The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. Army Air Forces airman, missing since 1942, have been identified and will soon be returned to his family for burial.
He is Aviation Cadet Ernest G. Munn, U.S. Army Air Forces, of St. Clairsville, Ohio. He will be buried in May in Colerain, Ohio.
Representatives from the Army met with Munn's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process, and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.
Munn was one of four men aboard a routine navigation training flight that departed Mather Field, Calif., on Nov. 18, 1942. Their AT-7 Navigator aircraft carried about five hours of fuel, and when the plane did not return to base, a search was initiated. It was suspended about a month later with no results.
In 1947, several hikers on Darwin Glacier in the Sierra Nevada mountain range discovered the wreckage of the AT-7 aircraft. Fragmentary, skeletal remains found at the site were buried as a group in the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, Calif.
Then in October 2005, other hikers in the Sierra Nevadas discovered frozen human remains, circumstantial evidence and personal effects of an aircrew member. Park rangers from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and a forensic anthropologist from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) recovered the remains. They were sent to the JPAC laboratory in Hawaii and identified as Cadet Leo M. Mustonen, one of the four men aboard the AT-7 aircraft.
In 2007, two other hikers found human remains near the 2005 discovery site. Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of a second individual from the 1942 crew, Cadet Ernest G. Munn.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
MILITARY CONTRACTS March 9, 2008
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Bahrain Maritime and Merchantile International, Sitra, Bahrain, is being awarded a maximum $2,801,334,120 firm fixed price, prime vendor contract for supply and distribution of food and non-food products. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force , Marine Corps and other approved customers located in the Middle East countries of Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. This proposal was originally Web solicited with 5 responses. This contract is exercising its first term option period. Date of performance completion is March 10, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM300-08-D-3131).
AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corp. in Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded a firm fixed price contract for $350,000,000. This action is for the Space Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) Geostationary Earth Orbit satellite 3 (GEO 3) and Highly Elliptical Earth Orbit payload 3 (HEO 3) long-lead effort. The intent of the letter contract is to maintain the best possible GEO 3 and HEO 3 delivery dates for replenishment of strategic missile warning satellites and payloads. In addition, the letter contract facilitates the retention of critical payload engineering skills required to start the long lend redesign activities. At this time $175,000,000 has been obligated. Space Based Infrared Systems, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8810-08-C-0002).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated Systems Air Combat Systems in San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a fixed price incentive firm target contract for $73,590,137. This action will provide long lead parts/advance procurement for the following low rate initial production Lot 7 items: three multi platform-radar technology insertion program sensors. At this time $33,890,137 has been obligated. 303 AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-08-C-4015).
ARMY
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Inc., was awarded on March 7, 2008, a $87,751,597 basic ordering agreement with firm-fixed price delivery orders contract for the small caliber ammunition second source prime contractor for the production of small arms ammunition.. Work will be performed in St. Petersburg, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Aug 23, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an unknown number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on Jan. 18, 2005, and two bids were received. The Headquarters, U.S. Army Field Support Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52P1J-05-G-0002.
General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc., Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on March 6, 2008, a $15,702,348 cost-plus-fixed fee contract for system technical support for the Abrams Tank Program to include modification work order hardware and installation, supply support, contingency operations and field service representative. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on June 8, 2006, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Tank-automotive & Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity W56HZV-07-C-0046.
Charpie-Sollitt Joint Venture, Chicago, was awarded on March 7, 2008, a $6,001,000 firm-fixed price contract for construction of regional training facility medical, Fort McCoy, Wis. Work will be performed at Fort McCoy, Wis., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 29, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an unknown number of bids solicited via FedBizOpps on Dec. 6, 2007, and four bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity W912QR-08-C-001.
NAVY
Kollmorgen Corporation, Electro-Optical Division, Northampton, Mass., is being awarded a $6,827,132 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-6227) for nine Virginia Class Universal Modular Mast (UMM) Systems. The UMM Program provides for the development and acquisition of a non-hull penetrating mast that serves as a lifting mechanism for five sensor configurations on the Virginia Class and SSGN Class submarines: the Photonics Mast (PM), the Multi-Function Mast, the Integrated Electronic Mast, the High Data Rate Mast and the Photonics Mast Variant. Each sensor is mounted on a UMM. Work will be performed in Northampton, Mass. (20 percent) and Bologna, Italy (80 percent), and work is expected to be completed by November 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Bahrain Maritime and Merchantile International, Sitra, Bahrain, is being awarded a maximum $2,801,334,120 firm fixed price, prime vendor contract for supply and distribution of food and non-food products. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force , Marine Corps and other approved customers located in the Middle East countries of Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. This proposal was originally Web solicited with 5 responses. This contract is exercising its first term option period. Date of performance completion is March 10, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. (SPM300-08-D-3131).
AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corp. in Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded a firm fixed price contract for $350,000,000. This action is for the Space Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) Geostationary Earth Orbit satellite 3 (GEO 3) and Highly Elliptical Earth Orbit payload 3 (HEO 3) long-lead effort. The intent of the letter contract is to maintain the best possible GEO 3 and HEO 3 delivery dates for replenishment of strategic missile warning satellites and payloads. In addition, the letter contract facilitates the retention of critical payload engineering skills required to start the long lend redesign activities. At this time $175,000,000 has been obligated. Space Based Infrared Systems, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8810-08-C-0002).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated Systems Air Combat Systems in San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a fixed price incentive firm target contract for $73,590,137. This action will provide long lead parts/advance procurement for the following low rate initial production Lot 7 items: three multi platform-radar technology insertion program sensors. At this time $33,890,137 has been obligated. 303 AESG/PK, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-08-C-4015).
ARMY
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Inc., was awarded on March 7, 2008, a $87,751,597 basic ordering agreement with firm-fixed price delivery orders contract for the small caliber ammunition second source prime contractor for the production of small arms ammunition.. Work will be performed in St. Petersburg, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Aug 23, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an unknown number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on Jan. 18, 2005, and two bids were received. The Headquarters, U.S. Army Field Support Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity W52P1J-05-G-0002.
General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc., Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on March 6, 2008, a $15,702,348 cost-plus-fixed fee contract for system technical support for the Abrams Tank Program to include modification work order hardware and installation, supply support, contingency operations and field service representative. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on June 8, 2006, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Tank-automotive & Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity W56HZV-07-C-0046.
Charpie-Sollitt Joint Venture, Chicago, was awarded on March 7, 2008, a $6,001,000 firm-fixed price contract for construction of regional training facility medical, Fort McCoy, Wis. Work will be performed at Fort McCoy, Wis., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 29, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were an unknown number of bids solicited via FedBizOpps on Dec. 6, 2007, and four bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity W912QR-08-C-001.
NAVY
Kollmorgen Corporation, Electro-Optical Division, Northampton, Mass., is being awarded a $6,827,132 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-07-C-6227) for nine Virginia Class Universal Modular Mast (UMM) Systems. The UMM Program provides for the development and acquisition of a non-hull penetrating mast that serves as a lifting mechanism for five sensor configurations on the Virginia Class and SSGN Class submarines: the Photonics Mast (PM), the Multi-Function Mast, the Integrated Electronic Mast, the High Data Rate Mast and the Photonics Mast Variant. Each sensor is mounted on a UMM. Work will be performed in Northampton, Mass. (20 percent) and Bologna, Italy (80 percent), and work is expected to be completed by November 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Soldiers Gain Easier Access to Family, Friends
By Capt. Russell S. Cunningham, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
March 10, 2008 - Staying involved in the lives of loved ones is a challenge for many deployed soldiers. Starting in April 2007, Task Force Pacemaker communication specialists helped soldiers overcome this major challenge by providing civilian Internet in their quarters.
With an ever-expanding population here, the existing Morale, Welfare and Recreation system has not been sufficient to accommodate soldiers without long wait times and minimal actual time on the system. Many times, soldiers would stay up late waiting to use the phone and end up cutting into their sleep, thereby affecting their work.
M. Sami Hashimi, CEO of Internet service provider AFSAT, said many units throughout Afghanistan have turned to a civilian Internet system to reduce the burden on MWR facilities.
The company purchases local or third-country satellite Internet systems to meet soldiers' needs. These systems range in size from a few friends in the same tent getting together to buy a system to more than 300 users spread across an expanding forward operating base.
These systems are user purchased, user resourced and user operated. The gains in family communication and morale have been considerable for TF Pacemaker, as a high operational tempo has made access to communications at all times important, officials said.
"There were many challenges in setting up the network," Army 1st Lt. Tabber Mintz said.
The largest of challenge was managing realistic expectations. Soldiers were briefed ahead of time on what to expect from the system so they were less likely to be dissatisfied with the service."
The second issue was ensuring all users agreed to follow set guidelines. Soldiers were able to use Web cams, instant messengers and voice applications.
"The final concern that needed to be addressed was the absence of the equipment needed to raise the quality of service to our soldiers," said Army Sgt. Jonathan Morris.
Morris and Mintz came up with innovative ways to resource necessary equipment. Mintz said this made the system much more efficient, allowing soldiers better access to Web-based applications.
Soldiers voice their appreciation on a daily basis for the ability to continue meaningful communications with loved ones and for the capacity to find ways to unwind and relax at the end of the day.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Daren Brekke, from Paradise, Mont., is a father of eight and uses the civilian Internet service to communicate with his family. "We are a long ways from home. Being able to communicate with loved ones via the civilian Internet and Web cam increases soldiers' morale and closes the disconnect between the soldiers and their families caused by lengthy and frequent deployments," he said.
(Army Capt. Russell S. Cunningham is assigned to Task Force Pacemaker.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
March 10, 2008 - Staying involved in the lives of loved ones is a challenge for many deployed soldiers. Starting in April 2007, Task Force Pacemaker communication specialists helped soldiers overcome this major challenge by providing civilian Internet in their quarters.
With an ever-expanding population here, the existing Morale, Welfare and Recreation system has not been sufficient to accommodate soldiers without long wait times and minimal actual time on the system. Many times, soldiers would stay up late waiting to use the phone and end up cutting into their sleep, thereby affecting their work.
M. Sami Hashimi, CEO of Internet service provider AFSAT, said many units throughout Afghanistan have turned to a civilian Internet system to reduce the burden on MWR facilities.
The company purchases local or third-country satellite Internet systems to meet soldiers' needs. These systems range in size from a few friends in the same tent getting together to buy a system to more than 300 users spread across an expanding forward operating base.
These systems are user purchased, user resourced and user operated. The gains in family communication and morale have been considerable for TF Pacemaker, as a high operational tempo has made access to communications at all times important, officials said.
"There were many challenges in setting up the network," Army 1st Lt. Tabber Mintz said.
The largest of challenge was managing realistic expectations. Soldiers were briefed ahead of time on what to expect from the system so they were less likely to be dissatisfied with the service."
The second issue was ensuring all users agreed to follow set guidelines. Soldiers were able to use Web cams, instant messengers and voice applications.
"The final concern that needed to be addressed was the absence of the equipment needed to raise the quality of service to our soldiers," said Army Sgt. Jonathan Morris.
Morris and Mintz came up with innovative ways to resource necessary equipment. Mintz said this made the system much more efficient, allowing soldiers better access to Web-based applications.
Soldiers voice their appreciation on a daily basis for the ability to continue meaningful communications with loved ones and for the capacity to find ways to unwind and relax at the end of the day.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Daren Brekke, from Paradise, Mont., is a father of eight and uses the civilian Internet service to communicate with his family. "We are a long ways from home. Being able to communicate with loved ones via the civilian Internet and Web cam increases soldiers' morale and closes the disconnect between the soldiers and their families caused by lengthy and frequent deployments," he said.
(Army Capt. Russell S. Cunningham is assigned to Task Force Pacemaker.)
Mullen Arrives for Meeting With NORTHCOM Leaders, Troop Visit
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
March 10, 2008 - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen arrived here yesterday for meetings with U.S. Northern Command leaders. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will meet with Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr. and his staff. NORTHCOM is the geographic command tasked with homeland defense. Renuart is also commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command, a joint U.S.-Canadian command. In addition to its aerospace-defense mission, NORAD also has picked up the maritime-defense mission.
The chairman will discuss ongoing operations, theater security cooperation, air and missile defense, NORTHCOM's outreach to state officials, and reserve-component contributions to the command.
Following talks here, the chairman and his party will move to near-by Fort Carson, where he will observe training and meet with Army soldiers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4the Infantry Division. The unit is deploying to Iraq.
Mullen also will visit the base's Warrior Transition Unit. The chairman makes a special effort to visit wounded warriors whenever he travels, officials said.
American Forces Press Service
March 10, 2008 - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen arrived here yesterday for meetings with U.S. Northern Command leaders. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will meet with Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr. and his staff. NORTHCOM is the geographic command tasked with homeland defense. Renuart is also commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command, a joint U.S.-Canadian command. In addition to its aerospace-defense mission, NORAD also has picked up the maritime-defense mission.
The chairman will discuss ongoing operations, theater security cooperation, air and missile defense, NORTHCOM's outreach to state officials, and reserve-component contributions to the command.
Following talks here, the chairman and his party will move to near-by Fort Carson, where he will observe training and meet with Army soldiers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4the Infantry Division. The unit is deploying to Iraq.
Mullen also will visit the base's Warrior Transition Unit. The chairman makes a special effort to visit wounded warriors whenever he travels, officials said.
Jam Session Hits High Note With Deploying Soldier
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
March 10, 2008 - Save for the crowd and the celebrity at its core, it could have been a day like any other for a soldier strumming his guitar in the recreation center here yesterday. Army Spc. Richard Baxter began playing the acoustic guitar just a few years ago, but yesterday he spent nearly 30 minutes jamming with Richard Patrick, guitar player and lead singer for the industrial rock band, Filter.
"It was the opportunity of a lifetime," said Baxter, a member of 352nd Military Police Company, a reserve unit out of Maryland. "It still hasn't set in yet."
Patrick and his band, Filter, and several other musical acts are at Camp Buehring today to play a concert for the troops. MySpace, the social networking Web site, is presenting the show in cooperation with Armed Forces Entertainment, a group that brings entertainment programs to deployed forces, and America Supports you, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving worldwide.
"I'm actually a drummer, but I don't have a drum set," Baxter said. "Actually, the first time I came over here in (2003) is when I learned how to play a guitar."
Though Baxter has served in Iraq once before, he's a little apprehensive about this tour. "This time I have a wife and a daughter, things that make it a lot different," he said.
Despite his feelings on heading to Iraq soon, Baxter said the concert that brought Patrick and his band to Camp Buehring for a concert will be good for the troops.
"Our unit leaves Tuesday, and (the bands) play on Monday, so this is something that will be in our heads when we go 'up north.' (It'll) keep the edge off," Baxter said.
Army 1st Lt. Anh-Luan Huynh, also with 352nd MP Company, agreed. "It's definitely going to be a big morale boost," he said. "People are going to be in the right mindset (after the concert). They're going to be excited, happy."
Huynh also got in on the jam session thanks to Baxter. "It was a little bit crazy because Baxter was put on the spot, like, 'Ha, ha, look at you.' And all the sudden he's like, 'Why don't you play a song?'" Huynh said. "It was a little bit nerve-wracking. Who would have thought on a deployment that you'd get to jam out with the front man for Filter?"
Baxter may well have been trying to redirect the spotlight. "Baxter was so nervous," Patrick said. "I'm like, 'Dude, you play better than me. You're fine.'"
After playing a few songs with Baxter and then Huynh, Patrick noted the guitars the soldiers were playing were hard to keep tuned, even for a short time. "The guitars were bad, and I'm going to do everything in my power to get them two brand new acoustics," he said. "I'm calling my friends at Fender and get them some new acoustics."
Army Sgt. Frank Cavanagh, one of Patrick's former Filter band mates who had been watching the jam, took his friend's thought a step further. "For every (Morale, Welfare and Recreation center) over here in theater, (Rich and I are) going to try and get a jam room," he said. "We haven't even like really discussed it yet."
Patrick's reply came with no hesitation: "I'll help you with that, no problem."
The singer took time after the jam to sign autographs and talk with troops in the crowd.
Comedian Carlos Mencia will host the Operation MySpace concert featuring DJ Z-Trip, singer and actress Jessica Simpson, the bands Disturbed, Filter, and the Pussycat Dolls.
The concert will be streamed live via Web cast on the MySpace Web site at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
American Forces Press Service
March 10, 2008 - Save for the crowd and the celebrity at its core, it could have been a day like any other for a soldier strumming his guitar in the recreation center here yesterday. Army Spc. Richard Baxter began playing the acoustic guitar just a few years ago, but yesterday he spent nearly 30 minutes jamming with Richard Patrick, guitar player and lead singer for the industrial rock band, Filter.
"It was the opportunity of a lifetime," said Baxter, a member of 352nd Military Police Company, a reserve unit out of Maryland. "It still hasn't set in yet."
Patrick and his band, Filter, and several other musical acts are at Camp Buehring today to play a concert for the troops. MySpace, the social networking Web site, is presenting the show in cooperation with Armed Forces Entertainment, a group that brings entertainment programs to deployed forces, and America Supports you, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving worldwide.
"I'm actually a drummer, but I don't have a drum set," Baxter said. "Actually, the first time I came over here in (2003) is when I learned how to play a guitar."
Though Baxter has served in Iraq once before, he's a little apprehensive about this tour. "This time I have a wife and a daughter, things that make it a lot different," he said.
Despite his feelings on heading to Iraq soon, Baxter said the concert that brought Patrick and his band to Camp Buehring for a concert will be good for the troops.
"Our unit leaves Tuesday, and (the bands) play on Monday, so this is something that will be in our heads when we go 'up north.' (It'll) keep the edge off," Baxter said.
Army 1st Lt. Anh-Luan Huynh, also with 352nd MP Company, agreed. "It's definitely going to be a big morale boost," he said. "People are going to be in the right mindset (after the concert). They're going to be excited, happy."
Huynh also got in on the jam session thanks to Baxter. "It was a little bit crazy because Baxter was put on the spot, like, 'Ha, ha, look at you.' And all the sudden he's like, 'Why don't you play a song?'" Huynh said. "It was a little bit nerve-wracking. Who would have thought on a deployment that you'd get to jam out with the front man for Filter?"
Baxter may well have been trying to redirect the spotlight. "Baxter was so nervous," Patrick said. "I'm like, 'Dude, you play better than me. You're fine.'"
After playing a few songs with Baxter and then Huynh, Patrick noted the guitars the soldiers were playing were hard to keep tuned, even for a short time. "The guitars were bad, and I'm going to do everything in my power to get them two brand new acoustics," he said. "I'm calling my friends at Fender and get them some new acoustics."
Army Sgt. Frank Cavanagh, one of Patrick's former Filter band mates who had been watching the jam, took his friend's thought a step further. "For every (Morale, Welfare and Recreation center) over here in theater, (Rich and I are) going to try and get a jam room," he said. "We haven't even like really discussed it yet."
Patrick's reply came with no hesitation: "I'll help you with that, no problem."
The singer took time after the jam to sign autographs and talk with troops in the crowd.
Comedian Carlos Mencia will host the Operation MySpace concert featuring DJ Z-Trip, singer and actress Jessica Simpson, the bands Disturbed, Filter, and the Pussycat Dolls.
The concert will be streamed live via Web cast on the MySpace Web site at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Why We Serve: Captain Helps Americans Relate to Troops
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
March 7, 2008 - Air Force Capt. Edward V. Szczepanik thinks his experiences -- both good and bad -- can help the American people understand the challenges servicemembers face in the war on terror. The captain, a C-17 Globemaster III transport jet pilot based at McChord Air Force Base, Wash., is one of 12 servicemembers who have deployed in the war on terror who were selected to be part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public-outreach program. He is traveling the country, telling his story to community, business and veterans group audiences and at other gatherings.
Now in its sixth quarterly iteration, the outreach program conceived by then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace underscores an effort by the Defense Department to bridge gaps between military and civilian cultures. The program is apolitical by design, and speakers do not address department policies; rather, each member offers Americans a glimpse of military life as seen through the eyes of someone in uniform.
Szczepanik was part of 8th Airlift Squadron operating out of Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan.
"We flew in and out of Afghanistan, Kuwait and other bases in Central Asia and the Middle East," Szczepanik said. "We delivered personnel and supplies to U.S. and NATO forces.
Kyrgyzstan became independent following the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. Manas is the main point of entry for troops entering and leaving Afghanistan. Szczepanik and his unit deployed there for four months.
The captain said he wants to talk with audiences about life in the military and life overseas. "There are many people who don't know anyone in the military," he said. "It's important for them to know what we do and why we do it." The American people need to understand that servicemembers are all volunteers, "and that we're normal people," he said.
Szczepanik said he always knew he wanted to be in the Air Force. His grandfather served in the Army Air Forces during World War II as a maintenance technician on P-51 Mustangs. Szczepanik is from Columbus, Ohio, and was commissioned out of the ROTC program at Miami (Ohio) University in 2003.
He will let audiences know what he and his crew did in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. "I'll talk about conditions in and around Manas and what I saw when I flew into Afghanistan," he said. "We didn't get off the air bases, but I can tell them about the conditions that airmen work under in country and how they live.
"What impressed me was the servicemembers at these bases (in Afghanistan) do as much, if not more, than we do at established bases in the States, but with a lot less," Szczepanik said.
He said he also wants to give Americans an idea of the cultures that U.S. servicemembers operate in. At Manas, the captain and other airmen volunteered to help a local school. "Our job was to mow the grass in the playground," he said. "I figured we'd be given old manual push mowers. But no. The principal of the school handed us sickles and sharpening stones," he continued. "I'm Midwest born and bred, and while I've seen pictures, I've never used one. We did the job, but it was a learning experience."
Szczepanik also will tell U.S. audiences of the cost of war. "My last mission in Afghanistan was a human remains mission," he said. "We took a fallen Special Forces officer out of Bagram (Air Base, Afghanistan) to Manas for transfer back to the States."
There is a ceremony plane-side as an honor guard loads the remains on the aircraft. "After the ceremony was finished, members of his unit came up and shook each of our hands and said thank you and told us to take care of him," Szczepanik said. "For me, of all the experiences I had during the deployment, it was the most emotional and most eye-opening. It showed me what the cost for freedom is and the sacrifices people are making. It really meant a lot to me that I could be a part of that."
American Forces Press Service
March 7, 2008 - Air Force Capt. Edward V. Szczepanik thinks his experiences -- both good and bad -- can help the American people understand the challenges servicemembers face in the war on terror. The captain, a C-17 Globemaster III transport jet pilot based at McChord Air Force Base, Wash., is one of 12 servicemembers who have deployed in the war on terror who were selected to be part of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve" public-outreach program. He is traveling the country, telling his story to community, business and veterans group audiences and at other gatherings.
Now in its sixth quarterly iteration, the outreach program conceived by then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace underscores an effort by the Defense Department to bridge gaps between military and civilian cultures. The program is apolitical by design, and speakers do not address department policies; rather, each member offers Americans a glimpse of military life as seen through the eyes of someone in uniform.
Szczepanik was part of 8th Airlift Squadron operating out of Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan.
"We flew in and out of Afghanistan, Kuwait and other bases in Central Asia and the Middle East," Szczepanik said. "We delivered personnel and supplies to U.S. and NATO forces.
Kyrgyzstan became independent following the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. Manas is the main point of entry for troops entering and leaving Afghanistan. Szczepanik and his unit deployed there for four months.
The captain said he wants to talk with audiences about life in the military and life overseas. "There are many people who don't know anyone in the military," he said. "It's important for them to know what we do and why we do it." The American people need to understand that servicemembers are all volunteers, "and that we're normal people," he said.
Szczepanik said he always knew he wanted to be in the Air Force. His grandfather served in the Army Air Forces during World War II as a maintenance technician on P-51 Mustangs. Szczepanik is from Columbus, Ohio, and was commissioned out of the ROTC program at Miami (Ohio) University in 2003.
He will let audiences know what he and his crew did in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. "I'll talk about conditions in and around Manas and what I saw when I flew into Afghanistan," he said. "We didn't get off the air bases, but I can tell them about the conditions that airmen work under in country and how they live.
"What impressed me was the servicemembers at these bases (in Afghanistan) do as much, if not more, than we do at established bases in the States, but with a lot less," Szczepanik said.
He said he also wants to give Americans an idea of the cultures that U.S. servicemembers operate in. At Manas, the captain and other airmen volunteered to help a local school. "Our job was to mow the grass in the playground," he said. "I figured we'd be given old manual push mowers. But no. The principal of the school handed us sickles and sharpening stones," he continued. "I'm Midwest born and bred, and while I've seen pictures, I've never used one. We did the job, but it was a learning experience."
Szczepanik also will tell U.S. audiences of the cost of war. "My last mission in Afghanistan was a human remains mission," he said. "We took a fallen Special Forces officer out of Bagram (Air Base, Afghanistan) to Manas for transfer back to the States."
There is a ceremony plane-side as an honor guard loads the remains on the aircraft. "After the ceremony was finished, members of his unit came up and shook each of our hands and said thank you and told us to take care of him," Szczepanik said. "For me, of all the experiences I had during the deployment, it was the most emotional and most eye-opening. It showed me what the cost for freedom is and the sacrifices people are making. It really meant a lot to me that I could be a part of that."
Military Saves: Sound Finances Equate to Mission Readiness
By Jamie Findlater
Special to American Forces Press Service
March 7, 2008 - Troops with sound personal finances are better able to focus on mission accomplishment, a Defense Department official said yesterday. "While you are deployed in harm's way, your focus has to be on the mission at hand; it shouldn't be on the financial situation at home and whether or not it's sound," Navy Cmdr. Dave Julian, associate director of the department's Office of Family Policy, Children and Youth, said in an America Supports You Live Blog Talk Radio segment.
The effort to educate servicemembers and ease the burden of financial worry was the focus of DoD's Feb.24-March 4 "Military Saves Week" observance that was dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of individual financial readiness.
During the week, financial service managers around the globe put on financial fairs and contests to educate family members and help them come up with the best ways to prepare for the future and ease financial worry.
"The things that are affecting the greater society as a whole also affect our servicemembers," Julian said. "The cost of gasoline drives everything up, (and there are) issues with subprime mortgage rates, but then for military members, there is the added stress of: 'Will my family be financially fit while I am deployed?" he said.
This year's focus for the campaign, "Military Youth Saves," was to educate military family members under age 18 about the importance of starting early on a sound financial path. Events ranged from essay contests with savings bonds for prizes to competitions to see who could save the most with coupons at the commissary.
But promoting financial awareness isn't just a week-long effort in DoD, Julian said. Programs are in place year-round to help servicemembers manage their money.
"We encourage members on an installation to go to their financial-readiness specialist at the financial-readiness center to get an assessment and find out where they are financially and what their level of financial literacy is," Julian said. The push is to encourage servicemembers to establish financial goals ranging from building wealth to recovering from debt and making a plan.
Julian noted the Better Business Bureau has a program called "Military Line," a resource cautioning servicemembers to avoid "too-good-to-be-true" offers. "We had one case outside Charleston Air Force Base (in South Carolina) where the organization was set up outside as a military information center and, in fact, it was selling insurance," he said. "Once you get through the paperwork and the fluff, it might be some sort of insurance or lending deal," he cautioned.
The Better Business Bureau isn't the only outside organization participating in the Defense Department effort. "DoD has also partnered with about 23 financially related nonprofits that all offer some sort of financial resource for military families to take advantage of," Julian said.
The Defense Department's Military Homefront Web site, www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil, is a good resource that links to all these partners providing official information about DoD policies and procedures, he said. He also encouraged servicemembers to use Military OneSource's "Money Matters" feature, which has personal-finance calculators, DVDs, CDs and podcasts.
Financial readiness equates to mission readiness, and that couldn't be truer than it is today, Julian noted. He explained that creating this awareness and connecting people to the resources available is an important part of the mission.
Special to American Forces Press Service
March 7, 2008 - Troops with sound personal finances are better able to focus on mission accomplishment, a Defense Department official said yesterday. "While you are deployed in harm's way, your focus has to be on the mission at hand; it shouldn't be on the financial situation at home and whether or not it's sound," Navy Cmdr. Dave Julian, associate director of the department's Office of Family Policy, Children and Youth, said in an America Supports You Live Blog Talk Radio segment.
The effort to educate servicemembers and ease the burden of financial worry was the focus of DoD's Feb.24-March 4 "Military Saves Week" observance that was dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of individual financial readiness.
During the week, financial service managers around the globe put on financial fairs and contests to educate family members and help them come up with the best ways to prepare for the future and ease financial worry.
"The things that are affecting the greater society as a whole also affect our servicemembers," Julian said. "The cost of gasoline drives everything up, (and there are) issues with subprime mortgage rates, but then for military members, there is the added stress of: 'Will my family be financially fit while I am deployed?" he said.
This year's focus for the campaign, "Military Youth Saves," was to educate military family members under age 18 about the importance of starting early on a sound financial path. Events ranged from essay contests with savings bonds for prizes to competitions to see who could save the most with coupons at the commissary.
But promoting financial awareness isn't just a week-long effort in DoD, Julian said. Programs are in place year-round to help servicemembers manage their money.
"We encourage members on an installation to go to their financial-readiness specialist at the financial-readiness center to get an assessment and find out where they are financially and what their level of financial literacy is," Julian said. The push is to encourage servicemembers to establish financial goals ranging from building wealth to recovering from debt and making a plan.
Julian noted the Better Business Bureau has a program called "Military Line," a resource cautioning servicemembers to avoid "too-good-to-be-true" offers. "We had one case outside Charleston Air Force Base (in South Carolina) where the organization was set up outside as a military information center and, in fact, it was selling insurance," he said. "Once you get through the paperwork and the fluff, it might be some sort of insurance or lending deal," he cautioned.
The Better Business Bureau isn't the only outside organization participating in the Defense Department effort. "DoD has also partnered with about 23 financially related nonprofits that all offer some sort of financial resource for military families to take advantage of," Julian said.
The Defense Department's Military Homefront Web site, www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil, is a good resource that links to all these partners providing official information about DoD policies and procedures, he said. He also encouraged servicemembers to use Military OneSource's "Money Matters" feature, which has personal-finance calculators, DVDs, CDs and podcasts.
Financial readiness equates to mission readiness, and that couldn't be truer than it is today, Julian noted. He explained that creating this awareness and connecting people to the resources available is an important part of the mission.
World War I Vet Welcomes Celebrity of His Generation
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
March 7, 2008 - Frank Woodruff Buckles lived an unassuming life for 105 years. That was until word got out that he was among the last of a generation that his countrymen only recently seemed to embrace. In 2006, Buckles' quiet life on his 330-acre cattle farm outside of Charles Town, W.Va., changed when renowned portrait artist David DeJonge contacted him about being part of a photography exhibit of nine of the known remaining U.S. veterans of World War I.
Pleased to represent those few remaining patriots, Buckles agreed. What followed was close work with DeJonge and more than a year of intense media attention. By the time the exhibit was unveiled at a Pentagon ceremony yesterday -- following meetings with President Bush at the White House and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates -- Buckles was accustomed to daily media interviews.
"It doesn't bother me," Buckles told a crowd of reporters and photographers gathered around him after the Pentagon ceremony. As he had told the audience in the packed auditorium minutes earlier, "I feel honored to be a representative of World War I. As the years went on, I found I was among the last of those who served."
Buckles was a 16-year-old farm boy from Missouri when he fulfilled a dream of becoming a soldier. It was the spring of 1917, and he began seeing the patriotic posters hanging in his local post office encouraging boys to fight "over there."
"I was interested in the Army when I was a boy," Buckles told the reporters in the interview 91 years later. "When I was 12 or 13, I slept on the floor" to prepare for a soldier's life, he said.
"I knew what was going on in the world," said Buckles, who still reads daily from his home library full of military and current events titles.
The young Buckles visited a Marine Corps recruiting office at the Kansas State Fair in Wichita in 1917. "I said that I was 18, but the understanding sergeant said that I was too young. I had to be 21," he wrote in a brief biography offered to reporters.
Determined to serve, Buckles returned to the Marine recruiter and was rejected a second time. He also was rejected by the Navy, he believes, because they were suspicious about his age. He then traveled to Oklahoma City, where he was again rejected by the Navy and Marines. Finally, an Army recruiter took his word that he was 18 -- Buckles told them his small town didn't keep records of birth certificates and none existed -- and he enlisted on Aug. 14, 1917.
Buckles followed a sergeant's advice that serving with an ambulance company was the quickest route to France, where the most fighting was. He was sent to Fort Riley, Kan., for training in trench casualty retrieval and ambulance operations. He deployed in December 1917 from Hoboken, N.J., across the Atlantic with 102 men who made up the 1st Fort Riley Casual Detachment. They were aboard the HMS Carpathia, the vessel famous for rescuing passengers and crew of the Titanic five years earlier.
Buckles spent several weeks as a driver at a hospital near Winchester, England. He was anxious to get to France, even requesting a meeting with his commanding officer, a colonel, to press the issue. "He explained to me that he, too, wanted to go to France, but had to stay where he was ordered," he said.
Finally, Buckles was assigned to escort an officer to France. There, he had various assignments at several locations. After Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1918, he was assigned to a prisoner-of-war escort company to return prisoners back to Germany.
In January 1920, Buckles returned to the United States, without injury, on the USS Pocahontas. He was paid $144, including a $60 bonus. He went to business school and built a career in the commercial shipping industry.
In December 1941, Buckles was a corporate executive with American President Lines in Manila when the Japanese invaded the Philippines. He was held at a Japanese prison camp for three and a half years before being rescued by 11th Airborne Division on Feb. 23, 1945. During his internment, he was fed from a single tin cup, which he still has today and is displayed as a backdrop in DeJonge's portrait of him.
Following his release, Buckles married Audrey Mayo, and they settled in San Francisco until 1954, when the couple bought the West Virginia farm, near a Buckles ancestral home. Buckles still lives there today with his daughter and son-in-law. He was widowed in 1999.
In reflecting on his military service, Buckles, who left the Army as a corporal in 1920, said his favorite memories are of driving a motorcycle with a sidecar in England and meeting Gen. John J. Pershing, World War I commander of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe, upon his return to the United States. Buckles said he was pleased to discover that he and Pershing grew up on farms 40 miles apart in Missouri.
Buckles rejected a media request to offer advice to today's soldiers. "I'm not qualified to tell them anything. They know what to do," he said.
Buckles seemed dismayed at the press attention to his age. Longevity runs in his family and several relatives lived past 100, he said. "I don't feel I'm any older than you," he told the press corps of people mostly less than half his age.
DeJonge told reporters that Buckles' memory is "like a computer." Asked to describe Buckles, DeJonge said, "He has an incredibly optimistic outlook on life."
American Forces Press Service
March 7, 2008 - Frank Woodruff Buckles lived an unassuming life for 105 years. That was until word got out that he was among the last of a generation that his countrymen only recently seemed to embrace. In 2006, Buckles' quiet life on his 330-acre cattle farm outside of Charles Town, W.Va., changed when renowned portrait artist David DeJonge contacted him about being part of a photography exhibit of nine of the known remaining U.S. veterans of World War I.
Pleased to represent those few remaining patriots, Buckles agreed. What followed was close work with DeJonge and more than a year of intense media attention. By the time the exhibit was unveiled at a Pentagon ceremony yesterday -- following meetings with President Bush at the White House and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates -- Buckles was accustomed to daily media interviews.
"It doesn't bother me," Buckles told a crowd of reporters and photographers gathered around him after the Pentagon ceremony. As he had told the audience in the packed auditorium minutes earlier, "I feel honored to be a representative of World War I. As the years went on, I found I was among the last of those who served."
Buckles was a 16-year-old farm boy from Missouri when he fulfilled a dream of becoming a soldier. It was the spring of 1917, and he began seeing the patriotic posters hanging in his local post office encouraging boys to fight "over there."
"I was interested in the Army when I was a boy," Buckles told the reporters in the interview 91 years later. "When I was 12 or 13, I slept on the floor" to prepare for a soldier's life, he said.
"I knew what was going on in the world," said Buckles, who still reads daily from his home library full of military and current events titles.
The young Buckles visited a Marine Corps recruiting office at the Kansas State Fair in Wichita in 1917. "I said that I was 18, but the understanding sergeant said that I was too young. I had to be 21," he wrote in a brief biography offered to reporters.
Determined to serve, Buckles returned to the Marine recruiter and was rejected a second time. He also was rejected by the Navy, he believes, because they were suspicious about his age. He then traveled to Oklahoma City, where he was again rejected by the Navy and Marines. Finally, an Army recruiter took his word that he was 18 -- Buckles told them his small town didn't keep records of birth certificates and none existed -- and he enlisted on Aug. 14, 1917.
Buckles followed a sergeant's advice that serving with an ambulance company was the quickest route to France, where the most fighting was. He was sent to Fort Riley, Kan., for training in trench casualty retrieval and ambulance operations. He deployed in December 1917 from Hoboken, N.J., across the Atlantic with 102 men who made up the 1st Fort Riley Casual Detachment. They were aboard the HMS Carpathia, the vessel famous for rescuing passengers and crew of the Titanic five years earlier.
Buckles spent several weeks as a driver at a hospital near Winchester, England. He was anxious to get to France, even requesting a meeting with his commanding officer, a colonel, to press the issue. "He explained to me that he, too, wanted to go to France, but had to stay where he was ordered," he said.
Finally, Buckles was assigned to escort an officer to France. There, he had various assignments at several locations. After Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1918, he was assigned to a prisoner-of-war escort company to return prisoners back to Germany.
In January 1920, Buckles returned to the United States, without injury, on the USS Pocahontas. He was paid $144, including a $60 bonus. He went to business school and built a career in the commercial shipping industry.
In December 1941, Buckles was a corporate executive with American President Lines in Manila when the Japanese invaded the Philippines. He was held at a Japanese prison camp for three and a half years before being rescued by 11th Airborne Division on Feb. 23, 1945. During his internment, he was fed from a single tin cup, which he still has today and is displayed as a backdrop in DeJonge's portrait of him.
Following his release, Buckles married Audrey Mayo, and they settled in San Francisco until 1954, when the couple bought the West Virginia farm, near a Buckles ancestral home. Buckles still lives there today with his daughter and son-in-law. He was widowed in 1999.
In reflecting on his military service, Buckles, who left the Army as a corporal in 1920, said his favorite memories are of driving a motorcycle with a sidecar in England and meeting Gen. John J. Pershing, World War I commander of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe, upon his return to the United States. Buckles said he was pleased to discover that he and Pershing grew up on farms 40 miles apart in Missouri.
Buckles rejected a media request to offer advice to today's soldiers. "I'm not qualified to tell them anything. They know what to do," he said.
Buckles seemed dismayed at the press attention to his age. Longevity runs in his family and several relatives lived past 100, he said. "I don't feel I'm any older than you," he told the press corps of people mostly less than half his age.
DeJonge told reporters that Buckles' memory is "like a computer." Asked to describe Buckles, DeJonge said, "He has an incredibly optimistic outlook on life."
Over 1800 Police Books
Editor's Note: One of the authors is a former servicemember.
March 9, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. With the addition of four NYPD police officers, the website now lists 870 police officers and 1819 police books.
Rufus Schatzberg, Ph.D. is a retired New York Police Department detective first grade and the author of Black Organized Crime in Harlem: 1920-1930; and, co-author of African American Organized Crime and Handbook of Organized Crime in the United States.
According to the description of Handbook of Organized Crime in the United States, “This handbook discusses the definitions and historical background of organized crime, theories and research, specific crime groups and their operations, and law enforcement strategies to counter organized crime. Both the excellent introduction and 21 chapters provide background and analysis for each subject.”
Carey Spearman joined the U.S. Army in 1965. He served in Vietnam in 1967, assigned to the 44th Medical Group, 616th Medical Company. After his discharge, he would join the New York Police Department in 1973. He was promoted to detective, and to the rank of Sergeant in the police department and distinguished himself in undercover narcotics work and as supervisor of NYPD's Staten Island Community Affairs Division. Carey Spearman retired from the New York Police Department in 1995 with twenty-five years of service. In 1997 he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from St. John's University, New York. Carey Spearman is the co-author of Vietnam Veteran's Homecoming: Crossing the Line and 36 Years and a Wake-up: An American Returns to Vietnam.
According to the book description of Vietnam Veterans' Homecoming: Crossing the Line “is a thoughful and moving account of the impact that the Vietnam War had on one veteran's life. Medic Carey Spearman's emotional message will resonate in the hearts and souls of each and every veteran that picks up this book, and enlighten anyone that did not live through the war.”
Jerry Strollo, CPP, is a security consultant and retired NYPD Captain. He owns/operates REMS Training, Inc a certified FSD and security guard training school. Jerry Strollo is the co-author of Management and Supervision of Law Enforcement Personnel.
William F. Walsh, Ph.D. is the director of the Southern Police Institute and professor in the Department of Justice Administration at the University of Louisville. William Walsh has a BA in Behavioral Sciences, MA in Criminal Justice and a PhD in Sociology. Dr. William Walsh is responsible for all educational and professional development course offerings of the Southern Police Institute.
Dr. William Walsh’s is a former member of the New York Police Department where he served for 21 years. He is the author of Supervision of Police Personnel: A Performance Based Approach; and, a co-author of Police Administration; Strategic Management in Policing: A Total Quality Management Approach; and, Organizational Behavior and Management in Law Enforcement.
According to the description of Organizational Behavior and Management in Law Enforcement, “This absolutely outstanding book overcomes the obstacles and impediments that beset so many others in the field of police management. Its clear, concise presentation and realistic and very thorough overview of contemporary law enforcement organizations and managerial issues make this a tightly written book that manages to cover all the relevant major topics in contemporary law enforcement management.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 870 police officers (representing 383 police departments) and their 1819 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Contact Information:
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530
March 9, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. With the addition of four NYPD police officers, the website now lists 870 police officers and 1819 police books.
Rufus Schatzberg, Ph.D. is a retired New York Police Department detective first grade and the author of Black Organized Crime in Harlem: 1920-1930; and, co-author of African American Organized Crime and Handbook of Organized Crime in the United States.
According to the description of Handbook of Organized Crime in the United States, “This handbook discusses the definitions and historical background of organized crime, theories and research, specific crime groups and their operations, and law enforcement strategies to counter organized crime. Both the excellent introduction and 21 chapters provide background and analysis for each subject.”
Carey Spearman joined the U.S. Army in 1965. He served in Vietnam in 1967, assigned to the 44th Medical Group, 616th Medical Company. After his discharge, he would join the New York Police Department in 1973. He was promoted to detective, and to the rank of Sergeant in the police department and distinguished himself in undercover narcotics work and as supervisor of NYPD's Staten Island Community Affairs Division. Carey Spearman retired from the New York Police Department in 1995 with twenty-five years of service. In 1997 he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from St. John's University, New York. Carey Spearman is the co-author of Vietnam Veteran's Homecoming: Crossing the Line and 36 Years and a Wake-up: An American Returns to Vietnam.
According to the book description of Vietnam Veterans' Homecoming: Crossing the Line “is a thoughful and moving account of the impact that the Vietnam War had on one veteran's life. Medic Carey Spearman's emotional message will resonate in the hearts and souls of each and every veteran that picks up this book, and enlighten anyone that did not live through the war.”
Jerry Strollo, CPP, is a security consultant and retired NYPD Captain. He owns/operates REMS Training, Inc a certified FSD and security guard training school. Jerry Strollo is the co-author of Management and Supervision of Law Enforcement Personnel.
William F. Walsh, Ph.D. is the director of the Southern Police Institute and professor in the Department of Justice Administration at the University of Louisville. William Walsh has a BA in Behavioral Sciences, MA in Criminal Justice and a PhD in Sociology. Dr. William Walsh is responsible for all educational and professional development course offerings of the Southern Police Institute.
Dr. William Walsh’s is a former member of the New York Police Department where he served for 21 years. He is the author of Supervision of Police Personnel: A Performance Based Approach; and, a co-author of Police Administration; Strategic Management in Policing: A Total Quality Management Approach; and, Organizational Behavior and Management in Law Enforcement.
According to the description of Organizational Behavior and Management in Law Enforcement, “This absolutely outstanding book overcomes the obstacles and impediments that beset so many others in the field of police management. Its clear, concise presentation and realistic and very thorough overview of contemporary law enforcement organizations and managerial issues make this a tightly written book that manages to cover all the relevant major topics in contemporary law enforcement management.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 870 police officers (representing 383 police departments) and their 1819 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Contact Information:
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Commercial Image-Gathering Banned on Military Installations
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
March 7, 2008 - A new Defense Department policy prohibits all commercial photography or other image collection on U.S. military bases and installations. U.S. Northern Command issued the policy message Feb. 28 after detailed images of Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, appeared on the Google Map Web site, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gary Ross, a NORTHCOM spokesman.
Google Corp. representatives had entered the post with permission and taken the images with roof-mounted recording equipment, according to the policy message.
Google Earth's Street View Web site revealed 360-degree detailed imagery of the post, including headquarters locations, access and control points, barriers, facilities and communal areas, Ross said. "This poses a serious operational risk to our force-protection effort," Ross said.
Google reportedly has removed the images from the Web site, he said.
Concerned that such imagery could be used to inflict harm on U.S. personnel or facilities, NORTHCOM put out guidance for all military installations banning all commercial image-collecting as soon as it became aware of the Fort Sam Houston incident, Ross said. That guidance is being forwarded throughout the Defense Department by the services and defense agencies.
In addition to banning any future commercial image collection, the guidance also requires anyone aware of a similar incident to report it immediately to installation officials.
The Fort Sam Houston incident isn't isolated, Ross said. Similar filming incidents have occurred at two nonsecured former bases closed due to Base Realignment and Closure Commission efforts. One, Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind., was closed as part of the 1991 round of BRAC closures, but still houses the Defense Finance and Accounting Service Indianapolis, as well as U.S. Army Reserve and Indiana National Guard units. Another, the former Treasure Island Naval Base, in San Francisco, was turned over to local government control in 1996, but is still owned by the Navy.
Equally disturbing, Ross said, is filming known to have occurred at military housing areas outside the secured areas of Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., and the U.S. Naval Training Center San Diego. Ross said he doesn't know whether that imagery ever was posted on the Internet.
American Forces Press Service
March 7, 2008 - A new Defense Department policy prohibits all commercial photography or other image collection on U.S. military bases and installations. U.S. Northern Command issued the policy message Feb. 28 after detailed images of Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, appeared on the Google Map Web site, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Gary Ross, a NORTHCOM spokesman.
Google Corp. representatives had entered the post with permission and taken the images with roof-mounted recording equipment, according to the policy message.
Google Earth's Street View Web site revealed 360-degree detailed imagery of the post, including headquarters locations, access and control points, barriers, facilities and communal areas, Ross said. "This poses a serious operational risk to our force-protection effort," Ross said.
Google reportedly has removed the images from the Web site, he said.
Concerned that such imagery could be used to inflict harm on U.S. personnel or facilities, NORTHCOM put out guidance for all military installations banning all commercial image-collecting as soon as it became aware of the Fort Sam Houston incident, Ross said. That guidance is being forwarded throughout the Defense Department by the services and defense agencies.
In addition to banning any future commercial image collection, the guidance also requires anyone aware of a similar incident to report it immediately to installation officials.
The Fort Sam Houston incident isn't isolated, Ross said. Similar filming incidents have occurred at two nonsecured former bases closed due to Base Realignment and Closure Commission efforts. One, Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind., was closed as part of the 1991 round of BRAC closures, but still houses the Defense Finance and Accounting Service Indianapolis, as well as U.S. Army Reserve and Indiana National Guard units. Another, the former Treasure Island Naval Base, in San Francisco, was turned over to local government control in 1996, but is still owned by the Navy.
Equally disturbing, Ross said, is filming known to have occurred at military housing areas outside the secured areas of Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., and the U.S. Naval Training Center San Diego. Ross said he doesn't know whether that imagery ever was posted on the Internet.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
133 NYPD Cops
Editor's Note: Several of the authors are former servicemembers.
February 25, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added five NYPD police officers bringing the total number of officers from NYPD to 133.
Former New York Police Department Detective Charles O'Hara is the author of Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation, now in its 7th edition. According to one reader, “The Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation by Charles O'Hara provides a particuarly informative and comprehensive insight into the specific areas of criminal investigation. The author includes detailed explanations and supports his theories with the use of factual information and case studies. This is must-have for those studying criminal investigation.”
John Perkins’ began his 22 year law enforcement career as a police cadet. According to John Perkins, “As a young policeman in the early 1970's, John’s beat included some of the worst neighborhoods in the New York metropolitan area where he routinely worked backup units responding to the most violent crimes in progress. He eventually was involved in over 700 arrests at least 100 of which were brutally violent arrest scenarios where people routinely ended up in the hospital or morgue.
John Perkin’s is the co-author of Attack Proof: The Ultimate Guide to Personal Protection. According to the book description, “Ex-cop and former forensic homicide investigator John Perkins is recognized by several top forensic scientists to be an expert in determining how people fought and died in horrific homicides. Combined with his 50 years in the martial arts, executive bodyguard work for domestic and foreign dignatories, over 100 brutally violent arrest scenarios (where people ended up in the hospital or morgue) and unsanctioned pit-fighting on the docks of Newark and New Orleans, Perkins is a veteran of what works and what doesn't in the field of self-defense.”
Dr. Daniel Rudofossi has interviewed, assessed, and treated hundreds of police officers in his extensive clinical, treatment, and research experience as Uniform Psychologist/Police Sergeant, New York Police Department. Dr. Daniel Rudofossi continues in his private practice to work with traumatized police officers, and he is an active police surgeon with the NYC HRAPD, is a professor at NYU, and is on the Board of Advisors, Saybrook University, Clinical Police Psychology Ph.D. Program. Dr. Daniel Rudofossi is the author of Working With Traumatized Police-officer Patients: A Clinician’s Guide to Complex Ptsd Syndromes in Public Safety Professionals.
According to Vincent M. Mansfield, Commanding Officer, Medical Division, NYPD Retired Chief, NYPD, “Dr. Dan Rudofossi's Working with Traumatized Police-Officer Patients is thorough, clearly expressed, and, most important, sorely needed. His book will prove of great value to clinicians, police administrators, and anyone concerned with learning about real trauma and its effect on law enforcement personnel. Because he is both a street cop and so astute a clinician, Dr. Rudofossi was able to straddle an imposing gulf and secure the trust of those he treated. This book is a rare piece of scholarship.”
Three New York Police Department detectives are among the co-authors of the Rape Investigations Handbook; John Baeza; Alan Sandomir; and, John Savino. According to the book description, “This work addresses specific investigative and forensic processes related to sex crimes for those who work in law enforcement, the defense community, or in the private sector. It is an unprecedented collaborative work -- the first working manual for sex crime investigators, written by sex crime investigators and forensic scientists.
Detective John Baeza started his career in law enforcement as a New York State Correction Officer working at the Sing-Sing and Otisville correctional facilities. He was employed by the New York Police Department for nearly 12 years. John Baeza began his police career in Harlem’s 32nd Precinct as a patrol officer. He was then assigned to the Manhattan North Tactical Narcotics Team where he performed undercover work for three years. John Baeza was promoted to Detective during his Narcotics assignment. From 1994 to 2000, he was assigned to the Manhattan Special Victims Squad where he personally investigated more than 2000 sex crimes and child abuse cases.
Detective Alan Sandomir was born and raised in New York City. He attended Cortland College in upstate New York where he received a dual Bachelor’s Degree in both Anthropology and Political Science. After college, Detective Alan Sandomir spent four years in the United States Army where he was involved in a classified intelligence collection operation in Eastern Europe during the height of the Cold War.
In 2001, Alan Sandomir created and initiated a program that allowed him to specialize in and investigate the trickle of incoming DNA based cases that was correctly forecasted to soon turn into an avalanche. As the DNA databanks began to churn out DNA cases Detective Sandomir and his partner, Detective Edward Tacchi, became the first DNA Detectives in the NYPD where they led both New York City and New York State in DNA arrests and indictments while working out of their Manhattan office.
John Savino has been a member of the New York Police Department since 1982. His career has spanned all aspects of law enforcement, beginning with a short assignment as a uniformed police officer and quick advancement to the Narcotics Division. His investigative skills began developing while assigned to the Manhattan North Narcotics Division. This assignment also helped develop his ability to talk with people from all walks of life, as he worked in an “undercover” capacity buying narcotics in Manhattan.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 866 police officers (representing 383 police departments) and their 1810 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Contact Information:
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530
February 25, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added five NYPD police officers bringing the total number of officers from NYPD to 133.
Former New York Police Department Detective Charles O'Hara is the author of Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation, now in its 7th edition. According to one reader, “The Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation by Charles O'Hara provides a particuarly informative and comprehensive insight into the specific areas of criminal investigation. The author includes detailed explanations and supports his theories with the use of factual information and case studies. This is must-have for those studying criminal investigation.”
John Perkins’ began his 22 year law enforcement career as a police cadet. According to John Perkins, “As a young policeman in the early 1970's, John’s beat included some of the worst neighborhoods in the New York metropolitan area where he routinely worked backup units responding to the most violent crimes in progress. He eventually was involved in over 700 arrests at least 100 of which were brutally violent arrest scenarios where people routinely ended up in the hospital or morgue.
John Perkin’s is the co-author of Attack Proof: The Ultimate Guide to Personal Protection. According to the book description, “Ex-cop and former forensic homicide investigator John Perkins is recognized by several top forensic scientists to be an expert in determining how people fought and died in horrific homicides. Combined with his 50 years in the martial arts, executive bodyguard work for domestic and foreign dignatories, over 100 brutally violent arrest scenarios (where people ended up in the hospital or morgue) and unsanctioned pit-fighting on the docks of Newark and New Orleans, Perkins is a veteran of what works and what doesn't in the field of self-defense.”
Dr. Daniel Rudofossi has interviewed, assessed, and treated hundreds of police officers in his extensive clinical, treatment, and research experience as Uniform Psychologist/Police Sergeant, New York Police Department. Dr. Daniel Rudofossi continues in his private practice to work with traumatized police officers, and he is an active police surgeon with the NYC HRAPD, is a professor at NYU, and is on the Board of Advisors, Saybrook University, Clinical Police Psychology Ph.D. Program. Dr. Daniel Rudofossi is the author of Working With Traumatized Police-officer Patients: A Clinician’s Guide to Complex Ptsd Syndromes in Public Safety Professionals.
According to Vincent M. Mansfield, Commanding Officer, Medical Division, NYPD Retired Chief, NYPD, “Dr. Dan Rudofossi's Working with Traumatized Police-Officer Patients is thorough, clearly expressed, and, most important, sorely needed. His book will prove of great value to clinicians, police administrators, and anyone concerned with learning about real trauma and its effect on law enforcement personnel. Because he is both a street cop and so astute a clinician, Dr. Rudofossi was able to straddle an imposing gulf and secure the trust of those he treated. This book is a rare piece of scholarship.”
Three New York Police Department detectives are among the co-authors of the Rape Investigations Handbook; John Baeza; Alan Sandomir; and, John Savino. According to the book description, “This work addresses specific investigative and forensic processes related to sex crimes for those who work in law enforcement, the defense community, or in the private sector. It is an unprecedented collaborative work -- the first working manual for sex crime investigators, written by sex crime investigators and forensic scientists.
Detective John Baeza started his career in law enforcement as a New York State Correction Officer working at the Sing-Sing and Otisville correctional facilities. He was employed by the New York Police Department for nearly 12 years. John Baeza began his police career in Harlem’s 32nd Precinct as a patrol officer. He was then assigned to the Manhattan North Tactical Narcotics Team where he performed undercover work for three years. John Baeza was promoted to Detective during his Narcotics assignment. From 1994 to 2000, he was assigned to the Manhattan Special Victims Squad where he personally investigated more than 2000 sex crimes and child abuse cases.
Detective Alan Sandomir was born and raised in New York City. He attended Cortland College in upstate New York where he received a dual Bachelor’s Degree in both Anthropology and Political Science. After college, Detective Alan Sandomir spent four years in the United States Army where he was involved in a classified intelligence collection operation in Eastern Europe during the height of the Cold War.
In 2001, Alan Sandomir created and initiated a program that allowed him to specialize in and investigate the trickle of incoming DNA based cases that was correctly forecasted to soon turn into an avalanche. As the DNA databanks began to churn out DNA cases Detective Sandomir and his partner, Detective Edward Tacchi, became the first DNA Detectives in the NYPD where they led both New York City and New York State in DNA arrests and indictments while working out of their Manhattan office.
John Savino has been a member of the New York Police Department since 1982. His career has spanned all aspects of law enforcement, beginning with a short assignment as a uniformed police officer and quick advancement to the Narcotics Division. His investigative skills began developing while assigned to the Manhattan North Narcotics Division. This assignment also helped develop his ability to talk with people from all walks of life, as he worked in an “undercover” capacity buying narcotics in Manhattan.
Police-Writers.com now hosts 866 police officers (representing 383 police departments) and their 1810 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.
Contact Information:
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530
Young Leaders Tour Washington, Pentagon
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
March 7, 2008 - More than 100 high school students, wearing business suits and looking more like politicians than teenagers, crowded the halls of the Pentagon today during one of their final stops in a week-long tour of the capital city. The students represented all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Defense Department Education Activity as part of the U.S. Senate Youth Program.
The program brings the brightest and most promising young leaders here for tours and talks with the nation's top leaders all the way up to the president. Today they met with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and toured the Pentagon.
Their visits also include stops at the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court and the White House. They meet senior officials and hold discussions with them along the way. The student delegates are able to discuss current public and national security policy issues with senators, cabinet members and other senior government officials.
"That was pretty cool," said Christopher Brown, one of the DoD Education Activity delegates, speaking of his visit with the various key political leaders.
A self-described "political junkie," Brown is a junior whose parents teach in the Defense Department's Hanau High School in Hanau, Germany.
"I follow politics a lot. It was really interesting. I didn't realize how much of a difference there was between the Senate and the House in the processes and how they work, so that was pretty cool," Brown said.
Brown has been around the military his whole life and was born in Germany. To be selected, he had to take tests, write essays and send in a video of his responses to government-related questions. Brown's teacher selected him because of his involvement with student government.
Brown said the Defense Secretary was different than he expected.
"He was a little quieter than I thought, and a little more unassuming. And that actually gave me more respect for him," Brown said of his meeting with Gates. "I kind of felt like I could relate to him."
Gates spoke to the students about the importance of integrity in their personal and professional lives, and answered questions, mostly relating to military policies and the war in Iraq, Brown said.
Brianna Fitch, also a DoD Education Activity delegate, said his talk really hit home for her.
"He was a very nice man. It was kind of nice to see the personal side of these figures [whose pictures] you see hanging on the wall every day in the chain of command. And I really took his words to heart, especially those about staying honest," she said.
Fitch's father is a lieutenant colonel in the Army, and she has been an "Army brat" all of her life. She is a senior at Brussels American School in Brussels, Belgium.
She graduates "exactly three months from yesterday," but who's counting. Her grandfather was also in the Army, but Brown said she plans to join the Peace Corps after graduation, and then possibly work as a political officer for the U.S. State Department.
"It's inspiring to see how many people are willing to listen to us," she said. "Even the speakers are saying 'It's your future. You guys are going to be the ones that are going to be here some day.' That's very exciting and motivating to hear."
Fitch said that one of the best things about the trip has been developing relationships with the other candidates and listening to their perspectives on issues.
"It's been a really great experience talking to them, hearing a lot of different political views, and I've liked getting to share a European view point," she said. "Our speakers have been excellent. Some have been very thought provoking."
She said the trip has given her a broader perspective, and, Brown believes, she has contributed to broadening others. She said her military life gives her a different view of political views, especially the war.
"Every figure you see in the news of deaths, those are people and they all have families," she said. "I think that definitely gives you a different perspective when you know people whose parents go off to war and who sometimes don't come back."
Army Maj. Michelle Avolio, a Blackhawk helicopter pilot with 200 hours combat flight experience in Iraq said she was actually intimidated when she found out she would be acting as a mentor for a week for six teenage girls.
As a mentor, Avolio has followed her group 24 hours a day, even sleeping in the same hotel, eating all the same meals. Her job is to be a role model for the delegates and a military representative.
The students' questions to Aviolo were somewhat predictable. The boys wanted to know if she got shot at. Yes, she did. The girls wanted to know more about what it's like being a woman in a position of leadership.
"Don't limit yourself," she told them. "Just be who you are. Be true to yourself and do the right thing and you'll shine as a leader."
Avolio said she volunteered for the job because it was important for the up-and-coming future leaders to have some personal military connection.
"They may [one day] be in very influential positions and may never have been exposed to the military and [would be] making decisions that concern us and our troops," Avolio said. "So they are able to see us and ask all the questions they want and maybe have a personal experience that when they're older they can look back on and influence their decisions positively."
Air Force Capt. Timothy Booher, an Air Force engineer, also dedicated a week away from work, emails, Blackberry devices and his wife and children to work with the delegates.
"I'm trying to really build rapport with them," he said. "To hopefully have a relationship where they know someone in the military who they can ask for advice and maybe help frame their understanding of what [we] in the military are like and perhaps challenge some of the stereotypes and assumptions that they might have come into this with."
American Forces Press Service
March 7, 2008 - More than 100 high school students, wearing business suits and looking more like politicians than teenagers, crowded the halls of the Pentagon today during one of their final stops in a week-long tour of the capital city. The students represented all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Defense Department Education Activity as part of the U.S. Senate Youth Program.
The program brings the brightest and most promising young leaders here for tours and talks with the nation's top leaders all the way up to the president. Today they met with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and toured the Pentagon.
Their visits also include stops at the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court and the White House. They meet senior officials and hold discussions with them along the way. The student delegates are able to discuss current public and national security policy issues with senators, cabinet members and other senior government officials.
"That was pretty cool," said Christopher Brown, one of the DoD Education Activity delegates, speaking of his visit with the various key political leaders.
A self-described "political junkie," Brown is a junior whose parents teach in the Defense Department's Hanau High School in Hanau, Germany.
"I follow politics a lot. It was really interesting. I didn't realize how much of a difference there was between the Senate and the House in the processes and how they work, so that was pretty cool," Brown said.
Brown has been around the military his whole life and was born in Germany. To be selected, he had to take tests, write essays and send in a video of his responses to government-related questions. Brown's teacher selected him because of his involvement with student government.
Brown said the Defense Secretary was different than he expected.
"He was a little quieter than I thought, and a little more unassuming. And that actually gave me more respect for him," Brown said of his meeting with Gates. "I kind of felt like I could relate to him."
Gates spoke to the students about the importance of integrity in their personal and professional lives, and answered questions, mostly relating to military policies and the war in Iraq, Brown said.
Brianna Fitch, also a DoD Education Activity delegate, said his talk really hit home for her.
"He was a very nice man. It was kind of nice to see the personal side of these figures [whose pictures] you see hanging on the wall every day in the chain of command. And I really took his words to heart, especially those about staying honest," she said.
Fitch's father is a lieutenant colonel in the Army, and she has been an "Army brat" all of her life. She is a senior at Brussels American School in Brussels, Belgium.
She graduates "exactly three months from yesterday," but who's counting. Her grandfather was also in the Army, but Brown said she plans to join the Peace Corps after graduation, and then possibly work as a political officer for the U.S. State Department.
"It's inspiring to see how many people are willing to listen to us," she said. "Even the speakers are saying 'It's your future. You guys are going to be the ones that are going to be here some day.' That's very exciting and motivating to hear."
Fitch said that one of the best things about the trip has been developing relationships with the other candidates and listening to their perspectives on issues.
"It's been a really great experience talking to them, hearing a lot of different political views, and I've liked getting to share a European view point," she said. "Our speakers have been excellent. Some have been very thought provoking."
She said the trip has given her a broader perspective, and, Brown believes, she has contributed to broadening others. She said her military life gives her a different view of political views, especially the war.
"Every figure you see in the news of deaths, those are people and they all have families," she said. "I think that definitely gives you a different perspective when you know people whose parents go off to war and who sometimes don't come back."
Army Maj. Michelle Avolio, a Blackhawk helicopter pilot with 200 hours combat flight experience in Iraq said she was actually intimidated when she found out she would be acting as a mentor for a week for six teenage girls.
As a mentor, Avolio has followed her group 24 hours a day, even sleeping in the same hotel, eating all the same meals. Her job is to be a role model for the delegates and a military representative.
The students' questions to Aviolo were somewhat predictable. The boys wanted to know if she got shot at. Yes, she did. The girls wanted to know more about what it's like being a woman in a position of leadership.
"Don't limit yourself," she told them. "Just be who you are. Be true to yourself and do the right thing and you'll shine as a leader."
Avolio said she volunteered for the job because it was important for the up-and-coming future leaders to have some personal military connection.
"They may [one day] be in very influential positions and may never have been exposed to the military and [would be] making decisions that concern us and our troops," Avolio said. "So they are able to see us and ask all the questions they want and maybe have a personal experience that when they're older they can look back on and influence their decisions positively."
Air Force Capt. Timothy Booher, an Air Force engineer, also dedicated a week away from work, emails, Blackberry devices and his wife and children to work with the delegates.
"I'm trying to really build rapport with them," he said. "To hopefully have a relationship where they know someone in the military who they can ask for advice and maybe help frame their understanding of what [we] in the military are like and perhaps challenge some of the stereotypes and assumptions that they might have come into this with."
America Supports You: MySpace Set to Rock Troops in Kuwait
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
March 6, 2008 - Troops in Kuwait preparing to deploy into Iraq will get a crash course in rock-and-roll MySpace style when the online social network hosts its "Operation MySpace" concert March 10. "For years, troops stationed all over the world have utilized MySpace as a lifeline to communicate with their loved ones back home," said Tom Anderson, a MySpace co-founder. "Many of them have been generous enough to share their unique experiences with me through messages on MySpace. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to thank them in person and bring along the entire MySpace community."
MySpace co-founder Chris DeWolfe expressed pride in being able to entertain the troops and bring them a small piece of home, though they're thousands of miles away.
"We're incredibly proud to host this one-of-a-kind concert," he said. "Unlike past variety shows or concerts of this nature, Operation MySpace will connect people, content, and culture a world apart through the live webcast of the show and interaction on the Operation MySpace profile."
The concert, part of the MySpaceLive! series, is being presented in cooperation with the Defense Department's Armed Forces Entertainment and America Supports You programs. Some of today's most popular music acts -- including Filter, Disturbed, The Pussycat Dolls, DJ Z-Trip and Jessica Simpson -- will rock the Kuwaiti desert for the troops stationed in the country. Comedian Carlos Mencia will host the three-plus hour event, which will stream live on the MySpace Web site at 2 p.m. Eastern Time on March 10.
"This MySpaceLive! concert is an exciting event because it communicates to our troops that people from all walks of life and from all types of companies support their service to our country," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense of internal communication and public liaison. "MySpace is a great medium to connect our military members and their families, who serve in 177 countries, to the folks back home. We are so glad to have MySpace as part of the team working with both America Supports You and Armed Forces Entertainment."
Armed Forces Entertainment is a supporter of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, which connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
The connection Barber mentioned is already happening. Troops' families and friends, as well as the entire MySpace community, can post videos and messages of support via a video blog section on the myspace.com/operationmyspace Web site, set up just for the concert. That same site will feature scrolling goodwill messages during the live webcast of the show.
MySpace and Defense Department officials aren't the only ones excited about entertaining the troops. The musicians are thrilled with the opportunity.
"It's truly an honor to perform for the troops," Jessica Simpson said. "Through Operation MySpace, I get to serve my country by doing what I love to do in front of thousands of brave men in uniform. It's every girl's dream!"
The Pussycat Dolls had similar sentiments. "We're so excited to be performing for the troops and supporting our Armed Forces overseas," the group said in a statement.
FX television network will broadcast a condensed one-hour version of the show on April 12 for those who won't be able to catch it live.
For more information on the Operation MySpace concert, visit the MySpace Web site.
American Forces Press Service
March 6, 2008 - Troops in Kuwait preparing to deploy into Iraq will get a crash course in rock-and-roll MySpace style when the online social network hosts its "Operation MySpace" concert March 10. "For years, troops stationed all over the world have utilized MySpace as a lifeline to communicate with their loved ones back home," said Tom Anderson, a MySpace co-founder. "Many of them have been generous enough to share their unique experiences with me through messages on MySpace. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to thank them in person and bring along the entire MySpace community."
MySpace co-founder Chris DeWolfe expressed pride in being able to entertain the troops and bring them a small piece of home, though they're thousands of miles away.
"We're incredibly proud to host this one-of-a-kind concert," he said. "Unlike past variety shows or concerts of this nature, Operation MySpace will connect people, content, and culture a world apart through the live webcast of the show and interaction on the Operation MySpace profile."
The concert, part of the MySpaceLive! series, is being presented in cooperation with the Defense Department's Armed Forces Entertainment and America Supports You programs. Some of today's most popular music acts -- including Filter, Disturbed, The Pussycat Dolls, DJ Z-Trip and Jessica Simpson -- will rock the Kuwaiti desert for the troops stationed in the country. Comedian Carlos Mencia will host the three-plus hour event, which will stream live on the MySpace Web site at 2 p.m. Eastern Time on March 10.
"This MySpaceLive! concert is an exciting event because it communicates to our troops that people from all walks of life and from all types of companies support their service to our country," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense of internal communication and public liaison. "MySpace is a great medium to connect our military members and their families, who serve in 177 countries, to the folks back home. We are so glad to have MySpace as part of the team working with both America Supports You and Armed Forces Entertainment."
Armed Forces Entertainment is a supporter of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, which connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
The connection Barber mentioned is already happening. Troops' families and friends, as well as the entire MySpace community, can post videos and messages of support via a video blog section on the myspace.com/operationmyspace Web site, set up just for the concert. That same site will feature scrolling goodwill messages during the live webcast of the show.
MySpace and Defense Department officials aren't the only ones excited about entertaining the troops. The musicians are thrilled with the opportunity.
"It's truly an honor to perform for the troops," Jessica Simpson said. "Through Operation MySpace, I get to serve my country by doing what I love to do in front of thousands of brave men in uniform. It's every girl's dream!"
The Pussycat Dolls had similar sentiments. "We're so excited to be performing for the troops and supporting our Armed Forces overseas," the group said in a statement.
FX television network will broadcast a condensed one-hour version of the show on April 12 for those who won't be able to catch it live.
For more information on the Operation MySpace concert, visit the MySpace Web site.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Chairman Celebrates Unsung Heroes at 'Angels of Battlefield' Gala
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
March 6, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff praised the Army medics and Navy corpsmen who risk their lives on the battlefield to save others at the 2nd annual Armed Services YMCA gala here last night. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, who had returned yesterday morning from visiting deployed troops, related a poignant aspect of his trip to the more than 200 people in attendance.
"Less than 48 hours ago, I was on a high mountain in Afghanistan with about 15 soldiers in one of the toughest areas we have right now in the fight that we're in," Mullen said. "There was one individual in this group who ... stood out, and it was the medic."
Near the melting snow-capped mountaintop, the chairman spoke with the unit, which had lost seven soldiers since deploying to Afghanistan almost a year ago. The surviving soldiers resolved to continue their mission, Mullen said, in part because of the confidence instilled in the soldiers by the man tasked with keeping them alive.
"You could see in how (the medic) talked and how they talked about him, how special he was, how much they depend on him and how confident they were they could carry out their mission because he was there," Mullen said.
U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are supported by the best combat medical staff the country has ever seen, the chairman said, citing two exemplary medics.
As a young man in Bronx, N.Y., Angelo J. Vaccaro had led a misdirected life, with bad influences, drug use and brushes with the law. In 2004, however, Vaccaro decided to turn his life around and enlisted as a combat medic after the Army granted him a waiver.
"He joined the Army to save himself," Mullen said. "As a medic, he, in turn, consciously chose to save others."
A firefight erupted around Vaccaro's unit on Oct. 3, 2004. Plunging headlong into the engagement, the medic was killed while attempting to evacuate his wounded comrades. He is the first servicemember to earn two Silver Star Medals in the global terror war.
"In an effort to save his soldiers -- in doing what was right in life -- he courageously faced his death," Mullen said. "And we honor him as we have so many tonight, and the legions of combat medics who came before him and the many who will surely follow."
As insurgents ambushed the front of his convoy, and with explosions going off on the road ahead of him, Navy hospital corpsman Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua Chiarini could have remained in his vehicle and waited for the action to pass. Instead, he bolted from his truck and joined the battle.
Chiarini's ensuing gallantry resulted in a Silver Star and the recovery of several wounded Marines from the line of fire, saving their lives. "He was in the company of the angels in the battlefield," Mullen said, referring to the combat medics who served before Chiarini.
In a recorded video message to the audience, former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole expressed "everlasting appreciation" for combat medics, like those who cared for him after he suffered injuries from German machine-gun fire during World War II.
"Our Army medics and Navy corpsmen ... are and always have been the unsung heroes of our country's effort to defend liberty and freedom," he said. "If you're one of those touched by these courageous men and women, as I was, you'll have an everlasting appreciation for they do in times of personal crisis."
Servicemembers accepted an award on behalf of their fellow corpsmen and medics. Recipients included Army Sgt. Maria Jimenez, Navy Seaman Elvis Gichini, Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Joel Grey, Air Force Senior Airman Jaime Kincaid, Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Victoria Hayes, Army Reserve Sgt. Jeana Johnson, Navy Reserve Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Baney and Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Lance Burgess.
The evening's master of ceremonies -- retired Marine Col. H.C. "Barney" Barnum Jr., a Medal of Honor recipient who now serves as deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for reserve affairs -- said every servicemember reveres his "doc."
"Our corpsmen and medics carry the scars of battles won and battles lost, deep in their souls, unseen to men," he said. "Not the battles of bullets flying back and forth, but the battles of life and death on the face in front of them and all around them."
American Forces Press Service
March 6, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff praised the Army medics and Navy corpsmen who risk their lives on the battlefield to save others at the 2nd annual Armed Services YMCA gala here last night. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, who had returned yesterday morning from visiting deployed troops, related a poignant aspect of his trip to the more than 200 people in attendance.
"Less than 48 hours ago, I was on a high mountain in Afghanistan with about 15 soldiers in one of the toughest areas we have right now in the fight that we're in," Mullen said. "There was one individual in this group who ... stood out, and it was the medic."
Near the melting snow-capped mountaintop, the chairman spoke with the unit, which had lost seven soldiers since deploying to Afghanistan almost a year ago. The surviving soldiers resolved to continue their mission, Mullen said, in part because of the confidence instilled in the soldiers by the man tasked with keeping them alive.
"You could see in how (the medic) talked and how they talked about him, how special he was, how much they depend on him and how confident they were they could carry out their mission because he was there," Mullen said.
U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are supported by the best combat medical staff the country has ever seen, the chairman said, citing two exemplary medics.
As a young man in Bronx, N.Y., Angelo J. Vaccaro had led a misdirected life, with bad influences, drug use and brushes with the law. In 2004, however, Vaccaro decided to turn his life around and enlisted as a combat medic after the Army granted him a waiver.
"He joined the Army to save himself," Mullen said. "As a medic, he, in turn, consciously chose to save others."
A firefight erupted around Vaccaro's unit on Oct. 3, 2004. Plunging headlong into the engagement, the medic was killed while attempting to evacuate his wounded comrades. He is the first servicemember to earn two Silver Star Medals in the global terror war.
"In an effort to save his soldiers -- in doing what was right in life -- he courageously faced his death," Mullen said. "And we honor him as we have so many tonight, and the legions of combat medics who came before him and the many who will surely follow."
As insurgents ambushed the front of his convoy, and with explosions going off on the road ahead of him, Navy hospital corpsman Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua Chiarini could have remained in his vehicle and waited for the action to pass. Instead, he bolted from his truck and joined the battle.
Chiarini's ensuing gallantry resulted in a Silver Star and the recovery of several wounded Marines from the line of fire, saving their lives. "He was in the company of the angels in the battlefield," Mullen said, referring to the combat medics who served before Chiarini.
In a recorded video message to the audience, former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole expressed "everlasting appreciation" for combat medics, like those who cared for him after he suffered injuries from German machine-gun fire during World War II.
"Our Army medics and Navy corpsmen ... are and always have been the unsung heroes of our country's effort to defend liberty and freedom," he said. "If you're one of those touched by these courageous men and women, as I was, you'll have an everlasting appreciation for they do in times of personal crisis."
Servicemembers accepted an award on behalf of their fellow corpsmen and medics. Recipients included Army Sgt. Maria Jimenez, Navy Seaman Elvis Gichini, Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Joel Grey, Air Force Senior Airman Jaime Kincaid, Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Victoria Hayes, Army Reserve Sgt. Jeana Johnson, Navy Reserve Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Baney and Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Lance Burgess.
The evening's master of ceremonies -- retired Marine Col. H.C. "Barney" Barnum Jr., a Medal of Honor recipient who now serves as deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for reserve affairs -- said every servicemember reveres his "doc."
"Our corpsmen and medics carry the scars of battles won and battles lost, deep in their souls, unseen to men," he said. "Not the battles of bullets flying back and forth, but the battles of life and death on the face in front of them and all around them."
Times Square Recruiting Station Bombing Causes Minor Damage
American Forces Press Service
March 6, 2008 - No one was injured and only minor structural damage was reported after a bomb went off outside the Armed Forces Recruiting Station in New York City's Times Square early this morning. The bomb went off at about 3:45 a.m., cracking the glass door, bending the door frame and shattering the large glass window in front of the station, said Army Capt. Charlie Jacquillard, the commander for the six Army recruiting stations in Manhattan.
The station, jointly manned by Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps recruiters, is possibly the most well-known recruiting station in the world.
"Our troops are dedicating to carrying out our mission despite obstacles or adversity," Jacquillard said. "We will demonstrate strength of character by remaining open despite this incident."
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, has begun assessing damage for immediate repair to get the station back to operation as soon as possible.
Times Square recruiting station commander, Army Sgt. 1st Class James Latella said he is very happy to be opening tomorrow to demonstrate to the public that his troops' mission will continue on as usual.
"Although not confirmed as a deliberate act against the U.S. Army or military in general, our soldiers remain committed to their recruiting mission and it's our intent to have the Times Square recruiting station reopened as soon as possible," said Army Col. Michael Negard, U.S Training and Doctrine Command chief of Public Affairs.
Incidents of harassment and vandalism against military recruiters – in the form of spitting, threatening words, graffiti and broken windows – are not uncommon since many recruiters reside in leased office buildings outside the confines of military installations and are susceptible to personal attacks, Air Force officials said.
"This is not the first time one of our offices has been used to demonstrate, but violence is not tolerated and law enforcement officials will find the perpetrator and prosecute," said Brig. Gen. Suzanne M. Vautrinot, Air Force Recruiting Service commander. "I must commend Air Force officials for doing a superb job of responding, reporting and accounting for their people."
Army officials said that while the incident is being investigated, all Army recruiting stations have been told to assume a higher level of awareness.
Civil and federal authorities are investigating the bombing.
(Air Force Recruiting Service and U.S. Army news releases were used in this report.) And, information for police officers sponsored the entry.
March 6, 2008 - No one was injured and only minor structural damage was reported after a bomb went off outside the Armed Forces Recruiting Station in New York City's Times Square early this morning. The bomb went off at about 3:45 a.m., cracking the glass door, bending the door frame and shattering the large glass window in front of the station, said Army Capt. Charlie Jacquillard, the commander for the six Army recruiting stations in Manhattan.
The station, jointly manned by Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps recruiters, is possibly the most well-known recruiting station in the world.
"Our troops are dedicating to carrying out our mission despite obstacles or adversity," Jacquillard said. "We will demonstrate strength of character by remaining open despite this incident."
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, has begun assessing damage for immediate repair to get the station back to operation as soon as possible.
Times Square recruiting station commander, Army Sgt. 1st Class James Latella said he is very happy to be opening tomorrow to demonstrate to the public that his troops' mission will continue on as usual.
"Although not confirmed as a deliberate act against the U.S. Army or military in general, our soldiers remain committed to their recruiting mission and it's our intent to have the Times Square recruiting station reopened as soon as possible," said Army Col. Michael Negard, U.S Training and Doctrine Command chief of Public Affairs.
Incidents of harassment and vandalism against military recruiters – in the form of spitting, threatening words, graffiti and broken windows – are not uncommon since many recruiters reside in leased office buildings outside the confines of military installations and are susceptible to personal attacks, Air Force officials said.
"This is not the first time one of our offices has been used to demonstrate, but violence is not tolerated and law enforcement officials will find the perpetrator and prosecute," said Brig. Gen. Suzanne M. Vautrinot, Air Force Recruiting Service commander. "I must commend Air Force officials for doing a superb job of responding, reporting and accounting for their people."
Army officials said that while the incident is being investigated, all Army recruiting stations have been told to assume a higher level of awareness.
Civil and federal authorities are investigating the bombing.
(Air Force Recruiting Service and U.S. Army news releases were used in this report.) And, information for police officers sponsored the entry.
World War I Vet
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
March 6, 2008 - Defense Department officials honored one of the world's last living World War I veterans in a ceremony at the Pentagon today. "I feel honored to be here as a representative of the veterans of WWI and I thank you," said Frank Woodruff Buckles, 107, who wore multiple service medals and remained in a wheelchair. He received a standing ovation from the mostly military audience.
Buckles, who lives near Charles Town, W.Va., and his family were special guests during the ceremony, in which officials unveiled photographer David DeJonge's World War I Veterans Exhibit. Dfense officials praised the exhibit for putting faces on a war that is largely forgotten and for which its generation is slipping away. DeJonge donated the exhibit, a collection of portraits of nine WWI veterans, for permanent display in the Pentagon.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates thanked Buckles, an Army ambulance driver in France and Britain, and John F. Babcock, a veteran of the U.S. and Canadian armies, who now lives in Spokane, Wash., and could not attend the ceremony. Buckles and Babcock are the last known living WWI soldiers who fought for the United States.
"Whoever views this display will, I am sure, feel a connection to Mr. Buckles and his comrades-in-arms," Gates said. "We will always be grateful for what they did for their country 90 years ago."
The portraits show each of the eight men and one woman, surrounded by military medals, books and newspapers of the day. Some are framed by flags and bear bright smiles. Others appear deep in thought. All evoke the patriotism of their service. Seven of the nine have died in the past year, said DeJonge, an independent photographer who began the project in 2006 in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"History is fading away before the very eyes of America," DeJonge said in an emotional speech. Asked after the ceremony why he chose veterans for the theme of his photography, DeJonge said, "It is imperative to American history. We want our leaders here at the Pentagon...to recognize that the decisions they make here impact people for 90 years or more."
The project is important because "the First World War is not well understood or remembered in the United States," Gates said. "There is no big memorial on the National Mall. Hollywood has not turned its gaze in this direction for decades. Yet few events have so markedly shaped the world we live in as the epic blood struggle known as The Great War."
U.S. involvement in WWI was short in time, long on sacrifice. From the first U.S. Navy ship that was sank in early 1917 until the armistice was signed Nov. 11, 1918, the United States incurred more than 116,000 deaths – more than Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan combined, Gates noted.
Just as some have marked the 21st Century as having began with the terrorism of Sept. 11, 2001, the 20th Century "began" with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, on June 28, 1914, Gates said. The war that began with a regional fight for Balkan independence, left the world a redrawn map of Europe and the Middle East, including the demarcation of Iraq. "From Baghdad to Belgrade, the places that mattered then are in the front of our consciousness today."
Army Secretary Pete Geren compared the sacrifices of WWI veterans to those serving now in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Today, young men and women from our generation, the best of this generation, too, are joined in a war in a far-off land that will shape their future and the world's future for decades to come," Geren said. "As with Frank Buckles' war, someday this war will end and [they] will come home with their lives and the world forever changed." The portraits "put a human face on a faceless war," Geren said. "We are reminded and convicted of the personal debt each of us owes to those who have secured the blessings of our liberties."
American Forces Press Service
March 6, 2008 - Defense Department officials honored one of the world's last living World War I veterans in a ceremony at the Pentagon today. "I feel honored to be here as a representative of the veterans of WWI and I thank you," said Frank Woodruff Buckles, 107, who wore multiple service medals and remained in a wheelchair. He received a standing ovation from the mostly military audience.
Buckles, who lives near Charles Town, W.Va., and his family were special guests during the ceremony, in which officials unveiled photographer David DeJonge's World War I Veterans Exhibit. Dfense officials praised the exhibit for putting faces on a war that is largely forgotten and for which its generation is slipping away. DeJonge donated the exhibit, a collection of portraits of nine WWI veterans, for permanent display in the Pentagon.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates thanked Buckles, an Army ambulance driver in France and Britain, and John F. Babcock, a veteran of the U.S. and Canadian armies, who now lives in Spokane, Wash., and could not attend the ceremony. Buckles and Babcock are the last known living WWI soldiers who fought for the United States.
"Whoever views this display will, I am sure, feel a connection to Mr. Buckles and his comrades-in-arms," Gates said. "We will always be grateful for what they did for their country 90 years ago."
The portraits show each of the eight men and one woman, surrounded by military medals, books and newspapers of the day. Some are framed by flags and bear bright smiles. Others appear deep in thought. All evoke the patriotism of their service. Seven of the nine have died in the past year, said DeJonge, an independent photographer who began the project in 2006 in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"History is fading away before the very eyes of America," DeJonge said in an emotional speech. Asked after the ceremony why he chose veterans for the theme of his photography, DeJonge said, "It is imperative to American history. We want our leaders here at the Pentagon...to recognize that the decisions they make here impact people for 90 years or more."
The project is important because "the First World War is not well understood or remembered in the United States," Gates said. "There is no big memorial on the National Mall. Hollywood has not turned its gaze in this direction for decades. Yet few events have so markedly shaped the world we live in as the epic blood struggle known as The Great War."
U.S. involvement in WWI was short in time, long on sacrifice. From the first U.S. Navy ship that was sank in early 1917 until the armistice was signed Nov. 11, 1918, the United States incurred more than 116,000 deaths – more than Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan combined, Gates noted.
Just as some have marked the 21st Century as having began with the terrorism of Sept. 11, 2001, the 20th Century "began" with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, on June 28, 1914, Gates said. The war that began with a regional fight for Balkan independence, left the world a redrawn map of Europe and the Middle East, including the demarcation of Iraq. "From Baghdad to Belgrade, the places that mattered then are in the front of our consciousness today."
Army Secretary Pete Geren compared the sacrifices of WWI veterans to those serving now in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Today, young men and women from our generation, the best of this generation, too, are joined in a war in a far-off land that will shape their future and the world's future for decades to come," Geren said. "As with Frank Buckles' war, someday this war will end and [they] will come home with their lives and the world forever changed." The portraits "put a human face on a faceless war," Geren said. "We are reminded and convicted of the personal debt each of us owes to those who have secured the blessings of our liberties."
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