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			Linguists Key to Success for Afghan Soldiers Training in U.S. To: DEFENSE-PRESS-SERVICE-L@DTIC.MIL By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky, USA Special to American Forces Press Service FORT POLK, La., Nov. 2, 2006 - Afghan interpreters are crucial for the success of Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police forces training at the Joint Readiness Training Center here. Hassan Wilson, a native Afghan who has been interpreting between American and Afghan forces for two years, said their role is vital. "What we do is very important," he said. Without proper translation, Wilson said, orders can be misinterpreted, which can cost lives and ruin missions the Afghan army conducts with coalition forces in Afghanistan. Training for such missions would not be as effective without interpreters, Wilson said. "We help them (other Afghans) understand the concept (of being trained) so they don't make mistakes," he said. Fellow Afghan interpreter Imram Mohamad Rasul agreed. "The (Afghan National Army is) getting good training here they've never done before, learning new stuff with the U.S. Army," he said. "They like the different training, but can't speak any English, so we try to do our best to help them learn." Learning as much as possible is vital for the troops to succeed against Taliban extremists, said Rasul, who has been interpreting for a year. Just as the Afghan soldiers and police are dedicated to helping their countrymen, so are the interpreters. Wilson said another key part of their job is teaching Americans about Afghan culture and habits. While American soldiers are teaching the Afghans about weapons, equipment, tactics, techniques and procedures, interpreters help the Americans learn about Afghan culture and simple phrases in their language. "We try to teach the American soldiers simple commands, like 'stop,' that can help them out while in Afghanistan," Rasul said. While they may not carry rifles, explosives or other combat gear, interpreters are integral to mission success in a war in which winning the support of the Afghan people is equally as important as defeating extremists in combat, Wilson said. By helping their countrymen learn as much as they can while they train here, Wilson and Rasul said, they also are helping the Afghan people at home. "There is a need for us in Afghanistan," Wilson said. "So we have to help out here." (Army Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky is assigned to the Joint Readiness Training Center Public Affairs Office.) [Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=1998] ==================================================== Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad. ==================================================== Unsubscribe from or Subscribe to this mailing list: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/subscribe.html ==================================================== DeleteReplyForwardSpamMove... 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Terms of Service - Copyright/IP Policy - Guidelines - Ad Feedback NOTICE: We collect personal information on this site. To learn more about how we use your information, see our Privacy Policy DoD Promotes Energy Initiatives to Stretch Dollars, Improve Efficiency To: DEFENSE-PRESS-SERVICE-L@DTIC.MIL By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2006 - The Defense Department is exploring ways to make its weapon systems and facilities more fuel-efficient and less vulnerable to market fluctuations and controls, senior defense officials told Pentagon reporters today. John J. Young Jr., director of defense research and engineering, said DoD is putting more emphasis on improving the efficiency of its operations - for national security as well as financial reasons. DoD is the United States' biggest energy consumer, using more than 300 million barrels of oil every day. At those levels, a $10-a-barrel price hike puts a $1.3 billion dent in the defense budget and the funds appropriated to support the fighting force. "When oil goes up $10 a barrel, there's a billion dollars in things we don't get to do... (for) the warfighter," Young said. But heavy dependence on oil has other repercussions for the military, too, he said. The United States imports 58 percent of its oil, so there's no solid guarantee that it will always have access to the energy it needs. A major goal in DoD's energy program "is making sure we ... have multiple options in a changing marketplace for assured access to the energy that is required for the military to provide the nation's security," he said. And for deployed troops, oil dependence boils down to an even more basic vulnerability, Young explained. The more fuel they need, the more convoys they need to put on the road to deliver it, and the more frequently they expose themselves to improvised explosive devices and other threats. He cited "a desire to have renewable-type (energy) sources in Iraq and deployed locations so we ... potentially have to take less fuel to the deployed forces and therefore put fewer convoys at risk." About three-quarters of DoD's oil consumption goes toward keeping the military on the move: its aircraft conducting sorties, its ships patrolling the seas and its wheeled and tracked vehicles patrolling the streets of Iraq and Afghanistan. The military is working to make these systems less oil-dependent without sacrificing capability, Young explained. It's looking into composite materials that make vehicles lighter and more efficient, and fuel-efficient engines and alternative fuel sources to decrease its dependence on fossil fuel. The Air Force, DoD's biggest energy user, is considering setting a goal to reduce its fuel consumption in a way that doesn't shortchange training or operations, he said. The Marine Corps recently issued a solicitation for a new heavy truck that includes "a very specific and precise goal that decreased fuel consumption something like 15 to 20 percent" over its current Logistics Vehicle System. "And so in each program space, we are going to set ... fairly aggressive goals for achieving additional efficiencies" that apply technological advances, he said. "And we have already been doing that." Many of those same strategies already are proving successful as DoD reduces the fuel needed to keep its 570,000 buildings and facilities around the world humming, Philip Grone, deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment, told reporters. These facilities consume about 22 percent of DoD's energy requirements, but more than 8 percent of the electricity they use comes from renewable energy sources, he said. DoD hopes to raise that level to 25 percent by 2025, setting the standard for the rest of the federal government as well as industry, Grone told reporters. Throughout the military, Grone said, he sees a continued trend toward tapping diversified energy sources -- particularly more renewable sources -- that offer more efficiency and reliability to the fighting force. "That is where I see us headed in the course of the next 10 to 25 years," he said. "Conceptually, that is where we want to be." Whether from an operational or support viewpoint, all energy conservation ultimately supports the fighting force because it frees up defense dollars for critical training and equipment, Grone said. As these initiatives increasingly take shape, "resources will be freed up to go for higher priority efforts in supporting the mission ... (and) the pointy end of the spear," he said. [Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=1452] ==================================================== Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad. DoD Launches Sexual Assault Prevention Web Site To: DEFENSE-PRESS-SERVICE-L@DTIC.MIL By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, June 17, 2005 - Servicemembers who are victims of sexual assault or who need information on the DoD policy on preventing sexual assaults can find the information at a new Web site. The site, launched by Joint Task Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, is basically a consolidated place to go to for information, said Air Force Brig. Gen. K.C. McClain, the commander of the JTF. The site has links to all the services' Web sites related to the sexual assault issue. It spells out what people can do if they are victims of sexual assault, the general said. The designers of the new site, which went live this week, had to name the site with the initials of the organization -- sapr.mil -- rather than something like "sexualassualt.mil" because too many firewalls would block out a request under that name, the general explained. The site is more than just a reporting site. If an individual has questions about the policy, the answers are available on the Web site. "Because it is a DoD site, one could access this one site and get the overarching information," McClain said. "Since we link to the service Web sites, an individual could get that information, too." If a commander or a first sergeant has questions, this site should provide the answers, but if not, they can send an e-mail via the site and a Joint Task Force member will answer. McClain said the group already is thinking of improvements. "We will add other things as we get them done," she said. "We're readying a commander's checklist on sexual assault prevention, for example." Biography: Brig. Gen. K.C. McClain, USAF [http://www.af.mil/bios/bio.asp?bioID=7820] Related Site: Joint Task Force for Sexual Assault Prevention and Response [http://www.sapr.mil/] _______________________________________________________ NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK, the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun2005/20050617_1763.html. NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense No. 497-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 19, 2005 Media Contact: (703)697-5131 Public/Industry Contact: (703)428-0711 Pentagon Channel Celebrates One-Year Anniversary The Pentagon Channel will mark the one-year anniversary of its launch by broadcasting live from the Joint Service Open House at Andrews Air Force Base on Friday, May 20, 2005. The Pentagon Channel broadcasts military news and information for and about the 2.6 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces: Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve. Broadcast 24/7, the Pentagon Channel helps ensure that U.S. Forces remain the best informed in the world. Today, more than one million service members on 201 military bases in the U.S. can watch the Pentagon Channel - and this number is increasing every day. The Pentagon Channel is also available to the 700,000 service members and their families serving in 177 countries overseas via the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS). In addition, the Pentagon Channel also offers streamed programming live at pentagonchannel.mil - as well as individual newscasts and original programs as Video On Demand. "Our focus at the Pentagon Channel is to communicate to the men and women in the military," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs. "We provide what our service members want and need to their jobs better: relevant, timely, and credible military news and information." Service members who work and live on military bases can watch the Pentagon Channel on their installation's cable systems. But many live off-post - particularly National Guard members and military reservists, who comprise nearly half the potential military audience. The Pentagon Channel works to ensure their access to military news and information by encouraging carriage of the service by commercial cable and satellite systems. The Pentagon Channel now reaches more than 12 million households through this commercial distribution. The Pentagon Channel is carried nationwide by DISH Network, as well as by divisions of Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, Cox Communications, Mediacom Communications Corporation, RCN Corporation, Armstrong Cable Services, Knology Holdings, GCI Communications, Verizon Services Corporation, and a number of smaller cable companies and public access and government channels in communities around the country. [Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20050519-3222.html] Military Struggling with Rising Health Care Costs By Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 22, 2005 - Rising medical costs and the expansion of health benefits for retirees, Guardsmen and Reservists, and their families, are putting a strain on the military health care system, Defense Department health and personnel officials told members of Congress April 21. �Rising health care costs are not unique to the military health system; it�s a national concern, and we are struggling with it,� Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said in testimony before the personnel subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee. David S. C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, also testified at the hearing. He said rising costs can also be attributed to increased enrollment in TRICARE benefit programs. Chu said improvements in TRICARE benefits have made the health plan �widely accepted� by servicemembers, retirees and their families. And, he added, �others seek to join this program,� referring to retirees over age 65, who joined TRICARE for Life, and Reservists, who can begin enrolling in TRICARE Reserve Select this month. However, he said, the popularity of TRICARE programs has brought with it �substantial cost.� Winkenwerder pointed out that expenses for TRICARE have grown rapidly, doubling over the past five years from $18 billion to nearly $36 billion this year. If the current trend continues, the program�s total budget could top $50 billion within five years, he said. By 2010, Winkenwerder estimated, approximately �70 percent of the health budget will be spent caring for retirees.� �The facts show that our expansion of health benefits, such as those for our senior retirees, underlies the growth, and that growth could put today�s operations and sustainment at risk,� he said. In addition, the expansion of health care benefits to retirees has led to increased pharmacy costs. Winkenwerder said the cost of TRICARE�s pharmacy program has increased 500 percent since 2001, with costs approaching $6 billion this year. He said the department is trying to control some of those costs by implementing �performance-based� budgets and improving TRICARE�s pharmacy program with a new formulary and using federal pricing for its retail pharmacy network. In addition, he said, TRICARE contracts are now designed to �leverage private-sector methods� in order to control purchased health care costs. Still, he added, management actions alone, even dramatic ones, �will not stem the rapid growth spending.� �That is because benefit expansion and rising utilization are the driving forces in sending these costs upward,� he explained. Winkenwerder said part of TRICARE�s problem is that the program�s benefit structure has not kept pace with changes in the private sector or industry. For example, enrollment fees and cost shares for TRICARE have not increased in a decade, he said. Winkenwerder pointed out that while TRICARE cost shares have remained �unchanged� over the past five years, those for private health care firms have risen significantly. For instance, cost shares for Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic region rose 57 percent, and those for Blue Cross Standard rose 87 percent. �This has persuaded a growing number of our beneficiaries to drop their private coverage and to fully rely upon TRICARE,� he said. Winkenwerder cautioned the committee that the �low out-of-pocket costs and outstanding benefit� that TRICARE provides will drive �all of our retirees (to) rely on TRICARE instead of their employer-based plans in just a few years.� �Simply put, we face a tremendous challenge with a benefit design that does not always reward the efficient use of care,� he said. �And that is increasingly out of step with employer plans.� However, he told the sub-committee, the department is looking at �viable options� to contain costs. One possible option, according to Chu, would be establishing a health-savings plan for military families, similar to the one Congress authorized for DoD civil service employees. �We are looking hard at how you would offer (such a plan) on a voluntary basis � again, your choice � to military households,� Chu said. Chu said he has asked the department to look into the issue. Although, he added, such a plan would likely need statutory authority from Congress. �The military benefit is called out in a separate set of statues and governed by those statutes,� he said. �So if we were going to offer a thoughtful health-saving account plan we would need some additional statutory authority.� Biographies: Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness David S. C. Chu [http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/chu_bio.html] Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr. [http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/winkenwerderjr_bio.html] _______________________________________________________ NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK, the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2005/20050422_715.html.

		Military Channel Partners with America Supports You To: DEFENSE-PRESS-SERVICE-L@DTIC.MIL American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2006 - The Military Channel is the first television media outlet to partner with America Supports You, a Department of Defense program connecting America's support for the troops to military servicemembers and their families, network officials announced. The Military Channel will air America Supports You public-service announcements to inform their viewers and the military community about events, initiatives and member organizations of the America Supports You program. In addition to teaming up with America Supports You, the Military Channel also will be adding a daily newscast to its programming lineup, providing up-to-date military news from top defense officials and military service branches from around the world. "Around the Services," a half-hour news program from the Department of Defense, will begin airing Nov. 6 and will air every day at 4 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times. "As the only cable network devoted solely to military subjects, it's important that our viewers are aware of opportunities to support the troops," said Jane Root, executive vice president and general manager for Discovery Channel, Military Channel, The Science Channel and Discovery Times Channel America Supports You recognizes and facilitates citizens' support for military men, women and families, and communicates that support to members of the armed forces at home and abroad. The Military Channel and America Supports You first worked together in support of the 2006 Freedom Walk in Washington, D.C. to mark the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and to honor veterans, past and present. "We are so pleased that the Military Channel has joined the America Supports You team," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Allison Barber, architect of the America Supports You program. "With their capacity to reach large audiences on an ongoing basis, the Military Channel will help broaden national awareness about America Supports You and connect many more people to the ways they can support and serve the troops and their families." [Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=2003] ==================================================== Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad. ==================================================== Unsubscribe from or Subscribe to this mailing list: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/subscribe.html ==================================================== Pace Says Differing Tour Lengths Affect Deployment Morale To: DEFENSE-PRESS-SERVICE-L@DTIC.MIL By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M., Oct. 5, 2006 - Tour lengths are the biggest obstacle to U.S. troop morale in Iraq, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during a visit here yesterday. Marine Gen. Peter Pace said that when he visits combat zones, morale generally is high. But after a bit of digging, he said, he finds the different tour length policies among the services work against morale. "Specifically, if you sit around a table in a dining facility with servicemembers from all four services, they all have different tour lengths," he said. The Army has a tour length of one year. Marines are in the country for seven months. Navy and Air Force tours are four or six months. "The question that gets asked is how can you possibly have so many different tour lengths?" he said. The services examine tour lengths constantly. The Marines - with their tether to Navy ship deployments - find seven months on and seven months at home station works. The Army has a one-year-on, one-year-home cycle that it would like to change to one year deployed three years home. The Navy and Air Force also have good reasons for their tour lengths, the chairman acknowledged, but he said the differences don't always sit well with people affected. "It may compute math-wise, but it doesn't compute in peoples' minds and hearts," he said. "That's the biggest morale factor that I'm aware of when I travel." He said the Joint Chiefs of Staff continue to scrub the problem and challenge their assumptions. "Just because an assumption is true today, doesn't mean it will be so tomorrow," he said. In response to a question from the largely Air Force audience, Pace addresses the reduction in force now under way in that service. He said from his standpoint, the military is not reducing. The Army and Marine Corps are growing. "The Air Force and Navy have determined they can get smaller and still get the job done," he said. The military of the future needs more special operations people, and the Air Force is looking to expand that community, he said. But a technological shift in the service leads to a smaller force, he said. "If you go back to World War II, it took 3,000 planes to hit one bridge," he said. During Desert Storm, he said, that number dropped to 10 aircraft. "Today, one plane can hit 30, 40 or 50 bridges in one mission," he said. "Somewhere in that math, you have to believe that you can do the mission for the nation with fewer planes. And that means fewer maintenance personnel, armorers and so on to keep those planes flying." He said he is comfortable in a change in size in the Air Force "that tells me I actually hit more targets from the air with fewer planes five years from now than I could with more aircraft five years ago." Pace said he will continue to ask and prod Air Force officials to understand the situation. [Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=1461] ==================================================== Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad. NATO Striving to Build Professional NCO Corps To: DEFENSE-PRESS-SERVICE-L@DTIC.MIL By Kathleen T. Rhem American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 9, 2006 - Just as noncommissioned officers and petty officers are the backbone of the U.S. military, they also are increasingly becoming the backbone of NATO, a top U.S. NCO said here today. Marine Sgt. Maj. Alford L. McMichael, senior noncommissioned officer for NATO's Allied Command for Operations, is at the forefront of that effort. He spoke during a conference of service senior enlisted advisors and combatant command senior enlisted leaders meeting at the Pentagon this week. McMichael is a former sergeant major of the Marine Corps. He assumed his current position in September 2003 and is the first senior enlisted advisor to the NATO operational commander. He began his briefing by describing some challenges facing NATO and an presenting overview of how the alliance has changed focus in the past few decades. For starters, decisions are not made with the concept of "majority rules" within NATO, but only by unanimity among the 26 member nations. "Everyone in the room, every nation, has to agree on any proposal," he said. In 1989, when the Cold War ended, many in the world questioned the necessity for such an alliance. "We had no enemy," McMichael said, "or at least no enemy with a return address." Ten years later, when NATO led operations to end ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, the tide of relevancy was turning for the Atlantic alliance, and member states began to realize they needed to get outside their comfort zone, McMichael said. The true turning point came with the November 2002 summit in Prague, Czech Republic. The sergeant major said that summit "changed NATO forever." Leaders of member nations recognized they needed to downsize -- of 3 million uniformed members of member states, only 30 percent were combat ready -- and globalize. The idea for the NATO Response Force also came out of that summit. McMichael today called that response force NATO's "golden jewel." He explained that the force basically fulfills the same role as a Marine expeditionary unit: able to stand up and deploy anywhere in the world within five days and then sustain itself for 30 days. Another significant change was a realization that NATO forces needed to build a professional NCO corps. Since McMichael was appointed to his position, he has worked to model NCO training programs on U.S. military NCO professional development programs. "It works for us, and it will work for them," he said. NATO countries are working together to develop a common standard for NCOs to accept responsibility and successfully execute any mission. NCOs from many NATO nations now receive training in management and leadership techniques to help those NCOs become "the single most effective combat multiplier in the NATO alliance," McMichael said. He said the seven nations that joined NATO in March 2004 are among the fastest to accept the idea of a professional NCO corps. "We went into it as a team" with those countries, he said. The sergeant major said he believes the true benefit of these efforts will become evident in future combined operations. "When your soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines see it on the battlefield, that's when it'll pay off," he said. "They won't be with someone on the battlefield with the same pay grade but with no understanding of their level of responsibility." Still, McMichael said, it's a challenge to ensure these efforts aren't "misconstrued as just another 'ugly American' idea being forced down their throats." Mobile teams for training and education include 32 instructors from 14 nations, he said. "Our biggest challenge in the future is not to make it appear that it's the U.S. way or no way," he said, but to bring the other member nations along willingly toward the common goal of a professional NCO corps. With NATO now sharing in responsibility for training Iraqi forces, McMichael was at the first Iraqi-forces graduation under the NATO Training Mission in Iraq. He said he was impressed with the Iraqi troops' dedication to their cause. "They were pumped up," he said. "You could see it in their eyes." Still, he added, he is a strong proponent for adding a strong NCO corps to the training plan. "We're training them without a Sergeant York," he said, without a sergeant to "put foot in butt and make sure their rifles are loaded." McMichael said he believes a development program for a strong NCO corps only improves combat effectiveness in a force. "We need to all speak a common language" to work together effectively, he said of allies working together. "We don't have time to be saying, ... 'Stay out of my (area of operations)' to each other." Biography: Sgt. Maj. Alford L. McMichael, USMC [http://www.nato.int/shape/bios/other/mcmichael.htm] Related Site: NATO [http://www.nato.int/] _______________________________________________________ NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK, the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2006/20060509_5074.html. ==================================================== Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad. ==================================================== Visit the Defense Department's Web site for the latest news and information about America's response to the war against terrorism: "Defend America" at http://www.DefendAmerica.mil. ==================================================== Unsubscribe from or Subscribe to this mailing list: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/subscribe.html Military Rules for Non-Military Personnel "Dear Civilians, "We know that the current state of affairs in our great nation have many civilians up in arms and excited to join the military. For those of you who can't join, you can still lend a hand. Here are a few of the areas where we would like your assistance: (1) The next time you see an adult talking (or wearing a hat) during the playing of the National Anthem---kick their ass. (2) When you witness, firsthand, someone burning the American Flag in protest---kick their ass. (3) Regardless of the rank they held while they served, pay the highest amount of respect to all veterans. If you see anyone doing otherwise, quietly pull them aside and explain how these veterans fought for the very freedom they bask in every second. Enlighten them on the many sacrifices these veterans made to make this Nation great. Then hold them down while a disabled veteran kicks their ass. (4) (GUYS) If you were never in the military, DO NOT pretend that you were. Wearing battle dress uniforms (BDUs), telling others that you used to be "Special Forces," and collecting GI Joe memorabilia, might have been okay when you were seven years old. Now, it will only make you look stupid and get your ass kicked. (5) Next time you come across an Air Force member, do not ask them, "Do you fly a jet?" Not everyone in the Air Force is a pilot. Such ignorance deserves an ass-kicking (children are exempt). (6) If you witness someone calling the US Coast Guard 'non-military', inform them of their mistake---and kick their ass. (7) Next time Old Glory (the US flag) prances by during a parade, get on your damn feet and pay homage to her by placing your hand over your heart. Quietly thank the military member or veteran lucky enough to be carrying her---of course, failure to do either of those could earn you a severe ass-kicking. (8) Don't try to discuss politics with a military member or a veteran.. We are Americans, and we all bleed the same, regardless of our party affiliation. Our Chain of Command is to include our Commander-In-Chief (CinC). The President (for those who didn't know) is our CinC regardless of political party. We have no inside track on what happens inside those big important buildings where all those representatives meet. All we know is that when those civilian representatives screw up the situation, they call upon the military to go straighten it out. If you keep asking us the same stupid questions repeatedly, you will get your ass kicked! (9) 'Your mama wears combat boots' never made sense to me---stop saying it! If she did, she would most likely be a vet and therefore, could kick your ass! (10) Bin Laden and the Taliban are not Communists, so stop saying 'Let's go kill those Commies!' And stop asking us where he is! Crystal balls are not standard issue in the military. That reminds me---if you see anyone calling those damn psychic phone numbers, let me know, so I can go kick their ass. (11) 'Flyboy' (Air Force), 'Jarhead' (Marines), 'Grunt' (Army), 'Squid' (Navy), 'Puddle Jumpers' (Coast Guard), etc., are terms of endearment we use describing each other. Unless you are a service member or vet, you have not earned the right to use them. That could get your ass kicked. (12) Last, but not least, whether or not you become a member of the military, support our troops and their families. Every Thanksgiving and religious holiday that you enjoy with family and friends, please remember that there are literally thousands of sailors and troops far from home wishing they could be with their families. Thank God for our military and the sacrifices they make every day. Without them, our country would get its ass kicked." "It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. "It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. "It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. "It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag."

				Defense Travel System Evolves to Better Serve Customers To: DEFENSE-PRESS-SERVICE-L@DTIC.MIL By Gerry J. Gilmore American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2006 - The Defense Travel System continues to evolve as it efficiently serves military and civilian travelers on official department business, a senior military officer said yesterday. DTS is "an end-to-end, secure, integrated financial-management system that automates the temporary duty (travel) process for DoD," said Air Force Col. Lynne T. Hamilton-Jones, program management office director at the Defense Travel System Office, in Arlington, Va. "DTS works," Hamilton-Jones emphasized, noting the system is available around the clock to provide superior customer service. The automated system administers authorization, reservation, voucher and reimbursement processes for DoD's business travelers, Hamilton-Jones said. It also accelerates travel-related task processing time for customers, she said, while saving taxpayer dollars. People on official DoD travel orders are required to use DTS to make their airline ticket, lodging, rental car, and other travel arrangements, Hamilton-Jones said. The automated system began as a pilot program in June 2001, the colonel said. Now accessed at more than 8,700 sites, DTS is slated to expand to more than 12,000 sites by the end of fiscal 2007, she said. DTS has undergone many fine-tunings designed to provide better customer service since the system was implemented worldwide in 2003, Hamilton-Jones said. In November, DTS will introduce more upgraded features, such as fewer pages for travelers to fill out, she noted. More than 50,000 customers log in to access DTS daily, Hamilton-Jones said, noting the system processes more than 7,000 travel authorizations and about 6,500 vouchers each day. DTS usage "continues to increase significantly, as we continue to evolve the system and increase overall functionality," she said. "The more users we have for the system, the more costs will be reduced overall for DoD." Most DoD travelers will spend about 15 to 20 minutes arranging a trip using the DTS web site, Hamilton-Jones said. That's a vast savings in time compared to previous processes when travelers had to make airline and hotel reservations over the telephone and fill out reams of travel-voucher paperwork, she noted. System customers "can take care of all of their travel needs and basically get reimbursed between four-and-a-half and five days," the colonel said. "I really encourage people to use it." [Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=1448] ==================================================== Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad. NCOs Note Differences Between What They See and What They Hear To: DEFENSE-PRESS-SERVICE-L@DTIC.MIL By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, May 10, 2006 - It's the e-mails and calls from home that gave the soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division their first clue that something is becoming different about the will of the American people. "All this time I thought we were winning," said a sergeant first class sarcastically. "Seems folks back home have already run up the white flag." Some 4th Infantry Division noncommissioned officers were discussing the flood of e-mails they receive from family members and friends about the constant danger they are facing in Iraq. Though they asked not to be identified by name for this article, the NCOs said they believe the news media highlight explosions and murders over any sign of progress in Iraq. "I see progress every time I go outside the wire," said a platoon sergeant. "Just look at the progress the Iraqi army has made." The NCOs, many with years of infantry experience, said the Iraqi army has made tremendous strides since standing up just two years ago. The difference between the Iraqi National Guard that first stood up in the aftermath of the fall of Saddam Hussein and today's Iraqi army is night and day, said an NCO who served with the 101st Airborne Division in 2003's initial combat in Iraq. He said the old Iraqi military hardly even fired its weapons. "We joked that the safest place to be was where they were aiming," he said. But today's Iraqi army has developed the professional warrior ethos needed to be an effective fighting force. The men said the Iraqi NCOs are taking charge of their units and tending to 'NCO business.' "In the old army, being an NCO just meant you were paid more," said an NCO. Now the Iraqi NCOs are serious about training their troops and ensuring they are cared for. One NCO spoke about an incident in Baghdad that the Iraqi army handled without any help from the coalition. "There was a (car bomb) attack and the Iraqis handled it," he said. The Iraqi soldiers rushed to the scene, delivered aid to those wounded, cordoned off the area and searched it for other threats, and secured the site while Iraqi police conducted the investigation. This is not to say there aren't problems, the NCOs said. While the Iraqi army has made tremendous progress, the Iraqi police - especially the local police - have a long way to go. But they're continuing to make progress, the NCOs said. The special police units - now called the national police - are almost as professional as the military, the NCOs said. And the young recruits to the local police understand what is required of them and have embraced the training. "If that continues when they get on the street is the test," an NCO said. These NCOs are not ready to leave Iraq, and they resent suggestions that they aren't doing good in this war-weary country. "I have yet to speak to (an American) here who thinks we're losing," an NCO said. "Trust me. (No soldier) wants to be here, but no one wants to cut and run either." "Leaving would just send the wrong signal to our enemies," he said. Related Site: 4th Infantry Division [http://www.hood.army.mil/4id/] _______________________________________________________ NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK, the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2006/20060510_5076.html. ==================================================== Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and abroad. ==================================================== Visit the Defense Department's Web site for the latest news and information about America's response to the war against terrorism: "Defend America" at http://www.DefendAmerica.mil. Thu, 1 Dec 2005 12:40:00 -0500 From: "Press Service" <afisnews_sender@DTIC.MIL> Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert Subject: Laptop Training Saves Space, Hones Skills To: DEFENSE-PRESS-SERVICE-L@DTIC.MIL By Capt. Steve Alvarez, USA American Forces Press Service ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 1, 2005 - Laptop computers were designed for portability and to limit impact on workspaces, and the Navy is taking full advantage of technology's robust capabilities, using laptops to train the Navy's submarine force. The Navy uses laptops onboard submarines to train sailors in basic duties, Navy Chief Petty Officer Chris Brown, a sonar technician assigned to Submarine On Board Training in Connecticut, said. He demonstrated the laptops at the 2005 Interservice/Industry Simulation, Education and Training Conference here Nov. 28-Dec. 1. "We use this for qualification-in-rate training," Brown said, using the Navy term for training that ensures sailors meet proficiency milestones in their specialties. When the program started in the 1980s, it was mostly video-based, Brown said. But today, the 16-year veteran said, the training is personal-computer based, enabling sailors to learn or hone skills in a variety disciplines including supply and logistics, communications, general military training, strategic weapons systems, navigation, combat systems, basic submarining, training, maintenance, and nuclear propulsion. Part of the SOBT packages includes Submarine Skills-training Network. The Navy said SubSkillsNet is a group of independent training simulations of several workstations on a submarine that were designed to enable seamless networked use for individual or team training. Originally conceived to address collision avoidance training, the growing set of trainers has resulted in an integrated system that can now meet a variety of training objectives. These products are being used on attack and missile submarines, in electronic classrooms, and in simulators to train naval personnel. Interfaces between SubSkillsNet and other training and tactical systems, are under development. Some courses in the SubSkillsNet portfolio are On-board Radar Collision Avoidance, Submarine Periscope Observation and Tracking, Surfaced Submarine Navigation and Piloting and GPS Simulation, to name a few. SOBT comprises 11 military project managers and 10 civilian multimedia specialists who produce practical and interactive multimedia training aids to improve the Navy's submarine force. Brown said the computer-based training ordinarily is made available to sailors who are on watch or as part of a sub's weekly training periods. Sailors also can voluntarily participate in the training individually. The Navy does not mandate SOBT. The program solely exists to educate sailors, Brown said. Training is available on compact discs or via downloads with user authentication. Related Site: Submarine On Board Training [https://www.cnet.navy.mil/sobt/web/index.html] _______________________________________________________ NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK, the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051201_3507.html. Education: The Best Kept GI Bill Secret The VA pays for OJT! Most veterans know that they can use the G.I. Bill to pay for the costs of education. But did you know that you can also receive up to $12,000 in tax-free benefits for training twenty-four months in an On-The-Job or Apprenticeship training program? That means that the VA will pay you up to $753 a month ($216 for Reserve) tax-free, on top of your regular salary! Here's how the GI Bill On-The-Job training program works for you! If you are a veteran or currently in the guard or reserve the On-The-Job Training (OJT) Program offers you an alternative way to use your VA (G.I. Bill) education and training benefits. While training, you can receive monthly training benefits from the Veterans Affairs in addition to your regular salary. OJT programs may be approved in a wide variety of occupations. Some in trades that may relate to your military occupation, but many that don't. Currently approved programs range from law enforcement officers to mechanics to electricians. Get Money For School Find scholarships, schools that credit military experience, distance learning programs and more. Use your GI Bill and other benefits to get ahead! Request free information from Military-Friendly schools and get the 2004 Guide to Military & Veteran Education -- free. Qualifying Jobs: To qualify, your job must meet the following criteria: � You must be supervised at least 50% of the time. � Job training must lead to an entry level position. (Management training programs do not qualify) � You must be a full-time paid employee, not on commission. � Your training must be documented and reported. � You cannot be already qualified for the Job by previous experience. � You must be recently hired (within one to two years). � The Job must require at least six months training to become fully trained. � The Employer may be private; local or state government Here is a list of well-known employers who participate in the VA's Apprenticeship Program: � Pirelli Tire Co. � Proctor & Gable Co. � Merck Pharmaceuticals � Cessna Aircraft � Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. � Lockheed Martin Corp. � Bell South � World Toyota � Comcast � Pratt and Whitney Engine Co. � Law enforcement (police, sheriff, State Patrol) � Dept. of Corrections (prisons, detention centers) � Local Fire Departments Eligibility: You may be eligible if you are otherwise eligible for the GI Bill either under the Active Duty (Veteran) or Reserve GI Bill programs and: � You are no longer on Active Duty; � You were recently hired or promoted; � it's been less than 10 years since you left the service; or � you are currently a member of the Guard or Reserve (Reserve GI Bill). So if you are qualified for the GI Bill and you have started a new job or apprenticeship program, you need to apply for this little known GI Bill benefit. This is in addition to your take home pay. In some cases the VA will even pay retroactively for OJT from the past 12 months. Note: You may not receive GI Bill OJT benefits at the same time you are receiving the GI Bill education benefits. Click here for the latest information on the exact amounts the GI Bill will pay. The next step: Your next step should be to contact your Regional VA office or local State Approving Agency (SAA). They will help you get started on the process and answer any questions you may have. Remember: If you have decided to pursue your education, many schools offer free information packets they will mail you. You can request information from multiple schools at once by filling out a form on Military.com. With no obligation or cost, learning about different schools is a great way to take the first step. Click here to request information. (http://www.military.com/Education/Content?file=Education_Best.htm&ESRC=army-a.nl) DoD Holds Conference to Promote Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses To: DODNEWS-L@DTIC.MIL NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense No. 612-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jun 17, 2005 Media Contact: (703)697-5131 Public/Industry Contact: (703)428-0711 DoD Holds Conference to Promote Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses The Department of Defense Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (SADBU), in cooperation with the Army Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, will host the first National Veterans Small Business Conference June 20-22, at Caesar's Palace Resort Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev. The three-day meeting is a result of a Presidential Executive Order signed October 21, 2004, that requires the federal government to significantly increase contracting and subcontracting opportunities for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. More than 700 service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, federal agency representatives, large DoD prime contractors and acquisition officials will be in attendance. Frank Ramos, director of SADBU, said, "The primary purpose of the conference is to assist and educate service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses on government contracting and subcontracting opportunities. It will provide important information on the status of veteran small business programs throughout the federal government." The conference also will address how the President's Executive Order is being implemented, strategies for increasing business opportunities, and products and services available to assist with business growth. In addition to senior DoD officials, the conference will have representatives from the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, General Services Administration, Small Business Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, State Department, Department of Treasury, and the Department of Transportation. Information on the conference is available at the following Web site: http://216.200.89.135/conference/veteran04/index.asp . [Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20050617-3708.html] Air Force Men, Navy Women Take Armed Forces Volleyball Crowns By Walt Johnson Special to American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 19, 2005 - The Air Force men and the Navy women volleyball teams captured the 2005 Armed Forces Volleyball Championship here May 16. Both established themselves as the teams to beat in their respective divisions by posting perfect 3-0 marks after the first half of the tournament. Morris Davis, Navy women's head coach, said his team kept the same attitude it had coming into the tournament after it was able to win the first three games. He said his veteran team knew that it was a long way from winning the interservice gold medals. "We knew from the time we started training camp that it was going to take a lot of hard work to win the championship," he said. "We knew Air Force was a really strong team and we were going to have to make some adjustments, even though we beat them in the first round." While the Air Force men's team would cruise to the championship, the Navy women's team had to withstand a furious rally by the Air Force women's team to earn its title. Davis said his team's veteran savvy helped them to battle back from what became a titanic struggle between the Air Force and Navy women's teams. The championship tournament began with the same match-up that would end the tournament for the women's side, Navy meeting Air Force. Navy dropped the first game to the Air Force 25-21 and then came back to win 25-16, 25-16 and 25-22. It would be Navy's only action of the first day of competition, but it gave them a leg up on succeeding the Army team as women's champions. In the second game involving women's teams on the first day of action, the Marines defeated the defending champion Army team 25-18, 25-14, 22-25 and 26-24. The victory for the Marines was significant, because this was the first time in two years the Marines have been able to field a women's team because of service commitments. While they did not have the best team the Marines could have fielded, Marines coach Peter Cruz said, he brought a team determined to be a factor in this year's tournament. Defeating the defending champions on the first day proved this team was going to have to be taken seriously and it showed the women's half of the tournament would be hotly contested. After losing to the Marines, the defending champion Army team found itself in a must-win situation against an Air Force team that was smarting from the lost to the Navy in the first match of the tournament. Army gave it a great effort, but the Air Force was able to pull off a 25-20, 25-22, 25-20 victory. On the men's side, the Air Force began its run to the title by defeating the Navy 25-23, 25-17, 22-25 and 25-22. After the Army defeated the Marines in five matches -- 12-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19 and 25-17 -- Army was in a position to take control of the tournament if it could beat Air Force. Air Force had other thoughts, and pulled out a four-match victory (25-21, 25-23, 17-25 and 25-18) to finish the first night of the tournament undefeated. Both the Air Force men and Navy women tightened their grip on the tournament on the second day of action. The Air Force men defeated the Marines to take a 3-0 record into the third day of the tournament, while the Navy women followed up their first-round win over Air Force with wins over the Marines and Army to also take a 3-0 lead into the third day. The third day of the tournament could have been the day both the Air Force men and Navy women put the championship away, but the other service teams were in no mood to let the eventual champions win it so soon. Air Force's women's team knew the only way it could win the armed forces title was to beat the Navy as the second round of the tournament began. Because the Navy and Air Force teams looked like they would be too strong and talented for the Army and Marines to beat, the Air Force team could not rely on the other service teams to beat the Navy. Air Force responded to the challenge by winning a four-set thriller (26-24, 25-22, 20-25, 15-7) to give each team a 3-1 record. "The first time we played them, we caught them a little off guard. This time they were ready for us and it forced us to make some adjustments in our lineup," Davis said. The Air Force's team could have put a stranglehold on the men's title if it could defeat the Navy men. After going through the first round undefeated and watching the other service teams knock each other off, Air Force, with a victory would have mathematically wrapped the championship. Malu Segai, Air Force men's team head coach, said winning the championship was the goal from the beginning for his team, and it was right there for the taking. "From the time the players arrived at the training camp in Hawaii, we told them our goal was to win the interservice championship," he said. "We had a very young team this year, but they quickly realized what it would take to win the tournament." But Navy wasn't about to let the young Air Force team wrap up the title. The Navy team played its best game of the tournament and beat the Air Force team in five sets (25-20, 21-25, 25-18, 18-25, 15-8). In the nightcap of second round action, the Army teams defeated the Marine teams, setting up third day action that would determine how the tournament would finish. On the women's side, Air Force and Navy each defeated their opponents, the Army and the Marines respectively, to ensure each would go into the final day's action with 4-1 records. On the men's side, Air Force defeated the Army to push its record to 4-1 and assure itself of at least a tie for the title going into the last round of the tournament. The victory also gave Army its second loss of the tournament, and after the Navy won its match, gave each team an identical 3-2 record going into the final day of action. On the final day, the Air Force men had a simple mission: win its game against the Marines to succeed Navy as the armed forces champions. While a loss would not have ended the Air Force hopes of winning the title, it would have forced it into a playoff match against either the Navy or Army, because the winner of the Army-Navy game would have a 4-2 record that would have been similar to the Air Force. Air Force didn't leave anything to chance defeating the Marines 25-16, 25-14 and 25-19 to wrap up the championship. The Air Force women's team had a different mission as it entered action on the final day. The Air Force team had to beat a gritty and determined Marines team and then see if Army could upset Navy and give it the championship. Air Force did its part by defeating the Marines 25-15, 25-22 and 25-19 to finish the regular phase of the tournament with a 5-1 record. Now the tournament would come down to what happened between the Navy and Army in both men's and women's action. The first match would pit the Army and Navy women's team in a game that would determine whether the Air Force women's team won the title outright or if there would be a playoff between the Air Force and Navy to decide the title. The Army team wanted to salvage what had been a disappointing tournament for them by beating Navy, but the Navy team was just as determined to force the playoff round. Navy defeated the Army team 25-14, 25-16 and 25-12 to set up a playoff with Air Force to settle the title. With the Air Force men's victory over the Marines, the Army-Navy game was the battle for the silver medal, which each team wanted badly. In what was a hard-fought battle Navy defeated the Army 25-24, 25-19 and 25-22 to capture the silver medal. Air Force came into the playoff the more rested team, having played in the morning session while the Navy had only a two-hour break before having to play in the best two-of-three playoff. Air Force took advantage of the rest it got by winning the first game of the match 25-16, and it looked like Navy may not have enough to put up a challenge. Suddenly, the Navy team got a surge of adrenaline and beat the Air Force team 25-16 to even the championship playoffs at one game apiece. Now each team had a one-game shot to win the championship, and each team played like champions, thrilling the crowd at the Fort Carson Special Events Center with clutch play after clutch play. Navy and Air Force took turns getting three-point leads, and just when it seemed like one team would put a stranglehold on the game, the other team would come back and tie the game or take a one-point lead. Air Force had the first opportunity to wrap up the title as it took a one-point lead, 14-13, and had the serve to win the contest. Navy won the point and tied the game, setting up a furious 10-minute stretch that saw both teams earn the chance to win the match. Air Force squandered two chances to put the championship away, and Navy one, before Navy would finally earn the points necessary to win the playoff 19-17 and clinch the championship. "This could have gone either way," Davis said. "After we got down by one game, I told our players to just relax and play our game of ball control and we should be able to win. This was a really competitive tournament. I like winning, but I like to earn a victory -- and we earned this one, and that was the best thing about this championship." (Walt Johnson writes for the Colorado Springs Military Newspaper Group.) Related Site: Armed Forces Sports [http://www.armedforcessports.com/] _______________________________________________________ NOTE: View the original version of this web page on DefenseLINK, the official website of the U.S. Department of Defense, at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2005/20050519_1227.html.

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