mental health professionals across the European theater.

"We were looking at how we can best meet the needs of our clientele, and we were identifying that a lot of the Soldiers needed more than once-a-week outpatient, individual therapy and probably needed more than once- or twice-a-week group therapy," said Joseph Pehm, chief of Medical Social Work at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

The solution came in the creation of an intensive eight-week therapeutic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Day Treatment Program called "evolution" that began in March 2009 at LRMC. During the eight-hour days, patients enrolled in the program participate in multiple disciplines and interests, including art therapy, yoga and meditation classes, substance abuse groups, anger and grief management, tobacco cessation, pain management and multiple PTSD evidence-based practice protocols.

"I am a great believer in the kitchen sink, meaning I throw everything, including the kitchen sink, and something will stick," said Dr. Daphne Brown, chief of the Division of Behavioral Health at LRMC. "And so we've come with all the evidence-based treatment for PTSD that we know about ... We've taken everything that we can think of that will be of use in redirecting symptoms for these folks and put it into an eight-week program."

Brown, Pehm and Sharon Stewart, a Red Cross volunteer who recently received a doctorate in psychology, said the program is designed from research into the effects of traumatic experience and mirrors successful PTSD programs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as programs run by psychologists in the U.S.

"We are building on the groundbreaking work that some of our peers and colleagues have done and just expanding it out," said Brown.

During treatment, patients begin the day with a community meeting where they discuss how well they feel and any additional issues or concerns since their last meeting. The remainder of the day depends on the curriculum scheduled for that week.

The first few weeks focus on learning basic coping skills such as how to reduce anxiety and fight fear, as well as yoga and meditation for relaxation. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, an evidence-based practice for treating PTSD, is also conducted during the early phases of the treatment program.

"The concept behind EMDR is that, essentially, memories become fixed in one part of our brain and they maintain their power and control over our emotions as long as they are fixed there," said Brown. "And if we can activate a different part of the brain while we're experiencing that memory, we can help to remove some of that emotional valence from it. So we use physiological maneuvers to activate both sides of the brain."

The goal at the beginning of the PTSD program is to provide patients with a number of tools they can use to help them calm down when feeling overwhelmed, especially before more intense therapy begins in the latter weeks. Cognitive processing therapy is used throughout the program. EMDR and prolonged exposure therapy are also available on an individual basis at the Soldier's request. All three techniques are research-based treatments.

When life-changing events occur, Brown said perceptions about the world may change. For example, before Soldiers experience combat trauma they may think the world is safe. Following combat, a Soldier's perceptions may change - a majority of the world may now seem unsafe. Cognitive processing therapy attempts to re-address experiences and reshift a Soldier's perceptions.

Prolonged exposure therapy is behaviorally based and addresses a Soldier's fears, which are seen as reflex reactions to a stimulus. To decondition the reactions, a patient is continually exposed to the stimulus by retelling the story repeatedly, minus the negative outcome. Brown compared it to riding a roller coaster over and over again to overcome a fear of roller coasters.

"So they're getting EMDR, they're getting cognitive processing therapy, they're getting individual therapy, they're getting group therapy, they're getting education, anger management, self-esteem, relationship issues, grief and loss, yoga, meditation exercise, skill building -- a little bit of everything across the board," said Brown. "Not everything's going to resonate with everyone who comes through, but something's going to resonate for everyone who comes through."

In addition to the overall core curriculum, Brown and her staff have programs such as pain management, relationship enrichment and tobacco cessation to help individualize treatment.

"The core of the group and individual education is consistent for everyone," said Brown. "But we recognize that every patient is different, and we have to tailor-make it to give an individualized treatment plan. We don't keep people in pain management if they're not in pain. We don't give them tobacco cessation if they're not smoking. So we do try and tailor as much of it as we can."

Spirituality, relationship enrichment and gender-specific issues are also areas of focus.
"The program is holistic," said Pehm. "It looks at people from different spheres, not just the medical model, because everything is impacted when someone has combat stress or PTSD - not just the individual Soldier, but everybody who comes in contact with them."

The intensity, length and "kitchen sink" qualities are not the only aspects that make this program unique, said Brown. It is a joint military and civilian effort accomplished entirely by volunteers. The staff is as diverse as the therapy options, and includes chaplains, social workers, Red Cross volunteers, psychiatrists, a nurse practitioner, enlisted psychiatric technicians, and graduate students. Brown said having a sundry of personnel keeps the program fresh and the staff excited.

"The patients get perspectives from people from a number of different backgrounds," said Brown.

Thus far, the staff outnumbers the program's participants.

"By design we started out small, and we were able to establish a really good working relationship with the local Warrior Transition Unit people ... It's been a wonderful working relationship with them," said Pehm.

Evolution is currently on it second eight-week course, with five patients enrolled. The first class had four. The goal is to keep the class size small in order to benefit from the program's intensity. Thinking small also helps keep the impact large by successfully returning Soldiers to their units, while also expanding access outside the WTUs. However, Pehm said they would like to expand the program to include patients from throughout the European Command.

"Ideally, we'd like to max it at about 10 because it is so intensive," said Brown. "These are folks we hope to remediate and return to the Army to be functional members again. Also, if they go back to their communities and their providers or spouses see the changes that have come about, that will increase the willingness or desire of more people to be here."

Though few have completed this young program, signs of success have already started to surface.

"With the last group, the shift from 'I have to be here' to 'I'm so glad I came' was really phenomenal," said Pehm.

"One of them said that he didn't think he was getting anything out of the program," Brown said. "It was about week six until he saw himself react differently to a situation that came up, and watched himself do it differently using skills that he didn't know he learned. He went 'Wow,' maybe I am getting something out of this."

It is too early, and the numbers are too small, to generalize the early trends, but self-completed PTSD checklists showed a significant decrease in reported symptoms for three of the four patients in the first cohort. Additionally, anxiety and depression symptom measures decreased.

"The whole idea is that we know all the changes aren't going to take place here," said Brown. "But we hope we give them enough learning to send them in a different direction. My hope is that we can build a program to provide valid, effective treatment to folks who have put themselves in harm's way at the request of their country, and help them live happier and better lives."

Southcom Embraces Two-Way Impact of Social Media

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 4, 2009 - Social media has become all the rage throughout the military as a growing number of senior leaders turn to blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter entries and other social networking venues to get word out about their activities and engage new audiences. Commands exploring the best way to get involved in social media might want to consider the experience of U.S. Southern Command, the first combatant command to embrace these new communication forms.

Sarah Nagelmann, who served as Southcom's strategic communications director, had a receptive audience when she first pitched the concept of a commander's blog last fall to Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis.

Nagelmann didn't envision a blog posted under Stavridis' name, but filled with other people's entries. She wanted the commander, who moved on last month to the top posts at U.S. European Command and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, to do the writing.

"The commander has to own his or her own voice," Nagelmann told American Forces Press Service. "As soon as you delegate that communication platform, it loses its impact."

Readers are too savvy to confuse material written by a staffer, particularly a public affairs person, with the words of the commander, she said. The language becomes stilted. The leader's personality is lost, and with it, the authenticity of the message.
"And once you lose that authenticity, I think people are more hesitant to engage on that platform," Nagelmann said.

That misses the whole point of social media: generating a dialogue with audiences the commander might never have had the opportunity to interact with otherwise.

"Once you lose that authenticity, their incentive to participate goes down," Nagelmann said. "You have lost the utility of the platform."

Nagelmann can't imagine why a military command would elect not to engage in the increasingly popular social media. By some estimates, more than 60 million people maintain a blog. Meanwhile, the MySpace and Facebook social networking sites have quickly risen to become the most-visited U.S. Web sites.

"If we choose not to engage in this platform, we will be represented by others, and we lose the opportunity to represent ourselves," she said. "That cost is just too high to ignore. There is absolutely an opportunity cost in not engaging."

In fact, Nagelmann recommends that commanders compound the effectiveness of their social media outreach by empowering their people to represent the organization through their social networking efforts.

"If we can ensure everyone affiliated with an organization understands what we do, why we do it and why it matters, and give them the ability -- empower them -- to communicate that, then we have created a really strong capability, and one that will touch a lot more corners than relying on one voice alone," she said. "It can become a really powerful mechanism."

But Nagelmann, who accompanied Stavridis to Eucom and SHAPE as his strategic communications advisor, also recommends that commands formulate at least a basic plan before launching a social networking effort.

"We have to think deliberately about what we want out of these platforms before we just jump in willy-nilly," she said. "Using them the wrong way isn't advantageous because you're not generating the response or reaction you are looking to create."

Engagement, she emphasized, is what social media is all about. Unlike traditional media, social media opens the dialogue to a broader population, eliminating barriers so more people are able to offer ideas and share their expertise and experience.

"We are looking to provide information and to create dialogue," she said. "If we don't do that in a way that enables others to participate, if it is always one-way transmit, then I think that's a danger. We've lost the effectiveness."

Nagelmann said she's satisfied with the results of Southcom's initial foray into social media, but sees more opportunity yet to be tapped.

"What we have enabled is a way for others who do not know how to interact with Southcom to send us comments, questions, thoughts, reactions to any number of things," she said. "We have provided a mechanism that is accessible globally and allows others to find us and enter into conversation with us where, before, the barriers to entry were incredibly high."

Looking at the feedback Southcom received through its early social networking efforts, Nagelmann has one complaint: it's been too positive. She'd like to see more constructive criticism.

"We want feedback about where our strategies are working and where we can do better," she said. "Critical feedback is the point. We are giving people the opportunities to say, 'I understand what you are doing and I appreciate the perspective. Here is an alternative one.

"Once we get to that point, I think we will have a meaningful platform."

As more commands enter social networking, Nagelmann urges them to be willing to try new things and recognize that mistakes are an inevitable part of the process.

"We have to be open to experimenting and occasionally making mistakes and learning from them," she said.

She also reminds commands not to forget that social networking is just one of many tools for communicating their messages.

"A lot of us are jumping at 'bright and shiny objects' because this new media space is interesting and fun, it's exciting and changing," she said. "But in reality, it's simply another venue. It doesn't replace anything. It's an additional mechanism to transmit and receive information."

Social media isn't for everyone, and doesn't reach the entire audience, she said. "It's complementary to all those other mediums out there, just one more way to reach out, engage and initiate dialogue," she said.

"But if we choose not to participate, and cede our voice to others in this environment, that is going to do us no good," she said. "We are finally beginning to understand the power of this platform. And the uses are almost endless."

Face of Defense: Soldier to be First Female Head of Drill Sergeant School

By Crystal Lewis Brown
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 4, 2009 - Army Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa King of the 369th Adjutant General Battalion has been selected the next commandant of the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant School. When she assumes responsibility in September, the ceremony not only will be commemorating a new school leader, but also the school's first female commandant.

King, who learned of the selection in June, will replace Army Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Newsome as head of the school.

King enlisted in 1980, and, soon after, attended the same school she later would be slated to lead.

"I went to Drill Sergeant School before I went to my basic school for my [military occupational specialty]," the Clinton, N.C. native said. "The Drill Sergeant School has set the foundation for my training, so it's ironic that I'm going home."

Despite her rank as a specialist, she said she was expected to perform to the same level as the rest of the students. "They held me to the same standards that they held the [other] drill sergeants," she said.

Her graduation was held in the morning, she said, "and I was on the trail that afternoon."

King said it is important to note that a hard worker will shine, regardless of gender. "It really doesn't matter if you're male or female," she said. "If you...enforce standards, people will respect you."

King said it has not really set in that she will be the first woman to hold the school's top spot, but said she hopes the selection will encourage other women.

"Because I'm doing it ... that means another female command sergeant major can do it," she said. "I think it's going to set the bar higher for them, not just for drill sergeants, but for other female soldiers."

Even now, King said, being selected as commandant is a surprise. "It's sort of one of those moments of ... utter disbelief," she said.

King added that she is honored and humbled by the selection, and is grateful for the chance to take the reins.

"I feel like I'm chosen to lead a noncommissioned officer who is charged with a high degree of responsibility," she said. "I'm responsible for them as they lead, mentor, counsel and train America's finest.

"There's nothing else that can compare to that."

(Crystal Lewis Brown works in the Fort Jackson, S.C., public affairs office.)

MILITARY CONTRACTS August 4, 2009

NAVY
Arise Scaffolding and Equipment, Cleveland, Ohio is being awarded a $57,000,160 ceiling firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide scaffolding services for the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center's commercial industrial services code in support of Navy ships and other government vessels within a 50-mile radius of San Diego, Calif. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by July 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $3,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured as a full and open competition via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with four offers received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N55236-09-D-0020).

3001, Inc. is being awarded an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity architect/ engineering contract with a maximum amount of $15,000,000 for geographic information systems, professional surveying and mapping services in the NAVFAC Atlantic area of responsibility. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities predominantly in the eastern United States but also worldwide. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via Federal Business Opportunities on a unrestricted basis with eleven (11) proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (contract number N62470-09-D-9013).

Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, Calif., is being awarded $14,557,563 firm-fixed-price contract for a Gigabit Ethernet Data Multiplex System (GEDMS) for the DDG51, a land-based GEDMS trainer, GEDMS hardware, and installation and checkout repair for the DDG51 GEDMS and GEDMS shipsets for the Royal Australian Navy. GEDMS is a ship-wide data transfer network for a ship's machinery, steering, navigation, combat, alarm and indicating, and damage control systems. It was designed to replace the miles of point-to-point cabling, signal converters, junction boxes, and switchboards associated with conventional ship's cabling. This contract contains three time and material options which, if exercised, will bring the total contract value to $14,872,563. Work will be performed in Huntington Beach, Calif., and is expected to be completed by January 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with two proposals solicited and two offers received via the Federal Business Opportunities website. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Va., is the contracting activity (N00178-09-C-2003).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
US Foodservice/Joseph Webb Division, Vista, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $51,877,500 firm-fixed price, prime vendor contract for full line food distribution. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The proposal was originally Web solicited with three responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising the third option year period. The date of performance completion is Aug. 17, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM300-08-D-3206).

Abaxis Inc., Union City, Calif.*, is being awarded a maximum $38,338,817 fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for chemistry analyzer accessories and reagents. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. There were originally 455 proposals solicited with 61 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Aug. 4, 2014. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM200-09-D-8207).

AIR FORCE
Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado Springs, Colo., was awarded a $18,300,000 contract to provide connection charge; provide dependable renewable solar photovoltaic solar electrical energy, a 3MW solar farm. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 10th Contracting Squadron, United States Air Force Academy, Colo., is the contracting activity (FA700-09-F-0023) .

DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY
Hardwire, LLC, Pocomoke, Md., is being awarded a $6,370,392 other transaction for prototypes agreement for development and testing of armored vehicle hull bottoms. Work will be performed in Pocomoke City, Md., and is expected to be completed in September 2010. Funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. DARPA issued a solicitation in Federal Business Opportunities on March 6, 2009 and more than 50 bids have been received. The contracting activity is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va. (HR0011-09-9-0001).

Officials Urge Parents to Check Students' Immunization Records

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 4, 2009 - Department of Defense Education Activity officials are reminding parents to review their children's immunization records to ensure they're up to date by the first day of the school year. "Updating students' immunizations is an important part of back-to-school preparations," said Mary Patton, chief of the activities' Pupil Personnel Services branch. "We want all students to be ready to learn, and in order for them to be ready to learn, they need to be healthy.

"Requiring children to be immunized protects the rest of the school, and the staff and other families as well," she added.

All the usual childhood vaccinations are required including those used to protect against measles, mumps and rubella, polio and diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.

The DoDEA Immunization Requirements Form, available on the activity's Web site, includes a list of required immunizations for students enrolled in an activity school.

"The one vaccine that we don't require right now ... is the HPV [to prevent] cervical cancer," Patton said. "The reason for that is pretty simple. It's not a communicable disease in schools."

If a school nurse notifies a principal that a student is not up to date on immunizations, the principal will send a letter to the student's parents informing them. Students won't be allowed to attend school until they have received the needed immunizations or an appointment is scheduled to receive them.

Military treatment facilities provide students with needed immunizations, and parents can coordinate with their child's physician to obtain the required vaccinations prior to the start of the school year. If required vaccines are temporarily unavailable, the military treatment facility will notify the school superintendent, and students will be allowed to attend school until the vaccine becomes available.

Students may attend school without being immunized due to religious beliefs.

"Parents can write a letter," Patton said. "They don't have to give us their religious beliefs, but [just say] that they do believe it is against their religion."

The minute there's a outbreak of anything, though, children who have not been immunized have to be sent home, she added. The same is true of those children who have a medical waiver for immunizations, Patton said.

Military Music

On August 6, 2009, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a two hour special exploring music performed, and in some instances created by, active duty military personnel.

Program Date: August 6, 2009
Program Time: 1700 hours, Pacific
Topic: Military Music
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/08/07/Military-Music

About the Program
Music from the United States Marine Corps, United States Army, United States Navy, United States Air Force and United States Coast Guard will be presented along with historical information and commentary. Listeners are encouraged to call in and dedicate a song to current, former or retired member of the United States Military. Music will include:

Allons Allons!! US Army Chorus
Big Jim Blues US Army Jazz Ambassadors
American: A Musical Memorial US Army Band
Big Red One US Army Chorus
Red Bulls 34th Division Band & Chorus
Back Bay Boogie US Army Jazz Ambassadors
Washington Post March US Army Band
Yellow Ribbon US Army Chorus
Stars and Stripes Forever US Army Band
US Army Song US Army Chorus
Caisson Song US Army Chorus
Armed Forces Medley US Army Band
Semper Paratus US Coast Guard Band
St. Louis Blues US Coast Guard Band
Air Force Song US Air Force Band
A Change in Elevation US Air Force Band
Big Mama Louise US Air Force Band
Anchors Aweigh US Navy Band
US Navy Hymn US Navy Sea Chanters
If the Shoe Fits US Navy Commodores
Marine Corps Hymn US Marine Corps Band
Comes Autumn Time US Marine Corps Band
Bullets and Bayonets US Marine Corps Band
Adagio, and Fugue in C Major US Marine Corps Band
William Tell Overture US Marine Corps Band
Star Spangled Banner US Marine Corps Band

About American Heroes Radio
American Heroes Radio broadcasts from “The Watering Hole.” The Watering Hole is a location heroes go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in Law Enforcement, public policy, Public Safety Technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in Law Enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/08/08/Air-Force-Office-of-Special-Investigations

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Tricare Deputy Director Highlights New Programs

By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 4, 2009 - Tricare is enhancing its programs and services as part of an ongoing commitment to provide quality health care for military families, the new deputy director of Tricare Management Activity said. One of Tricare's key initiatives is to enhance the contact beneficiaries and their family members have with their primary health care provider, Navy Rear Adm. Christine S. Hunter told "DotMilDocs" listeners July 30 on Pentagon Web Radio.

"The 'medical home' concept is an exciting way of looking at an individual's relationship with their primary care provider," she said.

The medical home concept emphasizes four health care pillars: accessibility, continuity, coordination and comprehensiveness. Hunter said that it takes the doctor-patient relationship to a new level.

"It creates an enhanced relationship with that health care provider to ensure access, continuity and trust," Hunter said. "We need to offer care that is coordinated and comprehensive. In order to do that, we will emphasize preventive care and wellness, ensuring that people are in a partnership with their provider that allows them to get the preventive care that they need, and manage any chronic medical conditions that they have."

Hunter also addressed Tricare programs, and how beneficiaries can make the best use of their benefits by highlighting four main goals of the Tricare health plan: providing beneficiaries and their families with access to the best health care, ensuring satisfaction with their health care, managing health care costs responsibly, and last, but most important, she said, maintaining military readiness.

Part of military readiness, Hunter said, is maintaining family readiness. "We see family readiness as an important part of overall readiness. Secretary of the Navy [Ray] Mabus recently said 'they who wait also serve' and we have a strong commitment to them," Hunter said.

Tricare also is providing to its beneficiaries access to a Web-based Tricare Assistance Program that will provide online counseling.

The program launched Aug. 1, Hunter said, and is for active-duty servicemembers and their families, people in the Transitional Assistance Management Program, and selected reserve members who purchase Tricare Reserve Select and their eligible family members.

"The Tricare Assistance Program provides Web-based supportive counseling; you can dial in on your home webcam to talk to a counselor and get the assistance you need in the privacy and comfort of your own home," Hunter said.

The program enables visitors to obtain an unlimited number of sessions with the same counselor. "We think this will go a long way to making folks feel more comfortable and reducing stigma," she said.

Hunter also discussed electronic health records as a priority. One of the advantages of Tricare is the ability to keep track of the quality of health care beneficiaries receive through the use of electronic medical health records, she said.

She noted that Tricare is fully supportive of President Barack Obama's initiative to help manage health care in America through the use of electronic health records. These records provide long-term health information that can be used to predict trends.

"We think this really improves the quality of care because you don't have to waste valuable time during personal interactions repeating your past medical or family history," Hunter said.

(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg is assigned to the Emerging Media Directorate of Defense Media Activity.)

Pentagon Weighs Social Networking Benefits, Vulnerabilities

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 4, 2009 - A Defense Department review is weighing the benefits of social networking and other Web 2.0 platforms against potential security vulnerabilities they create. In a memo issued last week, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III directed a study of social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube in hopes of establishing a policy by October, Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters today.

"We're addressing the challenges from a security standpoint, but also the impact and the value that they have to the department to be able to communicate in a 21st century environment," Whitman said.

Per his deputy's memo, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is slated to receive a report on the threats and benefits of Web 2.0 tools before the end of the month. Both Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have embraced the new technologies.

The Pentagon's chief information officer is taking the lead on the review, which was catalyzed by concerns raised at U.S. Strategic Command, Whitman said. Stratcom is responsible for overseeing the use of the "dot-mil" network.

In the meantime, there are no department-wide orders banning the use of social networking and other Web 2.0 applications, Whitman said, adding that standard local restrictions to such sites may occur due to bandwidth or security concerns.

"But as a department, we recognize the importance of taking a look at this issue because there are legitimate security concerns," he said.

In an interview with a blog site yesterday, Price Floyd, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, emphasized the importance of maintaining operational security, or Opsec, in an era of Web-based social networking.

"Opsec is paramount. We will have procedures in place to deal with that," Floyd told Wired's "Danger Room." "The [Defense Department] is, in that sense, no different than any big company in America. What we can't do is let security concerns trump doing business. We have to do business. ... Companies in the private sector that have policies like us don't dare shut down their Web sites. They have to sell their products and ideas -- and this is how it's done.

"Opsec needs to catch up with this stuff. This is the modern equivalent of sending a letter home from the front lines," he added. "Opsec needs to be considered on this stuff, but the more our troops do this stuff, the better off we are."

MILITARY CONTRACTS August 3, 2009

NAVY
Allen Engineering Contractor, Inc.*, San Bernardino, Calif., (N62473-09-D-1644); Granite Construction Co., Watsonville, Calif., (N62473-09-D-1645); Hal Hays Construction, Inc.*, Riverside, Calif., (N62473-09-D-1646); Kiewit Pacific Co. Vancouver, Wash., (N62473-09-D-1647); Reyes Construction, Inc., Pomona, Calif., (N62473-09-D-1648); Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc., San Diego, Calif., (N62473-09-D-1649); Sundt Construction, Inc., Tempe, Ariz., (N62473-09-D-1650); T.B. Penick & Sons, Inc., San Diego, Calif., (N62473-09-D-1651), are each being awarded a firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity multiple award construction contract for heavy horizontal and civil engineering construction at various locations within the NAVFAC Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for the design, construction, supervision, equipment, materials, labor, and all means necessary to provide complete and usable facilities. The total contract amount for all eight contracts is not to exceed $500,000,000 for all contracts combined. Work will be performed in the Southwest AOR, including but not limited to California (80 percent), Arizona (12 percent), Nevada (5 percent), New Mexico (1 percent), Utah (1 percent), and Colorado (1 percent), and work is expected to be completed July 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 21 proposals received. These eight contractors may compete for future task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services, Rockville, Md., is being awarded a $76,000,000 modification to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee firm-fixed-price, performance-based contract (N65236-05-D-7861) to provide engineering development, design, procurement, fabrication, configuration, installation, integration, logistics, maintenance, and life cycle support services for security, automation and law enforcement technology support. The cumulative value of this contract, including this modification, is $390,888,823. Work will be performed worldwide, and is expected to be completed by January 2010. This contract was competitively procured through the SPAWAR Systems Command E-commerce website, with four offers received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic is the contracting activity.

PKL Services, Inc.*, Poway, Calif., is being awarded a $16,983,249 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00421-09-C-0023) to exercise an option for selected organizational level maintenance (reset) for U.S. Marine Corps AH-1W, UH-1N, CH-53D/E, and CH-46E aircraft. Work will be performed in Camp Pendleton, Calif., (30 percent); New River, N.C., (25 percent); Iraq/Afghanistan (22 percent); Miramar, Calif., (18 percent); and Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $16,983,249 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

American Science and Engineering, Inc., Billerica, Mass., is being awarded an $11,500,000 firm-fixed-priced modification to previously awarded contract (M67854-06-C-5163) for the AS&E Z-BackScatter (ZBV) military trailer and the Z-BackScatter van (legacy ZBV) sustainment to include field service representatives support, maintenance, training, and warranty parts to the United States Marine Corps in the continental United States and outside the continental United States. Work will be performed in Afghanistan and Iraq (95.3 percent) and Twentynine Palms, Calif., (4.7 percent), and work is expected to be completed August 2010. Contract funds will not expire by the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Pittsfield, Mass., is being awarded an $11,309,500 Undefinitized Contract Action (UCA) modification under previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00030-08-C-0041) for strategic systems programs alternations for the SSP shipboard integration program, specifically the development of the SSI Increment 2 shipboard data system and the SSI Increment 4 US Mod 8 and UK Mod 9 fire control systems. The contractor shall also perform the additional formal qualification testing required for the U.S. 944 fire control Software revision. This UCA is being processed in order to meet the lead boat installation schedule, which requires development of said requirements to begin immediately. Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Mass., and work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $23,175 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $7,000,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-C-2100) for planned and growth supplemental work for the extended drydocking selected restricted availability (EDSRA) of USS Enterprise (CVN 65). The CVN 65 FY08 EDSRA is a ship depot availability of approximately 16-month duration. EDSRAs are similar to overhauls in that they restore the ship, including all subsystems that affect combat capability and safety, to established performance standards. Additionally, an EDSRA provides an opportunity to perform hull inspections and recoating, and other maintenance related evolutions below the waterline that cannot be accomplished while the ship is waterborne. The EDSRA provides sufficient time to perform more extensive repairs and testing than is possible during an extended selected restricted aAvailability. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by December 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $7,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $6,281,799 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-05-G-0001) to provide 3D modeling in support of the AH-1Z build new program, including associated technical data for the Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in February 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $6,281,799 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control, Orlando Fla., was awarded a $30,300,000 contract for the purchase of sniper advanced targeting pods, in support of the foreign military sales customer, Morroco. At this time, $15,150,000 has been obligated. Warner-Robins Air Logistics Center/448 SCMG/PKHCB, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8522-09-C-0013).

Rockwell Collins, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Idaho was awarded a$20,234,414 modified contract to provide 81,622 defense advanced GPS receiver (DAGR) units and assorted accessories through the exercise of 30 corresponding options on the DAGR follow on contract. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. GPSW/PK, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8807-09-C-0002).

Raytheon Co., Marlborough, Mass.. was awarded a $9,883,000 modified contract to the Digital Airport Surveillance Radar, a combined Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration activity to replace existing radar facilities at military and civilian airfields located worldwide. At this time, no funds have been obligated. 853rd ELSG/PK, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (F19628-96-D-0038).

Alion Science and Technology Co., Chicago, Ill. was awarded a $6,292,579 contract for the Weapons Systems Technology Information Analysis Center to provide capability to monitor and improve systems operational effectiveness through the life cycle of weapon systems and equipment. At this time, $709,844 has been obligated. 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base is the contracting activity (SP0700-99-D-0301).

ARMY
AM General, LLC, South Bend, Ind. was awarded on July 27, 2009 a $27,185,129 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of 7,178 improved vehicle emergency escape (production) vehicle windshield kits for the high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle. Work is to be performed in South Bend, Ind. with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2009. One bid solicited with one bid received. TACOM LCMC-Warren, Mich. is the contracting activity (DAAE07-01-C-S001).

Lobar, Inc., Dillsburg, Pa., was awarded on July 30, 2009 a $17,269,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of the U.S. Armed Forces Reserve Center. Work is to be performed in Lewisburg, Pa., with an estimated completion date of Jun. 30, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with seventeen (17) bids received. Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-09-C-0059).

Clark Construction Group, LLC, Bethesda, Md., was awarded on Jul. 30, 2009 a $7,498,000 firm-fixed-price task order for the recovery-AJXF 069112 construction of Air National Guard Readiness Center Operation Center at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Work is to be performed in Andrews Air Force Base, Md., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 10, 2010. Twenty (20) bids were solicited, with three (3) bids received . National Guard Bureau-PARC-S, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., is the contracting activity (W90FYQ-07-D-0001).

B-Way Co., Atlanta, Ga., was awarded on July 30, 2009 a $6,057,544 firm-fixed-price contract for the re-procurement of the M2A1 metal ammunition container under the authority of FAR clause 52.249-8 default. Work is to be performed in Atlanta, Ga., with an estimated completion date of Aug. 30, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with two bids received. Army Contracting Commands, Rock Island Contracting Center, Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-09-C-0030).

The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pa., was awarded on Jul. 28, 2009 a $108,815,000 firm-fixed-price contract for CH-47F multiyear contract for second year, production lot 7, option for five (5) each CH-47F new build aircraft. Work is to be performed in Ridley Park, Pa., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2013. One bid solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aviation and Missile, CCAM-CH-A, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0098).

Eagle Applied Sciences, LLC, San Antonio, Texas was awarded on Jul. 28, 2009 a $8,453,254 Time & Materials, Commercial contract for the Army Warrior in Transition Program, with non-personal services by contract services providers to assist soldiers and their families with medical, travel, and any other issues. Work is to be performed in Fort Benning, Ga., (2.85 percent), Fort Bliss, Texas (2.07 percent), Fort Bragg, N.C., (3.54 percent), Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico (1.48p ercent), Fort Campbell, Ky., (3.05 percent), Fort Carson, Colo., (4.03percent), Fort Dix, N.J. (1.36 percent), Fort Drum, N.Y., (3.35 percent), Fort Eustis, Va., (1.25 percent), Fort Gordon, Ga., (2.07 percent), Fort Hood, Texas (5.31 percent), Fort Knox, Ky. (2.07 percent), Fort Lewis, Wash., (2.46 percent), Fort Sam Houston, Texas (28.40 percent), Fort Polk, L.A., (2.07 percent), Fort Stewart, Ga., (3.05 percent), Tripler Medial Center, Hawaii (2.48 percent), Walter Reed Medical Center, D.C., (5.03 percent), Fort Richardson, Ark., (1.31 percent), Fort Riley, Kan., (2.07 percent), Fort Sill, Okla., (1.09 percent), West Point, N.Y,. (1.68 percent), Fort Jackson, S.C., (1.09 percent), Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., (1.09 percent), Fort Wainwright, Ark., (1.31percent), Balboa Naval Hospital, San Diego, Calif., (1.56 percent), Fort Huachuca, Ariz., (1.29 percent), Fort Lee, Va., (1.25 percent), Fort Belvoir, Va., (1.68 percent), Landstuhl, Germany (1.96 percent), Vilseck, Germany (1.96 percent), Heidelberg, Germany (2.32 percent), and Vicenza, Italy (2.42 percent), with an estimated completion date of Aug. 7, 2010. One bid solicited with one received. U.S. Army Medical Command, Center for Health Care Contracting, Fort Sam Houston, Texas is the contracting activity (W81K04-08-D-0018).

Northrop Grumman, Orlando, Fla., was awarded Jul, 27, 2009 a $21,930,193 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the lightweight laser designator rangefinder field level reset. Work is to be performed in Orlando, Fla., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2014. One bid solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Research, Development & Engineering Command (RDECOM), Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-09-D-0038).

IBM Corp., San Jose, Calif. was awarded on July 27, 2009 a $16,144,399 cost-no-fee contract. The SyNAPSE program seeks to break the programmable machine paradigm and define a new path forward for creating useful, intelligent machines. The vision for the anticipated Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Systems of neuromorphic adaptive plastic scalable electronics (SyNAPSE) program is the enabling of electronic neuromorphic machine technology that is scalable to biological levels. The SyNAPSE program will be an unprecedented multidisciplinary approach that can coordinate aggressive technology development activities in the following areas: 1) hardware; 2) architecture; 3) simulation; and 4) environment. Work is to be performed in San Jose, Calif., (78.2 percent), New York, N.Y., (2.5percent), Ithaca, N.Y., (2.8 percent), Merced, Calif., (1.3 percent), Madison, Wisc., (2 percent), and Stanford, Calif., (13.2 percent) with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with thirteen (13) bids received. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Contracts Management Office, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (HR0011-09-C-0002).

Kidde Technologies, Inc., Camino Goleta, Calif., was awarded on July 29, 2009 a $12,547,225 firm-fixed-price contract for 1,300 automatic fire extinguishing system kits for the armored security vehicle 10 AFES test kits. Work is to be performed in Wilson, N.C., with an estimated completion date of Mar. 31, 2010. One bid solicited with one bid received. TACOM Contracting Center, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-09-C-0577).

HRL Laboratories, LLC, Malibu, Calif.,was awarded on Jul. 29, 2009 a $10,715,152 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Cognitive Technology Threat Warning System. Work is to be performed in Malibu, Calif., with an estimated completion date of Jul. 31, 2010. One bid solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aviation & Missile Command Contracting Center, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-C-0264).

CORRECTION: Two contract announcements were made Friday, July 31, 2009, regarding Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) All Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs) and Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., one listed under Navy and the other listed under Army. There is only one delivery order and there should have been only one announcement, as this is a joint program involving both the Army and the Department of the Navy (U.S. Marine Corps). Contract delivery order #0002 modification 02 awarded to Oshkosh Corp., under contract W56HZV-09-D-0111, should now reflect the finalized dollar amount as $1,063,713,518.00. The work is being completed in two locations, 34.7 percent in McConnellsburg, Pa., and 65.3 percent in Oshkosh, Wis.

New GI Bill Renews Commitment to Troops, Obama Says

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 3, 2009 - President Barack Obama today saluted the implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill during a ceremony at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. Signed into law on June 20, 2008, the new GI Bill is a Department of Veteran Affairs-sponsored program that provides the most comprehensive educational benefit package for veterans since the original GI Bill -- the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 -- was authorized toward the end of World War II.

Today's new GI Bill, Obama said, was implemented "to renew our commitment to ensure that the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States of America get the opportunities that they have earned."

Obama observed that his grandfather, who served under Army Gen. George S. Patton during World War II, was a beneficiary of the original 1944 to 1956 GI Bill, which helped to produce a strong post-war economy, as well as the largest middle class in U.S. history. By 1947, Obama noted, half of all Americans enrolled in colleges were military veterans.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is just as important as the original, Obama said, as it also recognizes servicemembers for their wartime service and represents "an investment in our own country."

Obama said the new program will provide today's veterans "the skills and training they need to fill the jobs of tomorrow."

"Education is the currency that can purchase success in the 21st century," the president said, "and this is the opportunity that our troops have earned."

With the Post-9/11 GI Bill, qualified active-duty and selected reserve servicemembers who have served after Sept. 10, 2001, are eligible for 36 months of state-school educational benefits -- the equivalent of four nine-month academic years. Benefits include tuition and fees that are paid directly to the school, a monthly living allowance paid to the participant, and a books and supplies stipend paid to the individual.

And as of Aug. 1, qualified career servicemembers have the option to transfer benefits to their spouses or children. Most servicemembers who have at least six years of military service and are in the armed forces on or after Aug. 1 and agree to serve an additional four years qualify to transfer their benefits.

"We are including the family members who have sacrificed so much by allowing the transfer of unused benefits to family members," Obama said. "And we are including those who pay the ultimate price by making this benefit available to the children of those who lost their life in service to their country."

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, who also spoke at the ceremony, exhorted Post-9/11 GI Bill participants to "make it count; make it count for all of us. Make it count for our country."

Shinseki observed that more than 1,100 private educational institutions have elected to participate in the supplemental Yellow Ribbon Program that permits eligible servicemembers and veterans to attend private colleges and universities whose costs exceed the highest in-state rates at public undergraduate institutions.

Under the Yellow Ribbon Program, VA "will match whatever is contributed by those private colleges and universities, up to 50 percent of those total costs," Shinseki said. "We are grateful that so many schools have joined this effort and we thank them for their support of our veterans."

Former Marine Staff Sgt. James Miller, an Iraqi war veteran who introduced Obama at the ceremony, is taking Shinseki's advice. Miller has enrolled as a full-time student at George Mason University under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. He is pursuing a bachelor's degree in business communications.

"Thanks to the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the young veterans of the wars in the Middle East are united here," Miller said. "We have come to gain new skills and to learn new subjects. We are here to pursue educational goals that will prepare us for success in our professional careers."

Navy Announces Decision On Undersea Warfare Training Range

The Department of the Navy announced today that it will locate an undersea warfare training range (USWTR) in the Jacksonville, Fla. operating area. BJ Penn, assistant secretary of the Navy for installations and environment, signed the record of decision (ROD), which follows consultation with federal regulators and the completion of an overseas environmental impact statement/environmental impact statement (OEIS/EIS) in June.

While the Navy's OEIS/EIS thoroughly analyzed both installation and use of the USWTR for training, the Navy has decided to implement only a portion of the proposed action, installation of the USWTR. Because use of the USWTR for training is not anticipated to occur until at least 2014, due to its construction, the department will update the analysis contained in the OEIS/EIS and its consultations with federal agencies during that period. Decisions regarding the use of the USWTR will be conducted closer in time to the date when training will begin.

Installation consists of the range's planning, design, and construction. When completed, the USWTR will cover an approximately 500-square-nautical mile area within the waterspace commonly referred as the Jacksonville OPAREA, where a variety of Navy training already occurs. The USWTR location is well outside the areas designated as critical habitat for the North Atlantic right whale.

The USWTR's instrumentation will gather real-time data that will enable the Navy to analyze and improve their anti-submarine warfare training scenarios, tactics, and procedures. The range's location will provide ships, submarines, and aircraft with a realistic and challenging littoral training environment that mirrors the areas in which the Navy finds itself increasingly operating.

"The Department of the Navy is committed to protecting the ocean while maintaining readiness in this critical mission area," explained Donald Schregardus, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for environment. "This decision satisfies both of these vitally important objectives."

The department's decision conforms to the process outlined in the National Environmental Protection Act and Executive Order 12114, which require analysis of the environmental consequences of federal actions such as the USWTR construction. Throughout the USWTR environmental impact analysis, Navy planners and scientists worked closely with federal regulators from the National Marine Fisheries Service.


The ROD document, as well as the EIS and other supporting documentation, are available at http://projects.earthtech.com/uswtr/USWTR_index.htm. For further information related to this release, contact Navy Public Affairs at (703) 697-5342.

Face of Defense: NCO Tackles Tough Job to Protect Soldiers

By Renita Foster
Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 3, 2009 - Army Sgt. 1st Class Debra Tanacea was eager to begin her first deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She had been wearing the Army uniform for 16 years, she said, and felt more than ready to accept the challenge of serving in a hostile environment. But after learning the requirements of one particular project, she wasn't sure it was a mission she could accomplish.

Her job was to collect personal protective equipment, or PPE, damaged by improvised explosive devices for forensic testing so that it could be improved. But it was the method that she would have to use, and the soldiers and units she would have to retrieve the equipment from, that overwhelmed her, she said.

Tenacea was, at the time, a member of the Field Assistance in Science and Technology team, sponsored by the Army's Research Development and Engineering Command.

"The unit consists mostly of civilians who are engineers, computer scientists, analysts and researchers," she explained. "And to get the kind of items the laboratory needed for testing would obviously have to come directly from the combat arms units.

"I knew this would require nothing short of tremendous understanding and compassion, because you're talking about soldiers whose PPE had become unserviceable after an enemy confrontation, resulting in personal injury," she said.

As a servicemember, she had come to understand the importance soldiers attach to personal field gear. It literally is an extension of themselves -- as much a part of them as their skin.

"It's also important to understand soldiers know they are personally and financially accountable for all gear they are issued; therefore, they look out for each other," Tanacea said.

For example, if soldiers are wounded and must be medically evacuated from an area, their battle buddies secure their equipment and make sure it gets back to base camp, where it is either held for the servicemember or destroyed, she said.

"That decision is based on the gear's condition and serviceability," Tenacea said. "All soldiers live with their equipment 24/7."

Requesting personal gear that had been damaged and soiled by explosives and firefights from a unit's wounded was a tall order -- one that Tanacea said she knew would have to be handled delicately.

Relying on her experience as a soldier, Tanacea visited several company commanders and first sergeants to explain the need to collect damaged PPE, and how her doing so would increase survival rates for soldiers assigned to hostile areas.

"As distasteful as it might have initially seemed, units we contacted came to understand our efforts were for their benefit, and they became comfortable with turning over damaged equipment to us," Tanacea said. "At times, it could be devastating for the unit as well as for us, but they realized that their cooperation, for the sake of research and development, was to their benefit, and they recognized the project's value and worth for better future equipment."

Tanacea's persistent collection quest resulted in 20 PPE items of various types. Carefully boxed, they then were shipped for forensic analysis. Testing provided crucial information -- such as how the pieces were damaged -- which in turn led to adjustments in how PPE could provide better defense.

Tanacea has deployed three more times in four years since that first mission, and she has witnessed firsthand significant improvements in PPE, such as improved neck shields and better shoulder and side protection in the body armor, as well as improvements to the new advanced combat helmet.

"I know that what I did was key to the scientists and engineers being able to make the redesigns and improvements to the PPE we have today," Tanacea said. "As painful as it was at the time, I felt I had to do it. I got depressed and upset occasionally, as it was very emotionally consuming, but I had to work through that because I knew this project would have a direct, immediate impact on whether a soldier lived or died.

"And I'd do it again, because I was helping the soldiers out there who are risking their lives every day," she continued. "I never knew I'd be so fortunate to have a mission that would make such a profound contribution to the Army."

(Renita Foster works in the Fort Monmouth, N.J., public affairs office.)

First Lady Welcomes Sailors Home, Thanks Families

By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Gina Wollman
Special to American Forces Press Service

July 31, 2009 - First lady Michelle Obama welcomed home the crews of two Navy ships and expressed her support for their families while speaking to more than 500 servicemembers at Naval Station Norfolk here today. Obama commended the crews of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the hospital ship USNS Comfort for a job well done. Eisenhower had been deployed to the Persian Gulf, and Comfort to Central and South America.

"I am delighted to be here in Norfolk today to welcome home so many heroes," the first lady said. "This is a happy day for the community of Norfolk and families of these brave men and women. We are standing here among heroes -- military, civilian, American and foreign."

Obama expressed her gratitude for all that has been accomplished by the military and for Comfort's civic and humanitarian-aid mission. She also acknowledged Eisenhower's contributions to maritime security.

"The Comfort embodies our values by changing lives around the world," she said. "The Eisenhower defends our values in the world's most dangerous places.

"To the nearly 6,000 sailors who deployed with the Eisenhower Strike Group to Afghanistan and the Middle East and are now returning to their homeports, we thank you for your service," she continued. "Each of you have courageously served our country and demonstrated your commitment to uphold America's highest ideas."

Obama also acknowledged the importance of military families' support.

"We must all remember that when our troops are deployed, their families are left behind and faced with an entirely different set of duties -- mothers who tuck their kids in at night and struggle to answer the question, 'When's daddy coming home?;' fathers who wonder how they are going to keep their families together while they juggle ballet recitals, homework and mowing the lawn, all while their wives are serving their country abroad," she said, "and spouses and parents caring for a wounded warrior or struggling to move forward after losing a loved one."

The first lady has traveled throughout the world to thank servicemembers for their commitment to the nation.

"I have seen the sacrifices [of] our military families up close. They are the quiet heroes who represent the best in our country," she said.

(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Gina Wollman serves with the Navy Public Affairs Support Element East.)

Officials Identify Gulf War Pilot's Remains

American Forces Press Service

Aug. 2, 2009 - Remains found last month in Iraq's Anbar province are those of Navy Capt. Michael Scott Speicher, who was shot down flying a combat mission in an F/A-18 Hornet on Jan. 17, 1991, and whose fate until now had been uncertain, Defense Department officials reported today. Acting on information provided by Iraqi civilians, Marines stationed in Anbar province went to a desert location believed to be the crash site of Speicher's jet, and the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology positively identified remains recovered there Speicher's.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Captain Speicher's family for the ultimate sacrifice he made for his country," Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said. "I am also extremely grateful to all those who have worked so tirelessly over the last 18 years to bring Captain Speicher home."

The Navy's top uniformed officer also praised the effort to determine Speicher's fate and expressed gratitude for the fallen aviator's sacrifice. "Our Navy will never give up looking for a shipmate, regardless of how long or how difficult that search may be," said Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations. "We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Captain Speicher and his family for the sacrifice they have made for our nation and the example of strength they have set for all of us."

In early July, an Iraqi civilian told Marines he knew twotwo people who recalled an American jet crashing and the remains of the pilot being buried. One of those people said he was present when Bedouins found Speicher dead and buried his remains. The Iraqis led Marines to the site, and the Marines searched the area. Remains were recovered over several days during the past week and were flown to Dover Air Force Base, Del., for scientific identification by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology's Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner.

The recovered remains include bones and skeletal fragments. Positive identification was made by comparing Speicher's dental records with the jawbone recovered at the site. The teeth are a match, both visually and radiographically, officials said.

While dental records have confirmed the remains to be Speicher's, officials said, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology DNA Lab in Rockville, Md., is running DNA tests on the remains and comparing them to DNA reference samples previously provided by his family. Results are expected tomorrow.

(From a Defense Department news release.)