“Active Shooter” is a phrase coined by law enforcement that describes an armed person who has used deadly physical force on persons and continues to do so while having unrestricted access to additional victims. The school shooting at Columbine and similar incidents have caused a paradigm-shift in law enforcement training and tactics. Instead of being taught to wait for a SWAT team to arrive, officers receive training on how to take immediate action during incidents that clearly involve suspects’ use of deadly force.
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http://criminal-justice-online.blogspot.com/2007/04/school-shootings-and-workplace-violence.html
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Navajo Code Talker Day
My name is Brenda Moreno and I am the Assistant Coordinator of Navajo Code Talker Day 2007. This event takes place on August 14, 2007 and is designed to honor the World War II Navajo Code Talkers both those alive and those who have already passed. President Ronald Reagan established Navajo Code Talker Day to be August 14th and ever since then there has been a celebration on that day in their honor on the Navajo Reservation. This year the event will be escalated due to the decline of the Code Talker population. This event will be the largest in Navajo history because the President of the Navajo Nation, Mr. Shirley, has declared this day to be a Navajo Nation Holiday and attendance to this event should double if not triple it’s attendance.
The Navajo Code Talkers are amazing veterans as I am sure you realize. These men suffered extraordinary sacrifices and they received very little recognition for their success during the War. They returned to their reservation without the honors or heroes welcomes. They were a secret until only recently. My goal is to make sure that these amazing veterans feel that they are appreciated and respected for their duty to our country.
If you have ever seen these men you will notice that they wear many pins, patches and patriotic clothing almost all the time. I am a member of the Castle Rock Young Marines and we recently took 5 of these amazing men to the grand opening of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in November. Although their finances were extremely limited they purchased even more pins and patches from the museum store. They can never have enough patriotic items or Marine Corps memorabilia. They wear multiple pins, patches, jackets, covers, baseball caps and more. You name it, they want it, however their finances are very low and many of the items that they would like to own they can not afford. That is why I am contacting you at this time.
I was wondering if you have any items that you can donate to make up “goodie bags” to give to the Code Talkers on Navajo Code Talker Day. There are about 40 living Code Talkers and about 20-30 will be there for this event. They are very interested in Large Eagle Globe and Anchor pins to add to their covers. They also love patches, pens (they are always being asked to sign autographs), baseball caps, bumper stickers, books, USMC jackets and other clothes, or any other USMC items that you can spare. If you have anything that you have available to donate I am sure that these men would sincerely appreciate it.
We have another obstacle as well that I am attempting to overcome. I need to raise the funds to pay the traveling expenses for the Marine Corps Band to be able to perform at the event. The Code Talkers really want to have the band there but we would need to pay for the transportation, hotels as well as the food for about 40 band members. Therefore, we are looking for a sponsor for the event that could take care of these expenses and help offset the other costs involved with an event of this proportion.
If you at all willing or able to help sponsor this event or donate items to be given out to the Code Talkers I would greatly appreciate it. Please contact me at NavajoCodeTalkerDay@Hotmail.com. I am available to answer any questions that you may have regarding this event.
The Navajo Code Talkers are amazing veterans as I am sure you realize. These men suffered extraordinary sacrifices and they received very little recognition for their success during the War. They returned to their reservation without the honors or heroes welcomes. They were a secret until only recently. My goal is to make sure that these amazing veterans feel that they are appreciated and respected for their duty to our country.
If you have ever seen these men you will notice that they wear many pins, patches and patriotic clothing almost all the time. I am a member of the Castle Rock Young Marines and we recently took 5 of these amazing men to the grand opening of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in November. Although their finances were extremely limited they purchased even more pins and patches from the museum store. They can never have enough patriotic items or Marine Corps memorabilia. They wear multiple pins, patches, jackets, covers, baseball caps and more. You name it, they want it, however their finances are very low and many of the items that they would like to own they can not afford. That is why I am contacting you at this time.
I was wondering if you have any items that you can donate to make up “goodie bags” to give to the Code Talkers on Navajo Code Talker Day. There are about 40 living Code Talkers and about 20-30 will be there for this event. They are very interested in Large Eagle Globe and Anchor pins to add to their covers. They also love patches, pens (they are always being asked to sign autographs), baseball caps, bumper stickers, books, USMC jackets and other clothes, or any other USMC items that you can spare. If you have anything that you have available to donate I am sure that these men would sincerely appreciate it.
We have another obstacle as well that I am attempting to overcome. I need to raise the funds to pay the traveling expenses for the Marine Corps Band to be able to perform at the event. The Code Talkers really want to have the band there but we would need to pay for the transportation, hotels as well as the food for about 40 band members. Therefore, we are looking for a sponsor for the event that could take care of these expenses and help offset the other costs involved with an event of this proportion.
If you at all willing or able to help sponsor this event or donate items to be given out to the Code Talkers I would greatly appreciate it. Please contact me at NavajoCodeTalkerDay@Hotmail.com. I am available to answer any questions that you may have regarding this event.
Bush: Further Delay in War-Spending Bill Will Impact Troops
By Steven Donald Smith
American Forces Press Service
April 15, 2007 – President Bush yesterday once again called for Congress to send him a clean emergency war-spending bill that does not include tacked on funding measures and a timeline for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq. Without the supplemental funds requested by the White House in early February, military officials will be compelled to shift money around to fill expenditure disparities, Bush said during his weekly radio address to the nation.
"In the next few days, our military leaders will notify Congress that they will be forced to transfer $1.6 billion from other military accounts to make up for the gaps caused by Congress' failure to fund our troops in the field," he said. "That means our military will have to take money from personnel accounts so they can continue to fund U.S. Army operations in Iraq and elsewhere."
The $1.6 billion is in addition to the $1.7 billion in transferred funds U.S. military leaders notified Congress about last month, Bush noted.
"In March, Congress was told that the military would need to take money from personnel accounts, weapons and communications systems, so we can continue to fund programs that protect our troops from improvised explosive devices and send hundreds of mine-resistant vehicles to the front lines," he said.
Bush said further delays in the war-spending bill would negatively affect U.S. troops. "The longer Congress delays the worse the impact on the men and women of the armed forces will be," he said.
On April 18, the president plans to meet congressional leaders of both political parties at the White House to discuss the emergency war funding request. Bush said he will veto the bills already passed by the House and Senate because they impose restrictions on U.S. military commanders, set a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq, and include billions of dollars on domestic projects that have nothing to do with the war.
"We owe it to the American people and to our troops and their families to deliver our full support," he said.
Bush said he realizes political differences are inherent in Washington, but stressed U.S. troops should not be trapped in the middle of such differences.
"Supporting our troops is a solemn responsibility of all elected officials in Washington, D.C.," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Top Enlisted Leader Meets With Marines, Wraps Up Okinawa Visit
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
April 15, 2007 – The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wrapped up a visit to Okinawa April 13, meeting with Marines at Camp Hansen and Camp Courtney. During his three-day visit, Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey spoke with soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in town-hall forums and work centers, and gave the keynote speech at an Air Force Academy graduation.
At a Camp Hansen town-hall meeting Friday, Gainey noted that many of the Marines in the audience had served combat tours in Iraq or Afghanistan. As a combat veteran himself, the sergeant major said, he knows servicemembers have to "click on" a state of intense focus when potential danger exists and to "click off" in non-threatening situations. Not surprisingly, he said, people sometimes have trouble clicking off, even after they've returned home after their combat tour.
One of his prime concerns as the military's top enlisted member, Gainey told the Marines, is ensuring that combat veterans have and take advantage of medical care, counseling services and other resources to help them in their readjustment. He urged the Marines to take care of one another, and to assist their friends in getting help if they notice what seem to be stress-related changes in behavior.
While at Camp Hansen, Gainey also toured Army and Marine Corps firing ranges and visited with sailors and Marines of the 9th Engineer Support Battalion, the 7th Communications Battalion and the Senior NCO Academy. A town-hall meeting followed at the Camp Courtney theater.
Throughout his visit to Okinawa, Gainey stressed that the services are working together more than ever before, and he urged those he met with to help in weaving a joint culture.
His top goal as SEAC, the sergeant major said, is "to make the services realize that we are more alike than we are different, and to get the enlisted leadership in the services to break down some of the cultural barriers and realize that we are truly one force fighting one war."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 15, 2007 – The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wrapped up a visit to Okinawa April 13, meeting with Marines at Camp Hansen and Camp Courtney. During his three-day visit, Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey spoke with soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in town-hall forums and work centers, and gave the keynote speech at an Air Force Academy graduation.
At a Camp Hansen town-hall meeting Friday, Gainey noted that many of the Marines in the audience had served combat tours in Iraq or Afghanistan. As a combat veteran himself, the sergeant major said, he knows servicemembers have to "click on" a state of intense focus when potential danger exists and to "click off" in non-threatening situations. Not surprisingly, he said, people sometimes have trouble clicking off, even after they've returned home after their combat tour.
One of his prime concerns as the military's top enlisted member, Gainey told the Marines, is ensuring that combat veterans have and take advantage of medical care, counseling services and other resources to help them in their readjustment. He urged the Marines to take care of one another, and to assist their friends in getting help if they notice what seem to be stress-related changes in behavior.
While at Camp Hansen, Gainey also toured Army and Marine Corps firing ranges and visited with sailors and Marines of the 9th Engineer Support Battalion, the 7th Communications Battalion and the Senior NCO Academy. A town-hall meeting followed at the Camp Courtney theater.
Throughout his visit to Okinawa, Gainey stressed that the services are working together more than ever before, and he urged those he met with to help in weaving a joint culture.
His top goal as SEAC, the sergeant major said, is "to make the services realize that we are more alike than we are different, and to get the enlisted leadership in the services to break down some of the cultural barriers and realize that we are truly one force fighting one war."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Troops in Iraq Thank Supporters in Arizona
By Capt. Brus E. Vidal, USAF
American Forces Press Service
April 15, 2007 – Yesterday, through the magic of technology, more than 50 soldiers, airmen and civilians in Iraq were able to personally thank a group of citizens in Phoenix, Ariz., for supporting the troops and the families they leave behind. Thanks to a little help from the Pentagon, a video hookup connected the deployed troops with the folks back home participating in the third Cyclerides.com Hearts to Heroes ride.
About 4,000 patriotic motorcycle riders and troop supporters, along with civic leaders from throughout Arizona, church members and volunteers with "Packages from Home" and "Operation Homefront" of Arizona came out to show their support. Some servicemembers from Arizona also received a special surprise during the live broadcast when event host, Barry Caraway, introduced their family members.
Carraway, owner of the Phoenix-based motorcycle enthusiast website Cyclerides.com, and David A. Whitten, chairman of the board and director of Marketing and Media Relations for Operation Homefront's Arizona Chapter, organized the first Hearts to Heroes ride in 2005 to show their support to troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, their families, as well as all veterans. The bikers rode for the troops again in 2006.
Prior to this year's ride, Packages from Home sent over 100 gift packages to the troops that were present at the event.
"I was blessed to join up with Packages from Home in November 2004 as their director of marketing and media relations," Whitten said. "When I came on board, they were shipping 30 care packages a month from the founder's garage.
"They are now shipping well over 3,000 packages a month from a donated 3,500 square-foot building they use as a processing center.
"It has been an honor to serve our military the past 26 months with Packages from Home, and now I am honored to be able to serve the families that are left behind by our deployed military from the state of Arizona and wounded warriors that return home to Arizona through the efforts of Operation Homefront of Arizona."
Both groups are members of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program established in November 2004 to directly connect military members to the support of the America people and to offer a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community
For this year's hearts to hero ride, Caraway and Whitten worked with the Multinational Force Iraq's U.S. National Outreach team to create a two-way, live, talkback with troops in Iraq led by Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.
The event was broadcast live from the Armed Forces Network studio at the Combined Press Information Center in Baghdad on Fox News Channel's Fox and Friends morning show and on the Pentagon Channel. Dual 20-foot screen monitors, part of Christ Church of the Valley's audio-visual system, were used so the Arizonans could see Caldwell and the troops as they conversed with and answered questions from event host Caraway and audience members.
"Both Barry and I were wondering after last year's Hearts to Heroes event what we could do this year to make it bigger and better, and also make it reach out more to the community," Whitten said. "That's when we thought up the idea of taking our troop support event directly to the men and women serving this country proudly."
Whitten contacted his friend, Roxie Merritt, who works in the Pentagon as chief pf integrated internal communications for the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.
"Roxie came to the grand opening of the Packages from Home processing center in November 2006. So when I pitched the idea of a live broadcast to Roxie, she loved it," Mr. Whitten said. "We are where we are here today at this live broadcast with the greatest group of Americans because of her."
Merritt said she was honored to be a part of this event. "Having just retired from the military, I know how important support from home is for the morale of the troops," she said.
"David Whitten and the wonderful people from Packages from Home are true patriots, volunteering their time and efforts to support our men and women in uniform," Merritt said. "We are very appreciative and grateful for their dedication. Plus, I have a lot of fun working with them."
Following the event, several troops expressed their appreciation for the show of support.
"This was an incredible event - absolutely awesome," Caldwell said. "Nothing means more to the troops than to know they have a supportive American public back home."
"The time and energy put in by that group of great Americans in Phoenix to make this event a reality and the monetary sacrifice they and so many others make to continue to mail hundreds and hundreds of care packages to our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, is truly amazing," the general said.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Lila D. Puentes, a paralegal serving with the Central Criminal Court in Iraq, echoed Caldwell's sentiments.
"It is always comforting for the men and women of the military to see that our efforts are supported, regardless of how the American people feel about the war in Iraq," said Puentes, who is from San Antonio, Texas. "I personally want to thank everyone who contributed to the "Hearts of Heroes" program. "Their efforts in giving us a "little piece of home" are greatly appreciated."
Others among this group of care package recipients at the event all hail from the Southwestern United Sates - including Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Texas.
"Receiving care packages while deployed is something very special to me - it means that someone back home is thinking about me and what I am doing, as well as what the rest of out servicemembers are doing, here in Iraq," said Army Spec. Jennifer E. Fulk.
"Events like this remind us how much people back home care and are willing to donate their time, money and energy into showing their patriotism," she said. "I am extremely proud to be a part of our Armed Forces and to be serving my country as a resident of Arizona."
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Antonio Infante, from Las Cruces, N.M., talked about what it means to have the support of the American public and how this event drove that point home for him.
"I can't express enough gratitude to Hearts to Heroes with words alone," said Infante, who serves as a paralegal with Task Force 134, Central Criminal Court of Iraq. "I'm very honored to be able to do what I do for my country.
"I'm even more honored to know that there are people who support those of us who are away from our homes," he said. "These packages mean more than you could ever know, especially knowing that these were gifts from the heart."
"It brings a tear to my eye every time I read a note or a letter from someone who is expressing their support," Infante said. "It makes me proud to be from the Southwest and an American.
Infante told the support groups: "Keep up the good work and keep bringing the smiles to the soldiers serving this great country."
(Capt. Brus E. Vidal is assigned to Multinational Force Iraq's U.S. National Outreach program.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 15, 2007 – Yesterday, through the magic of technology, more than 50 soldiers, airmen and civilians in Iraq were able to personally thank a group of citizens in Phoenix, Ariz., for supporting the troops and the families they leave behind. Thanks to a little help from the Pentagon, a video hookup connected the deployed troops with the folks back home participating in the third Cyclerides.com Hearts to Heroes ride.
About 4,000 patriotic motorcycle riders and troop supporters, along with civic leaders from throughout Arizona, church members and volunteers with "Packages from Home" and "Operation Homefront" of Arizona came out to show their support. Some servicemembers from Arizona also received a special surprise during the live broadcast when event host, Barry Caraway, introduced their family members.
Carraway, owner of the Phoenix-based motorcycle enthusiast website Cyclerides.com, and David A. Whitten, chairman of the board and director of Marketing and Media Relations for Operation Homefront's Arizona Chapter, organized the first Hearts to Heroes ride in 2005 to show their support to troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, their families, as well as all veterans. The bikers rode for the troops again in 2006.
Prior to this year's ride, Packages from Home sent over 100 gift packages to the troops that were present at the event.
"I was blessed to join up with Packages from Home in November 2004 as their director of marketing and media relations," Whitten said. "When I came on board, they were shipping 30 care packages a month from the founder's garage.
"They are now shipping well over 3,000 packages a month from a donated 3,500 square-foot building they use as a processing center.
"It has been an honor to serve our military the past 26 months with Packages from Home, and now I am honored to be able to serve the families that are left behind by our deployed military from the state of Arizona and wounded warriors that return home to Arizona through the efforts of Operation Homefront of Arizona."
Both groups are members of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program established in November 2004 to directly connect military members to the support of the America people and to offer a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community
For this year's hearts to hero ride, Caraway and Whitten worked with the Multinational Force Iraq's U.S. National Outreach team to create a two-way, live, talkback with troops in Iraq led by Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.
The event was broadcast live from the Armed Forces Network studio at the Combined Press Information Center in Baghdad on Fox News Channel's Fox and Friends morning show and on the Pentagon Channel. Dual 20-foot screen monitors, part of Christ Church of the Valley's audio-visual system, were used so the Arizonans could see Caldwell and the troops as they conversed with and answered questions from event host Caraway and audience members.
"Both Barry and I were wondering after last year's Hearts to Heroes event what we could do this year to make it bigger and better, and also make it reach out more to the community," Whitten said. "That's when we thought up the idea of taking our troop support event directly to the men and women serving this country proudly."
Whitten contacted his friend, Roxie Merritt, who works in the Pentagon as chief pf integrated internal communications for the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.
"Roxie came to the grand opening of the Packages from Home processing center in November 2006. So when I pitched the idea of a live broadcast to Roxie, she loved it," Mr. Whitten said. "We are where we are here today at this live broadcast with the greatest group of Americans because of her."
Merritt said she was honored to be a part of this event. "Having just retired from the military, I know how important support from home is for the morale of the troops," she said.
"David Whitten and the wonderful people from Packages from Home are true patriots, volunteering their time and efforts to support our men and women in uniform," Merritt said. "We are very appreciative and grateful for their dedication. Plus, I have a lot of fun working with them."
Following the event, several troops expressed their appreciation for the show of support.
"This was an incredible event - absolutely awesome," Caldwell said. "Nothing means more to the troops than to know they have a supportive American public back home."
"The time and energy put in by that group of great Americans in Phoenix to make this event a reality and the monetary sacrifice they and so many others make to continue to mail hundreds and hundreds of care packages to our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, is truly amazing," the general said.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Lila D. Puentes, a paralegal serving with the Central Criminal Court in Iraq, echoed Caldwell's sentiments.
"It is always comforting for the men and women of the military to see that our efforts are supported, regardless of how the American people feel about the war in Iraq," said Puentes, who is from San Antonio, Texas. "I personally want to thank everyone who contributed to the "Hearts of Heroes" program. "Their efforts in giving us a "little piece of home" are greatly appreciated."
Others among this group of care package recipients at the event all hail from the Southwestern United Sates - including Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Texas.
"Receiving care packages while deployed is something very special to me - it means that someone back home is thinking about me and what I am doing, as well as what the rest of out servicemembers are doing, here in Iraq," said Army Spec. Jennifer E. Fulk.
"Events like this remind us how much people back home care and are willing to donate their time, money and energy into showing their patriotism," she said. "I am extremely proud to be a part of our Armed Forces and to be serving my country as a resident of Arizona."
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Antonio Infante, from Las Cruces, N.M., talked about what it means to have the support of the American public and how this event drove that point home for him.
"I can't express enough gratitude to Hearts to Heroes with words alone," said Infante, who serves as a paralegal with Task Force 134, Central Criminal Court of Iraq. "I'm very honored to be able to do what I do for my country.
"I'm even more honored to know that there are people who support those of us who are away from our homes," he said. "These packages mean more than you could ever know, especially knowing that these were gifts from the heart."
"It brings a tear to my eye every time I read a note or a letter from someone who is expressing their support," Infante said. "It makes me proud to be from the Southwest and an American.
Infante told the support groups: "Keep up the good work and keep bringing the smiles to the soldiers serving this great country."
(Capt. Brus E. Vidal is assigned to Multinational Force Iraq's U.S. National Outreach program.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Bikers Salute, Support Servicemembers
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 15, 2007 – Servicemembers stationed in Baghdad got an earful - and an eyeful - yesterday from about 4,000 supporters who gathered here to show their appreciation during the third Cyclerides.com "Hearts to Heroes" motorcycle ride. A two-way video connection, provided with help from the Pentagon Channel and the military, made that possible.
The idea to put the 56 troops, including Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, face-to-face with some of their biggest fans came from Barry Caraway's childhood memories.
"I grew up in the era of the Vietnam vet, and I saw how those guys came back," Caraway, owner of Cyclerides.com, said. "They weren't treated very well. In fact they were treated shabbily.
"I wanted to change the mistakes of my generation and not allow that to happen in my daughter's generation," he added.
Roxie Merritt, chief of integrated internal communications for the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, told the crowd that's exactly why the Defense Department created "America Supports You." America Supports You is a program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
"America Supports You ... is to make sure ... what happened to you (Vietnam veterans) never, never happens again," she said during the opening ceremony.
The standing ovation that greeted the troops helped drive home that sentiment. The clapping, "Ooh Rahs," and "Hooahs" went on for more than a minute, causing Caldwell to break into a wide grin.
While the video connection provided the means for the supporters to show their appreciation in person, it also provided the troops an opportunity to thank the ride's three beneficiaries. Packages From Home and Operation Homefront are America Supports You members.
"It allows us to collect donations for the troops that are overseas because part of the admission into this is not only the $15 entry fee, but a sack of goodies or donations for the troops that are over there," Vonn Magnin of Packages From Home said. "This allows us to send things over to our men and women overseas."
Margy Bons, president of Operation Homefront's Arizona chapter, agreed that the donation from the ride to her group would be most helpful.
"For Operation Homefront of Arizona, it will allow us to have some funding to support the families when they give us a call and they have a need," she said. "(It) will also support our troops overseas, because they will know their family is being taken care of."
The third beneficiary, Phoenix International Raceway's "Salute to Military Families" program, provides military families with tickets to events at the track. The three groups will equally split the $15 per bike entry fee.
"On behalf of all the men and women serving in uniform, (and) all those serving in civilian clothes over here, we just want to say thanks to all of you," Caldwell, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said. "Thank you very much."
Army Sgt. John Jones, an Arizona National Guardsman who spent a year in Iraq, understood just where that appreciation was coming from. He received many care packages while serving overseas.
"Packages From Home meant so much to all of us over there," he said. "It touches my heart that people work this hard for the people over there."
Jones also knows how much the live feed meant to the servicemembers in Baghdad. "It's almost like part of you is home when you're doing a live feed," he said.
During the live feed, a few Arizona servicemembers got a chance to briefly catch up with loved ones who blew them kisses and wished them a safe and speedy homecoming.
After musical tributes dedicated to the servicemembers and a prayer for the safety of all those present, the bikers hit the road for a sun-baked 60-mile ride.
An impressive sight, the nearly mile-long line of motorcycles drew cheers and peace signs from those along the route. While that was a boost, most found taking a lap around the Phoenix International Raceway the highlight of the ride.
The ride, which also passed Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, ended with live musical entertainment at a venue near the University of Arizona's Cardinal Stadium.
Caraway, who's already begun planning next year's ride, said the it helps accomplish one of his main goals; keeping support for the troops high in spite of an individual's views of the war.
"These are our guys in our United States military uniforms, and they come before anything," Barry Caraway. "My personal belief, growing up in the Vietnam era, that after seeing how those guys came home, we have to separate the war from the warrior.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 15, 2007 – Servicemembers stationed in Baghdad got an earful - and an eyeful - yesterday from about 4,000 supporters who gathered here to show their appreciation during the third Cyclerides.com "Hearts to Heroes" motorcycle ride. A two-way video connection, provided with help from the Pentagon Channel and the military, made that possible.
The idea to put the 56 troops, including Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, face-to-face with some of their biggest fans came from Barry Caraway's childhood memories.
"I grew up in the era of the Vietnam vet, and I saw how those guys came back," Caraway, owner of Cyclerides.com, said. "They weren't treated very well. In fact they were treated shabbily.
"I wanted to change the mistakes of my generation and not allow that to happen in my daughter's generation," he added.
Roxie Merritt, chief of integrated internal communications for the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, told the crowd that's exactly why the Defense Department created "America Supports You." America Supports You is a program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
"America Supports You ... is to make sure ... what happened to you (Vietnam veterans) never, never happens again," she said during the opening ceremony.
The standing ovation that greeted the troops helped drive home that sentiment. The clapping, "Ooh Rahs," and "Hooahs" went on for more than a minute, causing Caldwell to break into a wide grin.
While the video connection provided the means for the supporters to show their appreciation in person, it also provided the troops an opportunity to thank the ride's three beneficiaries. Packages From Home and Operation Homefront are America Supports You members.
"It allows us to collect donations for the troops that are overseas because part of the admission into this is not only the $15 entry fee, but a sack of goodies or donations for the troops that are over there," Vonn Magnin of Packages From Home said. "This allows us to send things over to our men and women overseas."
Margy Bons, president of Operation Homefront's Arizona chapter, agreed that the donation from the ride to her group would be most helpful.
"For Operation Homefront of Arizona, it will allow us to have some funding to support the families when they give us a call and they have a need," she said. "(It) will also support our troops overseas, because they will know their family is being taken care of."
The third beneficiary, Phoenix International Raceway's "Salute to Military Families" program, provides military families with tickets to events at the track. The three groups will equally split the $15 per bike entry fee.
"On behalf of all the men and women serving in uniform, (and) all those serving in civilian clothes over here, we just want to say thanks to all of you," Caldwell, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said. "Thank you very much."
Army Sgt. John Jones, an Arizona National Guardsman who spent a year in Iraq, understood just where that appreciation was coming from. He received many care packages while serving overseas.
"Packages From Home meant so much to all of us over there," he said. "It touches my heart that people work this hard for the people over there."
Jones also knows how much the live feed meant to the servicemembers in Baghdad. "It's almost like part of you is home when you're doing a live feed," he said.
During the live feed, a few Arizona servicemembers got a chance to briefly catch up with loved ones who blew them kisses and wished them a safe and speedy homecoming.
After musical tributes dedicated to the servicemembers and a prayer for the safety of all those present, the bikers hit the road for a sun-baked 60-mile ride.
An impressive sight, the nearly mile-long line of motorcycles drew cheers and peace signs from those along the route. While that was a boost, most found taking a lap around the Phoenix International Raceway the highlight of the ride.
The ride, which also passed Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, ended with live musical entertainment at a venue near the University of Arizona's Cardinal Stadium.
Caraway, who's already begun planning next year's ride, said the it helps accomplish one of his main goals; keeping support for the troops high in spite of an individual's views of the war.
"These are our guys in our United States military uniforms, and they come before anything," Barry Caraway. "My personal belief, growing up in the Vietnam era, that after seeing how those guys came home, we have to separate the war from the warrior.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Army Anesthesia Program Ranked Second in Nation
By Elaine Wilson
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – An Army Medical Department Center and School program was ranked second in the nation by U.S. News and World Report magazine in this year's edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools," which hit the stands in early April. The U.S. Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing missed top spot in the nursing-anesthesia category by only a tenth of a point, with a score of 4.0 out of 5.0. Virginia Commonwealth University earned a score of 4.1.
"We're inching our way up to a top ranking," Army Lt. Col. Thomas Ceremuga, anesthesia nursing program director, said in referring to the increase in the program's score. The program was last ranked in 2003, when it earned second place with a score of 3.8.
U.S. News and World Report bases its nurse specialty rankings on ratings by educators and deans at peer schools, according to the magazine. With 106 nursing anesthesia schools in the nation, Ceremuga said, the high regard is a valuable compliment, although he is quick to attribute the program's success to the quality and dedication of the faculty and students. "I'm very appreciative for all the hard work within the school and the esteem our peers have for us in the nursing community," he said.
The Army program at Fort Sam Houston produces more than 90 percent of the Army's certified registered nurse anesthetists, as well as Air Force and Veterans Affairs CRNAs. With the CRNA career field in high demand, Ceremuga said, he works to ensure the competitive program fully equips the nurses for peacetime and war.
"Most of our CRNAs will deploy soon after they graduate, so we need to ensure they receive the training they need for a deployment as we teach them the basic skills they need to be a certified registered nurse anesthetist," Ceremuga said.
The anesthesia nursing program comprises a year of classroom training and another 18 months of clinical training at one of several Phase 2 sites, located in military hospitals and medical centers throughout the nation. Classes average about 40 people and are open to Army, Air Force and VA registered nurses. The students are required to have a bachelor's degree in nursing science and a year or two of nursing experience under their belts to compete for a seat in the class.
"It's competitive," Ceremuga said. "We have some students with five to 10 years of experience here earning their second master's degree. The students are very accomplished overall."
With an average attrition rate of 25 percent, the experience level and maturity of a slightly older student body comes in handy, although "the attrition rate due to academics is not as high as the number reflects," Ceremuga explained. "About half of the students in that percentage leave for personal reasons as opposed to academic."
During a rigorous training schedule, students learn to administer anesthesia in a variety of settings, from an operating room in a stateside hospital to a forward surgical team downrange. Training encompasses a variety of anesthesia agents and the administration of local, regional and general anesthesia.
Additionally, during a short break from classroom sessions, students take on a scientific research project while in Phase 1, then write up and present findings at local and national conferences during Phase 2. A recent research study examined the effectiveness of the blankets the Army uses to prevent hypothermia, and another looked at the effect herbs have on emergence from anesthesia.
The positive exposure from public appearances only helps to improve the school's reputation, Dr. Don Johnson, research program director, said. "Our students are at the forefront. They represent the school very well," he said.
Like the students, instructors also are experienced, with Army, Air Force and VA backgrounds. One of the instructors, Dr. Doug Christi, was recently named the Army Medical Department Center and School's instructor of the year.
Program leaders and instructors strive to keep the training current, particularly when applying lessons learned from the field. A recent data call helped tailor the course to today's needs.
"We queried Army and Air Force nurse anesthetists who have deployed and have shifted our focus so our training reflects current events," Ceremuga said. He added that more of the training emphasis is on trauma rotations, central line placement, pediatric care, emergency airway management, regional anesthesia, and pain management.
At the completion of training, students receive a master's degree from a partnering university, which offers administrative support and issues the degrees. Up until now, students received the degree from the University of Texas at Houston Health and Science Center. However, starting with the next class in June, a new contract has partnered the Army with Northeastern University in Boston.
Upon graduation, students become mostly autonomous, an aspect of the career field that is attractive to many of the nurses, who would otherwise be required to have oversight from a doctor in many other settings.
"A nurse anesthetist is the culmination of critical care and independence," said Army Capt. Thurayya Gillis, head nurse of same-day surgery and pre-op at Fort Jackson, S.C. "You can provide the care rather than just deliver it."
Air Force Capt. Daniel Moore, an intensive care unit nurse from Wilford Hall Medical Center, said he has always been interested in the CRNA career field. "I've wanted to do this since I started as a nurse. I like the idea of the autonomy, absolute control.
"It suits my Type A personality," he joked.
With its highly reputable program, the Army has no problem attracting trainees. In fact, notable graduates include the acting Army Surgeon General Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock and retired Brig. Gen. William Bester, acting dean of nursing at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
But with salaries running into six figures for nurse anesthetists outside the military, the Army does have trouble retaining trained CRNAs.
"It's hard to compete with the salaries in the civilian sector," Ceremuga said. "All we have is our name, our reputation and a promise of a high-quality education.
"The students who apply and come to this program know they can make more elsewhere. They know they will have to deploy," he said. "That tells me something about their character and their patriotism."
The new class in June will have 52 students, a record number for the program and a testament to the program's high-quality education. However, Maj. Jeffrey Conroy, Ceremuga's right hand and the director of the simulation program, said the appeal of the Army program is not based on rankings alone.
"We may not have been ranked No. 1, but we've always had the No. 1 mission -- taking care of soldiers," he said.
(Elaine Wilson is assigned to the Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – An Army Medical Department Center and School program was ranked second in the nation by U.S. News and World Report magazine in this year's edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools," which hit the stands in early April. The U.S. Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing missed top spot in the nursing-anesthesia category by only a tenth of a point, with a score of 4.0 out of 5.0. Virginia Commonwealth University earned a score of 4.1.
"We're inching our way up to a top ranking," Army Lt. Col. Thomas Ceremuga, anesthesia nursing program director, said in referring to the increase in the program's score. The program was last ranked in 2003, when it earned second place with a score of 3.8.
U.S. News and World Report bases its nurse specialty rankings on ratings by educators and deans at peer schools, according to the magazine. With 106 nursing anesthesia schools in the nation, Ceremuga said, the high regard is a valuable compliment, although he is quick to attribute the program's success to the quality and dedication of the faculty and students. "I'm very appreciative for all the hard work within the school and the esteem our peers have for us in the nursing community," he said.
The Army program at Fort Sam Houston produces more than 90 percent of the Army's certified registered nurse anesthetists, as well as Air Force and Veterans Affairs CRNAs. With the CRNA career field in high demand, Ceremuga said, he works to ensure the competitive program fully equips the nurses for peacetime and war.
"Most of our CRNAs will deploy soon after they graduate, so we need to ensure they receive the training they need for a deployment as we teach them the basic skills they need to be a certified registered nurse anesthetist," Ceremuga said.
The anesthesia nursing program comprises a year of classroom training and another 18 months of clinical training at one of several Phase 2 sites, located in military hospitals and medical centers throughout the nation. Classes average about 40 people and are open to Army, Air Force and VA registered nurses. The students are required to have a bachelor's degree in nursing science and a year or two of nursing experience under their belts to compete for a seat in the class.
"It's competitive," Ceremuga said. "We have some students with five to 10 years of experience here earning their second master's degree. The students are very accomplished overall."
With an average attrition rate of 25 percent, the experience level and maturity of a slightly older student body comes in handy, although "the attrition rate due to academics is not as high as the number reflects," Ceremuga explained. "About half of the students in that percentage leave for personal reasons as opposed to academic."
During a rigorous training schedule, students learn to administer anesthesia in a variety of settings, from an operating room in a stateside hospital to a forward surgical team downrange. Training encompasses a variety of anesthesia agents and the administration of local, regional and general anesthesia.
Additionally, during a short break from classroom sessions, students take on a scientific research project while in Phase 1, then write up and present findings at local and national conferences during Phase 2. A recent research study examined the effectiveness of the blankets the Army uses to prevent hypothermia, and another looked at the effect herbs have on emergence from anesthesia.
The positive exposure from public appearances only helps to improve the school's reputation, Dr. Don Johnson, research program director, said. "Our students are at the forefront. They represent the school very well," he said.
Like the students, instructors also are experienced, with Army, Air Force and VA backgrounds. One of the instructors, Dr. Doug Christi, was recently named the Army Medical Department Center and School's instructor of the year.
Program leaders and instructors strive to keep the training current, particularly when applying lessons learned from the field. A recent data call helped tailor the course to today's needs.
"We queried Army and Air Force nurse anesthetists who have deployed and have shifted our focus so our training reflects current events," Ceremuga said. He added that more of the training emphasis is on trauma rotations, central line placement, pediatric care, emergency airway management, regional anesthesia, and pain management.
At the completion of training, students receive a master's degree from a partnering university, which offers administrative support and issues the degrees. Up until now, students received the degree from the University of Texas at Houston Health and Science Center. However, starting with the next class in June, a new contract has partnered the Army with Northeastern University in Boston.
Upon graduation, students become mostly autonomous, an aspect of the career field that is attractive to many of the nurses, who would otherwise be required to have oversight from a doctor in many other settings.
"A nurse anesthetist is the culmination of critical care and independence," said Army Capt. Thurayya Gillis, head nurse of same-day surgery and pre-op at Fort Jackson, S.C. "You can provide the care rather than just deliver it."
Air Force Capt. Daniel Moore, an intensive care unit nurse from Wilford Hall Medical Center, said he has always been interested in the CRNA career field. "I've wanted to do this since I started as a nurse. I like the idea of the autonomy, absolute control.
"It suits my Type A personality," he joked.
With its highly reputable program, the Army has no problem attracting trainees. In fact, notable graduates include the acting Army Surgeon General Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock and retired Brig. Gen. William Bester, acting dean of nursing at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
But with salaries running into six figures for nurse anesthetists outside the military, the Army does have trouble retaining trained CRNAs.
"It's hard to compete with the salaries in the civilian sector," Ceremuga said. "All we have is our name, our reputation and a promise of a high-quality education.
"The students who apply and come to this program know they can make more elsewhere. They know they will have to deploy," he said. "That tells me something about their character and their patriotism."
The new class in June will have 52 students, a record number for the program and a testament to the program's high-quality education. However, Maj. Jeffrey Conroy, Ceremuga's right hand and the director of the simulation program, said the appeal of the Army program is not based on rankings alone.
"We may not have been ranked No. 1, but we've always had the No. 1 mission -- taking care of soldiers," he said.
(Elaine Wilson is assigned to the Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
DoD Honors Arizona City for Troop Support
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – The Defense Department recognized the city of Peoria, Ariz., yesterday for its stalwart support of the military. Peoria Mayor Bob Barrett accepted the Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award on behalf of his city in a ceremony here.
"(The servicemembers) are the people that we are honoring here today. These are the people we are asking the supreme sacrifice of," Barrett, a Vietnam veteran, said in accepting the award. "By golly, when they come back and while they're over there, they deserve our support.
"The city of Peoria will give them that support, and I call on all of you to join us," he challenged.
He received a medal and a citation describing the city's accomplishments from Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public liaison and internal communications. She lauded the city's efforts to support the nation's servicemembers.
"I'd like to thank the city of Peoria for understanding ... the importance of communicating America's support for our troops," Barber said, going on to thank all of the leaders gathered. "Thank you for understanding that the morale of the men and women in the military rests on your soldiers.
She also took the opportunity to speak about the America Supports You program and show a message "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek recorded regarding the program. America Supports You is a DoD program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
Barber also presented Arizona State Rep. John Nelson with a DoD parka in recognition for his support of the military.
Peoria, located northwest of Phoenix, was recognized for many efforts in support of the troops. One of those includes encouraging its chamber of commerce to become the first chamber in the country to join the America Supports You program in 2005.
Peoria also was the first city in Arizona to broadcast the Pentagon Channel live, ensuring servicemembers living in the area have access to news that affects them. The city is currently leading an effort to make the channel available statewide. This is just one of the initiatives Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano vowed to pursue two years ago when she declared her state would join the America Supports You team, Barber said.
"I'm so proud that Peoria, hopefully, will be the flashpoint for taking (the Pentagon Channel) statewide; for taking this, hopefully, nationwide," Barrett said. "It's absolutely critical for people that are serving."
Army Maj. Matthew Gardner, of Fort Huachuca, Ariz., said support like the city of Peoria has shown the troops is just as critical as receiving the Pentagon Channel.
"Having support from the American people, which is who we serve, is critical," he said. "It keeps our morale up. It keeps us knowing that we are doing the right thing and keeping the American people free to do what they want to do."
Servicemembers' sacrifices, both at home and overseas, are not lost on U.S. Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona. He had a message for the men and women in uniform.
"We are proud of them beyond measure," Franks said, adding that the nobility of no profession out paces that of being a soldier of freedom. "Because soldiers don't fight because they hate what's in front of them.
"They fight because they love what's behind them," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – The Defense Department recognized the city of Peoria, Ariz., yesterday for its stalwart support of the military. Peoria Mayor Bob Barrett accepted the Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award on behalf of his city in a ceremony here.
"(The servicemembers) are the people that we are honoring here today. These are the people we are asking the supreme sacrifice of," Barrett, a Vietnam veteran, said in accepting the award. "By golly, when they come back and while they're over there, they deserve our support.
"The city of Peoria will give them that support, and I call on all of you to join us," he challenged.
He received a medal and a citation describing the city's accomplishments from Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public liaison and internal communications. She lauded the city's efforts to support the nation's servicemembers.
"I'd like to thank the city of Peoria for understanding ... the importance of communicating America's support for our troops," Barber said, going on to thank all of the leaders gathered. "Thank you for understanding that the morale of the men and women in the military rests on your soldiers.
She also took the opportunity to speak about the America Supports You program and show a message "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek recorded regarding the program. America Supports You is a DoD program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
Barber also presented Arizona State Rep. John Nelson with a DoD parka in recognition for his support of the military.
Peoria, located northwest of Phoenix, was recognized for many efforts in support of the troops. One of those includes encouraging its chamber of commerce to become the first chamber in the country to join the America Supports You program in 2005.
Peoria also was the first city in Arizona to broadcast the Pentagon Channel live, ensuring servicemembers living in the area have access to news that affects them. The city is currently leading an effort to make the channel available statewide. This is just one of the initiatives Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano vowed to pursue two years ago when she declared her state would join the America Supports You team, Barber said.
"I'm so proud that Peoria, hopefully, will be the flashpoint for taking (the Pentagon Channel) statewide; for taking this, hopefully, nationwide," Barrett said. "It's absolutely critical for people that are serving."
Army Maj. Matthew Gardner, of Fort Huachuca, Ariz., said support like the city of Peoria has shown the troops is just as critical as receiving the Pentagon Channel.
"Having support from the American people, which is who we serve, is critical," he said. "It keeps our morale up. It keeps us knowing that we are doing the right thing and keeping the American people free to do what they want to do."
Servicemembers' sacrifices, both at home and overseas, are not lost on U.S. Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona. He had a message for the men and women in uniform.
"We are proud of them beyond measure," Franks said, adding that the nobility of no profession out paces that of being a soldier of freedom. "Because soldiers don't fight because they hate what's in front of them.
"They fight because they love what's behind them," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Group Takes Entertainment to Troops
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – Armed Forces Entertainment makes it a mission to bring a piece of home to servicemembers stationed far away. With the priority of reaching remote and isolated locations, Armed Forces Entertainment, has been entertaining troops since 1951. The Defense Department agency hosts more than 1,200 shows each year and reaches more than 500,000 servicemembers stationed at more than 300 military installations around the world, according to the group's Web site.
Armed Forces Entertainment is a member of America Supports You, a DoD program connecting troop-support groups, individual citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
"Armed Forces Entertainment is the single point of contact for the Department of Defense in sending entertainment to our troops overseas," Melissa Welch, a spokesperson for the organization, said. "The two most requested (music genres) are rock and country."
There has been a shift in that trend in regard to the Middle East, she said. There's a younger demographic fighting on those front lines and they're asking for more rap and hip-hop.
Filling those requests can be a bit challenging, Welch said.
"The reason why it's challenging is because those rap artists would have to clean up their act a little bit," she said, adding that there are rules that apply to all of the entertainers Armed Forces Entertainment hosts. "You can't have expletives within your music, or they must be limited and very, very, very soft.
"Beyond that, we can't have any kind of commentary about race, religion or ethnicity," she said.
She noted that artists often are willing to modify language to participate in an Armed Forces Entertainment tour.
That may be because the organization, though it often works with the United Service Organizations to facilitate celebrity tours, works largely with up-and-coming artists for its shows. Often the up-and-comers develop a fan base in the servicemembers they entertain.
"The military personnel are so grateful, and they become fans of this artist for a lifetime," Welch said.
What an Armed Forces Entertainment tour can do for new artists' careers is on par with what their performances does for the morale of the servicemembers in the audience, Air Force Lt. Col. Tamara Moes, chief of Armed Forces Entertainment, said. During a tour in the Middle East, she was on the other side of the equation and, instead of helping get the shows to the troops, got to enjoy several that were jointly sponsored by Armed Forces Entertainment and the USO.
"One time I was stationed for just 120 days in Baghdad," she said. "I did receive probably six shows ... during those 120 days."
While the majority of shows may be musical in nature, comedians, actors and sports celebrities all have been part of Armed Forces Entertainment tours. Comics Drew Carey and Kathy Griffith, rapper and singer Kid Rock, and World Wrestling Entertainment personalities are among them.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – Armed Forces Entertainment makes it a mission to bring a piece of home to servicemembers stationed far away. With the priority of reaching remote and isolated locations, Armed Forces Entertainment, has been entertaining troops since 1951. The Defense Department agency hosts more than 1,200 shows each year and reaches more than 500,000 servicemembers stationed at more than 300 military installations around the world, according to the group's Web site.
Armed Forces Entertainment is a member of America Supports You, a DoD program connecting troop-support groups, individual citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad.
"Armed Forces Entertainment is the single point of contact for the Department of Defense in sending entertainment to our troops overseas," Melissa Welch, a spokesperson for the organization, said. "The two most requested (music genres) are rock and country."
There has been a shift in that trend in regard to the Middle East, she said. There's a younger demographic fighting on those front lines and they're asking for more rap and hip-hop.
Filling those requests can be a bit challenging, Welch said.
"The reason why it's challenging is because those rap artists would have to clean up their act a little bit," she said, adding that there are rules that apply to all of the entertainers Armed Forces Entertainment hosts. "You can't have expletives within your music, or they must be limited and very, very, very soft.
"Beyond that, we can't have any kind of commentary about race, religion or ethnicity," she said.
She noted that artists often are willing to modify language to participate in an Armed Forces Entertainment tour.
That may be because the organization, though it often works with the United Service Organizations to facilitate celebrity tours, works largely with up-and-coming artists for its shows. Often the up-and-comers develop a fan base in the servicemembers they entertain.
"The military personnel are so grateful, and they become fans of this artist for a lifetime," Welch said.
What an Armed Forces Entertainment tour can do for new artists' careers is on par with what their performances does for the morale of the servicemembers in the audience, Air Force Lt. Col. Tamara Moes, chief of Armed Forces Entertainment, said. During a tour in the Middle East, she was on the other side of the equation and, instead of helping get the shows to the troops, got to enjoy several that were jointly sponsored by Armed Forces Entertainment and the USO.
"One time I was stationed for just 120 days in Baghdad," she said. "I did receive probably six shows ... during those 120 days."
While the majority of shows may be musical in nature, comedians, actors and sports celebrities all have been part of Armed Forces Entertainment tours. Comics Drew Carey and Kathy Griffith, rapper and singer Kid Rock, and World Wrestling Entertainment personalities are among them.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Commander in Iraq Apologizes for Extensions With No Notice to Families
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – Leaks to the media forced Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to speed up releasing his decision to increase tour lengths for soldiers assigned to U.S. Central Command from a year to 15 months. The notification of the decision to soldiers and their families was made simultaneous with the news briefing. Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, today apologized to the families -- many of whom heard about the decision on television.
"I know the announcement the other day was probably one that surprised them," Odierno told Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Baghdad. "I just want to comment to them that we appreciate everything that they're sacrificing, everything that they're doing. They are the strength behind all these great soldiers that are over here today."
Odierno said 15-month deployments are needed to ensure that the Army retains the capacity to sustain the deployed force. The force will rise to 20 brigades by the end of May.
The program also gives predictability for soldiers and their families, Odierno said. "This policy will ensure 12 months at home station between rotations," he said. "There's no doubt that this decision was a difficult one, and I am very aware that it will be hard on soldiers and their families.
"However, all who serve understand the importance of what we are trying to accomplish here and that the mission will always come first," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – Leaks to the media forced Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to speed up releasing his decision to increase tour lengths for soldiers assigned to U.S. Central Command from a year to 15 months. The notification of the decision to soldiers and their families was made simultaneous with the news briefing. Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, today apologized to the families -- many of whom heard about the decision on television.
"I know the announcement the other day was probably one that surprised them," Odierno told Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Baghdad. "I just want to comment to them that we appreciate everything that they're sacrificing, everything that they're doing. They are the strength behind all these great soldiers that are over here today."
Odierno said 15-month deployments are needed to ensure that the Army retains the capacity to sustain the deployed force. The force will rise to 20 brigades by the end of May.
The program also gives predictability for soldiers and their families, Odierno said. "This policy will ensure 12 months at home station between rotations," he said. "There's no doubt that this decision was a difficult one, and I am very aware that it will be hard on soldiers and their families.
"However, all who serve understand the importance of what we are trying to accomplish here and that the mission will always come first," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Top Official Describes Reserve-Component Mobilization Policy
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers will mobilize and deploy for only one year, despite a new policy that active soldiers will deploy for 15-month tours, a top defense official stressed today. Thomas F. Hall, assistant defense secretary for reserve affairs, reaffirmed that reserve-component soldiers are not affected by the 15-month tour policy that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced April 11.
Four National Guard brigades have been alerted for possible mobilization for duty in Iraq beginning in December 2007. If needed, those brigades will mobilize, deploy and redeploy within one year.
"We have been experiencing 18- to 21-month mobilizations for our Guard and reserves," Hall said. "Families and employers told me that they simply could not sustain that."
On Jan. 19, soon after taking office, Gates mandated reserve components would mobilize for one year and then have five years before another mobilization.
A second portion of Gates' decision was that reserve-component units would train and deploy as units. Hall said the "cross-leveling" that cobbled together units would end.
Finally, Gates said that a compensation package would be developed if units broke their dwell time at home -- in other words, were mobilized before the five-year home-station period was finished. Hall said such a package is in development, and the details may be released soon.
About 13,000 Guardsmen from the four units -- the 37th Brigade Combat Team, from Ohio; the 76th BCT, from Indiana; the 45th BCT, from Oklahoma; and the 39th BCT, from Arkansas -- will mobilize under the new rules. While all these units have been in U.S. Central Command before, for fully two-thirds of the Guardsmen, this will be their first deployment.
Under the program, nine to 10 months before a potential mobilization, DoD officials will alert the Guardsmen.
"We're going to get you that time for training; we're going to get you the equipment ahead of time," Hall said. The 45th Brigade Combat Team, for example, has already scheduled a 28-day training period instead of its normal two-week rotation, he said.
This will also help reduce stress on the force. There are 75,771 reservists deployed worldwide to support the global war on terrorism, Hall said. This is 120,000 fewer than in 2005. "We have reduced the number of Guardsmen and reservists on active duty the equivalent of six Army divisions," Hall said. "Now we want to make this more predictable."
All of these changes are aimed at preserving the all-volunteer force, Hall said. The force is working magnificently. Recruiting standards remain high, he said. And, through March, overall reserve components are at 101 percent of their recruiting goals. The Naval Reserve and the Army Reserve are down from their goals, he said, but Hall said he expects those numbers to climb in the coming months. The National Guard is at more than 106 percent of its recruiting goal.
"But, most important in my view is retention," the secretary said. "It is almost at all-time highs. It's the best it's been since 1991. You just don't stay with an organization or company that you don't like.
"So, we must be doing something right," he added, "because (servicemembers) are staying at near record numbers."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers will mobilize and deploy for only one year, despite a new policy that active soldiers will deploy for 15-month tours, a top defense official stressed today. Thomas F. Hall, assistant defense secretary for reserve affairs, reaffirmed that reserve-component soldiers are not affected by the 15-month tour policy that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced April 11.
Four National Guard brigades have been alerted for possible mobilization for duty in Iraq beginning in December 2007. If needed, those brigades will mobilize, deploy and redeploy within one year.
"We have been experiencing 18- to 21-month mobilizations for our Guard and reserves," Hall said. "Families and employers told me that they simply could not sustain that."
On Jan. 19, soon after taking office, Gates mandated reserve components would mobilize for one year and then have five years before another mobilization.
A second portion of Gates' decision was that reserve-component units would train and deploy as units. Hall said the "cross-leveling" that cobbled together units would end.
Finally, Gates said that a compensation package would be developed if units broke their dwell time at home -- in other words, were mobilized before the five-year home-station period was finished. Hall said such a package is in development, and the details may be released soon.
About 13,000 Guardsmen from the four units -- the 37th Brigade Combat Team, from Ohio; the 76th BCT, from Indiana; the 45th BCT, from Oklahoma; and the 39th BCT, from Arkansas -- will mobilize under the new rules. While all these units have been in U.S. Central Command before, for fully two-thirds of the Guardsmen, this will be their first deployment.
Under the program, nine to 10 months before a potential mobilization, DoD officials will alert the Guardsmen.
"We're going to get you that time for training; we're going to get you the equipment ahead of time," Hall said. The 45th Brigade Combat Team, for example, has already scheduled a 28-day training period instead of its normal two-week rotation, he said.
This will also help reduce stress on the force. There are 75,771 reservists deployed worldwide to support the global war on terrorism, Hall said. This is 120,000 fewer than in 2005. "We have reduced the number of Guardsmen and reservists on active duty the equivalent of six Army divisions," Hall said. "Now we want to make this more predictable."
All of these changes are aimed at preserving the all-volunteer force, Hall said. The force is working magnificently. Recruiting standards remain high, he said. And, through March, overall reserve components are at 101 percent of their recruiting goals. The Naval Reserve and the Army Reserve are down from their goals, he said, but Hall said he expects those numbers to climb in the coming months. The National Guard is at more than 106 percent of its recruiting goal.
"But, most important in my view is retention," the secretary said. "It is almost at all-time highs. It's the best it's been since 1991. You just don't stay with an organization or company that you don't like.
"So, we must be doing something right," he added, "because (servicemembers) are staying at near record numbers."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Osprey Aircraft to Make Combat Debut in Iraq
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – A Marine aircraft with dual personalities -- part airplane, part helicopter -- will soon buzz and hover above Iraq's deserts, providing assault and medical support. Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway announced at the Pentagon this morning that the MV-22 Osprey aircraft will make its combat debut in Iraq this September, when Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, with 10 Ospreys and 171 personnel, deploys to Al Asad Air Base.
"This deployment directly supports our Corps' number one priority, the Marines and sailors in contact at the tip of the spear," Conway said. "This is a great day for our Corps and for my aviation folks in particular."
The Corps' tiltrotor MV-22 alternates between fixed- and rotary-wing capabilities, a unique attribute that gives U.S. fighting forces the versatility of a helicopter, with the 300 mph speed and increased altitude of an airplane, reducing the threat from small-arms fire.
"It goes twice as fast, three times as far, it's more survivable by six or seven times (than) the aircraft it replaces," Marine Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, deputy commandant for aviation, told reporters at the Pentagon. The MV-22, which can travel up to 900 miles before refueling, is set to phase out the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter introduced in the 1960s.
In 2000, the Osprey came under controversy when an MV-22 crashed, killing 23 Marines.
Castellaw said the accident resulted from rapid descent in "helicopter mode," a risky tactic not normally used by pilots. Newer models are equipped with warning systems to help prevent a similar situation, he said.
In conjunction with the commandant's announcement today, media members were invited to Landing Zone Seven at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., to observe the aircraft up close. Later, 20 press members would climb aboard for a jaunt above the clouds in what Marines call a "familiarization ride."
Around 1 p.m., two Ospreys roared overhead, sending dust and blades of grass into the faces of reporters and photographers. During a downwind turn, the Ospreys' prop-rotors pivoted perpendicular to the ground and into helicopter mode.
The crafts hovered over their landing spots, floating smoothly on a vertical descent until their wheels met grassy terrain. Lt. Col Paul Rock, the commanding officer of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, hopped out of one MV-22 and approached the bouquet of microphones poised on a makeshift podium.
"The mission is medium-lift assault support," Rock said. "We carry combat troops, supplies and equipment across the spectrum of expeditionary operations.
"It's not an F-18 Hornet or an 88 Harrier," he said. "We're not looking to put bombs on people's heads, we're going to put the most lethal thing the Marine Corps has -- the individual rifleman -- on the deck."
Rock told reporters the Corps has a three-phase, 18-month logistical program in place to train pilots and aircrews on the new craft. The first of the six-month phases includes "qualifications training flights," followed by a half-year of "maturation training."
During the final pre-deployment phase, Marine aviators undergo Operation Desert Talon training in Yuma, Ariz. -- a location selected for its desert climate and conditions, Rock said.
As the outdoor briefing closed, the 85-foot rotors soon reappeared over the tree line. Eager press members pulled rudimentary white helmets, appropriately called "cranials," and their attached headphones into place.
Inside the Osprey, chests harnesses held reporters and photographers fast against the fuselage making tangible the low-frequency hum of the spinning propellers. From the rear hatch, which remained open during the flight, a network of exposed wires ran along the ceiling toward the cockpit like nerve bundles.
Without warning, the MV-22 separated from the ground. A mid-range humming seeped under the headphones and signaled the craft's metamorphosis from helicopter to airplane mode. For roughly the next 20 minutes, press members on board climbed, descended, yawed, pitched and rolled in the Osprey like paint in a mixer.
In moments of sheer beauty, the second Osprey fell back and appeared through the rear hatch, gliding along in parallel formation and eliciting composer Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries," as in the famed UH-1 Huey scene from the film "Apocalypse Now."
As a testament to the Osprey's sheer power, one photographer onboard was compelled to use a complimentary airsick bag. Another passenger, a news correspondent, wore a yellow hue on her face that was absent before the flight.
At the edge of the landing zone, Sgt. Courtney Joseph, an MV-22 aircrew member and mechanic, watched the disoriented press members deplane -- rather de-helicopter -- the Ospreys. "The quickest way to turn anyone into a believer is to ride on it," she said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 13, 2007 – A Marine aircraft with dual personalities -- part airplane, part helicopter -- will soon buzz and hover above Iraq's deserts, providing assault and medical support. Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway announced at the Pentagon this morning that the MV-22 Osprey aircraft will make its combat debut in Iraq this September, when Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, with 10 Ospreys and 171 personnel, deploys to Al Asad Air Base.
"This deployment directly supports our Corps' number one priority, the Marines and sailors in contact at the tip of the spear," Conway said. "This is a great day for our Corps and for my aviation folks in particular."
The Corps' tiltrotor MV-22 alternates between fixed- and rotary-wing capabilities, a unique attribute that gives U.S. fighting forces the versatility of a helicopter, with the 300 mph speed and increased altitude of an airplane, reducing the threat from small-arms fire.
"It goes twice as fast, three times as far, it's more survivable by six or seven times (than) the aircraft it replaces," Marine Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, deputy commandant for aviation, told reporters at the Pentagon. The MV-22, which can travel up to 900 miles before refueling, is set to phase out the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter introduced in the 1960s.
In 2000, the Osprey came under controversy when an MV-22 crashed, killing 23 Marines.
Castellaw said the accident resulted from rapid descent in "helicopter mode," a risky tactic not normally used by pilots. Newer models are equipped with warning systems to help prevent a similar situation, he said.
In conjunction with the commandant's announcement today, media members were invited to Landing Zone Seven at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., to observe the aircraft up close. Later, 20 press members would climb aboard for a jaunt above the clouds in what Marines call a "familiarization ride."
Around 1 p.m., two Ospreys roared overhead, sending dust and blades of grass into the faces of reporters and photographers. During a downwind turn, the Ospreys' prop-rotors pivoted perpendicular to the ground and into helicopter mode.
The crafts hovered over their landing spots, floating smoothly on a vertical descent until their wheels met grassy terrain. Lt. Col Paul Rock, the commanding officer of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263, hopped out of one MV-22 and approached the bouquet of microphones poised on a makeshift podium.
"The mission is medium-lift assault support," Rock said. "We carry combat troops, supplies and equipment across the spectrum of expeditionary operations.
"It's not an F-18 Hornet or an 88 Harrier," he said. "We're not looking to put bombs on people's heads, we're going to put the most lethal thing the Marine Corps has -- the individual rifleman -- on the deck."
Rock told reporters the Corps has a three-phase, 18-month logistical program in place to train pilots and aircrews on the new craft. The first of the six-month phases includes "qualifications training flights," followed by a half-year of "maturation training."
During the final pre-deployment phase, Marine aviators undergo Operation Desert Talon training in Yuma, Ariz. -- a location selected for its desert climate and conditions, Rock said.
As the outdoor briefing closed, the 85-foot rotors soon reappeared over the tree line. Eager press members pulled rudimentary white helmets, appropriately called "cranials," and their attached headphones into place.
Inside the Osprey, chests harnesses held reporters and photographers fast against the fuselage making tangible the low-frequency hum of the spinning propellers. From the rear hatch, which remained open during the flight, a network of exposed wires ran along the ceiling toward the cockpit like nerve bundles.
Without warning, the MV-22 separated from the ground. A mid-range humming seeped under the headphones and signaled the craft's metamorphosis from helicopter to airplane mode. For roughly the next 20 minutes, press members on board climbed, descended, yawed, pitched and rolled in the Osprey like paint in a mixer.
In moments of sheer beauty, the second Osprey fell back and appeared through the rear hatch, gliding along in parallel formation and eliciting composer Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries," as in the famed UH-1 Huey scene from the film "Apocalypse Now."
As a testament to the Osprey's sheer power, one photographer onboard was compelled to use a complimentary airsick bag. Another passenger, a news correspondent, wore a yellow hue on her face that was absent before the flight.
At the edge of the landing zone, Sgt. Courtney Joseph, an MV-22 aircrew member and mechanic, watched the disoriented press members deplane -- rather de-helicopter -- the Ospreys. "The quickest way to turn anyone into a believer is to ride on it," she said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Recon Shares Stories of Conspicuous Courage
By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – It was supposed to be a routine security patrol in Mosul, Iraq, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, 2005. Army Pfc. Stephen Sanford and his fellow soldiers of the Company C, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, planned to arrest suspected insurgents, take them back to the detention center and "relax, stretch out a bit." Instead, squad members would find themselves in an intense firefight.
"There was just this massive explosion," Sanford said. "You could see flashes and automatic weapons fire. It was sensory overload. It was incredibly loud. You could smell the gunpowder and the blood and the dust and dirt. My weapon started getting warm because I was firing so much. I mean, I still didn't know what was going on."
Meanwhile, nine members of a lead team that had gone inside a home ahead of Sanford were pinned down by enemy fire and trapped inside the kitchen. Sanford's team evacuated the first unit, but the last soldier out of the house had been shot and lay helpless on the exposed street.
"I tried to stop his bleeding," Sanford said. "I didn't notice at the time I had run into a perfect line of sight for one of their snipers, and I was taking hits, and there were rounds bouncing off the pavement. I got hit, and I started bleeding out pretty bad."
Nonetheless, Sanford continued trying to revive his fellow soldier, returned fire, shooting and killing an enemy, and continued CPR until he passed out from his own blood loss. "I was just so focused on my chance to duke it out with a bunch of bad guys that I didn't notice," he said.
For his actions under fire, Sanford was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Marine Gen. Peter Pace, who traveled to Alaska to perform the ceremony. "As he was pinning the medal on, his hands kinda shook a little bit, and he said 'Sorry, this is the first time I've given one of these out.' I said, 'Don't worry General, it's my first one too.'"
Sanford's incredible firsthand story and those of other servicemembers who have been awarded some of the country's highest military honors are told in a brand new edition of the Pentagon Channel documentary "Recon."
"They all say they're not really heroes, they were just doing their jobs," said Air Force Master Sgt. Daniela Marchus, the show's host, "but they all faced the intensity of combat and performed with conspicuous courage."
Army Sgt. Tommy Rieman's path to demonstrating conspicuous courage began as part of a small Army reconnaissance team that traveled hundreds of miles behind enemy lines before Operation Iraqi Freedom even began. The unit's task was to scout positions of Saddam Hussein's loyalists and pinpoint locations for close air strikes. Rieman and his team survived that extraordinarily dangerous mission unscathed. It was months later, after fighting seemed to have ended, that the calm was suddenly shattered.
"It was Dec. 3, 2003," Rieman said. "Enroute we got hit with three (rocket-propelled grenades), three (improvised explosive devices), and a hail of small-arms fire. While we were being fired upon, we returned fire, and I used my body as a shield to protect my gunner. He was on the .50-caliber machine gun, we had to keep the gun going, so I just knew he needed to be the most protected."
Rieman was shot in his arm and chest and suffered 11 shrapnel wounds. But the harrowing experience was far from over.
"We reacted, fought through the first ambush, told my guys to get out. We made a left turn to the next road. We pulled up. We basically put ourselves in another ambush with a smaller enemy force," Rieman said. "We returned fire. I lobbed two or three rounds down range. In total, myself was wounded, my gunner was shot in the buttocks, and Sergeant Bruce Robinson was in the rear vehicle. He lost his right leg to an RPG."
Rieman was awarded a Silver Star for his actions. He is also featured in a downloadable interactive video game called "America's Army: Real Heroes," which is based on Army values and training and gives citizens an opportunity to learn more about the role of today's soldiers.
"And later on they said, 'how about we make you an action figure?' Who's going to object to that, you know? So here I am, immortalized forever virtually and in plastic," Rieman said.
"Conspicuous Courage" also recounts in vivid detail the furious and now famous 40-minute firefight that ensued when a Kentucky National Guard military police company convoy came under massive enemy attack March 20, 2005, in Iraq.
"I can still see rounds just kicking up all around me," said Staff Sgt. Timothy Nein, who was in the lead vehicle that day. "I throw a grenade up onto the berm. It explodes. I take a couple steps back, begin to run. It's almost a vertical face. As I'm crawling up, I think the guy's either gonna shoot me in the face or I'm gonna get hit in the back by rounds, cause I can see them kicking up all around me."
For his actions, Nein would eventually receive the Distinguished Service Cross, the first to be awarded to a National Guard member since World War II.
Army Sgt. Leigh Anne Hester would be the first woman since World War II to be awarded the Silver Star for her actions defending the embattled convoy from enemy attackers.
"It was just instinct to get in there and eliminate them by any means we could," she said. "Firing my M4, firing my M203 grenade launcher or throwing hand grenades."
When the fight ended, 27 insurgents were dead. Everyone in the 617th Military Police Company survived. The squad member also received a medal of valor for their role in defending the convoy that day.
Army Lt. Gen. John Vines presented those awards during a ceremony at Camp Liberty, Iraqm on June 16, 2005. His comments that day sum up the qualities found in each servicemember featured in this latest "Recon" documentary. "My heroes don't play in the NBA or in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst," Vines said. "They're standing in front of me here today. These are American heroes."
"Conspicuous Courage" debuts Friday, April 13th, at noon EDT and will encore over the next four weeks. It also will be available via podcast and video on demand at www.pentagonchannel.mil.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Special to American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – It was supposed to be a routine security patrol in Mosul, Iraq, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, 2005. Army Pfc. Stephen Sanford and his fellow soldiers of the Company C, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, planned to arrest suspected insurgents, take them back to the detention center and "relax, stretch out a bit." Instead, squad members would find themselves in an intense firefight.
"There was just this massive explosion," Sanford said. "You could see flashes and automatic weapons fire. It was sensory overload. It was incredibly loud. You could smell the gunpowder and the blood and the dust and dirt. My weapon started getting warm because I was firing so much. I mean, I still didn't know what was going on."
Meanwhile, nine members of a lead team that had gone inside a home ahead of Sanford were pinned down by enemy fire and trapped inside the kitchen. Sanford's team evacuated the first unit, but the last soldier out of the house had been shot and lay helpless on the exposed street.
"I tried to stop his bleeding," Sanford said. "I didn't notice at the time I had run into a perfect line of sight for one of their snipers, and I was taking hits, and there were rounds bouncing off the pavement. I got hit, and I started bleeding out pretty bad."
Nonetheless, Sanford continued trying to revive his fellow soldier, returned fire, shooting and killing an enemy, and continued CPR until he passed out from his own blood loss. "I was just so focused on my chance to duke it out with a bunch of bad guys that I didn't notice," he said.
For his actions under fire, Sanford was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Marine Gen. Peter Pace, who traveled to Alaska to perform the ceremony. "As he was pinning the medal on, his hands kinda shook a little bit, and he said 'Sorry, this is the first time I've given one of these out.' I said, 'Don't worry General, it's my first one too.'"
Sanford's incredible firsthand story and those of other servicemembers who have been awarded some of the country's highest military honors are told in a brand new edition of the Pentagon Channel documentary "Recon."
"They all say they're not really heroes, they were just doing their jobs," said Air Force Master Sgt. Daniela Marchus, the show's host, "but they all faced the intensity of combat and performed with conspicuous courage."
Army Sgt. Tommy Rieman's path to demonstrating conspicuous courage began as part of a small Army reconnaissance team that traveled hundreds of miles behind enemy lines before Operation Iraqi Freedom even began. The unit's task was to scout positions of Saddam Hussein's loyalists and pinpoint locations for close air strikes. Rieman and his team survived that extraordinarily dangerous mission unscathed. It was months later, after fighting seemed to have ended, that the calm was suddenly shattered.
"It was Dec. 3, 2003," Rieman said. "Enroute we got hit with three (rocket-propelled grenades), three (improvised explosive devices), and a hail of small-arms fire. While we were being fired upon, we returned fire, and I used my body as a shield to protect my gunner. He was on the .50-caliber machine gun, we had to keep the gun going, so I just knew he needed to be the most protected."
Rieman was shot in his arm and chest and suffered 11 shrapnel wounds. But the harrowing experience was far from over.
"We reacted, fought through the first ambush, told my guys to get out. We made a left turn to the next road. We pulled up. We basically put ourselves in another ambush with a smaller enemy force," Rieman said. "We returned fire. I lobbed two or three rounds down range. In total, myself was wounded, my gunner was shot in the buttocks, and Sergeant Bruce Robinson was in the rear vehicle. He lost his right leg to an RPG."
Rieman was awarded a Silver Star for his actions. He is also featured in a downloadable interactive video game called "America's Army: Real Heroes," which is based on Army values and training and gives citizens an opportunity to learn more about the role of today's soldiers.
"And later on they said, 'how about we make you an action figure?' Who's going to object to that, you know? So here I am, immortalized forever virtually and in plastic," Rieman said.
"Conspicuous Courage" also recounts in vivid detail the furious and now famous 40-minute firefight that ensued when a Kentucky National Guard military police company convoy came under massive enemy attack March 20, 2005, in Iraq.
"I can still see rounds just kicking up all around me," said Staff Sgt. Timothy Nein, who was in the lead vehicle that day. "I throw a grenade up onto the berm. It explodes. I take a couple steps back, begin to run. It's almost a vertical face. As I'm crawling up, I think the guy's either gonna shoot me in the face or I'm gonna get hit in the back by rounds, cause I can see them kicking up all around me."
For his actions, Nein would eventually receive the Distinguished Service Cross, the first to be awarded to a National Guard member since World War II.
Army Sgt. Leigh Anne Hester would be the first woman since World War II to be awarded the Silver Star for her actions defending the embattled convoy from enemy attackers.
"It was just instinct to get in there and eliminate them by any means we could," she said. "Firing my M4, firing my M203 grenade launcher or throwing hand grenades."
When the fight ended, 27 insurgents were dead. Everyone in the 617th Military Police Company survived. The squad member also received a medal of valor for their role in defending the convoy that day.
Army Lt. Gen. John Vines presented those awards during a ceremony at Camp Liberty, Iraqm on June 16, 2005. His comments that day sum up the qualities found in each servicemember featured in this latest "Recon" documentary. "My heroes don't play in the NBA or in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst," Vines said. "They're standing in front of me here today. These are American heroes."
"Conspicuous Courage" debuts Friday, April 13th, at noon EDT and will encore over the next four weeks. It also will be available via podcast and video on demand at www.pentagonchannel.mil.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Top Enlisted Servicemember Shares Outlook Learned From Naval Hero
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – The philosophy that has guided and shaped the life of the U.S. military's top enlisted member grew from advice he received from the most decorated enlisted sailor in Navy history -- a war hero who earned the Medal of Honor and also happened to be his first cousin. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shared the philosophy he learned from James Elliott Williams with the Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 here today.
"He told me, 'Always prioritize your life. Put your God first, put your family second, and put your job third,'" Gainey said. "I was so lucky growing up in South Carolina with him in my life."
Gainey told the sailors on Okinawa, an island about 400 miles south of mainland Japan, that as a boy he was unaware of his cousin's heroic exploits.
"I didn't know about all that," he said. "He never talked about it. It was later in life that I found that all out, and now I carry his story forward."
Williams joined the Navy at age 16 in 1947 and served in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts before retiring in 1967. In addition to the Medal of Honor, he earned the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit with valor device, two Navy and Marine Corps Medals and three Bronze Star Medals, among others.
In Vietnam, Williams was a petty officer first class assigned to the River Patrol Force. His mission was to intercept Viet Cong arms shipments on the Mekong River delta.
On Oct. 31, 1966, Williams was patrol commander aboard River Patrol Boat 105, searching along with another patrol boat for Viet Cong guerrillas. Suddenly, guerrillas manning two small boats opened fire on the American patrol boats. When Williams and his men killed the attackers on one of the enemy boats, the other escaped into a canal.
Giving chase, the American patrol boat sailors came under rocket-propelled-grenade and small-arms fire from enemy fighters on the river bank.
Several times, Williams led his boats against concentrations of enemy vessels. He also called for support from UH-1B Huey helicopters. When the Hueys arrived, he began another attack as night fell, illuminating enemy forces and positions with his boat's searchlights.
In the three-hour battle, the American naval force killed numerous Viet Cong guerrillas, destroyed more than 50 vessels and disrupted a major enemy logistic operation.
Williams received the Medal of Honor for his actions that day from President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967. He died in 1999. In 2004, the Navy commissioned the Aegis guided missile destroyer USS James E. Williams.
Gainey awarded his personal coin to several of the sailors, and noted to them that one side contains the inscription "Pride is contagious."
"Remember James E. Williams?" he asked. "If you have pride in your God, in your family and in your service, everything else will come out right," he told the Seabees. "I believe that with all my heart."
Later, after a breakfast meeting here with Navy enlisted leaders based on Okinawa, Gainey traveled to White Beach Naval Facility, where he spoke with sailors assigned there and crewmembers of the USS Tortuga, a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship that's in the port preparing to transport Okinawa-based Marines.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – The philosophy that has guided and shaped the life of the U.S. military's top enlisted member grew from advice he received from the most decorated enlisted sailor in Navy history -- a war hero who earned the Medal of Honor and also happened to be his first cousin. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shared the philosophy he learned from James Elliott Williams with the Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 here today.
"He told me, 'Always prioritize your life. Put your God first, put your family second, and put your job third,'" Gainey said. "I was so lucky growing up in South Carolina with him in my life."
Gainey told the sailors on Okinawa, an island about 400 miles south of mainland Japan, that as a boy he was unaware of his cousin's heroic exploits.
"I didn't know about all that," he said. "He never talked about it. It was later in life that I found that all out, and now I carry his story forward."
Williams joined the Navy at age 16 in 1947 and served in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts before retiring in 1967. In addition to the Medal of Honor, he earned the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit with valor device, two Navy and Marine Corps Medals and three Bronze Star Medals, among others.
In Vietnam, Williams was a petty officer first class assigned to the River Patrol Force. His mission was to intercept Viet Cong arms shipments on the Mekong River delta.
On Oct. 31, 1966, Williams was patrol commander aboard River Patrol Boat 105, searching along with another patrol boat for Viet Cong guerrillas. Suddenly, guerrillas manning two small boats opened fire on the American patrol boats. When Williams and his men killed the attackers on one of the enemy boats, the other escaped into a canal.
Giving chase, the American patrol boat sailors came under rocket-propelled-grenade and small-arms fire from enemy fighters on the river bank.
Several times, Williams led his boats against concentrations of enemy vessels. He also called for support from UH-1B Huey helicopters. When the Hueys arrived, he began another attack as night fell, illuminating enemy forces and positions with his boat's searchlights.
In the three-hour battle, the American naval force killed numerous Viet Cong guerrillas, destroyed more than 50 vessels and disrupted a major enemy logistic operation.
Williams received the Medal of Honor for his actions that day from President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967. He died in 1999. In 2004, the Navy commissioned the Aegis guided missile destroyer USS James E. Williams.
Gainey awarded his personal coin to several of the sailors, and noted to them that one side contains the inscription "Pride is contagious."
"Remember James E. Williams?" he asked. "If you have pride in your God, in your family and in your service, everything else will come out right," he told the Seabees. "I believe that with all my heart."
Later, after a breakfast meeting here with Navy enlisted leaders based on Okinawa, Gainey traveled to White Beach Naval Facility, where he spoke with sailors assigned there and crewmembers of the USS Tortuga, a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship that's in the port preparing to transport Okinawa-based Marines.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Colorado Citizens Support Troops With Vehicle Plate
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – After two years of pushing for new state legislation, a Colorado troop-support group has been told to hit the road -- literally. With the support of 33 state congress members, American Military Family today announced its successful efforts in getting a license plate dedicated to the troops for residents of the Centennial State.
According to the new law, 93 percent of the proceeds from the $25 vehicle tag will go to directly support Colorado military members and their families. This will include active-duty members, National Guard and reserve soldiers as well as veterans and non-profit organizations working to support the military.
With the help of their 12 corporate sponsorships, the group hopes to take care of overhead costs so 100 percent of the tag proceeds eventually can go back to Colorado troops, Debbie Quackenbush, the organization's founder, said. She said this is part of their "Support the Troops 100%" program.
"We are just a bunch of average people supporting our military," Quackenbush said. "We believe we are going to do great things for our troops through this program."
Although the plate is set for release July 1, the organization has already collected more than 150 advance orders for the tag emblazoned with a yellow ribbon and American flag.
"I think people in the state and the nation want to tangibly support our troops," she said. "This is a great way to do it. We are so proud that years of work have come to fruition."
American Military Family is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad. All monies donated above the cost of the license plate will be distributed to servicemembers throughout the nation.
By working closely with the state's Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, the organization will review requests for monetary assistance on a quarterly basis for distribution throughout the state for those who qualify. Quackenbush said this includes family emergencies for military families in addition to other troop-support groups.
Quakenbush, whose brother is a Vietnam veteran, said she believes no one who has sacrificed for America's freedom should go unrecognized.
"This is going to be a huge message going down the highways to our troops and their families," she said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – After two years of pushing for new state legislation, a Colorado troop-support group has been told to hit the road -- literally. With the support of 33 state congress members, American Military Family today announced its successful efforts in getting a license plate dedicated to the troops for residents of the Centennial State.
According to the new law, 93 percent of the proceeds from the $25 vehicle tag will go to directly support Colorado military members and their families. This will include active-duty members, National Guard and reserve soldiers as well as veterans and non-profit organizations working to support the military.
With the help of their 12 corporate sponsorships, the group hopes to take care of overhead costs so 100 percent of the tag proceeds eventually can go back to Colorado troops, Debbie Quackenbush, the organization's founder, said. She said this is part of their "Support the Troops 100%" program.
"We are just a bunch of average people supporting our military," Quackenbush said. "We believe we are going to do great things for our troops through this program."
Although the plate is set for release July 1, the organization has already collected more than 150 advance orders for the tag emblazoned with a yellow ribbon and American flag.
"I think people in the state and the nation want to tangibly support our troops," she said. "This is a great way to do it. We are so proud that years of work have come to fruition."
American Military Family is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with members of the military and their families at home and abroad. All monies donated above the cost of the license plate will be distributed to servicemembers throughout the nation.
By working closely with the state's Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, the organization will review requests for monetary assistance on a quarterly basis for distribution throughout the state for those who qualify. Quackenbush said this includes family emergencies for military families in addition to other troop-support groups.
Quakenbush, whose brother is a Vietnam veteran, said she believes no one who has sacrificed for America's freedom should go unrecognized.
"This is going to be a huge message going down the highways to our troops and their families," she said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Independent Medical Review Group Presents Preliminary Conclusions
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – The problems wounded servicemembers and their families experienced at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here are systemic, members of the Independent Review Group said here yesterday. The group met with members of the Defense Health Board and presented preliminary conclusions at a meeting at the hospital.
"There has always been an American ethic and that ethic is that America always takes care of its wounded," said John O. Marsh, co-chairman of the group and former Army secretary. "We've got be certain that we always emphasize that ethic."
The group is looking exclusively at conditions Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md. Yet the group's finding indicate problems beyond the two flagship military medical centers.
"We have reason to think that the observations we make are systemic," Marsh said. "We did encounter indications that some of the problems ... do exist in other medical facilities of our armed forces."
Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Togo West, co-chairman of the group, said there were failures of leadership at Walter Reed. Army Secretary Francis Harvey, Army Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, and Walter Reed Commander Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman were fired for those failures.
West said there was a "virtually incomprehensible inattention to non-medical facilities," and an "almost palpable disdain" for the long-term treatment that outpatients need.
Marsh said the circumstances at Walter Reed created a "perfect storm." The Army did not expect the number of injured from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Army officials did not invest in the Walter Reed facility once it was placed on the base realignment and closure list, and they tried to fill the void by hiring contractors to provide critical outpatient services. Medical personnel did not understand how to cope or treat servicemembers affected by traumatic brain injuries from improvised explosive devices and post-traumatic stress disorder. Finally, there is a systemic breakdown of the disability review process.
The group will recommend speeding up closure of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, West said. Under the base realignment and closure commission, Walter Reed and Bethesda are to be consolidated in Bethesda and the whole complex named the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The group recommends speeding up construction at Bethesda and ensuring that there is no "dying on the vine" for the facilities at Walter Reed until the complex is open. This will require funding improvements at a facility that is due to close, group officials said.
The group will recommend more money to research traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. Medical personnel need to know the best diagnostic tools and treatments for these conditions.
The group will recommend more case workers for out-patient servicemembers, and better training for the case workers. The group will also study what part contracting-out played in the hospital's "perfect storm."
Finally, the group is unanimous regarding the disability review process, West said. "The horrors that are inflicted on our wounded servicemembers and their families in the name of physical disability review, simply must be fixed," he said.
All servicemembers go through three separate board proceedings to determine disability. In the Army it is four proceedings. There are different stands and results from these boards and they appear "wildly incomprehensible" to wounded servicemembers and their families, West said.
The system needs to be combined and consolidated into a reasonable process from the servicemembers point of view, West said.
"To be sure it was the degradation of the physical facilities that caught the eye of the media," West said. "Important as that is, we believe there is far more important things to be dealt with here than applying paint or crawling around basements to deal with electrical problems.
"This is our bottom line: We are the United States of America," he continued. "These are our sons and daughters and sisters, uncle and aunt, maybe even a grandparent or two. ... Their families are our families. We are their neighbors. Their anguish is ours. We can and must do better."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – The problems wounded servicemembers and their families experienced at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here are systemic, members of the Independent Review Group said here yesterday. The group met with members of the Defense Health Board and presented preliminary conclusions at a meeting at the hospital.
"There has always been an American ethic and that ethic is that America always takes care of its wounded," said John O. Marsh, co-chairman of the group and former Army secretary. "We've got be certain that we always emphasize that ethic."
The group is looking exclusively at conditions Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md. Yet the group's finding indicate problems beyond the two flagship military medical centers.
"We have reason to think that the observations we make are systemic," Marsh said. "We did encounter indications that some of the problems ... do exist in other medical facilities of our armed forces."
Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Togo West, co-chairman of the group, said there were failures of leadership at Walter Reed. Army Secretary Francis Harvey, Army Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, and Walter Reed Commander Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman were fired for those failures.
West said there was a "virtually incomprehensible inattention to non-medical facilities," and an "almost palpable disdain" for the long-term treatment that outpatients need.
Marsh said the circumstances at Walter Reed created a "perfect storm." The Army did not expect the number of injured from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Army officials did not invest in the Walter Reed facility once it was placed on the base realignment and closure list, and they tried to fill the void by hiring contractors to provide critical outpatient services. Medical personnel did not understand how to cope or treat servicemembers affected by traumatic brain injuries from improvised explosive devices and post-traumatic stress disorder. Finally, there is a systemic breakdown of the disability review process.
The group will recommend speeding up closure of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, West said. Under the base realignment and closure commission, Walter Reed and Bethesda are to be consolidated in Bethesda and the whole complex named the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The group recommends speeding up construction at Bethesda and ensuring that there is no "dying on the vine" for the facilities at Walter Reed until the complex is open. This will require funding improvements at a facility that is due to close, group officials said.
The group will recommend more money to research traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. Medical personnel need to know the best diagnostic tools and treatments for these conditions.
The group will recommend more case workers for out-patient servicemembers, and better training for the case workers. The group will also study what part contracting-out played in the hospital's "perfect storm."
Finally, the group is unanimous regarding the disability review process, West said. "The horrors that are inflicted on our wounded servicemembers and their families in the name of physical disability review, simply must be fixed," he said.
All servicemembers go through three separate board proceedings to determine disability. In the Army it is four proceedings. There are different stands and results from these boards and they appear "wildly incomprehensible" to wounded servicemembers and their families, West said.
The system needs to be combined and consolidated into a reasonable process from the servicemembers point of view, West said.
"To be sure it was the degradation of the physical facilities that caught the eye of the media," West said. "Important as that is, we believe there is far more important things to be dealt with here than applying paint or crawling around basements to deal with electrical problems.
"This is our bottom line: We are the United States of America," he continued. "These are our sons and daughters and sisters, uncle and aunt, maybe even a grandparent or two. ... Their families are our families. We are their neighbors. Their anguish is ours. We can and must do better."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Interservice Cooperation on Okinawa Impresses Top NCO
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – On the second day of a visit to Okinawa, the U.S. military's top enlisted servicemember today expressed his pleasure that the services seem to be working together better than he could have imagined a decade ago. Having spent the morning with Navy sailors and yesterday with Air Force and Army personnel on the island, Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, cited an example while here for briefings on Army operations on Okinawa.
The Army's 58th Signal Battalion manages the Joint Warfighter Interbase Telecommunications Network on Okinawa, providing connectivity among 18 locations for all U.S. military services on the island, as well as providing communications for Japanese SelfDefense Forces.
Discussion during the briefing turned to a tsunami-related disruption of communication from Navy ships to Navy aircraft. The problem was overcome thanks to an effort attributed by enlisted leaders in the meeting to a sense of partnership in a close inter-service working relationship. The same spirit came through during a briefing about the Army's 505th Quartermaster Battalion, which provides bulk fuel to all Defense Department activities on Okinawa.
"Let me tell you something. Fifteen years ago, that would not have happened," Gainey said. "You would not have a Navy master chief taking about an Army sergeant major as a partner in the mission. It would have been 'us' and 'them,'" he said.
Throughout the visit, servicemembers have asked Gainey whether the trend toward joint training and operations will continue. He answers the question by having the servicemembers put a hand over the name of their service embroidered on a fabric tape above the shirt pocket.
"When you cover the name of your service, what's left?" he asks the servicemembers. "U.S. -- that's us. That's what it needs to be about now."
Servicemembers need to "care enough to care" and take time to learn other services' cultures and standards, he said here today. He added that he's encouraged by discussions during his visit that "are about how we serve each other, not how we serve ourselves."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – On the second day of a visit to Okinawa, the U.S. military's top enlisted servicemember today expressed his pleasure that the services seem to be working together better than he could have imagined a decade ago. Having spent the morning with Navy sailors and yesterday with Air Force and Army personnel on the island, Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, cited an example while here for briefings on Army operations on Okinawa.
The Army's 58th Signal Battalion manages the Joint Warfighter Interbase Telecommunications Network on Okinawa, providing connectivity among 18 locations for all U.S. military services on the island, as well as providing communications for Japanese SelfDefense Forces.
Discussion during the briefing turned to a tsunami-related disruption of communication from Navy ships to Navy aircraft. The problem was overcome thanks to an effort attributed by enlisted leaders in the meeting to a sense of partnership in a close inter-service working relationship. The same spirit came through during a briefing about the Army's 505th Quartermaster Battalion, which provides bulk fuel to all Defense Department activities on Okinawa.
"Let me tell you something. Fifteen years ago, that would not have happened," Gainey said. "You would not have a Navy master chief taking about an Army sergeant major as a partner in the mission. It would have been 'us' and 'them,'" he said.
Throughout the visit, servicemembers have asked Gainey whether the trend toward joint training and operations will continue. He answers the question by having the servicemembers put a hand over the name of their service embroidered on a fabric tape above the shirt pocket.
"When you cover the name of your service, what's left?" he asks the servicemembers. "U.S. -- that's us. That's what it needs to be about now."
Servicemembers need to "care enough to care" and take time to learn other services' cultures and standards, he said here today. He added that he's encouraged by discussions during his visit that "are about how we serve each other, not how we serve ourselves."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Medical Evaluation Process Getting Fresh Look
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – Less than two months after a roadside bomb took both his legs during a reconnaissance patrol near Iraq's Syrian border, Marine Corps Cpl. Dylan Gray is preparing for his first encounter with the Defense Department's medical evaluation process. Recently transferred from the National Naval Medical Center, where he underwent a long string of surgeries, 23-year-old Gray is undergoing rehabilitation here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He hopes to get transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, closer to his native Utah, to finish his treatment.
For now, Gray said he's focusing solely on his medical treatment, not to what's down the road for him, or whether he'll be able to continue his military career. "It's just too soon to worry about that," he said. "Right now, all I am going to think about is healing."
Air Force Staff Sgt. Eric Ezell has had a little more time to contemplate the medical board he expects to review his records during the next several weeks. He's hoping beyond hope that it will give him the green light to continue his five-plus-year Air Force career.
Ezell, an aerial gunner with the 20th Special Operations Squadron, was participating in a mission to infiltrate a hostile landing zone in Iraq when he got shot in the back of his head in late December. The bullet exited through his right eye, destroying the eye and fracturing the bones of his eye socket.
Ezell went through complicated surgery that involved taking bone from his leg to repair the structural area around his eye socket so he can eventually receive a prosthetic eye. He reached a major milestone earlier this months when he was discharged from Walter Reed to rejoin his unit at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
But what he most looks forward to, he said, is getting back to full duty and resuming his career.
The one hurtle that stands in the way is the DoD Disability Evaluation System -- the system used to determine if sick or wounded troops are fit for duty and, if not, how to compensate them for their disabilities.
The concept dates back to the Civil War, when Congress established the first disability retirement system for wounded officers. Nearly 150 years later, some 25,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines-officer and enlisted, active-duty and reserve-component-are included in the system, officials in DoD's manpower policy office told American Forces Press Service.
In fiscal 2006, those numbers broke down to more than 13,100 soldiers, about 5,700 sailors and Marines and more than 4,100 airmen.
Despite common assumption, only 15 to 20 percent of those in the system were wounded in combat. The vast majority of the cases stem from non-combat accidents, illnesses and other medical conditions, officials explained.
The Disability Evaluation System is actually a two-step process. It begins with a medical evaluation board that decides if a servicemember is fit enough to remain on duty. If not, the board passes the case to a physical evaluation board, which determines the extent of the disability.
That finding determines if the servicemember qualifies for retired pay and military benefits such as health care and base privileges for life, or a one-time severance payment with no additional benefits.
If the rating is less than 30 percent, the servicemember may be discharged with severance pay. Those rated 30 percent or higher are medically retired. In some cases, troops are put on a temporary disability retired list for up to five years.
Not all troops -- especially those rated at less than 30 percent disability -- are happy with the findings, a defense official said. "It's understandable, when you have so much at stake, that not everyone is happy," he said.
They can appeal their cases, but once they finish those appeals, the case is closed, he said.
A complicating factor is that several federal agencies, particularly DoD and the VA, have totally different gauges for their disability findings, he said. After DoD declares a servicemember unfit and assigns a disability rating of 20 percent, for example, VA may give a far higher disability rating, sometimes as high as 70 percent.
"That's because VA looks at disability differently than we do in DoD," the official said. "We look at it in terms of a soldier being fit or unfit, based on their ability to do the job. VA has a much wider scope. They are looking at disability in terms of a lifetime of earnings.
"We compensate for a career cut short. VA is looking at a lifetime of earnings," he said. "But a lot of servicemembers don't understand the different perspectives."
Differences like this create a lot of confusion and may signal the need for a national review of disability programs, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said during testimony today before the Senate Armed Services and Veterans Affairs committees. "It may be time to cast a wider net and look at this whole area of disability," he said.
England joined other defense and Department of Veterans Affairs leaders briefing the senators about how ongoing reviews of the medical and disability systems are progressing.
No fewer than seven different task forces, both within DoD and independently run, are examining the Disability Evaluation System to make it as expeditious, easy to understand and, most of all, fair, for servicemembers like Gray and Ezell, officials noted.
President Bush appointed a Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors, which is conducting a comprehensive review of this and all other aspects of care being provided to wounded warriors.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates appointed an Independent Review Group to examine issues throughout the military medical system, as well as the way it processes troops through the Disability Evaluation System.
David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, has also directed a group to assess the Disability Evaluation System process and recommend ways to ensure "a dignified, equitable and seamless transition to civilian society for our wounded warriors unable to return to duty," he noted in a recent letter to U.S. Sen. Jim Webb.
Acting DoD Inspector General Thomas F. Gimble and his staff also began reviewing DoD's Wounded Warrior Transition Program earlier this year, at Chu's request, and are expected to report their findings to him soon, Chu reported.
Meanwhile, each of the military departments has initiated internal reviews of their processes to come up with ways to make them smoother, less bureaucratic and more responsive to the people they affect, Chu said.
Another goal is to ensure disability cases move quickly, but not so quickly that they're rushed, a defense official explained. Most cases are processed within 70 days, he said, but particularly complicated ones take longer.
England told the senators DoD is committed to improving its systems to serve wounded troops, including those involved in the medical evaluation process. "The very top priority of the Department of Defense is taking care of our men and women in uniforms and their families, and in particular, those who have made the greatest sacrifices for our nation," he said.
Those words are reassuring to Ezell, who, with two or more surgeries still ahead, is preparing for the medical evaluation process to determine if he can remain in the Air Force.
"My case is pretty cut and dried, and it's pretty much a given that my eye is not coming back," he said. "But I've got good vision in my left eye, so there's still a lot that I can do. I can't do a flying job, but I can cross-train into a whole lot of other jobs."
Ezell said he hopes the board will allow him to explore those new possibilities.
"The military has offered me a lot and given me a lot of opportunities, and I've already established a foundation that I can continue to build on," he said. "I'm hoping they'll give me the chance to do that."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – Less than two months after a roadside bomb took both his legs during a reconnaissance patrol near Iraq's Syrian border, Marine Corps Cpl. Dylan Gray is preparing for his first encounter with the Defense Department's medical evaluation process. Recently transferred from the National Naval Medical Center, where he underwent a long string of surgeries, 23-year-old Gray is undergoing rehabilitation here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He hopes to get transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, closer to his native Utah, to finish his treatment.
For now, Gray said he's focusing solely on his medical treatment, not to what's down the road for him, or whether he'll be able to continue his military career. "It's just too soon to worry about that," he said. "Right now, all I am going to think about is healing."
Air Force Staff Sgt. Eric Ezell has had a little more time to contemplate the medical board he expects to review his records during the next several weeks. He's hoping beyond hope that it will give him the green light to continue his five-plus-year Air Force career.
Ezell, an aerial gunner with the 20th Special Operations Squadron, was participating in a mission to infiltrate a hostile landing zone in Iraq when he got shot in the back of his head in late December. The bullet exited through his right eye, destroying the eye and fracturing the bones of his eye socket.
Ezell went through complicated surgery that involved taking bone from his leg to repair the structural area around his eye socket so he can eventually receive a prosthetic eye. He reached a major milestone earlier this months when he was discharged from Walter Reed to rejoin his unit at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
But what he most looks forward to, he said, is getting back to full duty and resuming his career.
The one hurtle that stands in the way is the DoD Disability Evaluation System -- the system used to determine if sick or wounded troops are fit for duty and, if not, how to compensate them for their disabilities.
The concept dates back to the Civil War, when Congress established the first disability retirement system for wounded officers. Nearly 150 years later, some 25,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines-officer and enlisted, active-duty and reserve-component-are included in the system, officials in DoD's manpower policy office told American Forces Press Service.
In fiscal 2006, those numbers broke down to more than 13,100 soldiers, about 5,700 sailors and Marines and more than 4,100 airmen.
Despite common assumption, only 15 to 20 percent of those in the system were wounded in combat. The vast majority of the cases stem from non-combat accidents, illnesses and other medical conditions, officials explained.
The Disability Evaluation System is actually a two-step process. It begins with a medical evaluation board that decides if a servicemember is fit enough to remain on duty. If not, the board passes the case to a physical evaluation board, which determines the extent of the disability.
That finding determines if the servicemember qualifies for retired pay and military benefits such as health care and base privileges for life, or a one-time severance payment with no additional benefits.
If the rating is less than 30 percent, the servicemember may be discharged with severance pay. Those rated 30 percent or higher are medically retired. In some cases, troops are put on a temporary disability retired list for up to five years.
Not all troops -- especially those rated at less than 30 percent disability -- are happy with the findings, a defense official said. "It's understandable, when you have so much at stake, that not everyone is happy," he said.
They can appeal their cases, but once they finish those appeals, the case is closed, he said.
A complicating factor is that several federal agencies, particularly DoD and the VA, have totally different gauges for their disability findings, he said. After DoD declares a servicemember unfit and assigns a disability rating of 20 percent, for example, VA may give a far higher disability rating, sometimes as high as 70 percent.
"That's because VA looks at disability differently than we do in DoD," the official said. "We look at it in terms of a soldier being fit or unfit, based on their ability to do the job. VA has a much wider scope. They are looking at disability in terms of a lifetime of earnings.
"We compensate for a career cut short. VA is looking at a lifetime of earnings," he said. "But a lot of servicemembers don't understand the different perspectives."
Differences like this create a lot of confusion and may signal the need for a national review of disability programs, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said during testimony today before the Senate Armed Services and Veterans Affairs committees. "It may be time to cast a wider net and look at this whole area of disability," he said.
England joined other defense and Department of Veterans Affairs leaders briefing the senators about how ongoing reviews of the medical and disability systems are progressing.
No fewer than seven different task forces, both within DoD and independently run, are examining the Disability Evaluation System to make it as expeditious, easy to understand and, most of all, fair, for servicemembers like Gray and Ezell, officials noted.
President Bush appointed a Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors, which is conducting a comprehensive review of this and all other aspects of care being provided to wounded warriors.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates appointed an Independent Review Group to examine issues throughout the military medical system, as well as the way it processes troops through the Disability Evaluation System.
David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, has also directed a group to assess the Disability Evaluation System process and recommend ways to ensure "a dignified, equitable and seamless transition to civilian society for our wounded warriors unable to return to duty," he noted in a recent letter to U.S. Sen. Jim Webb.
Acting DoD Inspector General Thomas F. Gimble and his staff also began reviewing DoD's Wounded Warrior Transition Program earlier this year, at Chu's request, and are expected to report their findings to him soon, Chu reported.
Meanwhile, each of the military departments has initiated internal reviews of their processes to come up with ways to make them smoother, less bureaucratic and more responsive to the people they affect, Chu said.
Another goal is to ensure disability cases move quickly, but not so quickly that they're rushed, a defense official explained. Most cases are processed within 70 days, he said, but particularly complicated ones take longer.
England told the senators DoD is committed to improving its systems to serve wounded troops, including those involved in the medical evaluation process. "The very top priority of the Department of Defense is taking care of our men and women in uniforms and their families, and in particular, those who have made the greatest sacrifices for our nation," he said.
Those words are reassuring to Ezell, who, with two or more surgeries still ahead, is preparing for the medical evaluation process to determine if he can remain in the Air Force.
"My case is pretty cut and dried, and it's pretty much a given that my eye is not coming back," he said. "But I've got good vision in my left eye, so there's still a lot that I can do. I can't do a flying job, but I can cross-train into a whole lot of other jobs."
Ezell said he hopes the board will allow him to explore those new possibilities.
"The military has offered me a lot and given me a lot of opportunities, and I've already established a foundation that I can continue to build on," he said. "I'm hoping they'll give me the chance to do that."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Deputy Defense Secretary Calls for Immediate Fix to Disability Process
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England today called for a new policy that moves wounded troops from Iraq and Afghanistan to the front of the line in the disability rating process while system-wide fixes to the disability and health care systems are put in place. England recommended an immediate measure to speed combat-wounded troops through the DoD disability system and smooth their transition to the Department of Veterans Affairs system. The goal, he said, is "an uninterrupted, seamless continuum of care and support" that ensures nobody falls through the cracks or gets mired down in bureaucratic red tape.
Wounded troops represent about 11 percent of the 25,000 servicemembers being processed through DoD's disability system. The problem, England told the senators today, is that this 11 percent is funneled through the system just as the other 89 percent, many of them career servicemembers preparing to retire.
This "one-size-fits-all rating process" bogs down the processing of combat-wounded troops cases, England said.
Instead, he recommended that DoD expedite its cases to smooth their transition into VA care. Many of the wounded troops' cases are relatively clear-cut and can be moved through the system quickly, he said.
England acknowledged that this immediate fix is just one step toward improving the way wounded troops are cared for and, when appropriate, processed through the disability system. He said he's looking forward to hearing what the many studies, reviews, commissions and panels have to say about the matter when they report their findings before the year's end.
What's needed, he said, is a broad-based system that ensures combat-wounded troops get the care and treatment they deserve. "In my judgment, it is time to step back and take a holistic look at the system instead of just applying fixes to the system," England told the committees. "We need an integrated, systemic solution with the right mechanisms in place ... that makes sense from the soldier's perspective."
That requires thinking about what the best system would look like if it were being built from scratch and what steps would have to be taken to get it, he said.
England said it also may require looking to other national systems associated with disability determination and compensation: the Social Security Administration's disability payments, the Department of Labor's workmen's compensation program and the Department of Veterans Affairs and DoD disability systems, among them.
"They are all carried out in different ways, against different systems to achieve different ends," he said.
The differences between these complex programs can be confusing to benefit recipients, England said, suggesting the need for a new national approach for compensating disabled workers. "It may be time to cast a wider net and look at this whole area of disability," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
April 12, 2007 – Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England today called for a new policy that moves wounded troops from Iraq and Afghanistan to the front of the line in the disability rating process while system-wide fixes to the disability and health care systems are put in place. England recommended an immediate measure to speed combat-wounded troops through the DoD disability system and smooth their transition to the Department of Veterans Affairs system. The goal, he said, is "an uninterrupted, seamless continuum of care and support" that ensures nobody falls through the cracks or gets mired down in bureaucratic red tape.
Wounded troops represent about 11 percent of the 25,000 servicemembers being processed through DoD's disability system. The problem, England told the senators today, is that this 11 percent is funneled through the system just as the other 89 percent, many of them career servicemembers preparing to retire.
This "one-size-fits-all rating process" bogs down the processing of combat-wounded troops cases, England said.
Instead, he recommended that DoD expedite its cases to smooth their transition into VA care. Many of the wounded troops' cases are relatively clear-cut and can be moved through the system quickly, he said.
England acknowledged that this immediate fix is just one step toward improving the way wounded troops are cared for and, when appropriate, processed through the disability system. He said he's looking forward to hearing what the many studies, reviews, commissions and panels have to say about the matter when they report their findings before the year's end.
What's needed, he said, is a broad-based system that ensures combat-wounded troops get the care and treatment they deserve. "In my judgment, it is time to step back and take a holistic look at the system instead of just applying fixes to the system," England told the committees. "We need an integrated, systemic solution with the right mechanisms in place ... that makes sense from the soldier's perspective."
That requires thinking about what the best system would look like if it were being built from scratch and what steps would have to be taken to get it, he said.
England said it also may require looking to other national systems associated with disability determination and compensation: the Social Security Administration's disability payments, the Department of Labor's workmen's compensation program and the Department of Veterans Affairs and DoD disability systems, among them.
"They are all carried out in different ways, against different systems to achieve different ends," he said.
The differences between these complex programs can be confusing to benefit recipients, England said, suggesting the need for a new national approach for compensating disabled workers. "It may be time to cast a wider net and look at this whole area of disability," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
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