By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today reinforced the longstanding relationship between Australia and the United States and pledged continued cooperation between the countries' defense departments. Gates and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte met here with their counterparts of the Australian government, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith and Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, for the 19th annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations. This is the first visit by a senior-level U.S. official to this country to meet with the newly elected Australian government.
"Our meetings today prove once again that our friendships endure across generations and across different administrations in both of our governments," Gates said in a news conference in Australia's Parliament House. "The bonds of unity that grew from our common heritage and have been strengthened on battlefields around the world are every bit as strong as they have ever been."
The talks were global in nature, with both sides reiterating their commitments to working together to confront contemporary security challenges, including proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and global terrorism, officials said.
Gates heralded Australia's efforts to provide stability in the region and commended the country on providing global leadership.
"The governments continue to work on ways to advance our shared interests on a number of fronts, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting terrorism across the globe, countering (weapons of mass destruction) proliferation, coordinating humanitarian relief and strengthening our ties in other areas," Gates said.
"Above all, we agree on both the challenges we must face together and the solutions we must forge together. As has been for many years, the United States has no better partner and no stronger ally than Australia," the secretary said.
The two sides discussed plans for the mid-year withdrawal of Australia's 500 combat troops from southern Iraq, a move that is seen as a shift by the newly elected Australian government to a more support-oriented stance in Iraq. Australia now has about 1,500 troops in Iraq -- a mix of combat, training, aviation and support forces. Those slated to leave will be pulled from the south, in areas where Iraqi security forces can take over operations. The newly elected government campaigned on a pledge to remove the combat troops and is fulfilling its commitment, Smith said.
Both sides called on the international community and, in particular NATO members, to sustain and enhance contributions to Afghanistan. There are no plans to remove any of Australia's nearly 1,000 troops from Afghanistan, Smith said. Australia is not a member of NATO.
When questioned by Australian reporters about the need for additional troops from their country to deploy to Afghanistan, Gates cited the additional 3,200 U.S. Marines that will go to the country for a seven-month deployment beginning in spring.
"I've been pretty outspoken over the past few weeks about the need for other allies to also dig deep and to meet the needs that have been articulated by the (International Security Assistance Force) commander in Afghanistan," Gates said. "One thing I want to be clear on: Individual countries have met the individual commitments that they have made to Afghanistan. The commitment that has not been fulfilled is the commitment made by the leaders of the alliance to provide the ISAF commander with what he needs to be successful. So it is this broader requirement that the leaders of NATO have agreed to that has not been met and where I have been hopeful that other members of the alliance can find the wherewithal and political will to provide additional forces."
Gates said some allies have made additional troop commitments and that he hopes others will "step up."
Smith called the alliance between Australia and the United States the "bedrock" of his country's defense, security and strategic arrangements. "It's fundamental; it's long term; it's enduring; and it is, of course, indispensable," Smith said.
The foreign minister also reinforced the need for a U.S. presence in the region. "Just as Australia's engagement in Asia and the Asian Pacific (region) is important, so is the engagement of the United States in our region," Smith said.
In the talks, the two sides agreed to continue to build capacity in Southeast Asia in key areas such as counter terrorism and maritime security. Specifically, both sides agreed to assist regional countries to improve port security and to constrain the movement of terrorist finances, according to a joint communique released after the talks.
The sides also discussed Iran's nuclear activities and its defiance of United Nations Security Council resolution requiring the country to suspend all uranium enrichment-related activities. While "deeply concerned," both countries supported a diplomatic solution to the issue, according to the communique.
In other defense-related issues, both sides pledged to reach agreements on combining humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities as well as working more closely together in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance efforts. They also discussed overcoming barriers to sharing defense-related technologies that would improve interoperability of forces.
Also attending the talks were Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and U.S. Pacific Command chief Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating. The United States will host the next such talks sometime in 2009.
This is Gates' second stop on a nine-day trip that includes Indonesia, India and Turkey.
Sponsoring this article was study tips.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Army Reserve Chief Seeks Private Industry Partners
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 22, 2008 - The general in charge of the Army Reserve has a deal for U.S. employers: If you agree to hire qualified employees, he'll help you recruit them. Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz said the "Partnership for a Shared Workforce" initiative emerged as a way to help the reserves and the private sector attract young talent. Stultz said the concept was born of similar challenges facing the entities -- namely, that only about three in 10 young men ages 17-24 are fit to join the ranks of military or industry.
The reasons people are precluded from service -- from failure to meet educational or physical requirements, to a criminal background -- often are grounds for non-employment in the private sector too, the general said.
"Employers of America are having the same problem (as the Army)," Stultz said. "They're looking at that same work force out there and saying, 'How many of those kids can pass a drug test who don't already have some kind of conviction in their records? And how many have the aptitude to do the task we're needing in a much more technological age?'"
Among other enterprises, Stultz said, the partnership has received particular interest from America's trucking industry, where the average long-haul truck driver is more than 50 years old. Couple this aging work force with a shortage of qualified drivers, the general said, and young, employable talent is hard to pass up.
"I've got soldiers in my ranks that are truck drivers," Stultz said he tells employers at trucking companies. "They've already passed a drug test; they've already passed a background check; they've already passed a physical; they've already scored high enough on an aptitude test; and I've trained them how to drive a truck. All you've got to do is hire him."
Stultz said similar pitches to place reservists in civilian positions are gaining traction with industry employers around the country. He plugs the reserve's cadre of X-ray technicians to health care providers looking for help; he sells signal soldiers -- trained and experienced in using fiber optics -- to communications companies; he suggests military police troops for jobs in civilian law enforcement.
"We're getting a lot of synergy there now, being able to tell a potential soldier, 'How would you like to come work for us in the Army Reserve and go to work for this company in your local community at the same time?" he said.
The initiative hearkens back to Stultz's experience as a young man transitioning out of the active-duty Army in 1979 into a "dual-hatted" role as a reservist and a civilian employee at Proctor and Gamble.
Placing high value on the training and principles instilled in young officers, Proctor and Gamble and other companies eager to employ managers heavily recruited junior military officers, Stultz recalled.
"There were a lot of headhunter companies that would go around the military installations saying, 'If you're thinking about leaving active duty, let us talk to you,'" he said.
At the first national Proctor and Gamble meeting he attended, Stultz said, it was virtually a military homecoming. "Everybody there was like, 'Who were you with? What unit were you in? Where were you stationed?" he recalled. "Nowadays you really don't see that."
The general said he would like the two forces -- military and civilian -- to work together again as they did when he started at Proctor and Gamble, where Stultz, an operations manager, has worked for nearly three decades.
"Just like in 1979 when Proctor and Gamble was looking for new potential managers and they saw the military as a great source, I'm telling the employers of America that hasn't changed," Stultz said. "We produce some of the finest quality individuals in America.
"If we can get that partnership together, it's the way we're going to sustain this all-volunteer reserve force for the future," he said. "It's going to be us and the employers together succeeding."
Information on community policing assisted in the sponsorship of this entry.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 22, 2008 - The general in charge of the Army Reserve has a deal for U.S. employers: If you agree to hire qualified employees, he'll help you recruit them. Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz said the "Partnership for a Shared Workforce" initiative emerged as a way to help the reserves and the private sector attract young talent. Stultz said the concept was born of similar challenges facing the entities -- namely, that only about three in 10 young men ages 17-24 are fit to join the ranks of military or industry.
The reasons people are precluded from service -- from failure to meet educational or physical requirements, to a criminal background -- often are grounds for non-employment in the private sector too, the general said.
"Employers of America are having the same problem (as the Army)," Stultz said. "They're looking at that same work force out there and saying, 'How many of those kids can pass a drug test who don't already have some kind of conviction in their records? And how many have the aptitude to do the task we're needing in a much more technological age?'"
Among other enterprises, Stultz said, the partnership has received particular interest from America's trucking industry, where the average long-haul truck driver is more than 50 years old. Couple this aging work force with a shortage of qualified drivers, the general said, and young, employable talent is hard to pass up.
"I've got soldiers in my ranks that are truck drivers," Stultz said he tells employers at trucking companies. "They've already passed a drug test; they've already passed a background check; they've already passed a physical; they've already scored high enough on an aptitude test; and I've trained them how to drive a truck. All you've got to do is hire him."
Stultz said similar pitches to place reservists in civilian positions are gaining traction with industry employers around the country. He plugs the reserve's cadre of X-ray technicians to health care providers looking for help; he sells signal soldiers -- trained and experienced in using fiber optics -- to communications companies; he suggests military police troops for jobs in civilian law enforcement.
"We're getting a lot of synergy there now, being able to tell a potential soldier, 'How would you like to come work for us in the Army Reserve and go to work for this company in your local community at the same time?" he said.
The initiative hearkens back to Stultz's experience as a young man transitioning out of the active-duty Army in 1979 into a "dual-hatted" role as a reservist and a civilian employee at Proctor and Gamble.
Placing high value on the training and principles instilled in young officers, Proctor and Gamble and other companies eager to employ managers heavily recruited junior military officers, Stultz recalled.
"There were a lot of headhunter companies that would go around the military installations saying, 'If you're thinking about leaving active duty, let us talk to you,'" he said.
At the first national Proctor and Gamble meeting he attended, Stultz said, it was virtually a military homecoming. "Everybody there was like, 'Who were you with? What unit were you in? Where were you stationed?" he recalled. "Nowadays you really don't see that."
The general said he would like the two forces -- military and civilian -- to work together again as they did when he started at Proctor and Gamble, where Stultz, an operations manager, has worked for nearly three decades.
"Just like in 1979 when Proctor and Gamble was looking for new potential managers and they saw the military as a great source, I'm telling the employers of America that hasn't changed," Stultz said. "We produce some of the finest quality individuals in America.
"If we can get that partnership together, it's the way we're going to sustain this all-volunteer reserve force for the future," he said. "It's going to be us and the employers together succeeding."
Information on community policing assisted in the sponsorship of this entry.
CONTRACTS MILITARY 2-22-08
ARMY
Raytheon Co. Integrated Defense Co. Bedford, Mass., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a $14,078,796 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for PATRIOT Engineering Services. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Mass., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on Aug. 26, 2003, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity W31P4Q-04-C-0020.
APS Contracting, Inc., Peterson, N.J., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, an $11,923,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a combined maintenance faculty. Work will be performed in Fort Dix, N.J., and is expected to be completed by Jul., 31 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Nov. 1, 2007, and 11 bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity W912QR-08-C-0008.
Robertson Aviation L.L.C., Tempe, Ariz., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $9,838,492 as part of a $317,463,698 firm-fixed-price contract for crashworthy fuel systems, internal auxiliary fuel tank systems and related spares. Work will be performed in Tempe, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on Nov. 19, 2007, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity W58RGZ-08-D-0085.
Marathon Technologies, Elk Grove Village, Ill., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $8,675,000 as part of a $21,683,644 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Elk Grove Village, Ill., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 1, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Dec. 16, 2003, and four bids were received. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-04-D-0133.
Best Tools & Manufacturing Co., Kansas City, Mo., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a $8,224,400 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Kansas City, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Sep. 30, 2004, and six bids were received. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-05-C-0071.
Cape Cod Professional Services, Manassas, Va., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $8,128,000 as part of a $13,812,535 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Manassas, Va., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 29, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on April 24, 2006, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-06-D-0166.
NAVY
Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., is being awarded a $312,584,222 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed fee contract (N00024-08-C-2118) for Naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pa., (68.3 percent), and Schenectady, N.Y., (31.7 percent). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co. Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded a $17,799,209 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-5422) to procure Mk 57 MOD 12/13 NATO SEASPARROW Surface Missile System (NSSMS) Ordnance Alteration (ORDALT) Kits, MK 73 Solid State Transmitter (SSTx) ORDALT Kits, MK 29 Guided Missile Launcher System (GMLS) Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) ORDALT Kits and related spares for U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier (CVN), Amphibious Assault (LHA/LHD), and consortium ship installations. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I., (23 percent); Andover, Mass., (22 percent); Waterloo, Canada (14 percent); Windber, Pa., (13 percent); Long Island, N.Y., (15 percent); Dallas, Texas,(13 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Feb. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DTC Engineers and Constructors, LLC*, North Haven, Conn., is being awarded $8,991,900 for firm-fixed price task order #0002 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contract (N40085-06-D-4008) for construction of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Storage and Maintenance Facility at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point. Work will be performed in Cherry Point, N.C., and is expected to be completed by Sep. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
McDonnell Douglas Corp. A Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Boeing Co. of Long Beach, Calif., is being awarded an undefinitzed contract modification for $77,000,000. This action is an undefinitized contract action for CCP 0575, Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) Additional Guardian Laser Tracker Assemblies (GLTA) Installs; 37 kits and 37 installs, spares, and proposal prep to be procured. At this time $34,650,000 has been obligated. 516th AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8614-04-C-2004, P00196).
Information on property crimes can be obtain on that website.
Raytheon Co. Integrated Defense Co. Bedford, Mass., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a $14,078,796 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for PATRIOT Engineering Services. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Mass., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on Aug. 26, 2003, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity W31P4Q-04-C-0020.
APS Contracting, Inc., Peterson, N.J., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, an $11,923,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a combined maintenance faculty. Work will be performed in Fort Dix, N.J., and is expected to be completed by Jul., 31 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Nov. 1, 2007, and 11 bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity W912QR-08-C-0008.
Robertson Aviation L.L.C., Tempe, Ariz., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $9,838,492 as part of a $317,463,698 firm-fixed-price contract for crashworthy fuel systems, internal auxiliary fuel tank systems and related spares. Work will be performed in Tempe, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on Nov. 19, 2007, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity W58RGZ-08-D-0085.
Marathon Technologies, Elk Grove Village, Ill., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $8,675,000 as part of a $21,683,644 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Elk Grove Village, Ill., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 1, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Dec. 16, 2003, and four bids were received. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-04-D-0133.
Best Tools & Manufacturing Co., Kansas City, Mo., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a $8,224,400 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Kansas City, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Sep. 30, 2004, and six bids were received. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-05-C-0071.
Cape Cod Professional Services, Manassas, Va., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a delivery order amount of $8,128,000 as part of a $13,812,535 firm-fixed-price contract for MK93 machine gun mounts. Work will be performed in Manassas, Va., and is expected to be completed by Nov. 29, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on April 24, 2006, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52H09-06-D-0166.
NAVY
Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., is being awarded a $312,584,222 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed fee contract (N00024-08-C-2118) for Naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pa., (68.3 percent), and Schenectady, N.Y., (31.7 percent). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co. Portsmouth, R.I., is being awarded a $17,799,209 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-5422) to procure Mk 57 MOD 12/13 NATO SEASPARROW Surface Missile System (NSSMS) Ordnance Alteration (ORDALT) Kits, MK 73 Solid State Transmitter (SSTx) ORDALT Kits, MK 29 Guided Missile Launcher System (GMLS) Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) ORDALT Kits and related spares for U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier (CVN), Amphibious Assault (LHA/LHD), and consortium ship installations. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I., (23 percent); Andover, Mass., (22 percent); Waterloo, Canada (14 percent); Windber, Pa., (13 percent); Long Island, N.Y., (15 percent); Dallas, Texas,(13 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Feb. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DTC Engineers and Constructors, LLC*, North Haven, Conn., is being awarded $8,991,900 for firm-fixed price task order #0002 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contract (N40085-06-D-4008) for construction of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Storage and Maintenance Facility at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point. Work will be performed in Cherry Point, N.C., and is expected to be completed by Sep. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
McDonnell Douglas Corp. A Wholly-Owned Subsidiary of the Boeing Co. of Long Beach, Calif., is being awarded an undefinitzed contract modification for $77,000,000. This action is an undefinitized contract action for CCP 0575, Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) Additional Guardian Laser Tracker Assemblies (GLTA) Installs; 37 kits and 37 installs, spares, and proposal prep to be procured. At this time $34,650,000 has been obligated. 516th AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8614-04-C-2004, P00196).
Information on property crimes can be obtain on that website.
Apolitical Military Fundamental to Democracy, Chairman Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - The idea that the military is an apolitical organization is fundamental to democracy, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told students at the Australian Defense College here yesterday. During a question and answer session, one of the students asked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff how he "manages the expectations of politicians."
The chairman quickly told the students that it is not a process of managing expectations, but of education.
The basics of national security transcend party, he said. In December, Australia changed administrations. But the support for the military remained strong, he said, and the transition was seamless.
"I credit the military leadership with a significant part of that," he said.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's job is to provide his "best military advice" to the president, defense secretary, National Security Council and Homeland Security Council.
Best military advice is not contingent on party, he said, and he, of course, will carry out the lawful orders of the president no matter what party he or she is from.
"Clearly one of my goals is to educate ... anybody who is in a position of responsibility politically and provide my best advice to every one of them about from the military's perspective and what we should be doing, where we should be investing, where we should be operating," he said.
"Early engagement" with politicians is important, the chairman said. He does not want to first speak with a political leader when there is a crisis. "Sometimes that happens, just because there are a lot of crises," he said.
Speaking constantly with political leaders builds trust and confidence, Mullen said.
"I would put it in terms of trying to create an understanding of the reality of the military and security environment that we are operating in, the capabilities that we bring, the relationships that we have and what is the best way to apply them to the challenges that we have," he said.
Information on family violence assisted in the publication on this article.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - The idea that the military is an apolitical organization is fundamental to democracy, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told students at the Australian Defense College here yesterday. During a question and answer session, one of the students asked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff how he "manages the expectations of politicians."
The chairman quickly told the students that it is not a process of managing expectations, but of education.
The basics of national security transcend party, he said. In December, Australia changed administrations. But the support for the military remained strong, he said, and the transition was seamless.
"I credit the military leadership with a significant part of that," he said.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's job is to provide his "best military advice" to the president, defense secretary, National Security Council and Homeland Security Council.
Best military advice is not contingent on party, he said, and he, of course, will carry out the lawful orders of the president no matter what party he or she is from.
"Clearly one of my goals is to educate ... anybody who is in a position of responsibility politically and provide my best advice to every one of them about from the military's perspective and what we should be doing, where we should be investing, where we should be operating," he said.
"Early engagement" with politicians is important, the chairman said. He does not want to first speak with a political leader when there is a crisis. "Sometimes that happens, just because there are a lot of crises," he said.
Speaking constantly with political leaders builds trust and confidence, Mullen said.
"I would put it in terms of trying to create an understanding of the reality of the military and security environment that we are operating in, the capabilities that we bring, the relationships that we have and what is the best way to apply them to the challenges that we have," he said.
Information on family violence assisted in the publication on this article.
Mullen Urges Military to View World Through Other Peoples' Eyes
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - In a time of change, military personnel have to have the capacity to see the world through other peoples' eyes, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here, yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told the students at the Australian Defense College that it was a previous trip to Australia that hammered that point home to him.
Mullen said he was having consultations with the Australian Defense Forces, and the operations chief put up a map with Australia at the center.
"I hadn't seen a slide without the United States at the center," Mullen told the students. "It kind of threw me off. Up in the right hand corner of this slide was little, little star and that was the United States.
"What that slide reminds me of is when you are in Australia and you live here, you see the world from Australia. All of us do that around the world," he said.
Every country of the world has maps with that country in the center. "As we are engaged around the world, we ought to be mindful of seeing it through other peoples' eyes," he said.
The admiral said he needs help to see the world as an Australian sees it. He needs to understand the security challenges facing Australia in the region for sure, but he also needs to understand the trade connections, the cultural connections.
The changes that occur politically are also an example, Mullen said. Australia has a new administration. The United States will have a new administration in less than a year. All of these things need to be examined and understood.
Geography, obviously, influences how a country defines a threat and what priority the nation places on countering it, Mullen said.
Seeing the world through another country's eyes can be even more basic, he said, and U.S. military personnel have to ask themselves questions from that nation's standpoint. What are the threats? How does a country confront the threats and how does the military fit in to that picture? How does a country build a security policy when the pace of change is accelerating and the crystal ball is clouded? How much should a country invest in conventional forces and how much should it emphasize unconventional resources? And what part do allies play?
These are questions that military personnel from all countries ask as a matter of course, he said. But all servicemembers need to ask the same questions from a different country's perspective.
The article and blog are sponsored by child abuse readings.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - In a time of change, military personnel have to have the capacity to see the world through other peoples' eyes, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here, yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told the students at the Australian Defense College that it was a previous trip to Australia that hammered that point home to him.
Mullen said he was having consultations with the Australian Defense Forces, and the operations chief put up a map with Australia at the center.
"I hadn't seen a slide without the United States at the center," Mullen told the students. "It kind of threw me off. Up in the right hand corner of this slide was little, little star and that was the United States.
"What that slide reminds me of is when you are in Australia and you live here, you see the world from Australia. All of us do that around the world," he said.
Every country of the world has maps with that country in the center. "As we are engaged around the world, we ought to be mindful of seeing it through other peoples' eyes," he said.
The admiral said he needs help to see the world as an Australian sees it. He needs to understand the security challenges facing Australia in the region for sure, but he also needs to understand the trade connections, the cultural connections.
The changes that occur politically are also an example, Mullen said. Australia has a new administration. The United States will have a new administration in less than a year. All of these things need to be examined and understood.
Geography, obviously, influences how a country defines a threat and what priority the nation places on countering it, Mullen said.
Seeing the world through another country's eyes can be even more basic, he said, and U.S. military personnel have to ask themselves questions from that nation's standpoint. What are the threats? How does a country confront the threats and how does the military fit in to that picture? How does a country build a security policy when the pace of change is accelerating and the crystal ball is clouded? How much should a country invest in conventional forces and how much should it emphasize unconventional resources? And what part do allies play?
These are questions that military personnel from all countries ask as a matter of course, he said. But all servicemembers need to ask the same questions from a different country's perspective.
The article and blog are sponsored by child abuse readings.
Mullen Addresses Rapid Change, Other Issues at Australian War College
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - Fighting the war on terrorism while the world continues to change at a rapid pace poses a challenge to the military, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told students attending the Australian Defense College here, yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to the students before attending the Australia-United States Ministerial meetings. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Navy Adm. Timothy Keating are also attending the talks.
"What's going on in the world right now is indicative of the incredible pace of change, and I would argue that the pace is just going to pick up," Mullen said to the more than 300 students from all services and many nations. "Five years ago, there would have been very few people who would have predicted the challenges we are dealing with right now."
He said no one can be very precise about what the shape of the world will be in another five to 10 years.
As he looks around the world, he is struck by the pace of troop deployments, the challenges of managing that pace, the different types of operations the troops are involved in, "and trying also to get our heads up high enough to take a look at what's out there in the long term," he said.
"Front and center in all that is the issue of terror, tied to weapons of mass destruction," he said.
He said he worries most about terrorists getting those weapons. "I know for a fact that there are those who are seeking to bring those two together," he said.
Security is a necessary condition for stability. Security provides the conditions for economies to thrive, for people to grow and standards of living to improve, he said.
"There are parts of the world where it is increasingly a challenge," he said.
The students also had a lively question and answer session with the chairman.
Among the issues discussed were "caveats," restrictions that countries sometimes place on how troops are used. Some NATO nations have passed caveats for their troops deploying to Afghanistan.
"There are clearly challenges in terms being of meeting the overall troop requirements (in Afghanistan) whether it is combat troops or trainers," Mullen said. "The caveats that are placed on country's military capabilities can be very debilitating in terms of being able to execute a mission."
Caveats can impact flexibility – the commander can't move forces from one area to another – or how troops are used – troops are trainers and not combat forces. "We've worked hard to try to convince countries to release as many of those caveats as they can, and also provide more capabilities," he said.
Mullen stressed that Afghanistan is the important mission for NATO. "I also believe that if NATO doesn't get this right and fails in Afghanistan, then there are great questions about the future of NATO that all of us should be asking," he said.
Mullen said the alliance must succeed in Afghanistan, "and I believe we can."
Students asked about the importance of military and diplomatic relationships.
He said he puts relationships in two categories: enduring and emerging. The U.S.-Australia relationship is an example of an enduring relationship. The two countries fought as allies in World War I, and continue a close relationship in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He used the countries of Africa as an example of emerging relationships. The continent has both tremendous potential and tremendous problems, he said. There is famine, disease, war and corruption, but also great resources.
"I believe for the developed world that those problems and challenges that Africa has, we can either go to them or they will come to us," he said. "We can engage early and positively to try to solve some of these problems. To the degree we don't engage and ignore them, the problems will just get bigger and become more challenging down the road."
In Asia, he said the relationship with Indonesia and Malaysia are examples of emerging U.S. relationships.
"I would see the strength of those relationships over time being absolutely critical to addressing the challenges we have," he said. "Without those relationships we almost can't (address those problems)."
Countries and militaries will also have relationships with non-governmental entities and transnational organizations such as the United Nations. It's important to work with those organizations before there is a crisis, he said.
"Developing a relationship on the battlefield in the midst of a crisis with someone I've never met before can be very challenging," he said. "We don't know each other and immediately we don't trust each other, and it is that trust that has to be built up over time."
Students also asked about money. "When I look at what we need to invest in in the future, it's far too easy to invest in things," Mullen said. "There are things we fly and things we drive. They are big toys – they are not unimportant, but often we overlook what I call the enablers that make all the platforms work."
Sensors and intelligence capabilities are examples of enablers, Mullen said. Fusing platforms and information to get a needed result is crucial to investment. "The speed of war is picking up," he said. "The enemy adapts quickly. We need to not only match them, but get ahead of them."
A student asked if the U.S. military will have the same experience when it leaves Iraq that it had when it left Vietnam. "The short answer is no," Mullen said. "But, it's where I grew up, I know exactly what happened back then, and my antenna is up on this issue all the time.
"We've got a mission to accomplish and I've got a ground force that is stressed right now and the balance is very delicate," he continued. "I'm mindful of that."
He said fundamental to the problems the military had post-Vietnam was the American people pulled away from the military. "That is not going on right now," he said. "But if that happens we're in trouble. It is one of my singular goals as chairman is to not let that happen."
An Iraqi officer attending the college asked the chairman his assessment of conditions in Iraq.
"What I worry about in Iraq is putting your country in a position to turn into a failed state," Mullen said. "Conditions of security have to be sustained so Iraq can continue to grow. It's tough, it's going to take a long time."
Mullen said the United States and Iraq are working together to establish a long-term security arrangement. "What I worry about more than anything else is any decision that would precipitate a failed state," he said.
The website with information on sex crimes sponsored this article on this blog.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 23, 2008 - Fighting the war on terrorism while the world continues to change at a rapid pace poses a challenge to the military, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told students attending the Australian Defense College here, yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to the students before attending the Australia-United States Ministerial meetings. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Navy Adm. Timothy Keating are also attending the talks.
"What's going on in the world right now is indicative of the incredible pace of change, and I would argue that the pace is just going to pick up," Mullen said to the more than 300 students from all services and many nations. "Five years ago, there would have been very few people who would have predicted the challenges we are dealing with right now."
He said no one can be very precise about what the shape of the world will be in another five to 10 years.
As he looks around the world, he is struck by the pace of troop deployments, the challenges of managing that pace, the different types of operations the troops are involved in, "and trying also to get our heads up high enough to take a look at what's out there in the long term," he said.
"Front and center in all that is the issue of terror, tied to weapons of mass destruction," he said.
He said he worries most about terrorists getting those weapons. "I know for a fact that there are those who are seeking to bring those two together," he said.
Security is a necessary condition for stability. Security provides the conditions for economies to thrive, for people to grow and standards of living to improve, he said.
"There are parts of the world where it is increasingly a challenge," he said.
The students also had a lively question and answer session with the chairman.
Among the issues discussed were "caveats," restrictions that countries sometimes place on how troops are used. Some NATO nations have passed caveats for their troops deploying to Afghanistan.
"There are clearly challenges in terms being of meeting the overall troop requirements (in Afghanistan) whether it is combat troops or trainers," Mullen said. "The caveats that are placed on country's military capabilities can be very debilitating in terms of being able to execute a mission."
Caveats can impact flexibility – the commander can't move forces from one area to another – or how troops are used – troops are trainers and not combat forces. "We've worked hard to try to convince countries to release as many of those caveats as they can, and also provide more capabilities," he said.
Mullen stressed that Afghanistan is the important mission for NATO. "I also believe that if NATO doesn't get this right and fails in Afghanistan, then there are great questions about the future of NATO that all of us should be asking," he said.
Mullen said the alliance must succeed in Afghanistan, "and I believe we can."
Students asked about the importance of military and diplomatic relationships.
He said he puts relationships in two categories: enduring and emerging. The U.S.-Australia relationship is an example of an enduring relationship. The two countries fought as allies in World War I, and continue a close relationship in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He used the countries of Africa as an example of emerging relationships. The continent has both tremendous potential and tremendous problems, he said. There is famine, disease, war and corruption, but also great resources.
"I believe for the developed world that those problems and challenges that Africa has, we can either go to them or they will come to us," he said. "We can engage early and positively to try to solve some of these problems. To the degree we don't engage and ignore them, the problems will just get bigger and become more challenging down the road."
In Asia, he said the relationship with Indonesia and Malaysia are examples of emerging U.S. relationships.
"I would see the strength of those relationships over time being absolutely critical to addressing the challenges we have," he said. "Without those relationships we almost can't (address those problems)."
Countries and militaries will also have relationships with non-governmental entities and transnational organizations such as the United Nations. It's important to work with those organizations before there is a crisis, he said.
"Developing a relationship on the battlefield in the midst of a crisis with someone I've never met before can be very challenging," he said. "We don't know each other and immediately we don't trust each other, and it is that trust that has to be built up over time."
Students also asked about money. "When I look at what we need to invest in in the future, it's far too easy to invest in things," Mullen said. "There are things we fly and things we drive. They are big toys – they are not unimportant, but often we overlook what I call the enablers that make all the platforms work."
Sensors and intelligence capabilities are examples of enablers, Mullen said. Fusing platforms and information to get a needed result is crucial to investment. "The speed of war is picking up," he said. "The enemy adapts quickly. We need to not only match them, but get ahead of them."
A student asked if the U.S. military will have the same experience when it leaves Iraq that it had when it left Vietnam. "The short answer is no," Mullen said. "But, it's where I grew up, I know exactly what happened back then, and my antenna is up on this issue all the time.
"We've got a mission to accomplish and I've got a ground force that is stressed right now and the balance is very delicate," he continued. "I'm mindful of that."
He said fundamental to the problems the military had post-Vietnam was the American people pulled away from the military. "That is not going on right now," he said. "But if that happens we're in trouble. It is one of my singular goals as chairman is to not let that happen."
An Iraqi officer attending the college asked the chairman his assessment of conditions in Iraq.
"What I worry about in Iraq is putting your country in a position to turn into a failed state," Mullen said. "Conditions of security have to be sustained so Iraq can continue to grow. It's tough, it's going to take a long time."
Mullen said the United States and Iraq are working together to establish a long-term security arrangement. "What I worry about more than anything else is any decision that would precipitate a failed state," he said.
The website with information on sex crimes sponsored this article on this blog.
Gates Pleased by Mission's Success
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was pleased when he learned a U.S. Navy missile hit the crippled spy satellite that was falling out of orbit and threatening to spill its toxic rocket fuel upon re-entry. Defense officials could not immediately confirm that the fuel tank had been hit, and said they hope to know for sure by late tonight.
At 5:35 p.m. in Hawaii (10:35 p.m. EST), Gates received a call from Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright and U.S. Strategic Command Commander Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton delivering the news that the mission was a success, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.
"The secretary was obviously very pleased to learn that, and he congratulated General Cartwright and General Chilton, as well as their teams, on a job well done," Morrell said.
At about 1:40 p.m. EST yesterday, while en route to Hawaii from Washington, Gates held a conference call with the two generals and was told the conditions were "ripe" for an attempt. That is when the secretary gave the go-ahead for the Navy to take the shot, and he wished them luck in their attempt, Morrell said.
At about 10:26 p.m. EST, a U.S. Navy Aegis warship, the USS Lake Erie, fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile 3, hitting the satellite about 133 nautical miles over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph, according to a Defense Department statement.
The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the roughly 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel that could pose a danger to people on Earth.
"The secretary, like all of us, is standing by to learn more how successful the intercept was," Morrell said. "After all, the goal here was not just to hit the satellite. The goal here was to hit and destroy the fuel tank to eliminate it as potential danger to those of us here on Earth."
Because of the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris would have started re-entering the earth's atmosphere immediately, officials said, and nearly all of the debris will burn up on re-entry within two days.
Should any large pieces of the satellite's debris make it to Earth, special teams are on alert and positioned within the U.S. Pacific Command, Navy. Adm. Timothy J. Keating, PACOM commander, told reporters traveling with the secretary shortly after Gates landed here.
"(The teams are there) to lend assistance should parts of the satellite survive the missile impact and hit," he said. "We don't think the hydrazine container is going to hit. That's why we're shooting at it. But if it does, we're prepared to assist with specially trained teams that are on alert at various places throughout our area of responsibility."
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen also spoke to reporters here and said the shoot-down does not threaten any country and is not a new space race with any country.
"What we've tried to do from the beginning was be as open as possible about the intention," the chairman said during a news conference at Hickam Air Force Base. "We are taking the shot at what we hope will be an altitude that will minimize the amount of space debris that will occur. We've engaged governments throughout the world to tell them what our intentions are. We have been very transparent, very open in that regard."
The admiral made a point that the Navy's Standard Missile 3 had to be modified to fly the mission at all, and that it would be used only in this kind of emergency response to similar potential dangers.
Gates stopped in Hawaii on the first leg of a nine-day trip around the world aimed at reinforcing relationships with some countries he has yet to visit as defense secretary. In addition to U.S. Pacific Command here, the secretary will participate in annual bilateral talks with Australia, and discuss security matters with his counterparts in Indonesia, India and Turkey.
(Jim Garamone of American Forces Press Service contributed to this story.)
Support for publishing this article was provided by online publications.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was pleased when he learned a U.S. Navy missile hit the crippled spy satellite that was falling out of orbit and threatening to spill its toxic rocket fuel upon re-entry. Defense officials could not immediately confirm that the fuel tank had been hit, and said they hope to know for sure by late tonight.
At 5:35 p.m. in Hawaii (10:35 p.m. EST), Gates received a call from Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright and U.S. Strategic Command Commander Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton delivering the news that the mission was a success, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.
"The secretary was obviously very pleased to learn that, and he congratulated General Cartwright and General Chilton, as well as their teams, on a job well done," Morrell said.
At about 1:40 p.m. EST yesterday, while en route to Hawaii from Washington, Gates held a conference call with the two generals and was told the conditions were "ripe" for an attempt. That is when the secretary gave the go-ahead for the Navy to take the shot, and he wished them luck in their attempt, Morrell said.
At about 10:26 p.m. EST, a U.S. Navy Aegis warship, the USS Lake Erie, fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile 3, hitting the satellite about 133 nautical miles over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph, according to a Defense Department statement.
The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the roughly 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel that could pose a danger to people on Earth.
"The secretary, like all of us, is standing by to learn more how successful the intercept was," Morrell said. "After all, the goal here was not just to hit the satellite. The goal here was to hit and destroy the fuel tank to eliminate it as potential danger to those of us here on Earth."
Because of the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris would have started re-entering the earth's atmosphere immediately, officials said, and nearly all of the debris will burn up on re-entry within two days.
Should any large pieces of the satellite's debris make it to Earth, special teams are on alert and positioned within the U.S. Pacific Command, Navy. Adm. Timothy J. Keating, PACOM commander, told reporters traveling with the secretary shortly after Gates landed here.
"(The teams are there) to lend assistance should parts of the satellite survive the missile impact and hit," he said. "We don't think the hydrazine container is going to hit. That's why we're shooting at it. But if it does, we're prepared to assist with specially trained teams that are on alert at various places throughout our area of responsibility."
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen also spoke to reporters here and said the shoot-down does not threaten any country and is not a new space race with any country.
"What we've tried to do from the beginning was be as open as possible about the intention," the chairman said during a news conference at Hickam Air Force Base. "We are taking the shot at what we hope will be an altitude that will minimize the amount of space debris that will occur. We've engaged governments throughout the world to tell them what our intentions are. We have been very transparent, very open in that regard."
The admiral made a point that the Navy's Standard Missile 3 had to be modified to fly the mission at all, and that it would be used only in this kind of emergency response to similar potential dangers.
Gates stopped in Hawaii on the first leg of a nine-day trip around the world aimed at reinforcing relationships with some countries he has yet to visit as defense secretary. In addition to U.S. Pacific Command here, the secretary will participate in annual bilateral talks with Australia, and discuss security matters with his counterparts in Indonesia, India and Turkey.
(Jim Garamone of American Forces Press Service contributed to this story.)
Support for publishing this article was provided by online publications.
Mullen Thanks Troops for Service at 'Critical Time'
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday thanked U.S. forces serving in the Pacific for stepping forward to serve their country at what he called "a very critical time" in the nation's history. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to about 400 servicemembers at an "all-hands" meeting here.
"We're in our sixth year of war right now, and we're at the beginning of what I see as a very long war, very much a sustained effort, and one that will continue to take the significant contributions that you all are making," Mullen said. "You are very special, because you all raised your right hand to serve your country at a very critical time in our history."
Mullen said today's U.S. military is the best he has ever seen in his almost 40 years of service. He credited families with a large part of the success of the force, and he thanked family members for their service. "Families, through thick and thin in this war, have been incredibly supportive, and they are pushed," he said.
Six years of war have brought tremendous change to the U.S. military and to the world as a whole, Mullen said, and he told servicemembers here they can expect more change in the years to come.
"Just look at what has happened over the last six years and how we've changed as a force, how our country has changed, regions have changed and the world has changed," he said.
It's an unpredictable world, he said, "and I'd like to be able to tell you in two or three years that this is exactly what we'd be doing, where we'd be doing, or even when we'd be doing, but I can't."
The military will continue to change, he said, whether it be in tactics, techniques and procedures, training or leadership challenges.
"Things have changed in how we're fighting, and they will continue to change," he said. "The enemy is pretty quick, pretty adaptive (and) very lethal, and we need to be able to match and exceed the enemy's speed in this irregular and asymmetric environment we find ourselves in."
Servicemembers today find themselves doing things they never would have imagined a few short years ago, the chairman noted. They are becoming more culturally aware, are learning new languages and are stepping up to new educational requirements, he said. "We're globally engaged militarily, and we will remain so," he added.
Though a great deal of American focus is on the U.S. Central Command area of operations, Mullen said, the Pacific is an important lynchpin in America's future.
"I have spent a decade of my career out here in the Pacific," he said. "I know how important this region is. It's growing in importance, and that is tied to the resources and economies around the Pacific basin.
"What you do will be vital to our security and the security of the Pacific region," he continued. "You are at the heart of that, and I don't expect that to slow down."
As the pace of change continues, Mullen said, he is concerned about continued pressure on the armed forces, especially ground forces.
"The 15-month deployment is too long," he said. "We need to get back to 12-month deployments as soon as possible. The cumulative effect of these deployments is something we have to pay attention to."
As the military moves forward, Mullen said, everyone in uniform must be a leader.
"I don't care if you are an E-1 or someone as senior as I am," he said. "You are responsible for yourselves, your unit and each other. You are connected that way, and the expectation is that we all lead and lead well. We take care of each other and respect each other, and it runs the full spectrum of leading from the front, the rear and leading your peers."
Great leaders are needed to solve the problems of this difficult time, the admiral said.
"We are being pushed very hard right now," he told the servicemembers. "All of you need to reach your potential, and all of those who work are given an opportunity to succeed as well. Everybody has got a dream and a vision and a future that is very bright, and we have to make sure we get everybody there."
Corrections issues was key in preparing the reproduction of this article.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday thanked U.S. forces serving in the Pacific for stepping forward to serve their country at what he called "a very critical time" in the nation's history. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to about 400 servicemembers at an "all-hands" meeting here.
"We're in our sixth year of war right now, and we're at the beginning of what I see as a very long war, very much a sustained effort, and one that will continue to take the significant contributions that you all are making," Mullen said. "You are very special, because you all raised your right hand to serve your country at a very critical time in our history."
Mullen said today's U.S. military is the best he has ever seen in his almost 40 years of service. He credited families with a large part of the success of the force, and he thanked family members for their service. "Families, through thick and thin in this war, have been incredibly supportive, and they are pushed," he said.
Six years of war have brought tremendous change to the U.S. military and to the world as a whole, Mullen said, and he told servicemembers here they can expect more change in the years to come.
"Just look at what has happened over the last six years and how we've changed as a force, how our country has changed, regions have changed and the world has changed," he said.
It's an unpredictable world, he said, "and I'd like to be able to tell you in two or three years that this is exactly what we'd be doing, where we'd be doing, or even when we'd be doing, but I can't."
The military will continue to change, he said, whether it be in tactics, techniques and procedures, training or leadership challenges.
"Things have changed in how we're fighting, and they will continue to change," he said. "The enemy is pretty quick, pretty adaptive (and) very lethal, and we need to be able to match and exceed the enemy's speed in this irregular and asymmetric environment we find ourselves in."
Servicemembers today find themselves doing things they never would have imagined a few short years ago, the chairman noted. They are becoming more culturally aware, are learning new languages and are stepping up to new educational requirements, he said. "We're globally engaged militarily, and we will remain so," he added.
Though a great deal of American focus is on the U.S. Central Command area of operations, Mullen said, the Pacific is an important lynchpin in America's future.
"I have spent a decade of my career out here in the Pacific," he said. "I know how important this region is. It's growing in importance, and that is tied to the resources and economies around the Pacific basin.
"What you do will be vital to our security and the security of the Pacific region," he continued. "You are at the heart of that, and I don't expect that to slow down."
As the pace of change continues, Mullen said, he is concerned about continued pressure on the armed forces, especially ground forces.
"The 15-month deployment is too long," he said. "We need to get back to 12-month deployments as soon as possible. The cumulative effect of these deployments is something we have to pay attention to."
As the military moves forward, Mullen said, everyone in uniform must be a leader.
"I don't care if you are an E-1 or someone as senior as I am," he said. "You are responsible for yourselves, your unit and each other. You are connected that way, and the expectation is that we all lead and lead well. We take care of each other and respect each other, and it runs the full spectrum of leading from the front, the rear and leading your peers."
Great leaders are needed to solve the problems of this difficult time, the admiral said.
"We are being pushed very hard right now," he told the servicemembers. "All of you need to reach your potential, and all of those who work are given an opportunity to succeed as well. Everybody has got a dream and a vision and a future that is very bright, and we have to make sure we get everybody there."
Corrections issues was key in preparing the reproduction of this article.
Bush: U.S. Plans No New Military Bases in Africa
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The United States stood up U.S. Africa Command to provide military assistance to African nations, not as a springboard to opening new military bases there, President Bush said during his visit to Ghana yesterday. Speaking at a media availability in Accra with Ghana's President John Kufuor, Bush emphasized that the United States has no plans to establish new bases on the continent.
"I know there's rumors in Ghana: 'All Bush is coming to do is try to convince you to put a big military base here,'" the president said. "That's baloney. Or as we say in Texas, that's bull."
Bush, in Ghana for the fourth stop in his five-nation African trip, sought to put the rumors to rest.
"I want to dispel the notion that, all of a sudden, America is bringing all kinds of military to Africa. It's just simply not true," he said. "The whole purpose of AFRICOM is to help leaders deal with African problems."
Bush directed the creation of AFRICOM in February 2007. It began initial operations in October with Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward as its first commander.
The command structure, with both Defense and State department representation, reflects AFRICOM's unique mission. Ward has two deputies: Navy Vice Adm. Robert T. Moeller is deputy for military operations, and U.S. Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates is deputy for civil-military activities.
"This is a unique command structure for America," Bush said. "It is a command structure that is aiming to help provide military assistance to African nations, so African nations are more capable of dealing with Africa's conflicts -- like peacekeeping training."
The AFRICOM headquarters is at Kelley Barracks, in Stuttgart, Germany. The United States could eventually open an AFRICOM office somewhere in Africa, but hasn't yet made that decision, Bush said. "We haven't made our minds up," he told reporters. "It's a new concept."
Assistance in preparing this entry was provided by transit readings.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The United States stood up U.S. Africa Command to provide military assistance to African nations, not as a springboard to opening new military bases there, President Bush said during his visit to Ghana yesterday. Speaking at a media availability in Accra with Ghana's President John Kufuor, Bush emphasized that the United States has no plans to establish new bases on the continent.
"I know there's rumors in Ghana: 'All Bush is coming to do is try to convince you to put a big military base here,'" the president said. "That's baloney. Or as we say in Texas, that's bull."
Bush, in Ghana for the fourth stop in his five-nation African trip, sought to put the rumors to rest.
"I want to dispel the notion that, all of a sudden, America is bringing all kinds of military to Africa. It's just simply not true," he said. "The whole purpose of AFRICOM is to help leaders deal with African problems."
Bush directed the creation of AFRICOM in February 2007. It began initial operations in October with Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward as its first commander.
The command structure, with both Defense and State department representation, reflects AFRICOM's unique mission. Ward has two deputies: Navy Vice Adm. Robert T. Moeller is deputy for military operations, and U.S. Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates is deputy for civil-military activities.
"This is a unique command structure for America," Bush said. "It is a command structure that is aiming to help provide military assistance to African nations, so African nations are more capable of dealing with Africa's conflicts -- like peacekeeping training."
The AFRICOM headquarters is at Kelley Barracks, in Stuttgart, Germany. The United States could eventually open an AFRICOM office somewhere in Africa, but hasn't yet made that decision, Bush said. "We haven't made our minds up," he told reporters. "It's a new concept."
Assistance in preparing this entry was provided by transit readings.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Navy Missile Likely Hit Fuel Tank on Disabled Satellite
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The missile fired from a U.S. Navy ship in the Pacific Ocean that hit a malfunctioning U.S. reconnaissance satellite late yesterday likely accomplished its goal of destroying the satellite's toxic fuel tank, a senior U.S. military officer said here today. Preliminary reports indicate the SM-3 missile struck its primary target, which was a tank full of toxic hydrazine rocket fuel carried aboard the 5,000-pound satellite, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference.
"The intercept occurred. ... We're very confident that we hit the satellite," Cartwright said. "We also have a high degree of confidence that we got the tank."
Video shown to reporters depicts the satellite exploding at the point of contact with the missile. Cartwright said the visible fireball and the vapor cloud or plume around it suggest that the fuel tank was hit and the hydrazine had burned up.
"The high-definition imagery that we have indicates that we hit the spacecraft right in the area of the tank," Cartwright said.
However, he added, it probably would take another 24 to 48 hours of sifting through data "to get to a point where we are very comfortable with our analysis that we indeed breached the tank."
Radar sweeps of the satellite's debris field thus far show that no parts larger than a football survived the strike, Cartwright said. Post-strike surveillance shows satellite debris falling into the atmosphere above the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, he said. Small remnants are likely to burn up in the atmosphere, never making it to the Earth's surface.
The U.S. State Department has provided updates on the situation to its embassies around the world, Cartwright noted. There are no reports of debris reaching the Earth, he said, adding that consequence-management crews are on standby to respond to such a circumstance, if required.
The SM-3 missile was launched by the USS Lake Erie, positioned northwest of Hawaii, at 10:26 p.m. EST yesterday, Cartwright said. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who is on an overseas trip, gave the go-ahead to fire, Cartwright said.
The missile intercepted the satellite about 153 nautical miles above the Earth, just before it began to enter the atmosphere, Cartwright said. Joint Space Operations Center technicians at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif, confirmed the satalitte's breakup about 24 minutes later.
The National Reconnaissance Office-managed satellite malfunctioned soon after it was launched in 2006, making it unresponsive to ground control. The satellite, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes or so, was expected to fall to Earth in February or March with its tank of hydrazine intact, possibly endangering human populations.
President Bush directed the Defense Department to engage the satellite just before it entered the atmosphere. U.S. officials decided to shoot down the satellite because of the danger posed by the hazardous hydrazine, Cartwright explained, noting the goal was for the missile to hit and rupture the tank of rocket fuel, causing the hydrazine to burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere, along with debris from the stricken satellite.
"So, you can imagine at the point of intercept last night there were a few cheers from people who have spent many days working on this project," Cartwright said.
Gang readings was an integral partner in supporting this blog and entry.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The missile fired from a U.S. Navy ship in the Pacific Ocean that hit a malfunctioning U.S. reconnaissance satellite late yesterday likely accomplished its goal of destroying the satellite's toxic fuel tank, a senior U.S. military officer said here today. Preliminary reports indicate the SM-3 missile struck its primary target, which was a tank full of toxic hydrazine rocket fuel carried aboard the 5,000-pound satellite, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference.
"The intercept occurred. ... We're very confident that we hit the satellite," Cartwright said. "We also have a high degree of confidence that we got the tank."
Video shown to reporters depicts the satellite exploding at the point of contact with the missile. Cartwright said the visible fireball and the vapor cloud or plume around it suggest that the fuel tank was hit and the hydrazine had burned up.
"The high-definition imagery that we have indicates that we hit the spacecraft right in the area of the tank," Cartwright said.
However, he added, it probably would take another 24 to 48 hours of sifting through data "to get to a point where we are very comfortable with our analysis that we indeed breached the tank."
Radar sweeps of the satellite's debris field thus far show that no parts larger than a football survived the strike, Cartwright said. Post-strike surveillance shows satellite debris falling into the atmosphere above the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, he said. Small remnants are likely to burn up in the atmosphere, never making it to the Earth's surface.
The U.S. State Department has provided updates on the situation to its embassies around the world, Cartwright noted. There are no reports of debris reaching the Earth, he said, adding that consequence-management crews are on standby to respond to such a circumstance, if required.
The SM-3 missile was launched by the USS Lake Erie, positioned northwest of Hawaii, at 10:26 p.m. EST yesterday, Cartwright said. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who is on an overseas trip, gave the go-ahead to fire, Cartwright said.
The missile intercepted the satellite about 153 nautical miles above the Earth, just before it began to enter the atmosphere, Cartwright said. Joint Space Operations Center technicians at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif, confirmed the satalitte's breakup about 24 minutes later.
The National Reconnaissance Office-managed satellite malfunctioned soon after it was launched in 2006, making it unresponsive to ground control. The satellite, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes or so, was expected to fall to Earth in February or March with its tank of hydrazine intact, possibly endangering human populations.
President Bush directed the Defense Department to engage the satellite just before it entered the atmosphere. U.S. officials decided to shoot down the satellite because of the danger posed by the hazardous hydrazine, Cartwright explained, noting the goal was for the missile to hit and rupture the tank of rocket fuel, causing the hydrazine to burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere, along with debris from the stricken satellite.
"So, you can imagine at the point of intercept last night there were a few cheers from people who have spent many days working on this project," Cartwright said.
Gang readings was an integral partner in supporting this blog and entry.
Face of Defense: Wounded in Iraq, National Guardsman Wants to Return
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - For an Arkansas Army National Guardsman, the war in Iraq came to an abrupt end in the alley of a Baghdad neighborhood on June 13, 2004. Then-Sgt. Kevin Pannell was on a routine foot patrol with his unit in Sadr City, a Baghdad neighborhood, when insurgents lobbed two hand grenades at the group. The grenades landed near him and exploded, knocking him off his feet and mangling both of his legs.
"I was never knocked out, so my medic wouldn't let me go to sleep -- because when you go to sleep, shock sets in," Pannell said.
That changed when he arrived at the U.S. military hospital in Baghdad, however. The doctors there put him into a medically induced coma.
"It's kind of surreal, because you don't remember that. It doesn't seem like it really happened," he said. "To me, I went to sleep in Baghdad and woke up two minutes later."
In fact, it was eight days before Pannell awoke at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here to find doctors had amputated his right leg below the knee and his left leg above the knee.
Two prosthetic legs and plenty of physical therapy have Pannell up and walking again, and despite all he's been through, he wants to return to the country where his life was turned upside-down.
Pannell won't return as a soldier; he's been medically retired. And he's too pragmatic to think he could even the score with the insurgents whose grenades shattered his body.
"It's so hard to get those guys. They skip over two streets, change their shirts, and they're not who they were," he said. "Unless you've been studying this guy on the 'black list,' you're not going to recognize him on the street."
It's a sense of duty to the deployed men and women that is nagging at him to go back. He said he wants them to know that just because a servicemember is injured doesn't mean he forgets about his buddies who are still patrolling the streets of Iraq.
"I think it would be vitally important for those dudes to realize that once we get hurt, we don't forget about them," Pannell said. "That's something a lot of people can't understand, but it's impossible. It's impossible to forget your guys."
Pannell said he thinks the members of his unit who didn't get hurt had it much worse than he did. It's not that he would ever wish on his buddies what he's been through, but once he began to recover, he said, he could get on with his life.
"Once I got hit, I was safe. I was back in the States, (and) the war was over for me," he said. "They (were) going out those gates every day, not knowing if they're going to come back or not. That's a hell of a thing to bear, you know?"
While his wife, Danielle, supports his desire to go back, she has a slightly different take on why he wants to make the trip.
"He went into Iraq a scared little kid and came out the same way because he never really got to say goodbye, never got to have closure (in that part) of his life. When he left, he was unconscious," she said in a previous American Forces Press Service interview. "He wants to go back and say, 'Look, I'm here. You didn't defeat me.'"
Maybe he'll get his chance. "If anybody wants me to tag along on a (United Service Organizations) trip, I'm down," he said. "Drew Carey goes over like every six months; I can hop on with him."
Information and article prepared with the assistance of family violence readings.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - For an Arkansas Army National Guardsman, the war in Iraq came to an abrupt end in the alley of a Baghdad neighborhood on June 13, 2004. Then-Sgt. Kevin Pannell was on a routine foot patrol with his unit in Sadr City, a Baghdad neighborhood, when insurgents lobbed two hand grenades at the group. The grenades landed near him and exploded, knocking him off his feet and mangling both of his legs.
"I was never knocked out, so my medic wouldn't let me go to sleep -- because when you go to sleep, shock sets in," Pannell said.
That changed when he arrived at the U.S. military hospital in Baghdad, however. The doctors there put him into a medically induced coma.
"It's kind of surreal, because you don't remember that. It doesn't seem like it really happened," he said. "To me, I went to sleep in Baghdad and woke up two minutes later."
In fact, it was eight days before Pannell awoke at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here to find doctors had amputated his right leg below the knee and his left leg above the knee.
Two prosthetic legs and plenty of physical therapy have Pannell up and walking again, and despite all he's been through, he wants to return to the country where his life was turned upside-down.
Pannell won't return as a soldier; he's been medically retired. And he's too pragmatic to think he could even the score with the insurgents whose grenades shattered his body.
"It's so hard to get those guys. They skip over two streets, change their shirts, and they're not who they were," he said. "Unless you've been studying this guy on the 'black list,' you're not going to recognize him on the street."
It's a sense of duty to the deployed men and women that is nagging at him to go back. He said he wants them to know that just because a servicemember is injured doesn't mean he forgets about his buddies who are still patrolling the streets of Iraq.
"I think it would be vitally important for those dudes to realize that once we get hurt, we don't forget about them," Pannell said. "That's something a lot of people can't understand, but it's impossible. It's impossible to forget your guys."
Pannell said he thinks the members of his unit who didn't get hurt had it much worse than he did. It's not that he would ever wish on his buddies what he's been through, but once he began to recover, he said, he could get on with his life.
"Once I got hit, I was safe. I was back in the States, (and) the war was over for me," he said. "They (were) going out those gates every day, not knowing if they're going to come back or not. That's a hell of a thing to bear, you know?"
While his wife, Danielle, supports his desire to go back, she has a slightly different take on why he wants to make the trip.
"He went into Iraq a scared little kid and came out the same way because he never really got to say goodbye, never got to have closure (in that part) of his life. When he left, he was unconscious," she said in a previous American Forces Press Service interview. "He wants to go back and say, 'Look, I'm here. You didn't defeat me.'"
Maybe he'll get his chance. "If anybody wants me to tag along on a (United Service Organizations) trip, I'm down," he said. "Drew Carey goes over like every six months; I can hop on with him."
Information and article prepared with the assistance of family violence readings.
Combating Illicit Trafficking in Nuclear
The IAEA released a reference manual that details how to prevent, detect, and respond to an incidence of nuclear terrorism. Combating Illicit Trafficking in Nuclear and Other Radioactive Material serves as a how-to booklet on several topics related to criminal acts involving nuclear and radioactive material. The 150+ page text is intended for a broad audience, including law enforcement agencies, legislators, customs and border patrol personnel, intelligence officials, emergency response teams and users of nuclear technology.
http://terrorism-online.blogspot.com/2008/02/combating-illicit-trafficking-in.html
http://terrorism-online.blogspot.com/2008/02/combating-illicit-trafficking-in.html
Leadership
An Except from Leadership: Texas Hold 'em Style
You cannot survive without that intangible quality we call heart. The mark of a top player is not how much he wins when he is winning but how he handles his losses. If you win for thirty days in a row, that makes no difference if on the thirty-first you have a bad night, go crazy, and throw it all away.
Bobby Baldwin on Poker
Morale is incredibly important in any organization; it affects everything. It affects how people treat one another, their work quality and even the way in which they answer the phone. It is elusive in nature but palpable in its impact. If morale is low, it is a problem even if everything else in an organization is strong. Karl Von Clausewitz, a Prussian military general and military theorist, identified morale as a fundamental military principle. Since Clausewitz published On War, morale has developed into a concept seen as critical to organizations. Unfortunately, morale is difficult to define and in many circles has become somewhat synonymous with motivation. But, morale is not about motivation.
READ ON
http://www.pokerleadership.com/excerpt_chapter_25.html
You cannot survive without that intangible quality we call heart. The mark of a top player is not how much he wins when he is winning but how he handles his losses. If you win for thirty days in a row, that makes no difference if on the thirty-first you have a bad night, go crazy, and throw it all away.
Bobby Baldwin on Poker
Morale is incredibly important in any organization; it affects everything. It affects how people treat one another, their work quality and even the way in which they answer the phone. It is elusive in nature but palpable in its impact. If morale is low, it is a problem even if everything else in an organization is strong. Karl Von Clausewitz, a Prussian military general and military theorist, identified morale as a fundamental military principle. Since Clausewitz published On War, morale has developed into a concept seen as critical to organizations. Unfortunately, morale is difficult to define and in many circles has become somewhat synonymous with motivation. But, morale is not about motivation.
READ ON
http://www.pokerleadership.com/excerpt_chapter_25.html
Albania, Croatia, Macedonia Qualify for NATO Membership, U.S. Official Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - Albania, Croatia and Macedonia are valued strategic partners of the United States and are qualified to join NATO, a senior Defense Department official said here Feb. 20. "A common theme from us ... has been the appreciation for all that the three countries are doing in Afghanistan and Iraq," Daniel P. Fata, deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy, said at a Pentagon news conference that included Albanian Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu, Croatian Defense Minister Branko Vukelic and Macedonian Defense Minister Lazar Elenovski.
The Pentagon has a long-standing, bilateral defense relationship with each country and has helped them achieve defense reforms over the past decade, Fata said. Albania, Croatia, Macedonia are members of the Adriatic Charter, a partnership with the United States established in May 2003 that has helped them work toward becoming NATO members.
In August 2005, the Adriatic Charter sent a combined 12-member medical team to NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, the group's first jointly conducted international mission. Albania and Macedonia both are members of the coalition in Iraq.
Albania, Croatia and Macedonia "have made amazing strides in reforming and modernizing their defense institutions," Fata said, noting they've moved from conscripted to volunteer military forces.
Regarding the three countries' desire to join NATO, Fata observed that the "defense criteria have certainly been met, when it comes to their membership applications." The United States, he said, will advocate on behalf of the countries' bids to join NATO at the organization's April 2-4 summit conference in Bucharest, Romania.
The charter's fourth annual defense ministerial conference, held here Feb. 19 through today, marked the first time the Pentagon has hosted the meetings, Fata said. The ministers met with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Feb. 19, he said. They'll meet with Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England today.
Topics discussed during the Pentagon conference included NATO enlargement, the future of the Adriatic Charter, Afghanistan and other operations, Kosovo, and regional security in the Balkans, Fata noted.
At the news conference, Mediu thanked Gates and the United States government on behalf of Albania. "Words are not enough to appreciate the support of the United States toward our countries," he said, noting that Albania has become a reliable U.S. and NATO partner.
Vukelic expressed gratitude for the United States' assistance and support for Croatia. "We had the opportunity today ... to exchange our experiences in peacekeeping missions, primarily in the ISAF force in Afghanistan," Vukelic said.
Elenovski, the Macedonian defense minister, said the Pentagon meetings were an "extraordinary event" and provided an opportunity for the four countries to discuss mutual defense-cooperation issues.
During a follow-on question-and-answer session with reporters, Fata reiterated U.S. government support for Albanian, Croatian and Macedonian membership in NATO.
"The United States continues to support the (NATO) aspirations of all three countries," Fata said. "Ultimately, the decisions taken at Bucharest will be based on individual performance.
"We believe all three countries have performed well, have met the criteria, and therefore, our expectation and hope is that all three will be invited" to join NATO, Fata said.
Sex Crimes readings assisted in the preparation of this entry.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - Albania, Croatia and Macedonia are valued strategic partners of the United States and are qualified to join NATO, a senior Defense Department official said here Feb. 20. "A common theme from us ... has been the appreciation for all that the three countries are doing in Afghanistan and Iraq," Daniel P. Fata, deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy, said at a Pentagon news conference that included Albanian Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu, Croatian Defense Minister Branko Vukelic and Macedonian Defense Minister Lazar Elenovski.
The Pentagon has a long-standing, bilateral defense relationship with each country and has helped them achieve defense reforms over the past decade, Fata said. Albania, Croatia, Macedonia are members of the Adriatic Charter, a partnership with the United States established in May 2003 that has helped them work toward becoming NATO members.
In August 2005, the Adriatic Charter sent a combined 12-member medical team to NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, the group's first jointly conducted international mission. Albania and Macedonia both are members of the coalition in Iraq.
Albania, Croatia and Macedonia "have made amazing strides in reforming and modernizing their defense institutions," Fata said, noting they've moved from conscripted to volunteer military forces.
Regarding the three countries' desire to join NATO, Fata observed that the "defense criteria have certainly been met, when it comes to their membership applications." The United States, he said, will advocate on behalf of the countries' bids to join NATO at the organization's April 2-4 summit conference in Bucharest, Romania.
The charter's fourth annual defense ministerial conference, held here Feb. 19 through today, marked the first time the Pentagon has hosted the meetings, Fata said. The ministers met with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Feb. 19, he said. They'll meet with Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England today.
Topics discussed during the Pentagon conference included NATO enlargement, the future of the Adriatic Charter, Afghanistan and other operations, Kosovo, and regional security in the Balkans, Fata noted.
At the news conference, Mediu thanked Gates and the United States government on behalf of Albania. "Words are not enough to appreciate the support of the United States toward our countries," he said, noting that Albania has become a reliable U.S. and NATO partner.
Vukelic expressed gratitude for the United States' assistance and support for Croatia. "We had the opportunity today ... to exchange our experiences in peacekeeping missions, primarily in the ISAF force in Afghanistan," Vukelic said.
Elenovski, the Macedonian defense minister, said the Pentagon meetings were an "extraordinary event" and provided an opportunity for the four countries to discuss mutual defense-cooperation issues.
During a follow-on question-and-answer session with reporters, Fata reiterated U.S. government support for Albanian, Croatian and Macedonian membership in NATO.
"The United States continues to support the (NATO) aspirations of all three countries," Fata said. "Ultimately, the decisions taken at Bucharest will be based on individual performance.
"We believe all three countries have performed well, have met the criteria, and therefore, our expectation and hope is that all three will be invited" to join NATO, Fata said.
Sex Crimes readings assisted in the preparation of this entry.
MILITARY CONTRACTS 2-21-08
NAVY
Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded a not to exceed $115,167,467 contract modification under previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (M67854-06-C-5162) to acquire 174 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and associated test sets, spares and support services. This action consummates a requirement under a Foreign Military Sales order with the United Kingdom, Ministry of Defense. Work will be performed in Ladson, S.C., and work is expected to be completed Jul. 2009. Funds for this action are provided by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense and do not expire. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
Sikorsky Support Services, Inc., Stratford, Conn., is being awarded a $13,000,000 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-01-C-0109) for additional organizational, selected intermediate, and limited depot-level maintenance for aircraft operated by the Adversary Squadrons based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West, Fla.; NAS, Fallon, Nev.; and Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz. Work will be performed in Key West, Fla., (40 percent); Fallon, Nev., (30 percent); and Yuma, Ariz., (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in Jun. 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $13,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded an $11,102,763 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0086) for the CY 08 Systems Engineering and Program Management under the H-1 Upgrades program. Work will be performed in Hurst, Texas, (85 percent) and Amarillo, Texas, (15 percent) and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded a not to exceed $8,353,715 modification under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-C-5039) to acquire 10 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and associated support services and parts for the Italian Ministry of Defense under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in Ladson, S.C., and work is expected to be completed Jun. 2009. Funds for this action are provided by the Italian Ministry of Defense and do not expire. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
ARMY
Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control, Orlando, Fla., was awarded on Feb. 20, 2008, a $13,703,120 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Apache video from Unmanned Aircraft Systems rotary head assembly units. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bids was solicited on Jul. 9, 2007, and one bid was received. The Aviation Applied Technology Directorate, Fort Eustis, Va., is the contracting activity W911W6-07-C-0041.
Lobar Inc., Dillsburg, Pa., was awarded on Feb. 20, 2008, a $10,806,900 firm-fixed-price contract for a new guided missile maintenance facility. Work will be performed in Chambersburg, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Oct. 25, 2007, and six bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity W912DR-08-C-0011.
Assistance from property crimes was instrumental in the preparation of this article.
Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded a not to exceed $115,167,467 contract modification under previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (M67854-06-C-5162) to acquire 174 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and associated test sets, spares and support services. This action consummates a requirement under a Foreign Military Sales order with the United Kingdom, Ministry of Defense. Work will be performed in Ladson, S.C., and work is expected to be completed Jul. 2009. Funds for this action are provided by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense and do not expire. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
Sikorsky Support Services, Inc., Stratford, Conn., is being awarded a $13,000,000 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-01-C-0109) for additional organizational, selected intermediate, and limited depot-level maintenance for aircraft operated by the Adversary Squadrons based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West, Fla.; NAS, Fallon, Nev.; and Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz. Work will be performed in Key West, Fla., (40 percent); Fallon, Nev., (30 percent); and Yuma, Ariz., (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in Jun. 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $13,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded an $11,102,763 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0086) for the CY 08 Systems Engineering and Program Management under the H-1 Upgrades program. Work will be performed in Hurst, Texas, (85 percent) and Amarillo, Texas, (15 percent) and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded a not to exceed $8,353,715 modification under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-C-5039) to acquire 10 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and associated support services and parts for the Italian Ministry of Defense under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in Ladson, S.C., and work is expected to be completed Jun. 2009. Funds for this action are provided by the Italian Ministry of Defense and do not expire. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
ARMY
Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control, Orlando, Fla., was awarded on Feb. 20, 2008, a $13,703,120 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Apache video from Unmanned Aircraft Systems rotary head assembly units. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bids was solicited on Jul. 9, 2007, and one bid was received. The Aviation Applied Technology Directorate, Fort Eustis, Va., is the contracting activity W911W6-07-C-0041.
Lobar Inc., Dillsburg, Pa., was awarded on Feb. 20, 2008, a $10,806,900 firm-fixed-price contract for a new guided missile maintenance facility. Work will be performed in Chambersburg, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Jun. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This web solicitation was posted on Oct. 25, 2007, and six bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity W912DR-08-C-0011.
Assistance from property crimes was instrumental in the preparation of this article.
Transparency of Satellite Shootdown Offers Model
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The way the United States handled the shootdown of a dead reconnaissance satellite last night offers a model of the transparency it encourages other countries more secretive about their military operations to adopt, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command said today. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating pointed to the huge difference between last night's mission, aimed at destroying a satellite hurtling toward Earth, and the secret anti-satellite weapons test the Chinese conducted in January 2007.
"We've told people what we're going to do; we've told them how we're going to do it, and it's very open," Keating said.
The rationale behind the two missions was distinctly different, as well. President Bush decided to shoot down the satellite to preclude a danger to humans from hydrazine, a toxic fuel that would have been used to steer the satellite had it worked. The Chinese test, in contrast, was designed to test an anti-satellite weapon.
To carry out its mission, the U.S. fired a modified Standard Missile 3. The Chinese, in contrast, fired a specially designed anti-satellite weapon.
Keating told reporters he hopes the Chinese will learn from the U.S. model. "We would hope that they can see how to do an operation like this, emphasizing the transparency, emphasizing clear intentions, realizing --that while we don't have press embedded on the ship -- everybody knows what's going on," he said. "The Chinese did not do that when they launched their anti-satellite test. We hope there are some lessons that become apparent to them."
U.S. defense officials have long encouraged China and other nations around the world to be more transparent about their military operations. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates encouraged more openness during his visit to China in November.
Keating visited China in January in an effort to bolster the two countries' military relationship and promote improved communication. He told Pentagon reporters in November that solid communication between the United States and China will help reduce the potential for misunderstanding. This will leave "less room for confusion that could lead to confrontation, to crisis," he said.
"That's our goal," he said. "To get there, we reduce the chance for misunderstanding."
Communications Dispatch was instrumental in reproducing this blog entry.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - The way the United States handled the shootdown of a dead reconnaissance satellite last night offers a model of the transparency it encourages other countries more secretive about their military operations to adopt, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command said today. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating pointed to the huge difference between last night's mission, aimed at destroying a satellite hurtling toward Earth, and the secret anti-satellite weapons test the Chinese conducted in January 2007.
"We've told people what we're going to do; we've told them how we're going to do it, and it's very open," Keating said.
The rationale behind the two missions was distinctly different, as well. President Bush decided to shoot down the satellite to preclude a danger to humans from hydrazine, a toxic fuel that would have been used to steer the satellite had it worked. The Chinese test, in contrast, was designed to test an anti-satellite weapon.
To carry out its mission, the U.S. fired a modified Standard Missile 3. The Chinese, in contrast, fired a specially designed anti-satellite weapon.
Keating told reporters he hopes the Chinese will learn from the U.S. model. "We would hope that they can see how to do an operation like this, emphasizing the transparency, emphasizing clear intentions, realizing --that while we don't have press embedded on the ship -- everybody knows what's going on," he said. "The Chinese did not do that when they launched their anti-satellite test. We hope there are some lessons that become apparent to them."
U.S. defense officials have long encouraged China and other nations around the world to be more transparent about their military operations. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates encouraged more openness during his visit to China in November.
Keating visited China in January in an effort to bolster the two countries' military relationship and promote improved communication. He told Pentagon reporters in November that solid communication between the United States and China will help reduce the potential for misunderstanding. This will leave "less room for confusion that could lead to confrontation, to crisis," he said.
"That's our goal," he said. "To get there, we reduce the chance for misunderstanding."
Communications Dispatch was instrumental in reproducing this blog entry.
Pacific Command Strategy Hinges on Military Engagement
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - Military preeminence and strategic cooperation are at the heart of every action taken by U.S. Pacific Command, the chief of America's largest combatant command said here yesterday. The command's scope is just one aspect, Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating said. PACOM's area of responsibility includes the two largest countries in the world -- China and India -- as well as established regional powers, growing nations, struggling states and the overarching threat of transnational terrorism in the area, he said. PACOM is a maritime command, but its area includes five of the world's largest standing armies.
"We try to emphasize two things in everything we do: military preeminence and strategic cooperation," Keating said during an interview in his office overlooking Pearl Harbor. "Our job as a United States combat command is to protect the United States of America from attack and our allies and partners, of which we have many in this region."
The U.S. military must be strong enough to deter aggressors and, if attacked, able to defeat any enemy quickly. But the lesson of the region is that you don't have to be a shooter to be effective, the admiral said.
"Everywhere we go -- to one degree or another, but unmistakable nonetheless -- is the theme that those countries want us in some way, shape or form to be nearby, to be associated, to be close, to help," Keating said.
They want to have the phone number to call in case of a tsunami in Indonesia or a Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh, he said. Responding to natural or manmade disasters is a mission of the command.
"If we can keep those folks in the frame of mind that the United States is here -- we are the indispensable element to ensure they know they can trust us and we can trust them -- the likelihood of kinetic military activity is much, much lower," he said.
And it has been working; guns in the Pacific are quiet for now, but there are concerns. Terrorist activity still plagues the southern Philippines. The military dictatorship in Burma remains a concern. The command watches developments in North Korea very carefully. There is tension between the Peoples' Republic of China and Taiwan.
"We think it's being monitored carefully and managed delicately," Keating said.
But while there are no shooting wars in the region, the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Defense Department civilians in the region are busy.
"There are many exercises, exchanges and programs being conducted that will strengthen the sense of trust we are trying to nurture," the admiral said.
Actions in U.S. Central Command obviously affect readiness of U.S. military forces worldwide. "The readiness of our forces in the Pacific is affected by combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq," Keating said. "But every day I report to the secretary of defense that we are ready to execute the plans that he expects of us."
Since the war on terror began, the command has had to assume a bit more risk and change contingency plans. "We've had to adjust them a little bit because of the 30,000 Marines and soldiers who are ordinarily in our (area), but are not (now)," he said. "We are at a higher risk state than we would be if there were no military operations in the Central Command, but we can execute the plans that are on the shelf."
Keating said he always is asked when he testifies before Congress what keeps him awake at night. "The answer is, 'Nothing does,'" he said.
Exercises and military-to-military contacts are the building blocks of the command's strategic partnership program.
"Last summer in the Bay of Bengal, two U.S. aircraft carriers, an Indian aircraft carrier and ships from Singapore, Australia and Japan participated in a 10-day multilateral, multiservice exercise, ... and we were able to communicate on a classified system in real time," Keating said. "That's a profound development."
Keating noted he was previously assigned to the command in 1985. "The notion of getting those five countries together in a maritime exercise (then) was a nonstarter," he said. "And now it happens as a matter of course."
More than 8,000 U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are in the Philippines providing medical and engineering assistance throughout the southern Philippines. Terrorism is a danger in the country, but U.S. servicemembers are helping the Filipinos develop their capabilities.
"There are a wide variety of very effective nonshooting activities in which our men and women in uniform are involved," Keating said, adding that there are a number of bilateral and multilateral exercises, including the biggie: Cobra Gold in Thailand. At least half a dozen countries will send troops and equipment for Cobra Gold, and many more will send military observers.
Participating in these exercises has a long-range payoff, too. "Having had the luxury of participating in a bunch of these things since I was an ensign, you can move around the world and look up someone and say, 'Hey, how are you? How are things going?'" Keating said. "It goes back to that trust and confidence we are looking to not just build, but to nurture."
He said developing that type of trust with the region's largest nation has been somewhat troublesome.
"We are having a little bit of trouble engendering that trust and confidence with the People's Liberation Army in China," Keating acknowledged.
Keating said he can get in touch with senior Chinese military officials, but he must work through the U.S. embassy in Beijing, and that delays the process.
He can make those calls to other military leaders in the region, he said. "It is an on-the-spot, real-time way of at least reducing misunderstanding," Keating said. "If misunderstanding festers, it can lead to confusion and then crisis, and then even conflict."
Keating indicated that he is hopeful that communication with China will improve and that military-to-military contacts will continue to grow in scope and importance. "We are engaging with all of these countries in exercises, personnel exchanges at the senior NCO through the four-star level," he said. "(These are) a significant benefit to us, and we need to tell the American people."
Countries of the region are responding to U.S. engagement. The Indonesians are getting better at counter terrorism; the Malaysians are getting better at preventing piracy, "and it's not just because they are hanging with the United States," Keating said.
The Malaysian, Indonesian and Singaporean forces are working together better in providing increased security in the Straits of Malacca, a strategic choke point through which 90 percent of Asia's oil flows.
"Enhanced maritime security, enhanced awareness, information sharing, intelligence gathering -- all of those factors combine to make a more secure Straits of Malacca, and that transfers throughout the region as it all fits together," Keating said.
One of the more successful U.S. efforts in the region was sending the USS Peleliu on a six-month cruise throughout the region. The amphibious assault ship had no Marines on it, but was filled with medical personnel from military and civilian agencies, he said, and it traveled the region providing medical care to all who needed it.
Keating visited the ship during its cruise. He met a 23-year-old Filipina mother whose 3-year-old child will live because of the care he received. The hospital ship the USNS Mercy will make a similar cruise in the region this year, the admiral said.
"When they see the military uniforms, we want them to know they can count on the United States of America to be there with the military power that we represent, but we don't want to use it," he said.
Reading for Narcotics Detectives provided support for the reproduction of this blog and entry.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - Military preeminence and strategic cooperation are at the heart of every action taken by U.S. Pacific Command, the chief of America's largest combatant command said here yesterday. The command's scope is just one aspect, Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating said. PACOM's area of responsibility includes the two largest countries in the world -- China and India -- as well as established regional powers, growing nations, struggling states and the overarching threat of transnational terrorism in the area, he said. PACOM is a maritime command, but its area includes five of the world's largest standing armies.
"We try to emphasize two things in everything we do: military preeminence and strategic cooperation," Keating said during an interview in his office overlooking Pearl Harbor. "Our job as a United States combat command is to protect the United States of America from attack and our allies and partners, of which we have many in this region."
The U.S. military must be strong enough to deter aggressors and, if attacked, able to defeat any enemy quickly. But the lesson of the region is that you don't have to be a shooter to be effective, the admiral said.
"Everywhere we go -- to one degree or another, but unmistakable nonetheless -- is the theme that those countries want us in some way, shape or form to be nearby, to be associated, to be close, to help," Keating said.
They want to have the phone number to call in case of a tsunami in Indonesia or a Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh, he said. Responding to natural or manmade disasters is a mission of the command.
"If we can keep those folks in the frame of mind that the United States is here -- we are the indispensable element to ensure they know they can trust us and we can trust them -- the likelihood of kinetic military activity is much, much lower," he said.
And it has been working; guns in the Pacific are quiet for now, but there are concerns. Terrorist activity still plagues the southern Philippines. The military dictatorship in Burma remains a concern. The command watches developments in North Korea very carefully. There is tension between the Peoples' Republic of China and Taiwan.
"We think it's being monitored carefully and managed delicately," Keating said.
But while there are no shooting wars in the region, the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Defense Department civilians in the region are busy.
"There are many exercises, exchanges and programs being conducted that will strengthen the sense of trust we are trying to nurture," the admiral said.
Actions in U.S. Central Command obviously affect readiness of U.S. military forces worldwide. "The readiness of our forces in the Pacific is affected by combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq," Keating said. "But every day I report to the secretary of defense that we are ready to execute the plans that he expects of us."
Since the war on terror began, the command has had to assume a bit more risk and change contingency plans. "We've had to adjust them a little bit because of the 30,000 Marines and soldiers who are ordinarily in our (area), but are not (now)," he said. "We are at a higher risk state than we would be if there were no military operations in the Central Command, but we can execute the plans that are on the shelf."
Keating said he always is asked when he testifies before Congress what keeps him awake at night. "The answer is, 'Nothing does,'" he said.
Exercises and military-to-military contacts are the building blocks of the command's strategic partnership program.
"Last summer in the Bay of Bengal, two U.S. aircraft carriers, an Indian aircraft carrier and ships from Singapore, Australia and Japan participated in a 10-day multilateral, multiservice exercise, ... and we were able to communicate on a classified system in real time," Keating said. "That's a profound development."
Keating noted he was previously assigned to the command in 1985. "The notion of getting those five countries together in a maritime exercise (then) was a nonstarter," he said. "And now it happens as a matter of course."
More than 8,000 U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are in the Philippines providing medical and engineering assistance throughout the southern Philippines. Terrorism is a danger in the country, but U.S. servicemembers are helping the Filipinos develop their capabilities.
"There are a wide variety of very effective nonshooting activities in which our men and women in uniform are involved," Keating said, adding that there are a number of bilateral and multilateral exercises, including the biggie: Cobra Gold in Thailand. At least half a dozen countries will send troops and equipment for Cobra Gold, and many more will send military observers.
Participating in these exercises has a long-range payoff, too. "Having had the luxury of participating in a bunch of these things since I was an ensign, you can move around the world and look up someone and say, 'Hey, how are you? How are things going?'" Keating said. "It goes back to that trust and confidence we are looking to not just build, but to nurture."
He said developing that type of trust with the region's largest nation has been somewhat troublesome.
"We are having a little bit of trouble engendering that trust and confidence with the People's Liberation Army in China," Keating acknowledged.
Keating said he can get in touch with senior Chinese military officials, but he must work through the U.S. embassy in Beijing, and that delays the process.
He can make those calls to other military leaders in the region, he said. "It is an on-the-spot, real-time way of at least reducing misunderstanding," Keating said. "If misunderstanding festers, it can lead to confusion and then crisis, and then even conflict."
Keating indicated that he is hopeful that communication with China will improve and that military-to-military contacts will continue to grow in scope and importance. "We are engaging with all of these countries in exercises, personnel exchanges at the senior NCO through the four-star level," he said. "(These are) a significant benefit to us, and we need to tell the American people."
Countries of the region are responding to U.S. engagement. The Indonesians are getting better at counter terrorism; the Malaysians are getting better at preventing piracy, "and it's not just because they are hanging with the United States," Keating said.
The Malaysian, Indonesian and Singaporean forces are working together better in providing increased security in the Straits of Malacca, a strategic choke point through which 90 percent of Asia's oil flows.
"Enhanced maritime security, enhanced awareness, information sharing, intelligence gathering -- all of those factors combine to make a more secure Straits of Malacca, and that transfers throughout the region as it all fits together," Keating said.
One of the more successful U.S. efforts in the region was sending the USS Peleliu on a six-month cruise throughout the region. The amphibious assault ship had no Marines on it, but was filled with medical personnel from military and civilian agencies, he said, and it traveled the region providing medical care to all who needed it.
Keating visited the ship during its cruise. He met a 23-year-old Filipina mother whose 3-year-old child will live because of the care he received. The hospital ship the USNS Mercy will make a similar cruise in the region this year, the admiral said.
"When they see the military uniforms, we want them to know they can count on the United States of America to be there with the military power that we represent, but we don't want to use it," he said.
Reading for Narcotics Detectives provided support for the reproduction of this blog and entry.
Tuskegee Airmen Authors Sign Books, Shake Hands at Pentagon
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - Before technology allowed U.S. aircraft to break the sound barrier, raw courage and bravery pushed the Tuskegee Airmen through the Army Air Corps color barrier. Three intrepid airmen of the all-black 332nd Fighter Group appeared here today in the Pentagon concourse to sell and sign copies of their biographies. Within the first hour of the pilots' arrival, servicemembers of all branches, ranks and races purchased nearly 150 copies of the tales that tell of the airmen's World War II-era heroics.
Retired Air Force Col. Charles E. McGee said he and fellow Tuskegee Airmen participated in what a black newspaper deemed the "Double V" -- one victory against the Axis powers abroad and another victory against racial prejudice at home.
"Racism was pretty embedded in the Army policies, and they disbelieved our capability just because of the color of our skin," McGee said, taking a break between signing books. "It did bring about a change when we finally got the opportunity to be graded on our abilities and not that type of policy."
The coffin that holds such military prejudices received a final nail in March, when Congress unanimously voted to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen more than six decades after their dual triumphs. During the award ceremony inside the Capitol Rotunda, President Bush, saying he wanted to "offer a gesture to help atone for all the unreturned salutes and unforgivable indignities," held his straightened right hand to his brow and saluted the airmen.
"That was really a sacred honor to have the president of the country recognize what the experience meant and the change it brought to the country," said McGee, a veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, one of the few pilots to fly in all three.
McGee's fellow Tuskegee Airman, retired Air Force 2nd Lt. LeRoy Battle, said receiving the congressional award was like "walking with kings." Battle said he wrote two autobiographical books -- "And the Beat Goes On" and "Easier Said" -- as a way to preserve the airmen's legacy in a format that is more enduring than fleeting conversation.
"It's my mission to inform the students of the glorious past," he said. "And hopefully, they will connect the dots."
An incredibly humbled Tuskegee Airman, retired Air Force 1st Lt. Curtis Christopher Robinson, said he wasn't interested in fighting in World War II at first. "But when we went to war, I knew I had to get in," he said. "And I did the best I could."
Asked how he summoned his bravery, Robinson joked, "There really wasn't that much courage, because I didn't know what I was getting into."
Monica Harris, who works on the Pentagon Renovation Project, purchased two copies of McGee's biography, "Tuskegee Airman," and two of Robinson's biography, "A Pilot's Journey." She planned to give a copy of each book to Bishop David G. Evans, her pastor at the Bethany Baptist Church back home in Lindenwold, N.J.
"The pastor is a big fan of the Tuskegee Airmen," she said. "He had a birthday party, and one of them was able to attend. He was thrilled -- like a kid in a candy store."
Evans impressed the airmen's legacy upon Harris, who said she couldn't miss an opportunity to meet the pilots in person and collect their autographs. "That they were able to overcome so many obstacles and challenges of the day -- and live to tell about it -- is inspiring," she added.
Pentagon staffer Air Force Maj. Brian Chappell, the nephew of Tuskegee Airman Roy Chappell, shook the hands of pilots who have motivated him since boyhood.
"I grew up hearing stories of the Tuskegee Airmen, and it was a tremendous inspiration hearing that all the way from a little boy up until high school and college. It really influenced my decision to join the military," he said.
Chappell said the heroism of Tuskegee Airmen like his uncle, who died in September 2002, lives on through younger generations of airmen.
"The legacy, in addition to serving your country, also involves spreading the message, telling their story, so that their story doesn't die with them." he said. "I think it's great that they're able to tell their story, and that they're writing books so that it's not lost to history."
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - Before technology allowed U.S. aircraft to break the sound barrier, raw courage and bravery pushed the Tuskegee Airmen through the Army Air Corps color barrier. Three intrepid airmen of the all-black 332nd Fighter Group appeared here today in the Pentagon concourse to sell and sign copies of their biographies. Within the first hour of the pilots' arrival, servicemembers of all branches, ranks and races purchased nearly 150 copies of the tales that tell of the airmen's World War II-era heroics.
Retired Air Force Col. Charles E. McGee said he and fellow Tuskegee Airmen participated in what a black newspaper deemed the "Double V" -- one victory against the Axis powers abroad and another victory against racial prejudice at home.
"Racism was pretty embedded in the Army policies, and they disbelieved our capability just because of the color of our skin," McGee said, taking a break between signing books. "It did bring about a change when we finally got the opportunity to be graded on our abilities and not that type of policy."
The coffin that holds such military prejudices received a final nail in March, when Congress unanimously voted to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen more than six decades after their dual triumphs. During the award ceremony inside the Capitol Rotunda, President Bush, saying he wanted to "offer a gesture to help atone for all the unreturned salutes and unforgivable indignities," held his straightened right hand to his brow and saluted the airmen.
"That was really a sacred honor to have the president of the country recognize what the experience meant and the change it brought to the country," said McGee, a veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, one of the few pilots to fly in all three.
McGee's fellow Tuskegee Airman, retired Air Force 2nd Lt. LeRoy Battle, said receiving the congressional award was like "walking with kings." Battle said he wrote two autobiographical books -- "And the Beat Goes On" and "Easier Said" -- as a way to preserve the airmen's legacy in a format that is more enduring than fleeting conversation.
"It's my mission to inform the students of the glorious past," he said. "And hopefully, they will connect the dots."
An incredibly humbled Tuskegee Airman, retired Air Force 1st Lt. Curtis Christopher Robinson, said he wasn't interested in fighting in World War II at first. "But when we went to war, I knew I had to get in," he said. "And I did the best I could."
Asked how he summoned his bravery, Robinson joked, "There really wasn't that much courage, because I didn't know what I was getting into."
Monica Harris, who works on the Pentagon Renovation Project, purchased two copies of McGee's biography, "Tuskegee Airman," and two of Robinson's biography, "A Pilot's Journey." She planned to give a copy of each book to Bishop David G. Evans, her pastor at the Bethany Baptist Church back home in Lindenwold, N.J.
"The pastor is a big fan of the Tuskegee Airmen," she said. "He had a birthday party, and one of them was able to attend. He was thrilled -- like a kid in a candy store."
Evans impressed the airmen's legacy upon Harris, who said she couldn't miss an opportunity to meet the pilots in person and collect their autographs. "That they were able to overcome so many obstacles and challenges of the day -- and live to tell about it -- is inspiring," she added.
Pentagon staffer Air Force Maj. Brian Chappell, the nephew of Tuskegee Airman Roy Chappell, shook the hands of pilots who have motivated him since boyhood.
"I grew up hearing stories of the Tuskegee Airmen, and it was a tremendous inspiration hearing that all the way from a little boy up until high school and college. It really influenced my decision to join the military," he said.
Chappell said the heroism of Tuskegee Airmen like his uncle, who died in September 2002, lives on through younger generations of airmen.
"The legacy, in addition to serving your country, also involves spreading the message, telling their story, so that their story doesn't die with them." he said. "I think it's great that they're able to tell their story, and that they're writing books so that it's not lost to history."
America Supports You: Association Honors Supporters at Leadership Luncheon
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - Organizations that lend their support to military families were given their due here today during the National Military Family Association's annual Leadership Luncheon. The National Military Family Association supports military families through efforts designed to enhance opportunities and resources available to the military community. The organization also supports America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
The organizations and individuals honored were recognized for their exemplary support of the military community. Perhaps more importantly, the keynote speaker pointed out, they support military families, who in many ways have tougher jobs than servicemembers.
"I know how it is for myself, (and) I know how it is for people close to me (regarding deployments)," said Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden, director of the Central Intelligence Agency. "You spend a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the task that you have in front of you, but that goes away for the GI as soon as you kiss everyone goodbye and walk aboard the aircraft."
For deploying servicemembers, life simplifies during a deployment. They do what they're trained to do, Hayden said.
"It does not become more simple for the family members left behind, because they are not in that location with you," he said. "They are not in that support structure that you now find yourself in.
"It's the service of family members to our nation that's as important as the service of every man and woman on active duty," he added.
Hayden's sentiment is closely aligned with that of the National Military Family Association, said Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, in his introduction of Hayden.
"He reflects the same feeling that this association demonstrates, and that is that strong families will enable a strong force," Maples said.
The USAA Foundation, the Association of Military Banks of America, United Concordia Companies, Inc., and Navy Federal Credit Union were honored today for their efforts to help keep military families strong.
The National Military Family Association presented these four organizations with the group's Dr. Lowell G. Daun Award. The award recognizes significant contributions to the development of NMFA and its initiatives through each group's support of military families.
"The recipients of the award that we're recognizing today work in military communities, either supporting them through health care benefits or information, education, (and) a litany of financial support," said Michelle Joyner, director of communications for NMFA. "They don't do this for the recognition. They do it because the feel it's the right thing to do."
While the organizations' representatives said they were honored to receive the recognition, they all turned the spotlight back on NMFA.
"We were certainly very pleased and honored," said Barbara Gentry, president of the USAA Foundation, which provides financial support to nonprofit groups that offer a wide variety of services including educational, health and human services, and civic and economic development. "I think, especially in the last few years, organizations like USAA Foundation ... have been looking for ways to support military families, and (NMFA) s a very good way to do so."
Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Andre M. Egeland Jr., president of the Association of Military Banks of America, and Cutler Dawson, president of Navy Federal Credit Union, both agreed with Gentry. They, too, feel that supporting National Military Family Association initiatives is a good way to further support the military community they serve.
"I think all of us try to reach out on how we can help our service people and their families. NMFA facilitates that," Dawson said. "They help bring together a lot of people that help (the military.)
"We think they do great work and truly, they have the best interest of our military families at heart, and that's what it's all about," he added.
It has been an honor for the Association of Military Banks of America to support NMFA, Egeland added. "Hopefully we'll be able to continue to support them because it's been an honor to do that," he said.
The National Military Family Association also honored Edward F. Flaherty with the Anna C. Chennault Award for his consistent support of the organization. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant individual contributions to the development of NMFA and its initiatives.
Ten individuals received the Sydney Talley Hickey Award, previously known as the President's Award. It is presented to individuals, agencies or groups that give extraordinary service in support of military families, according to the National Military Family Association.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - Organizations that lend their support to military families were given their due here today during the National Military Family Association's annual Leadership Luncheon. The National Military Family Association supports military families through efforts designed to enhance opportunities and resources available to the military community. The organization also supports America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
The organizations and individuals honored were recognized for their exemplary support of the military community. Perhaps more importantly, the keynote speaker pointed out, they support military families, who in many ways have tougher jobs than servicemembers.
"I know how it is for myself, (and) I know how it is for people close to me (regarding deployments)," said Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden, director of the Central Intelligence Agency. "You spend a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the task that you have in front of you, but that goes away for the GI as soon as you kiss everyone goodbye and walk aboard the aircraft."
For deploying servicemembers, life simplifies during a deployment. They do what they're trained to do, Hayden said.
"It does not become more simple for the family members left behind, because they are not in that location with you," he said. "They are not in that support structure that you now find yourself in.
"It's the service of family members to our nation that's as important as the service of every man and woman on active duty," he added.
Hayden's sentiment is closely aligned with that of the National Military Family Association, said Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, in his introduction of Hayden.
"He reflects the same feeling that this association demonstrates, and that is that strong families will enable a strong force," Maples said.
The USAA Foundation, the Association of Military Banks of America, United Concordia Companies, Inc., and Navy Federal Credit Union were honored today for their efforts to help keep military families strong.
The National Military Family Association presented these four organizations with the group's Dr. Lowell G. Daun Award. The award recognizes significant contributions to the development of NMFA and its initiatives through each group's support of military families.
"The recipients of the award that we're recognizing today work in military communities, either supporting them through health care benefits or information, education, (and) a litany of financial support," said Michelle Joyner, director of communications for NMFA. "They don't do this for the recognition. They do it because the feel it's the right thing to do."
While the organizations' representatives said they were honored to receive the recognition, they all turned the spotlight back on NMFA.
"We were certainly very pleased and honored," said Barbara Gentry, president of the USAA Foundation, which provides financial support to nonprofit groups that offer a wide variety of services including educational, health and human services, and civic and economic development. "I think, especially in the last few years, organizations like USAA Foundation ... have been looking for ways to support military families, and (NMFA) s a very good way to do so."
Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Andre M. Egeland Jr., president of the Association of Military Banks of America, and Cutler Dawson, president of Navy Federal Credit Union, both agreed with Gentry. They, too, feel that supporting National Military Family Association initiatives is a good way to further support the military community they serve.
"I think all of us try to reach out on how we can help our service people and their families. NMFA facilitates that," Dawson said. "They help bring together a lot of people that help (the military.)
"We think they do great work and truly, they have the best interest of our military families at heart, and that's what it's all about," he added.
It has been an honor for the Association of Military Banks of America to support NMFA, Egeland added. "Hopefully we'll be able to continue to support them because it's been an honor to do that," he said.
The National Military Family Association also honored Edward F. Flaherty with the Anna C. Chennault Award for his consistent support of the organization. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant individual contributions to the development of NMFA and its initiatives.
Ten individuals received the Sydney Talley Hickey Award, previously known as the President's Award. It is presented to individuals, agencies or groups that give extraordinary service in support of military families, according to the National Military Family Association.
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