Wisconsin prepares to leave Iraq

By Lt. Col. Tim Donovan

Wisconsin National Guard

(1/2/09) - It's been a long deployment for 3,200-plus soldiers of the Wisconsin National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, but it is finally coming to an end.

Sometime in early January, the first of many chartered airliners will touch down at a Wisconsin airfield and Red Arrow soldiers will begin planting their boots back on the ground in their home state after completing their service in Iraq.

As the 32nd Brigade's public affairs officer in Iraq, I've had an opportunity to send a few dozen releases from Baghdad over the past eight months to let Wisconsin know what our troops are doing here.These have all been straightforward, fact-based descriptions of our units' missions and our soldiers' accomplishments.

In this final dispatch, I will be a bit more personal, as some of the things I think Wisconsin should know are less tangible. So opinions and impressions I have formed from my observations here are sprinkled in.

The mobilization--which involved the largest operational deployment of Wisconsin Guard troops since World War II--actually started more than a year before it formally began. Throughout 2008, the brigade's soldiers beefed up their once-a-month weekend training and spent a week longer than normal during annual training in August 2008.

Last January, the brigade's soldiers travelled to Camp Blanding, Fla., for a final three weeks of pre-mobilization training, checking off requirements for weapons qualification, individual warrior tasks, and accomplishing the collective training that would pull them together into effective teams of soldiers, leaders, staffs.

By the time the 32nd arrived for two final months of training at Fort Bliss, Texas, toward the end of February, it may already have been the best trained National Guard brigade ever to report to a mobilization training site.

But Red Arrow soldiers continued to train, now focusing on the specific missions that awaited them in Iraq--missions, in many cases, completely different from the types of things the brigade's units would normally do.

A few years earlier, an infantry brigade in Iraq would likely be engaged in full-spectrum combat operations. But by 2009 U.S. force levels were declining as combat operations shifted to stability operations, so the 32nd Brigade was assigned missions that supported the things that needed to be done in the present rather than the past.

The brigade's missions, though perhaps less glamorous than combat operations, were no less important or difficult. Arguably they were harder and even more essential. The 32nd was assigned not to break Iraq's military forces with combat power, but to work together with government, military and civilian officials to build Iraq up. This is important and difficult work in a combat zone.

When we arrived here in May 2009 we were ready to do our jobs as well as they could be done. And we were committed to leave Iraq a better place than we found it.

In the harsh and challenging environment that greeted them eight months ago, Red Arrow soldiers got right to work.

Spread out across a country about the size of California, they took over the administration of several forward operating bases and the International Zone in central Baghdad, they assumed responsibility for theater internment facilities and treated detainees humanely and with respect, they provided area security and base defense, they secured ground movements, formed quick reaction forces, moved 10,000 detainees without incident, closed the largest detention facility on the planet, trained a corps of professional Iraqi corrections officers, inspected the nation's detention facilities to ensure they met international standards, turned U.S.-controlled International Zone properties to the Iraqi government and kept the IZ safe. And they performed some missions we can't yet talk about.

They did all of these things--they did them as well as they can be done--because they brought with them a rare combination of military training and the civilian education, skills, life experiences, creativity, and maturity that abound in a National Guard comprised of citizen-soldiers. And they also did these things with a Wisconsin work ethic and high standards that reflect our values as an Army and a nation, and as Wisconsin Guard soldiers.

Wisconsin National Guard soldiers here saw dramatic improvements in Iraq's confidence as a sovereign nation and in the growing capability of Iraq to positively influence its own destiny. But we did more than merely stand witness to Iraq's historic progress, Wisconsin troops helped write much of that history by their impressive performance here.

We are leaving Iraq a better place than we found it. And Iraq is, surprisingly, returning the favor.

As we leave Iraq a better nation with a brighter future, we are leaving here as better soldiers, to be sure, because soldiers always grow from the experience of intense soldiering. But most of us are also returning to Wisconsin as better citizens, better leaders, better followers, better employees, better students, better neighbors, better friends.

Most of us will come home, I think, as better people.

The 3,200 Red Arrow soldiers experienced the hardship of a long deployment far from home, endured sandstorms and searing desert heat, were enriched by our exposure to the fascinating Iraqi culture, mastered new and difficult jobs, worked effectively with other services and service members from other nations, formed deep friendships likely to last our lifetimes, and escaped occasional attacks by an ignoble enemy.

You can't help be changed by these experiences. I think they have made us stronger, better.

Our replacements from the Texas Guard's Houston-based 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team arrived a few weeks ago and we wish them well. As we transfer our missions to the Texans who will succeed us here, we will move south to Kuwait to wait for our flights home--the end of a journey that began nearly one year ago. We'll see you soon.

And to Iraq, we say "Farewell."

Nevada Guardsman receives battlefield promotion

By Capt. Tony Wickman
Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team

(1/2/09) - A Nevada National Guardsman received a surprise New Year's Day gift in the form of a battlefield promotion here Jan. 1. Spc. David Ellis, Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team security force gunner and driver deployed from the Nevada National Guard's 1st Squadron, 221st Calvary Regiment, was promoted to the grade of E-5 for demonstrating extraordinary job performance while serving in combat conditions.

"I'm very happy... it's a personal gain," said Ellis, a native of Las Vegas, Nev. "I've had my E-4 rank for close to five years, and it was something I had my mind set on to get my E-5. I've been recognized because I've busted my butt to prove myself."

1st Lt. Stewart Brough, SECFOR platoon leader, relished the chance to recognize one of his soldiers with a battlefield promotion. "It's a really good feeling when you get to stand in front of your troops and recognize one of them for being outstanding," he said. "He (Ellis) is deserving of this recognition."

After helping pin Ellis' new rank on him, Sgt. Brandon Copley, Ellis' supervisor, praised the newest member of the NCO corps.

"Ellis is an exceptional Soldier ... by far one of the best people I've had the pleasure of serving with," said Copley, a native of Las Vegas, Nev. "He deserves this promotion."

The battlefield promotion program started as a one-year trial program in April 2008 and was made a permanent practice in June 2009. Ellis was one of eight Regional Command-East soldiers, out of approximately 25,000, to receive a battlefield promotion on New Year's Day.

"Sgt Ellis is the kind of person you go to get stuff done and he never complains," said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Samuel West, PRT executive officer and a resident of Phoenix, Ariz. "He always keeps safe and does a great job."

Ellis said a positive, can-do attitude will help soldiers achieve their goals.

"If you do as you're told, don't complain and get the job done, rewards will come to those who do what they're supposed to do," Ellis said.

Ellis said receiving the promotion as a National Guard soldier was satisfying, because it shows the value of each solider, regardless of duty status.

"Being a Guardsman, it was a real honor getting the promotion," Ellis said. "I'm just like every other soldier. I put my uniform and boots on the same way as any other active duty soldier."

Ellis was quick to praise his employer back home, American 5 hotels, for their support.

"I'm head of security for Americana 5 hotel chain back in Las Vegas, and my employer has been very supportive of me doing my Army duty," Ellis said.

The battlefield promotion program gives commanders a special tool to recognize enlisted soldiers for doing their jobs above and beyond what is expected of them under combat conditions. Final approval for these promotions is the commander of U.S. Army Central Command.

Nearly a 1,000 active duty, Reserve and National Guard soldiers have received battlefield promotions to staff sergeant and below since April 2008. To qualify for battlefield promotion, soldiers must be serving in a position and demonstrate the skills of the rank to which they're being promoted.

A soldier is eligible for only one battlefield promotion to an NCO rank, and the promotion must not be used as a reward in lieu of personal commendations or awards.

MILITARY CONTRACTS January 4, 2010

AIR FORCE

Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, Calif., was awarded a $34,300,000 contract to implement the following changes to the functionality available for the Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals Increment 1: CTRD update version 9.2; Simple Key Loader 6.0 interface to data set manager (DSM) for DSM, flash control station profiles; and implementation of auto broadcast features on XDR. At this time, $500,000 has been obligated. 653rd SNND/PK, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (F19628-02-C-0048-P00180).

NAVY

General Dynamics, Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Anniston, Ala., is being awarded a $9,840,219 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of up to 222 Standoff Land-Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) titanium warhead housings for the U.S. Navy and various Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will be performed in Anniston, Ala., and is expected to be completed in January 2015. Contract funds in the amount of $568,976 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity (N68936-10-D-0008).

Dyncorp International, LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded an $8,737,879 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for management and logistic services in support of the Naval Test Wing Atlantic's research, development, test and evaluation aircraft. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be completed in December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to DFAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-10-C-0022).

Parsons Infrastructure and Technology Group, Inc., Pasadena, Calif., is being awarded a $7,581,787 modification under a multiple award contract firm-fixed-price task order for the exercise of option period II which provides for program and engineering support of capital improvement projects in the metro San Diego area. The total cumulative task order amount after exercise of this option will be $19,488,548. The task order also contains two unexercised options which, if exercised, would increase cumulative task order value to $35,140,123. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by January 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $967,556 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N00178-05-D-4487-EFE2).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, N.Y., is being awarded a $6,084,429 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement to provided engineering, technical and sustaining services in support of Taiwan Air Force E-2C aircraft. Work will be performed in Bethpage, N.Y. (75 percent), and at Pingtung Air Force Base, Taiwan (25 percent). Work is expected to be completed in January 2011. 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 (N00421-05-G-0001).

More than 3,000 Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers return from Iraq in January

January 4, 2010: The 3,200 Soldiers from the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and six other Wisconsin Army National Guard units will return to Wisconsin beginning Tuesday. Leading the way will be approximately 115 Soldiers, mostly from the Fort Atkinson-based Troop A, 105th Calvary, followed by the remaining 3,000 Soldiers throughout the month. All are scheduled to return to Volk Field where they will be met by senior National Guard officials, a military band and family members — homecomings are not open to the general public. Following an initial reunion with their families and a brief official "welcome home," ceremony the Soldiers will travel to nearby Fort McCoy to begin about five days of demobilization processing before being released from active duty.

The 32nd Brigade, augmented by six other Wisconsin Army National Guard units, was ordered to active duty Feb. 1, 2009 and deployed to Iraq in April and May following two months of training at Fort Bliss, Texas.

During training and while in Iraq, the brigade was organized into 27 company-sized units. Rather than operating as a brigade, the 32nd was tasked with a variety of missions throughout Iraq. These missions included forward operating base administration, base defense, area security, quick reaction forces, freedom of movement security support, detainee guard force operations at theater internment facilities, closing the largest internment facility in Iraq, transferring detainees, operating an academy to train Iraqi corrections officers, inspecting detention facilities, securing and administering the International Zone in Baghdad, and turning over U.S.-controlled properties back the government of Iraq. The brigade's Soldiers operated around the clock, most of them working at least 12 hours a day — day after day, week after week, for eight full months in Iraq.

Having accomplished their mission, each company began transferring responsibilities to units from the Texas National Guard's 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team at the end of December and will continue to do so as they prepare to return to Wisconsin in January.

Behavioral Health Communications Garner Awards for TRICARE

January 04, 2010: Getting help to military members facing behavioral and mental health issues is a top priority for TRICARE – and so is getting the word out about how to find that help. This effort to reach out to beneficiaries with essential benefit information resulted in TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) receiving several honors recently for mental and behavioral health care communications in the annual League of American Communications Professionals (LACP) 2009 Magellan Awards Communications Campaign Competition. TRICARE received the “Best Campaign on a Limited Budget” award; a gold award in the Community Relations category and was selected for third place in the top 50 campaigns worldwide.

The 2009 Magellan awards included nearly 400 government agencies, major corporations and public relations firms worldwide. The LACP was established to facilitate discussion of best-in-class practices in communications within the public relations industry and recognize those who demonstrate exemplary communications.

“This is a time of great stress for our military service members and families,” said Rear Adm. Christine Hunter, deputy director of TMA. “These Magellan awards show just how serious we are about communicating the availability of mental and behavioral health assistance and reducing the stigma of getting help. This remains one of our top priorities going forward.”

TMA’s Mental/Behavioral Health campaign placed third among the top 50 campaigns with a score of 98 out of a possible 100.

“To be classified in the top three among multi-billion dollar corporations and agencies is remarkable,” said S. Dian Lawhon, director of TMA’s Communications and Customer Service Division (C&CS). “We’re honored to be selected for our comprehensive communications programs and products and in particular, to be cited by the judges for our clear messaging and audience focus.” Office Depot Foundation, ESPN, Hormel Foods, TGI Friday’s and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia were among those also placing in the top 10.

TMA 2009 award winning mental and behavioral health communication products included the development and distribution of the comprehensive TRICARE behavioral health guide and the development of a Mental Health Resource Center on the TRICARE website at www.tricare.mil/mentalhealth.

Soldier Returns to Panama Home

By Army Sgt. Alun Thomas
Special to American Forces Press Service

Jan. 4, 2010 - After the U.S. Army invaded Panama in 1989 to oust the dictator Gen. Manuel Noriega, the country's people went on to rebuild their lives. Twenty years after Operation Just Cause, a soldier deployed here who left Panama before the war began to live in the United States had the chance to return to his native country as a U.S. soldier.

Army Sgt. Nicanor Garcia, a crew chief with the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, said the road back to Panama was worth the long wait.

Garcia, 34, who now calls Kileen, Texas, home, said growing up in Panama was mostly pleasant, with little to worry about in his early years.

"I was living in Panama City in a decent neighborhood," he said. "It wasn't middle class, but it wasn't lower class. It was something in between. Economically, it wasn't so good, but I had the love of my mother and I had a lot of friends, so it wasn't that bad."

Garcia said things remained calm until Noriega's regime began to take hold during the 1980s.

"We had an elected president, [and] things were going well, but slowly it started deteriorating, and a dictatorship was established by General Noriega," Garcia said. "Suddenly, there would be no buses to take us to school, ... so I couldn't go to school because it was too far to walk."

As the move toward war intensified, Garcia said Noriega began to resort to desperate measures to recruit for his army -- even trying to recruit boys as young as 11 -- and that his mother would have none of that.

"I was 13 at that point," Garcia said, "so my mom said 'No, you're not going to be in Noriega's army to defend him.' She wanted to get me out of the country, so we went and applied for a visa, and thankfully I got approved."

In April 1989 Garcia went to live with his grandmother in Brooklyn, N.Y., avoiding the war that would destroy his country.

"God knows what could have happened if I'd stayed," he said. "Back then, there was so much confusion in the country during the hours of the invasion that anything could have happened. Shots fired could have gone through our window or doors, things like that. It could have gone bad. So I'm glad my mother got me out of the country."

Joining the Army was an easy decision after 9/11, Garcia said.

"I love New York City, and I used to see the towers every day. When they came down, I said to myself 'I have to do something,'" he said. "Another reason I joined is this country has given me so much. ... In Panama, I would never be working on Apaches and I would never have the lifestyle the U.S. offered me."

After joining the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, Garcia said, he dreamed of returning to Panama.

"I had to delay going back to Panama in part because of my Army career," he explained. "Also, I wanted to take my mom, who eventually came to the states and became a citizen. I wanted to take my family with me so we could experience it together, because I hadn't been back there for so long."

Garcia took his mother, wife and 5-year-old daughter back to Panama while on leave from Iraq last year, and found himself reliving his childhood.

"From the moment I landed, memories started coming back. ... I remembered leaving that airport, and it looked pretty much the same. I saw the rest of my family that were there to greet me at the airport. A lot of them were older, of course, and I met brand new cousins that I had never seen before."

Garcia said he visited his former neighborhood, and that although Panama City has become modernized, the people remain the same.

"I went back to my old neighborhood where I grew up, and it had totally changed," Garcia said. "There were still a few buildings that were there from when I was young; a mechanic and car repair shop with the same owner."

"I went in and said hello to the owner, and he actually remembered me," he continued. "It was funny and interesting, because the country has changed so much, but the people haven't."

The experience left Garcia realizing things have improved significantly in Panama.

"It has changed for the better, definitely, because if it wasn't for the invasion, there wouldn't be democracy in Panama," Garcia said. "I liked the whole experience, because it brought me back to when I was a kid. But at the same time, [it] reminded me where I came from.

"I wanted to stay, but I had to come back and complete the mission," Garcia said with a laugh.

(Army Sgt. Alun Thomas serves with the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Air Cavalry Brigade public affairs office.)

Commanders: Iraq Progress Will Continue in U.S. Drawdown Year

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 1, 2010 - Progress in Iraq will continue as American forces draw down in the next year, U.S. commanders in Iraq said today. Army Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of U.S. Forces Iraq, and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, spoke about current conditions in Iraq during a press conference in Baghdad.

Odierno said December marked the first month since the war started in 2003 with no U.S. battle casualties. "We had three non-battle deaths, but we had zero battle deaths due to combat operations," he said.

Iraqi forces are doing well in dealing with internal threats, but they still need capacity to defend the country from external threats. "We think that will take a couple more years yet," Odierno said.

U.S. forces continue to work with Iraqi naval, land and air forces to beef up the capabilities. "Much of the modernization that will continue, (and) much of the equipment that we leave behind, will be focused on the external (defense) piece," Odierno said. U.S. trainers will continue their mission in the nation.

Odierno dispelled a number of rumors and conspiracy theories. He said the United States is not holding any conferences with members of the Baathist party – Saddam Hussein's former ruling party.

"What we do is support the government of Iraq's reconciliation program," he said. "We don't reconcile with elements, only the government of Iraq can reconcile with these elements. They have to choose based on the threat who they reconcile with. We can support (the government) if asked, but that's the only time we will do that."

Odierno also called for Syria to better seal the border. While the Syrian government is not involved in the attacks in Iraq, foreign fighters and explosives still move through the country. "We would like to see Syria do more to stop these fighters and suicide bombers from coming into Iraq," he said.

The recent bombings in Baghdad point to al-Qaida hiring out members of the Baathist party to work with them, Odierno said.

"It's a statement on the state of these organizations," he said. "The size of al-Qaida has been reduced significantly, they can no longer conduct the attacks independently, they can only do it with the help of others. Baathist elements are no longer capable of operating independently as well, so the successes we've had have forced them to work together."

Many of those planting bombs or launching attacks are doing it solely for the money. Odierno called these terrorists opportunists. Iraqi security forces and U.S. forces have been working to eliminate the funds al-Qaida can raise to pay these people.

The U.S. commander in Iraq is concerned about recent attacks aimed at provincial and tribal leaders in the country. A recent attack targeted Anbar governor Qasim al Fahdawi, who was wounded. The attacks are attempts to de-legitimize the government ahead of the March elections, Odierno said.

"(The enemy) do not want the elections to go ahead, they do not want them to be successful," he said. "Obviously, we will work with Iraqi security forces to do an assessment of why this happened. It's not a sign of crumbling security. What it says is there are still groups capable of launching these attacks."

Both Odierno and Petraeus said they they are confident that Iraqi security forces are up to the challenge that the March 7 national election poses. The elections are important, and al-Qaida is attacking to disrupt and de-legitimize the government.

"They are focused on the elections, because they know if the elections move forward and we have a peaceful transition of government, that's going to become almost impossible for them to overthrow the state that's been established in Iraq," Odierno said.

Petraeus said the delay in the Iraqi elections – originally set for January and now March 7 – will have no impact on the U.S. withdrawal.

"We're going to accelerate the transition in one area – Anbar province," Petraeus said. The drawdown comes at the same time that 30,000 more American forces are set to surge in Afghanistan.

Mullen Underscores Importance of Academy Experience

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 31, 2009 - On hand for a pair of service academy football bowl games in Texas today, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, underscored the symbolism of the matchups for troops around the world. But he also emphasized the importance of looking at an academy experience as a potential for launching careers as military officers.

"These games are watched around the world and the players playing in them know that so that they represent great institutions," he said in an interview before the Armed Forces Bowl here that pitted the Air Force Academy against the University of Houston. Mullen, who returned recently from a trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, said the games in which service academies appear resonate with military personnel stationed in the Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries.

"I just returned from being overseas for a week and some of the discussions I had with players were about these games," he said. "They're very proud of the teams and what they represent."

The chairman said one of the things he reminds players of is the institutions and the country they represent – a sense of scale and magnitude that young players often find hard to comprehend.

"My recollection of being at that age is you don't realize per se how special cadets or midshipmen are, and who they represent," Mullen said.

The chairman said his presence at the game here, and later at the Texas Bowl in Houston, in which the Naval Academy faced off with Missouri, was to remind them of the resonance of their mission and to show the nation's appreciation for their service.

A day earlier in a pep talk to the Air Force team, Mullen shared an anecdote about meeting a former center on the Falcon team who had planned to conclude his service in the Air Force after his stint at the academy and once his mandatory service tenure was complete. But that player, now a captain who Mullen met during his recent trip Afghanistan, decided to take another look at the Air Force as a career, he said.

"He said, 'I got commissioned, and it's probably something I'm going to do for a career,'" Mullen said yesterday, recalling his conversation with the young airman in Afghanistan. He added that it's not uncommon for troops to attend a service academy for one reason, then remain in the military for another – a model that echoes Mullen's own.

"I actually made the decision to go to the service academy without a long-term vision," he said of his decision to attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. "Initially I was only going to be there two years ... of course, it worked out a little differently."

Asked what caused him to decide to remain in military for a career, Mullen cited two reasons.

"First, it would be the mission and serving your country. And then secondly, it's the people," he said. "I met the best people of my entire life when I showed up at Annapolis; it's been that way right through today: people that care, people that you want to be around, teammates just like this football team here today that really are making a difference and doing something bigger than anything for themselves, so in that regard they're a very special group, as are all the service academies."

Not trivializing the gravity of today's bowl games, Mullen predicted – accurately, it turns out – that both teams would win in exciting games.

"Yes, they're focused on a football game, there should be no other focus today," he said. "But there's also a lot to look forward to."

Military Academy Bowl Victories Shine Light on Armed Forces

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 31, 2009 - The Air Force and Naval academy football teams triumphed in their respective bowl games today, shining a spotlight on the servicemember-athletes comprising the rosters and the armed forces they represent. Military honors were replete here at the 5th annual Armed Forces Bowl, which pitted the underdog Air Force Falcons against the University of Houston in a rematch of last year's bowl game that saw the Falcons falter.

The nation's highest-ranking military officer -- who has a penchant for handing out coins bearing the insignia of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- accepted a coin at the 50-yard line for the official toss that would grant the Falcons first possession of the ball.

In a reverse of pessimistic prognostications that favored the University of Houston by more than four points, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen sounded a hopeful prediction for the Falcons before kickoff.

"We come in as underdogs routinely in games like this, and I can't think of a team that's better prepared than Air Force today to go up against this very good team, and Navy a little later on to go up against Missouri," he said, referring to a separate bowl game that played out later. "I look forward to both service academies winning."

As the Falcons took the field, their helmets shone under the lights at Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of Texas Christian University. But for today's game, the familiar lightning bolt adorning the helmet was changed from solid Air Force blue to a camouflage pattern in a show of solidarity with airmen deployed downrange.

More than a quarter of the estimated crowd of 40,000 fans comprised servicemembers and their family members who took advantage of complimentary tickets donated by Bell Helicopter, which joined ESPN as a cosponsor of the game in 2006. The sponsorship was a natural fit, said the company's top executive, since more than half of Bell's business is with military clientele.

"This is an opportunity for us to not only recognize the uniformed services, but also to recognize the families and the sacrifices the families make for the uniformed servicemembers," said John Garrison, the president and CEO of Bell Helicopter and a former Army Airborne Ranger.

During the first half, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs made his rounds throughout the stadium, greeting military personnel and civilians alike and frequently replenishing his handshake with supplies from the hulking change purse containing his military coins.

One of the troops to accept Mullen's coin-laden grip was Army Spc. Jason Williamson, who was assigned to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment when he was injured in Mosul, Iraq, in July 2008. Williamson, taking a break from his recovery south of here at Fort Hood, Texas, and his family took advantage of the complimentary tickets along with some 12,000 others.

With the Air Force taking a commanding lead at halftime, the teams retired to their locker rooms as Mullen and servicemembers representing each military branch congregated at mid-field, where the chairman accepted the Great American Patriot Award on behalf of the 2.2 million men and women in the armed forces.

After accepting the award in honor of troops already in uniform, the chairman then officially enlisted roughly 125 recruits, comprising 25 members of each service branch and a cross-section of troops that included both enlisted members and officer candidates.

The columns of young recruits repeated the oath of enlistment in lock-step with the chairman, after which Mullen told them over the audience's applause, "Welcome aboard!"

One member of the wave of America's newest troops to receive the oath of enlistment and the coin from the nation's top military officer was Army cadet Capt. Travis Barrington. The young recruit, somewhat awestruck, remarked that he'd never seen so many ribbons on one uniform.

"I've been to general promotions before," said Barrington, a student at Texas Christian University, "but I've never met someone this high up.

"I wanted to serve my country in the best way I knew how, and the best way I knew how to do that was to join the ROTC and become an officer and lead soldiers," Barrington said, describing his reason for enlisting. And in contrast to Mullen's vision upon his joining the ranks, Barrington, an aspiring transportation officer added, "I'd like to make a career out of it. Then I'd like to become a minister someday."

As a young sailor at the U.S. Naval Academy, Mullen never would have predicted he would be reading to someone like Barrington the military scripture that turns civilians into troops. In his own words, Mullen arrived at the academy with "no long-term vision" of remaining in the military for the long haul. But in hindsight, he advises young servicemembers to remain open to considering the military as a long-term career, reflecting his own serendipitous decision to stay in uniform.

Mullen's prediction for the games' outcomes proved much more accurate than the personal vision he divined as a young sailor looking into his own future. At the conclusions of today's matchups, the Air Force trounced Houston University 47 – 20, before Navy took on Missouri at the Texas Bowl in Houston, where the academy torpedoed their opponents 35-13.

Top 10 call-outs of the National Guard in 2009

By Master Sgt. Greg Rudl
National Guard Bureau

Staff Sgt. William Griffin of the 136th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion drives a Humvee on a road flooded by water from the Sheyenne River April 15, 2009, in Fort Ransom, N.D. Griffin and Spc. Jessica Sandberg, of the 132nd Quartermaster Battalion are making a welfare visit to a rural civilian resident at his home, which is surrounded by the flood water. (DoD photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp) (Released)

download hi-res photoARLINGTON, Va., (12/31/09) - In addition to the thousands of Soldiers and Airmen currently activated for ongoing federal missions, the Guard provides significant response to planned events and unexpected contingencies. On average, on any given day, 17 governors call out their Guard to help citizens in need. Though 2009 lacked a major hurricane, wildfire or other natural disaster, it still had its moments. Here are the biggest and most memorable call-outs of 2009.

#10 Mena, Arkansas tornado

The pictures of its destruction reminded many of the 2007 F-5 twister in Greensburg, Kan., and the tornado that devastated Parkersburg, Iowa, in 2008. Soon after a powerful tornado ripped through the community of 5,700 the night of April 10, members of the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team arrived. They conducted search and rescue and set up security check points. As morning broke and the destruction became more visible, more Guardmembers arrived to help.

#9 Runaway balloon

Call it a publicity stunt gone wrong, but when the Colorado National Guard got the call in October that a silver Mylar balloon was adrift with possibly a boy inside, they wasted no time scrambling UH-60 Black Hawk and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters to provide assistance to civilian authorities tracking it. As millions watched on TV, the small balloon crashed gently some 50 miles from where it started – with no one aboard.

#8 The Blizzard of 2009

The recent storm that crippled the Eastern seaboard with record snowfall had governors in affected states and the District of Columbia calling out more than 1,200 Guardmembers. The Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen responded, performing missions that included aerial reconnaissance, transporting food, water, blankets and other supplies, transporting stranded motorists and health care professionals and sheltering operations.

#7 Snow and rain in Washington

When previous heavy snowfall combined with on-going rainfall caused flooding conditions throughout the state in January, more than 400 Washington National Guard members were called out to help. They cleared snow, staffed traffic control points, used high-water vehicles to evacuate people, moved supplies and conducted door-to-door health and welfare checks, not to mention delivering 30,000+ sandbags to affected areas.

#6 Kentucky ice storms

Though the western part of Kentucky was hardest hit, this massive ice storm stretched from the Ozarks through Appalachia, paralyzing several states in late January and early February, including Arkansas and Missouri. Over 4,000 were called up in Kentucky alone – its largest in history – to clear debris, provide communications support, engineering capability, power generation, security and aviation recovery missions as well as distribute food and water.

#5 Red River flooding

Saving a town from flooding takes team work and a strong back. Guardmembers from Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, Missouri and South Dakota – 2,000-3,000 of them – found that out in March and April when they helped fill and place millions of sandbags. Why? The Red River, swelled from rain and snow, was threatening the towns of Fargo and Moorhead. They also did snow removal, worked at traffic control checkpoints, helped in evacuations and assisted local law enforcement in dike and shelter security.

#4 Tsunami response in American Samoa

This call-out was memorable because of the way Guardmembers got to the scene of the disaster. Hundreds of members of the Hawaii Air National Guard climbed aboard military jets and flew thousands of miles to provide medical care and other aid to residents of American Samoa in September after a tsunami struck the region. Medical teams treated people in the capital and other troops convoyed to remote villages to support search and rescue operations.

#3 Oil refinery fire

More than 300 Puerto Rico National Guard troops responded to a massive fire that burned a refinery near San Juan in October. The Army Guard’s 215th Firefighting Team and the Puerto Rico Air National Guard worked with local firefighters to contain the blaze.

#2 G-20 Summit

Demonstrators took to the streets in Pittsburgh, Pa., Sept. 24-25 but so did more than 2,500 Pennsylvania National Guard members to maintain order, supporting local, state and federal authorities. It was called Operation Steel Kickoff – fitting for a town with six Super Bowl Championships.

#1 Presidential inauguration

Many estimates had the Guard presence for the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration at over 10,000. They came from states near and far, by personal auto to military transport. They patrolled a packed National Mall providing security, crises response, basic first aid and medical evacuation if needed. Guardmembers manned traffic control points, facilitated communications and some even marched in the inaugural parade and played in bands at inaugural balls.

Military Contracts December 31, 2009

AIR FORCE

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc, Poway, Calif., was awarded a $266,055,622 contract for program management; urgent repairs and services; logistics support; configuration management; technical manual and software maintenance; engineering technical services; contract engineering technical specialists; contractor inventory control point and spares management; depot repair; flight; operations support; reliability/maintenance enhancements; and CAMS/REMIS/CEMS data collection entry for the Predator/Reaper MQ-1 and MQ-9 unmanned aircraft system program. At this time, $53,211,124.4 has been obligated. 703rd Aeronautical Systems Squadron, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-05-G-3028).

Boeing Co., Long Beach, Calif., was awarded a $263,581,484 modified contract for the basic C-17 Globemaster III sustainment partnership contract that provides total systems support responsibility to Boeing for the C-17 weapon system to include program management; sustaining logistics; material and equipment management; sustainment engineering; depot level aircraft maintenance; engine management; long term sustainment planning; air logistics center partnering support; depot activation; and support of Air Force and Foreign Military Sales operator of the C-17. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 730 ACSG/GFKAA, Robins Air Force Base, Ga, is the contracting activity (FA8614-04-C-2004).

Raytheon Co, McKinney, Texas, was awarded a $38,078,612 contract to provide for CY10 contractor logistics support of the multi-spectral targeting system for the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft systems. At this time, $12,565,938 has been obligated. 703 AESG/SYK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-06-G-4041).

The Scitor Corp., El Segundo, Calif., was awarded a $15,000,000 contract to extend advisory and assistance services to the Space Based Infrared Systems Wing for a period of six months starting Jan. 1, 2010. At this time, $4,605,965 has been obligated. ISSW/PK, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8810-09-C-0002).

ARMY

Zachry Construction Corp., San Antonio, Texas, was awarded on Dec. 21, 2009, a $22,376,777 firm-fixed-price contract for construct channel improvement, mission reach, Phase 2a. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 10, 2011. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web with six bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-10-C-0007).

Honeywell International, Tempe, Ariz., was awarded on Dec. 23, 2009, a $22,194,580 firm-fixed-price contract for 1,227 J7 digital electronic control units and six J7 digital electronic control unit control tests. Work is to be performed in Tucson, Ariz., with an estimated completion date of March 30, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM Contracting Center, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-10-C-0121).

David Boland, Inc., Titusville, Fla., was awarded on Dec. 23, 2009, a $20,869,748 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for HUBZone MATOC, West Banks and vicinity, WBV-24 Segnette State Park floodwall. Work is to be performed in Jefferson Parish, La., with an estimated completion date of June 24, 2011. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web with 13 bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, District, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-10-C-0026).

L.B. Foster Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., was awarded on Dec. 22, 2009, an $18,068,310 fixed-price contract for supply, transport, storage and maintenance of various lengths of sheetpile in New Orleans, La. Work is to be performed at various locations in Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of July 21, 2011. Bids were solicited via the FedBizOpps Web site and Army Single Face to Industry, with three bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hurricane Protection Office, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-10-C-0031).

IAP Worldwide Services, Panama City, Fla., was awarded on Dec. 18, 2009, a $16,642,697 firm-fixed-price contract for line haul transportation within Kuwait and Iraq. Work is to be performed in Kuwait and Iraq with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Army Contracting Center, RICC-CCRC-RT, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait City, Kuwait, is the contracting activity (W912D1-05-D-0011).

Tepa Ec, LLC, Colorado Springs, Colo., was awarded on Dec. 16, 2009, a $15,294,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of a battalion complex, company operation facility and unmanned vehicle hangar. Work is to be performed in Fort Carson, Colo., with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2011. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web with three bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, Omaha, Neb., is the contracting activity (W912HN-08-D-0022).

Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., Hurst, Texas, was awarded on Dec. 17, 2009, a $13,215,299 firm-fixed-price contract for the upgrade of 270H-58D Kiowa Warrior aircraft Control Display System (CDS) version 2 to the current CDS4 configuration. Work is to be performed in Hurst, Texas, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-09-C-0065).

Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc., McLeansville, N.C., was awarded on Dec. 18, 2009, a $12,838,294 firm-fixed-price contract for the acquisition in support of the Installation Information Infrastructure Modernization program for Fort Benning. Work is to be performed in Fort Benning, Ga., with an estimated completion date of July 1, 2013. 10 bids were solicited with four bids received. Army Contracting Command, NCRCC-ITEC4, Alexandria, Va., is the contracting activity (W91QUZ-06-D-0027).

Altech, Inc., Texarkana, Texas, was awarded on Dec. 16, 2009, a $12,613,690 firm-fixed-price contract for the design/build of an Armed Forces Reserve Center at Red River Army Depot, Texas. Work is to be performed in Red River, Texas, with an estimated completion date of May 1, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with nine bids received. U.S. Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-10-C-0019).

BAE Systems, York, Pa., was awarded on Dec. 23, 2009, a $12,575,761 cost-reimbursable, no-fee contract. A combination of funds from operations and maintenance reset and the Army Working Capital Fund are being used to fund the termination liability schedule. Work is to be performed in York, Pa., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 31, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM, CCTA-AHL-A, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-05-G-0005).

Flynco, Inc., Little Rock, Ark., was awarded on Dec. 22, 2009, a $12,549,078 construction firm-fixed-price contract for the design/build of an Armed Forces Reserve Center at Pine Bluff, Ark. Work is to be performed in Pine Bluff, Ark., with an estimated completion date of May 1, 2011. Bids were solicited via the FedBizOpps Web site with eight bids received. U.S. Army Corps oF Engineers, Louisville District Office, CELRLCT-M, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity (W912QR-10-C-0022).

EADS North American Defense, Arlington, Va., was awarded on Dec. 18, 2009, a $11,733,285 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for the funding of program year 05 of the Army's utility helicopter for six hoist B-kits, 624 hours of contractor field team in support of the main post helipad at the National Training Center. Work is to be performed in Arlington, Va., with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2016. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, CCAM-BH-C, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-06-C-0194).

Logistics Value Integrations, Inc., Fairfax, Va., was awarded on Dec. 16, 2009, a $10,621,534 labor-hour contract for the services for the non-army managed items asset management system. Work is to be performed in Rock Island, Ill., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 16, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM-Rock Island, CCTA-AR-FB, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-10-F-0011).

Costello Construction of Maryland, Columbia, Md., was awarded on Dec. 22, 2009, a $10,503,200 design-build firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is a two-phase design-build for a new National Museum of Health and Medicine to be built at Forest Glen Annex, Md. The museum currently resides at Walter Reed Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Work is to be performed in Silver Spring, Md., with an estimated completion date of April 1, 2011. One bid was solicited via the FedBizOpps Web site with seven bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-10-C-0005).

Rockwell Collins, Simulation and Training Solutions, Sterling, Va., was awarded on Dec. 21, 2009, a $10,304,294 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of one transportable Blackhawk operations simulator device nine, Bahrain military sales. Work is to be performed in Sterling, Va., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2013. One bid solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, CCAM-BH-C, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0257).

ENSCO, Inc., Falls Church, Va., was awarded on Dec. 22, 2009, a $9,705,275 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the support for the system survivability analysis, modeling and balanced survivability assessments program. Work is to be performed in Falls Church, Va., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (HSTRA1-07-C-0049).

Weeks Marine, Inc., Covington, La., was awarded on Dec. 21, 2009, a $7,908,571 firm-fixed-fee contract. This contract is for the passes of the Mississippi River, Southwest Pass maintenance dredge, cutterhead or dredge rental contract No. 1-2009, mile 5.0 AHP to 19.5 BHP, C/L Sta. 2925+20 to C/L Sta., Plaquemines Parish, La. The work consist of furnishing one fully crewed and equipped cutterhead or dustpan dredge and attendance plant with a dredge discharge size not less than 27 inches inside diameter nor greater than 30 inches on a rental basis. Work is to be performed at the Mississippi River Southwest Pass area and possible areas of the New Orleans District, with an estimated completion date of Apr. 23, 2010. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with two bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P9-10-C-0028).

Creek Services, LLC, Gretna, La., was awarded on Dec. 21, 2009, a $7,857,398 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract is for the construction of the Atchafalaya Basin Levee E-40 project. The work consist of levee enlargement; cleaning and grubbing; fertilizing; seeding and mulching levee crown; ramps and access road surfacing; and other incidental work. Work is to be performed in Iberville Parish, La., with an estimated completion date of June 26, 2011. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with 13 bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-10-C-0025).

Kaman Aerospace Corp., Helicopter Division, Bloomfield, Conn., was awarded on Dec. 22, 2009, a $7,152,540 firm-fixed-price contract to exercise the option for application of corrosion prevention blade coating on 500 government furnished blades for installation on the UH/HH-60M aircraft. Work is to be performed in Bloomfield, Conn., with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2014. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, CCAM-BH-A, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-09-C-0155).

AAI Corp, Hunt Valley, Md., was awarded on Dec. 23, 2009, a $7,109,408 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. This is an indefinite-quantity contract with five ordering periods. Task order 0003, with funding modifications 01 through 04, is for unmanned aerial vehicle systems engineering and technical support. Funds are obligated upon the issuance of each order period/task order/modification. The contract minimum level of effort is 146 man-hours of engineering, technical and support labor. Engineering and technical services are required to support Joint Technology Center/Systems Integration Laboratory research, development and engineering tasks conducted by the contractor on its fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles and related interfaces, components, processes, capabilities and architectures. Work is to be performed in Redstone Arsenal, Ala. (95 percent), and Hunt Valley, Md. (5 percent), with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2013. One bid was solicited with one bid received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aviation and Missile Contracting Center, CCAM-RD-A, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-08-D-0035).

Healtheon, Inc., New Orleans, La., was awarded on Dec. 23, 2009, a $5,898,178 firm-fixed-price contract for HUBZone MATOC, Lake Pontchartrain and vicinity, north of Airline Highway, Bayou Trepagnier Complex floodwall, Phase 2. Work is to be performed in St. Charles Parish, La., with an estimated completion date of June 6, 2011. 11 bids were solicited with eight bids received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, New Orleans, La., is the contracting activity (W912P8-09-C-0043).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

DeRossi & Son Co.*, Vineland, N.J., is being awarded a maximum $11,644,200 firm fixed-price, total set-aside, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for men's dress coats. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Army. The original proposal was Web solicited with four responses. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is April 30, 2011. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM1C1-10-D-1029).

Career Counselor Continues Mission in Iraq

By Army Spc. Maurice A. Galloway
Special to American Forces Press Service

Dec. 31, 2009 - Army Staff Sgt. Brain K. Pascual likes to get out and tell soldiers about their re-enlistment options as part of his work as a career counselor in Iraq. Assigned to the 308th Brigade Support Battalion, 17th Fires Brigade, Pascual is one of 70 Army career counselors deployed throughout Multinational Force Iraq.

The Waipahu, Hawaii, native has met his retention goals for the 2009 fiscal year.

Pascual has "a real passion for his job and truly exemplifies the Army values," said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph E. Santos, 17th Fires Brigade's senior noncommissioned officer. "We couldn't be more proud of him and all of the effort that he has shown since he's been with us."

The Fort Lewis, Wash.-based brigade has led all units on post in retaining soldiers for the past three years, and it shows no sign of slowing while deployed to Basra, Iraq.

"Sergeant Pascual has done a great job for us," said Senior Career Counselor Army Master Sgt. Jason A. Koutsalas. "It's very rare that you find someone that has a genuine compassion for soldiers and their families compiled with a tremendous work ethic like him."

Career counselors like Pascual receive directives from the Department of the Army Headquarters informing them of specifications and monetary incentives for soldiers eligible to re-enlist in this all-volunteer Army.

Counselors then market the Army to eligible candidates throughout their unit in trying to meet the needs of the soldier as well as the retention requirements of the Army.

After meeting with soldiers and gaining an assessment of what it would take to gain their continued service, Pascual then correlates the soldier's request with the incentives offered for the fiscal re-enlistment year and drafts a custom contract.

"Soldiers are the driving force of this Army; it's their service that astonishes me, because they don't have to stay, but yet time after time I listen to people and they tell me that there is nothing else they'd rather do," Pascual said.

Pascual's success has earned a nomination to compete in the Secretary of the Army Career Counselor of the Year Competition in Washington, D.C., Jan. 18.

"The hardest thing for me is being the center of attention, because I know that nothing is accomplished alone," Pascual said. "I feel that if I'm being recognized, then my whole team should be as well. So I'm not only representing myself, I've been selected to represent our entire brigade."

(Army Spc. Maurice A. Galloway serves with the 17th Fires Brigade Public Affairs Office.)

Servicemember Voting Laws Reflect Changes

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 31, 2009 - Laws have changed and servicemembers who want to vote need to be aware of these changes, the director of the Federal Voting Assistance Program said. Generally, military personnel who want to vote are a higher percentage than that in the general population. Still, there can be roadblocks to exercising the franchise.

Overseas-deployed servicemembers may find that "the absentee ballot doesn't get to them on time, so they can vote it and send it back to the election official so it can be counted," Bob Carey explained during an interview yesterday.

In the general population about nine out of every 10 absentee ballots are successfully cast, the director said. "Only about six or seven out of every 10 military ballots are successfully returned," he said.

The biggest problems, Carey said, involves the nature of overseas duty and delays in the military postal system.

Carey's organization is working to expedite the voting process for military members. On the postal side, officials are looking at ensuring that all military ballots take seven days or less in transit. Imagine an express-mail service for military voters, Carey said.

The power of the Internet also is being harnessed. Military voters can go to www.fvap.gov for almost one-stop shopping. A servicemember can go online and find the necessary voting forms and fill them out right there.

"Down the line we will also have an online ballot system where they can receive the ballot online, fill it out online and chose their candidates online," Carey said. "They will still have to print it out and sign it, but it would end the wait of getting the ballots."

Deployed servicemembers -- at combat outposts and aboard ships -- are the most affected by voting issues. Many military voters also are younger and aren't aware of the processes behind voting, Carey noted.

"We're trying to make it easy," he said, "so they don't have to know chapter and verse of election law in order to participate in the process."

One of the bigger changes in the process is that military voters must send in a federal postcard application – again available at www.fvap.gov -- as soon as possible.

"The law has changed and even if they have been getting their absentee ballot automatically they have to register each and every year," Carey pointed out.

Servicemembers also must submit a postcard application each time they move, each time they deploy and each time they redeploy.

"We're encouraging everyone by Jan. 15 to send in a new federal postcard application," Carey said. Local election officials, he said, are more than happy to deliver balloting materials, but they have to know where to send them.

Program Helps Servicemembers Transition to Civilian Life

By Christen N. McCluney
Special to American Forces Press Service

Dec. 31, 2009 - The Department of Defense's Transition Assistance Program is working to prepare servicemembers and their families for a successful transition to civilian life. “We are trying to ensure that [servicemembers] transition from active duty back to the civilian community is a smooth and seamless one," Ron Horne, deputy director for the Transition Assistance Program at the Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy told listeners during a "Dot Mil Docs" interview today.

The idea of the program is to make them aware of the support systems that are available to them, he said. The DoD has a partnership with the Departments of Labor and Veterans Affairs to help servicemembers with their transition. The program also works with the Department of Homeland Security for Coast Guard Members as well.

Horne said that the program has five major components to it: pre-separation counseling, Department of Labor employment workshops, VA benefits briefings, the Disabled Transition Assistance Program and one-on-one counseling, all of which take place at local military installations and bases.

The pre-separation counseling component consists of an overview of 16 topics that counseling and coaching addresses with service members, Horne said. It gives a review of transition services, benefits, and resources available for the transition process.

The employment workshop is "a baseline to start looking and preparing for employment," said Horne. In the workshop, servicemembers go over skills including resume writing, creating cover letters, dressing for success and job search techniques.

The VA benefits briefing serves as a session to inform servicemembers of benefits they may be entitled to include the Montgomery GI Bill, healthcare, VA counseling and the home loan program.

Servicemembers who have a service related disability also must attend the DTAP briefing. "In this session they learn about the benefits they may be entitled based on their ratings from VA," Horne said.

Once servicemembers have completed those four core components of TAP, they are eligible for one-on-one counseling at their installations transition office, Horne said. Transition counselors assist the servicemembers in a variety of ways including completing their resume, information on medical benefits and technology access.

For Army installations, services are provided by Army Career and Alumni Program Centers. On Navy installations, the transition assistance office is usually located at the Fleet and Family Support Center, at Marine Corps Bases the services are provided through the Marine Corps Community Services and Air Force services are provided through the Airmen and Family Readiness Flight centers. Members of the Coast Guard can receive services through Work-Life offices.

Horne also said that many separating servicemembers are not looking for employment but are returning to school. "We encourage them to use their education benefits because they've earned it and that is one way to ensure that they are prepared to compete with their contemporaries that were getting an education while they were on active duty," he said.

He encourages servicemembers to start their transition process 12 months before voluntarily leaving the service and 24 months before retiring. "Anyone that reaches the 18th year mark should start the transition process," he said. "It is overwhelming when you wait until the last minute."

TAP also has a Web site, www.turbotap.org, which offers a timeline on the transitioning process and other resources that help with the entire process. "We are trying to get [servicemembers] started early enough so that they can plan to do things step by step."

He also said the TAP office is "rethinking and reshaping the program," so that transitioning isn't an event but a process from when a servicemember joins the military to their departure or retirement or as long as they need assistance once they become a veteran. The program hopes to guide servicemembers in setting career goals and starting financial planning early. They are also finding ways to leverage technology to reach their younger audiences through Facebook, Twitter, and texting.

"We feel that TAP needs to be designed and developed in a way that when a member needs it, it will be there for them. Whether it's a facility at a base or online for someone that is at a remote location," Horne said. "We think the future of Tap is bright and we have a way to go, but we have done some wonderful things."

(Christen N. McCluney works in the Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media directorate.)

Christmas inside a plow truck – South Dakota Guard responds to record blizzard

By Maj. Brendan Murphy
South Dakota National Guard

When meteorologists predicted more than a foot of snow, high winds and impossible travel across South Dakota in the days before Christmas, Guardmembers here prepared and waited to respond. “Our job was to get snow removal equipment where it was needed, or potentially needed,” said Col. Scott Jacobson, director of operations for the South Dakota Army Guard, just before the record-breaking winter storm hit.

The South Dakota Guard awaited the support request from the emergency management agency as the state braced itself for a blanket of snow, wind and freezing temperatures during the Christmas weekend.

Meteorologists had predicted a foot of snow or more, high winds and virtually impossible travel across the state.

Winter storm warnings and travel advisories were issued. The state’s emergency operations center in Pierre requested support from the National Guard. Gov. Mike Rounds issued a state of emergency Dec. 22.

Guard officials prepositioned equipment and notified personnel to stand ready to assist with snow removal from the state’s roads and highways.

The storm made its way into the Black Hills and the plains and delivered on meteorologists’ predictions.

Higher elevations in the Black Hills received up to 40 inches of snow while the eastern part of the state reported accumulations ranging from one to two feet. Rapid City reported wind gusts up to 76 mph.

The Guard’s Rapid City Task Force 109 dispatched snow blowers, dozers and dump trucks. More than 80 Soldiers from TF109 assisted the Department of Transportation with snow removal missions.

They formed “blade teams” consisting of various heavy-equipment that worked statewide in snow removal operations.

Guard teams also delivered six, 20-ton truckloads of firewood to the citizens of the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations.

At least 30 South Dakota Guard members remain in storm response operations in support of state agencies.

New Yorkers Enjoy New Years' With Additional Security in Place

York National Guard to Provide Support to City, State over Holiday weekend

(12/30/2009) - As New Yorkers and visitors gear up for New Year's Eve celebrations, the Citizen Soldiers and Airmen of the New York National Guard remain on duty in support of homeland security missions across the state. At the direction of New York Gov. David Paterson, members of the New York Army and Air National Guard will conduct additional security missions and stand ready to respond to local civil authorities if an emergency occurs.

Throughout New York City, National Guard Soldiers and Airmen will conduct security operations at Penn Station, the PATH terminal, and LaGuardia and JFK airports in coordination with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The airport security measures directed by Paterson earlier this week were the result of the failed terrorist bombing on Christmas Day of a commercial airliner in Detroit.

"Our actions should not raise the alarm, but rather demonstrate that we are working at the local, state and federal levels to keep travelers safe," Paterson said in a statement Dec. 28.

The National Guard's 2nd Civil Support Team (CST), a full-time rapid response element that detects chemical, biological or radiological hazards will also provide a detachment in Manhattan to support the New York Police Department. The 22-man detachment, based at the Scotia Air National Guard Base near Schenectady, N.Y. has been partnered with the NYPD for counter-terrorism support operations since the unit's formation in 2000.

It is estimated that a million people will celebrate New Years' in Times Square. The New York Police Department will control all access points to Times Square as part of the evening's security plans. No bags or backpacks are permitted. Emergency Service squads, drug and bomb sniffing canine units and other counter-terrorism personnel will be present in Times Square on New Year's Eve.

At the New York National Guard headquarters in Latham, N.Y., staff representatives from New York State military forces will man the National Guard's Joint Operations Center. This command and control node provides liaison and linkage to the State Emergency Management Office and New York State Department of Homeland Security.

"We will be monitoring Joint Task Force Empire Shield and the 2nd Civil Support Team," Maj. Robert Stabb, director of the New York National Guard Joint Operations Center, explained. "Empire Shield and the 2nd CST both are ready to assist the city of New York as required," he said.

The New York National Guard will also provide liaison officers to the New York Police Department in preparation for the New Year's celebration.

Media representatives who wish to visit the Joint Operations Center at the National Gaurd Joint Forces Headquarters in Latham should contact the public affairs office at 518-786-4581 before noon on Dec. 31.

For more information about the capabilities and organization of the New York National Guard, visit the Division of Military and Naval Affairs website at http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/

New year’s resolution: nominate your patriotic employer for an ESGR award

Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith

National Guard Bureau

 

(12/30/09) - Providing pay and benefits during deployments, sending care packages to deployed employees, allowing time off, and celebrating military service with send-off and homecoming ceremonies are just a few commitments that the Guard and Reserve’s top employers are honored for each year. And officials here are asking Guard and Reserve servicemembers to begin 2010 with a resolution to speak out and honor their patriotic employers.

 

“With ongoing global operations, support from employers for Guard and Reserve service is more critical now than ever,” said officials with the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).

 

The ESGR’s mission is to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding support. It also increases awareness of the laws governing Guard and Reserve service and resolves conflict through mediation.

 

Guard and Reserve leaders continually stress how critical the support of families, communities and employers are to the defense of the nation.

 

“If you added up all of your family members and all the employers you touch, we have over a million people that directly know what we do with the National Guard of the United States," said Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, speaking to thousands of Guard leaders during a conference in November.

 

But officials said honoring employers depends on nominations by Guard and Reserve members.

 

“All employer recognition and awards originate from nominations by individual reserve component members,” said ESGR officials.

 

Filling out two online forms and writing a few words about your employers is all it takes to honor them. Here’s how:

 

Patriot Award

 

• Go online to www.esgr.org and click on the Patriot Award link and fill out the nomination form.
• This award recognizes all employers with a certificate and accompanying lapel pin and are considered for other awards and recognitions based on their level of support.
• Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award
• Go online to http://www.freedomaward.mil/ and fill out the nomination form.

This award is the highest in a series of employer recognition awards given by the DoD. The deadline for nominations is Jan. 18.

 

Officials said the award was created to “publicly recognize employers that provide exceptional support to their National Guard and Reserve employees.”

 

More than 3,200 nominations for awards were submitted to ESGR this year. Fifteen employers, ranging from mega-corporations to small businesses, local firehouses and police departments were honored in Washington by the nation’s top elected officials, celebrities and Guard and Reserve leaders.

National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Activated as of December 29, 2009

This week the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps announced an increase in activated reservists, while the Army and Coast Guard announced a decrease. The net collective result is 217 fewer reservists activated than last week.

At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 105,243; Navy Reserve, 6,281; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 15,706; Marine Corps Reserve, 7,600; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 774. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 135,604, including both units and individual augmentees.

A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found at http://www.defense.gov/news/Dec2009/d20091229ngr.pdf.

MILITARY CONTRACTS December 30, 2009

NAVY

Sauer, Inc., East Jacksonville, Fla. (N40080-10-D-0490); Haskell, Jacksonville, Fla. (N40080-10-D-0491); John C. Grimberg, Rockville, Md. (N40080-10-D-0492); TtEC-Tesoro, JV, Virginia Beach, Va. (N40080-10-D-0493); and Whiting-Turner, Baltimore, Md. (N40080-10-D-0494), are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity large multiple award construction contract for various large dollar construction projects within the area of responsibility of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Washington. The maximum dollar value, including the base period and four option years, for all five contracts combined is $750,000,000. Sauer, Inc., is being awarded task order 0001 at $15,478,820 for construction of the headquarters facility and Officer Candidate School mess hall at Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Va. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by July 2011. All work on this contract will be performed within NAVFAC Washington's area of responsibility, to include Maryland (55 percent), Virginia (30 percent), and Washington, D.C. (15 percent). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of December 2014. Contract funds for task order 0001 will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 10 proposals received. These five contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Systems Integration-Owego, Owego, N.Y., is being awarded an $81,973,196 firm-fixed-price modification to definitize a previously awarded advance acquisition contract. This definitization will provide for the production and delivery of common cockpits for the MH-60S Lot 12 aircraft and MH-60R Lot 8 aircraft. In addition, this modification provides for long lead items to support MH-60S Lot 13 and MH-60R Lot 9 common cockpit kits. Work will be performed in Owego, N.Y. (58.8 percent); Salt Lake City, Utah (13.9 percent); Farmingdale, N.Y. (12.7 percent); Grand Rapids, Mich. (4.7 percent); Woodland Hills, Calif. (3.7 percent); Lewisville, Texas (2.9 percent); Windsor Locks, Conn. (2.2 percent); Middletown, Conn. (0.6 percent); and Butler, N.J. (0.5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in July 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-06-C-0098).

Lockheed Martin, Maritime Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $32,013,370 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for technical and engineering support and related operation and maintenance of the Navy's Combat Systems Engineering Development Site and technical engineering support of the SPY-1A test lab and Naval Systems Computing Center. Work under this modification is in support of the U.S. Navy and the governments of Australia, Spain and Korea. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J., and is expected to be completed by October 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-10-C-5124).

L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, LP, Waco, Texas, is being awarded a $16,099,786 ceiling-priced modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract to complete Zone 5 critical airframe structures replacements for five P-3C aircraft in support of the P-3C sustainment, modification and installation program. Work will be performed in Waco, Texas (80 percent), and Greenville, Texas (20 percent). Work is expected to be completed in December 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $5,677,624 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-05-D-0008).

Niking Corp.*, Wahiawa, Hawaii, is being awarded firm-fixed-price task order 0003 at $15,237,555 under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity design-build multiple award construction contract to install grid-tied photovoltaic power systems at Naval Station Pearl Harbor. Work will be performed in Oahu, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by July 2011. Funds for this project are provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62478-08-D-4010).

Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded a $13,777,196 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously issued basic ordering agreement for the design, development and manufacture of 12 peculiar support equipment end items to support the intermediate and operational level of maintenance of the V-22 aircraft for the Navy and the Air Force. Work will be performed in Amarillo, Texas, and is expected to be completed in March 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $10,626,029 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N68335-06-G-0007).

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a modification, P00025, to a previously awarded contract to establish contract line item ceiling worth $13,198,666, cost-plus-fixed fee, for January through April of calendar year 2010 production support for the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile. Production support includes tasks needed to support missile production that are not directly associated with the manufacture of missile hardware. This modification combines purchases of the NATO SEASPARROW Consortium which includes the Navy and the governments of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Turkey. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (45 percent); Camden, Ark. (2 percent); Andover, Mass. (10 percent); Australia (11 percent); Canada (7 percent); Denmark (1 percent); Greece (1 percent); Germany (8 percent); The Netherlands (6 percent); Norway (5 percent); Spain (3 percent); and Turkey (1 percent). Work is expected to be complete by April 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-07-C-5432).

McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Company, St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $12,420,974.00 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, without a provision for an option quantity, for 12 months of 2010 avionics repair facility support, which provides for repair of various F/A-18 components. This announcement involves a foreign military sale, less than 1 percent, for Spain, Kuwait and Malaysia. The applicable funding for this action is the Navy Working Capital Fund. Funds will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year. Work will be performed in Lemoore, Calif. (57 percent), Cecil Field, Fla. (40 percent), and at the Hornet Control Center, Philadelphia, Pa. (3 percent). Work will be completed by Dec. 31, 2010. One company was solicited for this non-competitive requirement and one offer was received. The Naval Inventory Control Point, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (N00383-07-G-005H-0011).

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded an $11,406,910 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity delivery order contract to provide specialized technical services in support of depot level maintenance work performed at the Fleet Readiness Center, Southwest on aircraft and rework of associated components and materials. Services to be provided include modifications, in-service repairs and all other categories of service associated with aircraft depot level maintenance and its planning. The estimated level of effort for this modification is 346,670 man-hours. Work will be performed at the Fleet Readiness Center, Southwest, San Diego, Calif. (78 percent); the Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton, Calif. (9 percent); the Naval Air Station, Lemoore, Calif. (4 percent); the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Point Mugu, Calif. (2 percent); Naval Air Station,Whidbey Island, Bremerton, Wash. (2 percent); Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (2 percent); Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz. (2 percent); and Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, Calif. (1 percent). Work is expected to be completed in April 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity (N68936-06-D-0024).

Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $10,750,886.00 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the exercise of FY 10 options for performing as the platform system engineering agent for the Ship Self Defense System. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif. (90 percent); Tewksbury, Mass. (2.5 percent); Portsmouth, R.I. (2.5 percent); St. Petersburg, Fla. (2.5 percent); and Tucson, Ariz. (2.5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-08-C-5122).

Adaptive Methods Inc.*, Centreville, Va., is being awarded an $8,083,728 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursable contract for engineering services to develop and integrate improved algorithms into the Undersea Warfare Decision Support System (USW DSS). USW DSS provides an integrated, near real-time net-centric undersea warfare command and control capability across multiple platforms. Work will be performed in Centreville, Va. (50 percent), Clearwater, Fla. (20 percent), Rockville, Md. (15 percent), and Middletown, R.I. (15 percent).. Work is expected to be completed by December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity (N00024-10-C-5229).

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, St. Petersburg, Fla. is being awarded a $6,114,217 modification to previously awarded contract for calendar year 2010 contractor logistics support, for Expeditionary Fire Support System-Internally Transportable Vehicles (EFSS-ITV). This modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional increment of 12 months of support services for fielding and associated training requirements for EFSS-ITV systems. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Ala. (60 percent), and St. Petersburg, Fla. (40 percent). Work is expected to be completed by December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-05-D-6014).

Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., is being awarded a $5,914,484 firm-fixed-price delivery order, 0096, under their existing indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This delivery order is for the purchase of 22 Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement vehicles. Production and work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wis., and is expected to be completed by September 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-04-D-5016).

AIR FORCE

Lockheed Martin Corp., King of Prussia, Pa., was awarded a $16,020,497 contract for all design elements through the preliminary design review. Lockheed Martin shall design, fabricate, integrate and test payload delivery vehicle for flight demonstration for the conventional prompt global strike capability. At this time, no funds have been obligated. SMC/XRC, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8814-08-C-003).

DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY

Nayyarsons Corp., New Hyde Park, N.Y., was awarded a fixed-price incentive, requirements-type contract to provide deli/bakery operations for resale to the Defense Commissary Agency's West region commissaries. The estimated award amount is $9,448,990.56. The contract is for a 24-month base period of performance beginning Feb. 1, 2010, through Jan. 31, 2012. Two one-year option periods and four award terms are available. If both option periods are exercised and four award terms are earned, the contract will be completed Jan. 31, 2018. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. 13 firms were solicited and four offers were received. The Defense Commissary Agency, Marketing Business Unit, Resale Contracting Division, Fort Lee, Va., is the contracting activity (HDEC02-10-D-0004).

DoD Works to Ensure Health Assessments Are Administered Post Deployment

The Post-Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA) is a tool using the DD Form 2900, designed to identify service member health concerns which may have either been unresolved from the deployment or emerged during the post-deployment period.

The PDHRA is to be offered to all active duty service members, Reservists and National Guardsmen within a three- to six-month time period after returning from overseas deployments greater than 30 days in length and where there are no fixed medical treatment facilities. The basic purpose is to enable health providers, in partnership with service members, to identify post-deployment medical issues in service members and make recommendations for treatment.

Department of Defense (DoD) policy requires that completed PDHRA forms be kept electronically in a central repository administered by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center (AFHSC). Data extrapolated from these forms also assists the Military Health System in detecting patterns of medical issues affecting American forces post-deployment.

Last year, the Senate Armed Services Committee directed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate reports that completed PDHRA forms were not making their way into the central repository for a variety of reasons. Without these reports, DoD would find it difficult to accurately track and respond to long-term medical concerns of American military forces.

During the course of its investigation, GAO found that the DoD central repository did not have reports for approximately 23 percent of service members whom the GAO expected to complete the PDHRA in the post-deployment period. DoD found this number to be wholly unacceptable, and concurred with GAO recommendations that every effort be made to ensure service members who are required to complete the PDHRA do so, and that these reports are electronically submitted to the central repository.

Without waiting for the final GAO report, DoD began the process of rectifying these issues by taking the following steps:

DoD is currently working with the armed services to determine that eligible service members are correctly identified (for example, sailors who remained shipboard during their deployment were incorrectly expected to have completed the PDHRA), why eligible individuals within that service either did not complete the PDHRA or why it is not in the central repository. Once this initiative is complete, DoD will take corrective action and conduct a follow-up review to ensure accountability.

The armed services are working with AFHSC to develop a process by which automated confirmation will be obtained when PDHRAs are added to the central repository. The Navy already has such a system in place, covering their personnel as well as United States Marines.

All services have issued policies to ensure frequent deployers receive the PDHRA annually.

The Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Health Protection and Readiness issued a memorandum to the armed service surgeons general re-emphasizing the need for the PDHRA to be offered to all who are eligible.

In addition, the Reserve Health Readiness Program has taken steps to improve its documentation of problem identification and resolution regarding the PDHRA processes, thereby solidifying program improvements.

In short, DoD is taking the steps necessary to ensure service members receive the care they have earned and deserve. We appreciate and welcome outside scrutiny because we will accept nothing less than the best for members of the United States Armed Forces.