By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
May 15, 2007 – When Chef Robert Irvine discovered his "mission" was to feed 850 Marines after they'd completed 30 days of desert warfare training at Camp Pendleton, Calif., his reaction was what one might expect. "Shock and, gasp, horror," Irvine, host of Food Network's "Dinner Impossible," and a former chief petty officer cook in the British Royal Navy, said.
Part of the shock came from the fact that Irvine, who also spent 10 years cooking for the royal family, didn't really realize where he was or why he was there.
"The reason I don't know is because they don't tell me anything. The premise of this show is so secretive," he said. "I didn't even know what the challenge was until I literally met the master gunnery sergeant and then he actually gave me the mission, which was to cook the warrior dinner for 850 Marines."
Irvine accepted the challenge, which gave him seven hours to prepare a meal for the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, which was preparing to deploy to the Middle East. He was provided a field kitchen with an oven he was told had the power of a jet fighter's engine. He quickly discovered that Marines have a sense of humor.
"Let me tell you this, if any Marine or air service person is flying a jet with that on it, they're not going very far," Irvine said. "It took me 45 minutes to saute an onion!"
The meal he prepared required 104 pounds of onions.
The ill-equipped kitchen was just part of the challenge, however. He was provided no food, and had six Marines trained in combat, but not in cuisine, as assistants.
"I had three things stacked against me: No food, terrible equipment and no trained staff," Irvine said. "I had two of my guys, one of which went shopping to the local commissary, which was on another base."
The only alternative to the commissary was two hours away, and not an option with so many to cook for and so little time.
To work around the less-than-professional kitchen equipment, Irvine had to fire up a grill. As for the help, he put their skills to good use, as well.
"They showed me what they normally had (for) their steaks. (They) were nine-ounce strip steaks that were good enough to put on the bottom of your shoe and walk for three weeks," he said. "I had these two Marines, a young lady and a young man, beating the (steaks) with cans to tenderize them.
"It was funny and ridiculous at the same time," he said with a chuckle.
Finally, the clock ticked off the last seconds of the challenge, and Irvine stepped out of the kitchen to address the Marines, who were still decked out in full "battle rattle." As he offered his greetings to the battalion and asked if they were hungry, he said he got an overwhelming response.
"Of course all I heard was this tremendous, 'Ooh Rah!'" he said. "I said, 'First of all, as a non-American service guy, I want to tell you how proud I am of what you do every day for the country.'"
Then it was time to dig in, and just for comparison, Irvine made two of the Marines' typical "warrior dinners" and gave the Marines a choice between his and theirs. There was no hesitation as they passed up the usual and went for the fresh fare.
"It's very hard to put into words, but I was so proud of being there to give them their meal, and it was so personal to me," he said. "When you're a serviceman -- I don't care what branch you're in, what navy, what army, what Marine Corps, whatever it is -- there's a brotherhood. It just resonates."
The experience resonated so strongly with Irvine that he's promised to cook the battalion a welcome home dinner when it returns from its overseas tour.
The episode, which is the "Dinner Impossible" season finale, will premiere tomorrow at 10:30 p.m. EDT on Food Network.
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals, groups and organizations that are helping support the troops, visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America Supports You is a Defense Department program that directly connects military members to the support of the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their quest to find meaningful ways to support the military community.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Eagle Cane Project Honors Combat-Wounded Troops
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 15, 2007 – Two local woodworking groups followed a Civil War custom today by presenting a ceremonial cane to a soldier who lost his leg in Iraq. The groups seek to extend the ritual to all combat veterans who have suffered traumatic leg, foot or hip injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Northern Virginia Carvers and Capital Area Woodturners, Inc., presented an "eagle cane" to retired Army Lt. Col. Dennis Walburn, now deputy chief of operations for the Army's Rapid Equipping Force.
The REF, based here, partners with industry, academia and military leaders to get developmental as well as off-the-shelf technologies to deployed troops as quickly as possible.
Walburn was a Florida National Guard soldier deployed to Iraq to evaluate soldiers' equipment needs for the REF when he lost his leg to an improvised explosive device. He had volunteered for the 179-day deployment and was on a patrol with the 25th Infantry Division's 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team when the incident occurred near Mosul on May 28, 2005.
Nine people, including a U.S. soldier, died in the attack. Walburn lost his leg but credited quick action by combat lifesavers and the Mosul-based combat support hospital with saving his life.
Today, the Northern Virginia Carvers honored Walburn's sacrifice and his continued service with the REF by presenting him a cane inscribed with his name and topped with an intricately carved bald eagle.
Jack Nitz, a member of the Eastern Oklahoma Woodcarver's Association and former Navy chief petty officer, initiated the Eagle Cane Project to honor wounded heroes at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington.
The project has spread to woodcarving and woodturning clubs in 13 states. Woodturning is the process of shaping wood into forms on a lathe.
Henri "Hank" Cloutier, an Air Force retiree who coordinates the Eagle Cane Project here, noted that cane-presentation ceremonies date back to the Civil War as a sign of respect and honor for wounded troops.
The eagle carved into the cane is symbolic, as well, Cloutier explained. Native Americans believed that warriors wounded on the battlefield returned as eagles.
"This cane is not to be seen as any sign of weakness," Cloutier told Walburn. "It is a sign of respect and honor and thanks for your personal sacrifice."
Walburn said during today's ceremony that he was proud to accept his cane, not for himself, but for all wounded warriors.
He offered a word of encouragement for those undergoing the long, difficult rehabilitation process. "Life is going to hold a lot of promise still," he said. "And you will be back on your feet, doing great things for our country. There is a path ahead, and it is going to be good."
Army Sgt. John Keith, another Operation Iraqi Freedom amputee serving with the Rapid Equipping Force who attended today's ceremony, called it an emotional crescendo to the long healing process he and Walburn underwent together.
Keith lost his leg to an IED in southern Baghdad on Nov. 9, 2004, selected his own eagle cane today. The woodcutters will inscribe it with his name and date and place of injury, then present it at a future ceremony.
"He is a true symbol of a warrior," Keith said of Walburn. "We all had bad days (during rehabilitation), but he always had a smile on his face and was never down. He was an inspiration to us all."
Walburn said efforts like the Eagle Cane Project go a long way in demonstrating the American people's support for men and women in uniform. "It's a great morale boost that helps them go forward with their lives," he said.
The Eagle Cane Project is an example of the myriad projects individual Americans, schools, church groups, companies and other organizations are taking on to show support for the troops. The Defense Department's America Supports You program showcases these activities while helping people involved in them network with each other and attract other volunteers seeking ways to show their support.
Despite any public debate about the conflict itself, Walburn said, the country remains unified behind its troops. He cautioned against "compassion fatigue" from giving so much for so long. "We all have to continue," he said.
Cloutier said his and other woodworking groups participating in the Eagle Cane Project hope to expand their effort to honor all combat-wounded troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The problem, he said, is that privacy laws make it difficult to contact those troops. He encouraged wounded troops or their families to contact him at hankusaf@verizon.net or call 703-430-1222 to arrange to receive a cane.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
May 15, 2007 – Two local woodworking groups followed a Civil War custom today by presenting a ceremonial cane to a soldier who lost his leg in Iraq. The groups seek to extend the ritual to all combat veterans who have suffered traumatic leg, foot or hip injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Northern Virginia Carvers and Capital Area Woodturners, Inc., presented an "eagle cane" to retired Army Lt. Col. Dennis Walburn, now deputy chief of operations for the Army's Rapid Equipping Force.
The REF, based here, partners with industry, academia and military leaders to get developmental as well as off-the-shelf technologies to deployed troops as quickly as possible.
Walburn was a Florida National Guard soldier deployed to Iraq to evaluate soldiers' equipment needs for the REF when he lost his leg to an improvised explosive device. He had volunteered for the 179-day deployment and was on a patrol with the 25th Infantry Division's 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team when the incident occurred near Mosul on May 28, 2005.
Nine people, including a U.S. soldier, died in the attack. Walburn lost his leg but credited quick action by combat lifesavers and the Mosul-based combat support hospital with saving his life.
Today, the Northern Virginia Carvers honored Walburn's sacrifice and his continued service with the REF by presenting him a cane inscribed with his name and topped with an intricately carved bald eagle.
Jack Nitz, a member of the Eastern Oklahoma Woodcarver's Association and former Navy chief petty officer, initiated the Eagle Cane Project to honor wounded heroes at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington.
The project has spread to woodcarving and woodturning clubs in 13 states. Woodturning is the process of shaping wood into forms on a lathe.
Henri "Hank" Cloutier, an Air Force retiree who coordinates the Eagle Cane Project here, noted that cane-presentation ceremonies date back to the Civil War as a sign of respect and honor for wounded troops.
The eagle carved into the cane is symbolic, as well, Cloutier explained. Native Americans believed that warriors wounded on the battlefield returned as eagles.
"This cane is not to be seen as any sign of weakness," Cloutier told Walburn. "It is a sign of respect and honor and thanks for your personal sacrifice."
Walburn said during today's ceremony that he was proud to accept his cane, not for himself, but for all wounded warriors.
He offered a word of encouragement for those undergoing the long, difficult rehabilitation process. "Life is going to hold a lot of promise still," he said. "And you will be back on your feet, doing great things for our country. There is a path ahead, and it is going to be good."
Army Sgt. John Keith, another Operation Iraqi Freedom amputee serving with the Rapid Equipping Force who attended today's ceremony, called it an emotional crescendo to the long healing process he and Walburn underwent together.
Keith lost his leg to an IED in southern Baghdad on Nov. 9, 2004, selected his own eagle cane today. The woodcutters will inscribe it with his name and date and place of injury, then present it at a future ceremony.
"He is a true symbol of a warrior," Keith said of Walburn. "We all had bad days (during rehabilitation), but he always had a smile on his face and was never down. He was an inspiration to us all."
Walburn said efforts like the Eagle Cane Project go a long way in demonstrating the American people's support for men and women in uniform. "It's a great morale boost that helps them go forward with their lives," he said.
The Eagle Cane Project is an example of the myriad projects individual Americans, schools, church groups, companies and other organizations are taking on to show support for the troops. The Defense Department's America Supports You program showcases these activities while helping people involved in them network with each other and attract other volunteers seeking ways to show their support.
Despite any public debate about the conflict itself, Walburn said, the country remains unified behind its troops. He cautioned against "compassion fatigue" from giving so much for so long. "We all have to continue," he said.
Cloutier said his and other woodworking groups participating in the Eagle Cane Project hope to expand their effort to honor all combat-wounded troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The problem, he said, is that privacy laws make it difficult to contact those troops. He encouraged wounded troops or their families to contact him at hankusaf@verizon.net or call 703-430-1222 to arrange to receive a cane.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
New Systems Test Military, Civilian Communications During Exercise
By 1st Lt. Erika Yepsen, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 15, 2007 – Ardent Sentry/Northern Edge 2007, a two-week national-level exercise involving local, state and federal government agencies, is proving the capabilities of the Incident Command System. The system is designed to provide effective communication and organization between different emergency responders, which could include civilian authorities as well as military.
The Incident Command System is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Incident Management System, which is being implemented nationwide. It's a unified command-and-control system driven by a presidential directive that covers the Department of Defense and civilian federal government agencies, explained Air Force Maj. Darren Deroos, 3rd Wing chief of inspections and exercises.
"The Air Force took the National Incident Management System and customized it, which is how we came up with ... the Air Force Incident Management System, which the Air Force implemented across the service in February," Deroos said.
The 3rd Wing has been using the Air Force Incident Management System and the Incident Command System since January 2006.
The Incident Command System is a combination of facilities, equipment, operators, procedures and communications designed to aid in domestic incident-management activities. It can be used for a broad spectrum of emergencies, according to FEMA's National Incident Management System Web site.
"It really clarifies lines of communication and who has command of what in an emergency," Deroos said. "This exercise is our biggest full-scale test of ICS including civilian counterparts."
The system is finding wide use during this year's Alaska Shield/Northern Edge exercise, which is specifically designed to test communication and streamline response efforts between government agencies at all levels. Throughout the exercise, military and civilian first responders work together as they react to crisis scenarios, such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks or other emergency situations.
On May 8 and 9, military, civilian and federal authorities partnered to respond to two incidents: a simulated train collision involving hazardous materials and mass casualties here, and a simulated terrorist attack on the North Pole Refinery Complex, in nearby North Pole, Alaska.
During both incidents, emergency responders used ICS to coordinate their efforts.
"This exercise is the perfect opportunity to test the capabilities of AFIMS and ICS and the ability of the Air Force to integrate with its civilian counterparts during an emergency," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Douglas Fraser, Alaska Command commander. "Alaska is uniquely equipped to put this system through its paces because the state is leading the country in implementing the National Incident Management System."
Civilian organizations are already finding ICS to be exceptional in its use, creating more effective communication and improving response efforts.
"The fire department and emergency medical service have been using the system for a long time, but it's new to law enforcement, and we needed this opportunity to train with it," said Brad Johnson, Fairbanks deputy police chief. "We want to be able to work a small or large scale incident with ICS."
In addition, the Alaska Railroad Corporation has been using the system for years, said Ernest Piper, the Alaska Railroad Corporation assistant vice president of operations.
"At first, people were skeptical about it, but now we have the smoothest ICS process in the state," said Piper, who participated in the May 8 train collision exercise. "We use it for everything. It's perfect because you can use it for almost any kind of short-term emergency management situation."
Air Force Senior Master Sgt. David Hudson, 3rd Wing Inspector General's superintendent of readiness and emergency management, echoed Piper's praise for the system.
"It's been a slow implementation, but I think it was the right thing to do," Hudson said. "It streamlined a process and made a better process for the Air Force that we were able to meld with our civilian counterparts."
While Elmendorf has been operating under the AFIMS and ICS systems since last year, the rest of the Air Force is scheduled to achieve initial capability by December and final capability by December 2009, according to the AFIMS Senior Leader Guide to Implementation and Sustainment.
(Air Force 1st Lt. Erika Yepsen is assigned to Joint Task Force Alaska Public Affairs.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
Special to American Forces Press Service
May 15, 2007 – Ardent Sentry/Northern Edge 2007, a two-week national-level exercise involving local, state and federal government agencies, is proving the capabilities of the Incident Command System. The system is designed to provide effective communication and organization between different emergency responders, which could include civilian authorities as well as military.
The Incident Command System is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Incident Management System, which is being implemented nationwide. It's a unified command-and-control system driven by a presidential directive that covers the Department of Defense and civilian federal government agencies, explained Air Force Maj. Darren Deroos, 3rd Wing chief of inspections and exercises.
"The Air Force took the National Incident Management System and customized it, which is how we came up with ... the Air Force Incident Management System, which the Air Force implemented across the service in February," Deroos said.
The 3rd Wing has been using the Air Force Incident Management System and the Incident Command System since January 2006.
The Incident Command System is a combination of facilities, equipment, operators, procedures and communications designed to aid in domestic incident-management activities. It can be used for a broad spectrum of emergencies, according to FEMA's National Incident Management System Web site.
"It really clarifies lines of communication and who has command of what in an emergency," Deroos said. "This exercise is our biggest full-scale test of ICS including civilian counterparts."
The system is finding wide use during this year's Alaska Shield/Northern Edge exercise, which is specifically designed to test communication and streamline response efforts between government agencies at all levels. Throughout the exercise, military and civilian first responders work together as they react to crisis scenarios, such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks or other emergency situations.
On May 8 and 9, military, civilian and federal authorities partnered to respond to two incidents: a simulated train collision involving hazardous materials and mass casualties here, and a simulated terrorist attack on the North Pole Refinery Complex, in nearby North Pole, Alaska.
During both incidents, emergency responders used ICS to coordinate their efforts.
"This exercise is the perfect opportunity to test the capabilities of AFIMS and ICS and the ability of the Air Force to integrate with its civilian counterparts during an emergency," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Douglas Fraser, Alaska Command commander. "Alaska is uniquely equipped to put this system through its paces because the state is leading the country in implementing the National Incident Management System."
Civilian organizations are already finding ICS to be exceptional in its use, creating more effective communication and improving response efforts.
"The fire department and emergency medical service have been using the system for a long time, but it's new to law enforcement, and we needed this opportunity to train with it," said Brad Johnson, Fairbanks deputy police chief. "We want to be able to work a small or large scale incident with ICS."
In addition, the Alaska Railroad Corporation has been using the system for years, said Ernest Piper, the Alaska Railroad Corporation assistant vice president of operations.
"At first, people were skeptical about it, but now we have the smoothest ICS process in the state," said Piper, who participated in the May 8 train collision exercise. "We use it for everything. It's perfect because you can use it for almost any kind of short-term emergency management situation."
Air Force Senior Master Sgt. David Hudson, 3rd Wing Inspector General's superintendent of readiness and emergency management, echoed Piper's praise for the system.
"It's been a slow implementation, but I think it was the right thing to do," Hudson said. "It streamlined a process and made a better process for the Air Force that we were able to meld with our civilian counterparts."
While Elmendorf has been operating under the AFIMS and ICS systems since last year, the rest of the Air Force is scheduled to achieve initial capability by December and final capability by December 2009, according to the AFIMS Senior Leader Guide to Implementation and Sustainment.
(Air Force 1st Lt. Erika Yepsen is assigned to Joint Task Force Alaska Public Affairs.)
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
Three Police Officers Added
Editor's Note: Two of the police officer authors are former U.S. Army.
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Police-Writers.com added Alan Caddell, Ralph Landre and Francis Connelly.
Alan Caddell is a Commander with the Santa Ana Police Department. He holds a Master of Arts in Education from Pepperdine University and is a graduate of the POST Master Instructor Development Program. A trainer for over 15 years, Alan has extensive experience and expertise in the area of instruction design and technology. Alan has taught advanced PowerPoint and on-line training for POST and other law enforcement presenters and is currently teaching a variety of programs.
Alan Caddell is the Co-author of Crime Scene Investigation. According to the book description, “Focusing on the basics of crime scene investigation as it should be done by professionals, this book shows how to do a perfect job; its emphasis is on proven evidence, collection, and analysis. It provides a high level of relevant and realistic information needed to process crime scenes in today's environment. Generously illustrated with photographs, the book clearly demonstrates techniques used by field and lab personnel to preserve, process, and analyze a wide variety of evidence. Career profiles of working professionals in the field and actual case histories document how crime scene investigation is successfully used to solve crimes. For professionals in a variety of forensic science fields, including firearms examiners, fingerprint examiners, serologists, toxicologists, photographers, journalists, crime scene investigators, and others in the field of law and law enforcement.”
According to one reader/reviewer, “As a former police reserve officer, I spent years requesting CSI with little understanding of just what they do. This book goes well beyond lifting fingerprints and other routine tasks that police officers are typically limited to. I now have a better awareness of the capabilities of CSI and considerations about how to protect a scene and how CSI can be used to investigate certain crimes. I also have a greater appreciation for CSI personnel and the difficult job they have. I liked the book and believe it would be helpful to anyone in law enforcement.”
Ralph W. Landre, Jr., has published several articles in The California Highway Patrolman magazine, including: “The Day Fresno Burned,” “Motorcycle Theft Rings,” “Training Pays Off.” The U.S. Army has published his police training bulletins at training centers in Santa Cruz, San Jose and during Annual Active Duty training with the Military Police at Camp Roberts and Fort Ord, California. The bulletins focused on preservation of evidence at crime scenes and interrogations and interviews of suspects and witnesses. He served as temporary Chief of Police for the new city of Capitola and at the same time was deputized by the Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office due to the police district the newly formed city was geographically located in. He then served as patrolman for the Santa Cruz PD before serving on the California Highway Patrol for over 29 years, retiring as a sergeant.
Ralph Landre is the author of The Broken Center-Line. Ralph Landre’s book is a memoir of the “incidents occurring to a California Highway Patrol officer during approximately 30 years of traffic law enforcement while following The Broken Center-line around and over highways and freeways in different parts of our great state of California. This is somewhat like following the yellow brick road through the Land of OZ.”
In 1955, after serving in Korea with the U.S. Army, Francis J Connelly joined the New York Police Department. He worked a variety of assignment on NYPD and retired in 1975 as a lieutenant. He is the author of two books: By Reason of Childhood; and, the sequel, Beyond By Reason of Childhood.
According to the book description, “Beyond by Reason of Childhood begins with Connelly en route to the U.S. Army induction center on Whitehall Street. From there, it’s merely a series of hops, skips, and jumps to Fort Dix, New Jersey, for basic training; Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, for Morse Code Intercept Operator training; and on to the mountains, valleys, and rice paddies of South Korea. Fourteen months later, after an honorable discharge from the military, Frank meets Anne Marie Fleming. The couple marries, and, as time slips away, they find themselves being compared to a five-and-dime (for their five children and ten grandchildren).
Along the way, Francis Connelly works at various jobs: hauling cable for Western Electric, growing hair for Wybrandt Hair and Scalp Specialists, and spending twenty years on the New York Police Department. Near the end of his career in law enforcement, mental and physical difficulties and the debilitating effects of hypoglycemia take their toll on Connelly. Will his story have a happy ending?”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 539 police officers (representing 220 police departments) and their 1147 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Police-Writers.com added Alan Caddell, Ralph Landre and Francis Connelly.
Alan Caddell is a Commander with the Santa Ana Police Department. He holds a Master of Arts in Education from Pepperdine University and is a graduate of the POST Master Instructor Development Program. A trainer for over 15 years, Alan has extensive experience and expertise in the area of instruction design and technology. Alan has taught advanced PowerPoint and on-line training for POST and other law enforcement presenters and is currently teaching a variety of programs.
Alan Caddell is the Co-author of Crime Scene Investigation. According to the book description, “Focusing on the basics of crime scene investigation as it should be done by professionals, this book shows how to do a perfect job; its emphasis is on proven evidence, collection, and analysis. It provides a high level of relevant and realistic information needed to process crime scenes in today's environment. Generously illustrated with photographs, the book clearly demonstrates techniques used by field and lab personnel to preserve, process, and analyze a wide variety of evidence. Career profiles of working professionals in the field and actual case histories document how crime scene investigation is successfully used to solve crimes. For professionals in a variety of forensic science fields, including firearms examiners, fingerprint examiners, serologists, toxicologists, photographers, journalists, crime scene investigators, and others in the field of law and law enforcement.”
According to one reader/reviewer, “As a former police reserve officer, I spent years requesting CSI with little understanding of just what they do. This book goes well beyond lifting fingerprints and other routine tasks that police officers are typically limited to. I now have a better awareness of the capabilities of CSI and considerations about how to protect a scene and how CSI can be used to investigate certain crimes. I also have a greater appreciation for CSI personnel and the difficult job they have. I liked the book and believe it would be helpful to anyone in law enforcement.”
Ralph W. Landre, Jr., has published several articles in The California Highway Patrolman magazine, including: “The Day Fresno Burned,” “Motorcycle Theft Rings,” “Training Pays Off.” The U.S. Army has published his police training bulletins at training centers in Santa Cruz, San Jose and during Annual Active Duty training with the Military Police at Camp Roberts and Fort Ord, California. The bulletins focused on preservation of evidence at crime scenes and interrogations and interviews of suspects and witnesses. He served as temporary Chief of Police for the new city of Capitola and at the same time was deputized by the Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office due to the police district the newly formed city was geographically located in. He then served as patrolman for the Santa Cruz PD before serving on the California Highway Patrol for over 29 years, retiring as a sergeant.
Ralph Landre is the author of The Broken Center-Line. Ralph Landre’s book is a memoir of the “incidents occurring to a California Highway Patrol officer during approximately 30 years of traffic law enforcement while following The Broken Center-line around and over highways and freeways in different parts of our great state of California. This is somewhat like following the yellow brick road through the Land of OZ.”
In 1955, after serving in Korea with the U.S. Army, Francis J Connelly joined the New York Police Department. He worked a variety of assignment on NYPD and retired in 1975 as a lieutenant. He is the author of two books: By Reason of Childhood; and, the sequel, Beyond By Reason of Childhood.
According to the book description, “Beyond by Reason of Childhood begins with Connelly en route to the U.S. Army induction center on Whitehall Street. From there, it’s merely a series of hops, skips, and jumps to Fort Dix, New Jersey, for basic training; Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, for Morse Code Intercept Operator training; and on to the mountains, valleys, and rice paddies of South Korea. Fourteen months later, after an honorable discharge from the military, Frank meets Anne Marie Fleming. The couple marries, and, as time slips away, they find themselves being compared to a five-and-dime (for their five children and ten grandchildren).
Along the way, Francis Connelly works at various jobs: hauling cable for Western Electric, growing hair for Wybrandt Hair and Scalp Specialists, and spending twenty years on the New York Police Department. Near the end of his career in law enforcement, mental and physical difficulties and the debilitating effects of hypoglycemia take their toll on Connelly. Will his story have a happy ending?”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 539 police officers (representing 220 police departments) and their 1147 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Navy to Christen USNS Richard E. Byrd
The Navy will christen the USNS Richard E. Byrd at 7:30 p.m. PDT on May 15. The launching ceremony for the newest ship in the Lewis and Clark class of underway replenishment ships will be held at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego.
The ship honors Rear Adm. Richard E. Byrd (1888-1957), an explorer famous for his Antarctic expeditions and for leading the first expedition to fly over the North Pole. Like the legendary explorers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, for whom the first ship of the class was named, Byrd bravely volunteered to explore one of the most remote and harshest places on earth. Due to his unquenchable thirst for exploration, he provided substantial contributions to the world's understanding of the Antarctic.
Following his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1912, Byrd became a naval aviator and pioneered many techniques for navigating airplanes over the open ocean including drift indicators and bubble sextants. His expertise in this area resulted in his appointment to plan the flight path for the U.S. Navy's 1919 transatlantic crossing.
On May 9, 1926, Byrd and naval aviator Floyd Bennett attempted to fly over the North Pole. For this extraordinary heroic achievement, he was awarded the Medal of Honor by a special act of Congress.
Byrd departed the United States on Aug. 28, 1928, on his first Antarctic expedition. After World War II, he continued his exploration and led the largest Antarctic Expedition to date, Operation Highjump. This expedition involved 13 ships and 4,700 men who explored much of the little-known continent. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Byrd as officer-in-charge of U.S. Antarctic programs to command Operation Deep Freeze.
Rear Adm. Robert D. Reilly Jr., commander of Military Sealift Command, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Bolling Byrd Clark will serve as sponsor of the ship named for her father. The launching ceremony will be highlighted in the time-honored Navy tradition when the sponsor breaks a bottle of champagne across the bow to formally christen the ship "Richard E. Byrd."
The USNS Richard E. Byrd is the fourth ship in the Navy's new 11-ship T-AKE 1 class. T-AKE is a combat logistics force vessel that will replace the current capability of the T-AE 26 Kilauea class ammunition ships, T-AFS 1 Mars class and T-AFS 8 Sirius class combat stores ships, and when operating with T-AO 187 Henry J. Kaiser class oiler ships, the T-AKE will replace the AOE 1 Sacramento class fast combat support ships. To conduct vertical replenishment, the ship can carry and support two helicopters.
Designed to operate independently for extended periods at sea while providing replenishment services to U.S., NATO and allied ships, the USNS Richard E. Byrd will directly contribute to the ability of the Navy to maintain a worldwide forward presence. Ships such as the USNS Richard E. Byrd provide logistic lift from sources of supply either in port or at sea from specially equipped merchant ships. The ship will transfer cargo, such as ammunition, food, limited quantities of fuel, repair parts, ship store items, and expendable supplies and material, to ships and other naval warfare forces at sea.
The USNS Richard E. Byrd is 689 feet in length, has an overall beam of 106 feet, a navigational draft of 30 feet and displaces about 42,000 tons with a full load. Powered by a single-shaft diesel-electric propulsion system, the ship can reach a speed of 20 knots. As part of the Military Sealift Command's Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force, the ship will be designated as a U.S. naval ship and will be crewed by 124 civil service mariners. The ship will also have a military detachment of 11 sailors to provide operational support and supply coordination, and when needed, the ship will carry a helicopter detachment of 39 military personnel.
Additional information about this class of ship is available on line at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4400&tid=500&ct=4.
For additional information about the commissioning ceremony, contact Navy public affairs at (703) 697-5342.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
The ship honors Rear Adm. Richard E. Byrd (1888-1957), an explorer famous for his Antarctic expeditions and for leading the first expedition to fly over the North Pole. Like the legendary explorers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, for whom the first ship of the class was named, Byrd bravely volunteered to explore one of the most remote and harshest places on earth. Due to his unquenchable thirst for exploration, he provided substantial contributions to the world's understanding of the Antarctic.
Following his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1912, Byrd became a naval aviator and pioneered many techniques for navigating airplanes over the open ocean including drift indicators and bubble sextants. His expertise in this area resulted in his appointment to plan the flight path for the U.S. Navy's 1919 transatlantic crossing.
On May 9, 1926, Byrd and naval aviator Floyd Bennett attempted to fly over the North Pole. For this extraordinary heroic achievement, he was awarded the Medal of Honor by a special act of Congress.
Byrd departed the United States on Aug. 28, 1928, on his first Antarctic expedition. After World War II, he continued his exploration and led the largest Antarctic Expedition to date, Operation Highjump. This expedition involved 13 ships and 4,700 men who explored much of the little-known continent. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Byrd as officer-in-charge of U.S. Antarctic programs to command Operation Deep Freeze.
Rear Adm. Robert D. Reilly Jr., commander of Military Sealift Command, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Bolling Byrd Clark will serve as sponsor of the ship named for her father. The launching ceremony will be highlighted in the time-honored Navy tradition when the sponsor breaks a bottle of champagne across the bow to formally christen the ship "Richard E. Byrd."
The USNS Richard E. Byrd is the fourth ship in the Navy's new 11-ship T-AKE 1 class. T-AKE is a combat logistics force vessel that will replace the current capability of the T-AE 26 Kilauea class ammunition ships, T-AFS 1 Mars class and T-AFS 8 Sirius class combat stores ships, and when operating with T-AO 187 Henry J. Kaiser class oiler ships, the T-AKE will replace the AOE 1 Sacramento class fast combat support ships. To conduct vertical replenishment, the ship can carry and support two helicopters.
Designed to operate independently for extended periods at sea while providing replenishment services to U.S., NATO and allied ships, the USNS Richard E. Byrd will directly contribute to the ability of the Navy to maintain a worldwide forward presence. Ships such as the USNS Richard E. Byrd provide logistic lift from sources of supply either in port or at sea from specially equipped merchant ships. The ship will transfer cargo, such as ammunition, food, limited quantities of fuel, repair parts, ship store items, and expendable supplies and material, to ships and other naval warfare forces at sea.
The USNS Richard E. Byrd is 689 feet in length, has an overall beam of 106 feet, a navigational draft of 30 feet and displaces about 42,000 tons with a full load. Powered by a single-shaft diesel-electric propulsion system, the ship can reach a speed of 20 knots. As part of the Military Sealift Command's Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force, the ship will be designated as a U.S. naval ship and will be crewed by 124 civil service mariners. The ship will also have a military detachment of 11 sailors to provide operational support and supply coordination, and when needed, the ship will carry a helicopter detachment of 39 military personnel.
Additional information about this class of ship is available on line at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4400&tid=500&ct=4.
For additional information about the commissioning ceremony, contact Navy public affairs at (703) 697-5342.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
Group Works To Grant Troops' Wishes
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
May 14, 2007 – Servicemembers receiving care packages from A Soldier's Wish List or one of its thousands of "adopters" know that good things really do come in small packages. "Our goal is to fulfill the wishes of our troops to the best of our abilities," Julieann Najar, the group's founder, said.
A Soldier's Wish List was founded in 2003 when Najar went to see her son off on his tour to the Middle East. When she arrived at Fort Riley, Kan., she met a young soldier who had no family there to say good-bye. She asked if she could "adopt" him, and A Soldier's Wish List was born.
The group's goal is simple: Match up those wanting to "adopt" a servicemember with a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine who'd like a little piece of home. The adopters then do their best to send that piece of home to their new "family member."
"To date, we have over 10,000 troops and over 12,000 adopters from all over the U.S., Germany, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Jamaica, South Africa and Puerto Rico who have sent items to their 'adopted' troops," Najar said.
The adopted troops are serving in hot spots around the globe including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Kuwait, Qatar and South Korea. Their wishes are just as varied as their locales. They've requested everything from new desert boots and DVD players to movies, snacks and phone cards, and their adopters do their best to come through.
Many of the group's adopters have found A Soldier's Wish List through America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
A Soldier's Wish List is a member of America Supports You.
"A lot of adopters have gotten the contact information from the (America Supports You) Web site," Najar said about those interested in A Soldier's Wish List.
In many cases, the families of adopted servicemembers keep in touch with the adopters and arrange a meeting with them when the servicemembers arrive home.
For Najar, however, it's the letters her group receives thanking her, the group and the adopters for all they do for the servicemembers that mean so much.
"The letters and e-mails received by (A Soldier's Wish List) are overwhelming," she said. "Being able to be the contact between a lonely 'trooper' and (an adopter who can) send exactly what they miss from home is the best experience."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
May 14, 2007 – Servicemembers receiving care packages from A Soldier's Wish List or one of its thousands of "adopters" know that good things really do come in small packages. "Our goal is to fulfill the wishes of our troops to the best of our abilities," Julieann Najar, the group's founder, said.
A Soldier's Wish List was founded in 2003 when Najar went to see her son off on his tour to the Middle East. When she arrived at Fort Riley, Kan., she met a young soldier who had no family there to say good-bye. She asked if she could "adopt" him, and A Soldier's Wish List was born.
The group's goal is simple: Match up those wanting to "adopt" a servicemember with a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine who'd like a little piece of home. The adopters then do their best to send that piece of home to their new "family member."
"To date, we have over 10,000 troops and over 12,000 adopters from all over the U.S., Germany, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Jamaica, South Africa and Puerto Rico who have sent items to their 'adopted' troops," Najar said.
The adopted troops are serving in hot spots around the globe including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Kuwait, Qatar and South Korea. Their wishes are just as varied as their locales. They've requested everything from new desert boots and DVD players to movies, snacks and phone cards, and their adopters do their best to come through.
Many of the group's adopters have found A Soldier's Wish List through America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
A Soldier's Wish List is a member of America Supports You.
"A lot of adopters have gotten the contact information from the (America Supports You) Web site," Najar said about those interested in A Soldier's Wish List.
In many cases, the families of adopted servicemembers keep in touch with the adopters and arrange a meeting with them when the servicemembers arrive home.
For Najar, however, it's the letters her group receives thanking her, the group and the adopters for all they do for the servicemembers that mean so much.
"The letters and e-mails received by (A Soldier's Wish List) are overwhelming," she said. "Being able to be the contact between a lonely 'trooper' and (an adopter who can) send exactly what they miss from home is the best experience."
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
Attaches Survey U.S. Disaster-Response Capabilities
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
May 14, 2007 – A handful of attaches got a first-hand look at U.S. military and civilian first responders' ability to respond to a catastrophe at the National Guard's Vigilant Guard exercise in Indiana on May 12. The group was flown to the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center at the invitation of National Guard chief Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum. The Guard exercise scenario played out on this sprawling, 1,000-acre rural training area just outside of Indianapolis. More than 2,000 National Guard troops and hundreds of state and federal emergency response agencies worked through the disaster scenario of a 10-kiloton nuclear explosion in Indianapolis.
Attaches from Serbia, Jordan, Kenya, Tunisia, Bolivia and Hungary, walked through the stages of the exercise receiving briefs and asking questions of those participating.
The group was invited as part of an effort to strengthen the Guard's State Partnership Program, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Bill Etter, director of strategic plans and policy for the National Guard Bureau.
"I think it was fantastic. They were able to see some cases where the military was responding, some cases where the civilians were responding, and some cases where they were working together hand in hand," Etter said. "The only way they would have had access (to this exercise) is through the National Guard."
Etter said the opportunity to view the exercise provides a real-world perspective of the Guard's abilities for the attaches.
"We can stand in front of someone and give them a slide, ... but until they see the capabilities of the National Guard live, it just doesn't make as much sense," Etter said.
The Guard now has 56 state partnerships throughout the world, in all four major Army military commands outside the United States. The bureau matches states with countries wanting to participate in the program, which partners key leaders for training events. There are three categories of exchange: military-to-military, military-to-civilian and civilian-to-civilian.
Etter said that many leaders from both sides of the program progress through the ranks simultaneously, building relationships that last throughout their military careers.
"It is a significant contribution to stability in a region," Etter said.
He also said encouraging other countries to participate in joint training increases interoperability.
The Guard is looking to grow the program, especially in Africa, but also within U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Central Command. "There are regions of the world that are under-represented," Etter said.
Kenyan Army Col. Leonard Owambo said the networking between civil and military organizations at the site impressed him. "By virtue of the fact that we are sharing the same world community, ... sharing the same challenges and threats, ... it is beneficial because we see we know what the U.S. can do to take care of such here. And whenever something like this happens where we come from, we know how to get assistance," Owambo said.
He said his country has similar capabilities, but they are at the "toddler" stage in development. "The concept is there. The intent is there, and I think, with our relationships, we are building towards that," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
May 14, 2007 – A handful of attaches got a first-hand look at U.S. military and civilian first responders' ability to respond to a catastrophe at the National Guard's Vigilant Guard exercise in Indiana on May 12. The group was flown to the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center at the invitation of National Guard chief Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum. The Guard exercise scenario played out on this sprawling, 1,000-acre rural training area just outside of Indianapolis. More than 2,000 National Guard troops and hundreds of state and federal emergency response agencies worked through the disaster scenario of a 10-kiloton nuclear explosion in Indianapolis.
Attaches from Serbia, Jordan, Kenya, Tunisia, Bolivia and Hungary, walked through the stages of the exercise receiving briefs and asking questions of those participating.
The group was invited as part of an effort to strengthen the Guard's State Partnership Program, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Bill Etter, director of strategic plans and policy for the National Guard Bureau.
"I think it was fantastic. They were able to see some cases where the military was responding, some cases where the civilians were responding, and some cases where they were working together hand in hand," Etter said. "The only way they would have had access (to this exercise) is through the National Guard."
Etter said the opportunity to view the exercise provides a real-world perspective of the Guard's abilities for the attaches.
"We can stand in front of someone and give them a slide, ... but until they see the capabilities of the National Guard live, it just doesn't make as much sense," Etter said.
The Guard now has 56 state partnerships throughout the world, in all four major Army military commands outside the United States. The bureau matches states with countries wanting to participate in the program, which partners key leaders for training events. There are three categories of exchange: military-to-military, military-to-civilian and civilian-to-civilian.
Etter said that many leaders from both sides of the program progress through the ranks simultaneously, building relationships that last throughout their military careers.
"It is a significant contribution to stability in a region," Etter said.
He also said encouraging other countries to participate in joint training increases interoperability.
The Guard is looking to grow the program, especially in Africa, but also within U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Central Command. "There are regions of the world that are under-represented," Etter said.
Kenyan Army Col. Leonard Owambo said the networking between civil and military organizations at the site impressed him. "By virtue of the fact that we are sharing the same world community, ... sharing the same challenges and threats, ... it is beneficial because we see we know what the U.S. can do to take care of such here. And whenever something like this happens where we come from, we know how to get assistance," Owambo said.
He said his country has similar capabilities, but they are at the "toddler" stage in development. "The concept is there. The intent is there, and I think, with our relationships, we are building towards that," he said.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
National Guard Responding to U.S. Wildfires
American Forces Press Service
May 14, 2007 – National Guard troops are responding to wildfires in Florida, Georgia, Minnesota and California, using air assets to deliver water and providing logistics and communication support. In Florida, 84 Army National Guard troops are currently activated in response to fires in Flagler County, according to information from the National Guard Bureau. Since May 5, Florida National Guard assets have flown 67 hours, 445 sorties, and dropped 379,360 gallons of water. A 32-personnel ground force is conducting mop-up training, and three helicopters are assisting with the Dairy Road Fire, in Bradford County.
The Georgia National Guard is providing 42 troops in response to fires in the southeastern part of the state. As of May 11, Georgia National Guard assets, including two CH-47 Chinook helicopters and two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, have flown 302 hours, delivering more than 5 million gallons of water. Twelve Army National Guard personnel with two Humvees, three 2.5-ton trucks, and one water buffalo are assisting with logistics support. In addition, three Air National Guard troops with one pickup truck are providing communication support.
In Minnesota, the National Guard has deployed two UH-60s along with crews, and two fuel trucks with drivers and fuel handlers. The troops are dropping water to prevent continued flare-ups of a previously contained fire.
The California National Guard provided eight troops in response to a fire on Catalina Island. Between May 9 and 13, two CH-47s with eight personnel on annual training status were used fly 103 civilian firefighters to the island, and two CH-47s are on standby to deploy again if needed.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
May 14, 2007 – National Guard troops are responding to wildfires in Florida, Georgia, Minnesota and California, using air assets to deliver water and providing logistics and communication support. In Florida, 84 Army National Guard troops are currently activated in response to fires in Flagler County, according to information from the National Guard Bureau. Since May 5, Florida National Guard assets have flown 67 hours, 445 sorties, and dropped 379,360 gallons of water. A 32-personnel ground force is conducting mop-up training, and three helicopters are assisting with the Dairy Road Fire, in Bradford County.
The Georgia National Guard is providing 42 troops in response to fires in the southeastern part of the state. As of May 11, Georgia National Guard assets, including two CH-47 Chinook helicopters and two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, have flown 302 hours, delivering more than 5 million gallons of water. Twelve Army National Guard personnel with two Humvees, three 2.5-ton trucks, and one water buffalo are assisting with logistics support. In addition, three Air National Guard troops with one pickup truck are providing communication support.
In Minnesota, the National Guard has deployed two UH-60s along with crews, and two fuel trucks with drivers and fuel handlers. The troops are dropping water to prevent continued flare-ups of a previously contained fire.
The California National Guard provided eight troops in response to a fire on Catalina Island. Between May 9 and 13, two CH-47s with eight personnel on annual training status were used fly 103 civilian firefighters to the island, and two CH-47s are on standby to deploy again if needed.
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Newest Cops are Searchable by State
Note: One of the writers is prior military.
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. For the first nine months of the website, it was searchable by police officer, department and subject. Today, the website is also searchable by state. With 220 police departments listed, visitors can “click” on their state and browse the departments in their state that have produced police authors; and ,find their way to the over 536 police officers and their 1143 books. Additionally, new authors Richard A. Smith, C.C. “Bud” Daniels and Jane Huffman were added to the website.
Richard A. Smith spent nearly 18 years in law enforcement as a deputy sheriff, jailer, patrol deputy, vice investigator, Public Safety Officer (police and fireman combined) Airport Police Officer, uniform patrol police officer, and an investigator in Criminal Investigations Division.
Richard Smith has an Advanced Law Enforcement Certification, the highest level to achieve in this field in North Carolina. He has over a thousand hours of training from various law enforcement schools. He attended Durham Technical Community College and North Carolina Central University where he majored in Criminal Justice.
Richard Smith belongs to Durham Masonic Lodge #352, Raleigh Scottish Rite Bodies, Amran Shrine Temple, American Legion, The 40 & 8th La Socie’te, and The Fraternal Order of Police. He served with the U.S. Army (Reserve) in the field artillery. He is currently medically retired from the Durham Police Department (North Carolina).
According to the description of his book, One Stands Alone, “This book is for those important people in our lives that we take for granted, and everyone that ever thought about joining the ranks and becoming one–the law enforcement officers! Take a trip through the experiences of going to murders those happened just moments earlier. Find out the tenseness of car chases over 100mph along with the moments of making a drug deal.
This book will take you through many episodes of what the “inside life” is of a law enforcement officer from the streets to the divorce courts, to dignitary protection. He writes of the strain of the equipment the officers wear to coming to work with long hair and a beard.”
C. C. “Bud” Daniels was born February 12, 1912. At the age of 20, he arrived in Wichita Falls (Texas), in 1932. He became the director of the Wichita Falls State Hospital, but eventually joined the Wichita Falls Police Department. He started in the Police Department at the bottom rung, writing tickets. In 1949, after the dismissal of a corrupt chief of police, Daniels’ name was submitted as a “corruption free” alternative to the chief. Indeed, on August 20, 1949 he became the chief of police, Wichita Falls Police Department. Chief Bud Daniels would hold the position until his retirement in 1977.
Chief Bud Daniels was a graduate of the 1951 class of the FBI National Academy; president of the Texas Police Association; director of the Texas Safety Council, a member of Masonic Lodge No. 635; and, in 1944 he served as the Worshipful Master of J.A. Kemp Lodge No.1287. Joseph A. Kemp Lodge No. 1287 was chartered in 1944 by the Grand Lodge of Texas. It was the third Lodge located in Wichita Falls, Texas and was named for the one of the city's prominent citizens.
His book, the Memoir of C.C. “Bud” Daniels, was published in 1991 and tells his amazing story.
A 13th civilian police writer was added to the website. Jane Huffman is the author of two books. One is a police mystery called To Live/To Die; the story of a serial killer and the detective who is trying to solve the case. The second, Secrets Kept, is a story of a young business man who finds himself the survivor of a plane crash in the jungles of South America. The young man, before being rescued, finds something that will change his life forever.
Jane Huffman is the wife of author Richard Neal Huffman, (Author of Dreams In Blue: The Real Police). She is the grandmother to 14 grandchildren (last count and still growing.) Jane once served with her husband, a full time police officer, as a reserve officer for the Bangor, Michigan police department. She currently is employed in the private sector.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 536 police officers (representing 220 police departments) and their 1143 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. For the first nine months of the website, it was searchable by police officer, department and subject. Today, the website is also searchable by state. With 220 police departments listed, visitors can “click” on their state and browse the departments in their state that have produced police authors; and ,find their way to the over 536 police officers and their 1143 books. Additionally, new authors Richard A. Smith, C.C. “Bud” Daniels and Jane Huffman were added to the website.
Richard A. Smith spent nearly 18 years in law enforcement as a deputy sheriff, jailer, patrol deputy, vice investigator, Public Safety Officer (police and fireman combined) Airport Police Officer, uniform patrol police officer, and an investigator in Criminal Investigations Division.
Richard Smith has an Advanced Law Enforcement Certification, the highest level to achieve in this field in North Carolina. He has over a thousand hours of training from various law enforcement schools. He attended Durham Technical Community College and North Carolina Central University where he majored in Criminal Justice.
Richard Smith belongs to Durham Masonic Lodge #352, Raleigh Scottish Rite Bodies, Amran Shrine Temple, American Legion, The 40 & 8th La Socie’te, and The Fraternal Order of Police. He served with the U.S. Army (Reserve) in the field artillery. He is currently medically retired from the Durham Police Department (North Carolina).
According to the description of his book, One Stands Alone, “This book is for those important people in our lives that we take for granted, and everyone that ever thought about joining the ranks and becoming one–the law enforcement officers! Take a trip through the experiences of going to murders those happened just moments earlier. Find out the tenseness of car chases over 100mph along with the moments of making a drug deal.
This book will take you through many episodes of what the “inside life” is of a law enforcement officer from the streets to the divorce courts, to dignitary protection. He writes of the strain of the equipment the officers wear to coming to work with long hair and a beard.”
C. C. “Bud” Daniels was born February 12, 1912. At the age of 20, he arrived in Wichita Falls (Texas), in 1932. He became the director of the Wichita Falls State Hospital, but eventually joined the Wichita Falls Police Department. He started in the Police Department at the bottom rung, writing tickets. In 1949, after the dismissal of a corrupt chief of police, Daniels’ name was submitted as a “corruption free” alternative to the chief. Indeed, on August 20, 1949 he became the chief of police, Wichita Falls Police Department. Chief Bud Daniels would hold the position until his retirement in 1977.
Chief Bud Daniels was a graduate of the 1951 class of the FBI National Academy; president of the Texas Police Association; director of the Texas Safety Council, a member of Masonic Lodge No. 635; and, in 1944 he served as the Worshipful Master of J.A. Kemp Lodge No.1287. Joseph A. Kemp Lodge No. 1287 was chartered in 1944 by the Grand Lodge of Texas. It was the third Lodge located in Wichita Falls, Texas and was named for the one of the city's prominent citizens.
His book, the Memoir of C.C. “Bud” Daniels, was published in 1991 and tells his amazing story.
A 13th civilian police writer was added to the website. Jane Huffman is the author of two books. One is a police mystery called To Live/To Die; the story of a serial killer and the detective who is trying to solve the case. The second, Secrets Kept, is a story of a young business man who finds himself the survivor of a plane crash in the jungles of South America. The young man, before being rescued, finds something that will change his life forever.
Jane Huffman is the wife of author Richard Neal Huffman, (Author of Dreams In Blue: The Real Police). She is the grandmother to 14 grandchildren (last count and still growing.) Jane once served with her husband, a full time police officer, as a reserve officer for the Bangor, Michigan police department. She currently is employed in the private sector.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 536 police officers (representing 220 police departments) and their 1143 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Washington Nationals Ball Club Honors Military Service
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
May 13, 2007 – The Washington Nationals baseball team saluted the U.S. military during an evening pre-game program May 11 that featured fireworks, a group enlistment and servicemembers tossing ceremonial pitches. Military Appreciation Night activities held at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium here also included Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England, who met with Army, Marine, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard members in attendance. Afterward, England and his military and civilian staff took in the game between the Nationals and the Florida Marlins.
"This is wonderful. I was just talking to all the new recruits, asking them what they're going to do in the military," England said during the pre-game ceremonies. "I told them this is a great, great time to be joining the military.
"First, it's a great career and it's a great opportunity to serve their country at the same time," England said.
Twelve recruits -- three Air Force, five Navy and four Army -- took oaths of enlistment in a ceremony presided over by Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. James G. Roudebush.
"They've made a commitment to serve our nation, something much bigger than themselves or any of us," Roudebush said of the new servicemembers. "I think it's a tribute to these young men and women that the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball would make this opportunity possible."
Additionally, Major League Baseball teams often send players to visit with deployed servicemembers overseas, the general pointed out.
Roudebush was accompanied to the ballpark by Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert L. Smolen, the commander of the Air Force District of Washington. Smolen echoed Roudebush's sentiments.
"America's national pastime is baseball, and so to have these recruits out here during a national sporting event like this gives Americans a chance to see some of their finest young people, their sons and daughters, going out to defend freedom," Smolen said.
New Air Force member Stefon Brown, 20, said he wasn't worried that America is at war with global terrorism.
"I believe that fighting for my country is right," said Brown, who hails from Washington, D.C.
Jessica Lee, 18, an Army recruit from Waldorf, Md., said she joined the military because she wants to help to safeguard America's way of life.
"I joined because I strongly believe in freedom and I don't believe that you should leave (defending) it up to everyone else," Lee said.
After the enlistment ceremony, military "old-hands" Army Sgt. 1st Class David Nimmers, Marine Sgt. Landon Fielder, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class David Pino, Air Force Airman 1st Class Randy Lopez, and Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Edwards each threw one ceremonial pitch.
"It's pretty amazing. I'd never dreamed I'd get a chance to do this," Fielder, a 23-year-old Marine stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., said as he waited his turn at the pitcher's mound.
One of the National's founding partners, Alphonso Maldon Jr., a retired Army officer and a former assistant secretary of defense for force management policy, also was on hand to greet the servicemembers.
The Nationals' salute to the military "is absolutely one of the best things that we do," Maldon said, noting America's servicemembers are deployed to places like Afghanistan and Iraq to defend freedom.
"This is the least we can do to for our men and women, to show our appreciation for the service that they're rendering for this great country of ours," Maldon said. The pre-game ceremony may have inspired the Nationals, who beat the Marlins 6-0 later that evening. Washington had endured an eight-game losing streak before the win.
The Nationals are among the more than 250 businesses and organizations nationwide that participate in the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which recognizes citizens' support for military men and women and communicates that support to members of the U.S. armed forces here and abroad.
During the pre-game activities, the Nationals displayed an American Supports You advertisement on one of the stadium's massive public viewing screens.
England has participated in a number of America Supports You-hosted events.
"This is a wonderful program across the country for our military, but also for our citizens," the deputy defense secretary said. "It gives them an opportunity to support our military every day and to be able to come forward and say 'Thank You' for their great service to our country."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 13, 2007 – The Washington Nationals baseball team saluted the U.S. military during an evening pre-game program May 11 that featured fireworks, a group enlistment and servicemembers tossing ceremonial pitches. Military Appreciation Night activities held at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium here also included Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England, who met with Army, Marine, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard members in attendance. Afterward, England and his military and civilian staff took in the game between the Nationals and the Florida Marlins.
"This is wonderful. I was just talking to all the new recruits, asking them what they're going to do in the military," England said during the pre-game ceremonies. "I told them this is a great, great time to be joining the military.
"First, it's a great career and it's a great opportunity to serve their country at the same time," England said.
Twelve recruits -- three Air Force, five Navy and four Army -- took oaths of enlistment in a ceremony presided over by Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. James G. Roudebush.
"They've made a commitment to serve our nation, something much bigger than themselves or any of us," Roudebush said of the new servicemembers. "I think it's a tribute to these young men and women that the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball would make this opportunity possible."
Additionally, Major League Baseball teams often send players to visit with deployed servicemembers overseas, the general pointed out.
Roudebush was accompanied to the ballpark by Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert L. Smolen, the commander of the Air Force District of Washington. Smolen echoed Roudebush's sentiments.
"America's national pastime is baseball, and so to have these recruits out here during a national sporting event like this gives Americans a chance to see some of their finest young people, their sons and daughters, going out to defend freedom," Smolen said.
New Air Force member Stefon Brown, 20, said he wasn't worried that America is at war with global terrorism.
"I believe that fighting for my country is right," said Brown, who hails from Washington, D.C.
Jessica Lee, 18, an Army recruit from Waldorf, Md., said she joined the military because she wants to help to safeguard America's way of life.
"I joined because I strongly believe in freedom and I don't believe that you should leave (defending) it up to everyone else," Lee said.
After the enlistment ceremony, military "old-hands" Army Sgt. 1st Class David Nimmers, Marine Sgt. Landon Fielder, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class David Pino, Air Force Airman 1st Class Randy Lopez, and Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Edwards each threw one ceremonial pitch.
"It's pretty amazing. I'd never dreamed I'd get a chance to do this," Fielder, a 23-year-old Marine stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., said as he waited his turn at the pitcher's mound.
One of the National's founding partners, Alphonso Maldon Jr., a retired Army officer and a former assistant secretary of defense for force management policy, also was on hand to greet the servicemembers.
The Nationals' salute to the military "is absolutely one of the best things that we do," Maldon said, noting America's servicemembers are deployed to places like Afghanistan and Iraq to defend freedom.
"This is the least we can do to for our men and women, to show our appreciation for the service that they're rendering for this great country of ours," Maldon said. The pre-game ceremony may have inspired the Nationals, who beat the Marlins 6-0 later that evening. Washington had endured an eight-game losing streak before the win.
The Nationals are among the more than 250 businesses and organizations nationwide that participate in the Defense Department's America Supports You program, which recognizes citizens' support for military men and women and communicates that support to members of the U.S. armed forces here and abroad.
During the pre-game activities, the Nationals displayed an American Supports You advertisement on one of the stadium's massive public viewing screens.
England has participated in a number of America Supports You-hosted events.
"This is a wonderful program across the country for our military, but also for our citizens," the deputy defense secretary said. "It gives them an opportunity to support our military every day and to be able to come forward and say 'Thank You' for their great service to our country."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
SemperComm Cites Troops for Morale-Boosting Efforts Overseas
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 13, 2007 – Four servicemembers who recently returned from deployments to remote sites in Iraq and Afghanistan were recognized May 10 for their efforts in boosting their fellow troops' morale. SemperComm, a nonprofit group founded to boost the morale of troops deployed to remote duty posts, presented its SemperComm Award to four servicemembers who promoted morale, welfare and recreation projects at their posts.
This year's winners were:
-- Marine 1st Sgt. Kevin Conboy, who returned home in March after serving for six months with C Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion in Iraq's Anbar province;
-- Marine Staff Sgt. Christopher Wright, a reservist who just returned from a 10-month deployment to Iraq with Marine Corps 4th Civil Affairs Group, Detachment 4;
-- Navy Lt. Marc Soss, a reservist who recently returned from a seven-month deployment to Camp Clark, Afghanistan, where he served as morale, welfare and recreation program manager; and
-- Army Capt. Wayne Keeler, who served with the National Police Transition Team at Forward Operating Base Union 3 in Baghdad.
Retired Navy Rear Adm. Jay Foley, former commander of Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and a member of the awards selection committee, praised the troops for helping improve the quality of life at their bases. Many, he noted, lacked basic communications, entertainment and recreation support that larger military facilities enjoy.
Conboy, for example, managed his company's morale and welfare program, making sure all 500-plus members were well-stocked with "things we all take for granted" such as socks, gloves, soap, shampoo, snacks and newspapers, Foley said.
He worked some of his "supply magic" during Christmastime, ensuring more than 500 care packages from home arrived on time. "All I did was ask, and the American people did all the rest," Conboy said, shrugging.
He also installed a new computer system to enable Marines to send e-mails and call home.
Wright, a reservist from Loveland, Colo., earned the nickname "combat plumber" by putting his engineering skills and muscles to work after every duty day to repair and upgrade plumbing at the Al Anbar Government Center, Foley said.
The facility, used as a routine stopping point for transiting Marines needing a hot meal, shower and a few hours of downtime, had poor shower and sanitary facilities before Wright turned things around, Foley said.
"Using a pick ax and a shovel and any other tools he could muster, Staff Sergeant Wright worked for an additional five to six hours nearly every evening, repairing broken plumbing, replacing fixtures and adding new facilities so his fellow Marines could actually rest and recharge while at Al Anbar," he said.
Soss, a reservist from Bradenton, Fla., "worked double-time" to ensure troops at his post had access to recreational opportunities, Foley said. He organized marathons and pool parties, set up a 20-person gymnasium, arranged safe transport, food and lodging to take troops to road races at other bases, set up weekly power tournament nights and developed a base communications system so troops could contact home.
Soss also coordinated a fundraiser for the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center's Wounded Warrior Program that enables wounded troops to leave the hospital periodically for recreation and entertainment, Foley said.
Keeler, the only awardee not present at last night's gala and awards ceremony, applied his skills as a cabinet maker, along with his "innate ability to negotiate deals for supplies and needed equipment," to become an invaluable member of his team, Foley said.
After his normal duties training Iraqi police recruits, Keeler built furniture and extensively renovated the local facilities with leftover lumber and power tools he purchased himself, Foley noted.
He built a loft for his roommate, a set of desks and other furniture for the command's operations center and a large outdoor patio, complete with barbecue. In addition, Keeler put a roof over a small outdoor plaza to create a mess and entertainment room, complete with tiered seating so troops could watch movies and sporting events stadium-style.
Conboy said serving at a remote post makes troops realize how much they miss the comforts of home.
"We live in a real sugar-cookie society that's nice and clean and has sprinkles on it," he said. "When you go to the Third World, you feel like you're on the dark side of the moon. You really miss the things you took for granted."
Foley said this year's SemperComm Award winners worked "tirelessly above and beyond the scope of the regular assignment" to help improve conditions at their posts.
"These are the selfless ones, nominated by their units and peers," he said. "Their contributions have inspired and encouraged those with whom they served in Iraq and Afghanistan."
SemperComm Foundation Executive Director Lara Coffee praised the winners' efforts to boost morale for deployed troops in remote sites.
"The SemperComm Award winners find ways to keep their comrades' spirits up while they're stationed so far away from home," she said.
"They exemplify service - the kind of service SemperComm itself provides," she said. "Our award winners work hard to keep unit morale up, which is essential for our uniformed men and women, especially as duty tours continue to get longer."
Lara called good morale a key to ensuring troops stay safe and the mission gets accomplished. "Keeping spirits high helps military personnel stay focused on the job at hand and get home safely," she said.
SemperComm is a partner in the Defense Department's America Supports You program. The program showcases the myriad efforts of private citizens, schools, churches, corporations and other groups to show support for the men and women in uniform.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 13, 2007 – Four servicemembers who recently returned from deployments to remote sites in Iraq and Afghanistan were recognized May 10 for their efforts in boosting their fellow troops' morale. SemperComm, a nonprofit group founded to boost the morale of troops deployed to remote duty posts, presented its SemperComm Award to four servicemembers who promoted morale, welfare and recreation projects at their posts.
This year's winners were:
-- Marine 1st Sgt. Kevin Conboy, who returned home in March after serving for six months with C Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion in Iraq's Anbar province;
-- Marine Staff Sgt. Christopher Wright, a reservist who just returned from a 10-month deployment to Iraq with Marine Corps 4th Civil Affairs Group, Detachment 4;
-- Navy Lt. Marc Soss, a reservist who recently returned from a seven-month deployment to Camp Clark, Afghanistan, where he served as morale, welfare and recreation program manager; and
-- Army Capt. Wayne Keeler, who served with the National Police Transition Team at Forward Operating Base Union 3 in Baghdad.
Retired Navy Rear Adm. Jay Foley, former commander of Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and a member of the awards selection committee, praised the troops for helping improve the quality of life at their bases. Many, he noted, lacked basic communications, entertainment and recreation support that larger military facilities enjoy.
Conboy, for example, managed his company's morale and welfare program, making sure all 500-plus members were well-stocked with "things we all take for granted" such as socks, gloves, soap, shampoo, snacks and newspapers, Foley said.
He worked some of his "supply magic" during Christmastime, ensuring more than 500 care packages from home arrived on time. "All I did was ask, and the American people did all the rest," Conboy said, shrugging.
He also installed a new computer system to enable Marines to send e-mails and call home.
Wright, a reservist from Loveland, Colo., earned the nickname "combat plumber" by putting his engineering skills and muscles to work after every duty day to repair and upgrade plumbing at the Al Anbar Government Center, Foley said.
The facility, used as a routine stopping point for transiting Marines needing a hot meal, shower and a few hours of downtime, had poor shower and sanitary facilities before Wright turned things around, Foley said.
"Using a pick ax and a shovel and any other tools he could muster, Staff Sergeant Wright worked for an additional five to six hours nearly every evening, repairing broken plumbing, replacing fixtures and adding new facilities so his fellow Marines could actually rest and recharge while at Al Anbar," he said.
Soss, a reservist from Bradenton, Fla., "worked double-time" to ensure troops at his post had access to recreational opportunities, Foley said. He organized marathons and pool parties, set up a 20-person gymnasium, arranged safe transport, food and lodging to take troops to road races at other bases, set up weekly power tournament nights and developed a base communications system so troops could contact home.
Soss also coordinated a fundraiser for the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center's Wounded Warrior Program that enables wounded troops to leave the hospital periodically for recreation and entertainment, Foley said.
Keeler, the only awardee not present at last night's gala and awards ceremony, applied his skills as a cabinet maker, along with his "innate ability to negotiate deals for supplies and needed equipment," to become an invaluable member of his team, Foley said.
After his normal duties training Iraqi police recruits, Keeler built furniture and extensively renovated the local facilities with leftover lumber and power tools he purchased himself, Foley noted.
He built a loft for his roommate, a set of desks and other furniture for the command's operations center and a large outdoor patio, complete with barbecue. In addition, Keeler put a roof over a small outdoor plaza to create a mess and entertainment room, complete with tiered seating so troops could watch movies and sporting events stadium-style.
Conboy said serving at a remote post makes troops realize how much they miss the comforts of home.
"We live in a real sugar-cookie society that's nice and clean and has sprinkles on it," he said. "When you go to the Third World, you feel like you're on the dark side of the moon. You really miss the things you took for granted."
Foley said this year's SemperComm Award winners worked "tirelessly above and beyond the scope of the regular assignment" to help improve conditions at their posts.
"These are the selfless ones, nominated by their units and peers," he said. "Their contributions have inspired and encouraged those with whom they served in Iraq and Afghanistan."
SemperComm Foundation Executive Director Lara Coffee praised the winners' efforts to boost morale for deployed troops in remote sites.
"The SemperComm Award winners find ways to keep their comrades' spirits up while they're stationed so far away from home," she said.
"They exemplify service - the kind of service SemperComm itself provides," she said. "Our award winners work hard to keep unit morale up, which is essential for our uniformed men and women, especially as duty tours continue to get longer."
Lara called good morale a key to ensuring troops stay safe and the mission gets accomplished. "Keeping spirits high helps military personnel stay focused on the job at hand and get home safely," she said.
SemperComm is a partner in the Defense Department's America Supports You program. The program showcases the myriad efforts of private citizens, schools, churches, corporations and other groups to show support for the men and women in uniform.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Paranormal Fiction, Westerns and True Crime
Editor's Note: One of the writers if former military.
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. The website added three police officers: Candace Sams; Craig Johnson and Timothy Carney.
Candace Sams had an eleven year law enforcement career. She was a police officer for the Texas A & M University and the San Diego Police Department. She has a BS in Agriculture from Texas A & M University. Candace Sams is the senior woman on the U.S. Kung Fu Team, awarded the Medal of Putien from China and the Statue of Tao for martial arts, holder of several International Martial Arts Titles, and is an Award Winning author of Fantasy fiction. She is the author of six books: Stone Heart; Gryphon's Quest; The Craftsman; The Gazing Globe; Goblin Moon; and, is a contributing author to the anthology Wyrd Wravings: An Anthology of Humorous Speculative Fiction.
Candace Sams book Gypon’s Quest was awarded the Road to Romance Readers’ Choice Award for best paranormal book. According to the book description of Gypon’s Quest, “The Sorceress of the Ancients sends a Druid Warrior on a mission. He must retrieve three rune stones that were stolen from an ancient, Irish burial site. Can he recover them before the world learns of their powers? Can he keep a mythic Order of creatures safe? Will revealing his secrets, to the woman he loves, cost them both their lives?”
Craig Johnson is a former New York Police Department police officer who worked both the 23rd and Central Park Precincts. He has received both critical and popular praise for his novels The Cold Dish and Death Without Company with starred reviews in Kirkus and Booklist. The Cold Dish and Death Without Company have been made Booksense 76 selections by the Independent Booksellers Association, and Killer Picks by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. On its day of release in Penguin paperback, The Cold Dish began a six-week run on the Barnes & Noble top-fifty best-sellers list.
Death Without Company was selected by Booklist as one of the top-ten mysteries of 2006 and has been nominated for the Wyoming Historical Society as it's fiction book of the year. His first short story, Old Indian Trick, won a Tony Hillerman Mystery Short Story Award and appeared in Cowboys & Indians Magazine.
Craig Johnson’s third in the Walt Longmire series, Kindness Goes Unpunished, was released March of 2007. According to Booklist, in Kindness Goes Unpunished, “Absaroka County, Wyoming, Sheriff Walt Longmire goes on a rare road trip in this third entry in a consistently entertaining series. The trip has two purposes: visit Walt's daughter, Cady, a lawyer in Philadelphia, and support his best friend, Henry Standing Bear, who is the guest of honor at the opening of an exhibit of Native American photographs. Plans change quickly when Cady, the victim of a vicious attack, hovers near death.”
Timothy Carney was raised in an orphanage in the Midwest. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served thirteen months in Vietnam. Upon discharge, he joined the Orange County sheriff's Department. He worked in various capacities for the Orange County sheriff’s Department as an investigator, including narcotics and homicide. After serving as a homicide investigator and a sergeant, he was promoted to lieutenant. Timothy Carney is a graduate of Regis University, Denver, Colorado.
Timothy Carney co-authored Final Affair, a truce crime book. According to the book description, “When Janet Overton died from "unexplained causes," no one in her Orange County community suspected foul play. But a year later, Sheriff's Investigator Tim Carney sensed something amiss in this so-called "nothing case"-and uncovered the shocking truth about Dr. Richard Overton's past.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 535 police officers (representing 219 police departments) and their 1142 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. The website added three police officers: Candace Sams; Craig Johnson and Timothy Carney.
Candace Sams had an eleven year law enforcement career. She was a police officer for the Texas A & M University and the San Diego Police Department. She has a BS in Agriculture from Texas A & M University. Candace Sams is the senior woman on the U.S. Kung Fu Team, awarded the Medal of Putien from China and the Statue of Tao for martial arts, holder of several International Martial Arts Titles, and is an Award Winning author of Fantasy fiction. She is the author of six books: Stone Heart; Gryphon's Quest; The Craftsman; The Gazing Globe; Goblin Moon; and, is a contributing author to the anthology Wyrd Wravings: An Anthology of Humorous Speculative Fiction.
Candace Sams book Gypon’s Quest was awarded the Road to Romance Readers’ Choice Award for best paranormal book. According to the book description of Gypon’s Quest, “The Sorceress of the Ancients sends a Druid Warrior on a mission. He must retrieve three rune stones that were stolen from an ancient, Irish burial site. Can he recover them before the world learns of their powers? Can he keep a mythic Order of creatures safe? Will revealing his secrets, to the woman he loves, cost them both their lives?”
Craig Johnson is a former New York Police Department police officer who worked both the 23rd and Central Park Precincts. He has received both critical and popular praise for his novels The Cold Dish and Death Without Company with starred reviews in Kirkus and Booklist. The Cold Dish and Death Without Company have been made Booksense 76 selections by the Independent Booksellers Association, and Killer Picks by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. On its day of release in Penguin paperback, The Cold Dish began a six-week run on the Barnes & Noble top-fifty best-sellers list.
Death Without Company was selected by Booklist as one of the top-ten mysteries of 2006 and has been nominated for the Wyoming Historical Society as it's fiction book of the year. His first short story, Old Indian Trick, won a Tony Hillerman Mystery Short Story Award and appeared in Cowboys & Indians Magazine.
Craig Johnson’s third in the Walt Longmire series, Kindness Goes Unpunished, was released March of 2007. According to Booklist, in Kindness Goes Unpunished, “Absaroka County, Wyoming, Sheriff Walt Longmire goes on a rare road trip in this third entry in a consistently entertaining series. The trip has two purposes: visit Walt's daughter, Cady, a lawyer in Philadelphia, and support his best friend, Henry Standing Bear, who is the guest of honor at the opening of an exhibit of Native American photographs. Plans change quickly when Cady, the victim of a vicious attack, hovers near death.”
Timothy Carney was raised in an orphanage in the Midwest. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served thirteen months in Vietnam. Upon discharge, he joined the Orange County sheriff's Department. He worked in various capacities for the Orange County sheriff’s Department as an investigator, including narcotics and homicide. After serving as a homicide investigator and a sergeant, he was promoted to lieutenant. Timothy Carney is a graduate of Regis University, Denver, Colorado.
Timothy Carney co-authored Final Affair, a truce crime book. According to the book description, “When Janet Overton died from "unexplained causes," no one in her Orange County community suspected foul play. But a year later, Sheriff's Investigator Tim Carney sensed something amiss in this so-called "nothing case"-and uncovered the shocking truth about Dr. Richard Overton's past.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 535 police officers (representing 219 police departments) and their 1142 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Group Teaches Kids to Salute the Troops
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Elementary school students in Missouri are building their character through activities designed to salute the troops. A non-profit group called "Salute the Troops" aims to support servicemembers and veterans through character education and school and community events, Carrie Fain, the group's executive director, said.
"We believe in the importance of our kids looking up to real role models of character," she said, referring to servicemembers. "They are the true examples of honor, respect, responsibility, self-discipline and integrity -- (qualities) that we are hoping to instill in future generations."
With the cooperation of school counselors and teachers, the group creates and implements monthly activities that support the troops and incorporate positive character traits.
For example, students collect items for care packages, invite servicemembers to speak, and host veterans breakfasts, among other activities. The program also has children write letters to the troops.
"Hopefully others will see that it doesn't take much to support our troops -- a pen, some paper and a stamp," Fain said. "The simple words of a third grader or the scribbles of a kindergartner mean so much to a guy sitting in a sand-filled trailer.
"He may not write back, but that's not our expectation," she said. "Our expectation is that he does his job and come home."
Salute the Troops 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.
As a member of America Supports You, the group has had the opportunity to share its philosophy. "America Supports You has allowed Salute the Troops the opportunity to get our ideas out there and show others that supporting our troops is an every day action, not just a one-time project for Christmas," Fain said.
America Supports You also has provided the group a resource to help answer the many questions it receives from those with requests for assistance. "We do our best to help point these people in the direction that will get our troops the support they need, (and) always to other America Supports You groups," she said.
Fain said Salute the Troops is unique because of its target audience: elementary school students. "We want our kids to recognize those who made the choice to serve our country, and serve with honor and integrity," Fain said. "This is a real-life hero that they can look up to, believe in, (and) maybe someone they want to be some day."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Elementary school students in Missouri are building their character through activities designed to salute the troops. A non-profit group called "Salute the Troops" aims to support servicemembers and veterans through character education and school and community events, Carrie Fain, the group's executive director, said.
"We believe in the importance of our kids looking up to real role models of character," she said, referring to servicemembers. "They are the true examples of honor, respect, responsibility, self-discipline and integrity -- (qualities) that we are hoping to instill in future generations."
With the cooperation of school counselors and teachers, the group creates and implements monthly activities that support the troops and incorporate positive character traits.
For example, students collect items for care packages, invite servicemembers to speak, and host veterans breakfasts, among other activities. The program also has children write letters to the troops.
"Hopefully others will see that it doesn't take much to support our troops -- a pen, some paper and a stamp," Fain said. "The simple words of a third grader or the scribbles of a kindergartner mean so much to a guy sitting in a sand-filled trailer.
"He may not write back, but that's not our expectation," she said. "Our expectation is that he does his job and come home."
Salute the Troops 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.
As a member of America Supports You, the group has had the opportunity to share its philosophy. "America Supports You has allowed Salute the Troops the opportunity to get our ideas out there and show others that supporting our troops is an every day action, not just a one-time project for Christmas," Fain said.
America Supports You also has provided the group a resource to help answer the many questions it receives from those with requests for assistance. "We do our best to help point these people in the direction that will get our troops the support they need, (and) always to other America Supports You groups," she said.
Fain said Salute the Troops is unique because of its target audience: elementary school students. "We want our kids to recognize those who made the choice to serve our country, and serve with honor and integrity," Fain said. "This is a real-life hero that they can look up to, believe in, (and) maybe someone they want to be some day."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Department Recognizes 'Best of Best' in Communication Media
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Servicemembers whose words and pictures best communicated the Defense Department's activities to its internal audience and the public last year were recognized today at the institution that trains the nation's military journalists, broadcasters, photographers, graphic artists and videographers. Dorrance J. Smith, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, served as host for the 2007 Department of Defense Communicators of Excellence Award Ceremony at the Defense Information School here.
In welcoming the award recipients and an audience of military and industry communicators, Smith noted the "highly competitive" nature of award programs in the various communication disciplines that culminated in today's ceremony.
"These individuals, chosen by industry professionals, are truly the best of the best in their fields," he said. "Through their lens or with their pens, their work helped communicate to the world the true sacrifice and commitment of the men and women of the U.S. military."
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Clarence Page, a Vietnam-era Army veteran and a 1970 Defense Information School graduate, was the ceremony's keynote speaker. He contrasted the communication challenges of today's all-volunteer military with those of the days when many servicemembers had been drafted.
"These days, when we don't have a draft, you don't quite get that same potpourri of humanity, shall we say, that we used to get in the services back in the old days," he said. "We don't have quite as much of the cultural cross-current -- people moving back and forth between the military and civilian life -- that we used to have."
This makes the work of communicators inside and outside the military more important, he said, "because we do more than just cover the news or send out press releases. We try to help bridge those gaps between people and help people understand each other that much more."
Page recalled his days at DINFOS, as the Defense Information School is known, and said he marvels at the technological advances that have taken place since he wrote his stories at a manual typewriter and developed his photographs in a darkroom. Though the Vietnam War became known as "the Living Room War" because television brought it to American homes every night, Page said, the news footage was days old by the time it reached the U.S. audience.
"People forget about that," he said. "We take so much for granted these days, so much we didn't have then," and he ticked off a series of technologies that are commonplace today not only in news rooms, but also in everyday life.
"Thanks to the Internet, everybody can be their own publisher, their own broadcaster," Page said. "Sometimes when I'm Web surfing, I think that everybody already has."
But with technology putting the world at so many fingertips, he said, it's important to recognize excellence.
"All this new technology is nothing... without somebody to provide the content: the words, the pictures, the voice, the story," he said.
The World Wide Web now features "blogs" numbering in the tens of millions, Page noted. "But how many of them are good?" he asked. "How many of them are worth turning to each day? How many of them are reliable? That's where excellence comes in."
In addition to recognizing excellence in various specific categories within the communication disciplines, the ceremony recognized the military's top individual communicators of the year:
-- Military Graphic Artist of the Year: Air Force Staff Sgt. Rick Dunaway, Air University Television, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
-- Military Photographer of the Year: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock, Air University Television.
-- Military Videographer of the Year: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gary W. Burdett, 1st Combat Camera Squadron, Charleston Air Force Bae, S.C.
-- Military Broadcast Journalist of the Year: Air Force Senior Airman Richard Gonzales, Detachment 9, Air Force News Agency, Bitburg Annex, Germany.
-- Military Print Journalist of the Year: Air Force Senior Airman Brian A. Stives, 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Servicemembers whose words and pictures best communicated the Defense Department's activities to its internal audience and the public last year were recognized today at the institution that trains the nation's military journalists, broadcasters, photographers, graphic artists and videographers. Dorrance J. Smith, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, served as host for the 2007 Department of Defense Communicators of Excellence Award Ceremony at the Defense Information School here.
In welcoming the award recipients and an audience of military and industry communicators, Smith noted the "highly competitive" nature of award programs in the various communication disciplines that culminated in today's ceremony.
"These individuals, chosen by industry professionals, are truly the best of the best in their fields," he said. "Through their lens or with their pens, their work helped communicate to the world the true sacrifice and commitment of the men and women of the U.S. military."
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Clarence Page, a Vietnam-era Army veteran and a 1970 Defense Information School graduate, was the ceremony's keynote speaker. He contrasted the communication challenges of today's all-volunteer military with those of the days when many servicemembers had been drafted.
"These days, when we don't have a draft, you don't quite get that same potpourri of humanity, shall we say, that we used to get in the services back in the old days," he said. "We don't have quite as much of the cultural cross-current -- people moving back and forth between the military and civilian life -- that we used to have."
This makes the work of communicators inside and outside the military more important, he said, "because we do more than just cover the news or send out press releases. We try to help bridge those gaps between people and help people understand each other that much more."
Page recalled his days at DINFOS, as the Defense Information School is known, and said he marvels at the technological advances that have taken place since he wrote his stories at a manual typewriter and developed his photographs in a darkroom. Though the Vietnam War became known as "the Living Room War" because television brought it to American homes every night, Page said, the news footage was days old by the time it reached the U.S. audience.
"People forget about that," he said. "We take so much for granted these days, so much we didn't have then," and he ticked off a series of technologies that are commonplace today not only in news rooms, but also in everyday life.
"Thanks to the Internet, everybody can be their own publisher, their own broadcaster," Page said. "Sometimes when I'm Web surfing, I think that everybody already has."
But with technology putting the world at so many fingertips, he said, it's important to recognize excellence.
"All this new technology is nothing... without somebody to provide the content: the words, the pictures, the voice, the story," he said.
The World Wide Web now features "blogs" numbering in the tens of millions, Page noted. "But how many of them are good?" he asked. "How many of them are worth turning to each day? How many of them are reliable? That's where excellence comes in."
In addition to recognizing excellence in various specific categories within the communication disciplines, the ceremony recognized the military's top individual communicators of the year:
-- Military Graphic Artist of the Year: Air Force Staff Sgt. Rick Dunaway, Air University Television, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
-- Military Photographer of the Year: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock, Air University Television.
-- Military Videographer of the Year: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Gary W. Burdett, 1st Combat Camera Squadron, Charleston Air Force Bae, S.C.
-- Military Broadcast Journalist of the Year: Air Force Senior Airman Richard Gonzales, Detachment 9, Air Force News Agency, Bitburg Annex, Germany.
-- Military Print Journalist of the Year: Air Force Senior Airman Brian A. Stives, 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Gala Raises Funds to Keep Troops Connected
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Troops serving at remote sites overseas can look forward to better connection with their loved ones at home, thanks to the success of a fundraising gala here last night by the SemperComm Foundation. The event, which included a dinner, concert by country music star Chely Wright and silent and live auctions, raised thousands of dollars for the nonprofit group that supplies morale-boosting communications and entertainment equipment, software and services.
The foundation's focus is on small, remote U.S. military bases overseas that lack the morale, welfare and recreational support larger, front-line bases enjoy, noted Executive Director Lara Coffee.
SemperComm adopts military cases in far-flung and highly sensitive regions of the world, thousands of miles from the comforts of home. Often troops serving in these outposts have no way to connect with their families.
Currently the group serves six bases, but Coffee said its goal is to ensure that all of the nearly 700 remote sites get access to communications services so they can stay connected with those they leave behind when they deploy.
Providing those services is an expensive endeavor. Serving SemperComm's newest adopted post, in Afghanistan, will require about $150,000 to install a satellite dish and connection services, and $30,000 a month to keep the service running, Coffee said.
Last night's gala helped the group work toward its goal. About 800 attendees contributed to the effort through ticket sales and silent and live auctions and private donations.
Linda LaRoche, co-chair of the event, thanked attendees for supporting the troops safeguarding their freedoms. She praised their selfless service, dedication, teamwork and humor, even when operating in the face of adversity. "They are beacons to us all," she said.
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Virginia Mayo, a guest at the event, remembers how valuable services like those provided by SemperComm are to deployed troops. "It's such a morale boost to be able to communicate regularly with our families," she said. "It makes our deployments over there, especially now with extended deployments, so much easier for us."
Army Staff Sgt. Matt Olson, another guest, also recognized the importance of being able to check in with family members during a deployment. "It's a lifeline back to home. It keeps you sane," he said.
"Being able to talk to your family on the phone is such a plus," Olson continued. "It definitely makes a difference and makes you remember what you're there for."
Wright, who travels to many of the remote sites SemperComm serves, entertaining troops with the Stars for Stripes organization, said she's seen firsthand how vital a link back home is to deployed troops.
She recalled talking with a career soldier who years ago relied on "snail mail" to keep in touch with his wife when he was deployed. Letters frequently took two to three weeks to reach home, sometimes arriving out of sequence, so the soldier and his wife learned to number the envelopes, Wright said.
"Now, it's so much easier when they can simply log on and check in at home," she said. "It takes a lot of the worry away. ... It's one of those little extra incentives that help them grab the day."
Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter praised SemperComm's work and the services it's providing to deployed forces who might otherwise have to go without them.
"Communication is critical. It's one of the things that has a huge impact on morale," he said. "I can see the difference everywhere I travel, when I see (deployed troops displaying) e-mails and photos downloaded from computers. It's clear how important that is to them."
Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, commander of Marine Corps Systems Command, remembers the days when deployed troops didn't have access to the kind of services SemperComm provides.
"This kind of connectivity just wasn't available when I was making deployments," he said. "The communication our servicemembers have today makes a world of difference. They're able to keep abreast of what's going on back at home and to get e-mails and images from their families. It's a way for them to see some of what they would otherwise miss while they're away from home."
SemperComm is a partner in the Defense Department's America Supports You program. The program showcases the myriad efforts private citizens, schools, churches, corporations and other groups are doing nationwide to show support for the men and women in uniform.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – Troops serving at remote sites overseas can look forward to better connection with their loved ones at home, thanks to the success of a fundraising gala here last night by the SemperComm Foundation. The event, which included a dinner, concert by country music star Chely Wright and silent and live auctions, raised thousands of dollars for the nonprofit group that supplies morale-boosting communications and entertainment equipment, software and services.
The foundation's focus is on small, remote U.S. military bases overseas that lack the morale, welfare and recreational support larger, front-line bases enjoy, noted Executive Director Lara Coffee.
SemperComm adopts military cases in far-flung and highly sensitive regions of the world, thousands of miles from the comforts of home. Often troops serving in these outposts have no way to connect with their families.
Currently the group serves six bases, but Coffee said its goal is to ensure that all of the nearly 700 remote sites get access to communications services so they can stay connected with those they leave behind when they deploy.
Providing those services is an expensive endeavor. Serving SemperComm's newest adopted post, in Afghanistan, will require about $150,000 to install a satellite dish and connection services, and $30,000 a month to keep the service running, Coffee said.
Last night's gala helped the group work toward its goal. About 800 attendees contributed to the effort through ticket sales and silent and live auctions and private donations.
Linda LaRoche, co-chair of the event, thanked attendees for supporting the troops safeguarding their freedoms. She praised their selfless service, dedication, teamwork and humor, even when operating in the face of adversity. "They are beacons to us all," she said.
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Virginia Mayo, a guest at the event, remembers how valuable services like those provided by SemperComm are to deployed troops. "It's such a morale boost to be able to communicate regularly with our families," she said. "It makes our deployments over there, especially now with extended deployments, so much easier for us."
Army Staff Sgt. Matt Olson, another guest, also recognized the importance of being able to check in with family members during a deployment. "It's a lifeline back to home. It keeps you sane," he said.
"Being able to talk to your family on the phone is such a plus," Olson continued. "It definitely makes a difference and makes you remember what you're there for."
Wright, who travels to many of the remote sites SemperComm serves, entertaining troops with the Stars for Stripes organization, said she's seen firsthand how vital a link back home is to deployed troops.
She recalled talking with a career soldier who years ago relied on "snail mail" to keep in touch with his wife when he was deployed. Letters frequently took two to three weeks to reach home, sometimes arriving out of sequence, so the soldier and his wife learned to number the envelopes, Wright said.
"Now, it's so much easier when they can simply log on and check in at home," she said. "It takes a lot of the worry away. ... It's one of those little extra incentives that help them grab the day."
Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter praised SemperComm's work and the services it's providing to deployed forces who might otherwise have to go without them.
"Communication is critical. It's one of the things that has a huge impact on morale," he said. "I can see the difference everywhere I travel, when I see (deployed troops displaying) e-mails and photos downloaded from computers. It's clear how important that is to them."
Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, commander of Marine Corps Systems Command, remembers the days when deployed troops didn't have access to the kind of services SemperComm provides.
"This kind of connectivity just wasn't available when I was making deployments," he said. "The communication our servicemembers have today makes a world of difference. They're able to keep abreast of what's going on back at home and to get e-mails and images from their families. It's a way for them to see some of what they would otherwise miss while they're away from home."
SemperComm is a partner in the Defense Department's America Supports You program. The program showcases the myriad efforts private citizens, schools, churches, corporations and other groups are doing nationwide to show support for the men and women in uniform.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Bush Proclaims May 11 Military Spouse Day
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – President Bush issued a proclamation yesterday commemorating today as Military Spouse Day and laid plans to observe the day honoring servicemembers and their spouses personally at the White House. "America's military spouses inspire our nation with their sense of duty and deep devotion to our country," Bush said in his proclamation.
The president called families an "integral part of the success of our armed forces" and recognized their sacrifices, particularly during their loved ones' deployments.
"Spouses may endure long periods of separation and frequent relocations, and they often set aside their own personal and professional ambitions for the benefit of their family and the nation," he said.
Meanwhile, Bush noted, they keep the home fires burning when their loved ones are away. "Despite tremendous personal challenges, military spouses maintain everyday life for their families here at home, while sending love, prayers, encouraging words, and care packages to their loved ones stationed around the globe," he said.
Bush urged people to visit the America Supports You Web site to find ways to support troops, their spouses and their families. America Supports You is a Defense Department program that showcases America's support for the men and women of the armed forces and their families.
Today, Bush is commemorating Military Spouses Day by hosting servicemembers and their spouses at a White House event. He will thank the group for their service and sacrifice and present the President's Volunteer Service Award to a military spouse from each service, White House officials said.
The White House event is among a wide range of activities planned at U.S. military posts worldwide in observance of Military Spouse Day. Posts plan to honor their spouses with receptions, workshops, "pampering parties" and other activities. Military Spouse Day was first celebrated in 1984 when then-President Reagan proclaimed the observance to honor the contributions of military spouses. The military now sets aside the Friday before Mother's Day each year to pay tribute to the spouses who play a vital role in the nation's defense.
But Defense Department leaders say recognizing Military Spouse Day is particularly important when thousands of spouses are sacrificing alongside their loved ones serving in the war on terror. "Military Spouse Day is one day in the year when we stop to recognize the countless contributions of our military spouses," said Leslye Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy.
Through her many meetings with military spouses, Arsht said she's come to appreciate their resilience and determination. "They look for ways to contribute," she said. "They are much like their servicemember-husband or -wife; they are American patriots who also serve and sacrifice."
Arsht said the stability of the military family and our military communities is attributable, in large part, to military spouses' self-sacrifice and dedication. "As they strive each day to keep the homefront strong, these capable and committed spouses are a vital part of winning the global war on terrorism," she said.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – President Bush issued a proclamation yesterday commemorating today as Military Spouse Day and laid plans to observe the day honoring servicemembers and their spouses personally at the White House. "America's military spouses inspire our nation with their sense of duty and deep devotion to our country," Bush said in his proclamation.
The president called families an "integral part of the success of our armed forces" and recognized their sacrifices, particularly during their loved ones' deployments.
"Spouses may endure long periods of separation and frequent relocations, and they often set aside their own personal and professional ambitions for the benefit of their family and the nation," he said.
Meanwhile, Bush noted, they keep the home fires burning when their loved ones are away. "Despite tremendous personal challenges, military spouses maintain everyday life for their families here at home, while sending love, prayers, encouraging words, and care packages to their loved ones stationed around the globe," he said.
Bush urged people to visit the America Supports You Web site to find ways to support troops, their spouses and their families. America Supports You is a Defense Department program that showcases America's support for the men and women of the armed forces and their families.
Today, Bush is commemorating Military Spouses Day by hosting servicemembers and their spouses at a White House event. He will thank the group for their service and sacrifice and present the President's Volunteer Service Award to a military spouse from each service, White House officials said.
The White House event is among a wide range of activities planned at U.S. military posts worldwide in observance of Military Spouse Day. Posts plan to honor their spouses with receptions, workshops, "pampering parties" and other activities. Military Spouse Day was first celebrated in 1984 when then-President Reagan proclaimed the observance to honor the contributions of military spouses. The military now sets aside the Friday before Mother's Day each year to pay tribute to the spouses who play a vital role in the nation's defense.
But Defense Department leaders say recognizing Military Spouse Day is particularly important when thousands of spouses are sacrificing alongside their loved ones serving in the war on terror. "Military Spouse Day is one day in the year when we stop to recognize the countless contributions of our military spouses," said Leslye Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy.
Through her many meetings with military spouses, Arsht said she's come to appreciate their resilience and determination. "They look for ways to contribute," she said. "They are much like their servicemember-husband or -wife; they are American patriots who also serve and sacrifice."
Arsht said the stability of the military family and our military communities is attributable, in large part, to military spouses' self-sacrifice and dedication. "As they strive each day to keep the homefront strong, these capable and committed spouses are a vital part of winning the global war on terrorism," she said.
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
Casey Says Army Must Be Prepared for 'Persistent Conflict'
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – The U.S. military is involved in a "persistent conflict," and the Army must be prepared to handle the commitment, the Army chief of staff said today. Gen. George W. Casey Jr. spoke to reporters in the Pentagon today in his first interview since he took the position a month ago, after commanding coalition forces in Iraq for almost three years.
"The enemy that has attacked us and we are fighting in places around the world isn't going to fold up and go home," he said. "They are going to continue to press us."
Casey said he was very deliberate before taking office. He tasked a group to study the state of the Army today and another to study the likely state of the world in 2020. He then had the two groups come together and propose a course for America's largest armed service.
He said soldiers are "generally comfortable with the transformational direction that we are on." In general, officials admit there is some "tweaking" to do, but modularization is the correct path for the Army, he said.
Families are most stretched by repeated deployments, he said, and he acknowledged that the service's new 15-month deployment policy has placed another element of stress on military families. "We've been to a lot of units that were affected by the 15-month announcement, and while they understand the rationale, the families are stretched by this," he said.
He wants the Army "to ratchet up our game" in providing support to the families.
It is no secret that the Army, as an institution, "is affected by the cumulative effects of five years at war," he said.
The general said the problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here are an example of these accumulated stresses. "There are a lot of other stress points out there that I am asking people to help me identify," he said.
"We must improve what we're doing for soldiers and families," he said. "Spouses said, 'We don't need a lot of new programs -- what we need is for you to fund the ones you have, and standardize the ones you have across installations.'" This includes health care, facilities, living conditions and access to facilities.
Casey said he is impressed by the level of commitment on the part of soldiers and families. They understand what the country is doing around the world and "they believe in what they are doing," he said.
The new chief of staff said he wants to accelerate the pace of a recently approved increase in the Army's size and improve readiness, noting that two years usually pass between a decision being made to having units on the ground, fully equipped. "We cannot address this instantaneously, but we need to address it faster," he said.
The service must complete transformation of reserve components from a Cold War mobilization force to an operational enhancement for the active components.
The Army needs to concentrate on leader development and growing the next generation of commissioned and noncommissioned officers, Casey said, and to fit that training into the deployment cycle. "We need to fully adapt our institutional programs -- like the NCO professional military education -- to an Army that is expeditionary and at war," he said.
Finally, the service needs to improve strategic communications externally and internally. "It's been unanimous," he said. "I can't find anyone ... who thinks we do a good job of communicating at all."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
American Forces Press Service
May 11, 2007 – The U.S. military is involved in a "persistent conflict," and the Army must be prepared to handle the commitment, the Army chief of staff said today. Gen. George W. Casey Jr. spoke to reporters in the Pentagon today in his first interview since he took the position a month ago, after commanding coalition forces in Iraq for almost three years.
"The enemy that has attacked us and we are fighting in places around the world isn't going to fold up and go home," he said. "They are going to continue to press us."
Casey said he was very deliberate before taking office. He tasked a group to study the state of the Army today and another to study the likely state of the world in 2020. He then had the two groups come together and propose a course for America's largest armed service.
He said soldiers are "generally comfortable with the transformational direction that we are on." In general, officials admit there is some "tweaking" to do, but modularization is the correct path for the Army, he said.
Families are most stretched by repeated deployments, he said, and he acknowledged that the service's new 15-month deployment policy has placed another element of stress on military families. "We've been to a lot of units that were affected by the 15-month announcement, and while they understand the rationale, the families are stretched by this," he said.
He wants the Army "to ratchet up our game" in providing support to the families.
It is no secret that the Army, as an institution, "is affected by the cumulative effects of five years at war," he said.
The general said the problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here are an example of these accumulated stresses. "There are a lot of other stress points out there that I am asking people to help me identify," he said.
"We must improve what we're doing for soldiers and families," he said. "Spouses said, 'We don't need a lot of new programs -- what we need is for you to fund the ones you have, and standardize the ones you have across installations.'" This includes health care, facilities, living conditions and access to facilities.
Casey said he is impressed by the level of commitment on the part of soldiers and families. They understand what the country is doing around the world and "they believe in what they are doing," he said.
The new chief of staff said he wants to accelerate the pace of a recently approved increase in the Army's size and improve readiness, noting that two years usually pass between a decision being made to having units on the ground, fully equipped. "We cannot address this instantaneously, but we need to address it faster," he said.
The service must complete transformation of reserve components from a Cold War mobilization force to an operational enhancement for the active components.
The Army needs to concentrate on leader development and growing the next generation of commissioned and noncommissioned officers, Casey said, and to fit that training into the deployment cycle. "We need to fully adapt our institutional programs -- like the NCO professional military education -- to an Army that is expeditionary and at war," he said.
Finally, the service needs to improve strategic communications externally and internally. "It's been unanimous," he said. "I can't find anyone ... who thinks we do a good job of communicating at all."
Article sponsored by police officers who have written books on law enforcement jobs; as well as those involved in writing on leadership.
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