By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 14, 2007 - Staten Island residents are getting a little help sending mail to servicemembers these days thanks to a local troop-support group. Staten Island Project Homefront Inc. in the New York City borough has set up a "Postage Due" account for those sending mail to troops from the community's main post office, its executive director said.
"Our main effort is to send items to our military," John T. Semich said. "We also help families by supplying postage (for Staten Island residents to send packages) to the combat zones."
The project's volunteers focus on packing up special-request items and shipping them off to servicemembers, he said. Those items have included global positioning systems, camp showers, metal detectors, and food items.
"We mail every six weeks to the troops we have registered," Semich said. "Residents of Staten Island can mail out any time, and we (cover the cost.)"
Though the project focuses on getting requested items to the troops, it also acts as a support organization for families of deployed soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen and Marines if requests for assistance are within the group's capabilities.
The group, which was started by three veterans and an attorney, has grown to include many military family members. In fact, the project's chief financial officer is a Coast Guardsman, and the people who handle shipping and outreach both have sons in the military, Semich said.
"We have spouses and family members join us all the time, and they form their own sort of support group to handle stress," he said. "(It's) a side benefit I did not expect, but recognize and like."
The project recently became 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.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Why We Serve: Lieutenant Proudly Carries On Family's Legacy of Service
By Sgt. Sara Moore, USA
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 14, 2007 - Six members from three generations of Tabitha White's family have served in the military, so her service in the Marine Corps is a point of pride she takes seriously. "I consider it a privilege to be an American, and I realize we have many freedoms and liberties that other countries are not afforded," the Marine lieutenant said. "I wanted to take part in protecting these liberties and freedoms and my family and other American citizens who can't or won't serve."
White is one of 10 servicemembers selected to tell the military's story to the American public at community and business events, veterans organizations and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
White, who was raised in Meridian, Miss., joined the Marine Corps four and a half years ago and now serves as an air defense control officer in Cherry Point, N.C. She deployed to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, from January to August this year, where she served as an airspace cell coordinator and the squadron command historian.
White is currently deciding whether to stay in the military when her service contract expires next year, but she said her service has been rewarding and valuable. "All of my experiences have developed and matured me as an individual, and I am thankful for every one that I have had in the military," she said. "The highlight has been all of the people I have had the opportunity to meet."
Sharing her story with those people is what White said she likes about the Why We Serve program. She has participated in 28 speaking engagements and said she has seen that the public wants to hear personal stories of men and women serving in the military.
"I can bring my story to many children and young adults in a form that they can understand," White said, adding that her background in education helps her in this area. White holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education with an emphasis in reading and math.
The Why We Serve program began in fall 2006 and was originally the idea of then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. White and the other nine servicemembers in her group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 14, 2007 - Six members from three generations of Tabitha White's family have served in the military, so her service in the Marine Corps is a point of pride she takes seriously. "I consider it a privilege to be an American, and I realize we have many freedoms and liberties that other countries are not afforded," the Marine lieutenant said. "I wanted to take part in protecting these liberties and freedoms and my family and other American citizens who can't or won't serve."
White is one of 10 servicemembers selected to tell the military's story to the American public at community and business events, veterans organizations and other gatherings as part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public outreach program.
White, who was raised in Meridian, Miss., joined the Marine Corps four and a half years ago and now serves as an air defense control officer in Cherry Point, N.C. She deployed to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, from January to August this year, where she served as an airspace cell coordinator and the squadron command historian.
White is currently deciding whether to stay in the military when her service contract expires next year, but she said her service has been rewarding and valuable. "All of my experiences have developed and matured me as an individual, and I am thankful for every one that I have had in the military," she said. "The highlight has been all of the people I have had the opportunity to meet."
Sharing her story with those people is what White said she likes about the Why We Serve program. She has participated in 28 speaking engagements and said she has seen that the public wants to hear personal stories of men and women serving in the military.
"I can bring my story to many children and young adults in a form that they can understand," White said, adding that her background in education helps her in this area. White holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education with an emphasis in reading and math.
The Why We Serve program began in fall 2006 and was originally the idea of then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Representatives from all the service branches participate in the program, which is conducted in quarterly segments. White and the other nine servicemembers in her group constitute the fifth iteration since the program began.
Face of Defense: Virginia Soldier Excited About Future
By Cpl. Ryan M. Blaich, USMC
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - For Army Spc. Gerald Bradner, here on his first deployment, serving at Camp Blue Diamond is not only an opportunity of a lifetime, but also a way to relate to those in his family who also answered when their nation called. "I was brought up to believe that every man should serve his country however he can," said Bradner, 21, from Brookneal, Va. "Everyone from my grandfather all the way down to me has served when our country was at war. It's a great family tradition."
Bradner, an intelligence analyst with 3rd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, joined the U.S. Army shortly after he graduated from William Campbell High School in 2004. His grandfather and great uncles all fought the Axis aggression in World War II. His father volunteered to fight communism in Vietnam. And today, Bradner is proud to be combating terrorism in Iraq.
"This may be the only conflict in our lifetime, and I couldn't imagine just sitting it out," he said.
The greatest compliment to Bradner's character may be when his superior officers, after knowing him only a short time, recommended he apply for a commissioning program. Up until that point, Bradner constantly questioned his future in the Army, but this deployment changed all of that.
"I didn't think I was going to like the Army as much as I do, but I really love wearing the uniform, and I like serving my country," he said.
Bradner will have to complete four years of college and earn a bachelor's degree. He will have to chose a major, which he said would be history, but he will not have to choose a university. His superiors felt he was a prime candidate for one of America's premier institutions: the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Bradner will become a cadet in the class of 2012. He said this is a challenge he is eager to begin.
"I've got mixed feelings about it. I'm really nervous. I'm worried about the transition from being a soldier to being a student," he said. "I'm sure it'll be exciting."
Another testament to Bradner's unique character is the rarity and relationship his high school has with West Point. The last time someone from his high school attended West Point, Bradner's father had yet to deploy to Vietnam.
"I'll be the first person from my high school to go to West Point in 40 years. So I'm really excited about that. I look at it as an opportunity to set myself apart from my peers," he said. "Growing up in a small town, I'm glad to be able to stand out and represent my community however I can."
Not only will he stand out in his community, the ribbons on his chest will immediately set him apart from those in his freshman class. By then, he will be a combat vet, having spent more than a year in Iraq.
Bradner will enroll in August 2008 for the fall semester. West Point admits only about 1,200 students a year. About 200 each year are prior enlisted, and most have to attend a prep school first. Bradner is part of a select few who get to bypass prep classes and go straight to the academy. Only 20 soldiers are given this chance every year.
For now, thoughts of college life will have to wait. Bradner said he cannot afford to think about freshman year because he still has a lot of important work left to do in Ramadi.
Currently, Bradner gathers all sorts of information and aids in the counterinsurgency fight against al Qaeda.
"We collect information to determine where al Qaeda is maintaining safe havens and try to figure out where they are going to strike next and what we can do to prevent that," he said. "We also try to keep abreast of the enemy's latest tactics."
His role here is much more aggressive and involved than it may appear. He spends a lot of time behind a desk and speaking to leaders in the Iraqi army and police. Although the conversations are casual, the information gathered from them can have a direct impact on the actions of men with guns out in Ramadi.
"The simplest way I can put it is, an infantryman kicks in doors, but intel points at which door to kick in," Bradner said.
His deployment started in mid-January, when Ramadi was still in the midst of transition and a bit unstable. This place was still dealing with roadside bombs, sniper fire and mortar attacks.
"When we first got to Ramadi, the place was bad," he said. "We were seeing 10 to 15 attacks per day, and that was normal. Some days we'd see 20 attacks. Before we left, we conducted an operation with the Marines, and that really helped clean up Ramadi. Since then, we've galvanized the tribal leaders, and they've basically ousted al Qaeda. A lot of it is due to kinetic actions from U.S. soldiers, but a vast majority of it is due to the cooperation with community sheiks and them not allowing al Qaeda to take safe haven in Ramadi anymore."
Bradner also has noticed changes in the people of Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar.
"When we first got here, the Iraqis were kind of standoffish," he said. "Now they really look at us as friends, like we're here to help and not like we're a threat or have some type of ulterior motive."
If Bradner could point to one thing about his deployment he takes the most pride in, it is being able to make a difference while he was here, he said. He said he will be able to look back years from now and feel like he was a part of the success of Anbar province. And, although he misses his family and will be spending his first Christmas away from home, he said he wouldn't change a thing.
(Marine Cpl. Ryan M. Blaich is assigned to 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - For Army Spc. Gerald Bradner, here on his first deployment, serving at Camp Blue Diamond is not only an opportunity of a lifetime, but also a way to relate to those in his family who also answered when their nation called. "I was brought up to believe that every man should serve his country however he can," said Bradner, 21, from Brookneal, Va. "Everyone from my grandfather all the way down to me has served when our country was at war. It's a great family tradition."
Bradner, an intelligence analyst with 3rd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, joined the U.S. Army shortly after he graduated from William Campbell High School in 2004. His grandfather and great uncles all fought the Axis aggression in World War II. His father volunteered to fight communism in Vietnam. And today, Bradner is proud to be combating terrorism in Iraq.
"This may be the only conflict in our lifetime, and I couldn't imagine just sitting it out," he said.
The greatest compliment to Bradner's character may be when his superior officers, after knowing him only a short time, recommended he apply for a commissioning program. Up until that point, Bradner constantly questioned his future in the Army, but this deployment changed all of that.
"I didn't think I was going to like the Army as much as I do, but I really love wearing the uniform, and I like serving my country," he said.
Bradner will have to complete four years of college and earn a bachelor's degree. He will have to chose a major, which he said would be history, but he will not have to choose a university. His superiors felt he was a prime candidate for one of America's premier institutions: the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Bradner will become a cadet in the class of 2012. He said this is a challenge he is eager to begin.
"I've got mixed feelings about it. I'm really nervous. I'm worried about the transition from being a soldier to being a student," he said. "I'm sure it'll be exciting."
Another testament to Bradner's unique character is the rarity and relationship his high school has with West Point. The last time someone from his high school attended West Point, Bradner's father had yet to deploy to Vietnam.
"I'll be the first person from my high school to go to West Point in 40 years. So I'm really excited about that. I look at it as an opportunity to set myself apart from my peers," he said. "Growing up in a small town, I'm glad to be able to stand out and represent my community however I can."
Not only will he stand out in his community, the ribbons on his chest will immediately set him apart from those in his freshman class. By then, he will be a combat vet, having spent more than a year in Iraq.
Bradner will enroll in August 2008 for the fall semester. West Point admits only about 1,200 students a year. About 200 each year are prior enlisted, and most have to attend a prep school first. Bradner is part of a select few who get to bypass prep classes and go straight to the academy. Only 20 soldiers are given this chance every year.
For now, thoughts of college life will have to wait. Bradner said he cannot afford to think about freshman year because he still has a lot of important work left to do in Ramadi.
Currently, Bradner gathers all sorts of information and aids in the counterinsurgency fight against al Qaeda.
"We collect information to determine where al Qaeda is maintaining safe havens and try to figure out where they are going to strike next and what we can do to prevent that," he said. "We also try to keep abreast of the enemy's latest tactics."
His role here is much more aggressive and involved than it may appear. He spends a lot of time behind a desk and speaking to leaders in the Iraqi army and police. Although the conversations are casual, the information gathered from them can have a direct impact on the actions of men with guns out in Ramadi.
"The simplest way I can put it is, an infantryman kicks in doors, but intel points at which door to kick in," Bradner said.
His deployment started in mid-January, when Ramadi was still in the midst of transition and a bit unstable. This place was still dealing with roadside bombs, sniper fire and mortar attacks.
"When we first got to Ramadi, the place was bad," he said. "We were seeing 10 to 15 attacks per day, and that was normal. Some days we'd see 20 attacks. Before we left, we conducted an operation with the Marines, and that really helped clean up Ramadi. Since then, we've galvanized the tribal leaders, and they've basically ousted al Qaeda. A lot of it is due to kinetic actions from U.S. soldiers, but a vast majority of it is due to the cooperation with community sheiks and them not allowing al Qaeda to take safe haven in Ramadi anymore."
Bradner also has noticed changes in the people of Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar.
"When we first got here, the Iraqis were kind of standoffish," he said. "Now they really look at us as friends, like we're here to help and not like we're a threat or have some type of ulterior motive."
If Bradner could point to one thing about his deployment he takes the most pride in, it is being able to make a difference while he was here, he said. He said he will be able to look back years from now and feel like he was a part of the success of Anbar province. And, although he misses his family and will be spending his first Christmas away from home, he said he wouldn't change a thing.
(Marine Cpl. Ryan M. Blaich is assigned to 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force.)
Heidelberg Staff Retraces Historical Battle of the Bulge
By Dave Melancon
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - Mass formations of German armored vehicles and infantry quietly gathered along the border with Belgium and Luxembourg, preparing for Nazi Germany's last major offensive of World War II. The Ardennes Offensive, more popularly known as the Battle of Bulge, would begin Dec. 16, 1944. The Germans called their operation "Watch on the Rhine."
Sixty-three years later, 45 U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg leaders and staff members retraced the route of the 6th Panzer Army's thrust into Belgium, seeing where soldiers of the 1st U.S. Army, including those from 5th Corps, thwarted Hitler's plan to split the Allied advance into Germany and capture the port of Antwerp, Belgium.
Along the Bulge's North Shoulder battlefields, the staff learned about acts of great courage and heroism. They also heard of acts of great cruelty and barbarism, explained by historian Will Cavanagh, their guide for the two-day staff ride.
"Remember that these people were just people. Some were good; some were better than others," said Army Col. Robert Ulses, USAG Heidelberg commander, during the first day's studies. "These people were running huge organizations."
Cavanagh, who has led staff rides since 1986, recalled hearing about the battle from his mother, who lived in the area during the attack, and from personal interviews with U.S. and German veterans.
"Mr. Cavanagh made this significant event of World War II come alive with his extensive knowledge of battle details and firsthand accounts of participating soldiers -- Allied and German," said Anita Johnson, of the USAG Heidelberg plans, analysis and integration office. "As a result, the Battle of the Bulge became real and not just another page in the history books."
Being able to walk the battlefields, she added, "to slog through the mud, rain and cold, and to listen to the human perspective that (Cavanagh) added to the battle details, brought home to me that these were real people fighting under grim conditions for a cause they believed in," she said.
The staff ride's first day concentrated on the assault route followed by Kampfgruppe (combat team) Peiper, led by Waffen-SS Lt. Col. Joachim Peiper, a former adjutant to Heinrich Himmler and the youngest regimental commander in the German army.
Peiper's column was ordered to 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, a part of the 6th SS Panzer Army, which was assigned to capture and overrun U.S. positions with the objective of capturing the port city of Antwerp.
The 6th SS, one of three German armies taking part of the offensive, was designated the northernmost attack force, with the offensive's primary objective of capturing Antwerp entrusted to it.
The center formation consisted of the 5th Panzer Army, tasked with trying to capture Brussels via Bastogne and St. Vith, Belgium. The German 7th Army spearheaded the attack through Luxembourg.
Peiper's column slammed into Belgium during the early morning of Dec. 16, surprising the U.S. defenders, Cavanagh said. As word of the attack spread, Peiper's tank and halftracks encountered stiff resistance from 99th Infantry Division. Peiper was forced to change routes several times because of roadblocks and blown bridges.
Combat engineers, tank destroyer teams and the heroic actions of individual soldiers and small units frequently thwarted Peiper's advance.
As Peiper's 15-mile-long column wound its way over the narrow and twisting farm roads, several of his halftracks charged over open ground near a crossroads near the village of Baugnez on Dec. 17, encountering a 13-vehicle convoy of elements from Battery B, 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion. After a brief firefight, 84 U.S. soldiers were rounded up and shot.
That incident became known as the "Malmedy Massacre," and word of the atrocity spread through the U.S. lines and stiffened the Americans' resolve. Elements of 82nd Infantry Division (Airborne) halted Peiper's advance at the town of Stavelot.
Running low on fuel and ammunition, Peiper pulled back to the town of La Gleize to await a resupply column. Realizing that the relief column would never arrive, the German lieutenant colonel ordered his men to destroy their tanks, halftracks and other vehicles and returned to German lines Dec. 23, five days after starting his assault.
Cavanagh explained how stiff resistance by the 1st "Big Red One," 2nd "Warrior" and 99th "Battle Babies" infantry divisions helped stem the Germans' advance and bring an end to the "Watch on the Rhine."
Entrenched U.S. formations along the "International Road" and Elsenborn Ridge forced the Germans to commit and sacrifice many of their infantrymen and expose their armored formations to withering artillery fire, Cavanagh said.
Soldiers of 2nd Infantry Division would earn more Medals of Honor than any other U.S. unit during the fight, and the "Manchus" of 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, fighting at the Rocherather Baracken crossroads saved the entire 1st Army from being overrun, Cavanagh said.
"I hope this ride gives (the garrison staff) great pride in their country, in the past and today," Cavanagh said at the ride's final stop in a memorial park dedicated to 2nd and 99th infantry divisions in the village of Krinkelt. "What (the soldiers) did was give a lot of freedom to a lot of people."
Army Capt. Katherine Baker, of the USAG Kaiserslautern logistics directorate, said she learned several tactical, logistical lessons and to never make assumptions about an enemy.
"Complacency on the side of the Allies almost made Hitler's final offensive a success," she said. "Allied soldiers had a false sense of security that was exploited. There were simple things that could have been done to quickly slow the German advance, but no one had a contingency plan because everyone assumed the Germans could not mount such an attack."
(Dave Melancon works for the U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - Mass formations of German armored vehicles and infantry quietly gathered along the border with Belgium and Luxembourg, preparing for Nazi Germany's last major offensive of World War II. The Ardennes Offensive, more popularly known as the Battle of Bulge, would begin Dec. 16, 1944. The Germans called their operation "Watch on the Rhine."
Sixty-three years later, 45 U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg leaders and staff members retraced the route of the 6th Panzer Army's thrust into Belgium, seeing where soldiers of the 1st U.S. Army, including those from 5th Corps, thwarted Hitler's plan to split the Allied advance into Germany and capture the port of Antwerp, Belgium.
Along the Bulge's North Shoulder battlefields, the staff learned about acts of great courage and heroism. They also heard of acts of great cruelty and barbarism, explained by historian Will Cavanagh, their guide for the two-day staff ride.
"Remember that these people were just people. Some were good; some were better than others," said Army Col. Robert Ulses, USAG Heidelberg commander, during the first day's studies. "These people were running huge organizations."
Cavanagh, who has led staff rides since 1986, recalled hearing about the battle from his mother, who lived in the area during the attack, and from personal interviews with U.S. and German veterans.
"Mr. Cavanagh made this significant event of World War II come alive with his extensive knowledge of battle details and firsthand accounts of participating soldiers -- Allied and German," said Anita Johnson, of the USAG Heidelberg plans, analysis and integration office. "As a result, the Battle of the Bulge became real and not just another page in the history books."
Being able to walk the battlefields, she added, "to slog through the mud, rain and cold, and to listen to the human perspective that (Cavanagh) added to the battle details, brought home to me that these were real people fighting under grim conditions for a cause they believed in," she said.
The staff ride's first day concentrated on the assault route followed by Kampfgruppe (combat team) Peiper, led by Waffen-SS Lt. Col. Joachim Peiper, a former adjutant to Heinrich Himmler and the youngest regimental commander in the German army.
Peiper's column was ordered to 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, a part of the 6th SS Panzer Army, which was assigned to capture and overrun U.S. positions with the objective of capturing the port city of Antwerp.
The 6th SS, one of three German armies taking part of the offensive, was designated the northernmost attack force, with the offensive's primary objective of capturing Antwerp entrusted to it.
The center formation consisted of the 5th Panzer Army, tasked with trying to capture Brussels via Bastogne and St. Vith, Belgium. The German 7th Army spearheaded the attack through Luxembourg.
Peiper's column slammed into Belgium during the early morning of Dec. 16, surprising the U.S. defenders, Cavanagh said. As word of the attack spread, Peiper's tank and halftracks encountered stiff resistance from 99th Infantry Division. Peiper was forced to change routes several times because of roadblocks and blown bridges.
Combat engineers, tank destroyer teams and the heroic actions of individual soldiers and small units frequently thwarted Peiper's advance.
As Peiper's 15-mile-long column wound its way over the narrow and twisting farm roads, several of his halftracks charged over open ground near a crossroads near the village of Baugnez on Dec. 17, encountering a 13-vehicle convoy of elements from Battery B, 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion. After a brief firefight, 84 U.S. soldiers were rounded up and shot.
That incident became known as the "Malmedy Massacre," and word of the atrocity spread through the U.S. lines and stiffened the Americans' resolve. Elements of 82nd Infantry Division (Airborne) halted Peiper's advance at the town of Stavelot.
Running low on fuel and ammunition, Peiper pulled back to the town of La Gleize to await a resupply column. Realizing that the relief column would never arrive, the German lieutenant colonel ordered his men to destroy their tanks, halftracks and other vehicles and returned to German lines Dec. 23, five days after starting his assault.
Cavanagh explained how stiff resistance by the 1st "Big Red One," 2nd "Warrior" and 99th "Battle Babies" infantry divisions helped stem the Germans' advance and bring an end to the "Watch on the Rhine."
Entrenched U.S. formations along the "International Road" and Elsenborn Ridge forced the Germans to commit and sacrifice many of their infantrymen and expose their armored formations to withering artillery fire, Cavanagh said.
Soldiers of 2nd Infantry Division would earn more Medals of Honor than any other U.S. unit during the fight, and the "Manchus" of 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, fighting at the Rocherather Baracken crossroads saved the entire 1st Army from being overrun, Cavanagh said.
"I hope this ride gives (the garrison staff) great pride in their country, in the past and today," Cavanagh said at the ride's final stop in a memorial park dedicated to 2nd and 99th infantry divisions in the village of Krinkelt. "What (the soldiers) did was give a lot of freedom to a lot of people."
Army Capt. Katherine Baker, of the USAG Kaiserslautern logistics directorate, said she learned several tactical, logistical lessons and to never make assumptions about an enemy.
"Complacency on the side of the Allies almost made Hitler's final offensive a success," she said. "Allied soldiers had a false sense of security that was exploited. There were simple things that could have been done to quickly slow the German advance, but no one had a contingency plan because everyone assumed the Germans could not mount such an attack."
(Dave Melancon works for the U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg Public Affairs Office.)
Academy Officials: Sexual Assault Reporting Shows System is Working
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - Rather than being alarmed by 40 reports of sexual assault at the U.S. service academies during the 2006-2007 school year, officials are calling them a sign that programs designed to encourage victims to report are working. "It tells me that cadets are coming forward," said Air Force Col. Gail Colvin, vice commandant of cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy, in Colorado Springs, Colo. "It shows they have trust in the system and view it as a safe place where they can seek help."
Colvin's assessment came days after the Defense Department released its annual report on sexual harassment and violence at the Air Force Academy; U.S. Military Academy, in West Point, N.Y.; and U.S. Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Md.
The annual report reveals 40 cases of sexual assault between June 1, 2006, and May 31, 2007: 19 at the Air Force Academy, 16 at West Point and five at the Naval Academy. It defines sexual assault as rape, sodomy, indecent assault or attempts to commit these offenses.
But officials at all three schools are quick to point out that sexual assault is a national problem that transcends the military. The name of a sexual harassment and assault prevention class offered to first-year midshipmen at the Naval Academy, "1 in 4," hints to the national statistic that one in four college women experiences an actual or attempted sexual assault during college.
Army Col. Jeanette McMahon, the U.S. Military Academy's special assistant to the superintendent for human relations, said the numbers of reported assaults alone don't tell the whole story.
She pointed to broad sexual assault and sexual harassment prevention programs at all three academies designed to ensure every cadet and midshipman understands what sexual harassment and sexual violence is, what to do if they or someone else is victimized, and their responsibility as leaders to intervene. When cadets are more aware about what behavior is acceptable and what constitutes sexual assault or harassment and that victims aren't to blame, they are more willing to report such incidents, she said.
Noting that sexual assault is one of the most underreported crime nationwide, McMahon said she's convinced the number of incidents at the academies is actually higher than the annual Defense Department report shows.
An anonymous 2006 survey at West Point in 2006 revealed that 65 women, or 10 percent of West Point's female cadets, and 10 of its males, experienced a sexual assault. "So, clearly, we are not getting all the reports that are out there," she said.
The DoD report cites a perception by some West Pointers of "a negative stigma associated with reporting sexual assault." Similarly, it points out that cadets at the Air Force Academy may hesitate to report sexual assault for fear they will experience "retaliation by their command in the form of punishment for collateral misconduct."
Officials say they want to dispel those impressions and agree the best way to encourage more victims to report sexual assaults is to continue building their confidence and trust in the system.
Navy Cmdr. Ricks Polk, the Naval Academy's sexual assault response coordinator, cited two initiatives aimed at breaking down barriers to reporting sexual misconduct.
The academy offers a variety of ways to report to make victims as comfortable as possible with the process, Polk said. They can turn to a peer, specially trained midshipmen called sexual assault victim intervention guides; to a senior enlisted leader or officer serving as a victim's advocate; to a chaplain or counselor; or to their chain of command. "We think that with all those different avenues of people being able to report, that maybe one of those will be appealing to them, and that they are ... more likely to report," Polk said.
In addition, a confidential reporting option introduced in 2005 offers victims mental and medical care and other support without requiring them to get involved in the criminal justice process. Half of the cadets and midshipmen who reported sexual assaults during the 2005-2006 academic year elected this option, according to the DoD report.
Colvin said this option, called "restricted reporting," enables some victims who may feel stigmatized to step forward. "This takes all that off the table," she said.
The report notes that the 20 sexual assault victims who chose "unrestricted" reporting during the report period, agreeing to follow through with the military justice process, also received support and care.
The challenge ahead, Colvin said, is for the academies to continue advancing programs to prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment from happening in the first place. "It's about creating a culture and climate of respect, both for oneself and others," she said.
This leads to an environment of trust so when incidents do occur, victims are more likely to report them, she said.
The DoD report supports Colvin's assertion. "A command that is seen as fair and balanced in its response to sexual assault is more likely to create an environment that will not deter reporting," it says.
As the academies strive to create that climate, Colvin said she's satisfied they're on the right track. "The numbers tell me our programs are working ... and that cadets have a deeper trust and are coming forward," she said. "We're trying to attack the issue ... (and) to get more cadets to come forward."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - Rather than being alarmed by 40 reports of sexual assault at the U.S. service academies during the 2006-2007 school year, officials are calling them a sign that programs designed to encourage victims to report are working. "It tells me that cadets are coming forward," said Air Force Col. Gail Colvin, vice commandant of cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy, in Colorado Springs, Colo. "It shows they have trust in the system and view it as a safe place where they can seek help."
Colvin's assessment came days after the Defense Department released its annual report on sexual harassment and violence at the Air Force Academy; U.S. Military Academy, in West Point, N.Y.; and U.S. Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Md.
The annual report reveals 40 cases of sexual assault between June 1, 2006, and May 31, 2007: 19 at the Air Force Academy, 16 at West Point and five at the Naval Academy. It defines sexual assault as rape, sodomy, indecent assault or attempts to commit these offenses.
But officials at all three schools are quick to point out that sexual assault is a national problem that transcends the military. The name of a sexual harassment and assault prevention class offered to first-year midshipmen at the Naval Academy, "1 in 4," hints to the national statistic that one in four college women experiences an actual or attempted sexual assault during college.
Army Col. Jeanette McMahon, the U.S. Military Academy's special assistant to the superintendent for human relations, said the numbers of reported assaults alone don't tell the whole story.
She pointed to broad sexual assault and sexual harassment prevention programs at all three academies designed to ensure every cadet and midshipman understands what sexual harassment and sexual violence is, what to do if they or someone else is victimized, and their responsibility as leaders to intervene. When cadets are more aware about what behavior is acceptable and what constitutes sexual assault or harassment and that victims aren't to blame, they are more willing to report such incidents, she said.
Noting that sexual assault is one of the most underreported crime nationwide, McMahon said she's convinced the number of incidents at the academies is actually higher than the annual Defense Department report shows.
An anonymous 2006 survey at West Point in 2006 revealed that 65 women, or 10 percent of West Point's female cadets, and 10 of its males, experienced a sexual assault. "So, clearly, we are not getting all the reports that are out there," she said.
The DoD report cites a perception by some West Pointers of "a negative stigma associated with reporting sexual assault." Similarly, it points out that cadets at the Air Force Academy may hesitate to report sexual assault for fear they will experience "retaliation by their command in the form of punishment for collateral misconduct."
Officials say they want to dispel those impressions and agree the best way to encourage more victims to report sexual assaults is to continue building their confidence and trust in the system.
Navy Cmdr. Ricks Polk, the Naval Academy's sexual assault response coordinator, cited two initiatives aimed at breaking down barriers to reporting sexual misconduct.
The academy offers a variety of ways to report to make victims as comfortable as possible with the process, Polk said. They can turn to a peer, specially trained midshipmen called sexual assault victim intervention guides; to a senior enlisted leader or officer serving as a victim's advocate; to a chaplain or counselor; or to their chain of command. "We think that with all those different avenues of people being able to report, that maybe one of those will be appealing to them, and that they are ... more likely to report," Polk said.
In addition, a confidential reporting option introduced in 2005 offers victims mental and medical care and other support without requiring them to get involved in the criminal justice process. Half of the cadets and midshipmen who reported sexual assaults during the 2005-2006 academic year elected this option, according to the DoD report.
Colvin said this option, called "restricted reporting," enables some victims who may feel stigmatized to step forward. "This takes all that off the table," she said.
The report notes that the 20 sexual assault victims who chose "unrestricted" reporting during the report period, agreeing to follow through with the military justice process, also received support and care.
The challenge ahead, Colvin said, is for the academies to continue advancing programs to prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment from happening in the first place. "It's about creating a culture and climate of respect, both for oneself and others," she said.
This leads to an environment of trust so when incidents do occur, victims are more likely to report them, she said.
The DoD report supports Colvin's assertion. "A command that is seen as fair and balanced in its response to sexual assault is more likely to create an environment that will not deter reporting," it says.
As the academies strive to create that climate, Colvin said she's satisfied they're on the right track. "The numbers tell me our programs are working ... and that cadets have a deeper trust and are coming forward," she said. "We're trying to attack the issue ... (and) to get more cadets to come forward."
Wounded Warrior Program Provides Enduring Support to Families
By Kristen Noel
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - There's no set limit on how long the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior program will provide one-on-one service to severely wounded soldiers and their families, a U.S. Army official said yesterday. "We assist and advocate for severely wounded soldiers and their families for as long as they need us, wherever they are located," Army Col. James Rice, the Wounded Warrior program's director, said in a conference call with online journalists and "bloggers."
The Wounded Warrior program is for soldiers who are considered 30 percent or more disabled, as found by the Army disability system, to ensure their families receive all the benefits and support they are entitled to, Rice explained.
The 30-percent threshold is based on the level of disability rating above which soldiers and their families can maintain the Tricare retirement benefit, he said.
Almost 2,400 injured soldiers are enrolled in the program. Each is assigned a soldier-family management specialist – the equivalent of a case manager – "who gives them personalized recovery assistance in navigating government and nonprofit organizations on their behalf to ensure they get the help and support their families need," Rice said.
"We make the connection as soon as that soldier arrives at a treatment facility, and our soldier-family management specialist – our care manager – establishes a relationship with that solider and family that continues as long as it takes," he explained.
Support continues even after the soldier leaves the hospital and either continues on active duty or departs the service. "We're still with them to help them through vocational rehabilitation, through the education process and ensuring that they are fully employed to the greatest extent possible so that they're integral members of their community," he said.
The program's staff of about 100 includes soldier-family management specialists who are dispersed throughout the United States to accommodate soldiers and families in person. "Wherever there is a significant population of wounded warriors, we have a soldier-family management specialist on the ground," Rice said.
This decentralization of the Wounded Warrior program is its most significant change in recent years, according to Rice.
The program has existed since 2004, initially under the name "Disabled Soldiers Support System," and historically only provided support from its headquarters in Alexandria, Va., Rice explained.
He added that the Wounded Warrior program is part of a larger Army initiative focused on providing more comprehensive medical services to soldiers and their families.
"We are in the forefront of an important transformation that is building the health care model for the future for the military's wounded warriors," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - There's no set limit on how long the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior program will provide one-on-one service to severely wounded soldiers and their families, a U.S. Army official said yesterday. "We assist and advocate for severely wounded soldiers and their families for as long as they need us, wherever they are located," Army Col. James Rice, the Wounded Warrior program's director, said in a conference call with online journalists and "bloggers."
The Wounded Warrior program is for soldiers who are considered 30 percent or more disabled, as found by the Army disability system, to ensure their families receive all the benefits and support they are entitled to, Rice explained.
The 30-percent threshold is based on the level of disability rating above which soldiers and their families can maintain the Tricare retirement benefit, he said.
Almost 2,400 injured soldiers are enrolled in the program. Each is assigned a soldier-family management specialist – the equivalent of a case manager – "who gives them personalized recovery assistance in navigating government and nonprofit organizations on their behalf to ensure they get the help and support their families need," Rice said.
"We make the connection as soon as that soldier arrives at a treatment facility, and our soldier-family management specialist – our care manager – establishes a relationship with that solider and family that continues as long as it takes," he explained.
Support continues even after the soldier leaves the hospital and either continues on active duty or departs the service. "We're still with them to help them through vocational rehabilitation, through the education process and ensuring that they are fully employed to the greatest extent possible so that they're integral members of their community," he said.
The program's staff of about 100 includes soldier-family management specialists who are dispersed throughout the United States to accommodate soldiers and families in person. "Wherever there is a significant population of wounded warriors, we have a soldier-family management specialist on the ground," Rice said.
This decentralization of the Wounded Warrior program is its most significant change in recent years, according to Rice.
The program has existed since 2004, initially under the name "Disabled Soldiers Support System," and historically only provided support from its headquarters in Alexandria, Va., Rice explained.
He added that the Wounded Warrior program is part of a larger Army initiative focused on providing more comprehensive medical services to soldiers and their families.
"We are in the forefront of an important transformation that is building the health care model for the future for the military's wounded warriors," he said.
Guard Members Respond to Midwest Ice Storms
By Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - More than 140 National Guard members in the Midwest responded to a band of deadly mid-December storms that stretched from eastern Texas to the Ohio Valley and into northern New York and New England. Missouri Army Guard Officer Candidate Neilson Rudd was one of more than 20 fatalities attributed to the storms, which brought freezing rain to more than 10 states and rain, sleet and snow to nearly half the nation.
Trees and power lines in some states were brought down by inch-thick ice accumulations, which closed roadways and left thousands in need of emergency assistance from the Guard and local and state agencies.
Missouri National Guard units were on standby for most of the week and throughout the weekend after their governor declared a state of emergency.
At least 22 Guard members responded. An Army Guard armory was used as a warming shelter, and soldiers provided security for residents there. Soldiers also provided transportation and cleared debris from roadways. Members of the 203rd Engineer Battalion provided generators and conducted door-to-door wellness checks for rural areas in Barton County.
Rudd saw an auto accident on Dec. 9 and stopped to check on the vehicles' occupants. He was not on military duty at the time.
When returning to his vehicle on the Katy Trail Bridge, just north of Jefferson City on Highway 63, another vehicle lost control and struck him down. Rudd was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports.
"I am deeply saddened by the loss of Officer Candidate Rudd," said Maj. Gen. King Sidwell, Missouri adjutant general. "His actions exemplify the values of the United States Army and the Missouri National Guard."
Officials said Rudd was returning from his weekend drill at the 140th Regional Training Institute, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., at the time of the accident. He enlisted in March 2006 as a military policeman with the 1140th MP Company in Fulton. He entered officer candidate school earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the governor of Oklahoma declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties due to the widespread freezing rain there. The state's joint operations center coordinated missions, and at least 77 Guard members responded to requests for assistance. They transported 100 cots and opened a Red Cross warming shelter at the armory in Broken Arrow. Soldiers also responded to at least five requests for emergency power in the state's northeastern region. Guard members provided fresh water to residents in Wikiupp and delivered more than 1,000 sandbags in Clatsop County.
The Kansas National Guard provided emergency power for water treatment facilities, sewer systems and shelters in at least two counties. Nearly 130,000 residents were without power, and the Guard was planning door-to-door wellness checks yesterday for affected residential areas. Guard units also delivered cots to Red Cross shelters and were planning observation flights to check on residents, which responders were unable to reach.
"We have seen a huge increase in requests for Guard support today," said Sharron Watson, a Kansas Guard spokeswoman. "Generator missions have been the biggest request, but we have also had our Guard members out clearing roadways in southeast Kansas."
The National Weather Service predicted lighter amounts of sleet, freezing rain and snow, but also reported the possibility of additional accumulations from another storm developing later in the week.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith is assigned to the National Guard Bureau. Missouri National Guard Capt. Tammy Spicer contributed to this article.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - More than 140 National Guard members in the Midwest responded to a band of deadly mid-December storms that stretched from eastern Texas to the Ohio Valley and into northern New York and New England. Missouri Army Guard Officer Candidate Neilson Rudd was one of more than 20 fatalities attributed to the storms, which brought freezing rain to more than 10 states and rain, sleet and snow to nearly half the nation.
Trees and power lines in some states were brought down by inch-thick ice accumulations, which closed roadways and left thousands in need of emergency assistance from the Guard and local and state agencies.
Missouri National Guard units were on standby for most of the week and throughout the weekend after their governor declared a state of emergency.
At least 22 Guard members responded. An Army Guard armory was used as a warming shelter, and soldiers provided security for residents there. Soldiers also provided transportation and cleared debris from roadways. Members of the 203rd Engineer Battalion provided generators and conducted door-to-door wellness checks for rural areas in Barton County.
Rudd saw an auto accident on Dec. 9 and stopped to check on the vehicles' occupants. He was not on military duty at the time.
When returning to his vehicle on the Katy Trail Bridge, just north of Jefferson City on Highway 63, another vehicle lost control and struck him down. Rudd was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports.
"I am deeply saddened by the loss of Officer Candidate Rudd," said Maj. Gen. King Sidwell, Missouri adjutant general. "His actions exemplify the values of the United States Army and the Missouri National Guard."
Officials said Rudd was returning from his weekend drill at the 140th Regional Training Institute, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., at the time of the accident. He enlisted in March 2006 as a military policeman with the 1140th MP Company in Fulton. He entered officer candidate school earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the governor of Oklahoma declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties due to the widespread freezing rain there. The state's joint operations center coordinated missions, and at least 77 Guard members responded to requests for assistance. They transported 100 cots and opened a Red Cross warming shelter at the armory in Broken Arrow. Soldiers also responded to at least five requests for emergency power in the state's northeastern region. Guard members provided fresh water to residents in Wikiupp and delivered more than 1,000 sandbags in Clatsop County.
The Kansas National Guard provided emergency power for water treatment facilities, sewer systems and shelters in at least two counties. Nearly 130,000 residents were without power, and the Guard was planning door-to-door wellness checks yesterday for affected residential areas. Guard units also delivered cots to Red Cross shelters and were planning observation flights to check on residents, which responders were unable to reach.
"We have seen a huge increase in requests for Guard support today," said Sharron Watson, a Kansas Guard spokeswoman. "Generator missions have been the biggest request, but we have also had our Guard members out clearing roadways in southeast Kansas."
The National Weather Service predicted lighter amounts of sleet, freezing rain and snow, but also reported the possibility of additional accumulations from another storm developing later in the week.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith is assigned to the National Guard Bureau. Missouri National Guard Capt. Tammy Spicer contributed to this article.)
Gates Arrives in Scotland for Afghan Meetings
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and R. Nicholas Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs, arrived here today for meetings with allies working in Regional Command South in Afghanistan. Defense and foreign affairs representatives from the eight countries participating in RC South will discuss local and regional issues in Afghanistan, how to better operate together, the need for troops and progress in connecting the Afghan government to its people.
There are 11,000 troops in RC South with its headquarters in the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. The region is under British command as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. A U.S. maneuver battalion of 4th Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, is in the region, as well as a U.S. aviation bridging force with 16 helicopters. British Defense Minister Des Browne is hosting the meeting.
The ministers will also discuss a proposal that Gates made during a NATO meeting in Nordvick, Netherlands, in October: a NATO strategic concept paper looking out three to five years in Afghanistan.
"What the secretary proposed was a short, readable document ... that explains why we're (in Afghanistan), what we're doing, and how we're going to help the Afghan government meet its goals," said a senior defense official talking on background.
Representatives of the eight countries in RC South – the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, Estonia and Romania – will discuss ways that ISAF should move forward. The paper would serve as a broad roadmap with goals and benchmarks for the goals, the official said. "If we want to get here by year five, where do we need to be at each of these years so that we are able to determine progress?" he said.
This sort of document has not existed before, the official said. There is a NATO operating plan and the Afghan National Defense Strategy, "but we don't have this connecting tissue," he said.
The Defense Department has a working draft, but it has not finished the government approval process yet, and will not release the document. "There will be a variety of countries offering drafts, and someone is going to have to pull this together to be endorsed and signed by the heads of government" at the NATO meetings in April, a senior State Department official said, also on background.
The strategic concept paper is designed to do several things. At its basic level, it simply explains the mission. It may serve as a very broad resource-planning tool. The paper also would point out opportunities for countries to specialize in governance, economic of reconstruction aid.
The defense official said the paper might also convince parliaments or assemblies to stay in the Afghan mission. Finally, "maybe just by having this document, it allows other countries that are not participating to say 'I get it. Here's how we can help,'" the official said.
Foreign ministry representatives will discuss what they see as absolutely essential. Aid to governance is at the top of the list. The ministers will discuss what governance means and whether NATO can help it to work more effectively.
"We believe the Taliban has a district-by-district strategy, and to compete with them we have to enable national institutions to touch the districts," the senior State Department official said.
The Afghan Ministry of Education is one example of how the central government can reach the people. Under Taliban rule, only 800,000 boys were in school. Now it's about 5 million boys and girls – still only 45 percent of the school-age population. Health care is another example. Six years ago, roughly 8 percent of Afghans had health care access; now, 65 percent do. "How do we keep advancing that?" he asked.
The NATO strategy in Afghanistan must move simultaneously on three tracks: security, reconstruction and governance. "You've got to have security. You have to separate the enemy from the people so they have some sense that they are not going to be intimidated," the State Department official said. "You've got to connect the people to the government."
An operation in southern Afghanistan is under way, and officials are searching for generators to get the electrical network up. They are already looking to locate mobile health clinics in the region. They are working with tribal leaders to get progress moving at the local level. The official said the momentum sustains itself.
The State and Defense officials agreed that there are still "registered shortfalls" in Afghanistan for troops. ISAF is three maneuver battalions short, needs more aviation support -- particularly helicopters -- and there are a number of other specialties that have not been filled.
"We're making progress in Afghanistan, but it's fragile and it has to be reinforced," the defense official said.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and R. Nicholas Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs, arrived here today for meetings with allies working in Regional Command South in Afghanistan. Defense and foreign affairs representatives from the eight countries participating in RC South will discuss local and regional issues in Afghanistan, how to better operate together, the need for troops and progress in connecting the Afghan government to its people.
There are 11,000 troops in RC South with its headquarters in the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. The region is under British command as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. A U.S. maneuver battalion of 4th Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, is in the region, as well as a U.S. aviation bridging force with 16 helicopters. British Defense Minister Des Browne is hosting the meeting.
The ministers will also discuss a proposal that Gates made during a NATO meeting in Nordvick, Netherlands, in October: a NATO strategic concept paper looking out three to five years in Afghanistan.
"What the secretary proposed was a short, readable document ... that explains why we're (in Afghanistan), what we're doing, and how we're going to help the Afghan government meet its goals," said a senior defense official talking on background.
Representatives of the eight countries in RC South – the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, Estonia and Romania – will discuss ways that ISAF should move forward. The paper would serve as a broad roadmap with goals and benchmarks for the goals, the official said. "If we want to get here by year five, where do we need to be at each of these years so that we are able to determine progress?" he said.
This sort of document has not existed before, the official said. There is a NATO operating plan and the Afghan National Defense Strategy, "but we don't have this connecting tissue," he said.
The Defense Department has a working draft, but it has not finished the government approval process yet, and will not release the document. "There will be a variety of countries offering drafts, and someone is going to have to pull this together to be endorsed and signed by the heads of government" at the NATO meetings in April, a senior State Department official said, also on background.
The strategic concept paper is designed to do several things. At its basic level, it simply explains the mission. It may serve as a very broad resource-planning tool. The paper also would point out opportunities for countries to specialize in governance, economic of reconstruction aid.
The defense official said the paper might also convince parliaments or assemblies to stay in the Afghan mission. Finally, "maybe just by having this document, it allows other countries that are not participating to say 'I get it. Here's how we can help,'" the official said.
Foreign ministry representatives will discuss what they see as absolutely essential. Aid to governance is at the top of the list. The ministers will discuss what governance means and whether NATO can help it to work more effectively.
"We believe the Taliban has a district-by-district strategy, and to compete with them we have to enable national institutions to touch the districts," the senior State Department official said.
The Afghan Ministry of Education is one example of how the central government can reach the people. Under Taliban rule, only 800,000 boys were in school. Now it's about 5 million boys and girls – still only 45 percent of the school-age population. Health care is another example. Six years ago, roughly 8 percent of Afghans had health care access; now, 65 percent do. "How do we keep advancing that?" he asked.
The NATO strategy in Afghanistan must move simultaneously on three tracks: security, reconstruction and governance. "You've got to have security. You have to separate the enemy from the people so they have some sense that they are not going to be intimidated," the State Department official said. "You've got to connect the people to the government."
An operation in southern Afghanistan is under way, and officials are searching for generators to get the electrical network up. They are already looking to locate mobile health clinics in the region. They are working with tribal leaders to get progress moving at the local level. The official said the momentum sustains itself.
The State and Defense officials agreed that there are still "registered shortfalls" in Afghanistan for troops. ISAF is three maneuver battalions short, needs more aviation support -- particularly helicopters -- and there are a number of other specialties that have not been filled.
"We're making progress in Afghanistan, but it's fragile and it has to be reinforced," the defense official said.
Service Academies Make Progress in Preventing Sexual Assault, Harassment
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - The Defense Department's Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the U.S. Service Academies, released late last week, concludes that the Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., all have made "great progress" in establishing prevention and response programs. These programs begin during cadets' and midshipmen's first terms at their respective schools, laying the foundation for follow-on instruction that continues every term throughout their academy years.
The report, which covers the 12-month period that ended May 31, evaluates the academies' expanded sexual assault prevention and response programs, their sexual harassment programs, and feedback from cadet and midshipmen focus groups about how they're working.
The report cites "robust" programs that ensure every cadet and midshipman understands what sexual harassment and sexual violence is, what to do if they or someone else is victimized, and their responsibility as leaders to intervene. It holds the academies up as a model for other colleges and universities, noting that they've fully implemented their sexual assault prevention and response programs and that they blend "seamlessly" into their curricula.
Army Col. Jeanette McMahon, the U.S. Military Academy's special assistant to the superintendent for human relations, said these efforts underscore the academies' -- and the military's -- zero tolerance for sexual harassment and sexual assault. Meanwhile, she said, it helps ensure a common base of understanding for all cadets and midshipmen.
"Prevention is a long-term changing of people's outlooks and behaviors," she said. "We are looking at our climate and how we can educate and train the cadets ... to a common set of values that we abide by in the military and the Army and also here at West Point."
Navy Cmdr. Ricks Polk, the Naval Academy's sexual assault response coordinator, emphasized the negative effect of sexual misconduct. "It degrades good order and discipline and erodes the very fabric of unit cohesion," he said.
"If those things are going on behind the scenes, ... they are going to just tear apart the very thing we are trying to build," he said. "We are trying to build a team. This is going to destroy that team."
If Army Maj. Dave Cushen at West Point had to boil down the concepts being instilled at the academies to one word, he'd sum it up as "respect" for oneself and others, he said. As assistant to the Military Academy's commandant on issues of respect and equal opportunity, Cushen called respect a critical element of leadership that cadets and midshipmen will draw on long after graduating from their respective schools.
Those lessons begin at the academies as students come to recognize their responsibility as leaders to do what's right, including stepping forward when they see situations of sexual assault or harassment, Polk said.
"Even though you are fourth class (a first-year midshipman) and you don't necessarily see yourself as a leader yet, you can still be a leader by the fact that you step up when you see something that's not right," he said.
By building a climate of respect, both for cadets themselves and for others, the academies are instilling principles cadets and midshipmen will draw on long after their academy years, he said.
"The fact is, they are going to see these things going on when they are in leadership positions, both here at the academy and when they get to the fleet," Polk agreed. "They are going to see situations where someone has said (something) or taken action inappropriately, and they will need to react to it. They are responsible for moving forward on it."
When they take these principles to the field and fleet as junior officers, academy graduates will set an example through their personal behavior and the way they talk to and treat others, Burger said.
"And I think it always goes back to the respect foundation, that bedrock," she said. "As a leader, if you are being respectful of yourself and others, then you are going to be going in the right direction in setting a command climate of how ... your subordinates treat each other and what's acceptable to you and what's not," she said. "That carries weight. ... It's the impact of one person and how many people they can influence."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - The Defense Department's Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the U.S. Service Academies, released late last week, concludes that the Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., all have made "great progress" in establishing prevention and response programs. These programs begin during cadets' and midshipmen's first terms at their respective schools, laying the foundation for follow-on instruction that continues every term throughout their academy years.
The report, which covers the 12-month period that ended May 31, evaluates the academies' expanded sexual assault prevention and response programs, their sexual harassment programs, and feedback from cadet and midshipmen focus groups about how they're working.
The report cites "robust" programs that ensure every cadet and midshipman understands what sexual harassment and sexual violence is, what to do if they or someone else is victimized, and their responsibility as leaders to intervene. It holds the academies up as a model for other colleges and universities, noting that they've fully implemented their sexual assault prevention and response programs and that they blend "seamlessly" into their curricula.
Army Col. Jeanette McMahon, the U.S. Military Academy's special assistant to the superintendent for human relations, said these efforts underscore the academies' -- and the military's -- zero tolerance for sexual harassment and sexual assault. Meanwhile, she said, it helps ensure a common base of understanding for all cadets and midshipmen.
"Prevention is a long-term changing of people's outlooks and behaviors," she said. "We are looking at our climate and how we can educate and train the cadets ... to a common set of values that we abide by in the military and the Army and also here at West Point."
Navy Cmdr. Ricks Polk, the Naval Academy's sexual assault response coordinator, emphasized the negative effect of sexual misconduct. "It degrades good order and discipline and erodes the very fabric of unit cohesion," he said.
"If those things are going on behind the scenes, ... they are going to just tear apart the very thing we are trying to build," he said. "We are trying to build a team. This is going to destroy that team."
If Army Maj. Dave Cushen at West Point had to boil down the concepts being instilled at the academies to one word, he'd sum it up as "respect" for oneself and others, he said. As assistant to the Military Academy's commandant on issues of respect and equal opportunity, Cushen called respect a critical element of leadership that cadets and midshipmen will draw on long after graduating from their respective schools.
Those lessons begin at the academies as students come to recognize their responsibility as leaders to do what's right, including stepping forward when they see situations of sexual assault or harassment, Polk said.
"Even though you are fourth class (a first-year midshipman) and you don't necessarily see yourself as a leader yet, you can still be a leader by the fact that you step up when you see something that's not right," he said.
By building a climate of respect, both for cadets themselves and for others, the academies are instilling principles cadets and midshipmen will draw on long after their academy years, he said.
"The fact is, they are going to see these things going on when they are in leadership positions, both here at the academy and when they get to the fleet," Polk agreed. "They are going to see situations where someone has said (something) or taken action inappropriately, and they will need to react to it. They are responsible for moving forward on it."
When they take these principles to the field and fleet as junior officers, academy graduates will set an example through their personal behavior and the way they talk to and treat others, Burger said.
"And I think it always goes back to the respect foundation, that bedrock," she said. "As a leader, if you are being respectful of yourself and others, then you are going to be going in the right direction in setting a command climate of how ... your subordinates treat each other and what's acceptable to you and what's not," she said. "That carries weight. ... It's the impact of one person and how many people they can influence."
America Supports You: USO Elves to Host Troops at BWI Airport
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - Santa's USO elves will be checking their list twice this weekend to ensure they're ready to host about 2,000 troops slated to transit through Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport before catching flights home to their families and loved ones. The elves – actually volunteers from United Service Organizations of Metropolitan Washington – will work through the night Dec. 15 to prepare for a mass holiday exodus to begin at the suburban Maryland airport at 6 the following morning.
As some 1,800 soldiers attending advanced individual training at nearby Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., await their flights, BWI's USO International Gateway Lounge will offer up a host of freebies and services, Nicole Causey, USO communications manager, told American Forces Press Service.
Another 7,000 or so soldiers training at Fort Lee, Va., will get similar treatment as they pass through the airport in the wee hours of the morning later in the week, she said.
All transiting troops will get full access to a host of free offerings, including refreshments, travel assistance, international calls, Internet access and movies, Causey said. USA Cheerleaders, a professional promotional team, will be on hand to cheer the troops on, and volunteers will pass out care packages along with holiday cheer.
"It's a good way for the soldiers to be touched, both by the USO and through our donors who help contribute to these great lounges," Causey said. "It shows the troops that people care and gives them that little bit of TLC."
Although BWI's USO lounge typically operates from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Causey said it frequently extends its hours, sometimes staying open all night to accommodate troops passing through the airport. "If we know in advance a large group of soldiers is going through, we'll stay open," she said.
At 5,000 square feet, the lounge is the USO's largest in the United States and offers a full range of services. Troops can watch a wide-screen TV, log on to the Internet or call anywhere in the world for free on a voice-over-Internet phone donated to the facility, Causey said.
Military families with children can take advantage of play and nap areas. And troops wanting some shut-eye themselves can catch their Z's in the lounge's sleep room. They simply take a nap until a USO volunteer awakens them in time for their flight, Causey said.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 13, 2007 - Santa's USO elves will be checking their list twice this weekend to ensure they're ready to host about 2,000 troops slated to transit through Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport before catching flights home to their families and loved ones. The elves – actually volunteers from United Service Organizations of Metropolitan Washington – will work through the night Dec. 15 to prepare for a mass holiday exodus to begin at the suburban Maryland airport at 6 the following morning.
As some 1,800 soldiers attending advanced individual training at nearby Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., await their flights, BWI's USO International Gateway Lounge will offer up a host of freebies and services, Nicole Causey, USO communications manager, told American Forces Press Service.
Another 7,000 or so soldiers training at Fort Lee, Va., will get similar treatment as they pass through the airport in the wee hours of the morning later in the week, she said.
All transiting troops will get full access to a host of free offerings, including refreshments, travel assistance, international calls, Internet access and movies, Causey said. USA Cheerleaders, a professional promotional team, will be on hand to cheer the troops on, and volunteers will pass out care packages along with holiday cheer.
"It's a good way for the soldiers to be touched, both by the USO and through our donors who help contribute to these great lounges," Causey said. "It shows the troops that people care and gives them that little bit of TLC."
Although BWI's USO lounge typically operates from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Causey said it frequently extends its hours, sometimes staying open all night to accommodate troops passing through the airport. "If we know in advance a large group of soldiers is going through, we'll stay open," she said.
At 5,000 square feet, the lounge is the USO's largest in the United States and offers a full range of services. Troops can watch a wide-screen TV, log on to the Internet or call anywhere in the world for free on a voice-over-Internet phone donated to the facility, Causey said.
Military families with children can take advantage of play and nap areas. And troops wanting some shut-eye themselves can catch their Z's in the lounge's sleep room. They simply take a nap until a USO volunteer awakens them in time for their flight, Causey said.
Gates: Lack of Supplemental Funds Would Hurt Afghan Mission
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - A lack of supplemental war funding from Congress would affect U.S. training efforts for Afghan soldiers and police, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told federal legislators at a Capitol Hill hearing yesterday. The supplemental contains about $2.7 billion allocated for training and equipping Afghan security forces, Gates, who recently returned from a trip to Afghanistan, told House Armed Services Committee members.
Consequently, if funding isn't received, "we wouldn't be able to do that" kind of training in Afghanistan, Gates explained to the committee.
Congress has passed a $460 billion Defense Appropriations Act for 2008, but it doesn't contain enough money to fund ongoing overseas operations.
The House passed a $50 billion bill in November with funds to continue operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, but it included legislation that directs the president to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq by December 2008. The measure failed in the Senate. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill that includes a troop-withdrawal timetable.
Gates noted during the committee hearing that "the money runs out for the Army in about mid-February and for the Marines in about mid-March."
The department officially has notified Congress that it will begin a furlough process that possibly could affect up to 100,000 civilian employees as part of efforts to save money for overseas war operations in case the supplemental legislation's passage is further delayed in Congress. The Defense Department also has told Congress that the Army and the Marines would have to divert on-hand funding previously earmarked for installation needs to pay for overseas operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a letter to Congress dated Dec. 7, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England provided legislators the required 45-day notice before starting furloughs.
"The furlough will negatively affect our ability to execute base operations and training activities," England wrote. "More importantly, it will affect the critical support our civilian employees provide to our warfighters -- support which is key to our current operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq."
With no supplemental funding forthcoming, Army officials anticipate they would begin to furlough affected civilians sometime in February, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, who accompanied Gates at the hearing, said.
In addition, "you stop doing your training to deploy, you stop rotating to other parts of the world," Mullen continued in explanation of how the lack of funding would affect the Army.
The Army's annual operational budget is about $27 billion, Mullen said. Today, he said, the Army is spending about $6.5 billion monthly "to run the Army" and "to support the efforts with respect to this war."
Also, the Marine Corps' recruiting mission would come to a halt without the needed money contained within the stalled supplemental appropriation, Mullen said.
The current situation "has a very debilitating effect on those two services," Mullen emphasized, adding that's why receiving the supplemental funding as quickly as possible "is really important for all the men and women who are serving, as well as their families."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - A lack of supplemental war funding from Congress would affect U.S. training efforts for Afghan soldiers and police, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told federal legislators at a Capitol Hill hearing yesterday. The supplemental contains about $2.7 billion allocated for training and equipping Afghan security forces, Gates, who recently returned from a trip to Afghanistan, told House Armed Services Committee members.
Consequently, if funding isn't received, "we wouldn't be able to do that" kind of training in Afghanistan, Gates explained to the committee.
Congress has passed a $460 billion Defense Appropriations Act for 2008, but it doesn't contain enough money to fund ongoing overseas operations.
The House passed a $50 billion bill in November with funds to continue operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, but it included legislation that directs the president to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq by December 2008. The measure failed in the Senate. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill that includes a troop-withdrawal timetable.
Gates noted during the committee hearing that "the money runs out for the Army in about mid-February and for the Marines in about mid-March."
The department officially has notified Congress that it will begin a furlough process that possibly could affect up to 100,000 civilian employees as part of efforts to save money for overseas war operations in case the supplemental legislation's passage is further delayed in Congress. The Defense Department also has told Congress that the Army and the Marines would have to divert on-hand funding previously earmarked for installation needs to pay for overseas operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a letter to Congress dated Dec. 7, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England provided legislators the required 45-day notice before starting furloughs.
"The furlough will negatively affect our ability to execute base operations and training activities," England wrote. "More importantly, it will affect the critical support our civilian employees provide to our warfighters -- support which is key to our current operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq."
With no supplemental funding forthcoming, Army officials anticipate they would begin to furlough affected civilians sometime in February, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, who accompanied Gates at the hearing, said.
In addition, "you stop doing your training to deploy, you stop rotating to other parts of the world," Mullen continued in explanation of how the lack of funding would affect the Army.
The Army's annual operational budget is about $27 billion, Mullen said. Today, he said, the Army is spending about $6.5 billion monthly "to run the Army" and "to support the efforts with respect to this war."
Also, the Marine Corps' recruiting mission would come to a halt without the needed money contained within the stalled supplemental appropriation, Mullen said.
The current situation "has a very debilitating effect on those two services," Mullen emphasized, adding that's why receiving the supplemental funding as quickly as possible "is really important for all the men and women who are serving, as well as their families."
Congressional Report Confirms Furlough Predictions
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - A Congressional Research Service report confirms the Defense Department estimate for when the Army and Marine Corps will run out money and be forced to furlough civilians and shutter bases. The report, released Dec. 6, says the Army will run out of operations and maintenance money by mid-February, and the Marine Corps will run out of funds a month later. Amy Belasco, Stephen Daggett and Pat Towell wrote the report, titled "How Long Can the Defense Department Finance FY2008 Operations in Advance of Supplemental Appropriations?"
The service, a part of the Library of Congress, affirmed the DoD projections. The report says that the Army and Marine Corps may be able to push that date back a bit by transferring funds and slowing down spending. "These measures would, however, reduce remaining financial flexibility and may disrupt day-to-day operations," the report says. And even these steps will only delay the inevitable for a couple of weeks.
The president requested $189.3 billion for war on terror supplemental funds. Congress approved about $17 billion for mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, but the rest of the funds are tied up in a disagreement between Congress and the president over a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq.
Without the supplemental funds, the Army will be forced to curtail training and shutter many bases. The service also will be forced to furlough about 100,000 civilian employees and lay-off about 100,000 contractors. Furlough notification letters will go out to unions and employees beginning next week, DoD officials said.
"The Defense Department may be able to sustain operations longer by invoking the Feed and Forage Act or by using novel, unprecedented measures, such as assigning the Navy and Air Force to pay costs of Army operations overseas," the report says.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters today that the department already is using reprogramming authority as much as it can. "It would require Congress to authorize more reprogramming authority than they already have," he said.
"But the real danger is, if you use up all the Navy and Air Force operations and maintenance budgets, what you do is start to chip away at what I would call the strategic capability of this nation in terms of being able to provide capability for other contingencies around the world," he said. "With a fairly committed Army and Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan, it would be a dangerous thing to have the Navy and Air Force unable to operate and provide basic strategic reserve we have."
Congress is scheduled to adjourn on Dec. 21. If it does not reach an agreement on funding, the legislation will not be considered until after Congress reconvenes, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 15.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - A Congressional Research Service report confirms the Defense Department estimate for when the Army and Marine Corps will run out money and be forced to furlough civilians and shutter bases. The report, released Dec. 6, says the Army will run out of operations and maintenance money by mid-February, and the Marine Corps will run out of funds a month later. Amy Belasco, Stephen Daggett and Pat Towell wrote the report, titled "How Long Can the Defense Department Finance FY2008 Operations in Advance of Supplemental Appropriations?"
The service, a part of the Library of Congress, affirmed the DoD projections. The report says that the Army and Marine Corps may be able to push that date back a bit by transferring funds and slowing down spending. "These measures would, however, reduce remaining financial flexibility and may disrupt day-to-day operations," the report says. And even these steps will only delay the inevitable for a couple of weeks.
The president requested $189.3 billion for war on terror supplemental funds. Congress approved about $17 billion for mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, but the rest of the funds are tied up in a disagreement between Congress and the president over a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq.
Without the supplemental funds, the Army will be forced to curtail training and shutter many bases. The service also will be forced to furlough about 100,000 civilian employees and lay-off about 100,000 contractors. Furlough notification letters will go out to unions and employees beginning next week, DoD officials said.
"The Defense Department may be able to sustain operations longer by invoking the Feed and Forage Act or by using novel, unprecedented measures, such as assigning the Navy and Air Force to pay costs of Army operations overseas," the report says.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters today that the department already is using reprogramming authority as much as it can. "It would require Congress to authorize more reprogramming authority than they already have," he said.
"But the real danger is, if you use up all the Navy and Air Force operations and maintenance budgets, what you do is start to chip away at what I would call the strategic capability of this nation in terms of being able to provide capability for other contingencies around the world," he said. "With a fairly committed Army and Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan, it would be a dangerous thing to have the Navy and Air Force unable to operate and provide basic strategic reserve we have."
Congress is scheduled to adjourn on Dec. 21. If it does not reach an agreement on funding, the legislation will not be considered until after Congress reconvenes, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 15.
Kosovo Force Watches Fighting, Shooting – NHL Style
By Tech. Sgt. Jason Smith, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Just after the Dec. 10 deadline for the conclusion of negotiating the status of Kosovo, servicemembers assigned to NATO's Kosovo Force sat back in their chairs and enjoyed the fighting and shooting. The fighting was actually thousands of miles away, where hockey players were throwing punches and shooting pucks during the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers hockey broadcast on Versus, the national cable home of the National Hockey League.
During this critical period in Kosovo's history, pictures of American soldiers, airmen and sailors deployed to camps Film City and Bondsteel, Kosovo, were shown to a national television audience in the United States.
At the same time the troops' family members were watching the game at home, about 35 servicemembers gathered at Camp Film City's Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center at 1 a.m. Dec. 12 to watch the live broadcast on the American Forces Network.
When the first pictures of KFOR members appeared on the screen, the troops erupted with cheers and clapping. The sporting, yet relaxed, atmosphere gave some soldiers the chance to unwind for a little while and forget about the stress of the deployment.
"I e-mailed everyone I know," said Army Lt. Col. Elaine Berkowitz. "I'm from Pittsburgh, and I came to see my Penguins win. I think this is a fabulous event, and it's great for camaraderie."
The idea for the game came about when a small group of troops gathered for the Oct. 24 game between the Penguins and New York Rangers. A story was written about the game and sent to Versus. Eventually, Michael Baker, coordinating producer of the National Hockey League on Versus, received an e-mail with the story. Baker contacted the author of the story to thank the troops for watching the game. Through e-mails, they worked together to put on the Dec. 11 show.
"My mom and dad in Michigan are watching," said Army Spc. Graham Besonen. "It's important for them to see me and know I'm safe. I'm really a Red Wings fan, but I came to enjoy a hockey game and for my family to see me."
Most of the pictures were sent to Versus at least a week prior to the game. However, the network wanted to make sure all of the troops were recognized. Just prior to the start of the game, a group photo was taken and e-mailed to Baker. During the third period, the picture was shown on TV.
"I was really impressed with Versus and the NHL putting our pictures on during the game," said Army Sgt. Rich Allen. "I've always been a hockey fan, and to be deployed and see myself on television during a game was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
The game ended with the Flyers dominating the Penguins, 8-2. This was disappointing for Penguins fans in the crowd, but being recognized at home was the most important thing for most of the people involved.
In addition to American troops, a few other NATO and Partnership for Peace troops were on hand at the MWR Center to cheer for their favorite team. Camp Film City, which serves as the Kosovo Force Headquarters, is a deployed home to troops of 34 nations.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jason Smith is assigned to Kosovo Force Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Just after the Dec. 10 deadline for the conclusion of negotiating the status of Kosovo, servicemembers assigned to NATO's Kosovo Force sat back in their chairs and enjoyed the fighting and shooting. The fighting was actually thousands of miles away, where hockey players were throwing punches and shooting pucks during the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers hockey broadcast on Versus, the national cable home of the National Hockey League.
During this critical period in Kosovo's history, pictures of American soldiers, airmen and sailors deployed to camps Film City and Bondsteel, Kosovo, were shown to a national television audience in the United States.
At the same time the troops' family members were watching the game at home, about 35 servicemembers gathered at Camp Film City's Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center at 1 a.m. Dec. 12 to watch the live broadcast on the American Forces Network.
When the first pictures of KFOR members appeared on the screen, the troops erupted with cheers and clapping. The sporting, yet relaxed, atmosphere gave some soldiers the chance to unwind for a little while and forget about the stress of the deployment.
"I e-mailed everyone I know," said Army Lt. Col. Elaine Berkowitz. "I'm from Pittsburgh, and I came to see my Penguins win. I think this is a fabulous event, and it's great for camaraderie."
The idea for the game came about when a small group of troops gathered for the Oct. 24 game between the Penguins and New York Rangers. A story was written about the game and sent to Versus. Eventually, Michael Baker, coordinating producer of the National Hockey League on Versus, received an e-mail with the story. Baker contacted the author of the story to thank the troops for watching the game. Through e-mails, they worked together to put on the Dec. 11 show.
"My mom and dad in Michigan are watching," said Army Spc. Graham Besonen. "It's important for them to see me and know I'm safe. I'm really a Red Wings fan, but I came to enjoy a hockey game and for my family to see me."
Most of the pictures were sent to Versus at least a week prior to the game. However, the network wanted to make sure all of the troops were recognized. Just prior to the start of the game, a group photo was taken and e-mailed to Baker. During the third period, the picture was shown on TV.
"I was really impressed with Versus and the NHL putting our pictures on during the game," said Army Sgt. Rich Allen. "I've always been a hockey fan, and to be deployed and see myself on television during a game was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
The game ended with the Flyers dominating the Penguins, 8-2. This was disappointing for Penguins fans in the crowd, but being recognized at home was the most important thing for most of the people involved.
In addition to American troops, a few other NATO and Partnership for Peace troops were on hand at the MWR Center to cheer for their favorite team. Camp Film City, which serves as the Kosovo Force Headquarters, is a deployed home to troops of 34 nations.
(Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jason Smith is assigned to Kosovo Force Public Affairs.)
Gates Plans Scotland Trip to Discuss Afghanistan With Allies
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will travel to Edinburgh, Scotland, for meetings with allies with troops in southern Afghanistan, defense officials said here today. British Defense Minister Des Brown will host the meeting. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns will accompany Gates to the meeting. In addition to the United States and the United Kingdom, defense and foreign ministers from Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Romania and Estonia are participating in the meeting.
All the forces are part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force's Regional Command South, which is has its headquarters in Kandahar. The area was a Taliban stronghold and is an active battleground. NATO forces and Afghan National Army soldiers have been campaigning in the south.
"RC South remains the focal point for operations in Afghanistan," said Geoff Morrell, Pentagon press secretary, during a news conference here today. "In fact, daily attacks have doubled since NATO's International Security Assistance Force took over there."
Still, Gates is optimistic about the situation in the region. "Secretary Gates returned from his trip to Afghanistan last week even more convinced that the Taliban's recent resurgence in some parts of the nation is not a threat militarily, but is clearly undermining the coalition's efforts to stabilize and develop that country," Morrell said. Gates has clear ideas about what is wrong with the Afghan strategy and how it should be adjusted. "Over the course of the next couple of days in Edinburgh, he will have a chanc
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will travel to Edinburgh, Scotland, for meetings with allies with troops in southern Afghanistan, defense officials said here today. British Defense Minister Des Brown will host the meeting. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns will accompany Gates to the meeting. In addition to the United States and the United Kingdom, defense and foreign ministers from Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Romania and Estonia are participating in the meeting.
All the forces are part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force's Regional Command South, which is has its headquarters in Kandahar. The area was a Taliban stronghold and is an active battleground. NATO forces and Afghan National Army soldiers have been campaigning in the south.
"RC South remains the focal point for operations in Afghanistan," said Geoff Morrell, Pentagon press secretary, during a news conference here today. "In fact, daily attacks have doubled since NATO's International Security Assistance Force took over there."
Still, Gates is optimistic about the situation in the region. "Secretary Gates returned from his trip to Afghanistan last week even more convinced that the Taliban's recent resurgence in some parts of the nation is not a threat militarily, but is clearly undermining the coalition's efforts to stabilize and develop that country," Morrell said. Gates has clear ideas about what is wrong with the Afghan strategy and how it should be adjusted. "Over the course of the next couple of days in Edinburgh, he will have a chanc
Friday, December 14, 2007
Airmen Missing in Action from Korean War are Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
They are Col. Douglas H. Hatfield, of Shenandoah, Va., and Capt. Richard H. Simpson, of Fairhaven, Mich., both U.S. Air Force. Funeral dates have not been set by the families.
On April 12, 1951, Hatfield and Simpson were two of eleven crewmembers on a B-29 Superfortress that left Kadena Air Base, Japan, to bomb targets in the area of Sinuiju, North Korea. Enemy MiG-15 fighters attacked the B-29, but before it crashed, three crewmembers were able to bail out. They were captured and two of them were later released in 1954 to U.S. military control during Operation "Big Switch." The third crewmember died in captivity. He and the eight remaining crewmembers were not recovered.
In 1993, the North Korean government turned over to the United Nations Command 31 boxes containing the remains of U.S. servicemen listed as unaccounted-for from the Korean War. Four sets of remains from this group were subsequently identified as crewmembers from the B-29.
In 2000, a joint U.S./Democratic People's Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) excavated an infantry fighting position in Kujang County where they recovered remains which included those of Hatfield and Simpson.
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 recovered in 2000.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
They are Col. Douglas H. Hatfield, of Shenandoah, Va., and Capt. Richard H. Simpson, of Fairhaven, Mich., both U.S. Air Force. Funeral dates have not been set by the families.
On April 12, 1951, Hatfield and Simpson were two of eleven crewmembers on a B-29 Superfortress that left Kadena Air Base, Japan, to bomb targets in the area of Sinuiju, North Korea. Enemy MiG-15 fighters attacked the B-29, but before it crashed, three crewmembers were able to bail out. They were captured and two of them were later released in 1954 to U.S. military control during Operation "Big Switch." The third crewmember died in captivity. He and the eight remaining crewmembers were not recovered.
In 1993, the North Korean government turned over to the United Nations Command 31 boxes containing the remains of U.S. servicemen listed as unaccounted-for from the Korean War. Four sets of remains from this group were subsequently identified as crewmembers from the B-29.
In 2000, a joint U.S./Democratic People's Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) excavated an infantry fighting position in Kujang County where they recovered remains which included those of Hatfield and Simpson.
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 recovered in 2000.
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.
New Year Brings Higher Housing Allowance to Most Recipients
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Most servicemembers receiving a housing allowance will see more in their 2008 paychecks. The average increase more than doubled for 2008 at 7.3 percent over last year's 3.5 percent average increase.
The Defense Department will pump an additional $600 million into the housing allowance program, for a total of $17.5 billion for 2008. This is paid out to 1.2 million servicemembers receiving the allowance.
Overall, members with dependents will see an average increase of $83 a month, according to a Defense Department release. An E-4 with dependents will see about a $63-per-month increase, while an E-8 will pocket about $79 more.
Not all rates saw increases, though. Rates are based on average current rent, utilities and renter insurance by market. In markets where those costs decreased, allowances went down accordingly. But a DoD rate-protection feature locks in rates for servicemembers already living in an area to protect their current rental leases. The cost of buying a home is not included in the data.
Officials collect data on 369 military housing areas in the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska. They then calculate 48 different rates per area based on pay grade and dependant status, to come up with more than 17,000 different rates. Of those, just under 12 percent of the allowance rates saw a decrease, according to officials.
Not surprisingly, cities in California, New York and Hawaii took most spots on the top 10 highest allowance rates in the United States. San Francisco saw the top rates for allowances with dependents at an average of $2,853 monthly.
Military housing allowances have come under heavy scrutiny by Congress and senior department officials since the 1980s and have increased historically since 2000.
In 2005, housing rate increases represented a final phase of a DoD plan to eliminate servicemembers' out-of-pocket housing expenses. Out-of-pocket expenses were estimated at nearly 20 percent in 2000, according to DoD releases.
"It's come a long way. It just gets better and better every year. The members are seeing increases in most locations every year, so the program is doing what it's supposed to do," said Susan Brumbaugh, director of the Basic Allowance for Housing, Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Most servicemembers receiving a housing allowance will see more in their 2008 paychecks. The average increase more than doubled for 2008 at 7.3 percent over last year's 3.5 percent average increase.
The Defense Department will pump an additional $600 million into the housing allowance program, for a total of $17.5 billion for 2008. This is paid out to 1.2 million servicemembers receiving the allowance.
Overall, members with dependents will see an average increase of $83 a month, according to a Defense Department release. An E-4 with dependents will see about a $63-per-month increase, while an E-8 will pocket about $79 more.
Not all rates saw increases, though. Rates are based on average current rent, utilities and renter insurance by market. In markets where those costs decreased, allowances went down accordingly. But a DoD rate-protection feature locks in rates for servicemembers already living in an area to protect their current rental leases. The cost of buying a home is not included in the data.
Officials collect data on 369 military housing areas in the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska. They then calculate 48 different rates per area based on pay grade and dependant status, to come up with more than 17,000 different rates. Of those, just under 12 percent of the allowance rates saw a decrease, according to officials.
Not surprisingly, cities in California, New York and Hawaii took most spots on the top 10 highest allowance rates in the United States. San Francisco saw the top rates for allowances with dependents at an average of $2,853 monthly.
Military housing allowances have come under heavy scrutiny by Congress and senior department officials since the 1980s and have increased historically since 2000.
In 2005, housing rate increases represented a final phase of a DoD plan to eliminate servicemembers' out-of-pocket housing expenses. Out-of-pocket expenses were estimated at nearly 20 percent in 2000, according to DoD releases.
"It's come a long way. It just gets better and better every year. The members are seeing increases in most locations every year, so the program is doing what it's supposed to do," said Susan Brumbaugh, director of the Basic Allowance for Housing, Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee.
Face of Defense: Cancer Can't Stop Man's Dream of Air Force Service
By 1st Lt. Lisa Spilinek, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2007 - Kyle Causey fulfilled a lifelong dream Nov. 20 when he left Massachusetts for Texas to attend Air Force Basic Military Training. It took him more than six years, and he had to defeat cancer to reach this milestone. The former Hanscom Air Force Base pool lifeguard had always dreamed of following his father's example by serving in the armed forces. His father, John Causey, a former Army soldier, now works at Hanscom as a contractor for 66th Medical Support Squadron.
Now an airman basic at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Kyle y said his father encouraged him consider the Air Force because of the high quality of life the service offers members.
He is "the biggest Air Force advocate there is," Causey said of his father.
During his senior year in high school, everything seemed to be all systems go for Causey. He met with an Air Force recruiter and was set to leave for basic training shortly after graduation. Then a week before his departure date, he learned he had been permanently disqualified from all military service.
Two years earlier, Causey had had a tumor removed from his abdomen. The tumor turned out to be cancerous, and Causey underwent another surgery so doctors could ensure they had removed the cancer entirely.
Despite the surgery's complete success, he was disqualified from the service and lifestyle he had always dreamed about.
"That pretty much crushed those dreams," Causey said.
He changed plans and enrolled in the criminal justice program at Fitchburg Stage College. "I decided that since I couldn't do what I had always hoped to do, to go to college," he said.
His dreams of serving in the military, however, persisted. While attending college, he learned that he could apply for a waiver to enter the service since he had been cancer-ree for more than four years.
Applications for waivers required documentation that he had no reoccurrence of cancer and an OK by the Air Force surgeon general. After getting approval to join, he received a call with the news that he would be allowed to serve in the Air Force at last. "That was a great phone call," he said of learning from his recruiter that his waiver had been accepted in January.
He has since been on delayed-entry status for his chosen career field, air traffic control.
Causey said he has had a taste of Air Force camaraderie by working at Hanscom for the past five years and by playing intramural sports. He has been an "asset to the base pool," said Stephanie Herlihy, the 66th Services Squadron aquatics director. Causey saved two lives while on lifeguard duty at the pool.
"He was always reliable and someone for the staff to look up to," she said. "Kyle always went above and beyond, increasingly taking on additional responsibility. It is a great loss to the Hanscom community and a tremendous gain to the Air Force."
Causey said that joining the military family, as he has wanted to do for so long, will be very special to him. "That first day I get my uniform issued is going to be touching for me," he said.
Though his journey to becoming an airman has spanned years, Causey said he felt there was a reason for it.
"I feel maybe the reason why I was (disqualified) in the first place was so I could get a college education," he said. "I was the first person in my family to go to college. After that was completed, I found out that I could still make this dream come true. I am very thankful for everything that has happened."
One goal Causey said he hopes to attain one day is to become an Air Force officer, but added that he will be happy to serve regardless of his rank.
"As long as you stay strong as a person, everything that you want to come true will come true," he said. "As much as everybody says it and people don't like hearing it, everything does happen for a reason."
(Air Force 1st Lt. Lisa Spilinek is assigned to 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2007 - Kyle Causey fulfilled a lifelong dream Nov. 20 when he left Massachusetts for Texas to attend Air Force Basic Military Training. It took him more than six years, and he had to defeat cancer to reach this milestone. The former Hanscom Air Force Base pool lifeguard had always dreamed of following his father's example by serving in the armed forces. His father, John Causey, a former Army soldier, now works at Hanscom as a contractor for 66th Medical Support Squadron.
Now an airman basic at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Kyle y said his father encouraged him consider the Air Force because of the high quality of life the service offers members.
He is "the biggest Air Force advocate there is," Causey said of his father.
During his senior year in high school, everything seemed to be all systems go for Causey. He met with an Air Force recruiter and was set to leave for basic training shortly after graduation. Then a week before his departure date, he learned he had been permanently disqualified from all military service.
Two years earlier, Causey had had a tumor removed from his abdomen. The tumor turned out to be cancerous, and Causey underwent another surgery so doctors could ensure they had removed the cancer entirely.
Despite the surgery's complete success, he was disqualified from the service and lifestyle he had always dreamed about.
"That pretty much crushed those dreams," Causey said.
He changed plans and enrolled in the criminal justice program at Fitchburg Stage College. "I decided that since I couldn't do what I had always hoped to do, to go to college," he said.
His dreams of serving in the military, however, persisted. While attending college, he learned that he could apply for a waiver to enter the service since he had been cancer-ree for more than four years.
Applications for waivers required documentation that he had no reoccurrence of cancer and an OK by the Air Force surgeon general. After getting approval to join, he received a call with the news that he would be allowed to serve in the Air Force at last. "That was a great phone call," he said of learning from his recruiter that his waiver had been accepted in January.
He has since been on delayed-entry status for his chosen career field, air traffic control.
Causey said he has had a taste of Air Force camaraderie by working at Hanscom for the past five years and by playing intramural sports. He has been an "asset to the base pool," said Stephanie Herlihy, the 66th Services Squadron aquatics director. Causey saved two lives while on lifeguard duty at the pool.
"He was always reliable and someone for the staff to look up to," she said. "Kyle always went above and beyond, increasingly taking on additional responsibility. It is a great loss to the Hanscom community and a tremendous gain to the Air Force."
Causey said that joining the military family, as he has wanted to do for so long, will be very special to him. "That first day I get my uniform issued is going to be touching for me," he said.
Though his journey to becoming an airman has spanned years, Causey said he felt there was a reason for it.
"I feel maybe the reason why I was (disqualified) in the first place was so I could get a college education," he said. "I was the first person in my family to go to college. After that was completed, I found out that I could still make this dream come true. I am very thankful for everything that has happened."
One goal Causey said he hopes to attain one day is to become an Air Force officer, but added that he will be happy to serve regardless of his rank.
"As long as you stay strong as a person, everything that you want to come true will come true," he said. "As much as everybody says it and people don't like hearing it, everything does happen for a reason."
(Air Force 1st Lt. Lisa Spilinek is assigned to 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs.)
America Supports You: Artist Gives Music, Time to Troops
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Johnny Ondrasik turns 8 years old this Christmas Eve, but he isn't asking for any presents on his birthday -- at least not for himself. "Daddy, can I have my friends donate money ... for the Fisher House?" he instead asked his father. The Fisher House is a charity that provides wounded warrior family members free housing near military hospitals.
"I'm like, 'You get it,'" a beaming elder John Ondrasik said in an interview in Alexandria, Va., yesterday. "You hear it a million times, and you tell your kids that if you give, you get. But it's true."
Ondrasik, the singer-songwriter who goes by the stage name Five for Fighting, is in Washington to sing to members of Congress and to help promote his latest CD project. But the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling artist isn't actually selling anything. He is giving it away.
When finished, the musician will give away some 200,000 free CDs for U.S. troops, compliments of Ondrasik and some 13 superstar friends who partnered to make a "thank you" music disc for servicemembers. The contributing artists include Billy Joel, the Goo Goo Dolls, Brooks and Dunn, Melissa Ethridge and even actor Gary Sinise's Lt. Dan Band.
The CD will be distributed in Iraq and Afghanistan and can be downloaded now at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service's Web site. Officials expect as many as 1.5 million downloads.
It's a deal that record industry officials have heralded as "historic," with such top artists basically giving away copies of their most popular songs. Ondrasik offered up Five for Fighting's "100 Years" from his platinum-selling album, "The Battle for Everything."
For Ondrasik, it's the least he can do, he said.
"A lot of other people have given a hell of a lot more than I have. And they're examples to me," he said.
He compared what he's doing to what the troops do, and said the troops do much more. "Someone said the other day, 'Wow, you take two weeks out of your life and you leave your family and you go play these shows for these troops. Wow, you're really cool,'" he said. "Some of these (troops) spend ... years in (the war zone). I take two weeks out of my life to go sing a song. That's not cool. What they do is cool. What they do is important."
While growing up in suburbia Los Angeles, Ondrasik said, he never really gave a lot of thought to military service or those who served. None of his family served. His closest kin serving was one "kind of" second cousin, he said. None of his friends joined the military after graduating from high school, he said, and while his family had a "healthy respect" for service, it was foreign to his way of life.
Then came the Gulf War in 1990.
"That kind of shook me. And I wrote a bunch of songs about that, because as an adult I had not had that experience," Ondrasik said. "It's different when you are glued to CNN for three weeks watching the first Gulf War. From then on, I was invested and not only just in our troops but in our country and in our values.
"You don't necessarily appreciate the policeman until somebody's trying to rob you. I think it's just natural in our culture. We can become complacent. We can become apathetic. That's one of the luxuries of democracy," Ondrasik said.
"Until all of the sudden you are afraid to go the mailbox because of anthrax," he continued. "Or you are afraid to get on an airplane, or you're afraid to go into a mall, and then all of the sudden, 'Wow, I'm sure glad we have our soldiers. I'm sure glad someone's ready to take a bullet for me,'" he said.
But while the imagery of war and politics filtered into some of his songs, Ondrasik had no one-on-one contact with servicemembers until after Sept. 11, 2001. Since then, he has played USO concerts for troops, met with families and talked to veterans. He's also visited wounded servicemembers at Walter Reed Army medical Center here and at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
The stories have filtered into his music, such as the song "Two Lights," which portrays the mixed emotions of a Vietnam veteran watching his son leave for war in Iraq.
In his album released last year, Ondrasik wrote in the song "Freedom Never Cries" that "I never loved a soldier until there was a war." In his travels, he has had the chance to lunch with families, drink beers with troops and listen to their stories.
"Some tear your heart out, some make you proud, some make you laugh," he said.
Most poignant was playing for about 100 Army National Guardsmen stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he said. Singing in a little bar called "Club Survivor," Ondrasik said he could see the American flag outside lit by the moon. He could also see the fence that marked freedom's edge. He sang "Freedom Never Cries."
"Singing for those people, in that environment with that song, was something I'll never forget," the artist said. "When you see a fence that on the other side freedom does not exist; when you meet the families who have lost loved ones; when you meet the injured troops at Walter Reed or Bethesda, it becomes personal and real. It's not writing from afar any more."
Ondrasik said he has a song titled "4th of July in Gitmo" on his next album, not yet released.
For Ondrasik, singing for the troops and putting together the CD project is simply his contribution to supporting the troops.
"I can't pick up an M-16 and go to Baghdad, but I can write a song, or I can shine the light on the realities some of the military face, or I can go do a concert. So for me, it's what can I do," he said.
"Troops pay the ultimate price for our freedom and rights, and there is obligation to say thanks and recognize troops, families and veterans," Ondrasik said.
Ondrasik, a father of two, said his son loves to play army.
When asked how he would react if his son wanted to join the military, Ondrasik responded with the mixed emotions of most fathers.
"As a father, you don't want to put your son's life at risk. So the inclination is, 'Don't join the Army ... don't join the military. I don't want to lose you,'" he said. "At the same time, as an American, and one who believes in our values, if his passion leads him to a military career, I couldn't be more proud of him."
As for his daughter, Olivia, age 6, "She's hard-core. I wouldn't want to serve under her. She's a terror, and she would do just fine," the musician said and laughed.
This week, Ondrasik will return home to finish his album, enjoy a family Christmas and contemplate a second CD for the troops, maybe a comedy version, he said. He also will continue to spotlight servicemembers' efforts.
"We put athletes and celebrities on a pedestal and on the front with all the headlines. And sometimes I think we get it backwards," he said. "Whatever we can do to put the spotlight on those who deserve it is probably the right thing to do."
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - Johnny Ondrasik turns 8 years old this Christmas Eve, but he isn't asking for any presents on his birthday -- at least not for himself. "Daddy, can I have my friends donate money ... for the Fisher House?" he instead asked his father. The Fisher House is a charity that provides wounded warrior family members free housing near military hospitals.
"I'm like, 'You get it,'" a beaming elder John Ondrasik said in an interview in Alexandria, Va., yesterday. "You hear it a million times, and you tell your kids that if you give, you get. But it's true."
Ondrasik, the singer-songwriter who goes by the stage name Five for Fighting, is in Washington to sing to members of Congress and to help promote his latest CD project. But the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling artist isn't actually selling anything. He is giving it away.
When finished, the musician will give away some 200,000 free CDs for U.S. troops, compliments of Ondrasik and some 13 superstar friends who partnered to make a "thank you" music disc for servicemembers. The contributing artists include Billy Joel, the Goo Goo Dolls, Brooks and Dunn, Melissa Ethridge and even actor Gary Sinise's Lt. Dan Band.
The CD will be distributed in Iraq and Afghanistan and can be downloaded now at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service's Web site. Officials expect as many as 1.5 million downloads.
It's a deal that record industry officials have heralded as "historic," with such top artists basically giving away copies of their most popular songs. Ondrasik offered up Five for Fighting's "100 Years" from his platinum-selling album, "The Battle for Everything."
For Ondrasik, it's the least he can do, he said.
"A lot of other people have given a hell of a lot more than I have. And they're examples to me," he said.
He compared what he's doing to what the troops do, and said the troops do much more. "Someone said the other day, 'Wow, you take two weeks out of your life and you leave your family and you go play these shows for these troops. Wow, you're really cool,'" he said. "Some of these (troops) spend ... years in (the war zone). I take two weeks out of my life to go sing a song. That's not cool. What they do is cool. What they do is important."
While growing up in suburbia Los Angeles, Ondrasik said, he never really gave a lot of thought to military service or those who served. None of his family served. His closest kin serving was one "kind of" second cousin, he said. None of his friends joined the military after graduating from high school, he said, and while his family had a "healthy respect" for service, it was foreign to his way of life.
Then came the Gulf War in 1990.
"That kind of shook me. And I wrote a bunch of songs about that, because as an adult I had not had that experience," Ondrasik said. "It's different when you are glued to CNN for three weeks watching the first Gulf War. From then on, I was invested and not only just in our troops but in our country and in our values.
"You don't necessarily appreciate the policeman until somebody's trying to rob you. I think it's just natural in our culture. We can become complacent. We can become apathetic. That's one of the luxuries of democracy," Ondrasik said.
"Until all of the sudden you are afraid to go the mailbox because of anthrax," he continued. "Or you are afraid to get on an airplane, or you're afraid to go into a mall, and then all of the sudden, 'Wow, I'm sure glad we have our soldiers. I'm sure glad someone's ready to take a bullet for me,'" he said.
But while the imagery of war and politics filtered into some of his songs, Ondrasik had no one-on-one contact with servicemembers until after Sept. 11, 2001. Since then, he has played USO concerts for troops, met with families and talked to veterans. He's also visited wounded servicemembers at Walter Reed Army medical Center here and at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
The stories have filtered into his music, such as the song "Two Lights," which portrays the mixed emotions of a Vietnam veteran watching his son leave for war in Iraq.
In his album released last year, Ondrasik wrote in the song "Freedom Never Cries" that "I never loved a soldier until there was a war." In his travels, he has had the chance to lunch with families, drink beers with troops and listen to their stories.
"Some tear your heart out, some make you proud, some make you laugh," he said.
Most poignant was playing for about 100 Army National Guardsmen stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he said. Singing in a little bar called "Club Survivor," Ondrasik said he could see the American flag outside lit by the moon. He could also see the fence that marked freedom's edge. He sang "Freedom Never Cries."
"Singing for those people, in that environment with that song, was something I'll never forget," the artist said. "When you see a fence that on the other side freedom does not exist; when you meet the families who have lost loved ones; when you meet the injured troops at Walter Reed or Bethesda, it becomes personal and real. It's not writing from afar any more."
Ondrasik said he has a song titled "4th of July in Gitmo" on his next album, not yet released.
For Ondrasik, singing for the troops and putting together the CD project is simply his contribution to supporting the troops.
"I can't pick up an M-16 and go to Baghdad, but I can write a song, or I can shine the light on the realities some of the military face, or I can go do a concert. So for me, it's what can I do," he said.
"Troops pay the ultimate price for our freedom and rights, and there is obligation to say thanks and recognize troops, families and veterans," Ondrasik said.
Ondrasik, a father of two, said his son loves to play army.
When asked how he would react if his son wanted to join the military, Ondrasik responded with the mixed emotions of most fathers.
"As a father, you don't want to put your son's life at risk. So the inclination is, 'Don't join the Army ... don't join the military. I don't want to lose you,'" he said. "At the same time, as an American, and one who believes in our values, if his passion leads him to a military career, I couldn't be more proud of him."
As for his daughter, Olivia, age 6, "She's hard-core. I wouldn't want to serve under her. She's a terror, and she would do just fine," the musician said and laughed.
This week, Ondrasik will return home to finish his album, enjoy a family Christmas and contemplate a second CD for the troops, maybe a comedy version, he said. He also will continue to spotlight servicemembers' efforts.
"We put athletes and celebrities on a pedestal and on the front with all the headlines. And sometimes I think we get it backwards," he said. "Whatever we can do to put the spotlight on those who deserve it is probably the right thing to do."
Army Looks at Long-term Need for Mine-resistant Vehicles
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - The Army has not made a formal proposal to cut the number of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles the service will buy, but officials are looking at the service's long-term need, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today. "It would not surprise me if (the Army) made an adjustment," Morrell said during a news conference. "You saw the Marines have made an adjustment to what they feel is necessary for their future operations. But I do not believe that a formal proposal has been put forth yet by the Army in terms of asking the secretary or anybody else to adjust downward what they wish to buy in the long term."
The Defense Department will continue to buy as many MRAP vehicles as it can, as fast as it can, the press secretary said.
The vehicles have proven to be life-savers on the battlefield. The armored V-shaped hull deflects the effects of improvised explosive devices away from soldiers or Marines riding in the vehicles. They've been especially effective against what the military calls "improvised explosive projectiles," IEDs designed especially to pierce armor. The department has contracted to buy 8,800 of the MRAP vehicles.
In November, DoD received 809 MRAP vehicles. The goal for the month was 997. Even with the shortfall, the number was almost twice the 419 vehicles the department received in October. The December goal is to build 1,200 MRAP vehicles.
"The good news is that we are well on our way to our goal of delivering vehicles to theater," Morrell said. The department's goal is to get 1,500 vehicles to the fighting fronts by the end of the calendar year. Through Dec. 5, the department had delivered 1,117 vehicles to the combat theater, Morrell said.
"So if we expeditiously get those or many of those that we produced during the month of November to theater, we will get to that 1,500 mark and it will be to the benefit of our troops over there," the press secretary said.
The vehicles are having an enormous impact. Very few American soldiers or Marines have been killed in an MRAP. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said getting these vehicles to the troops is one of his priorities.
"There is a huge capability that's brought on when we bring those ... vehicles to theater, and we hope to get as many of them as possible as soon as possible over there," Morrell said.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 12, 2007 - The Army has not made a formal proposal to cut the number of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles the service will buy, but officials are looking at the service's long-term need, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today. "It would not surprise me if (the Army) made an adjustment," Morrell said during a news conference. "You saw the Marines have made an adjustment to what they feel is necessary for their future operations. But I do not believe that a formal proposal has been put forth yet by the Army in terms of asking the secretary or anybody else to adjust downward what they wish to buy in the long term."
The Defense Department will continue to buy as many MRAP vehicles as it can, as fast as it can, the press secretary said.
The vehicles have proven to be life-savers on the battlefield. The armored V-shaped hull deflects the effects of improvised explosive devices away from soldiers or Marines riding in the vehicles. They've been especially effective against what the military calls "improvised explosive projectiles," IEDs designed especially to pierce armor. The department has contracted to buy 8,800 of the MRAP vehicles.
In November, DoD received 809 MRAP vehicles. The goal for the month was 997. Even with the shortfall, the number was almost twice the 419 vehicles the department received in October. The December goal is to build 1,200 MRAP vehicles.
"The good news is that we are well on our way to our goal of delivering vehicles to theater," Morrell said. The department's goal is to get 1,500 vehicles to the fighting fronts by the end of the calendar year. Through Dec. 5, the department had delivered 1,117 vehicles to the combat theater, Morrell said.
"So if we expeditiously get those or many of those that we produced during the month of November to theater, we will get to that 1,500 mark and it will be to the benefit of our troops over there," the press secretary said.
The vehicles are having an enormous impact. Very few American soldiers or Marines have been killed in an MRAP. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said getting these vehicles to the troops is one of his priorities.
"There is a huge capability that's brought on when we bring those ... vehicles to theater, and we hope to get as many of them as possible as soon as possible over there," Morrell said.
Defense Department Notifies Congress of Furlough Moves
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2007 - The Defense Department has officially notified Congress that the department will begin the furlough process for civilian employees of the Army, the Marine Corps and the combatant commands. Congressional leaders have released a letter from Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England dated Dec. 7. In it, England gave legislators the required 45-day notice before beginning furloughs.
The furloughs will become necessary if Congress does not pass a global war on terror spending bill. "Without GWOT funding, only operations and maintenance funds in the base budget are available to cover war-related costs," England said in the letter. "O&M funds also cover salary costs for a large number of Army and Marine Corps civilian employees."
England reminded legislators of a letter he sent Nov. 8 to explain what would happen without supplemental war funding. "I emphasized that without this critical funding, the department would have no choice but to deplete key appropriations accounts in order to sustain essential military operations around the world," he wrote in his Dec. 7 letter.
The House passed a $50 billion bill last month with funds to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it included legislation that directs the president to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq by December 2008. The measure failed in the Senate. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill that includes a troop-withdrawal timetable.
England's letter begins a process that could affect 100,000 civilian employees. "Specific furlough notices will be issued in mid-January," England said in his letter. "The department will also begin notifying appropriate labor organizations."
If the legislation does not pass, the Army will be the first service affected, in mid-February, and the Marine Corps about a month later. The services will be forced to divert operations and maintenance funds to continuing combat operations. Civilian employees in the United States and overseas would be affected.
"The furlough will negatively affect our ability to execute base operations and training activities," England wrote. "More importantly, it will affect the critical support our civilian employees provide to our warfighters -- support which is key to our current operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq."
Congress has passed a $460 billion Defense Appropriations Act for 2008, but this is not enough to fund ongoing operations.
England told the lawmakers the Defense Department has no choice but to begin the furlough process. "While these actions will be detrimental to the nation, there are no other viable alternatives without additional congressional funding," he wrote.
American Forces Press Service
Dec. 11, 2007 - The Defense Department has officially notified Congress that the department will begin the furlough process for civilian employees of the Army, the Marine Corps and the combatant commands. Congressional leaders have released a letter from Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England dated Dec. 7. In it, England gave legislators the required 45-day notice before beginning furloughs.
The furloughs will become necessary if Congress does not pass a global war on terror spending bill. "Without GWOT funding, only operations and maintenance funds in the base budget are available to cover war-related costs," England said in the letter. "O&M funds also cover salary costs for a large number of Army and Marine Corps civilian employees."
England reminded legislators of a letter he sent Nov. 8 to explain what would happen without supplemental war funding. "I emphasized that without this critical funding, the department would have no choice but to deplete key appropriations accounts in order to sustain essential military operations around the world," he wrote in his Dec. 7 letter.
The House passed a $50 billion bill last month with funds to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it included legislation that directs the president to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq by December 2008. The measure failed in the Senate. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill that includes a troop-withdrawal timetable.
England's letter begins a process that could affect 100,000 civilian employees. "Specific furlough notices will be issued in mid-January," England said in his letter. "The department will also begin notifying appropriate labor organizations."
If the legislation does not pass, the Army will be the first service affected, in mid-February, and the Marine Corps about a month later. The services will be forced to divert operations and maintenance funds to continuing combat operations. Civilian employees in the United States and overseas would be affected.
"The furlough will negatively affect our ability to execute base operations and training activities," England wrote. "More importantly, it will affect the critical support our civilian employees provide to our warfighters -- support which is key to our current operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq."
Congress has passed a $460 billion Defense Appropriations Act for 2008, but this is not enough to fund ongoing operations.
England told the lawmakers the Defense Department has no choice but to begin the furlough process. "While these actions will be detrimental to the nation, there are no other viable alternatives without additional congressional funding," he wrote.
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