Dempsey Tours Coast Guard’s Newest National Security Cutter

Discover the best Coast Guard books written only by real Coast Guard veterans!

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Nov. 1, 2011 – Recognizing the importance of every possible U.S. national security asset, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff traveled here yesterday to get a personal tour of the newest Coast Guard national security cutter.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert J. Papp Jr., landed by helicopter aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton as it transited up the Chesapeake Bay near here.

The 418-foot Legend-class vessel is the third of eight planned national security cutters built to carry out the most challenging maritime security, law enforcement and national defense missions, explained Coast Guard Capt. Charles Cushin, the ship’s first captain.

These Legend-class cutters will replace the aging 378-foot high-endurance cutters that have been in service since the 1960s, he said.

With larger flight decks, Stratton features state-of-the art command and control equipment and detection and defense capabilities against chemical, biological or radiological attack. In addition, advanced sensors provide intelligence to paint a common operating picture and enhance maritime domain awareness.

Dempsey said he welcomed the opportunity to learn about Stratton’s capabilities.

“One of the things we always talk about as service chiefs is [that] we need to provide the nation as many options as possible,” he said. “And getting to know what the Coast Guard can bring to the issue of national security has interested me greatly. So this trip out here just reinforces that.”

For Papp, who recalled serving on ships 30, 40, and in one case, 60 years old, the new Legend- class cutters represent a major step in the Coast Guard’s recapitalization efforts. “For a sailor like me, I love it,” he said.

“We have got just wonderful people … who are capable of getting great things out of old assets,” the commandant said. “But at the end of the day, they shouldn’t be forced to have to spend most of their time holding things together with old assets.

“We can take these great young men and women … and give them great modern tools so they can focus on their job, providing security and safety and stewardship of the oceans,” he continued. “So I am thrilled to see each one of these as they come off the line, and we can’t get the rest of them out there soon enough, as far as I am concerned.”

Current plans call for all eight national security cutters to be home-ported on the West Coast, but Papp said he’s reconsidering that decision, and that most likely, two will be based on the Atlantic Coast.

“I think there is still a need to have this capability on the East Coast, and probably it would not be so prudent to keep them all in the Pacific,” he said. “And the fact of the matter is, with the Panama Canal, you can get to most of our operating areas from places like Charleston [S.C.] or Miami almost quicker than you can from San Diego.”

While those plans are evaluated, Stratton’s 123-person crew is busy carrying out their inaugural cruise up the East Coast before heading to their new home port in Alameda, Calif. The first two national security cutters, Bertholf and Waesche, also are home-ported in Alameda.

Stratton will officially enter the Coast Guard’s operational fleet after being commissioned in March 2012.

First Lady Michelle Obama, who christened Stratton during July ceremonies in Pascagoula, Miss., praised the strength and tenacity of its namesake, Capt. Dorothy Stratton, who became the Coast Guard’s first female officer in 1942. Her inspiration lives on in today’s Coast Guard, the first lady said, as its members live up to their motto, “Always ready.”

Since leaving the Pascagoula shipyard in early October, Stratton’s crew has been busy learning the ship’s systems and establishing new standard operating procedures so they’re ready to do just that. Between drills and shipboard exercises, their inaugural cruise included stops in Pensacola, Fla., and Charleston before they headed up the Chesapeake Bay. Stratton is slated to arrive in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor today.

Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeremy Green, an operations specialist aboard Stratton, said he is still marveling that he got the opportunity to be part of its first crew.

“It’s pretty fantastic,” he said of Stratton. “We’re still learning how to use it to its full potential.”

Dempsey: Complex Threats Require Multiple Options

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By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Nov. 1, 2011 – Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey’s two most striking impressions after just a month on the job as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are the complexity of the issues facing the U.S. military and the caliber of the service members who volunteer to serve, knowing what will be asked of them.

 “The kind of threats that our nation faces are a lot less definable than … 10, 15, 20 years ago,” said Dempsey, who joined Adm. Robert J. Papp Jr., the Coast Guard commandant, yesterday aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton.

The security environment has become much more competitive, Dempsey said. He noted, for example, that some of the adversaries the Coast Guard works against in its counternarcotics mission are “as well-armed and as well-equipped and probably as well-trained as any nation state on the face of the Earth.”

What’s clear, the chairman said, is that the United States needs to take advantage of every available resource from across the national security framework to confront these and other security challenges.

“It’s about providing as many options as possible for the nation,” he said. “We don’t want to be a one-trick pony.”

Dempsey noted that different authorities reside within different federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard, the FBI and the Defense Department.

“And I think that what makes us great is that we can bundle those,” he said. “We can use the appropriate tools for the appropriate job, and know that we can get the job done because we become far more interoperable.”

Papp said the Coast Guard brings special, niche capabilities to the national security picture, both at home and abroad. And although its historic role has been to provide wartime support to the Navy, it now lends these capabilities to broader Defense Department missions.

For the past eight years, for example, a squadron of six Coast Guard patrol boats has been providing security for offshore Iraqi oil platforms in the North Arabian Gulf, he said. In addition, Coast Guard units in Kuwait’s Aishwarya port are providing security as military equipment is on- and off-loaded.

“These provide capabilities that the Defense Department then does not have to provide for or worry about, because they can rely on the Coast Guard,” Papp said.

This additional source of capability is particularly valuable in light of constrained budgets, the commandant said, noting that he strives to develop “complementary, yet nonredundant, capabilities” within the Coast Guard.

“There is no reason we should try to duplicate some of the things that reside in the other four services,” he said. “But where we can help out, [we] then focus on those mission areas so we can be of assistance.”

Dempsey said he’s seen many of the Coast Guard’s contributions firsthand – as commander overseeing the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces and as acting commander of U.S. Central Command – and welcomed the opportunity yesterday to learn more about Coast Guard capabilities.

Just as important, Dempsey said, was the chance to meet the Coast Guard members who provide those capabilities.

“The hardware is important, clearly. We want to overmatch whatever adversary we encounter, whether it is a nation state, non-state actor or criminal groups,” he said. “And we do that through our hardware, but it is truly about people.”

Dempsey said his first month as the nation’s top military officer has reinforced his pride in the quality of people who volunteer to serve their country.

“Every place I go, in every service – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard – the quality of the young men and women in uniform is just a treasure,” he said. “We have no idea as a nation how fortunate we are.”

Dempsey said he has traveled around much of the world and seen many different militaries. All have their own skills and attributes and connection with their societies, he said. “I am just awfully proud to be the chairman of this particular armed force at this particular time in our history,” the chairman added.

CPO-365 Training Session Held at GTMO

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW) Bill Mesta, Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (NNS) -- Members of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba's Chiefs' Mess and First Class Petty Officers' Mess conducted a training session to prepare the first class petty officers for advancement, Oct. 27.

The training session was held in support of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy's (MCPON) CPO-365 program which is designed to prepare first class petty officers for the transition to chief petty officer.

"The basic idea behind CPO 365 is to get the first class petty officer mess ready to advance to chief," said Navy Counselor 1st Class Abigail Greenleaf, of the naval station's Command Career Counselor's office. "The Initial phase is to identify all the first classes and begin training."

CPO 365 is a three phased program which culminates with the chief petty officer induction season.

"The training session was part of one of the CPO 365 program and included the NS Guantanamo Bay command master chief's expectations of prospective chief petty officers because all of our first class petty officers are geared towards advancing to the chief petty officer ranks," said Chief Navy Counselor Robert Pagtakhan, the naval station's CPO 365 coordinator.

The training sessions are held monthly at the naval station.

"CPO-365 is a combination of training, networking and events that are designed to unite the first class petty officers and the chief petty officers," said Pagtakhan. "We are striving to create an environment that transition into the chief petty officer induction season, once the selection results are released in August."

In addition to monthly training sessions, physical fitness sessions, social events and combined sporting events are held at the naval station.

"The second phase of CPO 365 will begin once the Navywide advancement exam results come out," said Greenleaf. "Those first class petty officers who are determined to be 'board eligible' will continue on in the program during this phase with more preparation to get them ready should we be selected as chiefs.

"This program is providing insight for first class petty officers in terms of knowledge and expectations when we advance to chief," said Greenleaf. "The chiefs are able to identify issues with first class petty officers early and get them steered in the right direction towards advancement."

The CPO 365 also gives the first class petty officers an opportunity to build networking skills.

"By getting to know the chiefs better, we learn who we should turn to for information about different situations we encounter as first class petty officers," said Greenleaf. "Coming up through the Navy, we really aren't taught networking, but the chief's mess runs off of networking so this skill is going to be very helpful."

The training session included a brief about the 'Perform to Serve' (PTS) program which was presented by Greenleaf.

"We provided an overview of what PTS is, how the system works and broke down the different items that are taken into consideration to determine a Sailor's future retention," said Greenleaf. "This information was important for this audience because as chiefs and first class petty officers, we are guiding our Sailors' careers and need to understand the programs and how they affect them."

Wisconsin Soldiers depart Indiana for Germany, Kosovo

By Tech. Sgt. Jon LaDue
Wisconsin National Guard

Approximately 200 Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers have arrived at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany for three additional weeks of training before deploying to Kosovo.

Soldiers from the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, 32nd Military Police Company, 238th Aviation Regiment and 248th Aviation Support Battalion, having completed mobilization training at Camp Atterbury, Ind., have teamed up with Soldiers from at least seven other states to form Multi-National Battle Group-East, a component of Kosovo Force 15 totaling more than 600 Soldiers.

"These Soldiers have gained invaluable training over the last two months - training that simulates scenarios they may face in Kosovo," said Col. Jeffrey Liethen, KFOR 15 commander. "I believe they've taken their training seriously and proven to 1st Army they are deployment ready."

Capt. Luella Dooley-Menet, commander of the aviation task force, said her team of aviators - who expect to get at least three calls a week for patient and medical supply transfer in Kosovo - are right on pace with training at Camp Atterbury.

"Everyone is doing very well and I'm happy with the way things are going," she said.

Dooley-Menet said her team has applied a crawl-walk-run philosophy to their training. The Soldiers, from the West Bend-based 238th Aviation Regiment and 248th Aviation Support Battalion, are currently being validated on flying night missions by 1st Army - the organization that certifies all units are competent to perform the mission prior to deploying.

Spc. Taria Johnson, of the 32nd Military Police Company, last deployed to Iraq in 2009 where her unit was mostly responsible for detainee operations. She said she is thrilled with the training accomplished at Atterbury.

"It's actually nice to do actual military police operations." Johnson said. "We have true scenarios for the mission we're going to do."

The MPs will be responsible for all of the law enforcement on post. Nine 32nd MP Soldiers have also been selected to the protective services detachment and will be responsible for safeguarding all distinguished visitors on the post.

Leaders from the Wisconsin National Guard visited with KFOR 15 Soldiers at Camp Atterbury Tuesday, Oct. 25.

"Your job is unbelievably important … so take this time to learn as much as you can," Command Sgt. Maj. George Stopper said to a group of Soldiers.

The bulk of the Wisconsin Soldiers are members of the 157th MEB, which includes military police, civil affairs, engineering, signal and chemical units. The MEB, along with its headquarters company, will oversee operations for the entire Multi-National Battle Group-East, which also includes units from Armenia, Greece, Poland, Turkey, Romania and the Ukraine.

"These Soldiers may have come from many different units but, after training here together, they are leaving as one collective unit," Liethen said. "I am proud of their commitment and progress, and I am proud to serve with them as part of Multi-National Battle Group-East."

All-Navy Rugby Team Hold Camp at Naval Air Station Jacksonville

By Kaylee LaRocque, Naval Air Station Jacksonville Public Affairs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- Naval Air Station Jacksonville hosted the All-Navy Rugby Team's annual training camp Oct. 23-30 in preparation to compete in the Armed Forces Rugby Championships which are being held this week at Fort Benning, Ga.



The week was full practice sessions on the field at Sea King Park on a specially designed field for the rugby team built and maintained by the base Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Department. The team also participated in fitness classes at the Fitness Source and several scrimmages with local college and city rugby teams.



"We are here for training camp to put together a team to compete in the Armed Forces Rugby Championships. We began the week with 34 players coming in from all over the world and have to reduce that number down to 25 for the competition," said All-Navy Rugby Team Head Coach Tom Jones.

The training camp consists of a lot of hard work and quite a few bumps and bruises. The team practices ball handling, line-out maneuvers, lifting techniques, situational moves, penalties and team concepts.

"We have been running two to three training sessions each day in a very jam-packed week. We've also participated in three matches against the University of Florida, University of North Florida and the local men's rugby teams," said Jones.

"We have to put this team together quickly and these guys know that the task ahead of them is not only to play together but to learn our system and take care of themselves and remain fit throughout the week. It's a trial by fire," said Jones. "A lot of these guys are first time players so they are taking it all in. We really have a great team with a lot of talent this year."

"They are definitely coming together as a team and listening to what we are teaching them. They are following the game plans and I really think we have a great shot in the championship this year," added Assistant Coach Steve Lynch.

The NAS Jax MWR Department coordinated all the logistics for the team including lodging in the MWR cabins on base, transportation and dining needs and escorting them to the championship games. 



"We love coming here - the weather is great and the hospitality we receive here is outstanding. This is our fourth year here and we are well taken care of by the MWR folks and the NAS Jax community," said Jones. "We really want to thank the base for hosting us and for letting this be our home for our training camp."

The team was met by NAS Jax Executive Officer Capt. Bob Sanders who officially welcomed them to the base. "Everyone of you should hold your head high for just being here. You are representing the U.S. Navy. It is honor and a privilege to welcome you and I wish you all good luck," said Sanders.

Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class (AW) Max Delpivo of the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit Jax plays rugby with the Jacksonville Axemen, a semi-professional rugby league team and decided to try out for the All-Navy Rugby Team.

"This is a challenge that I never thought I would be doing. The camp is strenuous and it's been a learning process. I knew enough coming into this, but it's quantified during camp. From the videos we've been watching of the previous teams in the past championships, compared to our team now, I think we can have a good shot at winning," said Delpivo.

Players are selected from a pool of about 500 individuals vying for a spot on the All-Navy Rugby Team each year. Scouts are based in different regions around the world to help decide which players are selected to attend the training camp. To attend training camp, players are given no-cost temporary additional duty orders by their commands. Navy Sports picks up the tab for these camps.

Iraq troop departure not the end for Wisconsin Guard deployments

Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office

The Wisconsin Army National Guard's last troops in Iraq are expected to be home ahead of the Dec. 31 troop departure.

Capt. Randall Ramm, the officer in charge of the approximately 30 Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers in detachments of companies C, D and E of the 2nd Battalion, 135th GSAB - comprised of National Guard Soldiers from multiple states - said the drawdown has affected his unit, which is providing medevac support for United States Division-North. Originally stationed at four operating bases in northern Iraq, personnel and aircraft have moved around as bases closed. Comfort services, such as the Post Exchange, dining facilities, mail and laundry have gradually disappeared as bases "retrograded" during the drawdown.

In spite of that, Ramm said the medevac mission continues.

"With the base closures, we've had to cover other bases outside of our usual area for a few weeks," he explained.

Roughly half of the Wisconsin contingent of National Guard Soldiers remain at an operating base in Kirkuk, with the rest in Kuwait preparing for the unit's return home.

President Barack Obama announced the troop departure Oct. 21, affecting approximately 40,000 service members.

"The last American Soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops," Obama said. "That is how America's military efforts in Iraq will end."

The Dec. 31, 2011 troop departure was determined in a 2008 bilateral security pact.

Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, said that the Wisconsin National Guard can be proud of the role it has played, and continues to play, in national defense since 2001.

"We answered the call," he said. "We are still answering the call, as can be seen with our troops preparing to deploy to Kosovo and Afghanistan. And we remain ready to respond when called for state or federal service, at home or overseas."

The Wisconsin Army National Guard will still have more than 200 Soldiers and Airmen on active duty when the 2nd Battalion, 135th troops return to Wisconsin.

Navy Medicine Delivers Ballcaps to Children's Hospital during San Antonio Navy Week

From Navy Medicine Support Command Public Affairs

SAN ANTONIO (NNS) -- Two Navy Medicine Training Center (NMTC) Sailors of the Quarter based at Fort Sam Houston, joined the Navy Medicine Support Command (NMSC) commander to visit with about 30 children Oct. 27 at the leading children's medical facility in south Texas as part of Navy Week San Antonio.

Rear Adm. Eleanor Valentin, also the Navy's Medical Service Corps director, was visiting San Antonio for the U.S. Navy's largest community outreach effort in south Texas.

Valentin joined Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Albert Ramirez, a Trauma Education Department instructor and coordinator at the Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute, and HM2 Jessica Zugzda, an instructor at Hospital Corps School, at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children's Hospital during the hour-long visit.

Caps for Kids, an initiative designed to provide ball caps and other Navy memorabilia to young patients in hospitals throughout the country, began in the early 1990s. Today more than 500 commands - including Navy Medicine commands and military treatment facilities, ships, submarines and squadrons - have donated memorabilia for personal distribution in non-Navy areas.

Valentin said meeting with the patients, parents and staff at Santa Rosa Children's Hospital - the first in the region dedicated entirely to children's patient care - served as an important reminder of how attached Navy Medicine personnel become to the local community.

"Navy Medicine and Navy Medicine Support Command medical professionals have become part of the local San Antonio family," she said. "Spending a little time with young patients and explaining what the Navy and Navy Medicine do around the world can have a very positive impact on San Antonio."

Ramirez, NMTC's Sailor of the Quarter (SOQ) for the third quarter, visited with "Cassandra," one of the young patients who was healthy enough to participate. Cassandra, a San Antonio native, told Ramirez, "This is good. I'm having fun."

For Ramirez, a parent himself, the experience was very emotional.

"This is my first time participating in a Caps for Kids event," he said. "It's pretty humbling. It's a different experience from anything I've ever done. I've spent 13 years deploying around the world, and this is probably the most overwhelming experience I've had yet."

Navy Medicine Training Center at Fort Sam Houston is a subordinate command of Jacksonville-based NMSC, managing Navy Medicine's personnel assigned to the tri-service Medical Education and Training Campus (METC), also located at Fort Sam Houston. METC houses Navy, Army and Air Force enlisted medical training programs, including Hospital Corps School and Navy Medicine "C" Schools. The daily student load is approximately 2,800 Sailors, contributing to 8,000-9,000 total enlisted medical students taught each day from all services, making the METC the largest consolidation of enlisted service training in Department of Defense history.

San Antonio Navy Week, scheduled Oct. 24-30, coincides this year with the Randolph Air Force Base Air Show and the 100th birthday celebration of Naval Aviation. Events during the weeklong outreach are scheduled to include demonstrations from the Blue Angels, as well as Navy Band performances and visits to area from Sailors stationed aboard USS San Antonio (LPD 17) and USS Texas (SSN 775).

NMSC provides a single point of accountability for all education, training, public health and resources for Sailors and Marines as well as providing innovative and responsive leaders in health support services.

Navy Medicine is a global health care network of 63,000 Navy medical personnel around the world who provide high quality health care to more than 1 million eligible beneficiaries. Navy Medicine personnel deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ship, in the air, under the sea and on the battlefield.

White House to Display Holiday Cards from Military Children

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Monique K. Hilley, Commander, Navy Installations Command Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The First Lady has requested that military children from around the globe create holiday cards supporting their parent and send them to The White House to be displayed with the holiday decorations no later than Nov. 16.

The White House is honoring American heroes this holiday season and would like to include the personal contributions in their finishing touches on the White House decorations.

"We are asking kids like you, from military installations around the world, to create a holiday card that represents your parent who is serving our nation," said First Lady Michelle Obama in a personal letter to military children. "I encourage you to use your imagination, and include words, pictures, and drawings to create a holiday card that honors your brave mom or dad."

Military children should submit 5" by 8" handmade holiday cards with words of appreciation for their military parents, as well as pictures and drawings. The child should be sure to include their mother or father's name, branch of service and command in the card.

Participants are asked to send holiday cards to the following address, along with information from where they are sending it: Reservation 1, Attn: Social Office, P.O. Box 8070, Washington, DC, 20032.

"Thank you for helping with this fun project, and most of all for your family's courageous service to our nation," added Obama. "I look forward to seeing the results of your creativity!"

The White House will display as many of the cards as possible.

Honor in the Valley of Tears

The November 10, 2011, episode of American Heroes Radio features a conversation with documentary film Maker John A. Ponsoll, the executive producer of Honor in the Valley of Tears.

Program Date: November 10, 2011
Program Time: 1500 hours, PACIFIC
Topic: Honor in the Valley of Tears
Listen Live:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2011/11/10/honor-in-the-valley-of-tears

About the Film
A feature length documentary about Congressional Medal of Honor recipient 1st Sgt. David H. McNerney and the men of A-Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry of the 4th Infantry Division that he trained and led into a bloody, yet forgotten battle near Polei Doc in the Central Highlands of Vietnam at the height of the Vietnam War. This area was later known as The Valley of Tears.

In the men's own words, through the stories they recount, the film gives us insight into the time these men spent together and the bond they formed that remains unbroken to this day. The men of A-Company trained together for eleven months and served together for one year. Their story begins with basic training at Ft. Lewis, Washington in 1965 and continues 40 years later at their most recent reunion in September 2007. The highlight of the film is a detailed, first-hand account of their intense combat encounters, including the events of March 22, 1967 (for which Sgt. McNerney was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor). He is celebrated by the men he trained and served with and whose lives he saved on March 22, 1967.

Conceived by Executive Producer John A. Ponsoll, whose father served with A-Company and who documented his tour of duty with a Kodak slide camera, the film honors the memory of A-Company 1/8 and their incredible courage and dedication to one another.

About the Guest
John Ponsoll is a native of Danville, Kentucky. He graduated from Centre College in 1999 with a degree in English and Spanish. For the last 11 years he has worked as a marketer in pharmaceutical industry and has lived in Morristown, New Jersey. During this tenure, John's love of film collided with opportunities for film production when in 2006 he met Eric while working for a marketing agency in New York City. Growing up, John used to climb into the attic and explore his father's Vietnam memorabilia, including the pictures he took while in the Army. John made this film initially as a means to better understanding his father and as a tribute to the men his father served with in Vietnam from 1965-1967.

Honor in the Valley of Tears is his first foray into movie-making (though it won't be his last). John is Co-Executive Producer of Our Last Supper, which is currently in Post-Production. John enjoys traveling and maintains an active interest in all things Kentucky-related.

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2011/11/10/honor-in-the-valley-of-tears

Listen from the Archive:
http://www.hitechcj.com/americanheroesradio/honor_valley_tears.html

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Facebook Event:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=251264821587761

LinkedIn Event:
http://events.linkedin.com/Honor-Valley-Tears/pub/842688

Belvoir Hospital Shows U.S. Loves Troops, Stanley Says

By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service

FORT BELVOIR, Va., Oct. 28, 2011 – The military’s new state-of-the-art community hospital here is a testament to the love Americans feel for service members and their families, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness said today.

 “We’re in a nation now that cares deeply about people in uniform,” Clifford L. Stanley told hundreds of people who gathered here for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, which opened last month.

Stanley spoke to a crowd of dignitaries, hospital workers, service members and civilians who gathered outside the hospital on a crisp, fall morning. The Army’s Golden Knights parachute team jumped into a cloudless, blue sky and the Navy Band and Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps played as part of the celebration of the hospital’s opening, part of a five-year base realignment and closure effort.

The occasion, Stanley said, held both professional and personal meaning to him. The staff at Dewitt Army Community Hospital once saved the life of his wife, a paraplegic who had developed sepsis, he explained. Also, Stanley grew up visiting the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where his mother was a nurse practitioner, and his daughter is a Navy nurse at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

The nation has been “so fortunate and blessed” to have the kind of modern medicine and technology showcased at the new Belvoir hospital that allows people to live longer and better with their injuries, the undersecretary said.

Army Col. Susan Annicelli, commander of the new hospital, said the staff of more than 3,000 underwent a “herculean effort” amid a hurricane, earthquake and floods in the late summer and early fall to move out of DeWitt Army Community Hospital here and into the new facility, which is triple the size of the old hospital.

Navy Adm. John M. Mateczun, commander of Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical, said the hospital offers 25 new medical specialties from the old hospital, is environmentally friendly, and gives patients more control. Patients may control lighting and temperatures in their rooms, and will be notified of each professional’s name and occupation as they enter the room, he said.

“This is America’s newest, most extraordinary, most technically advanced facility, and we’re glad to have it in the military health system,” Mateczun said.

Acupuncture Treatment Helps Ease TBI Symptoms In Theater

By Robyn Mincher, DCoE Strategic Communications

In a clinic at Joint Base Andrews, Md., military health care providers practiced treatments to relieve head pain. Instead of writing a prescription for medication, providers learned to use a treatment rooted in traditional Chinese medicine and practiced for thousands of years: acupuncture. Retired Air Force Col. Richard C. Niemtzow, former president of American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, trained providers to locate pressure points within the ears and insert small needles on designated points inside them.

I spoke with Niemtzow about battlefield acupuncture, a technique that has advanced from the doctor’s office to the battlefield, treating service members with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) quickly and efficiently. The practice can interrupt the process of pain in the central nervous system.

“Like western medicine, it’s another tool in a medical bag,” Niemtzow said.

The tool was supported by Department of Veterans Affairs for a formal study on acupuncture’s effectiveness on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mTBI. The department’s recent clinical guidance recommends acupuncture as a supplementary therapy for PTSD, anxiety, pain and sleeplessness.

Air Force Col. Stephen Sharp, Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) deputy director of TBI clinical standards of care, spoke about the benefits of battlefield acupuncture. He worked with Niemtzow treating warriors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Md.

“The treatment is really useful for treating headache and sleep issues, as well as other associated pain,” said Sharp. “Additionally, it can be used to treat psychological health concerns, which can occur with mTBI.”

The technique uses only five points on each ear and can ease mTBI symptoms within minutes, which can help a service member recover faster and stay with their unit.

“The advantage of acupuncture in theater is that it’s quick, easily done and uses no equipment except a few tiny needles. It also doesn’t have the potential side effects of some medications,” said Sharp. “Often, treatment begins two to three times per week, and then weans down depending on response.”

As battlefield acupuncture continues to become more accessible to service members, a provider might be met with skepticism when offering a treatment involving needles to an unaccustomed service member (even though it’s painless). How can a provider convince a service member to try the unique therapy?

“Start treatment with auricular electrical acupuncture, because it is painless,” Niemtzow said. “Once the patient gains confidence that the acupuncture is helpful, reapproach the subject of needles.”

Auricular electrical acupuncture uses electrical stimulation on pressure points on the ear.

The journal Medical Acupuncture published Niemtzow’s article “Battlefield Acupuncture” and his update about acupuncture with electrical stimulation.

The American Forces Network Afghanistan recently released a video that shows the advantages of acupuncture therapy. We also wrote a blog post about the acupuncture program offered to service members and veterans at Deployment Health Clinical Center, a DCoE component center, and a blog post on complementary alternative medicine last week.

Ride 2 Recovery: Veterans Leave Jacksonville on 350 Mile Ride

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sunday Williams, Navy Public Affairs Support Element East Detachment Southeast

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- More than 200 cyclists, injured veterans and their supporters gathered at Mayo Clinic Oct. 25 and began the six-day, 350-mile Ride 2 Recovery Florida Challenge that will end in Tampa Bay, Fla.

Cyclists will ride across central Florida with overnight stops in St. Augustine, Gainesville, Daytona, Cape Canaveral, Orlando, Winter Haven and finishing in Tampa Oct. 30.

Mayo Clinic physician Dr. John D. Casler served as the master of ceremonies for the event and as a guest speaker. He served 25 years in the U.S. Army Medical Corps and reflected on his service at the 31st Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad and how honored he was to support the Ride 2 Recovery event.

"This is a great event. It brings together a lot of soldiers and fellow well wishers who are trying to do everything they can to help rehabilitate our wounded veterans; who have given so much for our country and bear the scars for the rest of their lives," said Casler. "This is a small token, a way that we can say thank you and help them on the road to recovery."

Many of the cyclists are returning participants, like retired Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Nathan DeWalt, who was injured in a motorcycle accident while awaiting deployment to Afghanistan.

DeWalt said the program has made a huge difference in his life and he hopes to help others like him benefit from the program.

"I have been with Ride 2 Recovery for about a year and a half now and I have done every ride since then. The rehabilitative aspect of the program is just remarkable because it takes people from all walks of life, from all over the country with different injuries and brings us together. We come together and we don't have to explain ourselves," said DeWalt.

He and many other veterans said the program changed their lives for the better.

"You come here for the camaraderie, for the healing and the bike riding. That's what the program is about," said DeWalt.

Ride 2 Recovery helps injured veterans heal through the challenge of cycling long distances using hand cycles, recumbents, tandems and traditional road bikes. The program helps veterans with physical and psychological rehabilitation and creates a network where service members have a support system of people just like them that understand what they are going through.

"You make new friends and take back great memories with you from these rides," said DeWalt. "Ride 2 Recovery has really changed my life and I'm proud to say that I have become a mentor to a lot of people here and I inspire some of the new riders here and help them progress."

Ponte Vedra local Greg Towns stood by until the last veteran rode away and said he will go all the way to Tampa to watch them finish.

"It is a very emotional thing for me to see these men and women. They have given so much for this country and the people who live in it. They continue to motivate and inspire themselves and the people around them," said Towns. "Seeing them through to the end is the least we can do for them."

Cyber Defense Requires Teamwork, Agility, Alexander Says

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2011 – The commander of U.S. Cyber Command called for increased collaboration among the government, industry and America’s allies in developing more defensible networks to confront escalating global cyber threats.

Current network security protections aren’t nimble enough to defend against the exploding number of threats, Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander told government, academic and private-sector professionals yesterday at the Security Innovation Network’s Showcase 2011 conference here.

Firewalls, routers, antivirus software and intrusion detection systems are designed to identify and block specific cyber-intruder signatures, Alexander said. The problem, he noted, is that adversaries have the ability to scan the networks, exploit vulnerabilities and use them to gain access.

“It’s like the Maginot Line,” Alexander explained, referring to the fortifications France built along its border with Germany after World War I with hopes of preventing another cross-border attack. Germany responded during World War II by doing the unexpected: attacking instead through the Ardennes Forest.

“That’s the same thing that happens in your network,” Alexander said, noting in cyberspace adversaries have “all the advantages.” They can scan networks, he said, and identify what software is being run, and pounce when they identify a vulnerability.

“That’s the dynamic we have to change,” Alexander said.

“We are the guys who helped create the Internet. We are the ones that built that. We ought to be the first ones to secure it.”

The White House’s International Strategy for Cyberspace and Defense Department strategy represent a start in that direction, Alexander said. But he emphasized that developing more defensible systems isn’t something the Defense Department or any other entity can do alone.

It requires government agencies working as a team, he said, while also working with industry and U.S. allies and partners.

“When we talk cyber, we talk a team sport,” Alexander said. “It’s all of us operating as a team to defend the country in cyberspace, with the right legal authorities.”

Alexander cited the explosion of network communications around the world. As of March 31, 30 percent of the world population had access to the Internet. During 2010, 107 trillion emails were sent -- that’s 294 billion per day. By 2015, he said, it’s predicted that there will be twice as many Internet devices as people on the planet.

Such growth, the general said, has created vulnerabilities which leave no sector immune -- from hackings at well-respected companies such as Nasdaq, RSA Security and Booz Allen Hamilton to denial-of-service attacks in Estonia, Georgia and elsewhere.

For every company that recognizes it has been hacked, Alexander said, hundreds more don’t.

Among the costs is a huge loss of intellectual property through what Alexander called “the greatest transfer of wealth in history.” But the bigger fear, he said, is that disruptive attacks will turn destructive.

Alexander noted initiatives under way that show promise in countering these growing threats. For example, he said, “cloud” computing delivers shared resources and software through virtual routers, machines and networks [and] enables faster server updates and more agile responses than legacy databases.

Meanwhile, a pilot program in which the Defense Department shares classified threat intelligence with industry is helping to increase military cyber defenses and preventing enemy intrusions into other sensitive government networks.

Alexander called the Defense Industrial Base Cyber Pilot, launched in partnership with the Homeland Security Department, “a huge step” that’s blocked intrusions and identified signatures that hadn’t been previously seen.

“The intent is to push signatures to the Internet service providers and protect vulnerabilities,” he said. “We are having success with that.”

Lauding progress in network protections, Alexander emphasized that they can’t come at the cost of civil liberties and privacy rights.

“We should demand that we get both,” he said. “In my opinion, we can do that. We can protect civil liberties and privacy and come up with a defensive program that we can defend this country and our companies in cyberspace.”

Face of Defense: Marine Honors Fallen, Injured Troops

By Marine Corps Pfc. Franklin E. Mercado
2nd Marine Logistics Group

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant James J. Dacey is running 345 miles to honor and to raise public awareness for the nation’s fallen and wounded warriors.

Dacey -- a 12-year Marine veteran who serves here with Support Company, 8th Engineer Support Battalion -- left Camp Lejeune Oct. 22 and is running to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

“The reason for this event is to assist men and women who have sacrificed so much for our great country,” Dacey wrote on his website. “The physical and psychological wounds incurred by these warriors are nothing short of heroic. It is with honor for my brothers- and sisters-in-arms [that] I embark on this endeavor to ease their burden, if only for a brief moment.”

Dacey said he plans to complete his journey to Maryland on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. He added that he hopes to raise $100,000 for injured service members through donations to the nonprofit Wounded Warrior Project.

The Marine’s mother, Debbie Melamed, who’s also the safety driver for the run, said she had no doubt her son would take on the challenge.

“I’m very proud of my son,” Melamed said. “I’m not surprised he’s doing it. He has never second-guessed himself, either. Once he said he was going to do it, that was it. He’s always been a determined person ever since I can remember.”

Melamed was given three weeks of leave from her job at a law firm in Hackensack, N.J., to help her son along his run.

“I was amazed he asked me to be the one to help him,” she said. “This is a huge responsibility, and I’m very proud of him for what he’s doing in honor of his fellow troops.”

As her son runs his course, Melamed drives ahead and checks the route for him. She pauses at the halfway point each day to ensure all is well. If Dacey isn’t at the halfway point within a certain amount of time, his mother said, she’ll backtrack and check on him.

“We’ve taken the right steps to make sure we are ready for the run,” Dacey said. “Safety was a big concern.”

With his mother ready to go and on her way to the halfway point for the day, Dacey left Camp Lejeune and bid farewell to the people who came to see him off.

“Thank you to everyone who came to watch me begin,” he said. “Thank you for all the support.”

As Dacey ran down the road, well-wishers sent him off with a motivational “Oorah!”

Official Navy Representatives to Greet All Returning IAs at BWI Airport

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ron Kuzlik, Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center Public Affairs

BALTIMORE (NNS) -- Returning individual augmentees (IAs) can add Baltimore Washington International (BWI) Airport to the list of airports that have Navy representatives from Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center (ECRC) greeting them as of Oct. 5

All IAs, including Global War on Terror Support Assignments, Overseas Contingency Operation Support Assignments, Individual Augmentee Manpower Management, and mobilized Reservists are met on their return from deployment.

Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center set up an information and greeting kiosk at BWI to welcome all returning IAs and assist them in executing their follow-on transportation plan. ECRC representatives strive to make each IA's return to CONUS as smooth and seamless as possible. All IAs, regardless of type, must report to their designated Navy Mobilization Processing Site for demobilization.

"BWI is the first CONUS airport our Central Command (CENTCOM) returnees reach," said ECRC Commanding Officer Capt. Eric Jabs. "It is the ideal location to greet them and make certain the rest of their travel is confirmed.

"Typically, four to five personnel are deployed to Baltimore Washington International Airport for a given mission," said Jabs. "We have great continual communication with the Warrior Transition Program in Kuwait, so we know exactly who to expect on the flights, and their follow-on flight status."

On a recent flight to BWI, there were 141 Sailors who returned on the rotator flight from CENTCOM, including 55 Reservists.

"It was a nice welcome home," said Electronics Technician 1st Class Eric Name, from Navy Operational Support Center, Rochester, N.Y. "Stepping off of that plane and seeing my fellow Sailors made me feel welcome and that the job I did in Iraq didn't go unnoticed. It was like a hero's welcome home!"

Jabs added that this is a team effort.

"We would really like to thank all the supporting organizations that make this operation a success: our USO volunteers at all the airports, Operation 'Welcome Home Maryland,' and the BWI airport authorities for the spaces, kiosk, parking, and other arrangements," Jabs said. "Plus Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Baltimore for allowing us to set up a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in their facility, and U.S. Fleet Forces Command for their continued support of this effort."

ECRC directly assists IA Sailors by ensuring they are properly equipped while coordinating with the Army to ensure they get the proper stateside training. ECRC provides logistic support by coordinating IA Sailors' return home through the redeployment/demobilization process, helping get Sailors home expeditiously and safely.

CARAT Cambodia Enables Return to Homeland for Three Sailors

Discover these Vietnam Veteran books written by Vietnam veterans who served in Cambodia.

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert Clowney, Task Force 73 Public Affairs

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (NNS) -- When U.S. and royal Cambodian navies began their 2nd annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Cambodia exercise Oct. 20, three Sailors assigned to guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100) were looking forward to the week ahead more than others. For them, it would be their first visit to their ancestral homeland.

Gas Turbine Systems Technician 3rd Class Channy Sath, Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Suorth Suom, and Storekeeper 2nd Class Sokchamroeun Yous were born in, or grew up in, the U.S. after their parents fled the genocide of Khmer Rouge rule in Cambodia from 1975-1979, and the nearly two decades of civil war that followed. Sath grew up in Lowell, Mass; Suom in Philadelphia, and Yous in Texas. All three eventually joined the Navy and, in a twist of good fortune, were able to visit their homeland when Kidd was selected to participate in CARAT Cambodia.

"This is my first time to visit Cambodia," Suom said, explaining how his family slipped across the border with Thailand in 1979 to escape the war. "My family, they miss the country and their way of life before the war."

For Sath, whose family left Cambodia for America in 1990, the visit was an opportunity to meet several relatives, for the first time.

"My dad used to tell me about Cambodia, and how I was fortunate to come to America, because the war was unforgettable," Sath said. "I was really happy knowing that we were coming to Cambodia, and I was looking forward to meeting my family members I've never seen."

While in Cambodia, Sath was given special liberty to travel to Phnom Penh, the nation's capital, and to Siem Reap to stay with family. "I couldn't help it - when we saw each other we all started crying. My family members were so happy that I had come to visit them."

For Yous, the exercise presented an opportunity to embark a royal Cambodian navy patrol craft for the first dedicated at-sea naval exercise between Cambodia and the U.S. Navy in nearly 40 years.

Though he didn't get to visit relatives on this trip, Suom said the experience was unforgettable. "I was excited to come here, even though I just stayed in the Sihanoukville area," he said. "I was excited and humbled to come here."

Approximately 400 U.S. Sailors are participating in CARAT Cambodia 2011. Two U.S. ships, Kidd and the dive and salvage ship USNS Safeguard (T-ARS 50), are participating.

CARAT is a series of annual, bilateral maritime exercises between the U.S. Navy and the Armed Forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.