By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 28, 2007 - Army installation commanders worldwide have been directed to plan for spending scale-backs due to an anticipated budget crunch sparked by governmental wrangling over funding for the war on terrorism, according to an Army news release issued today. In a memorandum dated Nov. 26, Gen. Richard A. Cody, vice chief of staff of the Army, directed all Army commanders and agency directors to begin planning to curtail operations and related expenses that do not directly support warfighters engaged in the global war on terrorism, the release stated.
Cody's instructions tell Army commanders and civilian leaders to review all operations and to forward recommendations to cut costs back to him by Dec. 4.
"We are only in the prudent planning phase," Cody said in a statement issued today. The Defense Department has instructed all military services to review operational costs at installations as well as to prepare for possible furloughs of government civilian employees.
"It is an imperative of the senior Army leadership that our Army, especially while at war, understands the budget process, the decisions being made and any potential impacts on the total Army family."
Congress has approved supplemental funding for war operations, but such legislation comes attached with timetables for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. President Bush has vowed to veto any such legislation that crosses his desk.
Having received no war-supplemental money since the fiscal year began on Oct. 1, the Army has had to use its budgeted operations and maintenance dollars normally employed to organize, train, equip and field forces, as well as to sustain soldiers and their families, to fund war-related operations and activities, according to the Army news release.
During a visit to Killeen, Texas, Nov. 26, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said federal legislators' failure to quickly pass an emergency funding supplemental bill would derail military gains made against insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Army and Marine Corps members constitute the biggest ground presence in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
"Without these funds, Army operations and maintenance funds will be exhausted by mid-February, and similar Marine Corps funds about a month later," Gates told listeners gathered at the municipality's Chamber of Commerce.
"We cannot wait until mid-February to figure out how to deal with consequences of these accounts running dry," Gates said.
Cody has instructed Army installation chiefs and other leaders to be prepared to minimize operational and maintenance-funded activities that are "not required to protect the life, health and safety of occupants of Army installations, or required to maintain assets vital to the national defense."
The Army expects to exhaust all operational and maintenance funds by Feb. 23, even after considering a request from DoD to transfer more than $4 billion from Navy and Air Force personnel accounts and the Army's working capital fund, according to today's Army release.
Per current labor agreements and to provide some predictability to the civilian work force, supervisors would have to start notifying Army civilians of any impending February furloughs by mid-December, according to the Army news release.
During a Nov. 20 Pentagon news conference, DoD spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters that Gates lamented that Congress hadn't quickly passed the emergency supplemental bill containing nearly $200 billion to fund war operations. In consequence, Morrell said, Gates directed the Army and Marine Corps to begin planning to reduce operations at all Army bases by mid-February and all Marine installations by mid-March.
"At that point, the bases will be all but shut down, able to provide only the most basic safety and security measures for those who reside there," Morrell said.
In addition, the Defense Department will begin notifying about 200,000 civilian employees and contractors "we can no longer afford their services and that, absent additional funding, they will be furloughed or temporarily laid off within a matter of weeks," Morrell told reporters.
The Army's planning actions "are absolutely necessary given the uncertain global war on terror funding," Cody stated in today's Army news release. "We will do everything we can to minimize the turbulence for our soldiers, civilians and their families."
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
New Log-in Notice to Clarify Computer Use Issues
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 28, 2007 - Defense Department employees soon will see a new notice on their government computer screens informing them that their e-mails are subject to monitoring and that use of the computer means they recognize and consent to that monitoring. The revised language will appear throughout the department within the next two weeks, an official from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information told American Forces Press Service.
John Grimes, DoD's chief information officer, signed a policy memo earlier this month mandating the new electronic notice and consent banner on all DoD information systems. Grimes set a Dec. 12 deadline for all Defense Department entities, including the military services, to use the revised wording.
The banner notifies users that their systems may be monitored for "penetration testing, COMSEC (communications security) monitoring, network defense, quality control, and employee misconduct, law enforcement and counterintelligence investigations."
It also includes a paragraph clarifying that passwords, access cards, encryption and biometric access controls are used to provide security for the benefit of the government – not to provide personal privacy to employees.
The notice also will appear on government BlackBerry devices and other personal digital assistants and personal electronic devices, although the wording will be shorter than on computers.
The new verbiage is designed to clarify the DoD policy in light of a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces decision. The court ruled that the current banner warning, which has been in place for a decade, does not state clearly enough that employees have no right of privacy when using government computer systems.
In that case, a servicemember received notice that she was required to undergo a random urinalysis test. She, in turn, e-mailed several other people, discussing her fear that her drug use would be detected and the steps she had taken to avoid detection, officials in Grimes' office explained.
Investigators used those e-mails as evidence in a prosecution. The servicemember was convicted and sentenced, but an appellate court set aside the findings and sentence, because the banner did not clearly state that there was no right of privacy in e-mails.
The revised banner will ensure all users of government computer systems understand that there is no right of privacy in e-mails, officials said.
Defense Department officials said monitoring is critical in ensuring government systems aren't compromised by viruses or hackers, and to identify threats as early as possible.
"In order to protect DoD information systems, DoD needs to be able to monitor all traffic flowing through and across DoD systems," an official said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 28, 2007 - Defense Department employees soon will see a new notice on their government computer screens informing them that their e-mails are subject to monitoring and that use of the computer means they recognize and consent to that monitoring. The revised language will appear throughout the department within the next two weeks, an official from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information told American Forces Press Service.
John Grimes, DoD's chief information officer, signed a policy memo earlier this month mandating the new electronic notice and consent banner on all DoD information systems. Grimes set a Dec. 12 deadline for all Defense Department entities, including the military services, to use the revised wording.
The banner notifies users that their systems may be monitored for "penetration testing, COMSEC (communications security) monitoring, network defense, quality control, and employee misconduct, law enforcement and counterintelligence investigations."
It also includes a paragraph clarifying that passwords, access cards, encryption and biometric access controls are used to provide security for the benefit of the government – not to provide personal privacy to employees.
The notice also will appear on government BlackBerry devices and other personal digital assistants and personal electronic devices, although the wording will be shorter than on computers.
The new verbiage is designed to clarify the DoD policy in light of a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces decision. The court ruled that the current banner warning, which has been in place for a decade, does not state clearly enough that employees have no right of privacy when using government computer systems.
In that case, a servicemember received notice that she was required to undergo a random urinalysis test. She, in turn, e-mailed several other people, discussing her fear that her drug use would be detected and the steps she had taken to avoid detection, officials in Grimes' office explained.
Investigators used those e-mails as evidence in a prosecution. The servicemember was convicted and sentenced, but an appellate court set aside the findings and sentence, because the banner did not clearly state that there was no right of privacy in e-mails.
The revised banner will ensure all users of government computer systems understand that there is no right of privacy in e-mails, officials said.
Defense Department officials said monitoring is critical in ensuring government systems aren't compromised by viruses or hackers, and to identify threats as early as possible.
"In order to protect DoD information systems, DoD needs to be able to monitor all traffic flowing through and across DoD systems," an official said.
Gates Meets with Fort Hood Soldiers, Family Members
By Heather Graham
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 28, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met with soldiers and family members here yesterday to present Purple Heart medals and get a first-hand look at issues and concerns he usually sees only on paper. Gates began his morning by joining soldiers for breakfast at the Eagle's Nest, a 4th Infantry Division dining facility. Over scrambled eggs, bacon and grits, Gates discussed Army issues with the soldiers.
After breakfast, the secretary met with 30 Army spouses representing the 4th Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 13th Sustainment Command and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment to hear their issues and concerns. The spouses were selected for the meeting based on their active roles in their units' family readiness groups, Col. Diane Battaglia, 3rd Corps public affairs officer, said.
The meeting was Gates' first with spouses, he said. "I look forward to hearing from you," he told the group before his closed-door meeting. "The nation owes each of you a great debt of gratitude."
Spouses were able to ask questions of the defense secretary during the meeting.
On most of their minds was the deployment length and cycle. "The first majority concern was how long the 15-month deployments would last," said Sheree Weller, the wife of Capt. Shane Weller, a pilot with 1st Aviation Combat Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. "He gave us a good time frame."
The spouses at the meeting said they felt the defense secretary adequately addressed and answered their concerns and questions.
"I had four questions," Mariah Murdoch, wife of Maj. Timothy Murdoch, rear-echelon commander of 1st Cavalry Division's Special Troops Battalion. "Every question was answered before I could ask." Gates addressed other concerns she had not even considered, she added.
"He talked about incentives for family members other than spouses," she said. One incentive would be the possibility of soldiers being able to pass Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits on to their children. The secretary emphasized that can't happen overnight, she noted. "He made it abundantly clear there is a lot of bureaucracy involved," she said.
Both women agreed Gates was prepared to answer their questions and concerns.
"Every question posed, he had already considered," Weller said. "I felt he was listening."
Weller again met with Gates, albeit briefly, during the 1st Cavalry Division Purple Heart and volunteer recognition ceremony following the spouses' meeting. She was honored for her volunteer efforts for the First Team.
At the ceremony, Gates presented 12 Purple Hearts to division soldiers and certificates to the volunteers.
Gates wrapped up his two-day trip to the area following the ceremony. He had been a guest of the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce at a Nov. 26 dinner reception. In his speech, he addressed the progress being made in the global war on terrorism and the need for the passage of a supplemental war spending bill.
In a question-and-answer session following his speech, Gates addressed the troop surge and improved security in Iraq.
(Heather Graham is news editor for the Fort Hood Sentinel.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 28, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met with soldiers and family members here yesterday to present Purple Heart medals and get a first-hand look at issues and concerns he usually sees only on paper. Gates began his morning by joining soldiers for breakfast at the Eagle's Nest, a 4th Infantry Division dining facility. Over scrambled eggs, bacon and grits, Gates discussed Army issues with the soldiers.
After breakfast, the secretary met with 30 Army spouses representing the 4th Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 13th Sustainment Command and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment to hear their issues and concerns. The spouses were selected for the meeting based on their active roles in their units' family readiness groups, Col. Diane Battaglia, 3rd Corps public affairs officer, said.
The meeting was Gates' first with spouses, he said. "I look forward to hearing from you," he told the group before his closed-door meeting. "The nation owes each of you a great debt of gratitude."
Spouses were able to ask questions of the defense secretary during the meeting.
On most of their minds was the deployment length and cycle. "The first majority concern was how long the 15-month deployments would last," said Sheree Weller, the wife of Capt. Shane Weller, a pilot with 1st Aviation Combat Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. "He gave us a good time frame."
The spouses at the meeting said they felt the defense secretary adequately addressed and answered their concerns and questions.
"I had four questions," Mariah Murdoch, wife of Maj. Timothy Murdoch, rear-echelon commander of 1st Cavalry Division's Special Troops Battalion. "Every question was answered before I could ask." Gates addressed other concerns she had not even considered, she added.
"He talked about incentives for family members other than spouses," she said. One incentive would be the possibility of soldiers being able to pass Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits on to their children. The secretary emphasized that can't happen overnight, she noted. "He made it abundantly clear there is a lot of bureaucracy involved," she said.
Both women agreed Gates was prepared to answer their questions and concerns.
"Every question posed, he had already considered," Weller said. "I felt he was listening."
Weller again met with Gates, albeit briefly, during the 1st Cavalry Division Purple Heart and volunteer recognition ceremony following the spouses' meeting. She was honored for her volunteer efforts for the First Team.
At the ceremony, Gates presented 12 Purple Hearts to division soldiers and certificates to the volunteers.
Gates wrapped up his two-day trip to the area following the ceremony. He had been a guest of the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce at a Nov. 26 dinner reception. In his speech, he addressed the progress being made in the global war on terrorism and the need for the passage of a supplemental war spending bill.
In a question-and-answer session following his speech, Gates addressed the troop surge and improved security in Iraq.
(Heather Graham is news editor for the Fort Hood Sentinel.)
Bookseller Makes Troop Support Easy for Shoppers
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 28, 2007 - With thoughts turning from tasty Thanksgiving turkey to holiday shopping lists, one national bookseller has made it easy to find the perfect gift for everyone, including the nation's servicemembers. Barnes & Noble, a corporate supporter of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, has created an online book store that benefits troop-support organizations with a 5 percent donation from each sale made through the www.bn.com/asy Web site.
America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"After Barnes & Noble made our multi-million dollar book donation earlier this year, we considered how we could continue to support ASY," said Brian Buckley, vice president of online partnership for Barnes&Noble.com. He was referring to a nearly $3.5 million dollar product donation the bookseller made in May to several nonprofit supporters of the America Supports You program.
"We felt that this online bookstore could be advertised in supporting publications and every time someone wanted to buy a book, DVD or CD they would be supporting selected home-front groups," he said.
The groups, all supporters of America Supports You, include: ThanksUSA, Operation Troop Appreciation, Operation AC, Adopt-A-Chaplain, Comfort for America's Uniformed Services, Give2TheTroops, Operation Paperback, and United Through Reading.
The groups offer a wide range of support including providing servicemembers with care packages, offering support to military family members and the wounded, and helping keep deployed servicemembers connected with their children through reading.
Each group will receive an equal share of the total donations annually, Buckley said.
While the Web site is a great way to take care of holiday shopping, it will be available year round and allows buyers to shop Barnes & Noble's online inventory.
"We have no time limit on this program and hope to support these groups for years to come," Buckley added.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 28, 2007 - With thoughts turning from tasty Thanksgiving turkey to holiday shopping lists, one national bookseller has made it easy to find the perfect gift for everyone, including the nation's servicemembers. Barnes & Noble, a corporate supporter of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, has created an online book store that benefits troop-support organizations with a 5 percent donation from each sale made through the www.bn.com/asy Web site.
America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
"After Barnes & Noble made our multi-million dollar book donation earlier this year, we considered how we could continue to support ASY," said Brian Buckley, vice president of online partnership for Barnes&Noble.com. He was referring to a nearly $3.5 million dollar product donation the bookseller made in May to several nonprofit supporters of the America Supports You program.
"We felt that this online bookstore could be advertised in supporting publications and every time someone wanted to buy a book, DVD or CD they would be supporting selected home-front groups," he said.
The groups, all supporters of America Supports You, include: ThanksUSA, Operation Troop Appreciation, Operation AC, Adopt-A-Chaplain, Comfort for America's Uniformed Services, Give2TheTroops, Operation Paperback, and United Through Reading.
The groups offer a wide range of support including providing servicemembers with care packages, offering support to military family members and the wounded, and helping keep deployed servicemembers connected with their children through reading.
Each group will receive an equal share of the total donations annually, Buckley said.
While the Web site is a great way to take care of holiday shopping, it will be available year round and allows buyers to shop Barnes & Noble's online inventory.
"We have no time limit on this program and hope to support these groups for years to come," Buckley added.
THE LIFE OF A COP
The life of a cop is never easy
The life of a cop is an on going job
as he chose this career because
a love for protecting people far
outweighed his fear.
READ ON
http://www.police-writers.com/life_of_a_cop.html
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Airman Missing In Action From The Vietnam War Is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Capt. Stephen A. Rusch, U.S. Air Force, of Lambertville, N.J. He will be buried on Nov. 30 at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On March 7, 1972, Rusch was the weapons systems officer in an F-4E Phantom II aircraft attacking enemy targets in Salavan Province, Laos. The plane was the number two aircraft in a flight of two. When Rusch's aircraft was cleared to begin its second run over enemy targets, the flight leader of the number one aircraft lost sight of Rusch's plane and observed enemy ground fire followed by a large explosion. An immediate search was begun, but all attempts to establish radio contact and later search efforts were unsuccessful.
In 1995, a joint U.S./Lao People's Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident and interviewed several Laotian citizens. The team surveyed the crash site identified by one of the citizens and found aircraft wreckage.
In 2001, a U.S. citizen, acting as an intermediary for a Laotian citizen, turned over to U.S. officials a bone fragment and a photocopy of Rusch's military identification tag. The bone fragment proved not to be from Capt. Rusch.
In 2002-2003, joint teams conducted two excavations of the crash site. The teams recovered human remains and non-biological evidence including U.S. coins and life support equipment.
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.
He is Capt. Stephen A. Rusch, U.S. Air Force, of Lambertville, N.J. He will be buried on Nov. 30 at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On March 7, 1972, Rusch was the weapons systems officer in an F-4E Phantom II aircraft attacking enemy targets in Salavan Province, Laos. The plane was the number two aircraft in a flight of two. When Rusch's aircraft was cleared to begin its second run over enemy targets, the flight leader of the number one aircraft lost sight of Rusch's plane and observed enemy ground fire followed by a large explosion. An immediate search was begun, but all attempts to establish radio contact and later search efforts were unsuccessful.
In 1995, a joint U.S./Lao People's Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident and interviewed several Laotian citizens. The team surveyed the crash site identified by one of the citizens and found aircraft wreckage.
In 2001, a U.S. citizen, acting as an intermediary for a Laotian citizen, turned over to U.S. officials a bone fragment and a photocopy of Rusch's military identification tag. The bone fragment proved not to be from Capt. Rusch.
In 2002-2003, joint teams conducted two excavations of the crash site. The teams recovered human remains and non-biological evidence including U.S. coins and life support equipment.
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.
One Sailor, 280 Soldiers Re-enlist Together in Iraq
By Renanah Miles
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 27, 2007 - Two hundred eighty soldiers and one sailor re-enlisted earlier this month in the Al Faw palace, one of Saddam Hussein's former homes. The palace was seized by 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga., in 2003. On the division's 90th birthday Nov. 21, soldiers under its command renewed their commitment to the Army and the war on terror.
When Sgt. Patricia Daniels, of Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, Support Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, re-enlisted during Operation Iraqi Freedom III, she didn't know the significance of the date at first. "Last time I was in Iraq, ... I re-enlisted on the 21st of November, not realizing it was the 3rd ID birthday," she said.
This year, Daniels' choice to recommit to the Army on the division's 90th birthday was intentional. Daniels is deployed to Baghdad again, under the command of the Multi-National Division Center. Still, Daniels, a native of Miami, said the decision is bittersweet. While she loves her job, said, the separation from her husband and four children is hard.
"I like the camaraderie, I like the teamwork," she said of the Army. "I don't like to deploy every other year."
This year, as the ceremony fell the day before Thanksgiving, Daniels had home on her mind. She said Thanksgiving trumps Christmas in her family, and she begged her husband and children to carry on the elaborate food preparation and holiday traditions in her stead. Despite the sacrificed holiday, her conviction to serve remains unshaken. "I'm re-enlisting for the needs of the Army," she said.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Division Iraq, officiated over the ceremony.
"Re-enlisting soldiers is one of my favorite duties, one of the greatest honors I think any of us can perform," the general said.
"And it is a true honor to be with you to re-enlist 281 of you at last count, and that does include a 'Sailor of One,'" Petraeus said in a play on the Army motto.
Spc. Heidi McNeely, also with Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, re-enlisted in July. Her husband, food service specialist John McNeely, re-enlisted in a private ceremony last week.
On Nov. 21, John also joined other Multinational Division Center soldiers and affirmed his commitment. Husband and wife, both from New Orleans, joined the Army for similar reasons. "The biggest motivation was stability," McNeely said. "That's what keeps me and him going."
But being deployed simultaneously is a mixed blessing for the couple. "It's nice, ... comforting," McNeely said. "But kind of scary because we have two kids."
John's parents are taking care of the children while mom and dad are deployed. Their oldest daughter, 8 years old, is aware enough to wonder where her parents are and why they went away. McNeely said she gave her children a simple explanation. "I told them (it's) because there were people who needed help from us," McNeely explained. "I didn't go any further than that. She didn't question it. The only thing she questioned was if something was going to happen to me.
"I told her that God gave her to me," McNeely continued. "I'm not done taking care of her yet."
Both Daniels and McNeely say options for school are a factor in their decision.
Falling a day before Thanksgiving and on the day of the 3rd Infantry Division's birthday, the ceremony came as a poignant reminder of the tradition and duty that lie at the heart of soldiers' choice to serve their country.
"I don't know where this division, this great division, will be when it celebrates one century of service in 2017," Petraeus said. "But I can guarantee you that wherever it is, future 'Dog Face Soldiers' will celebrate the courageous contributions that each of you is making in Iraq today. They will proudly look at each of you the same way you look back at some of your predecessors."
(Renanah Miles is assigned to Multinational Division Center.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 27, 2007 - Two hundred eighty soldiers and one sailor re-enlisted earlier this month in the Al Faw palace, one of Saddam Hussein's former homes. The palace was seized by 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga., in 2003. On the division's 90th birthday Nov. 21, soldiers under its command renewed their commitment to the Army and the war on terror.
When Sgt. Patricia Daniels, of Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, Support Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, re-enlisted during Operation Iraqi Freedom III, she didn't know the significance of the date at first. "Last time I was in Iraq, ... I re-enlisted on the 21st of November, not realizing it was the 3rd ID birthday," she said.
This year, Daniels' choice to recommit to the Army on the division's 90th birthday was intentional. Daniels is deployed to Baghdad again, under the command of the Multi-National Division Center. Still, Daniels, a native of Miami, said the decision is bittersweet. While she loves her job, said, the separation from her husband and four children is hard.
"I like the camaraderie, I like the teamwork," she said of the Army. "I don't like to deploy every other year."
This year, as the ceremony fell the day before Thanksgiving, Daniels had home on her mind. She said Thanksgiving trumps Christmas in her family, and she begged her husband and children to carry on the elaborate food preparation and holiday traditions in her stead. Despite the sacrificed holiday, her conviction to serve remains unshaken. "I'm re-enlisting for the needs of the Army," she said.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Division Iraq, officiated over the ceremony.
"Re-enlisting soldiers is one of my favorite duties, one of the greatest honors I think any of us can perform," the general said.
"And it is a true honor to be with you to re-enlist 281 of you at last count, and that does include a 'Sailor of One,'" Petraeus said in a play on the Army motto.
Spc. Heidi McNeely, also with Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, re-enlisted in July. Her husband, food service specialist John McNeely, re-enlisted in a private ceremony last week.
On Nov. 21, John also joined other Multinational Division Center soldiers and affirmed his commitment. Husband and wife, both from New Orleans, joined the Army for similar reasons. "The biggest motivation was stability," McNeely said. "That's what keeps me and him going."
But being deployed simultaneously is a mixed blessing for the couple. "It's nice, ... comforting," McNeely said. "But kind of scary because we have two kids."
John's parents are taking care of the children while mom and dad are deployed. Their oldest daughter, 8 years old, is aware enough to wonder where her parents are and why they went away. McNeely said she gave her children a simple explanation. "I told them (it's) because there were people who needed help from us," McNeely explained. "I didn't go any further than that. She didn't question it. The only thing she questioned was if something was going to happen to me.
"I told her that God gave her to me," McNeely continued. "I'm not done taking care of her yet."
Both Daniels and McNeely say options for school are a factor in their decision.
Falling a day before Thanksgiving and on the day of the 3rd Infantry Division's birthday, the ceremony came as a poignant reminder of the tradition and duty that lie at the heart of soldiers' choice to serve their country.
"I don't know where this division, this great division, will be when it celebrates one century of service in 2017," Petraeus said. "But I can guarantee you that wherever it is, future 'Dog Face Soldiers' will celebrate the courageous contributions that each of you is making in Iraq today. They will proudly look at each of you the same way you look back at some of your predecessors."
(Renanah Miles is assigned to Multinational Division Center.)
Air Force Neurosurgeon Saves Afghan Child's Life
By BAGRAM AIR BASE, AfghanistanAmerican Forces Press Service
Nov. 27, 2007 - An Air Force neurosurgeon assigned to Craig Joint Theater Hospital here saved the life of an 8-month-old Afghan girl earlier this month. The child, from Parwan province, was originally taken by her parents to El Salem Egyptian Field Hospital with symptoms including excessive head growth, eye abnormalities and irritability.
After Egyptian physicians referred her to the U.S. hospital, Air Force neurosurgeon Lt. Col. (Dr.) Randall McCafferty diagnosed a congenital brain abnormality called an "arachnoid cyst" at the base of the young girl's brain.
"The cyst had caused blockage of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, thus causing hydrocephalus (commonly known as 'water on the brain')," McCafferty said. "Left untreated, the condition could have eventually been fatal."
Thanks to the recent deployment of neurosurgical assets to Afghanistan, McCafferty was able to operate on the child Nov. 12 and again Nov. 20, removing the cyst and leaving the girl in good condition.
"I was happy that I could bring specialized training to this region that did not previously exist and that with those skills I was able to provide an opportunity at a future life for both the child and her family that likely would not otherwise exist," McCafferty said.
The doctor also said he felt fortunate to have the support of his command, colleagues and the intensive care unit staff at Craig Joint Theater Hospital.
(From a Combined Joint Task Force 82 news release.)
Keating: NORTHCOM Experience Lends Lessons to Bangladesh Relief
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 27, 2007 - After more than two years at the helm of U.S. Northern Command, Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating oversaw planning for military responses to the most devastating domestic disasters, and mobilized U.S. military support when Hurricane Katrina provided a real-life test of those plans. So when his staff at U.S. Pacific Command watched a fierce tropical cyclone make its way toward Bangladesh earlier this month, Keating, now the top U.S. military officer in the Pacific, kept a careful watch.
Even before the cyclone made landfall Nov. 15, Keating had already started talking with leaders at the Pentagon, State Department and U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, about a potential response in the event the Bangladeshis needed help.
"We began to look at assets that might be of assistance if the host nation asked for them," he told reporters today via teleconference from his headquarters at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.
Keating asked U.S. Central Command for permission to borrow one of its ships, USS Kearsarge, and its 1,200 Marines aboard who were operating in the North Arabian Sea in case they were needed to support relief operations. He got the Air Force to begin positioning heavy-life aircraft at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, so they'd be ready to deliver reverse-osmosis water purification units, if needed.
He kept his staffs' eyes glued on the storm, directing them to gather as much information as possible so they could quickly pass it, along with damage assessments, along to the U.S. Embassy.
"We got stuff moving," Keating said. "As the storm was ashore and clearing, we had assets."
When the cyclone passed, leaving vast devastation and more than 3,200 dead and more than 1,000 others missing, Pacific Command was ready to respond. All it needed was the Bangladeshi government to accept U.S. offers of help.
Keating called his lessons learned at U.S. Northern Command "of significant import to us in this situation," giving him the tools to look ahead of the crisis to help prepare a response. "The events of Katrina and humanitarian assistance disaster relief we learned at Northern Command were of significant value for us here."
As he was returning to Hawaii Nov. 24 after a Thanksgiving visit to Iraq, Keating stopped in Bangladesh to meet with Bangladeshi and U.S. officials to discuss the need there and offer help.
Keating said he made it clear that the United States has no intention of taking charge. "We are attempting the best we can to make sure the Bangladeshis understand it is their operation," he said. "We are in support. We will do nothing they don't ask for and when they are done with us, we will leave."
The Bangladeshis, desperate to get support into regions in the south where roads had been wiped out, accepted the offer "warmly," Keating said. "I got no sense of stepping on toes," he said.
Today, the U.S. military is rushing aid to the region, focusing on getting water and medical aid to areas in greatest need, Keating said.
"Water is the overarching requirement," Keating said, noting that the surge resulting from the Nov. 15 tropical cyclone left fresh-water ponds in Bangladesh tainted with salt. While ships in the region manufacture potable water, the Air Force has delivered three reverse-osmosis water purification units, he said. One is in Bangladesh, and two are in Thailand, awaiting direction from the Bangladeshis on where to place them.
The 1,200-member 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit operating from USS Kearsarge already has flown several dozen relief sorties to get water and other aid to outlying areas, he said. More than 50,000 pounds of aid have been moved into Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, U.S. medical personnel are on site, lending surgeons, corpsmen, anesthesiologists, nurses and other medical staff to the effort. Keating said the Kearsarge stands ready to offer its hospital facilities, but that they haven't yet been needed.
USS Tarawa also is headed to the region, but Keating said its services may not be required to provide relief support.
Keating said all support is being offered with an understanding of the diplomatic implications, and the fact that some in Bangladesh might have initially been "a little leery of U.S. operations" there. The United States is ensuring that the Bangladeshis understand "we are in support of them," he said. "And we will do nothing that is not at the behest of Bangladesh."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 27, 2007 - After more than two years at the helm of U.S. Northern Command, Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating oversaw planning for military responses to the most devastating domestic disasters, and mobilized U.S. military support when Hurricane Katrina provided a real-life test of those plans. So when his staff at U.S. Pacific Command watched a fierce tropical cyclone make its way toward Bangladesh earlier this month, Keating, now the top U.S. military officer in the Pacific, kept a careful watch.
Even before the cyclone made landfall Nov. 15, Keating had already started talking with leaders at the Pentagon, State Department and U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, about a potential response in the event the Bangladeshis needed help.
"We began to look at assets that might be of assistance if the host nation asked for them," he told reporters today via teleconference from his headquarters at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.
Keating asked U.S. Central Command for permission to borrow one of its ships, USS Kearsarge, and its 1,200 Marines aboard who were operating in the North Arabian Sea in case they were needed to support relief operations. He got the Air Force to begin positioning heavy-life aircraft at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, so they'd be ready to deliver reverse-osmosis water purification units, if needed.
He kept his staffs' eyes glued on the storm, directing them to gather as much information as possible so they could quickly pass it, along with damage assessments, along to the U.S. Embassy.
"We got stuff moving," Keating said. "As the storm was ashore and clearing, we had assets."
When the cyclone passed, leaving vast devastation and more than 3,200 dead and more than 1,000 others missing, Pacific Command was ready to respond. All it needed was the Bangladeshi government to accept U.S. offers of help.
Keating called his lessons learned at U.S. Northern Command "of significant import to us in this situation," giving him the tools to look ahead of the crisis to help prepare a response. "The events of Katrina and humanitarian assistance disaster relief we learned at Northern Command were of significant value for us here."
As he was returning to Hawaii Nov. 24 after a Thanksgiving visit to Iraq, Keating stopped in Bangladesh to meet with Bangladeshi and U.S. officials to discuss the need there and offer help.
Keating said he made it clear that the United States has no intention of taking charge. "We are attempting the best we can to make sure the Bangladeshis understand it is their operation," he said. "We are in support. We will do nothing they don't ask for and when they are done with us, we will leave."
The Bangladeshis, desperate to get support into regions in the south where roads had been wiped out, accepted the offer "warmly," Keating said. "I got no sense of stepping on toes," he said.
Today, the U.S. military is rushing aid to the region, focusing on getting water and medical aid to areas in greatest need, Keating said.
"Water is the overarching requirement," Keating said, noting that the surge resulting from the Nov. 15 tropical cyclone left fresh-water ponds in Bangladesh tainted with salt. While ships in the region manufacture potable water, the Air Force has delivered three reverse-osmosis water purification units, he said. One is in Bangladesh, and two are in Thailand, awaiting direction from the Bangladeshis on where to place them.
The 1,200-member 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit operating from USS Kearsarge already has flown several dozen relief sorties to get water and other aid to outlying areas, he said. More than 50,000 pounds of aid have been moved into Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, U.S. medical personnel are on site, lending surgeons, corpsmen, anesthesiologists, nurses and other medical staff to the effort. Keating said the Kearsarge stands ready to offer its hospital facilities, but that they haven't yet been needed.
USS Tarawa also is headed to the region, but Keating said its services may not be required to provide relief support.
Keating said all support is being offered with an understanding of the diplomatic implications, and the fact that some in Bangladesh might have initially been "a little leery of U.S. operations" there. The United States is ensuring that the Bangladeshis understand "we are in support of them," he said. "And we will do nothing that is not at the behest of Bangladesh."
Keating Aims to Improve Communication with China After Port Call Rejections
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 27, 2007 - The top U.S. military officer in the Pacific said he's concerned that China recently denied U.S. ships' requests for port visits in Hong Kong and plans to take the matter up during a trip he hopes to make to Beijing early next year. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said he found it "perplexing and troublesome" that the Chinese refused the Kitty Hawk Battle Group entrance to Hong Kong for a port call during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Hundreds of the sailors' family members had flown from Japan to spend the holiday with their loved ones when the Kitty Hawk carrier and several of its escorts were forced to abandon their port call.
By the time China reversed its decision, the U.S. ships had already turned around. "It was too late by then," Keating said.
The incident came on the heels of what he called an even more troublesome situation: China's refusal to admit two U.S. minesweepers into Hong Kong to seek refuge from a brewing storm.
The Patriot and Guardian were operating in international waters when fierce weather conditions drove them to seek shelter in Hong Kong, Keating said. China refused their request, forcing them to get refueled at sea so they could return to their homeport in Sasebo, Japan.
China's denial of their request violated "an unwritten rule among seamen that if someone is in need, regardless of genus, phylum or species, you let them come in -- you give them safe harbor," Keating said.
"Jimmy Buffet has songs about it, for crying out loud," he said.
Keating called China's actions "very unusual" and expressed hope they'll be the last. "We would certainly hope this is not indicative of future repeat denials," he said.
He called Hong Kong "one of the great liberty ports in the world" that gives sailors and Marines afloat an opportunity to meet with their families during a deployment.
Keating said he plans to bring the issue up if the Chinese agree to a meeting he's requested for January. Other topics will likely be China's weapons program, which Keating said includes weapons that indicate "a little more aggressive strategic goal" than the defensive posture the Chinese advocate.
The bottom line, he said, is that solid communication between the United States and China will help reduce the potential for misunderstanding. This will leave "less room for confusion that could lead to confrontation, to crisis," he said.
"That's our goal," Keating said. "To get there, we reduce the chance for misunderstanding."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 27, 2007 - The top U.S. military officer in the Pacific said he's concerned that China recently denied U.S. ships' requests for port visits in Hong Kong and plans to take the matter up during a trip he hopes to make to Beijing early next year. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said he found it "perplexing and troublesome" that the Chinese refused the Kitty Hawk Battle Group entrance to Hong Kong for a port call during the Thanksgiving holiday.
Hundreds of the sailors' family members had flown from Japan to spend the holiday with their loved ones when the Kitty Hawk carrier and several of its escorts were forced to abandon their port call.
By the time China reversed its decision, the U.S. ships had already turned around. "It was too late by then," Keating said.
The incident came on the heels of what he called an even more troublesome situation: China's refusal to admit two U.S. minesweepers into Hong Kong to seek refuge from a brewing storm.
The Patriot and Guardian were operating in international waters when fierce weather conditions drove them to seek shelter in Hong Kong, Keating said. China refused their request, forcing them to get refueled at sea so they could return to their homeport in Sasebo, Japan.
China's denial of their request violated "an unwritten rule among seamen that if someone is in need, regardless of genus, phylum or species, you let them come in -- you give them safe harbor," Keating said.
"Jimmy Buffet has songs about it, for crying out loud," he said.
Keating called China's actions "very unusual" and expressed hope they'll be the last. "We would certainly hope this is not indicative of future repeat denials," he said.
He called Hong Kong "one of the great liberty ports in the world" that gives sailors and Marines afloat an opportunity to meet with their families during a deployment.
Keating said he plans to bring the issue up if the Chinese agree to a meeting he's requested for January. Other topics will likely be China's weapons program, which Keating said includes weapons that indicate "a little more aggressive strategic goal" than the defensive posture the Chinese advocate.
The bottom line, he said, is that solid communication between the United States and China will help reduce the potential for misunderstanding. This will leave "less room for confusion that could lead to confrontation, to crisis," he said.
"That's our goal," Keating said. "To get there, we reduce the chance for misunderstanding."
Hewlitt Packard Employees to Help Colorado Families
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 27, 2007 - Military families in Colorado whose major breadwinners are deployed to the Middle East are getting help with seasonal yard tasks from an unexpected source. From raking leaves to hanging Christmas lights, Hewlett Packard Co. employees will pitch and help three military families Nov. 29 through a partnership with the Minnesota-based Project EverGreen Foundation.
"The HP employees are going above and beyond," said Den Gardner, executive director of the foundation, which matches volunteers and lawn or landscaping firms with military families in need of outdoor help. "In addition to helping the families clean up their yards, they are helping hang up Christmas lights and even helping one military family paint the walls inside their house."
The foundation is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
The foundation's "GreenCare for Troops" program was developed in 2006 to provide free lawn and landscape care for families who have a major breadwinner serving in the Middle East. Project EverGreen has signed up more than 1,000 lawn and landscape contractors and volunteers to assist in this effort to help the more than 4,300 military families currently registered with the foundation.
Gardner said the roots of this program go back to the basic mission of his organization. "Quite simply," he explained, "we are working to emphasize the benefits that green spaces provide to our environment, economy and lifestyles. At the same time, we realized that, for many service families, lawn and landscape care can become a burden when there are concerns for the safety of a loved one overseas."
There is no cost or obligation to families who apply to participate in GreenCare for Troops, Gardner said.
"Project EverGreen makes every effort to link families in need with local lawn and landscape firms or community volunteers who have indicated a desire to help," he added.
Gardner said the appreciation expressed by service personnel and their families has been gratifying. "We even had one soldier serving in Iraq ask us to send him a Project EverGreen banner to display -- and we were happy to oblige."
Hewlett Packard employees heard about the need for volunteers in the Colorado Springs area through the Center for Nonprofit Excellence and knew they wanted to pitch in. They contacted Project EverGreen and were matched up with three families in the area, HP officials said.
"We are thrilled to give back," said Tara Agen, Hewlett Packard Imaging and Printing chief of staff. "Lots of our employees volunteer individually, but to do this as a group and really make a difference is very special."
Agen said a lot of the employees involved really wanted to help military families. "I also personally had a sister and brother-in-law who served overseas," she said. "So the decision was an easy one."
Nov. 27, 2007 - Military families in Colorado whose major breadwinners are deployed to the Middle East are getting help with seasonal yard tasks from an unexpected source. From raking leaves to hanging Christmas lights, Hewlett Packard Co. employees will pitch and help three military families Nov. 29 through a partnership with the Minnesota-based Project EverGreen Foundation.
"The HP employees are going above and beyond," said Den Gardner, executive director of the foundation, which matches volunteers and lawn or landscaping firms with military families in need of outdoor help. "In addition to helping the families clean up their yards, they are helping hang up Christmas lights and even helping one military family paint the walls inside their house."
The foundation is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
The foundation's "GreenCare for Troops" program was developed in 2006 to provide free lawn and landscape care for families who have a major breadwinner serving in the Middle East. Project EverGreen has signed up more than 1,000 lawn and landscape contractors and volunteers to assist in this effort to help the more than 4,300 military families currently registered with the foundation.
Gardner said the roots of this program go back to the basic mission of his organization. "Quite simply," he explained, "we are working to emphasize the benefits that green spaces provide to our environment, economy and lifestyles. At the same time, we realized that, for many service families, lawn and landscape care can become a burden when there are concerns for the safety of a loved one overseas."
There is no cost or obligation to families who apply to participate in GreenCare for Troops, Gardner said.
"Project EverGreen makes every effort to link families in need with local lawn and landscape firms or community volunteers who have indicated a desire to help," he added.
Gardner said the appreciation expressed by service personnel and their families has been gratifying. "We even had one soldier serving in Iraq ask us to send him a Project EverGreen banner to display -- and we were happy to oblige."
Hewlett Packard employees heard about the need for volunteers in the Colorado Springs area through the Center for Nonprofit Excellence and knew they wanted to pitch in. They contacted Project EverGreen and were matched up with three families in the area, HP officials said.
"We are thrilled to give back," said Tara Agen, Hewlett Packard Imaging and Printing chief of staff. "Lots of our employees volunteer individually, but to do this as a group and really make a difference is very special."
Agen said a lot of the employees involved really wanted to help military families. "I also personally had a sister and brother-in-law who served overseas," she said. "So the decision was an easy one."
Couple to Spend First Holiday Season Together in Iraq
By Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 27, 2007 - Army Pvt. Imani Tumbling and Pfc. Angelo Tumbling will celebrate their first major holiday as a married couple and their first anniversary here in a combat zone. Imani, of Valdosta, Ga., and Angelo, of Norfolk, Va., are both assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Imani, 20, a supply specialist, and Angelo, 23, a fire support specialist, met when he arrived at his new unit in March.
Angelo said he always saw himself as a family man, but, having just ended one relationship before he joined the Army, he said he wanted to "play the field" for a while before settling down.
"I wanted to come in for money for school, so I wasn't looking for anybody," Imani said.
"I didn't even like him when I met him," she said with a scowl. "I wanted to get out of the Army, go to college and after I got out of college, that's when I saw myself getting married."
Even though Angelo and Imani mapped their lives out one way, it seems fate had another plan. After a whirlwind courtship -- less than four months -- the two were married Aug. 2 and departed Fort Campbell, Ky., for Iraq in late September.
"It seemed like we knew each other more than we did; we got close real fast," Angelo said. "I figured if I'm already with her every day and I'm going to be with her and do whatever I have to do to be with her, then why not be married?"
When they decided to make the big step, Imani said, there was no fanfare -- no candlelight dinner, no romantic music -- nothing like that involved.
"He didn't even ask," she said with a laugh, looking at Angelo from the corners of her eyes. "He didn't get down on one knee, he didn't say, 'Will you marry me?' He said, 'You're going to be my wife.'"
Angelo laughed at Imani's recollection of his proposal and said he knew she would say yes.
Even though she tried to play hard to get, Imani said, she knew that she wanted to marry him.
Both said they never thought they would make the leap to marriage this soon, but regard it as an unexpected blessing. "Everybody says we got married too fast," Angelo said. "But we're going to shock the world."
The two harbor no illusions that their marriage will be free of obstacles, but they seem determined to make it work. They have minor disagreements and expect to experience the same bumps in the road as other couples do during the first months or years of marriage. Their road just happens to be in southern Baghdad.
The newlyweds say they feel fortunate to be together during what has been the breaking point of some marriages; but the deployment has turned out to be a benefit.
While it is difficult at times not having family and friends readily accessible to discuss a problem, Imani said, the distance from potential outside influences is making them stronger as a couple.
"I think it's good because we can't talk to everybody else about our problems, and he can't jump in the car and leave," she explained. "We have to sit here and deal with it versus going and running to tell somebody else."
The Tumblings do not claim to have all the answers for the perfect marriage. They just take things one day at a time and hope that this deployment will continue to strengthen what they already have.
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy serves with 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 27, 2007 - Army Pvt. Imani Tumbling and Pfc. Angelo Tumbling will celebrate their first major holiday as a married couple and their first anniversary here in a combat zone. Imani, of Valdosta, Ga., and Angelo, of Norfolk, Va., are both assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Imani, 20, a supply specialist, and Angelo, 23, a fire support specialist, met when he arrived at his new unit in March.
Angelo said he always saw himself as a family man, but, having just ended one relationship before he joined the Army, he said he wanted to "play the field" for a while before settling down.
"I wanted to come in for money for school, so I wasn't looking for anybody," Imani said.
"I didn't even like him when I met him," she said with a scowl. "I wanted to get out of the Army, go to college and after I got out of college, that's when I saw myself getting married."
Even though Angelo and Imani mapped their lives out one way, it seems fate had another plan. After a whirlwind courtship -- less than four months -- the two were married Aug. 2 and departed Fort Campbell, Ky., for Iraq in late September.
"It seemed like we knew each other more than we did; we got close real fast," Angelo said. "I figured if I'm already with her every day and I'm going to be with her and do whatever I have to do to be with her, then why not be married?"
When they decided to make the big step, Imani said, there was no fanfare -- no candlelight dinner, no romantic music -- nothing like that involved.
"He didn't even ask," she said with a laugh, looking at Angelo from the corners of her eyes. "He didn't get down on one knee, he didn't say, 'Will you marry me?' He said, 'You're going to be my wife.'"
Angelo laughed at Imani's recollection of his proposal and said he knew she would say yes.
Even though she tried to play hard to get, Imani said, she knew that she wanted to marry him.
Both said they never thought they would make the leap to marriage this soon, but regard it as an unexpected blessing. "Everybody says we got married too fast," Angelo said. "But we're going to shock the world."
The two harbor no illusions that their marriage will be free of obstacles, but they seem determined to make it work. They have minor disagreements and expect to experience the same bumps in the road as other couples do during the first months or years of marriage. Their road just happens to be in southern Baghdad.
The newlyweds say they feel fortunate to be together during what has been the breaking point of some marriages; but the deployment has turned out to be a benefit.
While it is difficult at times not having family and friends readily accessible to discuss a problem, Imani said, the distance from potential outside influences is making them stronger as a couple.
"I think it's good because we can't talk to everybody else about our problems, and he can't jump in the car and leave," she explained. "We have to sit here and deal with it versus going and running to tell somebody else."
The Tumblings do not claim to have all the answers for the perfect marriage. They just take things one day at a time and hope that this deployment will continue to strengthen what they already have.
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy serves with 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.)
Marine Unit Provides Cyclone Relief in Bangladesh
By Cpl. Peter R. Miller, USMCSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - In response to a request for help from the government of Bangladesh, elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked aboard USS Kearsarge traveled about 3,500 miles from the Sea of Bengal and are providing disaster relief to the cyclone-stricken country. On Nov. 15, Tropical Cyclone Sidr ripped across the coast of Bangladesh, killing more than 3,000 people, leaving several hundred thousand people homeless, and ravaging the local crops and infrastructure.
On Nov. 23, the MEU's relief effort began with the delivery of 700 gallons of bottled water to a small airfield in Barisal, Bangladesh.
"Today's mission was essentially a humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, mission to start providing the necessary materials," said Capt. Andrew M. Traynor, a CH-46E Sea Knight pilot with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261, who flew in the day's mission.
As the helicopters hovered over the airfield, children clad in colorful clothing watched and waved from a nearby roadside. Bangladeshi soldiers lined the tarmac until Nix greeted them and led them back to the aircraft.
"We got out there and said, 'Hey, this is what we need,'" said Nix. "I think they were just hesitant to jump right in because they didn't want to offend us."
The wary stares of the Bangladeshi soldiers quickly evolved into friendly embraces as they crowded around the rear of the aircraft to shake hands and chat with their visitors. They were soon working with the Marines to unload the water.
"We worked together, and the language barrier wasn't a problem," said Traynor. "The offload went very smoothly and quickly. It's all about the team, because that's how we work."
The crew chiefs did an excellent job by taking the lead and getting the water out of the aircraft, Traynor said.
"It was pretty cool," said Sgt. Mickael S. Clemann, a CH-46 crew chief, and Brandon, Fla., native. "A lot of the (Bangladeshi) soldiers smiled and showed what I'm guessing is their gesture of thank you, where they put their hand on their chest and bring it toward you."
The sight of two militaries, unfamiliar with each other, coming together was one of the most impressive things Nix had ever seen, he said.
"It was good to see those guys with smiles on their faces, even though they've lost some of their countrymen," said Nix. "It's good to be able to help them out."
(Marine Cpl. Peter R. Miller serves with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.)
Middle East Conference Won't Disrupt Naval Academy Classes
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., will operate pretty much business as usual tomorrow as national leaders gather there for the U.S.-sponsored international Middle East conference, academy officials said today. Normal class schedules will resume as usual, although some classes are likely to monitor news coverage of The Annapolis Conference, Deborah Goode, an academy spokeswoman, told American Forces Press Service.
The biggest signs of top-level discussions taking place at the academy will be a the closing of a few local roads and the academy grounds to general visitors today and tomorrow, officials said. In addition, some academy facilities will be restricted during the course of the meetings.
Navy Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler, academy superintendent, called it a privilege to host the conference, to which 49 nations, organizations and individuals have been invited. "We are honored that the Naval Academy has been chosen as the setting for the Annapolis Conference," he said.
Participants will include President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a Nov. 20 State Department briefing.
Also scheduled to participate will be "the Quartet," made up of the United Nations, European Union, Russia and the United States; as well as members of the Arab League Follow-on Committee, the Group of Eight major industrialized nations, permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, and other key international officials, McCormack said.
Bush will deliver remarks to participants at a dinner to be hosted tonight in Washington by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Tomorrow in Annapolis, Bush and the Israeli and Palestinian leaders are slated to deliver speeches formally opening the conference.
"The Annapolis Conference will signal broad international support for the Israeli and Palestinian leaders' courageous efforts and will be a launching point for negotiations leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state and the realization of Israeli-Palestinian peace," McCormack said.
Olmert, who met with Bush yesterday at the White House, expressed hope that the conference "will launch a serious process of negotiations between us and the Palestinians."
"This will be a bilateral process, but the international support is very important for us," he said, thanking Bush and Rice for making the conference possible. The goal, he said, is "to come to this point where from we and the Palestinians will seek together, in Jerusalem, and work out something that will be very good to create a great hope for our peoples."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., will operate pretty much business as usual tomorrow as national leaders gather there for the U.S.-sponsored international Middle East conference, academy officials said today. Normal class schedules will resume as usual, although some classes are likely to monitor news coverage of The Annapolis Conference, Deborah Goode, an academy spokeswoman, told American Forces Press Service.
The biggest signs of top-level discussions taking place at the academy will be a the closing of a few local roads and the academy grounds to general visitors today and tomorrow, officials said. In addition, some academy facilities will be restricted during the course of the meetings.
Navy Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler, academy superintendent, called it a privilege to host the conference, to which 49 nations, organizations and individuals have been invited. "We are honored that the Naval Academy has been chosen as the setting for the Annapolis Conference," he said.
Participants will include President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a Nov. 20 State Department briefing.
Also scheduled to participate will be "the Quartet," made up of the United Nations, European Union, Russia and the United States; as well as members of the Arab League Follow-on Committee, the Group of Eight major industrialized nations, permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, and other key international officials, McCormack said.
Bush will deliver remarks to participants at a dinner to be hosted tonight in Washington by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Tomorrow in Annapolis, Bush and the Israeli and Palestinian leaders are slated to deliver speeches formally opening the conference.
"The Annapolis Conference will signal broad international support for the Israeli and Palestinian leaders' courageous efforts and will be a launching point for negotiations leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state and the realization of Israeli-Palestinian peace," McCormack said.
Olmert, who met with Bush yesterday at the White House, expressed hope that the conference "will launch a serious process of negotiations between us and the Palestinians."
"This will be a bilateral process, but the international support is very important for us," he said, thanking Bush and Rice for making the conference possible. The goal, he said, is "to come to this point where from we and the Palestinians will seek together, in Jerusalem, and work out something that will be very good to create a great hope for our peoples."
Group Helps Vets by Helping Caregivers
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - A Texas-based group is working to give caregivers of war wounded and military spouses the support they need as they transition from the military community to the civilian sector. "Our goal is to empower achievement, independence, and the assurance of renewed hope," said Tania Mercurio, an Air Force spouse who serves as executive director of Operation Life Transformed.
In working to help every caregiver or military spouse achieve that goal, the group provides virtual or classroom training and education. The training programs allow better job marketability and retention, Mercurio said.
The training focuses on fields that are flexible enough to accommodate the sometimes unpredictable schedule of the target audience. Medical transcription, for example, is 80 percent outsourced, she said.
Kimberly Ryusaki Marrerro, another executive director of Operation Life Transformed and a Navy spouse, said these types of positions work well for caregivers or military spouses.
"We have a talented, untapped pool of resources that needs temporary work," she said. "Operation Life Transformed works with the caregiver and corporation to provide temporary placement while the caregiver is supporting the injured at a medical facility."
Being able to find temporary employment while helping a wounded servicemember recover can help ensure the family's economic stability, Marrero said.
The organization, which has won the Newman's Own Award for excellence and innovation within the military community, has recently become a supporter of America Supports You.
America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
The credibility the affiliation provides groups like Operation Life Transformed in the military community is priceless, said Colleen Saffron, another executive director of Operation Life Transformed and an Army spouse.
She also hopes it will help the group network with complementary organizations.
"Operation Life Transformed realizes that no one group can meet all of the needs of all of these families, so it seeks to create partnerships with other organizations in order to create a network of support for our military families during this tumultuous time in our nation's history," Saffron said. "When someone comes to us needing help that's not part of our mission, we (want to be) able to send them to other organizations within our network that can help them."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - A Texas-based group is working to give caregivers of war wounded and military spouses the support they need as they transition from the military community to the civilian sector. "Our goal is to empower achievement, independence, and the assurance of renewed hope," said Tania Mercurio, an Air Force spouse who serves as executive director of Operation Life Transformed.
In working to help every caregiver or military spouse achieve that goal, the group provides virtual or classroom training and education. The training programs allow better job marketability and retention, Mercurio said.
The training focuses on fields that are flexible enough to accommodate the sometimes unpredictable schedule of the target audience. Medical transcription, for example, is 80 percent outsourced, she said.
Kimberly Ryusaki Marrerro, another executive director of Operation Life Transformed and a Navy spouse, said these types of positions work well for caregivers or military spouses.
"We have a talented, untapped pool of resources that needs temporary work," she said. "Operation Life Transformed works with the caregiver and corporation to provide temporary placement while the caregiver is supporting the injured at a medical facility."
Being able to find temporary employment while helping a wounded servicemember recover can help ensure the family's economic stability, Marrero said.
The organization, which has won the Newman's Own Award for excellence and innovation within the military community, has recently become a supporter of America Supports You.
America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.
The credibility the affiliation provides groups like Operation Life Transformed in the military community is priceless, said Colleen Saffron, another executive director of Operation Life Transformed and an Army spouse.
She also hopes it will help the group network with complementary organizations.
"Operation Life Transformed realizes that no one group can meet all of the needs of all of these families, so it seeks to create partnerships with other organizations in order to create a network of support for our military families during this tumultuous time in our nation's history," Saffron said. "When someone comes to us needing help that's not part of our mission, we (want to be) able to send them to other organizations within our network that can help them."
Monday, November 26, 2007
Officials Explain Recoupment Policy for Wounded Troops
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - If you are wounded in combat and discharged as a result, you will not have to pay back your enlistment bonus, Defense Department officials said here today. "Bonuses are not recouped simply for one's inability to complete an enlistment or re-enlistment agreement through no fault of the military member," a policy statement said.
Pentagon officials re-stated their policy after a wounded soldier in Pennsylvania received a bill from the Army. Jordan Fox was a private first class in Baqouba, Iraq, when he was wounded in the explosion of an improvised explosive device. Fox was partially blinded in his right eye and suffered a back injury when the bomb went off in May.
Fox was medically discharged and went home to his town near Pittsburgh. The Army sent him a letter asking him to repay $2,800 of his $7,500 enlistment bonus. He received a second letter telling him the Army would charge interest if he didn't make a payment within 30 days.
"Department policy prohibits recoupment when it would be contrary to equity and good conscience, or would be contrary to the nation's interests," according to the Defense Department policy statement. "Those circumstances include, for example, an inability to complete a service agreement because of illness, injury, disability, or other impairment that did not clearly result from misconduct."
Department policy on recoupment also establishes that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, the secretaries of the military departments "shall remit or cancel any and all theater debt incurred by military members who were medically evacuated from a combat zone due to injury or illness, except in the event of clear misconduct."
Army officials said Fox will not be required to pay back any enlistment money he received. "By all accounts, his case seems to be an isolated one," Army officials said. Anyone who does have an issue can call the Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline at 1-800-984-8523.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - If you are wounded in combat and discharged as a result, you will not have to pay back your enlistment bonus, Defense Department officials said here today. "Bonuses are not recouped simply for one's inability to complete an enlistment or re-enlistment agreement through no fault of the military member," a policy statement said.
Pentagon officials re-stated their policy after a wounded soldier in Pennsylvania received a bill from the Army. Jordan Fox was a private first class in Baqouba, Iraq, when he was wounded in the explosion of an improvised explosive device. Fox was partially blinded in his right eye and suffered a back injury when the bomb went off in May.
Fox was medically discharged and went home to his town near Pittsburgh. The Army sent him a letter asking him to repay $2,800 of his $7,500 enlistment bonus. He received a second letter telling him the Army would charge interest if he didn't make a payment within 30 days.
"Department policy prohibits recoupment when it would be contrary to equity and good conscience, or would be contrary to the nation's interests," according to the Defense Department policy statement. "Those circumstances include, for example, an inability to complete a service agreement because of illness, injury, disability, or other impairment that did not clearly result from misconduct."
Department policy on recoupment also establishes that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, the secretaries of the military departments "shall remit or cancel any and all theater debt incurred by military members who were medically evacuated from a combat zone due to injury or illness, except in the event of clear misconduct."
Army officials said Fox will not be required to pay back any enlistment money he received. "By all accounts, his case seems to be an isolated one," Army officials said. Anyone who does have an issue can call the Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline at 1-800-984-8523.
Gates Urges More Emphasis, Funding for All Aspects of National Power
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called today for the United States to strengthen all elements of its national power – the "soft" power as well as "hard" military might -- to faces challenges in Iraq and Afghanistan and others it will confront in the future. "My message today is not about the defense budget or military power," Gates said during a Landon Lecture speech at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan.
"My message is that if we are to meet the myriad challenges around the world in the coming decades, this country must strengthen other important elements of national power both institutionally and financially, and create the capability to integrate and apply all of the elements of national power to problems and challenges abroad.
"In short," Gates told the attendees, "I am here to make the case for strengthening our capacity to use 'soft' power and for better integrating it with 'hard' power."
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have demonstrated that military success alone isn't enough to win, the secretary said. He noted the long list of other critical elements: economic development, institution-building and the rule of law, internal reconciliation, good governance, basic services for the people, trained and equipped indigenous military and police forces, strategic communications and more.
"These, along with security, are essential ingredients for long-term success," Gates said.
The secretary cited important lessons learned from the U.S. experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the decisive role reconstruction, development and governance have played in the successes taking place there.
The Defense Department has taken on many of these efforts, but Gates urged better resourcing for civilian agencies so they can take the lead.
"Forced by circumstances, our brave men and women in uniform have stepped up to the task, with field artillerymen and tankers building schools and mentoring city councils – usually in a language they don't speak," he said. "They have done an admirable job."
The armed forces will need to institutionalize and retain these non-traditional capabilities, he said. "But there is no replacement for the real thing: civilian involvement and expertise."
Gates pointed to the example of provincial reconstruction teams and the successes they have demonstrated in Afghanistan, and more recently, in Iraq. These teams are designed to bring in civilians with experience in agricultural, governance and other aspects of development to work alongside the military to improve the local population's lives.
This initiative, "a key tenet of any counterinsurgency effort," is paying off in a big way, the secretary said. "Where (PRTs) are on the ground, even in small numbers, we have seen tangible and often dramatic changes," he said. He noted that an Army brigade commander in Baghdad called the embedded PRTs "pivotal" in getting Iraqis in his sector to better manage their affairs.
"We also have increased our effectiveness by joining with organizations and people outside the government – untapped resources with tremendous potential," he said. He noted a broad range of civilian experts who have supported rebuilding efforts: anthropologists, agricultural experts and veterinarians among them.
"I have been heartened by the works of individuals and groups like these," Gates said. "But I am concerned that we need even more civilians involved in the effort, and that our efforts must be better integrated. And I remain concerned that we have yet to create any permanent capability or institutions to rapidly create and deploy these kinds of skills in the future."
Gates repeated President Bush's call during his 2007 State of the Union Address for the country to develop a permanent, sizeable cadre of experts with disparate skills that can be deployed immediately when it's needed.
The State Department is working on its initiative to build a civilian response corps, but Gates said the need goes even deeper. "We also need new thinking about how to integrate our government's capabilities in these areas, and then how to integrate government capabilities with those in the private sector, in universities, in other non-governmental organizations, with the capabilities of our allies and friends," he said.
Also to be considered, he said, are the emerging capabilities of those the United States is working to help.
For these efforts to succeed, Gates said, there's a desperate need for better funding for the programs that support them.
"Funding for non-military foreign-affairs programs has increased since 2001, but remains disproportionately small relative to what we spend on the military and to the importance of such capabilities," he said. He noted that the State Department's entire foreign affairs budget request for fiscal 2008 is $36 billion, less than what the Pentagon spends on health care.
With military spending at 4 percent of gross domestic product – below historic norms and well below previous wartime periods – there's no similar benchmark for other departments and institutions, he said.
"What is clear to me is that there is a need for a dramatic increase in spending on the civilian instruments of national security: diplomacy, strategic communications, foreign assistance, civic action and economic reconstruction and development,' he said. "We must focus our energies beyond the guns and steels of the military, beyond our brave soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen We must also focus our energies on all the other elements of national power that will be so critical in the years to come."
Gates acknowledged it's unusual for a defense secretary to travel halfway across the country to make a pitch to increase the budgets of other agencies. But he emphasized that military leaders recognize the important role civilian experts play in U.S. national defense, and that success in those arenas could reduce the demands placed on the military.
"After all, civilian participation is both necessary to making military operations successful and to relieving stress on the men and women of our armed services who have endured so much these last few years, and done so with such unflagging bravery and devotion," he said.
"Indeed, having robust civilian capabilities available could make it less likely that military force will have to be used in the first place, as local problems might be dealt with before they become crises."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called today for the United States to strengthen all elements of its national power – the "soft" power as well as "hard" military might -- to faces challenges in Iraq and Afghanistan and others it will confront in the future. "My message today is not about the defense budget or military power," Gates said during a Landon Lecture speech at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan.
"My message is that if we are to meet the myriad challenges around the world in the coming decades, this country must strengthen other important elements of national power both institutionally and financially, and create the capability to integrate and apply all of the elements of national power to problems and challenges abroad.
"In short," Gates told the attendees, "I am here to make the case for strengthening our capacity to use 'soft' power and for better integrating it with 'hard' power."
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have demonstrated that military success alone isn't enough to win, the secretary said. He noted the long list of other critical elements: economic development, institution-building and the rule of law, internal reconciliation, good governance, basic services for the people, trained and equipped indigenous military and police forces, strategic communications and more.
"These, along with security, are essential ingredients for long-term success," Gates said.
The secretary cited important lessons learned from the U.S. experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the decisive role reconstruction, development and governance have played in the successes taking place there.
The Defense Department has taken on many of these efforts, but Gates urged better resourcing for civilian agencies so they can take the lead.
"Forced by circumstances, our brave men and women in uniform have stepped up to the task, with field artillerymen and tankers building schools and mentoring city councils – usually in a language they don't speak," he said. "They have done an admirable job."
The armed forces will need to institutionalize and retain these non-traditional capabilities, he said. "But there is no replacement for the real thing: civilian involvement and expertise."
Gates pointed to the example of provincial reconstruction teams and the successes they have demonstrated in Afghanistan, and more recently, in Iraq. These teams are designed to bring in civilians with experience in agricultural, governance and other aspects of development to work alongside the military to improve the local population's lives.
This initiative, "a key tenet of any counterinsurgency effort," is paying off in a big way, the secretary said. "Where (PRTs) are on the ground, even in small numbers, we have seen tangible and often dramatic changes," he said. He noted that an Army brigade commander in Baghdad called the embedded PRTs "pivotal" in getting Iraqis in his sector to better manage their affairs.
"We also have increased our effectiveness by joining with organizations and people outside the government – untapped resources with tremendous potential," he said. He noted a broad range of civilian experts who have supported rebuilding efforts: anthropologists, agricultural experts and veterinarians among them.
"I have been heartened by the works of individuals and groups like these," Gates said. "But I am concerned that we need even more civilians involved in the effort, and that our efforts must be better integrated. And I remain concerned that we have yet to create any permanent capability or institutions to rapidly create and deploy these kinds of skills in the future."
Gates repeated President Bush's call during his 2007 State of the Union Address for the country to develop a permanent, sizeable cadre of experts with disparate skills that can be deployed immediately when it's needed.
The State Department is working on its initiative to build a civilian response corps, but Gates said the need goes even deeper. "We also need new thinking about how to integrate our government's capabilities in these areas, and then how to integrate government capabilities with those in the private sector, in universities, in other non-governmental organizations, with the capabilities of our allies and friends," he said.
Also to be considered, he said, are the emerging capabilities of those the United States is working to help.
For these efforts to succeed, Gates said, there's a desperate need for better funding for the programs that support them.
"Funding for non-military foreign-affairs programs has increased since 2001, but remains disproportionately small relative to what we spend on the military and to the importance of such capabilities," he said. He noted that the State Department's entire foreign affairs budget request for fiscal 2008 is $36 billion, less than what the Pentagon spends on health care.
With military spending at 4 percent of gross domestic product – below historic norms and well below previous wartime periods – there's no similar benchmark for other departments and institutions, he said.
"What is clear to me is that there is a need for a dramatic increase in spending on the civilian instruments of national security: diplomacy, strategic communications, foreign assistance, civic action and economic reconstruction and development,' he said. "We must focus our energies beyond the guns and steels of the military, beyond our brave soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen We must also focus our energies on all the other elements of national power that will be so critical in the years to come."
Gates acknowledged it's unusual for a defense secretary to travel halfway across the country to make a pitch to increase the budgets of other agencies. But he emphasized that military leaders recognize the important role civilian experts play in U.S. national defense, and that success in those arenas could reduce the demands placed on the military.
"After all, civilian participation is both necessary to making military operations successful and to relieving stress on the men and women of our armed services who have endured so much these last few years, and done so with such unflagging bravery and devotion," he said.
"Indeed, having robust civilian capabilities available could make it less likely that military force will have to be used in the first place, as local problems might be dealt with before they become crises."
International Pressure Best Response to Iranian Threat, Gates Says
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - The best way to confront Iran's nuclear weapons program is through international diplomatic pressure, and military force should remain a last resort, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today at Kansas State University. Gates told participants in the Landon Lecture series in Manhattan, Kan., he supports diplomatic pressure to get Iran to abandon its nuclear efforts.
"We are engaged in diplomacy with Iran," he said. "More importantly, we are engaged in diplomacy with a number of countries around the world and trying to secure their support for economic sanctions to bring pressure on the Iranian government to resolve this nuclear problem in a peaceful way."
Gates noted that most countries in the world, and all members of the U.N. Security Council, have called on the Iranians to halt.
Only if the Iranian leadership shows some indication it's willing to budge would higher-level meetings be appropriate, he said. "The administration has made clear that it is prepared to have broader dialog if (the Iranians) make commitments to stop enriching," he said.
As the United States works with other countries around the world to address threats posed by Iran and elsewhere, Gates said he's been pleased to see a shift in any anti-American sentiment that may have existed.
In his travels to 40 to 45 countries during his 11 months as defense secretary, Gates said, he "didn't run into a single one that does not want to work with the United States and does not want a better relationship with the United States." That included visits to Russia and China.
He pointed to shifts in both the French and German governments. "The new French president is amazingly pro-American and is looking for ways to cooperate with us," he said. "The German government of Angela Merkel is very different from the government of her predecessors."
Gates pointed to broad interest in the U.S.-sponsored Annapolis Conference, which begins today, as another positive sign that nations of the world want to work with the United States.
"If you look at the number of Arab countries that have come to the Annapolis Conference, including Syria, I think it indicates the continuing and ensuring strength of our democracy," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - The best way to confront Iran's nuclear weapons program is through international diplomatic pressure, and military force should remain a last resort, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today at Kansas State University. Gates told participants in the Landon Lecture series in Manhattan, Kan., he supports diplomatic pressure to get Iran to abandon its nuclear efforts.
"We are engaged in diplomacy with Iran," he said. "More importantly, we are engaged in diplomacy with a number of countries around the world and trying to secure their support for economic sanctions to bring pressure on the Iranian government to resolve this nuclear problem in a peaceful way."
Gates noted that most countries in the world, and all members of the U.N. Security Council, have called on the Iranians to halt.
Only if the Iranian leadership shows some indication it's willing to budge would higher-level meetings be appropriate, he said. "The administration has made clear that it is prepared to have broader dialog if (the Iranians) make commitments to stop enriching," he said.
As the United States works with other countries around the world to address threats posed by Iran and elsewhere, Gates said he's been pleased to see a shift in any anti-American sentiment that may have existed.
In his travels to 40 to 45 countries during his 11 months as defense secretary, Gates said, he "didn't run into a single one that does not want to work with the United States and does not want a better relationship with the United States." That included visits to Russia and China.
He pointed to shifts in both the French and German governments. "The new French president is amazingly pro-American and is looking for ways to cooperate with us," he said. "The German government of Angela Merkel is very different from the government of her predecessors."
Gates pointed to broad interest in the U.S.-sponsored Annapolis Conference, which begins today, as another positive sign that nations of the world want to work with the United States.
"If you look at the number of Arab countries that have come to the Annapolis Conference, including Syria, I think it indicates the continuing and ensuring strength of our democracy," he said.
Alaska Guard Conducts Operation Santa Claus
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - The Alaska National Guard is bringing Christmas a month early to children in remote Alaskan villages, some whom might otherwise not get to see a Santa Claus or receive a holiday gift. The Guardsmen from the 144th Airlift Squadron are slated to fly a C-130 Hercules aircraft from Kulis Air National Guard Base to Kotlik, Alaska, tomorrow for the third and last major Operation Santa Claus flight of the season, said Kalei Brooks, a spokeswoman for Alaska's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
The airmen will carry Santa and Mrs. Claus and other community and business volunteers and join them in distributing toys, clothing, books, school supplies and holiday spirit to local residents. They'll also help serve up a feast of turkey, mashed potatoes and green beans, as well as ice cream sundaes donated by the Tastee-Freez company.
The Alaska National Guard has conducted Operation Santa Claus since 1956 to bring holiday cheer to children and families in remote villages across the state.
That year, spring floods devastated the fishing season, and a drought wiped out much of the wildlife hunters and trappers would normally have gathered, Brooks said. Nuns at a mission in St. Mary's, Alaska, worried that as they used all the money they had to ship in food for their orphanage, nothing would be left to buy gifts for the children.
A letter from one of the nuns found its way to the Alaska Air National Guard's 144th Airlift Squadron in Anchorage and gave birth to Operation Santa Claus. Since then, the effort has branched out to reach different remote villages every year. Last year, the Guard observed the program's 50th anniversary by returning to St. Mary's, among other villages.
The Alaska Guard and its elves kicked off this season's Operation Santa Claus Nov. 3 by flying two C-130s loaded with volunteer elves and goodies to Wainwright. The town, about 70 miles southwest of Barrow, has fewer than 600 residents. They flew another Operation Santa Claus flight Nov. 13 to Togiak, a village of just over 800 people at the head of Togiak Bay.
While the Alaska Air National Guard flies C-130 missions, the Army National Guard participates in Operation Santa Claus, too, delivering goodies to local communities via UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, said Air Force Capt. Guy Hayes, the Alaska Guard's chief of public affairs.
To ensure there's a big supply of gifts to deliver, the Operation Santa Claus elves collect donations year-round. "A lot of hard work and a lot of volunteers go into this project," she said. "It's a year-round effort."
Volunteers go through lost-and-found boxes after the school year ends and get items professionally cleaned. They scour their local communities for books to donate, and collect donations from local organizations and businesses to distribute, she said.
Even gifts as simple as fresh fruit and bottled water are received in the villages with open arms. "Things like that are very expensive in remote Alaskan villages," she said. "So getting them is a treat."
Brooks, who plans to take part in tomorrow's flight for her fourth consecutive year supporting Operation Santa Claus, said it's gratifying to bring the holiday spirit to villagers who might otherwise go without a celebration.
"It's a way of showing that we as an organization – the Alaska National Guard – really do care about the community as a whole," she said. "We all want to get out there and integrate with the community and help our fellow Alaskans."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 26, 2007 - The Alaska National Guard is bringing Christmas a month early to children in remote Alaskan villages, some whom might otherwise not get to see a Santa Claus or receive a holiday gift. The Guardsmen from the 144th Airlift Squadron are slated to fly a C-130 Hercules aircraft from Kulis Air National Guard Base to Kotlik, Alaska, tomorrow for the third and last major Operation Santa Claus flight of the season, said Kalei Brooks, a spokeswoman for Alaska's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
The airmen will carry Santa and Mrs. Claus and other community and business volunteers and join them in distributing toys, clothing, books, school supplies and holiday spirit to local residents. They'll also help serve up a feast of turkey, mashed potatoes and green beans, as well as ice cream sundaes donated by the Tastee-Freez company.
The Alaska National Guard has conducted Operation Santa Claus since 1956 to bring holiday cheer to children and families in remote villages across the state.
That year, spring floods devastated the fishing season, and a drought wiped out much of the wildlife hunters and trappers would normally have gathered, Brooks said. Nuns at a mission in St. Mary's, Alaska, worried that as they used all the money they had to ship in food for their orphanage, nothing would be left to buy gifts for the children.
A letter from one of the nuns found its way to the Alaska Air National Guard's 144th Airlift Squadron in Anchorage and gave birth to Operation Santa Claus. Since then, the effort has branched out to reach different remote villages every year. Last year, the Guard observed the program's 50th anniversary by returning to St. Mary's, among other villages.
The Alaska Guard and its elves kicked off this season's Operation Santa Claus Nov. 3 by flying two C-130s loaded with volunteer elves and goodies to Wainwright. The town, about 70 miles southwest of Barrow, has fewer than 600 residents. They flew another Operation Santa Claus flight Nov. 13 to Togiak, a village of just over 800 people at the head of Togiak Bay.
While the Alaska Air National Guard flies C-130 missions, the Army National Guard participates in Operation Santa Claus, too, delivering goodies to local communities via UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, said Air Force Capt. Guy Hayes, the Alaska Guard's chief of public affairs.
To ensure there's a big supply of gifts to deliver, the Operation Santa Claus elves collect donations year-round. "A lot of hard work and a lot of volunteers go into this project," she said. "It's a year-round effort."
Volunteers go through lost-and-found boxes after the school year ends and get items professionally cleaned. They scour their local communities for books to donate, and collect donations from local organizations and businesses to distribute, she said.
Even gifts as simple as fresh fruit and bottled water are received in the villages with open arms. "Things like that are very expensive in remote Alaskan villages," she said. "So getting them is a treat."
Brooks, who plans to take part in tomorrow's flight for her fourth consecutive year supporting Operation Santa Claus, said it's gratifying to bring the holiday spirit to villagers who might otherwise go without a celebration.
"It's a way of showing that we as an organization – the Alaska National Guard – really do care about the community as a whole," she said. "We all want to get out there and integrate with the community and help our fellow Alaskans."
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Bush Asks Americans to Remember Troops During Thanksgiving
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 25, 2007 - President Bush spoke of the history of Thanksgiving during his weekly radio address yesterday, and called for Americans to remember – and be thankful for – thousands of American servicemembers literally on the front lines of freedom. The Thanksgiving holiday is a time of family and friends and when Americans give thanks for their freedoms, Bush said.
"Throughout our history, Americans have always taken time to give thanks for all those whose sacrifices protect and strengthen our nation," he said. "We continue that tradition today – and we give thanks for a new generation of patriots who are defending our liberty around the world."
The Thanksgiving tradition has assumed more importance during a time of war, the president said. The Continental Congress proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving every year during the Revolutionary War. President George Washington issued a proclamation calling for a day of "publick prayer and thanksgiving" in 1789.
"We remember Abraham Lincoln, who revived the Thanksgiving tradition in the midst of a terrible civil war," Bush said. Lincoln urged in his 1863 proclamation that Americans remember the fallen, as well as "widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged."
The Lincoln proclamation came too late in 1863 to make it a special holiday for Union soldiers, sailors and Marines. But in 1864, Americans rallied to the idea of providing a special feast for those battling against slavery.
The Union League Club of New York City called on Americans to donate money or food to be delivered to Union servicemembers as "tangible evidence that those for whom he is periling his life, remember him."
In three weeks, the club collected over $57,000 toward the purchase of 146,586 pounds of poultry. It also received donations of an additional 225,000 pounds of poultry, along with an enormous quantity of other meat, cakes, gingerbread, pickles, apples, vegetables, cheese and mince pies.
The soldiers often didn't have the appliances to cook the donated food items. According to Army Capt. George F. Noyes, the men of the Army of the Shenandoah broiled or stewed their turkeys. "But everyone seemed fully satisfied, and appreciated the significance of this sympathetic thank-offering from the loyal North," Noyes wrote. "One soldier said to me, 'It isn't the turkey, but the idea that we care for,' and he thus struck the keynote of the whole festival."
American fighting forces went on to observe Thanksgiving on the Marne in France during World War I, at the Anzio beachhead in Italy during World War II, north of Pyongyang during the Lkorean War and in the Ia Drang Valley during Vietnam.
Today that tradition continues with Americans who serve in places like Jallalabad, Afghanistan, in and around Baghdad, aboard ships in the Persian Gulf and still in Germany, Korea and Japan.
"We are grateful to all our men and women in uniform who are spending this holiday weekend far from their families," Bush said. "We keep them in our thoughts and prayers. And we especially remember those who have given their lives in our nation's defense.
The president spoke of the sacrifice of Navy Lt. Michael Murphy, who died defending his fellow Navy SEALs in June 2005. "Michael was conducting surveillance on a mountain ridge in Afghanistan, when his four-man SEAL team was surrounded by a much larger enemy force," Bush said. "Their only escape was down the side of the mountain. The SEALs launched a valiant counterattack while cascading from cliff to cliff. But as the enemy closed in, Michael recognized that the survival of his men depended on calling back to base for reinforcements.
"With complete disregard for his own life, Michael Murphy moved into a clearing where he could get a signal. As he made the call, Michael fell under heavy fire. Though severely wounded, he said 'thank you' before signing off, and returned to the fight."
Murphy's actions cost him his life and earned him the Medal of Honor.
"This weekend, we give thanks for the blessings of young Americans like Lieutenant Michael Murphy, who risk their own lives to keep us safe," Bush said.
The president called on Americans to remember the heroes among us – servicemembers, police, firefighters, volunteers and others who serve a cause larger than themselves.
"While we were enjoying our Thanksgiving turkeys, tens of thousands of these men and women were on the job – keeping their fellow citizens safe and bringing hope and compassion to our brothers and sisters in need," he said. "And their sacrifice reminds us that the true strength of our nation is the goodness and decency of our people."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 25, 2007 - President Bush spoke of the history of Thanksgiving during his weekly radio address yesterday, and called for Americans to remember – and be thankful for – thousands of American servicemembers literally on the front lines of freedom. The Thanksgiving holiday is a time of family and friends and when Americans give thanks for their freedoms, Bush said.
"Throughout our history, Americans have always taken time to give thanks for all those whose sacrifices protect and strengthen our nation," he said. "We continue that tradition today – and we give thanks for a new generation of patriots who are defending our liberty around the world."
The Thanksgiving tradition has assumed more importance during a time of war, the president said. The Continental Congress proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving every year during the Revolutionary War. President George Washington issued a proclamation calling for a day of "publick prayer and thanksgiving" in 1789.
"We remember Abraham Lincoln, who revived the Thanksgiving tradition in the midst of a terrible civil war," Bush said. Lincoln urged in his 1863 proclamation that Americans remember the fallen, as well as "widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged."
The Lincoln proclamation came too late in 1863 to make it a special holiday for Union soldiers, sailors and Marines. But in 1864, Americans rallied to the idea of providing a special feast for those battling against slavery.
The Union League Club of New York City called on Americans to donate money or food to be delivered to Union servicemembers as "tangible evidence that those for whom he is periling his life, remember him."
In three weeks, the club collected over $57,000 toward the purchase of 146,586 pounds of poultry. It also received donations of an additional 225,000 pounds of poultry, along with an enormous quantity of other meat, cakes, gingerbread, pickles, apples, vegetables, cheese and mince pies.
The soldiers often didn't have the appliances to cook the donated food items. According to Army Capt. George F. Noyes, the men of the Army of the Shenandoah broiled or stewed their turkeys. "But everyone seemed fully satisfied, and appreciated the significance of this sympathetic thank-offering from the loyal North," Noyes wrote. "One soldier said to me, 'It isn't the turkey, but the idea that we care for,' and he thus struck the keynote of the whole festival."
American fighting forces went on to observe Thanksgiving on the Marne in France during World War I, at the Anzio beachhead in Italy during World War II, north of Pyongyang during the Lkorean War and in the Ia Drang Valley during Vietnam.
Today that tradition continues with Americans who serve in places like Jallalabad, Afghanistan, in and around Baghdad, aboard ships in the Persian Gulf and still in Germany, Korea and Japan.
"We are grateful to all our men and women in uniform who are spending this holiday weekend far from their families," Bush said. "We keep them in our thoughts and prayers. And we especially remember those who have given their lives in our nation's defense.
The president spoke of the sacrifice of Navy Lt. Michael Murphy, who died defending his fellow Navy SEALs in June 2005. "Michael was conducting surveillance on a mountain ridge in Afghanistan, when his four-man SEAL team was surrounded by a much larger enemy force," Bush said. "Their only escape was down the side of the mountain. The SEALs launched a valiant counterattack while cascading from cliff to cliff. But as the enemy closed in, Michael recognized that the survival of his men depended on calling back to base for reinforcements.
"With complete disregard for his own life, Michael Murphy moved into a clearing where he could get a signal. As he made the call, Michael fell under heavy fire. Though severely wounded, he said 'thank you' before signing off, and returned to the fight."
Murphy's actions cost him his life and earned him the Medal of Honor.
"This weekend, we give thanks for the blessings of young Americans like Lieutenant Michael Murphy, who risk their own lives to keep us safe," Bush said.
The president called on Americans to remember the heroes among us – servicemembers, police, firefighters, volunteers and others who serve a cause larger than themselves.
"While we were enjoying our Thanksgiving turkeys, tens of thousands of these men and women were on the job – keeping their fellow citizens safe and bringing hope and compassion to our brothers and sisters in need," he said. "And their sacrifice reminds us that the true strength of our nation is the goodness and decency of our people."
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