Army and civilian personnel who were wounded or killed in the shooting attack on Fort Hood would be granted the same legal status as combatant casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, if bipartisan legislation introduced today by U.S. Representative John Carter (R-TX31) passes into law. Carter was joined by U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX10) for a news conference unveiling the bill in the House Radio-TV Gallery in the U.S. Capitol this afternoon. Watch the news conference here.
“Our Fort Hood casualties should receive the same benefits and recognition as other combat casualties,” says Carter, who represents the Fort Hood area in the House, “as this was a planned terror attack on U.S. military personnel. It should make no difference in our care for the wounded and the families of the slain whether it occurred on an Army base in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Texas.”
While many military and survivor benefits are the same regardless of the status of the casualty, combatant status allows military personnel to receive the Purple Heart, and civilians to receive the equivalent award, the Secretary of Defense Medal of Freedom. Combatant status would also guarantee that the beneficiaries of all military personnel who lost their lives in the attack would receive the maximum life insurance available, extended family housing privileges, and other benefits.
“This bill is not about investigations or assigning blame,” says Carter. “It is about taking care of our troops and their families first. That’s why we have such strong support from both sides of the aisle, and why we hope and expect this to move quickly.”
Over 30 House Members nearly evenly split between parties joined Carter as original co-sponsors on the legislation. Carter is Co-chairman of the House Army Caucus for the 111th Congress, and is Secretary of the House Republican Conference.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Obama Offers Tough Talk on North Korea, Iran
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 17, 2009 - President Barack Obama today emphasized the importance of keeping international efforts focused on nuclear weapons programs in North Korea and Iran. In a joint news conference in Beijing with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Obama said both leaders agreed on the need for the six-party dialogue involving the United States, China, Japan, Russia and both Koreas to resume as soon as possible. He also warned of potential "consequences" if Iran fails to demonstrate its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.
"North Korea has a choice: It can continue down the path of confrontation and provocation that has led to less security, less prosperity, and more isolation from the global community," Obama said, "or it can choose to become a full member of the international community, which will give a better life to its people by living up to international obligations and foregoing nuclear weapons."
North Korea backed out of talks last spring after receiving widespread international condemnation for conducting a missile launch in April, which it followed with a second nuclear test.
Obama expressed appreciation to China, considered one of North Korea's main allies, for supporting nuclear nonproliferation efforts aimed at Pyongyang.
"I told [Hu] how appreciative I am of China's support for the global nonproliferation regime as well as the verifiable elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons program," Obama told reporters following a meeting with his Chinese counterpart at the Great Hall.
Speaking about the nuclear program in Iran, Obama said he and Hu agreed that the government in Tehran must provide assurances to the international community that its nuclear program is peaceful and transparent.
"On this point, our two nations and the rest of our P5-plus-1 partners are unified," Obama said, referring to the five permanent U.N. Security Council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany.
The International Atomic Energy Agency this week demanded Iran provide more information about the purpose of a previously secret nuclear site and indicated Tehran could be hiding other facilities, according to reports.
"Iran has an opportunity to present and demonstrate its peaceful intentions," Obama said. "But if it fails to take this opportunity, there will be consequences."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 17, 2009 - President Barack Obama today emphasized the importance of keeping international efforts focused on nuclear weapons programs in North Korea and Iran. In a joint news conference in Beijing with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Obama said both leaders agreed on the need for the six-party dialogue involving the United States, China, Japan, Russia and both Koreas to resume as soon as possible. He also warned of potential "consequences" if Iran fails to demonstrate its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.
"North Korea has a choice: It can continue down the path of confrontation and provocation that has led to less security, less prosperity, and more isolation from the global community," Obama said, "or it can choose to become a full member of the international community, which will give a better life to its people by living up to international obligations and foregoing nuclear weapons."
North Korea backed out of talks last spring after receiving widespread international condemnation for conducting a missile launch in April, which it followed with a second nuclear test.
Obama expressed appreciation to China, considered one of North Korea's main allies, for supporting nuclear nonproliferation efforts aimed at Pyongyang.
"I told [Hu] how appreciative I am of China's support for the global nonproliferation regime as well as the verifiable elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons program," Obama told reporters following a meeting with his Chinese counterpart at the Great Hall.
Speaking about the nuclear program in Iran, Obama said he and Hu agreed that the government in Tehran must provide assurances to the international community that its nuclear program is peaceful and transparent.
"On this point, our two nations and the rest of our P5-plus-1 partners are unified," Obama said, referring to the five permanent U.N. Security Council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany.
The International Atomic Energy Agency this week demanded Iran provide more information about the purpose of a previously secret nuclear site and indicated Tehran could be hiding other facilities, according to reports.
"Iran has an opportunity to present and demonstrate its peaceful intentions," Obama said. "But if it fails to take this opportunity, there will be consequences."
Air Force Warfare Center Improves Warfighter Support
By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service
Nev., Nov. 17, 2009 - At the Air Force Warfare Center here, lessons learned supporting ground troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are being shared with the aviation community and incorporated into the training as quickly as they're developed. Meanwhile, the center's operational arm, the 57th Wing, is helping to train warfighters to take maximum advantage of air assets available to support them, as well as airmen who operate directly with them in the combat theater.
"When you look around the warfare center, it is hard to think of what really isn't connected to today's fight in some shape or form," said Air Force Maj. Gen. Stanley "Ted" Kresge, Air Force Warfare Center commander. "The entire institution is responding to what is going on, and how it can better support the troops on the ground."
The 561st Joint Tactics Squadron is the most forward edge of that effort. Its members regularly deploy into the combat theater to identify emerging tactics, techniques and procedures, as well as gaps in warfighter support.
"We form teams of experts across mission areas and travel to Iraq and Afghanistan to interview people at war, sit down and have discussions about what's working, what's not working, what's going on, and [asking], 'What have you learned since you have been here?'" Kresge said. "They're not only trying to find out what is working, but also what is not working, then to close the book and do something about it with a feedback cycle."
The teams report their findings back to the schoolhouse to incorporate into its programs, which provide the world's most advanced training in weapons and tactics employment to combat air forces officers.
The warfare center shares these lessons with the Air Force aviation community, as well as Army and Marine Corps leaders, during regular joint forums. But another popular venue, the Web-based "Community of Practice," reaches out to a broader population with a real-time tactics exchange. The forum is by far the most-viewed network on the Air Force Knowledge Now portal.
"Folks can get on there and prepare their training plan before they go to the [combat theater]," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Russell J. Handy, the 57th Wing commander. "It gives them the opportunity to learn first-hand what is going on over there, and what they need to train for differently."
Meanwhile, as the warfare center's operations arm, the 57th Wing supports this effort through tactics development geared to the evolving threat.
For example, the wing helped to identify the best ways for the F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft, designed as a long-range interdiction platform, to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and close-air support missions in the current fight.
Also, training on the massive Nevada Test and Training Range here, it tested tactics used to provide reconnaissance and close-air support in conditions found in the combat zone. The wing came up with techniques for tracking high-value targets riding in fast-moving vehicles, "skipping" bombs deep inside tunnels serving as insurgent hiding grounds, and increasing the precision of strikes in busy urban centers without causing collateral damage.
Currently, the wing is focused heavily on taking better advantage of digital tools such as the remote operated video enhanced receiver, or ROVER, to improve coordination between ground troops and Air Force support elements, Handy said.
"What we found over the years is that there is a lot more efficient and better way to pass information than just jumping on the radio and talking to each other," he said.
Far better, he explained, is enabling front-line forces to receive streaming video directly from both manned and remotely piloted aircraft. Digitally aided close-air support tools provide the same operational picture to ground commanders, the on-the-ground joint terminal attack controller and aircraft pilot, he explained.
"Every time you hear better or different ways of doing things, we're on top of it," Handy said. "It's all about how to most quickly and efficiently support those troops on the ground."
As the 57th Wing advances new tactics, techniques and procedures, the Air Force Warfare Center works to get them out to the Air Force community as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, the wing also helps to train ground troops to take maximum advantage of air support available to them.
It provides air support for ground forces about to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq during their mission rehearsal exercises at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., and the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La.
A detachment based at the Army Fires Center at Fort Sill, Okla., trains joint fires officers operating at the platoon level to coordinate close-air support, when needed.
In addition, the wing provides advanced training for airmen who working directly with ground troops in the combat theater, with an increasing focus on training more joint terminal attack controllers who typically work at the corps level to coordinate close-air support.
"We are rapidly expanding that program to meet the demands in the area of responsibility, and looking for better and more efficient ways to train," Handy said.
Ultimately, he said, the mission comes down to increasing the Air Force's effectiveness in supporting ground troops in harm's way. "It's all about being able to find out that there is someone in trouble on the ground, and as quickly and efficiently as possible, help that soldier on the ground," he said.
The joint effort – ground forces supported by air assets – brings a capability exponentially larger than what either ground or air forces could provide alone, he said. "I've never seen the joint relationship any stronger," he added.
Army Leaders Struggle With Soldier Suicide Rate
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 17, 2009 - The rate of soldier suicides continues to concern Army leadership, with 211 active-duty and reserve-component suicides confirmed this year, the Army's No. 2 officer told Pentagon reporters today. "Simply stated, it is not a single problem with a defined set of symptoms or markers," said Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff. "There are no easy answers or solutions. We still haven't found any statistically significant causal linkage that would allow us to effectively predict human behavior."
As of yesterday, 140 active-duty soldiers and 71 reserve-component troops had taken their own lives this year. The Army reported 140 active-duty suicides for all of 2008, a record high since 1980, when the Army first began tracking suicide statistics.
Although 2009 likely will be another record high for suicides in the Army, Chiarelli said, a variety of actions and studies have made progress. The general noted the recently launched Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, the Suicide Prevention Task Force and the Army's five-year research partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health. But leadership intervention is the biggest factor in prevention, he said.
Almost one-third of the Army's suicides this year occurred in January and February. The trend for most months since then has been significantly lower because of the Army's initiatives to raise awareness, identify undiagnosed mental illnesses and remove the stigma of psychological issues, Chiarelli said.
"We're making progress," the general said. "The general trend line, with the exception of a couple of months, has been down. If you were to ask me the single reason why I think we're starting to make progress, it's leader involvement across the entire force."
The reality, Chiarelli noted, is that each incident is as unique as the individual. While the Army's initial cause for concern was in the stresses brought on by frequent deployments, he said, about one-third of suicides have been by soldiers who never deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Soldier suicides increased this year at Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, but were down at other frequently deployed Army posts such as Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Bragg, N.C.; and Fort Drum, N.Y., the general said.
Army officials are having difficulty pinpointing specific contributing reasons for suicide, he acknowledged, but have gained a better understanding of traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress as factors, he said.
"Fortunately, we've come to a better understanding of some of the specific symptoms that may indicate high-risk individuals," he said. "We continue to focus on the related areas of undiagnosed mild TBI, PTSD and mental illnesses, risky behavior and other stressors."
The Army continues to study the individual cases and learn more about prevention methods through its civilian partnerships and internal programs. Data from the Suicide Prevention Task Force, the National Institute of Mental Health and the execution of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness "looks very promising," Chiarelli said.
"We're continuing to conduct a holistic program review on all programs related to health promotion, risk reduction and suicide prevention," he said. "We're examining our legacy programs to ensure they are coordinated, streamlined, properly resourced and appropriate for today's soldiers, Army civilians and family members."
Comprehensive Soldier Fitness is "the biggest step" the Army has taken to enhance mental wellness through prevention rather than treatment, he added.
"It's an investment in the readiness of our force that gives the same emphasis to psychological, emotional and mental strength that we have previously given to physical fitness," he said.
Army Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum, chief of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, said that although the Army historically has focused primarily on physical fitness and technical proficiency of soldiers in their job-related field, psychological fitness is essential in today's era of persistent conflict.
Through Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, she said, Army leadership and individual soldiers can assess and build on their decision-making abilities, coping skills and communication skills. Eventually, more mentally fit soldiers will be able to pass their knowledge on to less-fit soldiers, just as soldiers always have done with physical fitness, she said.
"Those things together, if you improve on them, are increasing resilience and psychological fitness," Cornum said. "And happily, these are things that can be taught. We need to give everybody an education so that we bring everybody up to a higher level than they came.
"Just like physical fitness," she added, "we need to bring [soldiers] up to their psychological potential. And if people are already good at those things, we then teach them how to be an example."
Chiarelli and Army leadership have their first of what will be annual briefings from the National Institute of Mental Health in early December. For the past year, the Army has been providing the institute with information and data on its suicide cases.
The institute's recommendations will be implemented in the Army's current programs and initiatives, he said, adding that such briefings will be constant for at least the next five years.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 17, 2009 - The rate of soldier suicides continues to concern Army leadership, with 211 active-duty and reserve-component suicides confirmed this year, the Army's No. 2 officer told Pentagon reporters today. "Simply stated, it is not a single problem with a defined set of symptoms or markers," said Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff. "There are no easy answers or solutions. We still haven't found any statistically significant causal linkage that would allow us to effectively predict human behavior."
As of yesterday, 140 active-duty soldiers and 71 reserve-component troops had taken their own lives this year. The Army reported 140 active-duty suicides for all of 2008, a record high since 1980, when the Army first began tracking suicide statistics.
Although 2009 likely will be another record high for suicides in the Army, Chiarelli said, a variety of actions and studies have made progress. The general noted the recently launched Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, the Suicide Prevention Task Force and the Army's five-year research partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health. But leadership intervention is the biggest factor in prevention, he said.
Almost one-third of the Army's suicides this year occurred in January and February. The trend for most months since then has been significantly lower because of the Army's initiatives to raise awareness, identify undiagnosed mental illnesses and remove the stigma of psychological issues, Chiarelli said.
"We're making progress," the general said. "The general trend line, with the exception of a couple of months, has been down. If you were to ask me the single reason why I think we're starting to make progress, it's leader involvement across the entire force."
The reality, Chiarelli noted, is that each incident is as unique as the individual. While the Army's initial cause for concern was in the stresses brought on by frequent deployments, he said, about one-third of suicides have been by soldiers who never deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Soldier suicides increased this year at Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, but were down at other frequently deployed Army posts such as Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Bragg, N.C.; and Fort Drum, N.Y., the general said.
Army officials are having difficulty pinpointing specific contributing reasons for suicide, he acknowledged, but have gained a better understanding of traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress as factors, he said.
"Fortunately, we've come to a better understanding of some of the specific symptoms that may indicate high-risk individuals," he said. "We continue to focus on the related areas of undiagnosed mild TBI, PTSD and mental illnesses, risky behavior and other stressors."
The Army continues to study the individual cases and learn more about prevention methods through its civilian partnerships and internal programs. Data from the Suicide Prevention Task Force, the National Institute of Mental Health and the execution of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness "looks very promising," Chiarelli said.
"We're continuing to conduct a holistic program review on all programs related to health promotion, risk reduction and suicide prevention," he said. "We're examining our legacy programs to ensure they are coordinated, streamlined, properly resourced and appropriate for today's soldiers, Army civilians and family members."
Comprehensive Soldier Fitness is "the biggest step" the Army has taken to enhance mental wellness through prevention rather than treatment, he added.
"It's an investment in the readiness of our force that gives the same emphasis to psychological, emotional and mental strength that we have previously given to physical fitness," he said.
Army Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum, chief of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, said that although the Army historically has focused primarily on physical fitness and technical proficiency of soldiers in their job-related field, psychological fitness is essential in today's era of persistent conflict.
Through Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, she said, Army leadership and individual soldiers can assess and build on their decision-making abilities, coping skills and communication skills. Eventually, more mentally fit soldiers will be able to pass their knowledge on to less-fit soldiers, just as soldiers always have done with physical fitness, she said.
"Those things together, if you improve on them, are increasing resilience and psychological fitness," Cornum said. "And happily, these are things that can be taught. We need to give everybody an education so that we bring everybody up to a higher level than they came.
"Just like physical fitness," she added, "we need to bring [soldiers] up to their psychological potential. And if people are already good at those things, we then teach them how to be an example."
Chiarelli and Army leadership have their first of what will be annual briefings from the National Institute of Mental Health in early December. For the past year, the Army has been providing the institute with information and data on its suicide cases.
The institute's recommendations will be implemented in the Army's current programs and initiatives, he said, adding that such briefings will be constant for at least the next five years.
Commander Returns to Vietnam
By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew R. WhiteSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 17, 2009 - Nearly 35 years ago, Navy Cmdr. H.B. Le left Vietnam aboard a fishing trawler. He returned at the helm of a U.S. Navy warship when the guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen arrived here Nov. 7 for a scheduled port visit. "My crew and I are proud to be able to represent our country to the people of Vietnam," said Le, Lassen's commanding officer. "This visit is a symbol of the friendship between our two nations, and we are deeply honored to be a part of it. I'm very humbled by the amazing opportunity to get to Vietnam after more than 34 years. I feel so fortunate to bring Lassen and my crew to Vietnam."
Le's story of escape followed by prosperity in the United States reads like a Hollywood script.
"My father was a commander in the South Vietnamese Navy and was serving as the deputy commanding officer of Nha Be Naval Support Base when we left Vietnam," he said. "The evening of the 29th of April, 1975, his commanding officer left the country with his family without telling my dad, and when his officers told him about that, he assumed command.
"The next day, only after realizing Saigon had fallen, did my dad tell his remaining men to go home to their families and to make sure to take care of them," he continued. "My dad navigated a fishing trawler with 400 passengers out to sea, where we were picked up by USS Barbour County on May 2, 1975."
Leaving Vietnam had a profound impact on his family, Le said. "My parents had to start all over again with no money in their pockets. Thanks to some truly generous and wonderful Americans who sponsored us, my dad was able to forge a new beginning," he said.
The Le family settled in Virginia. As his father had many years before him, Le heard the call of the seas as he grew older. He became a U.S. citizen in 1985, and graduated with merit from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1992 and received his commission a U.S. Navy officer.
"Growing up, my father never pushed me to join the Navy or anything like that," Le said. "He said, 'Do what you want to do, but whatever you do, do your best at it.' So when I did decide to go to the Naval Academy, he was proud of me for that."
The crew Le leads is one of few in the Navy who have had the opportunity to visit the Asia-Pacific nation since the end of hostilities in 1975.
"I never thought I'd have a chance to visit Vietnam," said Navy Seaman Michael McLean, a logistics specialist from Gahanna, Ohio. "All that history that happened in Vietnam, and now I get to see it first-hand," he said.
The port visit gives McLean and his fellow sailors the opportunity to interact with the people of Da Nang and experience their customs and culture, and to compete in soccer and basketball games against students from the University of Da Nang. But the visit is not just about fun and games; Lassen's crew will take part in two community service projects in the Da Nang area.
Le assumed command of Lassen and its crew of nearly 300 in April. The ship is one of seven destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15, forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, as part of the U.S. 7th Fleet.
(Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew R. White serves with Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, Detachment Japan.)
Official Calls Military Child Care 'Model for Nation'
By Samantha L. QuigleyAmerican Forces Press Service
Nov. 17, 2009 - The Military Child Care Act of 1989 has made the military child care system the one to emulate. "We have come a long way," said Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, during the opening remarks of the department's annual child development conference. "The Department of Defense Child Development System is ... a model for this nation."
Thomas' statement echoes what President Bill Clinton said about the military's child development programs in 1997.
In the 20 years since enactment of the Military Child Care Act, military child care has undergone enormous change. Those changes have led to recognition by a number of organizations, including the National Association of Regulatory Administration and the National Women's Law Center for the department's commitment to high-quality, accessible, affordable child care.
Nancy Duff Campbell, co-president of the National Women's Law Center, lauded the military's approach to improving its system. The Military Child Care Act was particularly important, she said, because it applied a systemic approach to improving the quality, affordability, and availability of child care for all servicemembers, regardless of rank or income.
"The military child care system has been faithful in adhering to these goals in operations and furthering them in a systemic way," she said.
By contrast, she said, the private-sector child care industry is a patchwork of legislative initiatives resulting in an incomprehensive approach to addressing the challenges of providing affordable child care to the civilian population.
Speakers at the Defense Department conference agreed that accreditation, inspection and training are necessary for a successful child-care program. In fact, 97 percent of the more than 300 military child development centers serving more than 200,000 children are accredited through the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Army suicides to top 2008, but progress reported
By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – Soldier suicides this year are almost sure to top last year's grim totals, but a recent decline in the pace of such incidents could mean the Army is starting to make progress in stemming them, officials said Tuesday.
Army Vice Chief of Staff General Peter Chiarelli said that as of Monday, 140 active duty soldiers were believed to have died of self-inflicted wounds so far in 2009. That's the same as were confirmed for all of 2008.
"We are almost certainly going to end the year higher than last year ... this is horrible, and I do not want to downplay the significance of these numbers in any way," he said.
But Chiarelli said there has been a tapering off in recent months from large surges in suspected suicides in January and February.
"Our goal since the beginning has been to reduce the overall incidence of suicide and I do believe we are finally beginning to see progress being made," Chiarelli told a Pentagon press conference.
He attributed those hints of a turning to some unprecedented efforts the Army has made since February to educate soldiers and leaders about the issue.
Officials are still stumped about what is driving the historically high rates across the military force. When asked whether the rates reflect unprecedented high stress from long and repeated deployments to provide manpower for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Chiarelli said he didn't know.
"The reality is there is no simple answer," he said. "Each suicide is as unique as the individuals themselves."
Chiarelli said that on top of the 140 suicides reported from the active duty force, there were another 71 suicides by troops in the National Guard and Reserve.
All of the numbers are preliminary in that investigations into some of the deaths are still ongoing. Of the 140 so far this year among active duty troops, 90 have been confirmed as suicides and 50 are suspected but the probes are not yet finished.
Each year, nearly all suspected suicides are eventually confirmed. For instance in 2008, there were 143 suspected and 140 were eventually confirmed.
Chiarelli said officials will continue to focus on things that are symptoms of high-risk individuals such as undiagnosed brain injuries like concussions; on Post-Traumatic Stress, and on risky behavior such as poor diet and sleep habits as well as more serious behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse.
The Army widened its suicide prevention in March in an attempt to make rapid improvements. In October, the service introduced its Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, which Chiarelli called "the biggest step ... taken to enhance wellness in the entire force through prevention rather than treatment."
The program aims to put the same emphasis on mental and emotion strength as the military traditionally has on physical strength. Basic training now includes anti-stress programs as part of a broader effort to help soldiers deal with the aftereffects of combat and prevent suicides.
Also last month, the Army started using a new screening questionnaire to try to determine preexisting or current mental health issues among troops as part of the enlistment process.
Despite those campaigns, another jump in suicide figures for 2009 would make it the fifth straight year that such deaths have set a record within the military. Last year's 140 record erased a high 115 in 2007 and 102 in 2006.
Chiarelli said officials are concerned with increases this year at Fort Campbell, Fort Stewart and Schofield Barracks and are trying to learn why suicides rates are down at Fort Hood, Fort Bragg and Fort Drum.
At Fort Campbell in Kentucky there were 18, while at Fort Bragg, N.C., which has almost double the population, there have been six all year.
Using some bases as examples of the trend downward, Chiarelli said that of the 18 suicides reported this year at Fort Campbell, 11 of those were in the first four months of the year. At Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, there were seven all year so far — five in the first five months of the year and only two since.
The numbers kept by the service branches don't show the whole picture of war-related suicides because they don't include deaths after people have left the military. The Department of Veterans Affairs tracks those numbers and says there were 144 suicides among the nearly 500,000 service members who left the military from 2002-2005 after fighting in at least one of the wars.
The true incidence of suicide among military veterans is not known, according to a report last year by the Congressional Research Service. Based on numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the VA estimates that 18 veterans a day — or 6,500 a year — take their lives, but that number includes vets from all previous wars.
___
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WASHINGTON – Soldier suicides this year are almost sure to top last year's grim totals, but a recent decline in the pace of such incidents could mean the Army is starting to make progress in stemming them, officials said Tuesday.
Army Vice Chief of Staff General Peter Chiarelli said that as of Monday, 140 active duty soldiers were believed to have died of self-inflicted wounds so far in 2009. That's the same as were confirmed for all of 2008.
"We are almost certainly going to end the year higher than last year ... this is horrible, and I do not want to downplay the significance of these numbers in any way," he said.
But Chiarelli said there has been a tapering off in recent months from large surges in suspected suicides in January and February.
"Our goal since the beginning has been to reduce the overall incidence of suicide and I do believe we are finally beginning to see progress being made," Chiarelli told a Pentagon press conference.
He attributed those hints of a turning to some unprecedented efforts the Army has made since February to educate soldiers and leaders about the issue.
Officials are still stumped about what is driving the historically high rates across the military force. When asked whether the rates reflect unprecedented high stress from long and repeated deployments to provide manpower for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Chiarelli said he didn't know.
"The reality is there is no simple answer," he said. "Each suicide is as unique as the individuals themselves."
Chiarelli said that on top of the 140 suicides reported from the active duty force, there were another 71 suicides by troops in the National Guard and Reserve.
All of the numbers are preliminary in that investigations into some of the deaths are still ongoing. Of the 140 so far this year among active duty troops, 90 have been confirmed as suicides and 50 are suspected but the probes are not yet finished.
Each year, nearly all suspected suicides are eventually confirmed. For instance in 2008, there were 143 suspected and 140 were eventually confirmed.
Chiarelli said officials will continue to focus on things that are symptoms of high-risk individuals such as undiagnosed brain injuries like concussions; on Post-Traumatic Stress, and on risky behavior such as poor diet and sleep habits as well as more serious behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse.
The Army widened its suicide prevention in March in an attempt to make rapid improvements. In October, the service introduced its Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, which Chiarelli called "the biggest step ... taken to enhance wellness in the entire force through prevention rather than treatment."
The program aims to put the same emphasis on mental and emotion strength as the military traditionally has on physical strength. Basic training now includes anti-stress programs as part of a broader effort to help soldiers deal with the aftereffects of combat and prevent suicides.
Also last month, the Army started using a new screening questionnaire to try to determine preexisting or current mental health issues among troops as part of the enlistment process.
Despite those campaigns, another jump in suicide figures for 2009 would make it the fifth straight year that such deaths have set a record within the military. Last year's 140 record erased a high 115 in 2007 and 102 in 2006.
Chiarelli said officials are concerned with increases this year at Fort Campbell, Fort Stewart and Schofield Barracks and are trying to learn why suicides rates are down at Fort Hood, Fort Bragg and Fort Drum.
At Fort Campbell in Kentucky there were 18, while at Fort Bragg, N.C., which has almost double the population, there have been six all year.
Using some bases as examples of the trend downward, Chiarelli said that of the 18 suicides reported this year at Fort Campbell, 11 of those were in the first four months of the year. At Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, there were seven all year so far — five in the first five months of the year and only two since.
The numbers kept by the service branches don't show the whole picture of war-related suicides because they don't include deaths after people have left the military. The Department of Veterans Affairs tracks those numbers and says there were 144 suicides among the nearly 500,000 service members who left the military from 2002-2005 after fighting in at least one of the wars.
The true incidence of suicide among military veterans is not known, according to a report last year by the Congressional Research Service. Based on numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the VA estimates that 18 veterans a day — or 6,500 a year — take their lives, but that number includes vets from all previous wars.
___
On the Net: http://www.army.mil
Monday, November 16, 2009
Casey Visits Soldiers in Resilience Training
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. visited a program designed to help soldiers and their families develop resilience here today. asey met with about 200 soldiers and civilians studying to be master resilience trainers at the University of Pennsylvania. About 50 other soldiers and civilians participated in the course via video teleconference from Fort Jackson, S.C.
Resilience is more than a buzzword; it is a new way of thinking for the service. "All soldiers want to do better – whether it is physically or mentally," Casey said. "This is a way to help them do that."
The group Casey addressed here had noncommissioned officers and officers from a variety of different military occupations. The video screen from Fort Jackson showed soldiers with drill sergeant hats on their desks.
"You will be the first group to go out and help me bring this way of thinking to the Army," Casey said during a news conference and in an interview. "I firmly believe that this effort to build resilience and enhance performance is fundamentally necessary if we are going to sustain this force over the coming years."
The soldiers in the class supported this notion. "The [master resilience trainer] program is not a module to teach, but a concept to embrace and use in all things," an NCO from Fort Campbell, Ky., said.
Casey and other Army leaders began thinking of the need in the summer of 2008. Active duty soldiers were deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan for a year and returning to their home stations for a year. Reserve-component units were deploying for a year and at home for three. "We had been doing that for about five years," Casey said. The Army may be called on to continue this personnel tempo.
The Army understood it faced a problem, Casey said. The effects of repeated deployments – particularly with short "dwell times" at home stations between them are cumulative. "All our studies show that the more times you deploy with little time between deployments, the more susceptible you are to having mental fitness challenges," the general said.
Service leaders looked at what was available to combat the problem. The general said there were pre- and post-deployment assessments. There were education programs. Finally, there were good programs and treatments if there were problems. "But when we looked at the front end, we were very light on the preventive tools," Casey said. "We didn't have ways of building resilience and enhancing performance."
The Army brought together some of the best minds in the country on the subject and that led them to the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Martin Seligman, director of the university's Positive Psychology Center. Seligman put together a course for NCOs and officers to use to train their soldiers in resilience skills. "People say this helps them, not only as a soldier, but as a person," Casey said.
The goal is to have a master resilience trainer in each battalion by this time next year, Casey said. General officers and sergeants major all have been briefed on the program, and Casey is putting out another letter to them about the program.
The program has to do more than just train skills, Casey said. It also has to change attitudes.
"There is a perception out there that everyone who goes into combat gets post-traumatic stress," the general said. "That's just not true. In fact, science tells us just the opposite; the majority of people who go to combat have post-traumatic growth. They're confronted by something very difficult, and they are stronger as a result."
Studies show that people do grow from adversity. The program seeks to give trainers skills they can pass on to soldiers.
"Someone said to me that we are trying to change the Army, one soldier at a time," Casey said. "No, I want to change the Army one NCO at a time, because they will go back and change 10 soldiers."
The soldiers are receptive, Seligman said. "I was very pleasantly surprised by the way they have responded," he said during a news conference. "I think the soldiers are taking this to their lives at least as well, if not better than the many civilians we have taught."
Karen Reivich, the main teacher of the course, said "everyone in that room is putting their heart and soul into this training." She said the soldiers are "engaged and task-focused."
Reivich noted similarities between the Army training and that for civilians. "We're all humans after all," she said, but the "situations that these soldiers deal with are more complex."
This was Casey's third visit to the facility. The general also visited two pilot classes, and has studied the feedback from students and suggested changes.
"The intent of this program is to give more and more of our soldiers the skills they need so when they come out of combat they will have a growth experience," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. visited a program designed to help soldiers and their families develop resilience here today. asey met with about 200 soldiers and civilians studying to be master resilience trainers at the University of Pennsylvania. About 50 other soldiers and civilians participated in the course via video teleconference from Fort Jackson, S.C.
Resilience is more than a buzzword; it is a new way of thinking for the service. "All soldiers want to do better – whether it is physically or mentally," Casey said. "This is a way to help them do that."
The group Casey addressed here had noncommissioned officers and officers from a variety of different military occupations. The video screen from Fort Jackson showed soldiers with drill sergeant hats on their desks.
"You will be the first group to go out and help me bring this way of thinking to the Army," Casey said during a news conference and in an interview. "I firmly believe that this effort to build resilience and enhance performance is fundamentally necessary if we are going to sustain this force over the coming years."
The soldiers in the class supported this notion. "The [master resilience trainer] program is not a module to teach, but a concept to embrace and use in all things," an NCO from Fort Campbell, Ky., said.
Casey and other Army leaders began thinking of the need in the summer of 2008. Active duty soldiers were deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan for a year and returning to their home stations for a year. Reserve-component units were deploying for a year and at home for three. "We had been doing that for about five years," Casey said. The Army may be called on to continue this personnel tempo.
The Army understood it faced a problem, Casey said. The effects of repeated deployments – particularly with short "dwell times" at home stations between them are cumulative. "All our studies show that the more times you deploy with little time between deployments, the more susceptible you are to having mental fitness challenges," the general said.
Service leaders looked at what was available to combat the problem. The general said there were pre- and post-deployment assessments. There were education programs. Finally, there were good programs and treatments if there were problems. "But when we looked at the front end, we were very light on the preventive tools," Casey said. "We didn't have ways of building resilience and enhancing performance."
The Army brought together some of the best minds in the country on the subject and that led them to the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Martin Seligman, director of the university's Positive Psychology Center. Seligman put together a course for NCOs and officers to use to train their soldiers in resilience skills. "People say this helps them, not only as a soldier, but as a person," Casey said.
The goal is to have a master resilience trainer in each battalion by this time next year, Casey said. General officers and sergeants major all have been briefed on the program, and Casey is putting out another letter to them about the program.
The program has to do more than just train skills, Casey said. It also has to change attitudes.
"There is a perception out there that everyone who goes into combat gets post-traumatic stress," the general said. "That's just not true. In fact, science tells us just the opposite; the majority of people who go to combat have post-traumatic growth. They're confronted by something very difficult, and they are stronger as a result."
Studies show that people do grow from adversity. The program seeks to give trainers skills they can pass on to soldiers.
"Someone said to me that we are trying to change the Army, one soldier at a time," Casey said. "No, I want to change the Army one NCO at a time, because they will go back and change 10 soldiers."
The soldiers are receptive, Seligman said. "I was very pleasantly surprised by the way they have responded," he said during a news conference. "I think the soldiers are taking this to their lives at least as well, if not better than the many civilians we have taught."
Karen Reivich, the main teacher of the course, said "everyone in that room is putting their heart and soul into this training." She said the soldiers are "engaged and task-focused."
Reivich noted similarities between the Army training and that for civilians. "We're all humans after all," she said, but the "situations that these soldiers deal with are more complex."
This was Casey's third visit to the facility. The general also visited two pilot classes, and has studied the feedback from students and suggested changes.
"The intent of this program is to give more and more of our soldiers the skills they need so when they come out of combat they will have a growth experience," he said.
MILITARY CONTRACTS November 16, 2009
NAVY
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $96,682,393 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering, technical, design, configuration management, integrated logistics support, database management, research and development, modernization, trade, and industrial support for Los Angeles, Seawolf, Virginia, Ohio SSBN, and Ohio SSGN Class submarines, special mission submersible interfaces, submarine support facilities, as well as Foreign Military Sales programs. This contract includes options which, if exercised, will bring the total cumulative value of the contract to $635,287,686. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by September 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $44,473,900 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-10-C-2102).
Lockheed Martin MS2, Manassas, Va., is being awarded a $59,592,068 cost-plus incentive-fee, performance based, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide development, integration, and testing of the multistatic active coherent modification to the P-3C aircraft acoustic subsystem and tactical software. Work will be performed in Manassas, Va. (80 percent), and Patuxent River, Md. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $400,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-10-D-0003).
Northrop Grumman Corp., Electronic Systems, Linthicum Heights, Md., is being awarded a $44,490,000 modification under previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (M67854-07-C-2072) to increase the estimated cost ceiling for the Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar System development and demonstration, target cost, and target cost plus target fee of contract line item number 0001 by $17,490,000 to reflect undefinitized change orders for the UPX40, change to medium tactical vehicle replacement as the prime mover and the up armor. Additionally, this contract modification increases the estimated cost ceiling, target cost and target cost plus target fee of contract line item number 0001 in increase by an additional $27,000,000 to reflect the estimated cost increase associated with the 9 month schedule extension. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Md. (75 percent), and Syracuse, N.Y. (25 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 15, 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
The L3/Interstate Electronics Corp., Anaheim, Calif., is being awarded a $39,187,635 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide flight test data acquisition, processing and analysis of the TRIDENT missile flight test missions for the United States and United Kingdom. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the contract value to $49,437,854. Work will be performed in Anaheim, Calif. (50 percent); Austin, Texas (20 percent); Ascension Island (10 percent); Cape Canaveral, Fla. (10 percent); and St. Croix (10 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2010 (Sept. 2012 with options). Contract funds in the amount of $33,863,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured. The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-10-C-0009).
McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $28,000,000 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order, against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to incorporate a revised specification and statement of work for the infrared search and track technology development effort for the F/A-18E/F aircraft weapon system. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla. (50 percent); St. Louis, Mo. (40 percent); Santa Ana, Calif. (5 percent); and Irvine, Calif. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in September 2010. 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.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $20,005,318 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order, against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to provide necessary supplies and services to support follow-on test and evaluation of the F/A-18E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be completed in October 2010. 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.
Seaward Marine Services, Inc., Fairfax, Va., was awarded a $9,096,597 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-D-4219) on Nov. 13, 2009, for waterborne hull cleaning and associated services to support the director of ocean engineering, supervisor of salvage and diving. The primary purpose of this contract is to provide hull cleaning, hull inspection and other related ship husbandry services on the underwater portion of Navy, Coast Guard, Army and Military Sealift Command ships and craft. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va. (54 percent); Mayport, Fla. (24 percent); Ingleside, Texas (17 percent); and New London, Conn. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by August 2010. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
ITT Industries, Inc., of Cape Canaveral, Fla., was awarded a $66,370,706 contract which will exercise Option Year 10 contract line items. This modification will provide for the continued support for program management, interface management, systems engineering and integration, depot maintenance transition, product acquisitions and modifications, and instrument modernization for operational systems and infrastructure. At this time, $8,563,882 has been obligated. SMC SLG/PK, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., is the contracting activity (F04701-01-C-0001, P00601).
Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $18,423,384 contract which will provide for the High-Speed Anti-Radiation Mission Targeting System fiscal year 10 contractor logistics support option. At this time, $4,608,096 has been obligated. 693 ARSS/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8675-09-C-0003, P00003).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Caterpillar, Inc., Mossville, Ill., is being awarded a maximum $7,167,408 cost-plus fixed-price with economic price adjustment for vibratory compactors. Other location of performance is in Minnesota. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. The original proposal had two solicitations with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2010. The Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-01-D-0059-0393).
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $96,682,393 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering, technical, design, configuration management, integrated logistics support, database management, research and development, modernization, trade, and industrial support for Los Angeles, Seawolf, Virginia, Ohio SSBN, and Ohio SSGN Class submarines, special mission submersible interfaces, submarine support facilities, as well as Foreign Military Sales programs. This contract includes options which, if exercised, will bring the total cumulative value of the contract to $635,287,686. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by September 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $44,473,900 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-10-C-2102).
Lockheed Martin MS2, Manassas, Va., is being awarded a $59,592,068 cost-plus incentive-fee, performance based, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide development, integration, and testing of the multistatic active coherent modification to the P-3C aircraft acoustic subsystem and tactical software. Work will be performed in Manassas, Va. (80 percent), and Patuxent River, Md. (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $400,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-10-D-0003).
Northrop Grumman Corp., Electronic Systems, Linthicum Heights, Md., is being awarded a $44,490,000 modification under previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (M67854-07-C-2072) to increase the estimated cost ceiling for the Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar System development and demonstration, target cost, and target cost plus target fee of contract line item number 0001 by $17,490,000 to reflect undefinitized change orders for the UPX40, change to medium tactical vehicle replacement as the prime mover and the up armor. Additionally, this contract modification increases the estimated cost ceiling, target cost and target cost plus target fee of contract line item number 0001 in increase by an additional $27,000,000 to reflect the estimated cost increase associated with the 9 month schedule extension. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Md. (75 percent), and Syracuse, N.Y. (25 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 15, 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
The L3/Interstate Electronics Corp., Anaheim, Calif., is being awarded a $39,187,635 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide flight test data acquisition, processing and analysis of the TRIDENT missile flight test missions for the United States and United Kingdom. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the contract value to $49,437,854. Work will be performed in Anaheim, Calif. (50 percent); Austin, Texas (20 percent); Ascension Island (10 percent); Cape Canaveral, Fla. (10 percent); and St. Croix (10 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2010 (Sept. 2012 with options). Contract funds in the amount of $33,863,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured. The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N00030-10-C-0009).
McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $28,000,000 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order, against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to incorporate a revised specification and statement of work for the infrared search and track technology development effort for the F/A-18E/F aircraft weapon system. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla. (50 percent); St. Louis, Mo. (40 percent); Santa Ana, Calif. (5 percent); and Irvine, Calif. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in September 2010. 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.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $20,005,318 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order, against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to provide necessary supplies and services to support follow-on test and evaluation of the F/A-18E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be completed in October 2010. 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.
Seaward Marine Services, Inc., Fairfax, Va., was awarded a $9,096,597 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-D-4219) on Nov. 13, 2009, for waterborne hull cleaning and associated services to support the director of ocean engineering, supervisor of salvage and diving. The primary purpose of this contract is to provide hull cleaning, hull inspection and other related ship husbandry services on the underwater portion of Navy, Coast Guard, Army and Military Sealift Command ships and craft. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va. (54 percent); Mayport, Fla. (24 percent); Ingleside, Texas (17 percent); and New London, Conn. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by August 2010. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
ITT Industries, Inc., of Cape Canaveral, Fla., was awarded a $66,370,706 contract which will exercise Option Year 10 contract line items. This modification will provide for the continued support for program management, interface management, systems engineering and integration, depot maintenance transition, product acquisitions and modifications, and instrument modernization for operational systems and infrastructure. At this time, $8,563,882 has been obligated. SMC SLG/PK, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., is the contracting activity (F04701-01-C-0001, P00601).
Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $18,423,384 contract which will provide for the High-Speed Anti-Radiation Mission Targeting System fiscal year 10 contractor logistics support option. At this time, $4,608,096 has been obligated. 693 ARSS/PK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8675-09-C-0003, P00003).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Caterpillar, Inc., Mossville, Ill., is being awarded a maximum $7,167,408 cost-plus fixed-price with economic price adjustment for vibratory compactors. Other location of performance is in Minnesota. Using service is Foreign Military Sales. The original proposal had two solicitations with one response. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2010. The Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM500-01-D-0059-0393).
Nellis Plans for F-35's Opportunities, Challenges
By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - With the new F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft's arrival just four years away, officials at the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center here are looking forward to joint training opportunities while recognizing the challenges of providing realistic training on such a technologically advanced aircraft. Air Force Maj. Gen. Stanley "Ted" Kresge, the warfare center's commander, said there's a lot of excitement about the next-generation fighter jet slated to begin arriving here in 2014.
Much of the construction under way here will provide the new hangars, maintenance facilities and other infrastructure the new aircraft will require. Meanwhile, Kresge's staff is focused on establishing a new weapons school for F-35 pilots – an effort he said lends itself to interservice collaboration as the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps prepare for their first joint aircraft program since the Vietnam War.
Unlike the Vietnam-era F-4 Phantom II fighter-bomber, initially developed for the Navy, then adopted by the Marine Corps and Air Force, the F-35 was conceived from the drawing board as a single platform with three different variants to meet the needs of three services.
The Air Force will receive the F-35's "A" variant, which will provide conventional takeoff and landing capabilities. The Marine Corps is slated to receive the "B" variant, which has a vertical-lift capability. The Navy will receive the "C" variant, designed for carrier launches.
Plans are on track to equip the first F-35 training squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., by 2011, and for the Marine Corps to reach initial operational capability by 2012.
Kresge said he looks forward to working with his Navy counterparts as the Air Force stands up the first F-35 weapons school program at Nellis. Weapons schools provide graduate-level instructor courses, including the most advanced tactics, techniques and procedures for pilots and aircrews.
"If we are going to build a weapons school first, let's partner on it and then make it easier for them to build their weapons school," he said.
Even with three aircraft variants, the airplanes are going to be more alike than different, he said. "So since we are fundamentally going to be flying the same aircraft, I think we can all benefit from a closer collaboration," he added.
For the Air Force program, Kresge expects to tap F-35 test pilots, along with other Weapons School graduates who fly other aircraft. "We'll put them in a room, lock the door for six months, and they'll come up with the syllabus, courseware and academics," Kresge said.
They'll share their efforts as the Navy Fighter Weapons School, known as "Top Gun," prepares to start up its own F-35 program, he said, while soliciting different approaches to incorporate into the Air Force program.
"It would make no sense for the Navy to discover a new way of doing business, and then a year later, we stumble onto it ourselves," Kresge said.
The general stressed the importance of F-35 leader training to the future Air Force, noting that today's young fighter pilots will be tomorrow's F-35 squadron commanders.
"Set your watch," he said. "Fifteen years from now, we are going to want that F-35 squadron commander to be prepared to lead a squadron in war, and to bring along the squadron full of young lieutenants and captains to be the next squadron commander."
As Kresge wrestles with the training and leadership challenges associated with the F-35, the staff here is working to ensure that when the F-35 arrives, crews will have the most realistic training environment possible at the sweeping Nevada Test and Training Range.
That's particularly challenging, explained Air Force Col. John P. "Bama" Montgomery, the 98th Range Wing commander, because the F-35's systems are so advanced that they can tell simulated targets from the real thing.
"The F-35 is so smart that if it is not a real target, it won't let you hit it, because it knows what a real target is," he said. Montgomery oversees the nearly 3 million acres of ranges and 12,000 square miles of airspace that make up the Nevada Test and Training Range. A big part of the job is making the battle space as close as possible to what aircrews will experience in combat, including realistic targets.
So long before the F-35 arrives here, Montgomery and his staff are trying to figure out ways to build the next-generation targets the next-generation aircraft will need.
"We are planning ahead for it now, to give it the right kind of target sets that look visually, optically, [through] infrared and radar like the real thing," he said. "It's got to have the same acoustics, and smell like it, too."
Meanwhile, he's trying to figure out what kind of aircraft will be capable of standing in for the opposing force during advanced-level training exercises, and how to replicate multiple threats simultaneously.
"The F-35 is a very capable system, and we only have so many aircraft to throw against it," Montgomery said, noting the need to create virtual threats that the F-35 will recognize.
"It is not the same kind of problem that we used to solve," he said. "It was an easier problem before stealth [technology], and the fact that these [F-35s] are just amazingly capable. All of a sudden, the targets have to look a lot like the real thing, and the threats have to be a lot more capable, and there have to be a lot of them."
Montgomery said he's committed to working through those challenges before the F-35s start arriving at Nellis. "It's a tough problem," he said. "But the Air Force knows about it, the Department of Defense knows about it. Lots of people are working on it to solve that problem."
Ultimately, the goal is to provide F-35 crews the same level of training their counterparts receive at the Nevada Test and Training Range. "In the end, the guy gets real feedback, real time about how we has done against the threat he's going at, in a high-pressure environment," Montgomery said. "And he gets to live – and to come back and do it all over again tomorrow."
Initiative Helps Disabled Vets Stay Active
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - A recent initiative launched by the Veterans Affairs Department and the U.S. Olympic Committee is giving disabled veterans a chance to rediscover their potential through athletics and competition. memorandum of understanding was signed between the two organizations Oct. 21 to expand Paralympics sport programs to wounded warriors rehabilitating at community-level recreational facilities. Before the memorandum, Paralympics programs were offered primarily through warrior transition units at facilities such as Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and VA rehabilitation centers.
Through the agreement, the Paralympics division of the U.S. Olympic Committee and VA hope to ensure disabled veterans can be physically active when they return home, Charlie Huebner, the Paralympic division's chief, said in a recent telephone interview with American Forces Press Service.
"There's 24-hour-a-day care when you're at a VA medical center, and you've got the best care in the world there," he said. "But what we're most concerned about is when you leave that facility and go home. You might go home to a rural community that just doesn't have the resources and expertise to provide a person in a wheelchair everyday physical activity."
When rehabilitating veterans return home and they've left VA therapy behind, there may not be much opportunity to continue physical training and activity, Huebner said. Making programs available and providing training at existing recreational facilities will help to alleviate that issue.
"We've identified a significant need for injured veterans," he said. "When they return home, we want to ensure that there's expert programming, support, equipment and mentors available to them to participate in everyday physical activity. It's a significant need, and we see every day the importance of physical activity in the rehab process."
Adaptive sports rehabilitation has proven time and again to have a positive, long-lasting effect on wounded warriors, Huebner added.
Although the Paralympics focus on physical rehabilitation, it's difficult not to recognize the psychological impact, Huebner said. Something as simple as learning to play basketball or to ski with a disability, and to do so with friends and families, can greatly improve a disabled person's mental strength, which is an important aspect to recovery, he added.
"We see on a daily basis the additional outcomes that aren't necessarily our mission," he said. "Our mission isn't to find jobs and to get people in college, but what we see is persons with a physical disability going to college [or] pursuing careers who are active in their community because of the confidence they gained through sports."
The partnership gives $10 million of the VA's annual budget to the Paralympics. About $8 million of that will go to community-level recreation facilities that already serve veterans. Other funds from private Paralympics organizations will assist, Huebner said.
Huebner wouldn't speculate on exactly how many communities would be affected, but said Paralympics mentors and trainers will be on hand to enhance programs for community facilities across the country.
Since 2003, the Paralympics have been providing services for 105 community recreation facilities, 14 wounded warrior transition units and 15 VA health care systems.
"The healing power of sports is amazing," Huebner said. "When people become physically disabled, they think about all the things they can't do. That's just human nature, but something as simple as being able to shoot a basketball or skiing or playing catch with your child ... makes people realize a whole level of opportunity. Things are going to be different, but they're going to be OK."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - A recent initiative launched by the Veterans Affairs Department and the U.S. Olympic Committee is giving disabled veterans a chance to rediscover their potential through athletics and competition. memorandum of understanding was signed between the two organizations Oct. 21 to expand Paralympics sport programs to wounded warriors rehabilitating at community-level recreational facilities. Before the memorandum, Paralympics programs were offered primarily through warrior transition units at facilities such as Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and VA rehabilitation centers.
Through the agreement, the Paralympics division of the U.S. Olympic Committee and VA hope to ensure disabled veterans can be physically active when they return home, Charlie Huebner, the Paralympic division's chief, said in a recent telephone interview with American Forces Press Service.
"There's 24-hour-a-day care when you're at a VA medical center, and you've got the best care in the world there," he said. "But what we're most concerned about is when you leave that facility and go home. You might go home to a rural community that just doesn't have the resources and expertise to provide a person in a wheelchair everyday physical activity."
When rehabilitating veterans return home and they've left VA therapy behind, there may not be much opportunity to continue physical training and activity, Huebner said. Making programs available and providing training at existing recreational facilities will help to alleviate that issue.
"We've identified a significant need for injured veterans," he said. "When they return home, we want to ensure that there's expert programming, support, equipment and mentors available to them to participate in everyday physical activity. It's a significant need, and we see every day the importance of physical activity in the rehab process."
Adaptive sports rehabilitation has proven time and again to have a positive, long-lasting effect on wounded warriors, Huebner added.
Although the Paralympics focus on physical rehabilitation, it's difficult not to recognize the psychological impact, Huebner said. Something as simple as learning to play basketball or to ski with a disability, and to do so with friends and families, can greatly improve a disabled person's mental strength, which is an important aspect to recovery, he added.
"We see on a daily basis the additional outcomes that aren't necessarily our mission," he said. "Our mission isn't to find jobs and to get people in college, but what we see is persons with a physical disability going to college [or] pursuing careers who are active in their community because of the confidence they gained through sports."
The partnership gives $10 million of the VA's annual budget to the Paralympics. About $8 million of that will go to community-level recreation facilities that already serve veterans. Other funds from private Paralympics organizations will assist, Huebner said.
Huebner wouldn't speculate on exactly how many communities would be affected, but said Paralympics mentors and trainers will be on hand to enhance programs for community facilities across the country.
Since 2003, the Paralympics have been providing services for 105 community recreation facilities, 14 wounded warrior transition units and 15 VA health care systems.
"The healing power of sports is amazing," Huebner said. "When people become physically disabled, they think about all the things they can't do. That's just human nature, but something as simple as being able to shoot a basketball or skiing or playing catch with your child ... makes people realize a whole level of opportunity. Things are going to be different, but they're going to be OK."
Soldiers Compete for Barbecue Bragging Rights
By Army 1st Lt. Juan Torres Jr.Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - A little bit of home made its way to this remote base in Iraq's Maysan province recently, as soldiers tested their skills in a barbecue competition. Despite unexpected downpours, violent wind gusts and hail Nov. 1, an afternoon that might otherwise have been lost to inclement weather served instead as a cloudy backdrop for a delicious contest at Task Force Saber.
"If it ain't raining, we ain't training," Army Capt. Rick Cook said with a laugh. Cook is attached to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment.
"But seriously," the captain added, "the competitors really came through and cooked up some scrumptious dishes under less-than-favorable conditions. The rain was just a challenge they needed to overcome to win. Once they got on a cooking 'glide path,' everything really fell into place."
Soldiers used closely guarded spice and sauce combinations from their hometowns, some getting their secret ingredients from as far as Washington and Georgia. They hovered over charcoal and flames as they turned otherwise average ribs, steaks and chicken into personalized, mouth-watering, culinary creations.
The competition's judges, spearheaded by Army Sgt. Maj. Steve Lewis, squadron operations sergeant major, based their appraisals on factors including taste, texture and presentation.
"The seasonings used by [B Troop] were probably the best," Lewis said. "They weren't planning on sharing their secret recipe, though."
Teams spent the final minutes of the competition perfecting their presentations, using each second to make memorable first impressions. Leading the way in overall presentation, B Troop pulled out all the stops: silver plates with matching cutlery created a sight no judge could ignore.
"We certainly took presentation into account while assessing the entries," Lewis said.
Border Transition Team Tribal, led by Army Master Sgt. Michael Grimes, used just the right blend of seasoning, mixed with a little personal touch and a dash of experience, to push its dishes into victory lane.
By the end of the competition, a broad representation of other victors emerged, including B Troop for the best chicken, and B Company, 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment for the best steak.
(Army 1st Lt. Juan Torres Jr. serves with the 1st Armored Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team.)
Officer Works to Walk Again
By Heather GrahamSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - Five months ago, Army Lt. Col. Tim Karcher was in Sadr City, Iraq, commanding the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, and preparing to complete the hand-off of the volatile region to the Iraqis. Today, he is relearning how to walk.
On June 28, Karcher was on his way to a ceremony to hand over control of a joint security station in Sadr City to Iraq, when a powerful roadside bomb designed to pierce armor ripped through the mine-resistant, ambush protected vehicle in which he was riding. Karcher lost both legs above the knees.
It was Karcher's third deployment. He was shot in his left shoulder in January 2006 during his second deployment, but recovered quickly and returned to his unit in Iraq six months later. This time, things were different.
Karcher was transferred from the U.S. Army Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on July 5. There, complications arose. Amputation of both legs above the knees was not the most serious of his injuries.
"Four weeks after getting to Walter Reed, they stopped talking about his legs," his wife, Alesia, said.
Karcher lost 120 pounds, dropping from his original weight of 225 to 105 pounds. Massive blood loss and the blast trauma affected his internal organs. He was nauseated and had difficulty eating. His kidney function was so poor he was on dialysis. One medication caused him to go blind for a day, which he later said was the only part of this journey that scared him.
But things slowly improved, and Karcher arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center here Aug. 19. He now stays at the Fisher House on the medical center's campus and receives therapy at the Center for the Intrepid, an outpatient rehabilitation institute for wounded warriors.
Now, the whole challenge is physical, Karcher said, adding that he is in the best place to overcome his physical challenges.
"This is the single most capable place on Earth to get us better," he said.
Family Support
Steadfast in their love and support, Karcher's wife and their three daughters -- Anna, 14, Audrey, 13, and Abbey, 8 -- have been with him every step of the way. Audrey has taken on the role of Karcher's caregiver during the time he stays at the family home near Killeen.
Karcher said he was concerned his teenage daughters would worry about the image of a father with no legs. But his concern was unfounded, he added, as all three daughters treat him the same as ever.
The family took a trip to San Diego recently for the Challenged Athletes Foundation's Triathlon Challenge. There, Karcher saw his daughters helping some of the athletes and saw their desire to help others. They also saw the possibilities of people who cannot walk or see.
Karcher attends soccer games, cross-country meets and has had lunch at his daughters' school since the injury. To his family, he is the same upbeat man who loves a challenge. "He is very much the same," Alesia said.
The family describes the support they've received from Fort Hood, the 1st Cavalry Division, the girls' schools and their church as "overwhelming."
"It makes you proud to be an Army family," said Alesia, who temporarily has stopped working as a home health-care physical therapist to focus on her family. "It definitely does not have to be the end of the world. It could always be worse."
She looks forward to their "new normal," she added. "I'm not afraid of it," she said. "I think our life will be different, but not in a bad way."
Her biggest challenge, she said, has been time management to ensure her husband's and their daughters' needs are met. While her husband stays in the Fisher House, Alesia splits her time. She cooks meals and brings them to San Antonio. She still does his laundry.
Karcher said he welcomes his opportunities to leave his "cloistered environment" to spend time with his family. "It's awesome to get to church, soccer games and cross-country meets," he said. Alesia agreed. "It makes a huge difference to be able to go home and live in our own world," she said.
Trips home remove Karcher from an environment where everything is handicapped-accessible and catered toward people with injuries such as his. But he said he likes the challenges, and knowing that they can be addressed during sessions at the Center for the Intrepid.
"Being able to go home does as much for me as a week of therapy," Karcher said. "Life continues at home. I fit into it."
Family life also includes plans made before Karcher was injured.
Alesia ran the Army 10-Miler in October that she had signed up for with a group of Cavalry spouses in April.
Dealing With Reality
After an injury, e-mails and calls taper off. Friends, families and comrades get back to their everyday lives, said Army Maj. Stuart Campbell, officer in charge of physical therapy at the Center for the Intrepid, and some patients can have a letdown when the attention fades.
"There is a protective bubble here," he said. "My job is to return these guys to the highest level possible."
Campbell knows Karcher as "Hercules." Everyone at the center gets a nickname from Campbell. "I'm bad with names," he explained with a smile.
Campbell said he also gives the nicknames to encourage the feeling of being in a military unit, and the bonding that comes with that. Good-natured ribbing and joking are frequent as Campbell works to recreate the unit environment from which they have been removed.
"When you come here, you would think you are in an infantry unit," he said, noting that for these wounded warriors, the strongest piece of their rehabilitation is the peer support.
"That's as powerful as anything," Campbell said. "They motivate each other."
Amputees such as Karcher have to retrain their hip strategy and learn to balance using their hips, gluteus and core, Campbell said.
Karcher will always have to think to walk.
"A lot of this is mental," he said.
At this point, Karcher stands on "stubbies" and still is working on his balance. He is getting his legs and muscles accustomed to bearing weight and fitting in sockets. As he progresses, he will get longer prosthetics and, eventually, knees.
"You work out muscle groups you didn't know you have," Karcher said. "It's a new challenge." He took his first steps Nov. 3, traveling about 20 feet on stubbies.
Karcher said he expects to be here for at least a year or 18 months. He is progressing well, but wants to accomplish more, he said. He is not sure how much more, he added, but walking is a definite goal.
He uses humor and willpower to embrace his new life. "It's your choice of how you choose to handle it," he said.
The New Normal
At the Center for the Intrepid, amputees work out in often unorthodox ways to strengthen their bodies and stop boredom. A modified rock wall, a wave pool and creative exercises throw some diversity in to break up the monotony of physical therapy.
The wounded warriors have devised a hierarchy of injuries. There are jokes and laughs, and many of them come from Campbell.
"The last thing we want is sympathy," Karcher said.
He doesn't want people tip-toeing around him.
"People stare, they point," Campbell said. "We make fun of them [and] treat them like they're in a normal unit."
Good-natured teasing can be motivating as well as bonding.
"From the outside, it can look odd," Campbell admitted.
Karcher said he finds it motivating to see those with injuries similar to his who are farther along. "Morale here is great," he said. "Everybody wants to get better. You just need to use good judgment on where you are."
Every case is different. While some are happy to sit back and just let things happen, others work harder to reach their goals. Seeing buddies get better is motivating for everyone, Karcher said.
"There's a total atmosphere here of seeing everybody excel, everybody getting back to where they want to be," he said. "The only thing that limits us is ourselves."
In addition to the young soldiers he sees daily, a special child has been an inspiration to the battalion commander. Karcher met 8-year-old Cody McCaslund on Sept. 17. Cody also is a bilateral transfemoral amputee. Born without knees and missing several bones in both legs, he lost his legs as an infant. But don't tell Cody he is any different.
"That kid is a ball of fire," Karcher said. "He is just an awesome kid."
Cody offered to show Karcher how to use his new legs when he gets them. Through Cody, he said, he saw that the loss of legs does not mean the loss of a normal life.
"You realize he's as normal as any kid," he said. "You see a little kid doing [what Cody does], and you've got to stop feeling sorry for yourself."
Moving Forward
Karcher is quick to laugh and sees no sense in having a pity party about his injury. "It's a waste of your time," he said. "It's not going to change anything."
He said he knows his injury will limit him in some ways, but that the Center for the Intrepid staff is around to help the wounded figure out ways to do the things they want to do.
"There shouldn't be things we can't do," he said. For example, he said, he wants to stand more than six feet tall again -- because he doesn't want to have to buy new pants.
Amputees can change their height, Campbell said, but they want to be careful not to become unbalanced. "Body image is a big deal for a lot of these guys," Campbell said. Expectations are different for each person, but the wounded warriors all seem to have some in common. "Walking is an expectation. Sports are an expectation," he said.
Life Goes On
Karcher said he expects to continue his journey with humor and with his family by his side. And throughout his recovery, the soldiers of his regiment have been consistently on his mind and in his heart.
He keeps in contact with his Black Knight soldiers via e-mails, and many have visited him. Karcher said he always wants to know how his battle buddies are doing, and the fact that they are still in harm's way is never far from his mind.
"It feels rotten," he said.
Meanwhile, as his soldiers are completing their mission in Iraq, Karcher is focused on his mission at home: recovering. And one of his biggest goals is to be standing on Cooper Field at Fort Hood to welcome home his troops.
"I'm just wondering what is next," he said. "Right now, I am focusing on the here and now."
He wants to stay in the Army.
"I am hoping to stay in," he said. "I've been in 20 years, and this is the only thing I want to do."
(Heather Graham works in the public affairs office at Fort Hood, Texas.)
DOD and VA Announce Disability Evaluation System Pilot Expansion
The Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that beginning in January 2010, the Disability Evaluation System (DES) pilot will expand to an additional six installations across the country. The new locations will include: Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Riley, Kan.; and Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Va. This expansion brings the total number of military facilities using the pilot to 27.
"The decision to expand the pilot was based upon favorable reviews focusing on the program's ability to met timeliness, effectiveness, transparency, and customer and stakeholder satisfaction," said Noel Koch, deputy under secretary of defense, Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy.
In November 2007, the DoD and VA implemented the pilot test for disability cases originating at the three major military treatment facilities in the national capital region. The pilot is a test of a new process design eliminating the duplicative, time-consuming, and often confusing elements of the two current disability processes of the departments. Key features of the DES pilot include one medical examination and a single-sourced disability rating. To date, more than 5,431 service members have participated in the pilot since November 2007.
"Streamlining our disability claims system and working closely with DoD to care for today's generation of heroes are among VA's top priorities," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We will never lose sight of the fact that veterans and military personnel have earned their benefits from VA and DoD by virtue of their service to the nation."
In October 2008, DoD and VA approved expansion of the DES pilot to 18 sites beyond the three initial national capital region sites. This process was successfully completed on May 31, 2009. The estimated completion date for the new six site expansion is scheduled for March 31, 2010.
"This expansion encompasses an additional 20 percent of total service member population enrolled in the program to achieve 47 percent overall enrollments, which will allow us to gather and evaluate data from a diverse geographic area, prior to determining worldwide implementation," said Koch.
The pilot was authorized by the Defense Authorization Act of 2008 and stems from the recommendations from the reports of the Task Force on Returning Global War on Terrorism Heroes, the Independent Review Group, the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors (the Dole/Shalala Commission), and the Commission on Veterans' Disability Benefits.
"The decision to expand the pilot was based upon favorable reviews focusing on the program's ability to met timeliness, effectiveness, transparency, and customer and stakeholder satisfaction," said Noel Koch, deputy under secretary of defense, Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy.
In November 2007, the DoD and VA implemented the pilot test for disability cases originating at the three major military treatment facilities in the national capital region. The pilot is a test of a new process design eliminating the duplicative, time-consuming, and often confusing elements of the two current disability processes of the departments. Key features of the DES pilot include one medical examination and a single-sourced disability rating. To date, more than 5,431 service members have participated in the pilot since November 2007.
"Streamlining our disability claims system and working closely with DoD to care for today's generation of heroes are among VA's top priorities," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We will never lose sight of the fact that veterans and military personnel have earned their benefits from VA and DoD by virtue of their service to the nation."
In October 2008, DoD and VA approved expansion of the DES pilot to 18 sites beyond the three initial national capital region sites. This process was successfully completed on May 31, 2009. The estimated completion date for the new six site expansion is scheduled for March 31, 2010.
"This expansion encompasses an additional 20 percent of total service member population enrolled in the program to achieve 47 percent overall enrollments, which will allow us to gather and evaluate data from a diverse geographic area, prior to determining worldwide implementation," said Koch.
The pilot was authorized by the Defense Authorization Act of 2008 and stems from the recommendations from the reports of the Task Force on Returning Global War on Terrorism Heroes, the Independent Review Group, the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors (the Dole/Shalala Commission), and the Commission on Veterans' Disability Benefits.
Pentagon, VA Expand Disability Claims Test
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - Defense and Veterans Affairs officials today announced another step in their efforts to streamline the process of determining veterans' disability ratings. Beginning in January, the Disability Evaluation System pilot program will expand to six installations. The new participants are medical facilities at Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Riley, Kan.; and Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Va.
Twenty-seven other military facilities already take part in the program.
"The decision to expand the pilot was based upon favorable reviews focusing on the program's ability to meet timeliness, effectiveness, transparency and customer and stakeholder satisfaction," said Nole Koch, deputy undersecretary of defense for wounded warrior care and transition policy, in a statement released by the Defense Department.
The pilot program began in November 2007 within the national capital region and concerns servicemembers who separated from the military under honorable conditions for service-related injuries. It addresses redundancy and inconsistent decisions in medical evaluations in separate disability processes used in the Defense Department and VA.
Outside of the medical facilities using the pilot programs, evaluations for veterans are managed first by Defense Department physicians, then by VA. Through this program, physicians in both departments collaborate on medical findings, speeding the claims and benefit payment processes for disabled veterans.
"The pilot is a test of a new process design eliminating the duplicative, time-consuming, and often confusing elements of the two current disability processes of the departments," the Defense Department statement said. "Key features of the [pilot] include one medical examination and a single-sourced disability rating."
More than 5,400 military members have participated in the pilot program.
"Streamlining our disability claims system and working closely with [the Defense Department] to care for today's generation of heroes are among VA's top priorities," VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said in the statement. "We will never lose sight of the fact that veterans and military personnel have earned their benefits ... by virtue of their service to the nation.”
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 16, 2009 - Defense and Veterans Affairs officials today announced another step in their efforts to streamline the process of determining veterans' disability ratings. Beginning in January, the Disability Evaluation System pilot program will expand to six installations. The new participants are medical facilities at Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Riley, Kan.; and Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Va.
Twenty-seven other military facilities already take part in the program.
"The decision to expand the pilot was based upon favorable reviews focusing on the program's ability to meet timeliness, effectiveness, transparency and customer and stakeholder satisfaction," said Nole Koch, deputy undersecretary of defense for wounded warrior care and transition policy, in a statement released by the Defense Department.
The pilot program began in November 2007 within the national capital region and concerns servicemembers who separated from the military under honorable conditions for service-related injuries. It addresses redundancy and inconsistent decisions in medical evaluations in separate disability processes used in the Defense Department and VA.
Outside of the medical facilities using the pilot programs, evaluations for veterans are managed first by Defense Department physicians, then by VA. Through this program, physicians in both departments collaborate on medical findings, speeding the claims and benefit payment processes for disabled veterans.
"The pilot is a test of a new process design eliminating the duplicative, time-consuming, and often confusing elements of the two current disability processes of the departments," the Defense Department statement said. "Key features of the [pilot] include one medical examination and a single-sourced disability rating."
More than 5,400 military members have participated in the pilot program.
"Streamlining our disability claims system and working closely with [the Defense Department] to care for today's generation of heroes are among VA's top priorities," VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said in the statement. "We will never lose sight of the fact that veterans and military personnel have earned their benefits ... by virtue of their service to the nation.”
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Obama, Medvedev Discuss Arms Reduction, Iran
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 15, 2009 - The mutual goal of negotiating an agreement on reducing nuclear arms by the end of the year is on track, President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said today. Obama and Medvedev met in Singapore during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings.
The two presidents agreed to reduce nuclear arsenals during a meeting in Moscow in July. Obama said the negotiations to reduce Russian and American nuclear arsenals have gone well.
"Our negotiators have made excellent progress over the last several months," he said during a joint news conference with Medvedev. "Our goal continues to be to complete the negotiations and to be able to sign a deal before the end of the year. And I'm confident that if we work hard and with a sense of urgency about it, we should be able to get that done."
Both men said some tough technical issues still need to be addressed. "We've agreed to give additional impetus to those negotiations [and] find solutions on remaining issues, because in some cases those are technical issues. Some require political solution," the Russian president said through a translator.
Medvedev said both leaders are aware of the world's interest in these negotiations.
"Even in the past, the situation and the world depended on us," he said. "It is all the more important now, since there are no longer the old ideological barriers."
The two presidents also spoke about Iran and its nuclear ambitions.
Obama said the United States wants to resolve the problem of the Iranian nuclear program constructively. He proposed that the United States and Russia offer two paths for Iran. One is that if Iran forsakes nuclear weapons, the world would help it obtain peaceful nuclear energy. He called this the most positive outcome, as it would lead Iran to integration with other nations of the world.
"The alternative would be an approach that would involve increasing pressure on Iran to meet its international obligations," Obama said. "These concerns were further heightened with the Qom facility that had not been properly disclosed."
U.S. and Russian leaders have worked together to provide Iran a very concrete, specific and fair proposal. This includes a proposal to get low-enriched uranium out of Iran, processed, and then sent back to Iran. This would allow Iran to have a peaceful nuclear energy program without weaponization capacity, Obama said.
"Unfortunately, so far at least, Iran appears to have been unable to say yes to what everyone acknowledges is a creative and constructive approach," he said.
From the start of his administration, Obama has said negotiations with Iran would not be open-ended. "We are now running out of time with respect to that approach," he said.
Meanwhile, the United States and Russia will continue to speak with Iranian leaders, Obama said.
"We believe that the United States and Russia will continue to urge Iran to take the path that leads them to meeting its international obligations," he said. "We can't count on that, and we will begin to discuss and prepare for these other pathways."
In his statement, Medvedev reinforced Obama's point.
"Negotiation process is not for the pleasure of the process itself, but it is done in order to reach practical, specific outcomes," he said. "In this case, our goal is clear: it is a transparent, up-to-date, peaceful program – not a program that would raise questions or concerns from the international community. We're prepared to work further, and I hope that our joint work will yield in positive results. In case we fail, the other options remain on the table in order to move the process in a different direction."
The two presidents also discussed Afghanistan, economic issues and the overall standing of U.S-Russian relations. Obama said that Medvedev was "frank, thoughtful and constructive" during the discussion. "I am somebody who genuinely believes that the reset button has worked, and that we are moving in a good direction," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 15, 2009 - The mutual goal of negotiating an agreement on reducing nuclear arms by the end of the year is on track, President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said today. Obama and Medvedev met in Singapore during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings.
The two presidents agreed to reduce nuclear arsenals during a meeting in Moscow in July. Obama said the negotiations to reduce Russian and American nuclear arsenals have gone well.
"Our negotiators have made excellent progress over the last several months," he said during a joint news conference with Medvedev. "Our goal continues to be to complete the negotiations and to be able to sign a deal before the end of the year. And I'm confident that if we work hard and with a sense of urgency about it, we should be able to get that done."
Both men said some tough technical issues still need to be addressed. "We've agreed to give additional impetus to those negotiations [and] find solutions on remaining issues, because in some cases those are technical issues. Some require political solution," the Russian president said through a translator.
Medvedev said both leaders are aware of the world's interest in these negotiations.
"Even in the past, the situation and the world depended on us," he said. "It is all the more important now, since there are no longer the old ideological barriers."
The two presidents also spoke about Iran and its nuclear ambitions.
Obama said the United States wants to resolve the problem of the Iranian nuclear program constructively. He proposed that the United States and Russia offer two paths for Iran. One is that if Iran forsakes nuclear weapons, the world would help it obtain peaceful nuclear energy. He called this the most positive outcome, as it would lead Iran to integration with other nations of the world.
"The alternative would be an approach that would involve increasing pressure on Iran to meet its international obligations," Obama said. "These concerns were further heightened with the Qom facility that had not been properly disclosed."
U.S. and Russian leaders have worked together to provide Iran a very concrete, specific and fair proposal. This includes a proposal to get low-enriched uranium out of Iran, processed, and then sent back to Iran. This would allow Iran to have a peaceful nuclear energy program without weaponization capacity, Obama said.
"Unfortunately, so far at least, Iran appears to have been unable to say yes to what everyone acknowledges is a creative and constructive approach," he said.
From the start of his administration, Obama has said negotiations with Iran would not be open-ended. "We are now running out of time with respect to that approach," he said.
Meanwhile, the United States and Russia will continue to speak with Iranian leaders, Obama said.
"We believe that the United States and Russia will continue to urge Iran to take the path that leads them to meeting its international obligations," he said. "We can't count on that, and we will begin to discuss and prepare for these other pathways."
In his statement, Medvedev reinforced Obama's point.
"Negotiation process is not for the pleasure of the process itself, but it is done in order to reach practical, specific outcomes," he said. "In this case, our goal is clear: it is a transparent, up-to-date, peaceful program – not a program that would raise questions or concerns from the international community. We're prepared to work further, and I hope that our joint work will yield in positive results. In case we fail, the other options remain on the table in order to move the process in a different direction."
The two presidents also discussed Afghanistan, economic issues and the overall standing of U.S-Russian relations. Obama said that Medvedev was "frank, thoughtful and constructive" during the discussion. "I am somebody who genuinely believes that the reset button has worked, and that we are moving in a good direction," he said.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Obama Lays Out America's Asia-Pacific Agenda
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 14, 2009 - The United States is a Pacific nation, and America wants to strengthen alliances and understandings in the region, President Barack Obama said in Tokyo today. Obama gave a major policy speech at Suntory Hall to 1,500 Japanese leaders. He met with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and with the emperor and empress of Japan.
The president praised the U.S-Japanese alliance as a partnership based on mutual interests and respect. The alliance has served both nations well in the past, and he expects it will change and deepen in the future, he said.
The United States pledged to defend Japan when a treaty was signed almost 50 years ago. Security is part of the overall relationship between the nations, and the two leaders agreed to move expeditiously through a joint working group to implement the security agreement on restructuring U.S. forces in Okinawa, Obama said.
While Japan is the anchor of American interests and commitments in the Pacific, "it doesn't end here," the president said.
"Asia and the United States are not separated by this great ocean; we are bound by it," he said. "We are bound by our past – by the Asian immigrants who helped build America, and the generations of Americans in uniform who served and sacrificed to keep this region secure and free."
Prosperity binds the regions together, the president said, and he noted that millions of Americans trace their ancestry to Asia. "So I want everyone to know, and I want everybody in America to know, that we have a stake in the future of this region, because what happens here has a direct effect on our lives at home," Obama said.
Japan and China are two of America's largest trading partners, and the nations of Southeast Asia – especially Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore – are growing in importance to the American economy.
But the United States is interested in the region not only for economics, Obama said, but also for security.
"This is a place where the risk of a nuclear arms race threatens the security of the wider world, and where extremists who defile a great religion plan attacks on both our continents," he said.
Obama said the United States will engage with old friends and seek new ones throughout the region. Alliances with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines "continue to provide the bedrock of security and stability that has allowed the nations and peoples of this region to pursue opportunity and prosperity that was unimaginable at the time of my first childhood visit to Japan," he said.
"And even as American troops are engaged in two wars around the world," he added, "our commitment to Japan's security and to Asia's security is unshakeable, and it can be seen in our deployments throughout the region – above all, through our young men and women in uniform, of whom I am so proud."
The United States looks for nations such as Indonesia and Malaysia to play larger roles regionally, he said, and he stressed that the national security and economic growth of one country need not come at the expense of another.
"I know there are many who question how the United States perceives China's emergence," he said. "But as I have said, in an interconnected world, power does not need to be a zero-sum game, and nations need not fear the success of another. Cultivating spheres of cooperation – not competing spheres of influence – will lead to progress in the Asia-Pacific [region]."
This does not mean that China has a blank check, the president noted.
"America will approach China with a focus on our interests," he said. "It's precisely for this reason that it is important to pursue pragmatic cooperation with China on issues of mutual concern, because no one nation can meet the challenges of the 21st century alone, and the United States and China will both be better off when we are able to meet them together."
America welcomes China's effort to play a greater role on the world stage – a role in which their growing economy is joined by growing responsibility, he said.
"China's partnership has proved critical in our effort to jumpstart economic recovery," the president said. "China has promoted security and stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And it is now committed to the global nonproliferation regime, and supporting the pursuit of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."
The United States does not seek to contain China, nor does a deeper relationship with China mean a weakening of American bilateral alliances in the region, Obama said.
"On the contrary, the rise of a strong, prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations," he said. "So in Beijing and beyond, we will work to deepen our strategic and economic dialogue, and improve communication between our militaries.
"Of course, we will not agree on every issue," he continued, "and the United States will never waver in speaking up for the fundamental values that we hold dear – and that includes respect for the religion and cultures of all people – because support for human rights and human dignity is ingrained in America. But we can move these discussions forward in a spirit of partnership, rather than rancor."
The president said he also believes multilateral organizations can advance the security and prosperity of the Asia Pacific.
"I know that the United States has been disengaged from many of these organizations in recent years," he acknowledged. "So let me be clear: Those days have passed. As an Asia-Pacific nation, the United States expects to be involved in the discussions that shape the future of this region, and to participate fully in appropriate organizations as they are established and evolve."
The security of the 21st century in the area, the president said, is threatened by a legacy of the 20th century: the danger posed by nuclear weapons.
"In Prague, I affirmed America's commitment to rid the world of nuclear weapons, and laid out a comprehensive agenda to pursue this goal," he said. "I am pleased that Japan has joined us in this effort, for no two nations on Earth know better what these weapons can do, and together we must seek a future without them. This is fundamental to our common security, and this is a great test of our common humanity. Our very future hangs in the balance."
But as long as nuclear weapons exist, Obama added, "the United States will maintain a strong and effective nuclear deterrent that guarantees the defense of our allies – including South Korea and Japan."
Still, he said, an escalating nuclear arms race in the region would undermine decades of growth and prosperity. "So we are called upon to uphold the basic bargain of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty – that all nations have a right to peaceful nuclear energy; that nations with nuclear weapons have a responsibility to move toward nuclear disarmament and those without nuclear weapons have a responsibility to forsake them," he said.
The United States is pursuing a new agreement with Russia to reduce nuclear stockpiles and also is working to ratify and bring into force a nuclear test ban treaty. "And next year at our Nuclear Security Summit, we will advance our goal of securing all the world's vulnerable nuclear materials within four years," Obama said.
Strengthening the global nonproliferation movement is not about singling out individual nations, he said. "It's about all nations living up to their responsibilities," the president said. "That includes the Islamic Republic of Iran. And it includes North Korea."
North Korea has chosen a path of confrontation and provocation, Obama said, and is developing nuclear arms and the means to deliver them.
"It should be clear where this path leads," the president said. "We have tightened sanctions on Pyongyang. We have passed the most sweeping U.N. Security Council resolution to date to restrict their weapons of mass destruction activities. We will not be cowed by threats, and we will continue to send a clear message through our actions, and not just our words: North Korea's refusal to meet its international obligations will lead only to less security, not more."
North Korea can renounce these efforts and be welcomed into the community of nations, Obama said.
"Instead of an isolation that has compounded the horrific repression of its own people, North Korea could have a future of international integration," he said. "Instead of gripping poverty, it could have a future of economic opportunity – where trade and investment and tourism can offer the North Korean people the chance at a better life. And instead of increasing insecurity, it could have a future of greater security and respect. This respect cannot be earned through belligerence. It must be reached by a nation that takes its place in the international community by fully living up to its international obligations."
He called on North Korea to return to the six-party talks and uphold previous commitments including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He also called for the full and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
The United States will stand with Asian allies in combating the transnational threats of the 21st century: extremism, piracy, disease, poverty and modern-day slavery, the president said. "The final area in which we must work together'" he added, is in upholding the fundamental rights and dignity of all human beings."
The American agenda in the area is ambitious, and it will not be easy, Obama said. "But at this moment of renewal ... history tells us it is possible," the Hawaiian-born president said. "This is ... America's agenda. This is the purpose of our partnership with Japan, and with the nations and peoples of this region. And there must be no doubt: As America's first Pacific president, I promise you that this Pacific nation will strengthen and sustain our leadership in this vitally important part of the world."
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 14, 2009 - The United States is a Pacific nation, and America wants to strengthen alliances and understandings in the region, President Barack Obama said in Tokyo today. Obama gave a major policy speech at Suntory Hall to 1,500 Japanese leaders. He met with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and with the emperor and empress of Japan.
The president praised the U.S-Japanese alliance as a partnership based on mutual interests and respect. The alliance has served both nations well in the past, and he expects it will change and deepen in the future, he said.
The United States pledged to defend Japan when a treaty was signed almost 50 years ago. Security is part of the overall relationship between the nations, and the two leaders agreed to move expeditiously through a joint working group to implement the security agreement on restructuring U.S. forces in Okinawa, Obama said.
While Japan is the anchor of American interests and commitments in the Pacific, "it doesn't end here," the president said.
"Asia and the United States are not separated by this great ocean; we are bound by it," he said. "We are bound by our past – by the Asian immigrants who helped build America, and the generations of Americans in uniform who served and sacrificed to keep this region secure and free."
Prosperity binds the regions together, the president said, and he noted that millions of Americans trace their ancestry to Asia. "So I want everyone to know, and I want everybody in America to know, that we have a stake in the future of this region, because what happens here has a direct effect on our lives at home," Obama said.
Japan and China are two of America's largest trading partners, and the nations of Southeast Asia – especially Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore – are growing in importance to the American economy.
But the United States is interested in the region not only for economics, Obama said, but also for security.
"This is a place where the risk of a nuclear arms race threatens the security of the wider world, and where extremists who defile a great religion plan attacks on both our continents," he said.
Obama said the United States will engage with old friends and seek new ones throughout the region. Alliances with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines "continue to provide the bedrock of security and stability that has allowed the nations and peoples of this region to pursue opportunity and prosperity that was unimaginable at the time of my first childhood visit to Japan," he said.
"And even as American troops are engaged in two wars around the world," he added, "our commitment to Japan's security and to Asia's security is unshakeable, and it can be seen in our deployments throughout the region – above all, through our young men and women in uniform, of whom I am so proud."
The United States looks for nations such as Indonesia and Malaysia to play larger roles regionally, he said, and he stressed that the national security and economic growth of one country need not come at the expense of another.
"I know there are many who question how the United States perceives China's emergence," he said. "But as I have said, in an interconnected world, power does not need to be a zero-sum game, and nations need not fear the success of another. Cultivating spheres of cooperation – not competing spheres of influence – will lead to progress in the Asia-Pacific [region]."
This does not mean that China has a blank check, the president noted.
"America will approach China with a focus on our interests," he said. "It's precisely for this reason that it is important to pursue pragmatic cooperation with China on issues of mutual concern, because no one nation can meet the challenges of the 21st century alone, and the United States and China will both be better off when we are able to meet them together."
America welcomes China's effort to play a greater role on the world stage – a role in which their growing economy is joined by growing responsibility, he said.
"China's partnership has proved critical in our effort to jumpstart economic recovery," the president said. "China has promoted security and stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And it is now committed to the global nonproliferation regime, and supporting the pursuit of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."
The United States does not seek to contain China, nor does a deeper relationship with China mean a weakening of American bilateral alliances in the region, Obama said.
"On the contrary, the rise of a strong, prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations," he said. "So in Beijing and beyond, we will work to deepen our strategic and economic dialogue, and improve communication between our militaries.
"Of course, we will not agree on every issue," he continued, "and the United States will never waver in speaking up for the fundamental values that we hold dear – and that includes respect for the religion and cultures of all people – because support for human rights and human dignity is ingrained in America. But we can move these discussions forward in a spirit of partnership, rather than rancor."
The president said he also believes multilateral organizations can advance the security and prosperity of the Asia Pacific.
"I know that the United States has been disengaged from many of these organizations in recent years," he acknowledged. "So let me be clear: Those days have passed. As an Asia-Pacific nation, the United States expects to be involved in the discussions that shape the future of this region, and to participate fully in appropriate organizations as they are established and evolve."
The security of the 21st century in the area, the president said, is threatened by a legacy of the 20th century: the danger posed by nuclear weapons.
"In Prague, I affirmed America's commitment to rid the world of nuclear weapons, and laid out a comprehensive agenda to pursue this goal," he said. "I am pleased that Japan has joined us in this effort, for no two nations on Earth know better what these weapons can do, and together we must seek a future without them. This is fundamental to our common security, and this is a great test of our common humanity. Our very future hangs in the balance."
But as long as nuclear weapons exist, Obama added, "the United States will maintain a strong and effective nuclear deterrent that guarantees the defense of our allies – including South Korea and Japan."
Still, he said, an escalating nuclear arms race in the region would undermine decades of growth and prosperity. "So we are called upon to uphold the basic bargain of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty – that all nations have a right to peaceful nuclear energy; that nations with nuclear weapons have a responsibility to move toward nuclear disarmament and those without nuclear weapons have a responsibility to forsake them," he said.
The United States is pursuing a new agreement with Russia to reduce nuclear stockpiles and also is working to ratify and bring into force a nuclear test ban treaty. "And next year at our Nuclear Security Summit, we will advance our goal of securing all the world's vulnerable nuclear materials within four years," Obama said.
Strengthening the global nonproliferation movement is not about singling out individual nations, he said. "It's about all nations living up to their responsibilities," the president said. "That includes the Islamic Republic of Iran. And it includes North Korea."
North Korea has chosen a path of confrontation and provocation, Obama said, and is developing nuclear arms and the means to deliver them.
"It should be clear where this path leads," the president said. "We have tightened sanctions on Pyongyang. We have passed the most sweeping U.N. Security Council resolution to date to restrict their weapons of mass destruction activities. We will not be cowed by threats, and we will continue to send a clear message through our actions, and not just our words: North Korea's refusal to meet its international obligations will lead only to less security, not more."
North Korea can renounce these efforts and be welcomed into the community of nations, Obama said.
"Instead of an isolation that has compounded the horrific repression of its own people, North Korea could have a future of international integration," he said. "Instead of gripping poverty, it could have a future of economic opportunity – where trade and investment and tourism can offer the North Korean people the chance at a better life. And instead of increasing insecurity, it could have a future of greater security and respect. This respect cannot be earned through belligerence. It must be reached by a nation that takes its place in the international community by fully living up to its international obligations."
He called on North Korea to return to the six-party talks and uphold previous commitments including the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He also called for the full and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
The United States will stand with Asian allies in combating the transnational threats of the 21st century: extremism, piracy, disease, poverty and modern-day slavery, the president said. "The final area in which we must work together'" he added, is in upholding the fundamental rights and dignity of all human beings."
The American agenda in the area is ambitious, and it will not be easy, Obama said. "But at this moment of renewal ... history tells us it is possible," the Hawaiian-born president said. "This is ... America's agenda. This is the purpose of our partnership with Japan, and with the nations and peoples of this region. And there must be no doubt: As America's first Pacific president, I promise you that this Pacific nation will strengthen and sustain our leadership in this vitally important part of the world."
Obama Orders Review of Fort Hood Prelude
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 14, 2009 - President Barack Obama used his weekly address today to call for a careful and complete review of what happened before the Nov. 5 tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas.
Here is the text of the president's address:
This was a week for honoring the extraordinary service and profound sacrifice of our men and women in uniform.
Every fall, we set aside a special day to pay tribute to our veterans. But this year, Veterans Day took on even greater poignancy and meaning because of the tragic events at Fort Hood.
On Tuesday, I traveled there to join with the Fort Hood community, the Army, and the friends and families of the victims to honor thirteen of our fellow Americans who died – and the dozens more who were wounded – not on some distant shore, but on a military base at home.
Every man and woman who signs up for military service does so with full knowledge of the dangers that could come – that is part of what makes the service of our troops and veterans so extraordinary. But it's unthinkable that so many would die in a hail of gunfire on a US Army base in the heart of Texas, and that a fellow service-member could have pulled trigger.
There is an ongoing investigation into this terrible tragedy. That investigation will look at the motives of the alleged gunman, including his views and contacts. As I said in Fort Hood, I am confident that justice will be done, and I will insist that the full story be told. That is paramount, and I won't compromise that investigation today by discussing the details of this case. But given the potential warning signs that may have been known prior these shootings, we must uncover what steps – if any – could have been taken to avert this tragedy.
On the Thursday evening that this tragedy took place, I met in the Oval Office with Secretary of Defense Gates, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – Admiral Mullen, and FBI Director Mueller to review the immediate steps that were necessary to support the families and secure Fort Hood. The next morning, I met with the leadership of our military and the intelligence community, and ordered them to undertake a full review of the sequence of events that led up to the shootings.
The purpose of this review is clear: We must compile every piece of information that was known about the gunman, and we must learn what was done with that information. Once we have those facts, we must act upon them. If there was a failure to take appropriate action before the shootings, there must be accountability. Beyond that – and most importantly – we must quickly and thoroughly evaluate and address any flaws in the system, so that we can prevent a similar breach from happening again. Our government must be able to act swiftly and surely when it has threatening information. And our troops must have the security that they deserve.
I know there will also be inquiries by Congress, and there should. But all of us should resist the temptation to turn this tragic event into the political theater that sometimes dominates the discussion here in Washington. The stakes are far too high.
Of all the responsibilities of the presidency, the one that I weigh most heavily is my duty as Commander-in-Chief to our splendid service-men and women. Their character and bravery were on full display in that processing center at Fort Hood, when so many scrambled under fire to help their wounded comrades. And their great dignity and decency has been on display in the days since, as the Fort Hood community has rallied together.
We owe our troops prayerful, considered decisions about when and where we commit them to battle to protect our security and freedom, and we must fully support them when they are deployed. We also owe them the absolute assurance that they'll be safe here at home as they prepare for whatever mission may come. As commander in chief, I won't settle for anything less.
This nation will never forget the service of those we lost at Fort Hood, just as we will always honor the service of all who wear the uniform of the United States of America. Their legacy will be an America that is safer and stronger – an America that reflects the extraordinary character of the men and women who serve it.
Nov. 14, 2009 - President Barack Obama used his weekly address today to call for a careful and complete review of what happened before the Nov. 5 tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas.
Here is the text of the president's address:
This was a week for honoring the extraordinary service and profound sacrifice of our men and women in uniform.
Every fall, we set aside a special day to pay tribute to our veterans. But this year, Veterans Day took on even greater poignancy and meaning because of the tragic events at Fort Hood.
On Tuesday, I traveled there to join with the Fort Hood community, the Army, and the friends and families of the victims to honor thirteen of our fellow Americans who died – and the dozens more who were wounded – not on some distant shore, but on a military base at home.
Every man and woman who signs up for military service does so with full knowledge of the dangers that could come – that is part of what makes the service of our troops and veterans so extraordinary. But it's unthinkable that so many would die in a hail of gunfire on a US Army base in the heart of Texas, and that a fellow service-member could have pulled trigger.
There is an ongoing investigation into this terrible tragedy. That investigation will look at the motives of the alleged gunman, including his views and contacts. As I said in Fort Hood, I am confident that justice will be done, and I will insist that the full story be told. That is paramount, and I won't compromise that investigation today by discussing the details of this case. But given the potential warning signs that may have been known prior these shootings, we must uncover what steps – if any – could have been taken to avert this tragedy.
On the Thursday evening that this tragedy took place, I met in the Oval Office with Secretary of Defense Gates, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – Admiral Mullen, and FBI Director Mueller to review the immediate steps that were necessary to support the families and secure Fort Hood. The next morning, I met with the leadership of our military and the intelligence community, and ordered them to undertake a full review of the sequence of events that led up to the shootings.
The purpose of this review is clear: We must compile every piece of information that was known about the gunman, and we must learn what was done with that information. Once we have those facts, we must act upon them. If there was a failure to take appropriate action before the shootings, there must be accountability. Beyond that – and most importantly – we must quickly and thoroughly evaluate and address any flaws in the system, so that we can prevent a similar breach from happening again. Our government must be able to act swiftly and surely when it has threatening information. And our troops must have the security that they deserve.
I know there will also be inquiries by Congress, and there should. But all of us should resist the temptation to turn this tragic event into the political theater that sometimes dominates the discussion here in Washington. The stakes are far too high.
Of all the responsibilities of the presidency, the one that I weigh most heavily is my duty as Commander-in-Chief to our splendid service-men and women. Their character and bravery were on full display in that processing center at Fort Hood, when so many scrambled under fire to help their wounded comrades. And their great dignity and decency has been on display in the days since, as the Fort Hood community has rallied together.
We owe our troops prayerful, considered decisions about when and where we commit them to battle to protect our security and freedom, and we must fully support them when they are deployed. We also owe them the absolute assurance that they'll be safe here at home as they prepare for whatever mission may come. As commander in chief, I won't settle for anything less.
This nation will never forget the service of those we lost at Fort Hood, just as we will always honor the service of all who wear the uniform of the United States of America. Their legacy will be an America that is safer and stronger – an America that reflects the extraordinary character of the men and women who serve it.
Guard Members in Three States Respond to Flooding
By Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 13, 2009 - More than 160 National Guard members in three states have responded to flooding caused by heavy rains from Tropical Storm Ida today. Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey have called up Guard members to evacuate residents in high-water areas as well as provide cots, sandbags and potable water.
In Virginia, almost 100 Guardsmen have deployed high-water vehicles in support of the Portsmouth, Va., fire department.
The governor of New Jersey has declared a state of emergency for the Cape May and Atlantic counties due to flooding. The New Jersey National Guard has provided 18 Army Guardsmen with 10 5-ton trucks to help civilian authorities with evacuations, Guard officials reported.
About 40 members of the Delaware National Guard have provided support to civilian emergency relief agencies in Kent and Sussex counties.
On Nov. 12, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell placed 32 Army Guardsmen on state active duty. They reported to readiness centers in Georgetown, Seaford, Dagsboro, and Milford to serve as crew for 16 large M1078 trucks, known as light-medium tactical vehicles.
These four teams will provide a quick response if needed for evacuation or use by emergency personnel, Guard officials said.
According to Army 2nd Lt. Nathan Bright, a Delaware Guard spokesman, the Guard has so far:
-- Provided transport for a medical evacuation in the Oaks Orchard area;
-- Provided and transported 50 cots to the evacuation center in the Indian River area and 1,000 sandbags to affected communities; and
-- Prepared and staged seven 400-gallon water "buffalos" and a 4,000-gallon water tanker for distribution of potable water if needed after waters recede.
A second shift of 33 soldiers began processing at the readiness centers early this morning to relieve those activated last night, Bright said. All 65 soldiers will remain on alert in shifts.
The Delaware National Guard's Joint Operations Center and military support directorate continue to coordinate with and assist the Delaware Emergency Management Agency in providing assistance to state and local agencies, Bright said.
The National Hurricane Center reports that the rain is fading along the mid-Atlantic coast. Flood warnings and advisories will remain in effect for portions of the central Gulf Coast, the southeastern United States and the Mid-Atlantic States.
(Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Nov. 13, 2009 - More than 160 National Guard members in three states have responded to flooding caused by heavy rains from Tropical Storm Ida today. Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey have called up Guard members to evacuate residents in high-water areas as well as provide cots, sandbags and potable water.
In Virginia, almost 100 Guardsmen have deployed high-water vehicles in support of the Portsmouth, Va., fire department.
The governor of New Jersey has declared a state of emergency for the Cape May and Atlantic counties due to flooding. The New Jersey National Guard has provided 18 Army Guardsmen with 10 5-ton trucks to help civilian authorities with evacuations, Guard officials reported.
About 40 members of the Delaware National Guard have provided support to civilian emergency relief agencies in Kent and Sussex counties.
On Nov. 12, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell placed 32 Army Guardsmen on state active duty. They reported to readiness centers in Georgetown, Seaford, Dagsboro, and Milford to serve as crew for 16 large M1078 trucks, known as light-medium tactical vehicles.
These four teams will provide a quick response if needed for evacuation or use by emergency personnel, Guard officials said.
According to Army 2nd Lt. Nathan Bright, a Delaware Guard spokesman, the Guard has so far:
-- Provided transport for a medical evacuation in the Oaks Orchard area;
-- Provided and transported 50 cots to the evacuation center in the Indian River area and 1,000 sandbags to affected communities; and
-- Prepared and staged seven 400-gallon water "buffalos" and a 4,000-gallon water tanker for distribution of potable water if needed after waters recede.
A second shift of 33 soldiers began processing at the readiness centers early this morning to relieve those activated last night, Bright said. All 65 soldiers will remain on alert in shifts.
The Delaware National Guard's Joint Operations Center and military support directorate continue to coordinate with and assist the Delaware Emergency Management Agency in providing assistance to state and local agencies, Bright said.
The National Hurricane Center reports that the rain is fading along the mid-Atlantic coast. Flood warnings and advisories will remain in effect for portions of the central Gulf Coast, the southeastern United States and the Mid-Atlantic States.
(Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Army Reports Possible Increase in Suicides for October
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 13, 2009 - The Army is investigating 16 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers in October, about twice the number reported among the same population in September, Army officials said. Of the seven reported in September, three have been confirmed as suicides, and four still are under investigation to determine the manner of death.
From January through October, the Army reported 133 potential active-duty suicides. Of those, 90 deaths have been confirmed as suicides, and the other 43 remain under investigation. For the same period in 2008, there were 115 suicides among active-duty soldiers.
"Stigma continues to be one of the most difficult challenges we confront," said Army Brig. Gen. Colleen McGuire, director of the Suicide Prevention Task Force. "The more we educate our Army community about the need to get help, the need to get it early, and that full recovery is often possible, the less stigma we'll see."
Suicide is not absent from the reserve components, as 69 potential suicides were reported among reserve-component soldiers not on active duty for the first 10 months of 2009. Of those, 41 have been confirmed as suicides. For the same time period in 2008, there were 47 suicides. October accounted for eight of the potential suicides in 2009.
In an effort to curb suicides, the Army in March chartered the multidisciplinary task force McGuire heads up. Its mission was to make rapid improvements across the full spectrum of health promotion, risk reduction and suicide prevention programs. It has made more than 170 improvements to these programs, Army officials said.
Army leaders took it a step further when they announced the formal start of the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program on Oct. 1. The holistic program is designed to emphasize psychological, emotional and mental strength. The new program uses a balanced, multifaceted approach and a lifelong learning model that includes individual assessment, tailored virtual training, classroom training at all levels of Army education, and embedded resilience experts.
The goal of the program is to provide soldiers the critical skills then need to face any and all of life's challenges, officials said.
Army leaders can access current health promotion guidance in the newly revised Army Regulation 600-03.
Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact Military OneSource or the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. Both organizations provide trained consultants around the clock, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
American Forces Press Service
Nov. 13, 2009 - The Army is investigating 16 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers in October, about twice the number reported among the same population in September, Army officials said. Of the seven reported in September, three have been confirmed as suicides, and four still are under investigation to determine the manner of death.
From January through October, the Army reported 133 potential active-duty suicides. Of those, 90 deaths have been confirmed as suicides, and the other 43 remain under investigation. For the same period in 2008, there were 115 suicides among active-duty soldiers.
"Stigma continues to be one of the most difficult challenges we confront," said Army Brig. Gen. Colleen McGuire, director of the Suicide Prevention Task Force. "The more we educate our Army community about the need to get help, the need to get it early, and that full recovery is often possible, the less stigma we'll see."
Suicide is not absent from the reserve components, as 69 potential suicides were reported among reserve-component soldiers not on active duty for the first 10 months of 2009. Of those, 41 have been confirmed as suicides. For the same time period in 2008, there were 47 suicides. October accounted for eight of the potential suicides in 2009.
In an effort to curb suicides, the Army in March chartered the multidisciplinary task force McGuire heads up. Its mission was to make rapid improvements across the full spectrum of health promotion, risk reduction and suicide prevention programs. It has made more than 170 improvements to these programs, Army officials said.
Army leaders took it a step further when they announced the formal start of the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program on Oct. 1. The holistic program is designed to emphasize psychological, emotional and mental strength. The new program uses a balanced, multifaceted approach and a lifelong learning model that includes individual assessment, tailored virtual training, classroom training at all levels of Army education, and embedded resilience experts.
The goal of the program is to provide soldiers the critical skills then need to face any and all of life's challenges, officials said.
Army leaders can access current health promotion guidance in the newly revised Army Regulation 600-03.
Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact Military OneSource or the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. Both organizations provide trained consultants around the clock, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
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