Face of Defense: Soldier Earns Military Motherhood Award

By Allison Perkins
Special to American Forces Press Service

May 21, 2009 - When Army Staff Sgt. Melissa K. Dion logged on to her computer to nominate her own mother for Operation Homefront's Military Motherhood Award, she found that her mother, Carol Dion, had nominated her first. The combat medic was listed as a finalist. She and her officemates at Fort Drum, N.Y., read the nomination letter her mother had sent. Tears filled the soldier's eyes, and behind her, coworkers were crying, too.

"The military mothers who do what my daughter has done and go to war for their country and leave their families behind are the most unselfish women I know," her mother had written.

Dion has served two tours in Iraq and 16 years in the Army, and she has earned the Meritorious Service Medal. But it was her role as a single mother and a mentor to the young soldiers around her, especially on the front lines, that earned her Operation Homefront's Military Motherhood Award.

When she left for her first tour in February 2004, her son, Ryan, was just 4 years old. She drove him to her parents' home in Myrtle Beach, S.C., kissed her baby goodbye and left for war without looking back.

"It's hard, but for me, I was very blessed to have this wonderful mother," she said. "I knew when I stepped on that plane I had no worries back here. My only worry was what lay ahead. It's very hard, but I had a job to do."

Rather than dwell on her losses, the soldier embraced her Army family and built a support system across the ocean for all of them. She worked with her family to send over items that other soldiers needed or wanted. She took extra care of young soldiers who never received much at mail call.

The first deployment was easiest, Dion said. There was a phone in the aid station where she worked, and she could call home almost every day.

Ryan moved to his grandparents' house just after Christmas before her deployment. Even though his mother returned a year later, Ryan didn't come home until after the school year ended in June.

The pair had barely six months together before they were separated again. By Christmas of 2005, he was on his way back to Myrtle Beach, and his mother was headed back to Iraq. This time, the deployment proved much more difficult, Dion admitted. As a medic in a detainee prison, the hours were longer, the work was more stressful and the calls home were less frequent, since there were no outside phone lines or Internet connections in the facility.

"When you're up there working for 12 to 14 hours, as much as you love your family, you're too tired to stand in line and wait to call home," she said.

Through it all, though, Ryan, now 9, was strong, Dion said. And though she may have to leave him again for future deployments, she said, she wouldn't trade her job.

"I love the Army," she said. "I signed up before I finished high school. I didn't think I was going to be a single mom, and then when I was surprised with him, my love for the Army was still there."

Dion will receive her award, which includes a $5,000 prize, at a Pentagon ceremony May 27. Lockheed Martin sponsors the Military Motherhood Award for Operation Homefront, a San Antonio-based group that comprises 4,500 volunteers in 30 chapters nationwide and has provided assistance to more than 45,000 military families.

Gates Urges Participation in Memorial Day Moment of Silence

American Forces Press Service

May 21, 2009 - In his annual Memorial Day message to servicemembers worldwide, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates urges them to observe a moment of silence on the holiday to honor their fallen comrades. Here is the secretary's message:

"On May 5, 1868, General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, asked that America remember those lost in the Civil War by 'gather[ing] around their sacred remains' to 'garland the passionless mounds ... with choicest flowers' and 'raise above them the dear old flag they saved.'

"Since then, we have set aside one day each year to honor all those who have died in service to our country. Across the United States, military support groups, veterans associations, and patriots mount public tribute to those who served and sacrificed. By honoring our men and women in uniform with events like this, groups such as the American Veterans Center keep alive the memory of those who paid the ultimate price.

"Some wear a red poppy, in the spirit of the poet Moina Michael, who wrote that that flower "grows on fields where valor led." Others continue to adorn graves with flowers and candles. And each year, the soldiers of "The Old Guard" place small American flags at each Arlington National Cemetery gravestone and patrol around the clock during Memorial Day weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing.

"At 3 p.m., your local time, on Monday, May 25, 2009, I would encourage you to join millions of your fellow Americans in a moment of silence to remember our fallen heroes.

"It is important to think of the fallen on this day, but we should also keep in mind all of our servicemen and women throughout the year. They and their families continue to sacrifice for our country and deserve our recognition and support. We should heed the advice of General Logan, who wrote: 'Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.'"

Leadership: Texas Hold'Em Style - by Harvey & Foster - A Leading Questions review

Editor's Note: One of the authors is former military.

There are many different kinds of leadership books in the marketplace. The most prevalent kind are books written by business school academics and biographies of leaders. Each has their value, but for practicality, the majority do not translate well into practice. Then there are books that are written by practitioners. This is what I found when I came across Andrew J. Harvey and Raymond E. Foster's Leadership: Texas Hold'em Style (www.pokerleadership.com).

READ ON
http://edbrenegar.typepad.com/leading_questions/2009/05/leadership-texas-holdem-style-by-harvey-foster-a-leading-questions-review.html

Face of Defense: Drive to 'Go Deep' Into Other Cultures Inspires Navy Foreign Area Officer

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

May 20, 2009 - An officer based at the U.S. embassy here is on the leading edge of the Navy's new foreign area officer program. Lt. Cmdr. Kelly Federal, director of Navy programs in the embassy's Office of Defense Cooperation and a former F-14 and Super Hornet pilot, said he jumped at the chance to get into the program when the Navy first announced it in 2005.

"It rang a chord with me," Federal said. "It's a great opportunity for people who want to live overseas, interact with other cultures and receive extensive language and cultural training."

Federal's path to becoming the first Navy FAO in India started at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., where he earned a master's degree – a requirement for the program -- in national security affairs. After that, he moved on to the Defense Language Institute, also in Monterey, to study Hindi.

Three months into the 12-month curriculum, Federal cut his language studies short to move on to his new assignment in India. "That's OK," he said, shrugging. "I'm the first guy to have this job who's had any language [training] at all."

His FAO training brings a new dimension to the job, giving him a deeper understanding of issues and sensitivities, he said.

"It lets us establish a long-term knowledge base of a particular region," he said, making him a better advisor on issues ranging from training to military sales. A big focus of the job is helping India as it purchases new weapons systems for its military modernization program.

Federal said he's learning more every day – not just on the job, but also when he leaves the office to go home to an Indian neighborhood where there's not a single Westerner in sight. He's learning cricket from his neighbors, and he and his wife have adopted a nearly 100 percent Indian diet.

"The best FAOs are the people who want to go deep into other cultures," he said. "They have to want to speak the language, eat the food and live in their conditions."

But that drive to "go deep" has to extend to a FAO's family as well. "Your family has got to want it, too, or it's not a good career choice for you," he said.

Federal said he has no regrets about giving up flying airplanes. "I'll never go back and fly jets," he said. "I'll spend the rest of my career in this specialty, and I'm thrilled to be here."

'Her War' Podcast Aims to Help Military Wives

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

May 20, 2009 - When Melissa Seligman's husband left for his second deployment to Iraq, she knew all too well what was expected of her. "I was expected to be the nice, caring, understanding military wife and mom," Seligman said. "No military wife wants to admit that she is hurt -- and sometimes angry and very fearful -- of being alone when her husband is deployed, ... sometimes for the second or third time. It's very hard. The guilt we feel from these natural emotions often keeps us silent."

Seligman said she hopes her new weekly podcast, "Her War," will help to provide a platform for military wives to openly discuss such anxieties and uncertainties about their husbands' deployments. The podcast, she said, is dedicated to providing military wives with the tools and resources they need to better equip themselves to deal with separation issues.

Weekly discussions will focus not only on hope, understanding and acceptance, but also on denial, anger, bargaining and depression -- feelings that she said often are hidden.

"'Her War' is about honesty," Seligman said. "Military wives can join our discussions and be fully honest about their inner fears and not worry about being judged. The absolute focus of this podcast is to uplift them. I truly believe giving these wives a chance to speak, hear and take charge will empower them. In doing so, we strengthen our soldiers, our marriages and our abilities to mother."

Seligman, with the help of another military wife, Chris Piper, launched the "Her War" podcast last week. The first discussion, which included eight military wives, centered on hope and denial.

"The podcast went really well," said Lucy Brassard, whose husband just returned from Afghanistan. "I was really pleased with the format. I could relate. This is a support group of women who have been there. You can trust them.

"I also liked the anonymity," she continued. "We military wives are often so closed-lipped. We just don't discuss these issues out in the open. When you join the podcast, the only name people know is your screen name. It just makes you feel more comfortable and more relaxed."

This is the type of atmosphere she'd hoped to capture, Piper said.

"I believe military spouses don't feel they have a right to feel a certain way, especially with their spouse in harm's way," she said. "With this podcast, they can learn that they are normal and not alone. We sit here in our homes thinking that we are the only ones that are grieving for our husbands while they are gone. Just knowing that we are having normal feelings and thoughts helps. We can learn to rely on ourselves and each other. We can also learn about other resources that the military provides for dealing with deployments."

Seligman, the author of "The Day After He Left for Iraq," said her inspiration for this podcast came from a military wife who drove three hours to her first book signing.

"She walked into the store carrying the weight of her burden and told me simply, 'I'm a military spouse, too,'" Seligman said. "She fell into my arms and cried. I told her she was not alone. Right then, I knew I wanted to create a tool that would uplift spouses and give them a sense of support and normalcy."

The "Her War" podcast is hosted by Courage Community, a California-based online support group consisting of mental health professionals and volunteers.

"We provide an online network and a lifeline of hope for those looking for peer support, professional help, reconnection to the community or just an understanding friend," Carlana Stone, founder of Courage Community, said. "Melissa is on a passion-driven pursuit, from her own military experiences in life, to empower and uplift military wives. We wanted to be a part of this. Courage Community wants to be an ally for these women."

Pacific Partnership to Run as Scheduled Aboard USNS Byrd

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

May 20, 2009 - The H1N1 flu virus won't be able count the Pacific Partnership 2009 mission among its casualties. Pacific Partnership will kick off as scheduled next month, delivering medical, dental, veterinary care and engineering support to the South Pacific -- albeit it on a new platform due to an H1N1 virus diagnosis.

USNS Richard E. Byrd will conduct the four-month humanitarian assistance mission to Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga, U.S. Pacific Fleet officials announced yesterday.

USNS Byrd is a Military Sealift Command underway replenishment ship assigned to U.S. 7th Fleet.

The Pacific Partnership mission initially had been assigned to USS Dubuque, a San Diego-based amphibious transport dock ship. But Navy Adm. Robert F. Willard, U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, cancelled the Dubuque's participation earlier this month after one of the 50 sailors aboard who reported flu-like symptoms tested positive for the H1N1 virus.

Despite the likelihood that the virus would run its course and the crew would recover fully while essentially quarantined as they transited the Pacific, Willard scratched Dubuque's participation to eliminate any risk of -- or concerns about -- spreading the virus.

Willard offered assurance, however, that the annual Pacific Partnership would go on – an effort Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said reinforces U.S. commitment to the mission and the region.

Byrd, although slightly bigger than the Dubuque, has fewer beds and less extensive onboard medical facilities. Its medical crew – a blend of medical-care providers from the military, nongovernmental organizations and volunteer groups – will treat patients ashore, just as they would have if based on the Dubuque, Keating said.

To help to make up for fewer medical providers, the Navy will tailor teams for each country to be visited to best meet its specific needs -- "the most important thing being the folks who are hoping for and expecting expert medical, dental and veterinary assistance will realize those expectations," Keating said.

"We are pleased to be able to continue on with Pacific Partnership and meet our commitments to the host nations," the Pacific Partnership 2009 mission commander, Navy Capt. Andrew Cully, said after yesterday's announcement of the Byrd's participation.

"After reviewing the available Navy assets and their capabilities, USNS Richard E. Byrd proved to have more than enough storage space for equipment and supplies necessary to support the mission," Cully said.

Byrd has a crew of 124 civil-service mariners working for Military Sealift Command, as well as a detachment of 11 Navy sailors who provide operational support and supply coordination. When needed, the ship also can carry a supply detachment, officials said.

Another side benefit of the new mission platform is that Byrd has as many engineers as medical personnel aboard. This will enhance Pacific Partnership's efforts to refurbish schools and medical clinics in nearly every country to be visited, officials said.

In Kiribati, the engineers are scheduled to replace a key bridge between North and South Tarawa.

For Pacific Partnership, Cully said, partner nations and nongovernmental organizations remain important members of the mission team. "We expect to execute a significant portion of the projects planned for in our initial concept of operations," he said.

Achieving that goal took some flexibility, but U.S. Pacific Fleet came up with a solid plan, he added.

The Pacific Partnership mission team and much of its equipment and supplies are slated to leave San Diego in early June aboard USNS Amelia Earhart as it makes its first deployment to 7th Fleet. The team and equipment then will transfer at sea to USNS Richard E. Byrd during the transit to Oceania, as Earhart continues on to other mission commitments.

Emphasizing the "partnership" in Pacific Partnership, Keating called the mission a "profoundly powerful" way to reach out to and bring hope to those in need. He recalled the way he personally witnessed past Pacific Partnership missions touching people's lives. A young Filipino boy whose potentially fatal digestive disorder was cured through a relatively simple surgery aboard now "has a full life ahead of him," Keating said, with the chance to grow up to be a farmer or a helicopter pilot or even president of the Philippines.

Keating also relayed the story of watching a young Vietnamese girl as the doctors took the bandages off after repairing her cleft palate. "Thank you for making me pretty," she said as she looked into a mirror to admire their work.

"It's the right thing to do," Keating said of the mission as he emphasized the "indelible imprint" it leaves on people's lives. It also helps reduce the likelihood that those who benefit from or know about the mission will elect to support violent extremists, Keating said.

In addition, he said, the mission lays a foundation for participants to work with potential future partners to prepare for future crises during peacetime.

"Our overarching mission is to defend the homeland and prevail in the struggle against violent extremism," he said. "And folks are less likely to support violent extremism if they understand the goodwill expressed by the citizens of the United States of America and other countries in our [area of responsibility]."

USNS Mercy, a San Diego-based Military Sealift Command hospital ship, conducted last year's Pacific Partnership mission, visiting the Philippines, Vietnam, Micronesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea. The previous year, USS Peleliu conducted Pacific Partnership 2007, visiting the Philippines, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the Marshall Islands.

As this year's Pacific Partnership prepares to kick off, a similar mission, Continuing Promise 2009, is under way in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The hospital ship USNS Comfort left its home port in Baltimore on April 1 to conduct a four-month mission to Antigua, Barbuda, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Panama.

Gates Outlines Details of 'Reform Budget' for House Subcommittee

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

May 20, 2009 - Characterizing it as a "reform budget," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today described for members of Congress the thinking underlying his recommendations for fiscal 2010 Pentagon spending. Gates' main themes in developing the Pentagon's budget proposal were military troops and families, balancing between current and future missions and reforming the Defense Department's buying process.

"First and foremost, this is a reform budget reflecting lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet also addressing the range of other potential threats around the world now and in the future," Gates told members of the House Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee. He and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed the details of President Barack Obama's proposed $534 billion defense base budget for fiscal 2010 during the hearing.

The defense secretary said that on a recent visit to Afghanistan he sought "unvarnished and unscripted" perspective from troops and commanders downrange.

"As we increase our presence there – and refocus our efforts with a new strategy – I wanted to get a sense from the ground level of the challenges and needs so that we can give our troops the equipment and support to be successful and come home safely," he said. Such input, Gates added, has provided the best source of ideas for directing the Defense Department.

"As I told a group of soldiers, they have done their job," he said. "Now it is time for us in Washington to do ours."

Gates laid out his three principal objectives, citing the need to reaffirm the commitment to take care of the all-volunteer force, which he said represents America's greatest strategic asset.

"As Admiral Mullen says, if we don't get the people part of this business right, none of the other decisions will matter," Gates said.

Mullen described military personnel and their families as the top strategic priority. "I've said many times, and remain convinced, the best way to guarantee our future security is to support our troops and their needs and the needs of their families. It is the recruit-and-retain choices of our members and their families -- and, quite frankly, the American citizens writ large -- that will make or break the all-volunteer force."

Potential servicemembers will be less inclined to serve if the department is unable to offer viable career options, adequate health care, suitable housing, advanced education and the promise of prosperity beyond their military commitments, he added.

The defense secretary's second objective is to rebalance the department's programs to enhance warfighting capabilities for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and to prepare for scenarios the United States is most likely to face in the years ahead, while hedging against other risks and contingencies.

Gates announced his recommendations last month, distributing the funds in accordance with what he characterized as the type of "complex, hybrid warfare" that he expects will be increasingly common. He allotted roughly half of his proposed budget for traditional, strategic and conventional conflict, about 40 percent for dual-purpose capabilities and the remaining 10 percent for irregular warfare.

In addition to the unique breakdown he outlined, the defense secretary's proposal seeks to move funding away from supplemental budgets and into the baseline budget. Gates today said his suggestions were derived from lessons he's learned during his tenure as defense secretary.

"As you know, this year we have funded the costs of the wars through the regular budgeting process – as opposed to emergency supplementals," he said. "By presenting this budget together, we hope to give a more accurate picture of the costs of the wars and also create a more unified budget process to decrease some of the churn usually associated with funding for the Defense Department."

Finally, Gates emphasized the need to reform the defense acquisition process, a goal he has stated repeatedly.

"We must reform how and what we buy," he said, "meaning a fundamental overhaul of our approach to procurement, acquisition, and contracting."

Defense Department Launches Official Military Blogging Platform

By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
Special to American Forces Press Service

May 20, 2009 - The Defense Department has unveiled "DoDLive," a centrally linked and unified platform from which services can create and maintain blogs. "This blogging tool allows all branches of the military an opportunity to establish an official blog about their command, organization or unit," said Brian Natwick, acting director of the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate and general manager of the Pentagon Channel.

This tool will enable Defense Department organizations to communicate on a more personal level, and can be used as an extension to their Web sites.

"Having a central blogging capability means that not only can readers know they're receiving reliable content, but it enables conversations through which the Department of Defense can learn and grow," Natwick said.

Beta testing of the platform began in January. Since its soft launch, the Air Force and Army added service-specific blogs, and the Coast Guard is expected to join in soon.

The department's official blog is at http://DoDLive.mil and is managed by the emerging media directorate. Posts will cover a spectrum of content, including first-person updates from Pentagon Channel reporters and senior Defense Department officials, "DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable" content, internal messages for military audiences and updates on military news stories. The blog also will showcase the department's other social media products such as the Wounded Warrior Diaries, "DoDvClips," and the "Armed with Science" and "Dot Mil Docs" audio webcasts.

"We recognize our servicemembers and organizations are blogging already, and we encourage that," said Les Benito, director of the department's public Web site. "What 'DoDLive' gives us is the top-down support that will help the department dispel any lingering doubts about blogging and security and whether organizations should or shouldn't engage. We hope the conversation expands because of it."

The emerging media directorate was established in October 2006 to educate Defense Department organizations about new media tools and applications, encourage their use throughout the department, and to communicate department messages and priorities more effectively with the public.

(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves with the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)

Wounded Warrior, Guardsman Sworn Into Key VA Position

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

May 20, 2009 - In an emotional return to Walter Reed Army Medical Center here today, Army National Guardsman Maj. L. Tammy Duckworth was sworn in as assistant secretary of veterans affairs for public and intergovernmental affairs. She pledged to continue her commitment to military veterans. "It is with excitement and humility that I begin my tenure as assistant secretary of public and intergovernmental affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs," Duckworth, fighting back tears, said to an audience of wounded warriors, close friends and hospital staff. "Serving our veterans is a tremendous responsibility that requires dedication and sacrifice, a dedication that I see daily in all of our VA employees."

President Barack Obama and VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki's vision of a "VA for the 21st Century" is a vision Duckworth is passionate about, she said. As a wounded Iraq war veteran and bilateral amputee, she knows first-hand of the sacrifices made by servicemembers and their families.

Duckworth spent nearly a year rehabilitating at Walter Reed after the Black Hawk helicopter she was piloting was shot down in Iraq in November 2004. She began a career in public service shortly thereafter -- specifically, she said, to ensure better care for military members and veterans, such as the ones who "didn't leave me behind" in the wreckage of the helicopter crash.

She's been an active voice for women servicemembers and wounded veterans. She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for Illinois' 6th district in 2006, and became director of the Illinois state VA later that year.

As assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, Duckworth is the "voice and face" of the veteran community, Shinseki said. In this position, she's the primary contact for the White House and other federal agencies regarding VA matters.

Duckworth was officially sworn into her new position on April 22, after her Senate confirmation. But because of the impact her recovery at Walter Reed had on her life, she said, she was compelled to take the oath of office again at the medical center.

"I literally owe Walter Reed, and all the staff that work here, my life," she said. "I wanted to do this here, because this is the place where I got my life back."

She said the words, "Walter Reed" made her feel safe when she was still in shock and confused after the crash. The chain of heroism, she said, started with her crew at the crash site, but couldn't have succeeded without the staff and others at Walter Reed.

"Walter Reed is present in every day of my life," she said. "Just as you did not leave me behind, I am honored to join Secretary Shinseki and the rest of the VA family to make sure we never leave a veteran behind."

Bunny Wyckoff had been on the job as a physical therapist at Walter Reed for only about six months when Duckworth first arrived for care. Wyckoff said she always knew Duckworth would make a difference for her fellow veterans in public service. "She just has a spark and desire to push beyond everything to achieve what she wants," she said.

"It gives me great pleasure to see her moving on and doing great things," Wyckoff added. "Tammy represents veterans very well. She understands what it's like, and she has great compassion."

U.S. Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois and other members of Congress attended the ceremony, and Shinseki officiated. Many of the recovering troops who attended today's ceremony, although holding cameras and obviously excited about the event, admitted to not knowing what it was about and who Duckworth is, Wyckoff said.

When asked by her patients, she said, she simply replied: "You'd better learn who Tammy Duckworth is, because she's going to be your voice."

MILITARY CONTRACTS May 20, 2009

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Lankford Sysco, Inc., Pocomoke City, Md., is being awarded a maximum $31,250,000 fixed price with economic price adjustment, prime vendor contract for total food and beverage support. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were four responses to the original proposed solicitation. The date of performance completion is May 24, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-08-D-3126).

ARMY
Dutra Dredging Co., San Rafael, Calif., was awarded on May 15, 2009 an $18,224,915 firm-fixed-price contract for Harbor Improvements Phase III, St. Paul, Alaska, St. Paul, Alaska Dredging approximately 150,000 Cubic Yard (CY) for the entrance channel, maneuvering area, mooring area, and the intertidal beach area, dredging approximately 27,000 CY for the breakwater berth dredge area (optional item), demolish an existing rubblemound breakwater, construct a 435-foot long rubblemound breakwater (attached) in the existing harbor, construct a 160-foot long rubblemound breakwater (detached) in the existing harbor, construct a 485-foot long rubblemound circulation berm in the existing harbor. Work is to be performed in St. Paul Island, Ala., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 25, 2012. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with three (3) bids received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Alaska, Contracting Division, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Ala., is the contracting activity (W911KB-09-C-0021).

Nickerson & O'Day, Inc. Brewer, Maine, was awarded on May 19, 2009 an $12,937,885 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of a regional training institute, for the Maine Army National Guard, Located in Bangor, Maine. Work is to be performed in Bangor, Maine with an estimated completion date of Jun. 19, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with eight bids received. National Guard Bureau, USPFO for Maine, August, Maine is the contracting activity (W912JD-09-C-0001).

ALCAN Builders Inc. Fairbanks, Alaska, was awarded on May 15, 2009 an $ 11,737,800 firm-fixed-price contract to construct the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Satellite Operations Facility, Fairbanks, Alaska. This project is to replace the current operations facility with a new stat of the art facility. This facility will support the NOAA polar-orbiting satellite program. Work is to be performed in Fairbanks, Alaska with an estimated completion date of Oct. 30, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with one bid received. U.S. Army Engineer District, Alaska, Elmendorf Air Force base, Alaska is the contracting activity (W911KB-09-C-0018).

Niche Inc, New Bedford, Mass., was awarded on May 15, 2009 an $11,499,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of 6,000 each low cost low velocity cargo parachutes, NSN 1670-01-547-0401. Work is to be performed in New Bedford, Mass., with an estimated completion date of Feb. 2010. Sole Source bids were solicited. Natick Contracting Division, Natick, Mass., is the contracting activity (W58P05-09-C-0022).

Raytheon Co., AMDD , Andover, Mass., was awarded on May 19, 2009 an $8,808,000 firm-fixed-price contract for three-Patriot Depot Test Equipment upgrades and new depot Test Equipment including installation and training. Work is to be performed in Andover, Mass., (50 percent), Tewksbury, Mass., (20 percent), Sudbury, Mass., (20% percent), and Burlington, Mass., (10 percent) with an estimated completion date of Jun. 08, 2015. One bid solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-09-C-0321).

NAVY
Earl Industries, LLC, Portsmouth, Va., is being awarded a $10,232,295 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-4403) for the FY09 CNO availability for maintenance and repair of USS Carter Hall (LSD-50). Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Va., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $10,232,295 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.

Organizational Strategies, Inc.*, Arlington, Va., is being awarded a $10,000,000 Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program firm fixed price contract for Topic N98-057 entitled "Advanced Training Technology Delivery System." The contractor will provide services and materials required to deliver the Training Continuum Integration (TCI) portion of the H-53 and V-22 Integrated Training Systems. This will provide the integrated training system with collaborative product acquisition, deployment, and concurrency data. Successful completion will reduce program and operational risk, as well as produce an increase in safety, crew performance and operational capabilities for both the H-53 and V-22 programs. Work will be performed in New River, N.C., (60 percent); Patuxent River, Md., (20 percent); and Atlanta, Ga., (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using SBIR Program Solicitation under Topic N98-057 with 15 offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-09-C-0120).

Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $7,298,041 firm-fixed-price delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-07-G-0008) for non-recurring engineering to retrofit 7 CV-22 aircraft with single configuration retrofit engineering change proposal V-22-0802; and provide the associated retrofit kits for 3 CV-22 aircraft. Effort will bring the 7 aircraft to a Block B/10 configuration. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pa., (60 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas, (40 percent) and is expected to be completed in Nov. 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Defense Comptroller Addresses 'Reform' Budget Proposal

By Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg
American Forces Press Service

May 20, 2009 - The recently submitted $664 billion defense budget proposal for fiscal 2010 by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates can best be characterized as a "reform budget," the Pentagon's chief financial officer said. "We sometimes use that term 'reform' loosely, but I think this time it applies," Robert Hale, the Defense Department's comptroller, said during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable May 15. "And I would say it's reform mainly because he is trying to [bring about], and I think gradually accomplishing, a reshaping of the budget to focus more on unconventional war and irregular war, while maintaining a balance of conventional capability."

Hale provided examples of programs that will balance the need to fight the wars of today with the scenarios the Defense Department most likely will face in the years ahead, while at the same time providing a hedge against other risks and contingencies.

"We've added 2,400 people to the Special Operations Command," he said. "We've increased our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, including [unmanned aerial vehicle] increases, heading for 50 combat air patrols with UAVs by fiscal year '11."

Despite much of the news coverage on the proposed Defense budget focusing on program terminations, there is a 5.6-percent increase in the weapons procurement budget between fiscal 2009 and fiscal 2010, Hale said. "This was a case where the secretary said, 'We got a lot of studies; we got a lot of information — it's time to act on some of these programs that are troubled as to cost, schedule or performance,'" he added. And although some prominent programs were cut, he said, the budget contains large increases for some, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft and the extremely high frequency satellite program.

Significant reform also will occur in how the department buys equipment and services, Hale said, including a "beefing-up of the acquisition work force, because I think it's both too small and probably needs a higher percentage of government personnel involved."

"We've planned some overall insourcing," he continued. "Although we need contractors to run this department, we also feel the pendulum has swung too far toward dependence on contractors. We're going to hire more government employees and reduce somewhat our dependence on contractors. So there's a people side to how we buy differently."

Although the department ultimately will hire more civilian employees, Hale also addressed whether possible job impacts in the defense industry were considered in the decisions on which programs to keep or cut.

"The goal of the secretary of defense is to recommend to the president the programs that we think make sense for the national security," Hale said. "I sat through I don't know how many budget debates or meetings as we led up to this budget. Not once was there a discussion of job impacts. We really don't feel that it's our job to consider job impacts. Our job is to recommend what's best for national security.

"That said," he continued, "we are mindful that we are affecting people's lives and livelihoods. And certainly we hope that for those programs that were terminated or where there's going to be reduced employment, that there are other benefits -- whether they're federal, state or nongovernment -- that come to these people's aid. And we'd want to note there are programs that are growing. I mean, we're going to increase the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program by $3.5 billion between '09 and '10. There will be a lot of new jobs there."

Hale went on to say that deciding what programs to fund, increase or stop really depends on lots of small, but very important decisions.

"Increasing funding for things like the building partnership capacity, where we're either working with the State Department or our allies to provide them 'training and equip' roles so they can join us in supporting our common goals" plays into the decision process, he said.

Since the budget details were announced May 7, Hale said, he has been spending a lot of time briefing congressional members and staffers.

"The Constitution is real clear – we propose, they dispose," Hale said. "We have made our best proposal, and while we would like it back 100 percent, I think there probably will be some changes.

"We will provide the Congress with all the information they need and continue to make the case that the 2010 budget proposal is in the best interest of our warfighters, the department and the nation," he added.

(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)

Washington Guard Works With Thai First Responders

By Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy
Special to American Forces Press Service

May 19, 2009 - The National Guard's State Partnership Program pairs up Guard members from every state with foreign countries to provide mentorship and training, largely focusing on military training. But one state has been working with its partner country to build on another aspect unique to the Guard: domestic response. Members of the Washington National Guard have worked with first responders from their partnership country, Thailand, to build on their skills in port security, fire fighting, search and rescue and command and control, said Maj. Wil Johnston, director of the Washington Guard's State Partnership Program.

"The intent is to build their capacity to respond to a potential disaster that may or may not involve hazardous materials at the port," he said. Then, he added, they can respond with fire fighting, medical response and command and control components.

Members of the Washington Guard normally visit Thailand several times a year to conduct this training, which culminates in a full-scale field training exercise. However, the goal is to sustain the training program within Thailand. That comes about by training the trainers there, said Johnston, who added that the aim is simply to be in an advisory status within two years and have the training conducted solely by Thai officials.

Already, the training that has been provided has had positive benefits. A recent event here brought out emergency response teams from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Thailand's equivalent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who brought with them skills on operating in confined spaces.

"We actually used the knowledge that we have from the training just days ago, when a building collapsed at the construction site of a new major cinema complex," Ruamporn Kerdlarbpol, a senior plans and policy officer with DDPM, said through an interpreter. "A couple of people were trapped inside the building, and we sent our emergency response teams to the scene.

"Without the knowledge that we gained from Washington National Guard helping us with the training, we wouldn't have been able to do the job properly and as easily as we did."

Thailand's emergency response teams were first formed two years ago, Kerdlarbpol said.

"We will be needing more techniques and expertise to help build the capacity of these ERTs to be much better," she said. "We are looking to get more techniques in search and rescue, so we try and build our capacity based on our cooperation with the Washington National Guard."

And while the ERTs have a similar role as the National Guard's response to a similar disaster, there are differences.

"The complexity comes, because their organizational structure doesn't necessarily mirror ours," Johnston said. "So, who works for who may not be immediately clear."

One of the ways around that complexity is to provide a system of response and command and control that is the same across the country, he said.

Much of the recent training has been with fire fighters and port officials at the port of Laem Chabang, about 100 miles south of Bangkok. It has stirred interest with other agencies within Thailand.

"The port of Bangkok is now very interested in seeing what the port of Laem Chabang is doing," Johnston said. "They can then mirror that and eventually that will grow throughout the Marine Department and then throughout all of Thailand. Then there will be standard operating procedures." Thailand's Marine department oversees both ports.

But it's not as easy as it sounds, especially when it comes to command and control.

"Obviously, the command and control piece of it is very broad," Johnston said. It involves keeping the media informed, crowd control and using the incident command system, he said. While command and control is a complex issue, training on fire fighting and search and rescue techniques, he added, "is pretty straightforward."

But it is all starting to come together.

"They're doing a great job with the fire fighting, and they're doing a good job with the port security, but it's been a long time coming," Johnston said.

(Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)

Mabus Sworn in as New Navy Secretary

Ray Mabus, former Mississippi governor and U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was sworn in today as the 75th Secretary of the Navy. Leading the Navy and Marine Corps, Secretary Mabus will be responsible for an annual budget in excess of $150 billion and almost 900,000 people.

The Secretary of the Navy is responsible for conducting all the affairs of the Department of the Navy, including recruiting, organizing, supplying, equipping, training, and mobilizing. Additionally, he oversees the construction, outfitting, and repair of naval ships, equipment and facilities, and is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies and programs that are consistent with the national security policies and objectives established by the president and the secretary of defense.

Prior to joining the administration of President Barrack Obama, Mabus served in a variety of top posts in government and the private sector. In 1988, Mabus was elected governor of Mississippi where he stressed education and job creation. In 1994, he was appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia, where during his tenure, the Kingdom officially abandoned the boycott of U.S. businesses that trade with Israel. Mabus also was chairman and chief executive officer of Foamex, a large manufacturing company, and also served as a Navy surface warfare officer aboard the cruiser USS Little Rock.

Secretary Mabus is a native of Ackerman, Miss., and received a bachelor's degree from the University of Mississippi, a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University, and a law degree from Harvard Law School.

Officials Dedicate Humanitarian Relief Corridor in Pentagon

By John Valceanu
American Forces Press Service

May 19, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates helped to dedicate a Pentagon corridor here today that recognizes the efforts of America's men and women in uniform to bring hope to people in need of help around the world. The "Humanitarian Relief Efforts at Home and Abroad" corridor has exhibits highlighting 27 major events, from the late 1940s to the present day, in which Defense Department personnel brought aid and comfort to those in need.

"The U.S. military is the greatest fighting force in the world – but there is another side to what they do," Gates said. "That side is represented in this exhibit. The suffering caused by war and natural disaster prompts a compassionate nation to respond."

The exhibit's displays include photographs from the operations, written words explaining what happened, and three-dimensional objects such as simulated mud, snow, debris, trees and containers with food and supplies.

"These vivid displays take us around the world, and back in time, to understand more about the relief operations of our military," Gates said. "Some of these missions of mercy have been carried out on foreign soil, others here in the United States. Some are legendary; many more deserve to be."

Gates mentioned the 462-day Berlin Airlift in 1948-49, in which U.S. and allied forces dropped food and supplies to a city blockaded by the Soviet Union. Many Berliners' lives may have been saved by the U.S. forces' actions, and 31 American servicemen gave their lives in the process.

Gates also spoke about the help U.S. forces provided Hungarians fleeing Soviet forces in 1956. He noted that the military has been increasingly involved in different types of humanitarian operations and has become more active in delivering humanitarian aid during disasters around the world.

"The scale and scope of these missions has widened over the decades," Gates said. "Our servicemen and women have responded to natural disasters on our own shores, from forest fires and blizzards to Hurricane Katrina, and have gone to every corner of the globe in the wake of tsunamis, earthquakes, mudslides and floods."

The secretary pointed out that military humanitarian operations are part of a broader effort that requires cooperation with other branches of government.

"In all of these missions, the military plays an important role – not necessarily in the lead, but in support of and partnership with the civilian agencies of our government," Gates said. "Today's broad range of activities requires close cooperation between civil and military institutions, whether we are talking about a hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, which has provided health care to thousands of people in Latin America and the Caribbean, or civil affairs teams in eastern Africa."

While the military's "fancy technology and lift capability" help to make humanitarian operations possible, Gates credited the men and women in uniform and "their desire to make something good and decent happen, even amid situations of chaos and destruction" for also helping to accomplish the missions.

As an example of this desire to help people, Gates pointed to Air Force Col. Gail S. Halvorsen, who earned worldwide acclaim as the "Candy Bomber" during the Berlin Airlift. While flying missions during the airlift, Halvorsen began dropping chocolate bars with tiny parachutes to Berlin's children. His actions earned him the love and gratitude of Berliners and the acclaim of people in the United States and throughout the free world.

Halvorsen was on hand to help to dedicate the corridor, and he also spoke during the ceremony. He reminisced about his experiences and how he was inspired by some German children he met at the Berlin fence in 1948 who told him, "Someday, we'll have enough to eat. But if we lose our freedom, we'll never have it back."

Feeling the need to do something extra to help Berlin's children, Halvorsen began dropping candy to them, and his deeds earned him his Candy Bomber nickname, along with others such as "Chocolate Pilot" and "Uncle Wiggly Wings."

Halvorsen spoke of a visit back to Europe in 1998, when he was approached by a man who remembered being a boy in Berlin and having one of the chocolates drop out of the clouds on a parachute. "It wasn't the chocolate that was important," the man told Halvorsen. "What was important was that someone in America knew that I was in trouble. Somebody cared. ... I can live on thin rations, but not without hope. Without hope, the soul dies."

Halvorsen said the efforts of those who took part in the Berlin airlift not only resulted in gaining the gratitude of the German people, but also helped to fulfill the U.S. forces who had an opportunity to be of service to others and put service before themselves.

"That's what this wall is; that's what this exhibit is," Halvorsen said. "It's service before self, and we see that today in our men and women serving right now."

In addition to Gates and Halvorsen, Michael L. Rhodes, acting director of administration and management in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, spoke during the ceremony.

"This is truly a special day," he said. "It's a day when we pay tribute to the men and women who have carried out the mission of the department during times of need. These men and women have displayed good will assisting civilians not only in our great nation but around the world."

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld also attended the ceremony. Rumsfeld had the initial idea for the corridor in November 2005.

Students Find Connection to Central Asia Through Book, Army Colonel

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

, May 19, 2009 - In a quest to expand their understanding of the world they live in, a group of California high school seniors turned away from their textbooks to indulge in "Three Cups of Tea" and a video conference with an Army colonel. Reading "Three Cups of Tea," which tells of author Greg Mortenson's dedication to bringing education to Afghanistan and Pakistan, was part of what officials at Olympian High School in Chula Vista, Calif., call the Senior Common Experience. Every senior read the book in English class and discussed it in other classes.

"Reading the book for the Olympian Senior Common Experience was designed to help develop a spirit of giving and a greater sense of global awareness among our seniors," said Steve Rodriguez, one of the school's English teachers. "The senior class has tackled the project with great enthusiasm throughout the year."

One part of the project was an ongoing effort to raise $12,000, the amount needed for Mortenson's Central Asia Institute to build a school in Afghanistan. The students raised $3,000 toward that goal.

The check will be presented and students will get to show off other book-related special projects they've been working on all year when the project culminates tomorrow night with the Senior Showcase. Before making their presentations, however, there was one final opportunity yesterday to gather as much first-hand knowledge as possible in a video conference with Army Col. Christopher Kolenda.

Kolenda was a task force commander in Afghanistan from May 2007 through July 2008. He read the book on his wife's suggestion. Kolenda said he'd seen much of what Mortenson details in the book firsthand. He was so impressed that he contacted the Central Asia Institute, never expecting to hear back, he told the students during the video conference.

"A couple weeks later, I got a note back from Greg Mortenson," Kolenda said. "We began a dialogue which resulted in two schools being constructed while I was there, and then he's got two more schools going into that area right now."

That area is the difficult terrain of the Kush Mountains, a rural part of Afghanistan, about 150 miles north of Jalalabad near the Pakistan border.

"There were no paved roads, no cell phones, no flush toilets, no running water, no telephones, no television, very little electricity and no health care system," he told the students. "Things that we take for granted in terms of school buildings with great libraries and computers and teachers, they just didn't have that."

More than 90 percent of the schools in the area of about 190,000 people were open-air schools, which meant they had class outside, underneath a tree, in the open air or underneath a tarp, he added.

The situation was compounded by a lack of school supplies. Teachers were writing on a single chalkboard propped against a tree or even in the dirt, he said.

But this also gave Kolenda and his soldiers a means to reach out and build bridges. The children wanted to go to school, and the village elders wanted to rebuild their communities.

"We recognize that [with] the past 30 years of warfare, education has really suffered in Afghanistan," he said. "It's part of the reason why you have radicalism, why you have insurgency in that area.

"I'm convinced that an educated society tends to be more peaceful," Kolenda added. "Educated young men tend not to resort to violence to solve problems. Communities that educate their women tend to have lower infant mortality [and] tend to be more peaceful societies."

To work toward that goal, Kolenda first reached out to the elders in the village of Saw. In the summer of 2007, it had been a hostile village where attacks against coalition forces were originating.

"The Afghan army went to the village of Saw and met with the elders and they came back and told me how the elders really wanted schools [and] really wanted an education for their children," he said.

On the next visit to the village, the Afghan army rolled in with truckloads of school supplies. The elders then presented Kolenda with 100 thank you notes from the children for the supplies. They also reiterated how important educating their children was and that they lacked a school, he said. So when Mortenson asked Kolenda for possible locations to build a school, Kolenda had no trouble answering the question.

One of the neat things about Mortenson's schools is that the local people are in charge, he added.

Too often, he explained, aid organizations will plop down a structure using outside labor and without really coordinating with the local people. "In a place like Afghanistan," he said, "where being able to protect your village and having control of your village [is important], a lot of [people] will resent that outside effort at development.

"The Afghans have a saying: 'If you sweat for it, you will protect it,'" he added.

When local residents make it their project, the villages feel a great sense of ownership, he said. And in every village where Mortenson has built a school, he added, violence has decreased, because development of the villages beginning with the schools creates a new sense of hope.

Before, the elders had lost credibility because they couldn't bring jobs, money and services to their villages. The radicals, however, could bring in money. But they also brought violence.

"By working together with the elders and bringing development and jobs and benefits to the village, the elders began to [regain] credibility in the eyes of their people," Kolenda said. "A young man could now be presented with a choice: you can make money by building your community, or you can make money by destroying it."

More often than not, they chose the first option, he added. These gains then allowed Kolenda and his team to work with the elders on security and governance issues.

What Kolenda's team and Mortenson helped the villagers achieve by reaching out and helping them build schools was hope for a brighter future.

"Education is one of those key things ... that brings a community together where the elders can pass a brighter future to their children and grandchildren," Kolenda said.

Rodriguez said he is proud of his advanced-placement English students who kept Kolenda hopping with an hour's worth of meticulous questions.

"I thought my students did a great job this past week using their intellectual curiosity and analysis skills to develop questions for the video conference," he said. "And I thought they demonstrated poise during the actual video conference."

Joint Chiefs Chairman Lists Top Priorities

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

May 19, 2009 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff identified increasing Middle East security, revitalizing U.S. forces and focusing on global challenges as his top priorities in remarks at the Brookings Institution here yesterday. Detailing his priority list, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen defined the broader Middle East as stretching from Lebanon to Iran and even including parts of South Asia.

Mullen cited the Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy President Barack Obama's administration unveiled in March as an example of the regional approach that's needed. "Certainly, our president and the new administration has put together a comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said. "And I felt this was vital -- to focus on the region, not just focus on one country or the other but, in fact, have a comprehensive strategy for the entire region."

The military contribution to security is necessary, Mullen said, but not sufficient. He emphasized the need for increased presence of nonmilitary U.S. agencies, and he called for better resourcing of the State Department and the rest of the American government, which he characterized as increasingly "expeditionary."

"I think it's an absolute priority that we resource our State Department and other agencies to do this, not just for the near term -- and we clearly need those resources in Afghanistan -- but also for the long term," he said.

The chairman said that in Iraq – where roughly 140,000 U.S. troops are deployed – the situation is "fragile" as forces began to draw down in accordance with agreements between Washington and Baghdad.

"And at the same time, we see the strategic growth of required forces in Afghanistan and, again, a focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said. Mullen added that like Iraq, security in Afghanistan will depend on its own national security forces gaining momentum and responsibility.

"So [there is a] heavy focus, obviously, in my life and with my staff, in engagement on the broader Middle East. But a lot of what's going on there also applies to other parts of the world," he said.

Another of Mullen's priorities – focusing on the health of U.S. forces – also occupies much of his time, he said.

"There's a resilience in that force, a skip in their step, a capability that is truly extraordinary in its evolution, and really revolution, to become what I believe is the best counterinsurgency force in the world, and in doing so has set a standard about how quickly we can change, given the strategy is put in the right place," he said.

But despite their counterinsurgency progress in Iraq, he said, the U.S. military is under the strain of multiple deployments and combat stress. He said both the Army and Marine Corps are at their newly increased end strength, but that it will take some time before new troops are trained and can relieve current forces.

"Over the next 18 to 24 months, that stress is going to continue," he said. "And then after that, I can start to see a time where dwell time [at home stations between deployments] will increase, and we can start to bring the pressure down, based on what I understand right now."

The chairman also stressed the need to take care of injured troops – including those suffering from traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress -- and their families, and to care for the spouses and children of those killed.

"And when I say, 'take care of them,' I really mean take care of them for the rest of their lives," he said. "These are young people who have gone out, done what our country has asked them to do, and they should be well taken care of, not just by the Department of Defense or [Veterans Affairs], but by America -- communities throughout the land, reaching out to these young people, whose dreams haven't changed.

"They want their kids to go to school. They'd like to go to school. And they'd like to own a piece of the rock," he continued. "It's just the path has been altered. And as far as I'm concerned, we owe them that debt."

Mullen said the Defense Department budget should reflect its care for the people who commit to military service.

"We're going through a big debate right now about systems, major acquisition programs, what we should buy for the future," he said. "What we should buy for the future is to make sure we get it right for our people. That's health care, that's housing, that's benefits, that's the compensation package, that's bonuses -- all those kinds of things."

Mullen said his other priority is to make sure the United States is adequately engaged in parts of the world that don't fall under the U.S. Central Command, where American forces are engaged in both Iraq in Afghanistan.

"It's not a small globe," he said. "There are challenges that exist throughout the world, and [I'm] making sure right now, with so many of my forces focused in the Central Command area, that I have enough forces that are engaged in other parts of the world."

The chairman underscored how interwoven the world is – as evidenced by the global financial crisis – and said countries are "very dependent on each other."

"Stability is a key for the future in that regard," he said. "And along those lines, that stability -- again, not unlike Iraq and not unlike Afghanistan -- that stability is going to be a necessary condition, but not sufficient, because we need education development, we need economic development, we need good governance. Those are also key to progress, not [only] in the current conflicts, but progress in the future as well."

America Needs Service, Petraeus Tells VMI Grads

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

May 19, 2009 - The commander of U.S. Central Command told graduates of the Virginia Military Institute during their commencement ceremony yesterday that America needs their service. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus told the 249 graduates to recall the wisdom of President Theodore Roosevelt, who said that "far and away, the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."

A total of 131 graduates in the class were commissioned into the various services. Many, undoubtedly, will serve in U.S. Central Command. Petraeus spoke before more than 5,000 "keydets" and family members at Cameron Hall on campus.

"In choosing to attend VMI, you have demonstrated a clear understanding of the concept of work that is worth doing," the general said. "Such work is ... characterized by commitment to something larger than self, to a greater good, to the service of others."

This has been the hallmark of graduates since the school's founding in 1839. "I would submit that now more than ever, our nation and our world need leaders like those developed here — disciplined, intelligent, innovative and courageous leaders who are committed to service," he said. "Whether in the deserts of Iraq or the mountains of Afghanistan, in the commercial sector or in the domestic political arena, there is much work worth doing."

Petraeus said the graduates will face frustrations as they move to new fields. "To the new lieutenants in this graduating class: you've chosen a unique and wonderful profession, but one in which, again, few tasks are ever simple," he said. "The frustration of many of the situations with which leaders deal in combat is real and constant.

"For those who will serve in other ways, the challenges will be no less real," he added, "even though they may be found not on a battlefield, but in a boardroom or a lab, a town hall meeting or a classroom."

No matter where the graduates go, the general said, the values they have learned at VMI will "prompt you to be relentless and determined in the pursuit of worthwhile work."

Season Approaches for Severe Weather Awareness

By Army Spc. John Crosby
Special to American Forces Press Service

May 19, 2009 - As tornado season approaches it is time to be more aware of the possible dangers these violent storms can pose. More than 3,500 people were on this installation in Edinburgh, Ind., when a tornado struck the camp in June. National Weather Service officials said wind gusts reached upward of 135 miles an hour. The damage extended to military and civilian vehicles, power and gas lines, fences and more than 50 buildings.

The tornado caused about $50 million in damage, including the cost of repairs and construction.

The damage from tornadoes comes from the strong winds they contain. It is generally believed that the most violent tornadoes can produce wind speeds of up to 300 mph, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Wind speeds that high can cause automobiles to become airborne, rip ordinary homes to shreds and turn broken glass and other debris into lethal missiles.

Despite all of the damage and devastation here, the tornado caused no injuries. This success can be directly credited to the Camp Atterbury command and the 205th Infantry Brigade, officials said.

Army Col. Barry Richmond and Army Col. Christopher M. Holden -- the post and 205th Infantry Brigade commanders, respectively, when the tornado struck -- spent hours before the storm preparing for the worst by adjusting training and moving servicemembers to safe areas, according to a news article written after the tornado by Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark Bell, a public affairs soldier here.

"We mitigated the effects of the thunderstorm by finishing up our outside transportation training early," Holden said. "We got [servicemembers] in hardstand buildings prior to the storms due to the installation's severe storm warnings, which were truly the primary reason we were able to successfully prevent any injuries."

Severe weather advisories come in two categories: watches and warnings. A tornado watch means that conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form. A tornado warning means that one has been spotted or computers have indicated rotation in the storm.

Beyond warnings issued via radio, television and disaster sirens, there are several things to look for. Be prepared to take shelter immediately. Be aware of dark, often greenish sky and large hail or a large, dark, low-lying cloud, especially if there is rotation accompanied by a loud roar, similar to a freight train.

In a structured building such as a brick-walled barracks, a hospital, a school or a shopping center, go to a pre-designated shelter area such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar or the lowest building level if a tornado approaches. If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior hallway or closet or a room on the lowest level away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside.

If there is no hallway or closet, get under a sturdy table and use your arms to protect your head and neck. Do not open windows.

If you are in a vehicle, trailer or mobile home, get out immediately and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or a storm shelter. Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes. If there are no nearby structures that will provide good cover from flying debris, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands.

Be aware of the potential for flooding. Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location. Never try to outrun a tornado in urban or congested areas in a car or truck. Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter and watch out for flying debris.

In the event of a tornado, said Army Maj. Kenneth Knight, installation safety and occupational health director here, commanders and soldiers should think about accountability and moving to a safer location, but only after a safe amount of time, which is about 30 to 45 minutes after a storm.

"Accountability needs to be aggressive," he said. "All ... leaders must have the whereabouts of each individual soldier and report up their proper chains."

Though last year's storm reinforced safety measure, Knight said, "there are always things we can improve on."

"Everybody is more aware now," he said. "The more knowledge we have, the more appropriate action can be taken to prevent loss of life while training here so units can deploy with maximum fighting capacity downrange."

(Army Spc. John Crosby serves in the 205th Infantry Brigade public affairs office.)

Rolling Thunder Plans 'Saluting Our Troops' Program

American Forces Press Service

May 18, 2009 - Mike Corrado, the Marine recording artist whose 2005 hit song "On My Watch Tonight" was featured on ABC's "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" and has become an anthem for servicemembers worldwide, is one of the headliners in Rolling Thunder's "Saluting the Troops" program in Washington, D.C., May 23. Vietnam Memorial Founder and veterans' activist Jan Scruggs also will be a featured speaker at the event, which will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at the reflecting pool at the base of the Lincoln Memorial.

In addition to Corrado, musical guests include national recording artist Spike Ivory and U.S. Army veteran and country music singer and songwriter Ted Painter.

The keynote speaker for this year's program is Patrick Campbell, the chief legislative counsel for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Campbell also is a sergeant and combat medic in the District of Columbia National Guard who served in Iraq with the 256th Infantry Brigade. Campbell's blog has been noted by the MSNBC television network, and he has made many network media appearances. He also has testified before the Senate and House veterans affairs committees on mental health, education benefits and appropriation issues.

Incorporated in 1995, Rolling Thunder is a nonprofit organization with more than 90 chartered chapters throughout the United States. Officials said 40 to 45 percent of the men and women in the group are nonveterans, with the balance being veterans from all wars and peacetime. Although many of its members ride motorcycles, they added, owning or riding a motorcycle is not a condition for membership; all that's necessary is having the time and willingness to be an advocate for troops, veterans, and the nation's prisoners of war and servicemembers missing in action.

(From a Rolling Thunder news release.)

Army Air Defense Unit to Activate at Fort Sill

The Department of the Army announced today the planned activation of the 4th Batallion, 3rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment (Patriot) at Fort Sill, Okla. This stationing action represents an increase of 603 military authorizations at Fort Sill and no change in civilian authorizations. This stationing action will be completed by Oct. 17, 2010.

4th Batallion, 3rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment provides high to medium altitude air defense of ground combat forces and high value assets against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles /unmanned combat aerial vehicles, and rotary and fixed wing aircraft. This stationing action is in support of the integrated force structure changes resulting from the President's Grow the Army initiative.

This stationing action is part of integrated force structure changes that support the Army's transformation requirements. This initiative supports and provides Combatant Commanders with forces at a higher level of readiness.

For more information on this unit activation contact Lt. Col. Lee M. Packnett, (703) 614-2487 or Maj. Jimmie Cummings, (703) 697-3491, Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Army.