By Maureen Rose
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 29, 2007 - The military's top enlisted servicemember visited this Kentucky base Oct. 26 and addressed an audience for the post's Retiree Appreciation Days event. "We owe a good deal to retirees sitting in the coffee shops talking about the good old days. The past is the reason we're a great nation," Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey said. "We all focus on the young men and women of now, but if it were not for the young men and women of the past, we would not be in the position we're in now -- which is free."
Gainey, a former Armor Center command sergeant major, is the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a position created by the former chairman, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, and filled by Gainey since its inception in 2004.
Gainey's primary job is to gather information for his boss, Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, who succeeded Pace as chairman Oct. 1. "He uses me as his eyes and ears to get out where he can't travel to and come back and, no kidding, tell him how the young men and women on the ground are feeling," Gainey said.
However, the information flow is in the opposite direction this time. "I told Admiral Mullen I was going to be here," Gainey said, "and he wanted me to express how proud he is of (the retirees)."
Gainey observed a retiree wearing a Vietnam logo on his cap talking to a younger, active-duty Marine who was traveling with Gainey.
"I try to make our generation -- the young people I'm with every day -- understand every time they pass a retiree, like this former Marine sitting right here, stop and look them in the face and say, 'Thank you for your service,'" he explained. "That's the message; I'm trying to let them all know to do it. Every time we pass a retiree, we should all say 'thank you.'"
The street of gratitude goes two ways, Gainey said. When he visits young people serving in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, he tells them Americans appreciate their service.
"It's not all me saying, 'Hooah, we're doing a great job.' I let them know constantly, because I travel a good bit, how proud our country is," he said. "It's important, no matter what political affiliation you belong to, that we support our soldiers, men and women, Marines, airmen, Coasties -- anybody, our warriors who fight this war -- it's important that we let them know that we're behind them. We might not agree to the overall policy, but who cares? We have to support those men and women."
Gainey said he always thanks new enlistees, as well. "I see the guys and gals coming in off the streets and, with the mission they're about to hit, I thank them, too," he said. "They're enlisting knowing they're going to go to war."
Interrupted frequently during his visit by those who recognized Gainey from previous assignments, he waved and shook hands like a politician.
One retiree, however, got a bear hug from Gainey. His name is Dale Cleveland. "He's the reason I am what I am today," Gainey said with a laugh. "He was my platoon sergeant years ago, so if you don't like me, blame him!"
Cleveland returned the compliment, thumping Gainey on the back. "I can give you the skinny on him," said Cleveland, a retired Fort Knox first sergeant.
"We used to have young soldiers over to our house for dinner all the time in Germany, but we had no idea he would end up there," Cleveland's wife, Gabi, said with a gesture skyward.
Crystel Swaite also wanted a chance to shake hands with Gainey. She was the soldier of the year in 2002 at Fort Hood, Texas, where Gainey was her post sergeant major. "He was very motivational; he's one of the reasons I stayed in," she said.
Realizing that retirees sometimes are overlooked, Gainey said he soon will understand firsthand how that feels. "I'm retiring April 25, after 33-1/2 years," he said. "I'm nothing more than a torch-carrier for (the retirees).
"And someday," he added, pointing to his young aide, "he will be a torch carrier for me."
(Maureen Rose is a staff writer for the Fort Knox Turret.)
Monday, October 29, 2007
Industry, Academic Leaders Pool Brainpower to Address IED Threat
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 29, 2007 - The head of the Defense Department's counter-improvised explosive device effort today challenged some of the best minds in industry, academia, the national laboratories and the military to come up with better ways to thwart these deadly weapons. Retired Army Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs, director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, opened a two-day conference here designed to spark better solutions to the IED problem.
The conference is focusing on three parts of the attack plan against what's become terrorists' weapon of choice in Iraq and, increasingly, in Afghanistan: Attack the network; defeat the device; and train the force.
Meigs thanked the roughly 750 participants for technological advances they've helped develop, particularly in the intelligence and training realms. What's needed now, he said, are better technologies so troops can identify IEDs sooner, before they inflict damage.
Defense Department officials say IEDs have caused nearly half of all casualties in Iraq and nearly 30 percent of those in Afghanistan since the start of combat operations.
"I am so convinced that the way you take the initiative away from the enemy is to find the IED, locate it before the soldier, sailor, airmen or Marine, or perhaps in the future, a civilian, gets within the blast range of the thing," Meigs said during today's unclassified opening session.
"When the individual is within the blast range of an IED, we have lost all opportunity for our initiative. The initiative is in the hands of the enemy," he said.
Meigs acknowledged that the easy answers already have been explored. "We have all picked the low-hanging fruit in this area," he said. "If we are going to develop that capability, it is going to require a full-court press by the scientific and technical base of our country and our allies."
Robin L. Keesee, deputy director of the Joint IED Defeat Organization, told reporters technical conferences like this one help focus some of the best brainpower in the country and among U.S. allies on the scope and complexity of the IED challenge.
The sessions promote information sharing that generates the broadest range of plausible solutions, reduces redundancy of effort, and helps weed out initiatives that already have been tried, he said.
JIEDDO's past two industry conferences yielded better-quality, more-focused technological proposals, many within the first week of the session, Keesee said.
Speed is critical in an environment where insurgents, unrestricted by any formal hierarchy, are able to quickly alter their tactics, techniques and procedures, he said.
"They are watching what works and doesn't in a neighborhood and are adapting on that basis," Keesee said. "Our soldiers and Marines and others are adapting their tactics and techniques at that level. The challenge for us is, how do we adapt the technology as well to support the Marines and soldiers?"
Another challenge is getting an acquisition system based on annual budgets and usually focused three to five years ahead to respond to circumstances that morph within days, weeks or months. "We need to work toward adapting our acquisition practices to the global war on terror," Keesee said.
JIEDDO has come a long way toward that end, reducing time to get funding approval for a new idea to as little as three weeks. That's the time it takes to run the idea through a panel of scientists and engineers who verify it makes operational sense, military experts to ensure it makes tactical and operational sense, and service-level and Defense Department levels to agree it makes investment sense.
Investing in an effort that can amount of millions or even tens of millions of dollars "is really unheard-of in the rest of the Department of Defense," Keesee said. "That's usually a process that takes years."
Keesee credited the combination of better technology; better tactics, techniques and procedures; and better troop protection with helping to reduce IED casualties. "It all goes together to make it more difficult for insurgents, and to make our soldiers and Marines and others more survivable (and) more surviving when attacked," he said.
He reiterated Meigs' assertion that insurgents now have to work four to six times harder to inflict the level of damage they once did.
Retired Army Gen. John Abizaid, former commander of U.S. Central Command and today's keynote speaker, told conference participants he's "absolutely, 1,000 percent convinced" that cooperation between JIEDDO and industry has helped reduce the IED threat troops face on the battlefield.
Abizaid said the threat isn't likely to go away any time soon, because the enemy views IEDs as their opportunity to gain high ground over an enemy they can't confront any other way.
"We need to continue to close this gap," with an eye to future battlefields as well as those troops are fighting on today, he said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 29, 2007 - The head of the Defense Department's counter-improvised explosive device effort today challenged some of the best minds in industry, academia, the national laboratories and the military to come up with better ways to thwart these deadly weapons. Retired Army Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs, director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, opened a two-day conference here designed to spark better solutions to the IED problem.
The conference is focusing on three parts of the attack plan against what's become terrorists' weapon of choice in Iraq and, increasingly, in Afghanistan: Attack the network; defeat the device; and train the force.
Meigs thanked the roughly 750 participants for technological advances they've helped develop, particularly in the intelligence and training realms. What's needed now, he said, are better technologies so troops can identify IEDs sooner, before they inflict damage.
Defense Department officials say IEDs have caused nearly half of all casualties in Iraq and nearly 30 percent of those in Afghanistan since the start of combat operations.
"I am so convinced that the way you take the initiative away from the enemy is to find the IED, locate it before the soldier, sailor, airmen or Marine, or perhaps in the future, a civilian, gets within the blast range of the thing," Meigs said during today's unclassified opening session.
"When the individual is within the blast range of an IED, we have lost all opportunity for our initiative. The initiative is in the hands of the enemy," he said.
Meigs acknowledged that the easy answers already have been explored. "We have all picked the low-hanging fruit in this area," he said. "If we are going to develop that capability, it is going to require a full-court press by the scientific and technical base of our country and our allies."
Robin L. Keesee, deputy director of the Joint IED Defeat Organization, told reporters technical conferences like this one help focus some of the best brainpower in the country and among U.S. allies on the scope and complexity of the IED challenge.
The sessions promote information sharing that generates the broadest range of plausible solutions, reduces redundancy of effort, and helps weed out initiatives that already have been tried, he said.
JIEDDO's past two industry conferences yielded better-quality, more-focused technological proposals, many within the first week of the session, Keesee said.
Speed is critical in an environment where insurgents, unrestricted by any formal hierarchy, are able to quickly alter their tactics, techniques and procedures, he said.
"They are watching what works and doesn't in a neighborhood and are adapting on that basis," Keesee said. "Our soldiers and Marines and others are adapting their tactics and techniques at that level. The challenge for us is, how do we adapt the technology as well to support the Marines and soldiers?"
Another challenge is getting an acquisition system based on annual budgets and usually focused three to five years ahead to respond to circumstances that morph within days, weeks or months. "We need to work toward adapting our acquisition practices to the global war on terror," Keesee said.
JIEDDO has come a long way toward that end, reducing time to get funding approval for a new idea to as little as three weeks. That's the time it takes to run the idea through a panel of scientists and engineers who verify it makes operational sense, military experts to ensure it makes tactical and operational sense, and service-level and Defense Department levels to agree it makes investment sense.
Investing in an effort that can amount of millions or even tens of millions of dollars "is really unheard-of in the rest of the Department of Defense," Keesee said. "That's usually a process that takes years."
Keesee credited the combination of better technology; better tactics, techniques and procedures; and better troop protection with helping to reduce IED casualties. "It all goes together to make it more difficult for insurgents, and to make our soldiers and Marines and others more survivable (and) more surviving when attacked," he said.
He reiterated Meigs' assertion that insurgents now have to work four to six times harder to inflict the level of damage they once did.
Retired Army Gen. John Abizaid, former commander of U.S. Central Command and today's keynote speaker, told conference participants he's "absolutely, 1,000 percent convinced" that cooperation between JIEDDO and industry has helped reduce the IED threat troops face on the battlefield.
Abizaid said the threat isn't likely to go away any time soon, because the enemy views IEDs as their opportunity to gain high ground over an enemy they can't confront any other way.
"We need to continue to close this gap," with an eye to future battlefields as well as those troops are fighting on today, he said.
Injured Veterans Tackle New Adventure
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 29, 2007 - Seven injured veterans geared up to pit themselves against sand and the Caribbean Sea on Oct. 18 as part of an inaugural adaptive adventure trip. Before the veterans and their wives had a chance to test any of those boundaries, however, they had visitors to greet.
Members of the St. John American Legion and its auxiliary, which had met the group at the ferry the night before, arrived bright and early with nothing short of a full breakfast. The gesture, which included a certificate of appreciation and a lifetime membership to the American Legion, awed the veterans.
As the Legionnaires left the campground, so did the veterans. They headed to the beach to learn the sport of sea kayaking adapted to their individual situations.
"I hope that they're having an opportunity to have an adventure and push their barriers and boundaries a little bit," said Joe Mornini, director of Team River Runner. "These guys, they're just going to appreciate more what they do under their own steam."
Being in paradise doesn't negate all frustrations, however.
The veterans found that slicing through two-plus miles of turquoise waters in "sit-on-top" kayaks was a piece of cake. That was only after they'd negotiated the sandy beach to get to the boats, however.
For those with prosthetic legs, that challenge was minor. Former Marine John Jones, who lost both legs below the knee when the Stryker vehicle he was riding in hit a double-stacked anti-tank mine near Qaim, Iraq, nature caused him no problems.
"The sand, no, it wasn't anything really," Jones said. "The only thing that really screwed me up was not having (full use of) my leg that broke on me."
Army Sgt. Peter Rooney agreed that sand posed more problems for those using wheelchairs than actually getting the boat to glide through the water.
When the veterans returned from a paddle around nearby Whistling Cay, a small island, they graduated to sea kayaks, which have a cockpit. That cockpit allows a kayaker to sit below the surface of the boat.
Arawak Expeditions, a local company specializing in sea kayak adventures, provided instruction in both types of boats, including how to get out of, and back into, a sea kayak should it flip in open water. That was a lesson some of the veterans who have worked with Team River Runner in the therapy pool at Walter Reed Army Medical Center are very familiar with.
That wasn't necessarily so for the spouses, some of whom found the exercise a little more difficult than promised.
"They said that was easy!" said Danielle Pannell, wife of former Army Sgt. Kevin Pannell, who lost both of his legs above the knee when an insurgent threw a grenade at his foot patrol in Sadr City, Iraq. "It wasn't. It was hard!"
The day ended on a much more pleasant note, as the group set out on its first snorkel of the trip in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea. The fish stories included sightings of a barracuda, a large tarpon, and the wing of a long-ago crashed plane.
Team River Runner is a chapter of Disabled Sports USA, a supporter of "America Supports You," a Defense Department program connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 29, 2007 - Seven injured veterans geared up to pit themselves against sand and the Caribbean Sea on Oct. 18 as part of an inaugural adaptive adventure trip. Before the veterans and their wives had a chance to test any of those boundaries, however, they had visitors to greet.
Members of the St. John American Legion and its auxiliary, which had met the group at the ferry the night before, arrived bright and early with nothing short of a full breakfast. The gesture, which included a certificate of appreciation and a lifetime membership to the American Legion, awed the veterans.
As the Legionnaires left the campground, so did the veterans. They headed to the beach to learn the sport of sea kayaking adapted to their individual situations.
"I hope that they're having an opportunity to have an adventure and push their barriers and boundaries a little bit," said Joe Mornini, director of Team River Runner. "These guys, they're just going to appreciate more what they do under their own steam."
Being in paradise doesn't negate all frustrations, however.
The veterans found that slicing through two-plus miles of turquoise waters in "sit-on-top" kayaks was a piece of cake. That was only after they'd negotiated the sandy beach to get to the boats, however.
For those with prosthetic legs, that challenge was minor. Former Marine John Jones, who lost both legs below the knee when the Stryker vehicle he was riding in hit a double-stacked anti-tank mine near Qaim, Iraq, nature caused him no problems.
"The sand, no, it wasn't anything really," Jones said. "The only thing that really screwed me up was not having (full use of) my leg that broke on me."
Army Sgt. Peter Rooney agreed that sand posed more problems for those using wheelchairs than actually getting the boat to glide through the water.
When the veterans returned from a paddle around nearby Whistling Cay, a small island, they graduated to sea kayaks, which have a cockpit. That cockpit allows a kayaker to sit below the surface of the boat.
Arawak Expeditions, a local company specializing in sea kayak adventures, provided instruction in both types of boats, including how to get out of, and back into, a sea kayak should it flip in open water. That was a lesson some of the veterans who have worked with Team River Runner in the therapy pool at Walter Reed Army Medical Center are very familiar with.
That wasn't necessarily so for the spouses, some of whom found the exercise a little more difficult than promised.
"They said that was easy!" said Danielle Pannell, wife of former Army Sgt. Kevin Pannell, who lost both of his legs above the knee when an insurgent threw a grenade at his foot patrol in Sadr City, Iraq. "It wasn't. It was hard!"
The day ended on a much more pleasant note, as the group set out on its first snorkel of the trip in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea. The fish stories included sightings of a barracuda, a large tarpon, and the wing of a long-ago crashed plane.
Team River Runner is a chapter of Disabled Sports USA, a supporter of "America Supports You," a Defense Department program connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
Kosovo Situation 'Stable, But Fragile,' Commander Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 29, 2007 - The situation in Kosovo is "stable, but potentially fragile," the commander of U.S. forces there said. Army Brig. Gen. Douglas B. Earhart, commander of the American contingent in the NATO-led Kosovo Force, said he is proud of the job that his 1,500-member force has done and believes the province is ready for several key events.
Earhart commands a multinational force based around the National Guard's 29th Infantry Division. The 39th Infantry Division will take over the command Nov. 2.
The first event Earhart referenced is Kosovo-wide elections scheduled for Nov. 17, followed by the end of the 120-day supplemental negotiation process that Serbia, Kosovo and a team of international negotiators have been holding on the status of the province.
"Things are calm, but underneath the surface people are anxious, and they are not sure of what the outcome is going to be," the general told American Forces Press Service. "People are tired of waiting; they just want this thing resolved. It doesn't matter if you are Kosovar Albanian or Kosovar Serbian; you just want it over so you can get on with normal life."
The NATO-led Kosovo Force is keeping the province stable, but there are challenges, he said. Reports of paramilitary groups operating on both sides of the provincial border add to the fragility of the situation. "When the media report on those groups, we see the population getting anxious about that," Earhart said.
The general discounts these organizations. "They operate on the fringe and have no legitimacy," he said, adding that these groups are more like gangs than any type of organized political movement.
"They are rogue criminals living in the hills with nothing better to do than to stir up trouble," he said. "They stir up trouble because it serves their purposes to have a lawless area."
The criminal elements want uncertainty; they want disruption, because this allows them to operate. The government needs to get into these areas and establish control, Earhart said. "Where you don't have a lot of tax collection, you don't have a lot of police activity," he said.
The bottom line is that there are pockets of these criminals in the province, but nothing widespread, he added.
Kosovo police are getting better, and they are extending the government's control. NATO forces are working with them to improve their capabilities, the general said.
He also noted a lot of rebuilding is going on in the province. "In one sense, economically, there is something going on. Someone is doing better," he said. "I think there is a more entrepreneurial spirit today than there was two or three years ago.
"There is still money coming in from the diaspora -- Kosovars who moved to Switzerland, Italy and Germany -- and that fuels a lot of the economy here," he continued, adding that such income cannot fuel an economy for long.
Unemployment in the province still is very high; officials estimate that it is around 70 percent. "We have a very large population of people between 18 and 30 years old, and those folks are not working, and that is troublesome," Earhart said.
Building employment opportunities is important to the security situation. "With people sitting around, it's more likely that folks get involved in activities that are not productive," he said.
Earhart said members of the Kosovo Force want a quick resolution to the diplomatic process so economic development offered by the international community can flow into the province.
"I think that's something that most people on the ground here wish for," he said. "They hope for a situation stable enough so that international investors will come in here and really start to get things going here."
Earhart said the task force works with soldiers from five other countries: Greece, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and Romania. "This relationship has been gong since 2003, and it gets better every year," he said.
He said he is working to transfer responsibility to the men and women of the 39th Infantry Division. "When the KFOR 9 soldiers arrive, we walk through every task that's required of soldiers on the ground here," he said. "We do that in three weeks, then we give our successors an opportunity to lead that same activity. At the end of that period, we feel confident that replacements are set."
Officials intend for Kosovars to see no difference in competence in the soldiers. "That's important, because we've done a lot of good work in building up the trust and confidence in KFOR, and so we obviously want to maintain that," he said.
The general also discussed how experiences that National Guardsmen have in their civilian lives help them in Kosovo. "I see it every day," he said. "The only way you can really successfully engage the civilian population is by getting out and walking among the people and talking with them. If you've been a teacher, if you've been a police officer, if you've been a nurse, if you've had any kind of civilian job where you have to deal with people, then you generally know how to communicate. Just from that basic standpoint, you can tell there's a difference there.
"The other part is, we have soldiers that have specialty skills; we have a lot of police officers and teachers on the task force. They can sense when things are not quite normal," he continued. "We have plumbers who have worked on schools' bathrooms; we've had water hydrologists look at well systems; we've had firefighters go to fire stations to help the Kosovars improve their training and update their equipment. We've had people here who have a direct influence on the community due to their civilian experiences."
When his unit first got to Kosovo, the general said, he immediately was struck by the reception the Kosovars gave his unit. "I was instantly struck by the friendliness with which I was greeted," he said. "From that moment to today, I considered myself to be a member of the Kosovo family, and I've been treated with respect and friendship from all segments of the society: Kosovars and Serbs."
Specifically, Earhart said, he remembers a visit he made to a local school, which teaches more than 5,000 children in three shifts. He was met by 300 children singing an American song. "I thanked them for their song and told them that they are the hope for the future of Kosovo," he said. "At the end of that, two 5th grade girls gave me a beautiful picture. It has an American flag in the foreground and a picture of the globe. Around the globe are children holding hands and above that is the NATO cross.
"I was so struck by that. It's a beautiful piece of art, and the message is tremendous."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 29, 2007 - The situation in Kosovo is "stable, but potentially fragile," the commander of U.S. forces there said. Army Brig. Gen. Douglas B. Earhart, commander of the American contingent in the NATO-led Kosovo Force, said he is proud of the job that his 1,500-member force has done and believes the province is ready for several key events.
Earhart commands a multinational force based around the National Guard's 29th Infantry Division. The 39th Infantry Division will take over the command Nov. 2.
The first event Earhart referenced is Kosovo-wide elections scheduled for Nov. 17, followed by the end of the 120-day supplemental negotiation process that Serbia, Kosovo and a team of international negotiators have been holding on the status of the province.
"Things are calm, but underneath the surface people are anxious, and they are not sure of what the outcome is going to be," the general told American Forces Press Service. "People are tired of waiting; they just want this thing resolved. It doesn't matter if you are Kosovar Albanian or Kosovar Serbian; you just want it over so you can get on with normal life."
The NATO-led Kosovo Force is keeping the province stable, but there are challenges, he said. Reports of paramilitary groups operating on both sides of the provincial border add to the fragility of the situation. "When the media report on those groups, we see the population getting anxious about that," Earhart said.
The general discounts these organizations. "They operate on the fringe and have no legitimacy," he said, adding that these groups are more like gangs than any type of organized political movement.
"They are rogue criminals living in the hills with nothing better to do than to stir up trouble," he said. "They stir up trouble because it serves their purposes to have a lawless area."
The criminal elements want uncertainty; they want disruption, because this allows them to operate. The government needs to get into these areas and establish control, Earhart said. "Where you don't have a lot of tax collection, you don't have a lot of police activity," he said.
The bottom line is that there are pockets of these criminals in the province, but nothing widespread, he added.
Kosovo police are getting better, and they are extending the government's control. NATO forces are working with them to improve their capabilities, the general said.
He also noted a lot of rebuilding is going on in the province. "In one sense, economically, there is something going on. Someone is doing better," he said. "I think there is a more entrepreneurial spirit today than there was two or three years ago.
"There is still money coming in from the diaspora -- Kosovars who moved to Switzerland, Italy and Germany -- and that fuels a lot of the economy here," he continued, adding that such income cannot fuel an economy for long.
Unemployment in the province still is very high; officials estimate that it is around 70 percent. "We have a very large population of people between 18 and 30 years old, and those folks are not working, and that is troublesome," Earhart said.
Building employment opportunities is important to the security situation. "With people sitting around, it's more likely that folks get involved in activities that are not productive," he said.
Earhart said members of the Kosovo Force want a quick resolution to the diplomatic process so economic development offered by the international community can flow into the province.
"I think that's something that most people on the ground here wish for," he said. "They hope for a situation stable enough so that international investors will come in here and really start to get things going here."
Earhart said the task force works with soldiers from five other countries: Greece, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and Romania. "This relationship has been gong since 2003, and it gets better every year," he said.
He said he is working to transfer responsibility to the men and women of the 39th Infantry Division. "When the KFOR 9 soldiers arrive, we walk through every task that's required of soldiers on the ground here," he said. "We do that in three weeks, then we give our successors an opportunity to lead that same activity. At the end of that period, we feel confident that replacements are set."
Officials intend for Kosovars to see no difference in competence in the soldiers. "That's important, because we've done a lot of good work in building up the trust and confidence in KFOR, and so we obviously want to maintain that," he said.
The general also discussed how experiences that National Guardsmen have in their civilian lives help them in Kosovo. "I see it every day," he said. "The only way you can really successfully engage the civilian population is by getting out and walking among the people and talking with them. If you've been a teacher, if you've been a police officer, if you've been a nurse, if you've had any kind of civilian job where you have to deal with people, then you generally know how to communicate. Just from that basic standpoint, you can tell there's a difference there.
"The other part is, we have soldiers that have specialty skills; we have a lot of police officers and teachers on the task force. They can sense when things are not quite normal," he continued. "We have plumbers who have worked on schools' bathrooms; we've had water hydrologists look at well systems; we've had firefighters go to fire stations to help the Kosovars improve their training and update their equipment. We've had people here who have a direct influence on the community due to their civilian experiences."
When his unit first got to Kosovo, the general said, he immediately was struck by the reception the Kosovars gave his unit. "I was instantly struck by the friendliness with which I was greeted," he said. "From that moment to today, I considered myself to be a member of the Kosovo family, and I've been treated with respect and friendship from all segments of the society: Kosovars and Serbs."
Specifically, Earhart said, he remembers a visit he made to a local school, which teaches more than 5,000 children in three shifts. He was met by 300 children singing an American song. "I thanked them for their song and told them that they are the hope for the future of Kosovo," he said. "At the end of that, two 5th grade girls gave me a beautiful picture. It has an American flag in the foreground and a picture of the globe. Around the globe are children holding hands and above that is the NATO cross.
"I was so struck by that. It's a beautiful piece of art, and the message is tremendous."
Defense Logistics Agency Supports Wildfire Relief Effort
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 29, 2007 - In the midst of fires raging in California, the Defense Logistics Agency, the Defense Department's largest combat support agency, has come to the aid of the thousands of evacuees and Marines and sailors supporting wildfire relief efforts by supplying the Federal Emergency Management Agency with meals and other supplies necessary to sustain the evacuees and fight fires.
DLA's Joint Logistics Operations Center is the DLA office responsible for coordinating and monitoring the agency's support to federal and other Defense Department and government agencies. In response to a FEMA tasking, the JLOC and Defense Distribution Center coordinated the shipment of packaged meals from Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin, Calif., to March Air Reserve Base, just north of San Diego near Riverside, Calif.
Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin worked with the California Highway Patrol to coordinate escort assistance to ensure the trucks transporting the meals could quickly and safely get to displaced residents affected by the fires.
"I want to congratulate the warehousing team at (the depot) for their mobility and flexibility to meet the challenge of resources," said the depot's Shipping Division chief, Bob Mahan. "I stand in awe of the folks in shipment planning, truck control and customer service who never thought of getting up from their desks to leave at 3:30 p.m., but hunkered down and got the food rolling to those in need."
Two hundred fourteen active-duty personnel, 72 Defense Department civilians and 2,492 National Guardsmen are engaged in either ground or airborne firefighting or security and relief operations, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
FEMA requested 42,624 packaged meals on Oct. 23, and the Marine Corps requested seven truckloads of the meals be delivered to Camp Pendleton, Calif. -- totaling 120,000 meals -- and an additional 600 meals went to the Naval Special Warfare Group at San Diego.
DLA also augmented FEMA's National Response Coordination Center with an onsite liaison officer to facilitate DLA support In addition to supporting FEMA, the Joint Logistics Operations Center also coordinated DLA's military support.
Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin also shipped 200 fire retardant gloves and 200 fire retardant coveralls to Camp Pendleton. Defense Supply Center Philadelphia coordinated the delivery of 200 additional fire retardant coveralls directly from vendors.
"The (packaged meals) will augment local-level efforts to provide subsistence to evacuees," said Marine Lt. Col. Todd Lloyd, the JLOC's operations information management chief. "The fire retardant material will enable the United States Marine Corps to execute its mission in assisting the firefighting efforts.
"DLA stands ready to respond to any request for assistance that is received from FEMA, U.S. Northern Command or the military services" he said. "The JLOC is operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until further notice in order to receive, process and support requests for assistance."
DLA provides supply support, and technical and logistics services to the U.S. military services and several federal civilian agencies. With headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va., the agency is the source for nearly every consumable item, whether for combat readiness, emergency preparedness or day-to-day operations inside the Department of Defense.
(From a Defense Logistics Agency news release.)
Oct. 29, 2007 - In the midst of fires raging in California, the Defense Logistics Agency, the Defense Department's largest combat support agency, has come to the aid of the thousands of evacuees and Marines and sailors supporting wildfire relief efforts by supplying the Federal Emergency Management Agency with meals and other supplies necessary to sustain the evacuees and fight fires.
DLA's Joint Logistics Operations Center is the DLA office responsible for coordinating and monitoring the agency's support to federal and other Defense Department and government agencies. In response to a FEMA tasking, the JLOC and Defense Distribution Center coordinated the shipment of packaged meals from Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin, Calif., to March Air Reserve Base, just north of San Diego near Riverside, Calif.
Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin worked with the California Highway Patrol to coordinate escort assistance to ensure the trucks transporting the meals could quickly and safely get to displaced residents affected by the fires.
"I want to congratulate the warehousing team at (the depot) for their mobility and flexibility to meet the challenge of resources," said the depot's Shipping Division chief, Bob Mahan. "I stand in awe of the folks in shipment planning, truck control and customer service who never thought of getting up from their desks to leave at 3:30 p.m., but hunkered down and got the food rolling to those in need."
Two hundred fourteen active-duty personnel, 72 Defense Department civilians and 2,492 National Guardsmen are engaged in either ground or airborne firefighting or security and relief operations, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
FEMA requested 42,624 packaged meals on Oct. 23, and the Marine Corps requested seven truckloads of the meals be delivered to Camp Pendleton, Calif. -- totaling 120,000 meals -- and an additional 600 meals went to the Naval Special Warfare Group at San Diego.
DLA also augmented FEMA's National Response Coordination Center with an onsite liaison officer to facilitate DLA support In addition to supporting FEMA, the Joint Logistics Operations Center also coordinated DLA's military support.
Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin also shipped 200 fire retardant gloves and 200 fire retardant coveralls to Camp Pendleton. Defense Supply Center Philadelphia coordinated the delivery of 200 additional fire retardant coveralls directly from vendors.
"The (packaged meals) will augment local-level efforts to provide subsistence to evacuees," said Marine Lt. Col. Todd Lloyd, the JLOC's operations information management chief. "The fire retardant material will enable the United States Marine Corps to execute its mission in assisting the firefighting efforts.
"DLA stands ready to respond to any request for assistance that is received from FEMA, U.S. Northern Command or the military services" he said. "The JLOC is operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until further notice in order to receive, process and support requests for assistance."
DLA provides supply support, and technical and logistics services to the U.S. military services and several federal civilian agencies. With headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va., the agency is the source for nearly every consumable item, whether for combat readiness, emergency preparedness or day-to-day operations inside the Department of Defense.
(From a Defense Logistics Agency news release.)
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Army, Marines Release Counterinsurgency Manual
"Learn" and "adapt" are the key messages of the new Army and Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual, which just hit the streets. The Counterinsurgency Field Manual, FM 3-24 and Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 3-33.5, is a unique joint effort between the Army and Marines to put in place doctrine to help operators as they face the challenges of asymmetric warfare.
The manual codifies an important lesson of insurgencies: it takes more than the military to win. "There are more than just lethal operations involved in a counterinsurgency campaign," said Conrad Crane, director of the U.S. Army Military History Institute, in Carlisle, Pa., and one of the leaders of the effort.
Download the Manual
http://www.military-writers.com/counterinsurgency_manual.html
The manual codifies an important lesson of insurgencies: it takes more than the military to win. "There are more than just lethal operations involved in a counterinsurgency campaign," said Conrad Crane, director of the U.S. Army Military History Institute, in Carlisle, Pa., and one of the leaders of the effort.
Download the Manual
http://www.military-writers.com/counterinsurgency_manual.html
C-130 Firefighters Face Special Challenges
By 1st Lt. Jody Ritchie, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 28, 2007 - Military crews in the planes dropping fire retardant on wildfires in southern California face hazards and challenges unique to their humanitarian mission. First is the low altitude at which they fly, and the sudden, violent updrafts and downdrafts caused by the heat of the fire. Another factor is sudden changes in aircraft behavior when more than 20,000 pounds of fire retardant slurry are released from the plane. Then there's the smoke that reduces visibility as the crew maneuvers in airspace shared by other aircraft. The crews have a fully engaging experience every time they fly.
With those challenges in mind, crews train to ensure they can handle the hazards of flying the C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped with the U.S. Forest Service's Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems, or MAFFS.
"Not everybody can do this. You have to prove you can handle it," said Maj. Wiley D. Walno II, a pilot with the Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing based in Cheyenne, Wyo.
When the first fire started in southern California this month, the news had the attention of reserve component airmen across the country. It wasn't long before members of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard joined forces to assist the firefighters battling the blazes on the ground. The Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing in Colorado, the Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing in Wyoming and the 145th Airlift Wing in North Carolina responded quickly.
"I enjoy this job. If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing it," said Walno, who has been flying MAFFS missions for 13 years.
"We've got people that wait for years to get an opportunity to get certified for this mission," said Lt. Col. Dave Condit, the Air Force Reserve Command MAFFS program coordinator and a 302nd Airlift Wing pilot based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. "We only take the most experienced aircrew members, and we go through a lot of training and preparation for this."
The training ensures Defense Department assets are ready to use the equipment when called upon by civil authorities.
The complexity of the air traffic associated with nearby Los Angeles International Airport makes the current activation a little different from others, Walno said.
"It's real busy up there with all the LAX traffic," he noted, "but our traffic alert and collision avoidance system keeps us away from other aircraft."
That system communicates with traffic alert and collision avoidance systems on other aircraft, and it's required on jets carrying more than 30 passengers. Pilots flying aircraft that get too close to one another are warned by the system to steer the aircraft away from each other.
As the aircraft get close to their retardant drop location, they must change their communication channels so they can talk to the incident commander assigned to the fire, who coordinates all the ground and air assets to provide the most effective fire fighting possible.
"Logistically, there are a lot of pieces that fit together," Walno said. "It's amazing."
(From a U.S. Northern Command news release.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 28, 2007 - Military crews in the planes dropping fire retardant on wildfires in southern California face hazards and challenges unique to their humanitarian mission. First is the low altitude at which they fly, and the sudden, violent updrafts and downdrafts caused by the heat of the fire. Another factor is sudden changes in aircraft behavior when more than 20,000 pounds of fire retardant slurry are released from the plane. Then there's the smoke that reduces visibility as the crew maneuvers in airspace shared by other aircraft. The crews have a fully engaging experience every time they fly.
With those challenges in mind, crews train to ensure they can handle the hazards of flying the C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped with the U.S. Forest Service's Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems, or MAFFS.
"Not everybody can do this. You have to prove you can handle it," said Maj. Wiley D. Walno II, a pilot with the Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing based in Cheyenne, Wyo.
When the first fire started in southern California this month, the news had the attention of reserve component airmen across the country. It wasn't long before members of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard joined forces to assist the firefighters battling the blazes on the ground. The Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing in Colorado, the Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing in Wyoming and the 145th Airlift Wing in North Carolina responded quickly.
"I enjoy this job. If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing it," said Walno, who has been flying MAFFS missions for 13 years.
"We've got people that wait for years to get an opportunity to get certified for this mission," said Lt. Col. Dave Condit, the Air Force Reserve Command MAFFS program coordinator and a 302nd Airlift Wing pilot based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. "We only take the most experienced aircrew members, and we go through a lot of training and preparation for this."
The training ensures Defense Department assets are ready to use the equipment when called upon by civil authorities.
The complexity of the air traffic associated with nearby Los Angeles International Airport makes the current activation a little different from others, Walno said.
"It's real busy up there with all the LAX traffic," he noted, "but our traffic alert and collision avoidance system keeps us away from other aircraft."
That system communicates with traffic alert and collision avoidance systems on other aircraft, and it's required on jets carrying more than 30 passengers. Pilots flying aircraft that get too close to one another are warned by the system to steer the aircraft away from each other.
As the aircraft get close to their retardant drop location, they must change their communication channels so they can talk to the incident commander assigned to the fire, who coordinates all the ground and air assets to provide the most effective fire fighting possible.
"Logistically, there are a lot of pieces that fit together," Walno said. "It's amazing."
(From a U.S. Northern Command news release.)
Saturday, October 27, 2007
San Francisco Police Officers
Editor's Note: One of the authors ia a former servicemember.
October 26, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists nearly 800 state and local police officers who have written books. The Website added three San Francisco Police Department police officers.
Sergeant Peter Thoshinsky graduated from San Jose State University in 1982 with a degree in Criminal Justice. In June of 1982, he joined the San Francisco Police Department. He was promoted to sergeant in 1990. He worked the Poterero, Central, Southern and Ingleside Stations as well as the Narcotics Bureau. A 20 year veteran of law enforcement he also served as a member and supervisor on the San Francisco Police Department’s SWAT team. A photograph for almost 30 years, he is the author of Blue in Black & White, a collection of photographs relating to law enforcement.
Inspector Mark Hawthorne is a 28 year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department. He has been assigned patrol, field operations and investigations. His current assignment is Crime Scene Investigations. As a POST instructor he specializes in Instructor Development, Preliminary Investigations and Crime Scenes. As a an adjunct faculty member of the City College of San Francisco Administration of Justice and Fire Science Department he acts as an advisor to the Forensic Science Club. Inspector Mark Hawthorne is the author of First Unit Responder: A Guide for Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers and Fingerprints: Analysis and Understanding.
According to the book description of First Unit Responder: A Guide for Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers, “Physical evidence cannot be wrong; it cannot perjure itself; it cannot be wholly absent. Only its interpretation can err. Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value." -Presiding Judge, Harris v U.S., 331 U.S. 145 (1947) HOW TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE CRIME SCENE WHILE CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION. First Unit Responder: A Guide to Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers is a training guide and reference for patrol officers and criminal investigators, who conduct preliminary investigations of crime scene, to aid in identification, collection, and booking of physical evidence. Written by a veteran of 24 years of law enforcement, the book stresses the importance of understanding the critical nature of physical evidence and preservation of the crime scene as part of the case against a criminal defendant. This book is an important tool for police academies that train recruits and veteran patrol officers, as well as for students of criminal justice who seek guidelines for proper collection and handling of physical evidence”
According to Corporal Andreas K. Mendel, NCO in Charge, Forensic Identification Section, West Vancouver Police, in Canadian Society of Forensic Science Journal, “Mark Hawthorne's easy writing style and use of personal anecdotes make this book a relaxed read. First Unit Responder is a good resource for recruit training or criminal justice/criminology students, or as review material for seasoned investigators.”
Prentice E. Sanders was the Chief of Police of the San Francisco Police Department for fourteen months in 2002 and 2003. He was born in Texas and moved to San Francisco's Laurel Heights at the age of fourteen. After serving in the Army, he then received Bachelor's and Masters Degrees from Golden Gate University. Prentice Earl Sanders joined the San Francisco Police Department in 1964, becoming the San Francisco Police Department's first African American chief of police. In 2006, Prentice Earl Sanders and co- authored The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights.
According to Publisher’s Weekly, The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights is a “look at a largely forgotten reign of terror in San Francisco in 1973 and 1974 is an interesting if superficial true police procedural. Sanders, the SFPD's first African-American chief of police, was one of the lead detectives on the case code-named the Zebra Murders, involving a group of African-American men who, apparently racially motivated, were targeting whites in vicious random acts of violence that claimed 15 lives. The book reads less like an objective assessment of these events than a memoir of Sanders's experiences with the investigation and his role in a civil lawsuit against the SFPD to combat rampant racial discrimination. Oddly, about halfway in, the authors break the linear narrative with information derived only at the case's end, rather than lay out the police work and discoveries as they happened. The efforts to compare the police tactics with post-9/11 targeting of Muslims will strike most readers as labored despite Sanders's insistence that the killings were acts of political terror, not mere serial killings. Nonetheless, this serves as a useful introduction to the case.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 786 police officers (representing 352 police departments) and their 1674 law enforcement 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.
October 26, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists nearly 800 state and local police officers who have written books. The Website added three San Francisco Police Department police officers.
Sergeant Peter Thoshinsky graduated from San Jose State University in 1982 with a degree in Criminal Justice. In June of 1982, he joined the San Francisco Police Department. He was promoted to sergeant in 1990. He worked the Poterero, Central, Southern and Ingleside Stations as well as the Narcotics Bureau. A 20 year veteran of law enforcement he also served as a member and supervisor on the San Francisco Police Department’s SWAT team. A photograph for almost 30 years, he is the author of Blue in Black & White, a collection of photographs relating to law enforcement.
Inspector Mark Hawthorne is a 28 year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department. He has been assigned patrol, field operations and investigations. His current assignment is Crime Scene Investigations. As a POST instructor he specializes in Instructor Development, Preliminary Investigations and Crime Scenes. As a an adjunct faculty member of the City College of San Francisco Administration of Justice and Fire Science Department he acts as an advisor to the Forensic Science Club. Inspector Mark Hawthorne is the author of First Unit Responder: A Guide for Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers and Fingerprints: Analysis and Understanding.
According to the book description of First Unit Responder: A Guide for Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers, “Physical evidence cannot be wrong; it cannot perjure itself; it cannot be wholly absent. Only its interpretation can err. Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value." -Presiding Judge, Harris v U.S., 331 U.S. 145 (1947) HOW TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE CRIME SCENE WHILE CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION. First Unit Responder: A Guide to Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers is a training guide and reference for patrol officers and criminal investigators, who conduct preliminary investigations of crime scene, to aid in identification, collection, and booking of physical evidence. Written by a veteran of 24 years of law enforcement, the book stresses the importance of understanding the critical nature of physical evidence and preservation of the crime scene as part of the case against a criminal defendant. This book is an important tool for police academies that train recruits and veteran patrol officers, as well as for students of criminal justice who seek guidelines for proper collection and handling of physical evidence”
According to Corporal Andreas K. Mendel, NCO in Charge, Forensic Identification Section, West Vancouver Police, in Canadian Society of Forensic Science Journal, “Mark Hawthorne's easy writing style and use of personal anecdotes make this book a relaxed read. First Unit Responder is a good resource for recruit training or criminal justice/criminology students, or as review material for seasoned investigators.”
Prentice E. Sanders was the Chief of Police of the San Francisco Police Department for fourteen months in 2002 and 2003. He was born in Texas and moved to San Francisco's Laurel Heights at the age of fourteen. After serving in the Army, he then received Bachelor's and Masters Degrees from Golden Gate University. Prentice Earl Sanders joined the San Francisco Police Department in 1964, becoming the San Francisco Police Department's first African American chief of police. In 2006, Prentice Earl Sanders and co- authored The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights.
According to Publisher’s Weekly, The Zebra Murders: A Season of Killing, Racial Madness, and Civil Rights is a “look at a largely forgotten reign of terror in San Francisco in 1973 and 1974 is an interesting if superficial true police procedural. Sanders, the SFPD's first African-American chief of police, was one of the lead detectives on the case code-named the Zebra Murders, involving a group of African-American men who, apparently racially motivated, were targeting whites in vicious random acts of violence that claimed 15 lives. The book reads less like an objective assessment of these events than a memoir of Sanders's experiences with the investigation and his role in a civil lawsuit against the SFPD to combat rampant racial discrimination. Oddly, about halfway in, the authors break the linear narrative with information derived only at the case's end, rather than lay out the police work and discoveries as they happened. The efforts to compare the police tactics with post-9/11 targeting of Muslims will strike most readers as labored despite Sanders's insistence that the killings were acts of political terror, not mere serial killings. Nonetheless, this serves as a useful introduction to the case.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 786 police officers (representing 352 police departments) and their 1674 law enforcement 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.
Mullen Pledges Best Effort 'To Prevent Forces From Breaking'
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - U.S. ground forces are not broken, but they are capable of breaking, the military's highest-ranking officer said last night, while vowing to make relieving strains on troops a top priority. In his first public speech as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen said he aims to "reset, reconstitute, and revitalize our forces," by overseeing a reduction of deployment length, an increase in the overall force size and improvements to incentives the military offers potential recruits.
"Are the ground forces broken? Absolutely not," Mullen told the audience at the Center for a New American Security here. "Are they breakable? They are. And I will do everything I can to prevent them from breaking."
Now approaching the sixth year of war, the Army and Marine Corps have been stretched, Mullen said. The Army is on a 15 month-deployment, 12 months-home rotation cycle, and the Marines are on a seven month-deployment, seven months-home cycle.
"Many of them have done two, three, and four deployments," he added, "and that's tough."
The chairman praised Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates for his decision in January to limit deployments to 15 months in theater with 12 months home. He added that Gen. George W. Casey Jr., Army chief of staff, said he needs to move soldiers toward 12 month deployments and 15 months of "dwell time" as rapidly as possible.
Operational requirements are driving the need for such lengthy deployments, Mullen said. "We are still very much in the mission-accomplishment mode," he said. "We have a mission to accomplish, and we have to take all of this into consideration in balancing the risks that are associated with the mission as well as with the force."
Mullen spent two days this week meeting with soldiers at Fort Riley, Kan.; Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; and Fort Sill, Okla. "A common theme during my visits was that the Army was stretched," he said. "Our troops' desires to take care of their families was also prominent in the questions they raised routinely."
During recent trips to Iraq and Afghanistan, Mullen said, he was struck by the high morale of soldiers on the ground. "(Morale) is good, but they are tired, and in particular, one of the groups I spoke with had been there 14 months," he recalled. "They were ready to come home, and their families were ready to have them come home."
Mullen said that while troops and their families make sacrifices to support the pace of operations, their resilience has limits.
To alleviate troop strains, Mullen said, the Army will increase in size by more than 60,000 soldiers, and the Marine Corps by nearly 30,000 Marines. Such additions will allow the U.S. military to "preserve our ability to respond to other crises and contingencies around the world well into the future," he added.
"I know the increase in end strength won't relieve the pressure on our ground forces right away, but over time, it will certainly help," he said. "And in this era of persistent engagement and conflict, I don't see our global responsibilities diminishing any time soon."
During a recent meeting with some 30 Army majors at Fort Leavenworth, one officer asked Mullen how the U.S. military would compete against employers in the private sector or elsewhere.
"I gave an answer about how important it was, one, for the leadership to recognize we are in a competition," he said. "And we do need to incentivize this."
Mullen acknowledged that the current landscape for recruiting is harsh. Nevertheless, he said, the all-volunteer force is exceptionally capable.
"I know we are recruiting at a time that is a very, very tough time to recruit. The propensity to serve is going down," he said. "The influencers -- parents and coaches and teachers -- are not as inclined to recommend the military, and yet, when I go out and see them, they are the best military, the most professional, capable group of young people that I have ever served with in almost 40 years.
"What we have over anybody else is a noble calling where you, when you join, make a difference not just for yourself, but for those around you and for people throughout the world," he added.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - U.S. ground forces are not broken, but they are capable of breaking, the military's highest-ranking officer said last night, while vowing to make relieving strains on troops a top priority. In his first public speech as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen said he aims to "reset, reconstitute, and revitalize our forces," by overseeing a reduction of deployment length, an increase in the overall force size and improvements to incentives the military offers potential recruits.
"Are the ground forces broken? Absolutely not," Mullen told the audience at the Center for a New American Security here. "Are they breakable? They are. And I will do everything I can to prevent them from breaking."
Now approaching the sixth year of war, the Army and Marine Corps have been stretched, Mullen said. The Army is on a 15 month-deployment, 12 months-home rotation cycle, and the Marines are on a seven month-deployment, seven months-home cycle.
"Many of them have done two, three, and four deployments," he added, "and that's tough."
The chairman praised Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates for his decision in January to limit deployments to 15 months in theater with 12 months home. He added that Gen. George W. Casey Jr., Army chief of staff, said he needs to move soldiers toward 12 month deployments and 15 months of "dwell time" as rapidly as possible.
Operational requirements are driving the need for such lengthy deployments, Mullen said. "We are still very much in the mission-accomplishment mode," he said. "We have a mission to accomplish, and we have to take all of this into consideration in balancing the risks that are associated with the mission as well as with the force."
Mullen spent two days this week meeting with soldiers at Fort Riley, Kan.; Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; and Fort Sill, Okla. "A common theme during my visits was that the Army was stretched," he said. "Our troops' desires to take care of their families was also prominent in the questions they raised routinely."
During recent trips to Iraq and Afghanistan, Mullen said, he was struck by the high morale of soldiers on the ground. "(Morale) is good, but they are tired, and in particular, one of the groups I spoke with had been there 14 months," he recalled. "They were ready to come home, and their families were ready to have them come home."
Mullen said that while troops and their families make sacrifices to support the pace of operations, their resilience has limits.
To alleviate troop strains, Mullen said, the Army will increase in size by more than 60,000 soldiers, and the Marine Corps by nearly 30,000 Marines. Such additions will allow the U.S. military to "preserve our ability to respond to other crises and contingencies around the world well into the future," he added.
"I know the increase in end strength won't relieve the pressure on our ground forces right away, but over time, it will certainly help," he said. "And in this era of persistent engagement and conflict, I don't see our global responsibilities diminishing any time soon."
During a recent meeting with some 30 Army majors at Fort Leavenworth, one officer asked Mullen how the U.S. military would compete against employers in the private sector or elsewhere.
"I gave an answer about how important it was, one, for the leadership to recognize we are in a competition," he said. "And we do need to incentivize this."
Mullen acknowledged that the current landscape for recruiting is harsh. Nevertheless, he said, the all-volunteer force is exceptionally capable.
"I know we are recruiting at a time that is a very, very tough time to recruit. The propensity to serve is going down," he said. "The influencers -- parents and coaches and teachers -- are not as inclined to recommend the military, and yet, when I go out and see them, they are the best military, the most professional, capable group of young people that I have ever served with in almost 40 years.
"What we have over anybody else is a noble calling where you, when you join, make a difference not just for yourself, but for those around you and for people throughout the world," he added.
Defense Personnel Continue Assault on California Blazes
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard C-130s fitted with modular air firefighting systems hit the California wildfires hard yesterday, flying 18 sorties, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today. The six aircraft took advantage of dying Santa Ana winds to drop fire retardant and allow California firefighters to make progress against the widespread blazes that destroyed or damaged thousands of homes and forced hundreds of thousands of Californians to evacuate their homes.
The aviation assault on the fires was only one part of the total Defense Department effort in aid of California firefighters.
There are now 13 active fires in southern California, U.S. Northern Command officials said. NORTHCOM is the Defense Department's lead agency in the effort.
More than 461,000 acres have burned so far. At the Marines' Camp Pendleton, more than 17,000 acres have burned, but officials say the fire is now 40 to 50 percent contained, Whitman said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has asked the Defense Logistics Agency to deliver more than 42,000 field-ration meals from the depot in San Joaquin, Calif.
"On the personnel side, we have 287 active duty, 84 Defense civilians and 2,562 National Guardsmen fighting the fires," Whitman said. This leaves 17,000 California Guardsmen still available for duty if needed.
"We still have a Marine force of approximately 520 (Marines) and 18 helicopters available if needed," Whitman said. A total of 35 helicopters and 14 fixed-wing aircraft are committed to the firefighting operations.
The Air Force is providing imagery for firefighters. Yesterday, a U-2 reconnaissance plane and a Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle flew over the affected portions of the state and sent imagery to the ground.
"The aircraft have live-feed capability, and (the imagery) is being centralized for dissemination," Whitman said. Officials at NORTHCOM, the National Guard Bureau, the Joint Field Office, the state Emergency Operations Center and the Joint Task Force in California can directly download the information.
The imagery gives state authorities "situational awareness so they can prioritize where they send their firefighting assets," Whitman said.
The U-2 and Global Hawk will fly more missions today and will be joined by a Navy P-3C Orion. Eighteen Defense Department fire engines and 84 personnel are involved in battling the blazes, NORTHCOM officials said.
San Diego officials announced that most evacuees may go home today and that Qualcomm Stadium will close as an evacuation center. The stadium has been home to more than 12,000 fire refugees for the past few days. More than 2,600 Defense Department evacuees are taking shelter at five Navy bases: San Diego, Coronado, Point Lomo, North Island and El Centro.
Some military assets that California had requested, including a mobile aeromedical staging activity, are not needed, and can stand down, officials said. But other military groups continue to flow into California. This includes the Joint Task Force Civil Support Joint Planning Augmentation Cell, which will deploy to the headquarters in Sacramento.
The California National Guard is preparing to provide relief for law enforcement, linguistics support, shelter administration, and redistribution of commodities and personnel, officials said.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard C-130s fitted with modular air firefighting systems hit the California wildfires hard yesterday, flying 18 sorties, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today. The six aircraft took advantage of dying Santa Ana winds to drop fire retardant and allow California firefighters to make progress against the widespread blazes that destroyed or damaged thousands of homes and forced hundreds of thousands of Californians to evacuate their homes.
The aviation assault on the fires was only one part of the total Defense Department effort in aid of California firefighters.
There are now 13 active fires in southern California, U.S. Northern Command officials said. NORTHCOM is the Defense Department's lead agency in the effort.
More than 461,000 acres have burned so far. At the Marines' Camp Pendleton, more than 17,000 acres have burned, but officials say the fire is now 40 to 50 percent contained, Whitman said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has asked the Defense Logistics Agency to deliver more than 42,000 field-ration meals from the depot in San Joaquin, Calif.
"On the personnel side, we have 287 active duty, 84 Defense civilians and 2,562 National Guardsmen fighting the fires," Whitman said. This leaves 17,000 California Guardsmen still available for duty if needed.
"We still have a Marine force of approximately 520 (Marines) and 18 helicopters available if needed," Whitman said. A total of 35 helicopters and 14 fixed-wing aircraft are committed to the firefighting operations.
The Air Force is providing imagery for firefighters. Yesterday, a U-2 reconnaissance plane and a Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle flew over the affected portions of the state and sent imagery to the ground.
"The aircraft have live-feed capability, and (the imagery) is being centralized for dissemination," Whitman said. Officials at NORTHCOM, the National Guard Bureau, the Joint Field Office, the state Emergency Operations Center and the Joint Task Force in California can directly download the information.
The imagery gives state authorities "situational awareness so they can prioritize where they send their firefighting assets," Whitman said.
The U-2 and Global Hawk will fly more missions today and will be joined by a Navy P-3C Orion. Eighteen Defense Department fire engines and 84 personnel are involved in battling the blazes, NORTHCOM officials said.
San Diego officials announced that most evacuees may go home today and that Qualcomm Stadium will close as an evacuation center. The stadium has been home to more than 12,000 fire refugees for the past few days. More than 2,600 Defense Department evacuees are taking shelter at five Navy bases: San Diego, Coronado, Point Lomo, North Island and El Centro.
Some military assets that California had requested, including a mobile aeromedical staging activity, are not needed, and can stand down, officials said. But other military groups continue to flow into California. This includes the Joint Task Force Civil Support Joint Planning Augmentation Cell, which will deploy to the headquarters in Sacramento.
The California National Guard is preparing to provide relief for law enforcement, linguistics support, shelter administration, and redistribution of commodities and personnel, officials said.
Chairman Identifies 'Tough Questions' Facing U.S.
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - In his first public speech as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen last night identified pressing questions the United States faces as it attempts to counter emerging threats while maintaining a position of leadership. Speaking to an audience at the Center for a New American Security here, Mullen said the United States today is confronted by threats from transnational terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The country also must preserve the "freedom of action" to contend with regional instability, deter aggressive action by potentially hostile state actors, help manage the growing competition for natural resources, and mitigate the effects of natural disasters and pandemics, he said.
The nation will need to maintain a posture that takes advantage of all the opportunities for international cooperation and progress the globalized world has to offer, he added.
"So tonight, I invite you to consider some tough questions and help your military help me rigorously analyze the major strategic challenges we face as we develop a dynamic military strategy of cooperation for the 21st century," Mullen said. The questions the chairman posed are:
-- How can a violent extremist movement that increasingly targets the integrated nature of the largely globalized world be effectively eliminated in both the short and the long term?
-- How can the development of weapons of mass destruction by or the transfer of associated technologies to aggressive regimes and radical extremists like al Qaeda be prevented?
-- How can regional instability stemming from accelerating global integration, intense nationalist and religious movements, and the spread of technology throughout the world be mitigated and localized?
-- How can the United States military remain sufficiently capable to deter aggressive actions by nations like Iran, North Korea, and others who seek to expand their military capability?
-- How can countries like China and Russia be effectively engaged to ensure that their growing regional influence translates to cooperative participation in the global economic system?
-- How will global industrialization, world population expansion, and migration affect the consumption rates, the distribution, and the long term availability of vital resources such as water and energy?
-- How will competition for those resources affect global stability, and what role will the military play in managing these risks?
-- How can the local, regional, and potentially global effects of another tsunami like the one that hit in the Indian Ocean Basin almost three years ago or another earthquake like the one that devastated parts of Pakistan in 2005 or another Hurricane Katrina or even the California wildfires that dominate the news today be mitigated?
-- What impact will a massive natural disaster or a global pandemic have throughout the world, and how can militaries work together to alleviate the shock to the global system?
-- How can we do all that is required of us and still remain good stewards of our nation's resources?
Mullen described such queries as "tough questions with no easy answers." He encouraged Americans to consider the questions and use them to stimulate debate.
"I am eager to engage your diverse intellectual resources and thoughtful debate," he said, "and welcome your contributions in identifying potential answers to these and other critical questions."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - In his first public speech as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen last night identified pressing questions the United States faces as it attempts to counter emerging threats while maintaining a position of leadership. Speaking to an audience at the Center for a New American Security here, Mullen said the United States today is confronted by threats from transnational terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The country also must preserve the "freedom of action" to contend with regional instability, deter aggressive action by potentially hostile state actors, help manage the growing competition for natural resources, and mitigate the effects of natural disasters and pandemics, he said.
The nation will need to maintain a posture that takes advantage of all the opportunities for international cooperation and progress the globalized world has to offer, he added.
"So tonight, I invite you to consider some tough questions and help your military help me rigorously analyze the major strategic challenges we face as we develop a dynamic military strategy of cooperation for the 21st century," Mullen said. The questions the chairman posed are:
-- How can a violent extremist movement that increasingly targets the integrated nature of the largely globalized world be effectively eliminated in both the short and the long term?
-- How can the development of weapons of mass destruction by or the transfer of associated technologies to aggressive regimes and radical extremists like al Qaeda be prevented?
-- How can regional instability stemming from accelerating global integration, intense nationalist and religious movements, and the spread of technology throughout the world be mitigated and localized?
-- How can the United States military remain sufficiently capable to deter aggressive actions by nations like Iran, North Korea, and others who seek to expand their military capability?
-- How can countries like China and Russia be effectively engaged to ensure that their growing regional influence translates to cooperative participation in the global economic system?
-- How will global industrialization, world population expansion, and migration affect the consumption rates, the distribution, and the long term availability of vital resources such as water and energy?
-- How will competition for those resources affect global stability, and what role will the military play in managing these risks?
-- How can the local, regional, and potentially global effects of another tsunami like the one that hit in the Indian Ocean Basin almost three years ago or another earthquake like the one that devastated parts of Pakistan in 2005 or another Hurricane Katrina or even the California wildfires that dominate the news today be mitigated?
-- What impact will a massive natural disaster or a global pandemic have throughout the world, and how can militaries work together to alleviate the shock to the global system?
-- How can we do all that is required of us and still remain good stewards of our nation's resources?
Mullen described such queries as "tough questions with no easy answers." He encouraged Americans to consider the questions and use them to stimulate debate.
"I am eager to engage your diverse intellectual resources and thoughtful debate," he said, "and welcome your contributions in identifying potential answers to these and other critical questions."
COMANCHE - 1ST ARMY / 7TH CAVALRY
Comanche was tough, fearless, handsome and hardcore - as well as the most famous survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. In truth ... Comanche was not the only horse that survived ... Accounts from warriors at the Little Bighorn say some 7th Cavalry horses also survived and were taken by tribal warriors after the battle. Comanche, was badly wounded and had been left at the battlefield, giving rise to the "Lone Survivor" myth.
The most celebrated survivor of the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn was a small bay horse with a very big military service record. Comanche, 925 Lbs. And a 15 hands tall gelding of Mustang and Morgan breeding, ran with a wild horse band that was rounded up and sold to the U.S. Cavalry in Saint Louis in April 1868.
READ ON
The most celebrated survivor of the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn was a small bay horse with a very big military service record. Comanche, 925 Lbs. And a 15 hands tall gelding of Mustang and Morgan breeding, ran with a wild horse band that was rounded up and sold to the U.S. Cavalry in Saint Louis in April 1868.
READ ON
Friday, October 26, 2007
Police History and Military Fiction
Editor's Note: One of the authors is a former servicemember.
October 26, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists nearly 800 state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three authors who have written police history, military fiction and on crime prevention.
Kevin J. Mullen served for more than twenty-six years with the San Francisco Police Department and retired at the rank of deputy chief. He has written extensively in magazines and newspapers on criminal justice issues. He is the author of Let Justice Be Done: Crime and Politics in Early San Francisco, Dangerous Strangers: Minority Newcomers and Criminal Violence in the Urban West, 1850-2000 and The Toughest Gang in Town: Police Stories From Old San Francisco.
According to the book description of Dangerous Strangers: Minority Newcomers and Criminal Violence in the Urban West, 1850-2000, “Have newcomers to American cities been responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime? Dangerous Strangers takes up this question by examining the incidence of criminal violence among several waves of immigrant/ethnic groups in San Francisco over 150 years. By looking at a variety of groups--Irish, German, Italian, and Chinese immigrants, primarily--and their different experiences at varying times in the city's history, this study addresses the issue of how much violence can be attributed to new groups' treatment by the host society and how much can be traced to traits found in their community of origin.”
Chief Steven J. Newton is a 25-year law enforcement veteran and a former Marine/Navy veteran. He served with the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division. With the Navy, he was with NAVACTS-UK-318 and was called back to active duty for the first Desert Storm. Steven J. Newton began his law enforcement career in 1977 when he joined the Springfield Police Department (Missouri). In 1995, he became the chief of police of the Clever Police Department (Missouri).
Now retired and afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease, he continues to write article for various law enforcement, military and veteran publications. He is also the author of the Old Sergeant and the Old Sergeant and Friends. Steve Newton continues to serve on the Advisory Board of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and serves as Director of the Law Enforcement Equipment Program. He is the Founder of the Silver Star Families of America and he is a supporter of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance.
According to the book Description, “The short stories of The Old Sergeant compile many different aspects of the human character, including inspiration, tragedy, honor and humor. He is fictional, but his life, and the lives of the men he commands, become very real to the reader as the stories come together as one. One life lived and some lives lost. Through the war in Iraq and reflections on past wars won, now a distant memory, the Old Sarge is someone who most everyone can relate to. There is a real-time sense in all of the stories told, to be embraced into the reader’s mind and heart.”
William Langlois is a retired San Francisco Police Department police officer and the co-author of Surviving the Age of Fear/Life-Saving Lessons for Senior Citizens from San Francisco's Heroic Decoy Cop Who Was Mugged 256 Times. According to Booklist, “Langlois had a record of successful performance as a decoy in past stings when he was recruited to play the role of The Old Man on a short-term undercover RAT (robbery abatement) team formed in 1987 (and reestablished in 1988) to cut the rate of violent robberies of the elderly in and around their homes in San Francisco's Tenderloin district.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 783 police officers (representing 352 police departments) and their 1670 law enforcement 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.
October 26, 2007 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists nearly 800 state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three authors who have written police history, military fiction and on crime prevention.
Kevin J. Mullen served for more than twenty-six years with the San Francisco Police Department and retired at the rank of deputy chief. He has written extensively in magazines and newspapers on criminal justice issues. He is the author of Let Justice Be Done: Crime and Politics in Early San Francisco, Dangerous Strangers: Minority Newcomers and Criminal Violence in the Urban West, 1850-2000 and The Toughest Gang in Town: Police Stories From Old San Francisco.
According to the book description of Dangerous Strangers: Minority Newcomers and Criminal Violence in the Urban West, 1850-2000, “Have newcomers to American cities been responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime? Dangerous Strangers takes up this question by examining the incidence of criminal violence among several waves of immigrant/ethnic groups in San Francisco over 150 years. By looking at a variety of groups--Irish, German, Italian, and Chinese immigrants, primarily--and their different experiences at varying times in the city's history, this study addresses the issue of how much violence can be attributed to new groups' treatment by the host society and how much can be traced to traits found in their community of origin.”
Chief Steven J. Newton is a 25-year law enforcement veteran and a former Marine/Navy veteran. He served with the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division. With the Navy, he was with NAVACTS-UK-318 and was called back to active duty for the first Desert Storm. Steven J. Newton began his law enforcement career in 1977 when he joined the Springfield Police Department (Missouri). In 1995, he became the chief of police of the Clever Police Department (Missouri).
Now retired and afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease, he continues to write article for various law enforcement, military and veteran publications. He is also the author of the Old Sergeant and the Old Sergeant and Friends. Steve Newton continues to serve on the Advisory Board of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and serves as Director of the Law Enforcement Equipment Program. He is the Founder of the Silver Star Families of America and he is a supporter of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance.
According to the book Description, “The short stories of The Old Sergeant compile many different aspects of the human character, including inspiration, tragedy, honor and humor. He is fictional, but his life, and the lives of the men he commands, become very real to the reader as the stories come together as one. One life lived and some lives lost. Through the war in Iraq and reflections on past wars won, now a distant memory, the Old Sarge is someone who most everyone can relate to. There is a real-time sense in all of the stories told, to be embraced into the reader’s mind and heart.”
William Langlois is a retired San Francisco Police Department police officer and the co-author of Surviving the Age of Fear/Life-Saving Lessons for Senior Citizens from San Francisco's Heroic Decoy Cop Who Was Mugged 256 Times. According to Booklist, “Langlois had a record of successful performance as a decoy in past stings when he was recruited to play the role of The Old Man on a short-term undercover RAT (robbery abatement) team formed in 1987 (and reestablished in 1988) to cut the rate of violent robberies of the elderly in and around their homes in San Francisco's Tenderloin district.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 783 police officers (representing 352 police departments) and their 1670 law enforcement 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.
U.S. Must Take 'Long View,' Forge Security Partnerships, Mullen Says
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen's top priority as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is to widen the scope of U.S. military strategy to look beyond the borders of Iraq and Afghanistan and strengthen security partnerships, the admiral told an audience here last night. "We are in a generational war, and we need to take a long view and think strategically about how we manage our risks globally," Mullen said at the Center for a New American Security in his first public address since assuming office as chairman Oct. 1.
The chairman said military leaders responsible for strategic thinking and planning should look "through a long lens."
"I am concerned that we focus too much on the here and now," he said. "The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan weigh heavily on the minds of the American people as they do on mine, but we must not be myopic in our view.
"There is more to the Middle East than those two countries," he added.
Achieving a stable and prosperous Middle East requires more than just a military effort, Mullen said. He noted that participation from non-military elements is vital to gaining the widest breadth of ideas and the broadest range of possible outcomes and alternative futures.
"Security is necessary, but it is not sufficient," he said. "We must integrate our capabilities with all instruments of national power, and that starts with a better and stronger interagency and the relationships therein."
Mullen said current security challenges present the United States with an opportunity "to go beyond the interagency" and forge ties with international partners, nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations, and private sector entities.
Regional instability in the Middle East or elsewhere has an impact worldwide, Mullen said, which is why the chairman's top priority is to develop a comprehensive global military strategy. "It is tied to a larger global view and one that is sustainable over time," he said.
In the current conflict against radical jihadists, and in the long war in general, Mullen said he encourages "debate and persistent intellectual rigor" as military planners formulate sound strategy for the 21st century.
"We are part of a new world order, and as the recently departed Adm. William J. Crowe once said, 'It is long on new, and it is short on order,'" the chairman said. Crowe, who served as chairman in the late 1980s and early 1990s, died this month.
"This new era demands we ask hard questions, seek new answers, engage in new debates, explore new military strategic thinking, develop alternative options, come up with new solutions to longstanding problems, and dream up innovative ideas to address these challenges."
To address emerging challenges to the interdependent global system, the United States must cast a wider net, Mullen said, increasing cooperation with international partners.
"That system has many stakeholders, and we need to work with them as we think about things like global order, stability, and economic prosperity," he said. "But we will be hard pressed to help a global community safeguard that global system, and by extension our own well being, without the people and the tools to do the job."
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen's top priority as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is to widen the scope of U.S. military strategy to look beyond the borders of Iraq and Afghanistan and strengthen security partnerships, the admiral told an audience here last night. "We are in a generational war, and we need to take a long view and think strategically about how we manage our risks globally," Mullen said at the Center for a New American Security in his first public address since assuming office as chairman Oct. 1.
The chairman said military leaders responsible for strategic thinking and planning should look "through a long lens."
"I am concerned that we focus too much on the here and now," he said. "The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan weigh heavily on the minds of the American people as they do on mine, but we must not be myopic in our view.
"There is more to the Middle East than those two countries," he added.
Achieving a stable and prosperous Middle East requires more than just a military effort, Mullen said. He noted that participation from non-military elements is vital to gaining the widest breadth of ideas and the broadest range of possible outcomes and alternative futures.
"Security is necessary, but it is not sufficient," he said. "We must integrate our capabilities with all instruments of national power, and that starts with a better and stronger interagency and the relationships therein."
Mullen said current security challenges present the United States with an opportunity "to go beyond the interagency" and forge ties with international partners, nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations, and private sector entities.
Regional instability in the Middle East or elsewhere has an impact worldwide, Mullen said, which is why the chairman's top priority is to develop a comprehensive global military strategy. "It is tied to a larger global view and one that is sustainable over time," he said.
In the current conflict against radical jihadists, and in the long war in general, Mullen said he encourages "debate and persistent intellectual rigor" as military planners formulate sound strategy for the 21st century.
"We are part of a new world order, and as the recently departed Adm. William J. Crowe once said, 'It is long on new, and it is short on order,'" the chairman said. Crowe, who served as chairman in the late 1980s and early 1990s, died this month.
"This new era demands we ask hard questions, seek new answers, engage in new debates, explore new military strategic thinking, develop alternative options, come up with new solutions to longstanding problems, and dream up innovative ideas to address these challenges."
To address emerging challenges to the interdependent global system, the United States must cast a wider net, Mullen said, increasing cooperation with international partners.
"That system has many stakeholders, and we need to work with them as we think about things like global order, stability, and economic prosperity," he said. "But we will be hard pressed to help a global community safeguard that global system, and by extension our own well being, without the people and the tools to do the job."
Navy Crew MIA From Vietnam War is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of five U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been accounted-for and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are Lt. j.g. Norman L. Roggow, of Aurelia, Iowa; Lt. j.g. Donald F. Wolfe, of Hardin, Mont.; Lt. j.g. Andrew G. Zissu, of Bronx, N.Y.; Chief Petty Officer Roland R. Pineau, of Berkley, Mich.; and Petty Officer 3rd Class Raul A. Guerra, of Los Angeles, Calif.; all U.S. Navy. Pineau was buried on Oct. 8 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. The dates and locations of the funerals for the other servicemen are being set by their families.
On Oct. 8, 1967, Zissu and Roggow were the pilots of an E-1B Tracer en route from Chu Lai Air Base, Vietnam, back to the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany. Also on board were Wolfe, Pineau and Guerra. Radar contact with the aircraft was lost approximately 10 miles northwest of Da Nang, Vietnam. Adverse weather hampered immediate search efforts, but three days later, a search helicopter spotted the wreckage of the aircraft on the face of a steep mountain in Da Nang Province. The location, terrain and hostile forces in the area precluded a ground recovery.
In 1993 and 1994, human remains were repatriated to the United States by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) with information that linked the remains to unassociated losses in the same geographical area as this incident. Between 1993 and 2004, U.S/S.R.V. teams, all led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident more than 15 times in Da Nang city and Thua Thien-Hue Province.
Between 2004 and 2005, the joint teams surveyed and excavated the crash site where they recovered human remains and crew-related items. During the excavation in 2005, the on-site team learned that human remains may have been removed previously from the site. S.R.V. officials concluded that two Vietnamese citizens found and collected remains at the crash site, and possibly buried them near their residence in Hoi Mit village in Thua Thein-Hue Province. In 2006, another joint U.S./S.R.V. team excavated the suspected burial site in Hoi Mit village, but found no additional remains. In 2007, more remains associated with this incident were repatriated to the United States by S.R.V. officials.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/ or call (703) 699-1169.
They are Lt. j.g. Norman L. Roggow, of Aurelia, Iowa; Lt. j.g. Donald F. Wolfe, of Hardin, Mont.; Lt. j.g. Andrew G. Zissu, of Bronx, N.Y.; Chief Petty Officer Roland R. Pineau, of Berkley, Mich.; and Petty Officer 3rd Class Raul A. Guerra, of Los Angeles, Calif.; all U.S. Navy. Pineau was buried on Oct. 8 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. The dates and locations of the funerals for the other servicemen are being set by their families.
On Oct. 8, 1967, Zissu and Roggow were the pilots of an E-1B Tracer en route from Chu Lai Air Base, Vietnam, back to the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany. Also on board were Wolfe, Pineau and Guerra. Radar contact with the aircraft was lost approximately 10 miles northwest of Da Nang, Vietnam. Adverse weather hampered immediate search efforts, but three days later, a search helicopter spotted the wreckage of the aircraft on the face of a steep mountain in Da Nang Province. The location, terrain and hostile forces in the area precluded a ground recovery.
In 1993 and 1994, human remains were repatriated to the United States by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) with information that linked the remains to unassociated losses in the same geographical area as this incident. Between 1993 and 2004, U.S/S.R.V. teams, all led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident more than 15 times in Da Nang city and Thua Thien-Hue Province.
Between 2004 and 2005, the joint teams surveyed and excavated the crash site where they recovered human remains and crew-related items. During the excavation in 2005, the on-site team learned that human remains may have been removed previously from the site. S.R.V. officials concluded that two Vietnamese citizens found and collected remains at the crash site, and possibly buried them near their residence in Hoi Mit village in Thua Thein-Hue Province. In 2006, another joint U.S./S.R.V. team excavated the suspected burial site in Hoi Mit village, but found no additional remains. In 2007, more remains associated with this incident were repatriated to the United States by S.R.V. officials.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/ or call (703) 699-1169.
Patriotism Prompts Nurse to Rejoin the Air Force
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - A sense of duty and patriotism caused a specialist in women's health care to rejoin the Air Force at age 42. Maj. Marcia A. Potter, now 46, enlisted in the Air Force in 1980 after graduating from high school in Clayton, Ohio. After serving a four-year hitch, Potter left the military to pursue her education. She would earn a master's degree in nursing and become a family nurse practitioner.
Today, the married mother of three is back in the Air Force, wearing an officer's gold oak leaf insignia with an Iraq duty tour under her belt.
About a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Potter was living in Indiana when she heard the military was looking for doctors, nurses and other experienced health care providers.
"I thought: 'That's where I need to be,'" Potter recalled.
After discussing matters with her family, Potter rejoined the Air Force in 2003, receiving a commission for her professional medical expertise.
Potter is among a group of 10 servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community and business events, veterans organizations and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
Why We Serve began last fall and was originally the idea of then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Potter and the other nine servicemembers in her group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.
In January 2007, Potter deployed to Iraq, where she worked out of Balad Air Base until her return to the states this May.
"I was the sole family nurse practitioner in Iraq providing women's health services," Potter said, noting she also treated male servicemembers and Iraqi citizens.
Servicemembers can become dehydrated in arid climates like Iraq if they don't increase their fluid intake, Potter pointed out. Electrolyte-rich beverages are good to drink in desert areas, she said, while the intake of dehydrating drinks such as sodas and coffee should be limited or avoided.
"I think the services are attuned to providing for the overall health needs of their troops," Potter said.
While at Balad, the major volunteered her off-duty time to treat local Iraqis injured in terrorist attacks.
"I got to know a lot of the patients," Potter said, noting the Iraqis soon became open and engaging with her despite differences in language and culture.
"There's not a whole lot of difference between people in terms of what they desire for themselves and their family," Potter pointed out.
The Why We Serve program "is a fantastic program" that enables servicemembers to tell their stories directly to the public, Potter said.
"I want the American people not to walk in my combat boots, but to follow in the footsteps of the people whose lives touched mine" in Iraq, she explained.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - A sense of duty and patriotism caused a specialist in women's health care to rejoin the Air Force at age 42. Maj. Marcia A. Potter, now 46, enlisted in the Air Force in 1980 after graduating from high school in Clayton, Ohio. After serving a four-year hitch, Potter left the military to pursue her education. She would earn a master's degree in nursing and become a family nurse practitioner.
Today, the married mother of three is back in the Air Force, wearing an officer's gold oak leaf insignia with an Iraq duty tour under her belt.
About a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Potter was living in Indiana when she heard the military was looking for doctors, nurses and other experienced health care providers.
"I thought: 'That's where I need to be,'" Potter recalled.
After discussing matters with her family, Potter rejoined the Air Force in 2003, receiving a commission for her professional medical expertise.
Potter is among a group of 10 servicemembers who served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to tell the military's story to the American people at community and business events, veterans organizations and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
Why We Serve began last fall and was originally the idea of then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. Potter and the other nine servicemembers in her group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.
In January 2007, Potter deployed to Iraq, where she worked out of Balad Air Base until her return to the states this May.
"I was the sole family nurse practitioner in Iraq providing women's health services," Potter said, noting she also treated male servicemembers and Iraqi citizens.
Servicemembers can become dehydrated in arid climates like Iraq if they don't increase their fluid intake, Potter pointed out. Electrolyte-rich beverages are good to drink in desert areas, she said, while the intake of dehydrating drinks such as sodas and coffee should be limited or avoided.
"I think the services are attuned to providing for the overall health needs of their troops," Potter said.
While at Balad, the major volunteered her off-duty time to treat local Iraqis injured in terrorist attacks.
"I got to know a lot of the patients," Potter said, noting the Iraqis soon became open and engaging with her despite differences in language and culture.
"There's not a whole lot of difference between people in terms of what they desire for themselves and their family," Potter pointed out.
The Why We Serve program "is a fantastic program" that enables servicemembers to tell their stories directly to the public, Potter said.
"I want the American people not to walk in my combat boots, but to follow in the footsteps of the people whose lives touched mine" in Iraq, she explained.
Defense Official Calls Wildfire Response 'Awe-Inspiring'
By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - Thousands of servicemembers have been aggressively and selflessly fighting deadly wildfires this week, a top defense department leader said today. "It is awe-inspiring to see the kind of response that is now being executed by civilian first responders, National Guardsmen and other military personnel in Southern California," Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Paul McHale told online journalists and "bloggers" during a conference call from the Pentagon.
"Many of these individuals are putting themselves in harm's way for the protection of the rest of us," he said, "and when you see that kind of selfless sense of purpose, it is inspiring."
McHale praised National Guard Bureau chief Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum for immediately deploying four military aircraft from North Carolina and Wyoming to California on a training mission in case they would be needed in the firefighting effort, rather than waiting for the state's governor to officially request federal help.
"He was extraordinarily proactive in his judgment, noteworthy in his common sense, and as a result, today while we speak, we have those four aircraft plus two more out of the Air Force Reserve actively flying tanker missions in the San Diego area," McHale said. "General Blum's sense of purpose and commitment is shared by every other man or woman in military uniform."
In fact, the Defense Department was so aggressive in responding to the dozens of wildfires that scorched nearly 500,000 acres this week that military pilots and crews were in place and set to fly a full day before they were finally allowed to do so, McHale explained.
"There is indeed a requirement for a 'spotter' to be aboard a military helicopter before that helicopter engages in firefighting activity," he said. "It does appear to be the case that our helicopters, some of our helicopters, were ready to go approximately 24 hours before the spotters became available."
Some 2,500 National Guard soldiers were deployed to help fight the fires, McHale said, as were 350 active duty and civilian Defense Department employees. An additional 17,000 National Guard troops were on standby for activation to the fire lines should they be needed, he said.
"The military response to the wildfires in California was not inhibited in any way, to any degree, by deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan," McHale said. "The capabilities that we needed in Southern California were fully available from our domestic inventory of resources, and those capabilities were made available as fast as was humanly possible."
Before troops ever were deployed in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, McHale pointed out, the scenario of a devastating Southern California fire actually was considered and accounted for.
"There was absolutely no degradation of firefighting response because of the overseas deployments," he said. "In fact, we had considerable capability held in reserve."
In its domestic inventory, McHale explained, the Defense Department has eight C-130 tankers specially fitted to carry and dump tons of orange, fire-retardant chemicals onto blazes. At any given time, two of those aircraft are undergoing scheduled maintenance, he said, leaving six of the massive four-engine turboprops available for firefighting.
"All six rapidly deployed to Southern California," McHale said. "All six at this moment are executing missions in support of firefighting."
To better respond to future natural disasters, McHale said, a "task force for emergency response" should be established in every state consisting of reserve-component military personnel who are employed full-time as government workers.
"So you take Guardsmen who have been trained as planners, Guardsmen who put their uniforms on during the weekend and who drill as members of the reserve component, but who during the week carry over those planning skills ... to achieve integrated planning at the state level," McHale said.
Such combined civilian-military task forces would be a great way to integrate local, state and federal agencies so that each is on the same page when it comes to planning for and responding to disasters such as the California wildfires, McHale said.
(David Mays works in New Media at American Forces Information Service.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - Thousands of servicemembers have been aggressively and selflessly fighting deadly wildfires this week, a top defense department leader said today. "It is awe-inspiring to see the kind of response that is now being executed by civilian first responders, National Guardsmen and other military personnel in Southern California," Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Paul McHale told online journalists and "bloggers" during a conference call from the Pentagon.
"Many of these individuals are putting themselves in harm's way for the protection of the rest of us," he said, "and when you see that kind of selfless sense of purpose, it is inspiring."
McHale praised National Guard Bureau chief Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum for immediately deploying four military aircraft from North Carolina and Wyoming to California on a training mission in case they would be needed in the firefighting effort, rather than waiting for the state's governor to officially request federal help.
"He was extraordinarily proactive in his judgment, noteworthy in his common sense, and as a result, today while we speak, we have those four aircraft plus two more out of the Air Force Reserve actively flying tanker missions in the San Diego area," McHale said. "General Blum's sense of purpose and commitment is shared by every other man or woman in military uniform."
In fact, the Defense Department was so aggressive in responding to the dozens of wildfires that scorched nearly 500,000 acres this week that military pilots and crews were in place and set to fly a full day before they were finally allowed to do so, McHale explained.
"There is indeed a requirement for a 'spotter' to be aboard a military helicopter before that helicopter engages in firefighting activity," he said. "It does appear to be the case that our helicopters, some of our helicopters, were ready to go approximately 24 hours before the spotters became available."
Some 2,500 National Guard soldiers were deployed to help fight the fires, McHale said, as were 350 active duty and civilian Defense Department employees. An additional 17,000 National Guard troops were on standby for activation to the fire lines should they be needed, he said.
"The military response to the wildfires in California was not inhibited in any way, to any degree, by deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan," McHale said. "The capabilities that we needed in Southern California were fully available from our domestic inventory of resources, and those capabilities were made available as fast as was humanly possible."
Before troops ever were deployed in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, McHale pointed out, the scenario of a devastating Southern California fire actually was considered and accounted for.
"There was absolutely no degradation of firefighting response because of the overseas deployments," he said. "In fact, we had considerable capability held in reserve."
In its domestic inventory, McHale explained, the Defense Department has eight C-130 tankers specially fitted to carry and dump tons of orange, fire-retardant chemicals onto blazes. At any given time, two of those aircraft are undergoing scheduled maintenance, he said, leaving six of the massive four-engine turboprops available for firefighting.
"All six rapidly deployed to Southern California," McHale said. "All six at this moment are executing missions in support of firefighting."
To better respond to future natural disasters, McHale said, a "task force for emergency response" should be established in every state consisting of reserve-component military personnel who are employed full-time as government workers.
"So you take Guardsmen who have been trained as planners, Guardsmen who put their uniforms on during the weekend and who drill as members of the reserve component, but who during the week carry over those planning skills ... to achieve integrated planning at the state level," McHale said.
Such combined civilian-military task forces would be a great way to integrate local, state and federal agencies so that each is on the same page when it comes to planning for and responding to disasters such as the California wildfires, McHale said.
(David Mays works in New Media at American Forces Information Service.)
Naval Academy Grads Salute Fallen Classmates at Marine Marathon
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - Nearly 100 U.S. Naval Academy graduates from the class of 1995 are dedicating their participation in the Oct. 28 Marine Corps Marathon to the memory of six fallen comrades. About 10 percent of the 900-member graduating class will participate in the 32nd running of the 26-mile marathon and the separate 10-kilometer (6.2 mile) run, said Jeff Webb, a former Navy special warfare operations officer who helped to organize the event.
"A group of us came together looking for a way to honor these six classmates that we've lost," Webb explained at a special reception honoring the departed classmates held here yesterday.
The Marine Corps Marathon "was a good fit, because we have a lot of connections to the marathon with our class," said Webb, who now is a banker in Philadelphia. This year's marathon, he noted, will be the fourth one he has participated in.
Class of '95 comrades saluted in the "Run to Honor" died between 1998 and 2007, Webb said, adding that they constitute the highest operations-related loss of any Naval Academy class since the Vietnam War. The fallen are:
-- Marine Maj. Douglas A. Zembiec, 35, who was killed in action on May 11, 2007, while fighting insurgents in Baghdad. He is renowned as the "Lion of Fallujah" for his actions during combat operations against terrorists during the Battle of Fallujah in 2004.
-- Marine Maj. Megan M. McClung, 34, who died in Anbar province, Iraq, on Dec. 6, 2006. She was posted in Iraq as a public affairs officer working with embedded reporters. McClung died when the vehicle she was riding in was hit by a roadside bomb. McClung is the most-senior Marine woman to be killed in Iraq to date. About a month before her death, McClung organized and participated in an Iraq-based version of the annual Marine Corps Marathon.
-- Navy Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen, 33, a special warfare operations officer, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. Kristensen was on a mission to rescue other SEALs when the MH-47 Chinook helicopter he was riding in was shot down by insurgents in Kunar province. He was among the 16 Navy and Army members aboard who died.
-- Navy Lt. Richard S. Pugh, 31, an F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot, who died in the line of duty on Aug. 10, 2001, when his aircraft crashed into the Bay of Bengal during a night-training mission from the carrier USS Constellation.
-- Navy Lt. Bruce J. Donald, 27, an F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilot, who died in the line of duty on Sept. 29, 2000, when his aircraft crashed into the Persian Gulf shortly after takeoff from the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
-- Lt. j.g. Brendan J. Duffy, 27, who was killed in the line of duty on Nov. 8, 1998, during a night-landing training mission on board the USS Enterprise. The carrier was en route to the Middle East to participate in Operation Desert Fox. Between Dec. 16 and 19, 1998, U.S. aircraft-dropped bombs and ship-launched missiles struck targets in Iraq in a military effort to deter then-dictator Saddam Hussein.
"I would say I knew Major Zembiec the best" when he attended the Naval Academy, Webb recalled. "We just wanted to find a more celebratory atmosphere to celebrate their lives, their leadership and their legacy."
Other servicemembers, families and friends will bring the total number of "Run to Honor" participants to about 175 people, entered in the marathon or the 10-kilometer event, Webb said.
Financial services company United Services Automobile Association, known as USAA, sponsored the reception for the Run to Honor participants, said John Hancock, the firm's military communications manager. USAA is a supporter of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" public-outreach program that connects citizens, businesses and other organizations with ways to support servicemembers and their families.
Hosting the Run to Honor reception is way to recognize the sacrifices made by America's servicemen and women, Hancock explained. "People need to remain aware of what our servicemembers are going through," he said.
Webb said his departed classmates would be cheered by the determination evidenced by military members engaged in the global war on terrorism. Today's good military recruiting and retention numbers, he pointed out, constitute "a testament to the commitment and the sense of duty that our servicemembers have."
Dr. Mike McClung and his wife, Dr. Re McClung, and retired Navy Rear Adm. Edward Kristensen and his wife, Suzanne Kristensen, were among the guests who attended yesterday's Run to Honor reception. McClung recalled that his daughter, Megan, "was really involved in being a Marine," adding that "she died doing the job she wanted to do."
"She made a great sacrifice, and we lost a wonderful child," he continued. "We're very honored by what the class of '95 is doing for her."
Suzanne Kristensen said she "couldn't be more pleased or thrilled" about how Erik's classmates are honoring his sacrifice and memory.
"Erik left us with wonderful friends," she emphasized.
Navy Reserve Lt. Cmdr. Giovanna Kostrubala, another member of the class of '95, said she was a personal friend of Erik Kristensen and Megan McClung during their days at the academy.
"Megan's mom has her laugh and mannerisms," Kostrubala observed at the reception. "That's one of my favorite things about what's going on this weekend, because I get to meet the parents of all of the children."
Col. David Lapan, the Marine Corps' deputy director of public affairs, saluted Webb and the others for their devotion to the memory of their fallen classmates.
"It's great any time that people come together and stop and pay tribute to those who have given their lives in service to the country," Lapan said.
Echoing Lapan's sentiments, Mike McClung noted that it is important for Americans to recognize and appreciate the sacrifices made by the men and women in the armed forces.
"They're out protecting us, and we need to support them," he emphasized.
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - Nearly 100 U.S. Naval Academy graduates from the class of 1995 are dedicating their participation in the Oct. 28 Marine Corps Marathon to the memory of six fallen comrades. About 10 percent of the 900-member graduating class will participate in the 32nd running of the 26-mile marathon and the separate 10-kilometer (6.2 mile) run, said Jeff Webb, a former Navy special warfare operations officer who helped to organize the event.
"A group of us came together looking for a way to honor these six classmates that we've lost," Webb explained at a special reception honoring the departed classmates held here yesterday.
The Marine Corps Marathon "was a good fit, because we have a lot of connections to the marathon with our class," said Webb, who now is a banker in Philadelphia. This year's marathon, he noted, will be the fourth one he has participated in.
Class of '95 comrades saluted in the "Run to Honor" died between 1998 and 2007, Webb said, adding that they constitute the highest operations-related loss of any Naval Academy class since the Vietnam War. The fallen are:
-- Marine Maj. Douglas A. Zembiec, 35, who was killed in action on May 11, 2007, while fighting insurgents in Baghdad. He is renowned as the "Lion of Fallujah" for his actions during combat operations against terrorists during the Battle of Fallujah in 2004.
-- Marine Maj. Megan M. McClung, 34, who died in Anbar province, Iraq, on Dec. 6, 2006. She was posted in Iraq as a public affairs officer working with embedded reporters. McClung died when the vehicle she was riding in was hit by a roadside bomb. McClung is the most-senior Marine woman to be killed in Iraq to date. About a month before her death, McClung organized and participated in an Iraq-based version of the annual Marine Corps Marathon.
-- Navy Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen, 33, a special warfare operations officer, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. Kristensen was on a mission to rescue other SEALs when the MH-47 Chinook helicopter he was riding in was shot down by insurgents in Kunar province. He was among the 16 Navy and Army members aboard who died.
-- Navy Lt. Richard S. Pugh, 31, an F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot, who died in the line of duty on Aug. 10, 2001, when his aircraft crashed into the Bay of Bengal during a night-training mission from the carrier USS Constellation.
-- Navy Lt. Bruce J. Donald, 27, an F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilot, who died in the line of duty on Sept. 29, 2000, when his aircraft crashed into the Persian Gulf shortly after takeoff from the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
-- Lt. j.g. Brendan J. Duffy, 27, who was killed in the line of duty on Nov. 8, 1998, during a night-landing training mission on board the USS Enterprise. The carrier was en route to the Middle East to participate in Operation Desert Fox. Between Dec. 16 and 19, 1998, U.S. aircraft-dropped bombs and ship-launched missiles struck targets in Iraq in a military effort to deter then-dictator Saddam Hussein.
"I would say I knew Major Zembiec the best" when he attended the Naval Academy, Webb recalled. "We just wanted to find a more celebratory atmosphere to celebrate their lives, their leadership and their legacy."
Other servicemembers, families and friends will bring the total number of "Run to Honor" participants to about 175 people, entered in the marathon or the 10-kilometer event, Webb said.
Financial services company United Services Automobile Association, known as USAA, sponsored the reception for the Run to Honor participants, said John Hancock, the firm's military communications manager. USAA is a supporter of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" public-outreach program that connects citizens, businesses and other organizations with ways to support servicemembers and their families.
Hosting the Run to Honor reception is way to recognize the sacrifices made by America's servicemen and women, Hancock explained. "People need to remain aware of what our servicemembers are going through," he said.
Webb said his departed classmates would be cheered by the determination evidenced by military members engaged in the global war on terrorism. Today's good military recruiting and retention numbers, he pointed out, constitute "a testament to the commitment and the sense of duty that our servicemembers have."
Dr. Mike McClung and his wife, Dr. Re McClung, and retired Navy Rear Adm. Edward Kristensen and his wife, Suzanne Kristensen, were among the guests who attended yesterday's Run to Honor reception. McClung recalled that his daughter, Megan, "was really involved in being a Marine," adding that "she died doing the job she wanted to do."
"She made a great sacrifice, and we lost a wonderful child," he continued. "We're very honored by what the class of '95 is doing for her."
Suzanne Kristensen said she "couldn't be more pleased or thrilled" about how Erik's classmates are honoring his sacrifice and memory.
"Erik left us with wonderful friends," she emphasized.
Navy Reserve Lt. Cmdr. Giovanna Kostrubala, another member of the class of '95, said she was a personal friend of Erik Kristensen and Megan McClung during their days at the academy.
"Megan's mom has her laugh and mannerisms," Kostrubala observed at the reception. "That's one of my favorite things about what's going on this weekend, because I get to meet the parents of all of the children."
Col. David Lapan, the Marine Corps' deputy director of public affairs, saluted Webb and the others for their devotion to the memory of their fallen classmates.
"It's great any time that people come together and stop and pay tribute to those who have given their lives in service to the country," Lapan said.
Echoing Lapan's sentiments, Mike McClung noted that it is important for Americans to recognize and appreciate the sacrifices made by the men and women in the armed forces.
"They're out protecting us, and we need to support them," he emphasized.
Gates Accepts Award, Extols Virtues of Public Service
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - Americans who fill the ranks of public service -- the nation's military members, elected officials, teachers and nurses -- are driven by the romantic and optimistic ideal that they can improve the world, the Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. "I believe if you scratch deeply enough, you will find that those who serve -- no matter how outwardly tough or egotistical or jaded -- are, in their heart of hearts, romantics and idealists and optimists," Gates told the youthful audience packed into Reed Arena at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
Gates was on hand at the university -- where he served as president before he was named to head the Pentagon in November 2006 -- to accept an award for excellence in public service named after and presented by former President George H.W. Bush.
"We actually believe we can make a difference -- that we can make the lives of others better, that we can make a positive difference in the life of the greatest country in the history of the world: in President Lincoln's words, 'The last, best, hope of Earth,'" Gates said.
Through the centuries, some have considered public service an "onerous burden," the secretary said, invoking familiar laments about the thanklessness and meager compensation that often can accompany such careers. But for men and women in uniform, public service entails risking more than making oneself vulnerable to political ad hominem or receiving low wages, he said.
"Tonight, nearly 200,000 American men and women in uniform serve in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan. Every single one is a volunteer," he said. "Each has chosen to be there in the belief that they are protecting America and brining a better life to millions long oppressed."
The secretary said 3,385 servicemembers have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and 30,044 have been wounded, according to statistics available yesterday. "And yet, they serve," he said.
"Whatever range of motives causes our young men and women to volunteer for our armed forces, they all hear the call of the trumpet, the call of duty to our country," he said. "And because in doing their duty they risk all, they are the most noble of all."
And it's not only servicemembers who contribute; America should not forget "the families of our men and women in uniform, who remain behind and keep the home functioning by getting the children to school and to Little League, who must shoulder unbearable burdens when a husband or wife is killed or badly wounded," he said.
"And think about the children of those in uniform who must deal with the loss of a parent, or far more commonly, must often move away from friends and familiar schools, who must deal with the absence of a deployed mom or dad not just on special occasions, but every day," he added.
Gates noted that military members make up just a portion of the millions of American public servants, including police officers and firemen, teachers, nurses, elected and appointed officials and countless others.
"All too often, the pay and working conditions are challenging," he said. "All operate in the public spotlight and often find public criticism to be the reward for their labors. Many could live better pursuing other careers.
"And yet," he repeated, "they serve."
Before taking on the job as the nation's 22nd defense secretary, Gates said, he had had vowed to his wife, Becky, "I never want to return to Washington, D.C." He had been a career intelligence officer, and served as CIA director under President George H.W. Bush. But he answered the call once again.
"The world turned upside down again for me almost exactly a year ago, when duty -- and another President Bush -- called me to a different kind of public service," he said. "Just over 40 years after I took my oath and joined the CIA, I was on my way back to Washington, D.C., and government service."
Gates urged the university audience to consider the virtues of a career devoted to serving their country.
"Public servants are people willing to make sacrifices in the present for the future good," he said. "People who believe, to paraphrase Walter Lippmann, 'That we must plant trees we may never get to sit under.'"
Today's young people must heed the nation's call to public service if America is to remain a force for good in the world and exercise "global leadership consistent with our better angels," the secretary said.
"It is precisely during these times that America needs its best and brightest, from all walks of life, to step forward and commit to public service," Gates said, posing a final challenge to the audience. "Will the wise and honest among you come help the American people?"
American Forces Press Service
Oct. 26, 2007 - Americans who fill the ranks of public service -- the nation's military members, elected officials, teachers and nurses -- are driven by the romantic and optimistic ideal that they can improve the world, the Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. "I believe if you scratch deeply enough, you will find that those who serve -- no matter how outwardly tough or egotistical or jaded -- are, in their heart of hearts, romantics and idealists and optimists," Gates told the youthful audience packed into Reed Arena at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
Gates was on hand at the university -- where he served as president before he was named to head the Pentagon in November 2006 -- to accept an award for excellence in public service named after and presented by former President George H.W. Bush.
"We actually believe we can make a difference -- that we can make the lives of others better, that we can make a positive difference in the life of the greatest country in the history of the world: in President Lincoln's words, 'The last, best, hope of Earth,'" Gates said.
Through the centuries, some have considered public service an "onerous burden," the secretary said, invoking familiar laments about the thanklessness and meager compensation that often can accompany such careers. But for men and women in uniform, public service entails risking more than making oneself vulnerable to political ad hominem or receiving low wages, he said.
"Tonight, nearly 200,000 American men and women in uniform serve in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan. Every single one is a volunteer," he said. "Each has chosen to be there in the belief that they are protecting America and brining a better life to millions long oppressed."
The secretary said 3,385 servicemembers have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and 30,044 have been wounded, according to statistics available yesterday. "And yet, they serve," he said.
"Whatever range of motives causes our young men and women to volunteer for our armed forces, they all hear the call of the trumpet, the call of duty to our country," he said. "And because in doing their duty they risk all, they are the most noble of all."
And it's not only servicemembers who contribute; America should not forget "the families of our men and women in uniform, who remain behind and keep the home functioning by getting the children to school and to Little League, who must shoulder unbearable burdens when a husband or wife is killed or badly wounded," he said.
"And think about the children of those in uniform who must deal with the loss of a parent, or far more commonly, must often move away from friends and familiar schools, who must deal with the absence of a deployed mom or dad not just on special occasions, but every day," he added.
Gates noted that military members make up just a portion of the millions of American public servants, including police officers and firemen, teachers, nurses, elected and appointed officials and countless others.
"All too often, the pay and working conditions are challenging," he said. "All operate in the public spotlight and often find public criticism to be the reward for their labors. Many could live better pursuing other careers.
"And yet," he repeated, "they serve."
Before taking on the job as the nation's 22nd defense secretary, Gates said, he had had vowed to his wife, Becky, "I never want to return to Washington, D.C." He had been a career intelligence officer, and served as CIA director under President George H.W. Bush. But he answered the call once again.
"The world turned upside down again for me almost exactly a year ago, when duty -- and another President Bush -- called me to a different kind of public service," he said. "Just over 40 years after I took my oath and joined the CIA, I was on my way back to Washington, D.C., and government service."
Gates urged the university audience to consider the virtues of a career devoted to serving their country.
"Public servants are people willing to make sacrifices in the present for the future good," he said. "People who believe, to paraphrase Walter Lippmann, 'That we must plant trees we may never get to sit under.'"
Today's young people must heed the nation's call to public service if America is to remain a force for good in the world and exercise "global leadership consistent with our better angels," the secretary said.
"It is precisely during these times that America needs its best and brightest, from all walks of life, to step forward and commit to public service," Gates said, posing a final challenge to the audience. "Will the wise and honest among you come help the American people?"
Airman Helps Afghans Get Well
By Staff Sgt. Joshua Jasper, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - Children line the streets during the short ride to the village. Adults with noticeable disabilities and young children who may have never had professional medical assistance look curiously at the visitors, probably wondering why they have come. Despite this lack of professional medical care, one of those visitors has been making a positive difference for local villagers. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joy Flumerfelt, a squadron medical element/independent medical technician, deployed here from the 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., is currently working with the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.
Although, her main concern is the care of deployed servicemembers, she also provides medical support to local communities. Since arriving here a little more than a month ago, she has treated nearly 100 villagers.
"We (independent medical technicians) function as providers, so we can practice medicine to a greater degree than medics can," Flumerfelt said.
Thanks to this capability, Flumerfelt has the opportunity to regularly provide medical assistance to local communities. "Since I started, the villagers seem to be a lot more receptive to medical care and supportive of Americans in general," she said.
The conditions she treats have ranged from a simple rash to broken bones and tumors, as on a recent trip to a nearby village.
"I examined an old man who had a massive tumor across his brow," Flumerfelt said. "The tumor was open and had taken his sight on one side. It was hard to imagine how painful it must have been for this man, who had been plagued with this illness for three years. I have been talking with the plastic surgeon on base to see if we can get him the medical assistance that he needs."
Flumerfelt said the villagers are very appreciative of what she does for them. So much so that she hasn't seen one villager yet who has not thanked her for the assistance she has provided.
"I am amazed at how simple a life that these people live. It makes me realize how easy it can be to take the medical care that we receive back home for granted," Flumerfelt said. "I am happy to give these people the assistance that they need, and I look forward to helping many more before I go home."
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua Jasper is assigned to 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Oct. 25, 2007 - Children line the streets during the short ride to the village. Adults with noticeable disabilities and young children who may have never had professional medical assistance look curiously at the visitors, probably wondering why they have come. Despite this lack of professional medical care, one of those visitors has been making a positive difference for local villagers. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joy Flumerfelt, a squadron medical element/independent medical technician, deployed here from the 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., is currently working with the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.
Although, her main concern is the care of deployed servicemembers, she also provides medical support to local communities. Since arriving here a little more than a month ago, she has treated nearly 100 villagers.
"We (independent medical technicians) function as providers, so we can practice medicine to a greater degree than medics can," Flumerfelt said.
Thanks to this capability, Flumerfelt has the opportunity to regularly provide medical assistance to local communities. "Since I started, the villagers seem to be a lot more receptive to medical care and supportive of Americans in general," she said.
The conditions she treats have ranged from a simple rash to broken bones and tumors, as on a recent trip to a nearby village.
"I examined an old man who had a massive tumor across his brow," Flumerfelt said. "The tumor was open and had taken his sight on one side. It was hard to imagine how painful it must have been for this man, who had been plagued with this illness for three years. I have been talking with the plastic surgeon on base to see if we can get him the medical assistance that he needs."
Flumerfelt said the villagers are very appreciative of what she does for them. So much so that she hasn't seen one villager yet who has not thanked her for the assistance she has provided.
"I am amazed at how simple a life that these people live. It makes me realize how easy it can be to take the medical care that we receive back home for granted," Flumerfelt said. "I am happy to give these people the assistance that they need, and I look forward to helping many more before I go home."
(Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua Jasper is assigned to 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.)
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