Message: 1
From: Pentagon Channel Update <pentagonchannelupdate@hq.afis.osd.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:12:10 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Pentagon Channel Highlights
27 Aug 09
(Eastern Times)
0900 - Social Media Forum: Wednesday's coverage of U.S. Coast Guard Commandant ADM Thad Allen delivering remarks about the impact of social media on the Coast Guard at the Potomac Forum, Washington, DC. 22 minutes(VoD, Podcast)
Encore presentation at 1800 hrs.
1330 - Iraq Briefing: MG John Johnson, Multi-National Corps-Iraq Deputy Commanding General for Operations, speaks via satellite with reporters at the Pentagon, providing an update on ongoing security operations in Iraq. (Live, VoD, Podcast) Encore Presentations 0000 & 0600hrs.
Message: 2
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:13:16 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: New GI Bill Will Heighten Professional Work Force
New GI Bill Will Heighten Professional Work Force
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:58:00 -0500
New GI Bill Will Heighten Professional Work Force By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 - More college-educated professionals will enter the next generation's professional work force as a result of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said this week at the American Legion's 91st National Convention in Louisville, Ky. Shinseki lauded the organization's efforts in advocating the new legislation, just as it fought for the original GI Bill more than 65 years ago.
"Just as you were responsible for the passage of the original GI Bill in 1944, your commitment here was instrumental, yet again, in getting this 9/11 GI Bill through the Congress," Shinseki said.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill took effect Aug. 1, and with its expanded benefits and the option of transferring benefits to family members, it's likely to affect the country the way the original GI Bill did in 1944, he said.
Between 1944 and 1956, millions of veterans took advantage of educational benefits provided by the original bill and helped to fill the nation's work force with qualified and trained professionals. Although they no longer wore the military uniform, the veterans' contributions to the country weren't any less significant, he said.
"Returning World War II veterans leveraged the educational opportunities they had under the original GI Bill into sustained economic growth for the nation, catapulting the nation into the world's largest economy [and into a position of] leadership in the free world," he said. "Our country became richer by 450,000 trained engineers, 240,000 accountants, 238,000 teachers, 91,000 scientists, 66,000 doctors, 22,000 dentists and [by] millions of other college-educated veterans who went on to lead our great country in the second half of the 20th century.
"This new Post-9/11 GI Bill has the potential to impact the country in the same way, thanks to your leadership and the leadership in country," he added. "You've been our eyes and ears for identifying needs for veterans."
The education opportunities also will help VA in its struggle to end homelessness among veterans, which, Shinseki said, also will have an indirect but positive effect on a host of other issues. Veterans lead the nation in homelessness, he said, and also are ranked among the highest groups in the country for depression and substance abuse.
In 2003, more than 195,000 veterans were without homes. Shinseki pointed to a lack of education and employment opportunities, as well as mental-health and substance-abuse issues, as the main reasons for the over-representation of homeless veterans.
Today, VA estimates that 131,000 veterans are homeless, and Shinseki said he's determined to get them off the streets within the next five years. His department and President Barack Obama's administration are moving in the right direction to tackle the issue, he said, but he noted it won't be easy.
"We're moving in the right direction to remove this block from all of our consciences, and are committed to ending homelessness," he said. "No one that has served the nation as we have should live without care and without hope. I know there are no absolutes in life, ... but I also know that if we don't put a big target out there, we won't get our best efforts."
Homelessness is the last stop in an unfortunate road for many veterans, the secretary said. "To do this well, we'll have to attack the entire downward spiral that ends in homelessness," he said. "We must offer education, we must offer jobs, we must treat depression and we must treat substance abuse, [and] we must offer safe housing [for homeless veterans]. We must do it all."
The Post-9/11 GI Bill may not deliver an immediate impact on the homeless issue and others that veterans may face, but education is a long-term investment that will ensure many of their futures, he said.
"This investment in America's future will go on for decades to come," he said. "I told you what happened the first time we did this: thousands of trained engineers, scientists, doctors, dentists, accountants [and] teachers. Lightning is about to strike twice. And those who've answered our nation's call are going to be benefited into being leaders for our country in the 21st century through this program."
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Biographies:
Eric K. Shinseki
Related Sites:
Special Report: GI Transferability Has Arrived
Veterans Affairs GI Bill Web Site
Department of Veterans Affairs
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Message: 3
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:39:36 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Doctors, Scientists Team Up to Improve Wound Care
Doctors, Scientists Team Up to Improve Wound Care
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:07:00 -0500
Doctors, Scientists Team Up to Improve Wound Care By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2009 - READER'S COMMENT: Ronny R Dunn
Retired 1st Sgt.
Army Infantry
Aug. 26, 2009
Fred, I read your article regarding the fantastic work the medical professionals are researching.
Having been wounded by multiple fragmentation wounds myself I can attest to the fact that some wounds don't heal the same as the others. Even though they were from the same IED.
Having had my wounds cleaned daily the same way as all other soldiers and new bandages stuffed in the gaping holes.
The most terrifying times for me were when the nurses came in to change my bandages.
My god what excruciating pain. I always wondered why they didn't give me some sort of sedative or pain killer an hour before the procedure. I must tell you I more frightened of the nurses than the doctor. Surely in this day and age we have some sort of local numbing procedure to help alleviate this daily ritual of pain.
Besides the tormenting site of my buddies lying dead and other bad memories, I still have dreams of the nurses and their saline bottles, and those god awful tongs they used to pull the gauze out of the deep tissue.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2009 -- Army Spc. Adonnis Anderson said he knew the pain was coming.
After a bomb blew off much of his left forearm in Iraq in 2003, nurses came to his room daily to wash out his wounds. He described the treatment as two minutes of torture. They would swab the open wound as Anderson gritted his teeth and white-knuckle gripped the hospital bed railing.
"On a [pain] scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 15. It hurt really bad," Anderson said.
But the pain was a necessary evil. After being evacuated from the battlefield, Anderson's new fight was against dangerous infections that could destroy his chances of keeping his arm.
Anderson's story is not unique. Many soldiers evacuated from today's war zones suffer complex wounds from their injuries.
Bones are broken, and skin is burned or ripped by searing shrapnel. Mud, metal and fuel are fused into the wound. Harmful bacteria and other organisms are at work in the troops' bodies before they can be carried from the battlefield.
For the first time within the Defense Department, military doctors and scientists are working hand in hand to understand and improve the treatment of these complex wounds.
As part of an overarching, interservice combat wound initiative, scientists at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology are researching the makeup of complex wounds to help doctors in military hospitals better individualize and chart a course of care.
Dubbed "translational research," this partnership breaks down traditional barriers between the scientists who study the medical intricacies of the wounds and the clinicians who provide the care for the wounded. Now, each supports the work of the other, basically taking the science from "the bench" to the "bedside."
At the core of their work, scientists and doctors hope to discover why some wounds heal and others resist treatment.
Army Col. (Dr.) Alexander Stojadinovic, a surgeon at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, heads the combat wound initiative program. He said that while two wounds may look similar, they don't always react to treatment the same.
"We were perplexed. Why, when you close one [wound] it heals uneventfully, and when you close the other it has a complication that impairs healing? When by all criteria that we traditionally use you would have expected it to heal," Stojadinovic said.
Since early 2008, Stojadinovic has spearheaded efforts to merge the actions of military and private hospitals to address complex wound care.
He now has a staff of Army and Navy doctors that operates out of Walter Reed's Military Advanced Training Center. They deliver all of the needed specialists to the patients to collaborate on care.
"The nature of battlefield wounds today is complex. These are difficult medical problems that really challenge our creativity, our knowledge base and bring to bear teams," Stojadinovic said. "There's no single individual that can address all the problems that result from blast injuries."
When Stojadinovic decided to add a research arm to his program, he did not have to look far. The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology sits right in his back yard, situated on the same complex as Walter Reed.
About a year ago, Stojadinovic began talking with officials at the institute about research that can help doctors decide how to treat a wound and determine when it can be closed without further risk of infection. Many wounded troops are forced to endure several additional operations solely to remove infection. According to officials at the institute, the average soldier with complex wounds takes nine trips to the operating room.
Now, using troops enrolled in clinical trials at Walter Reed, doctors provide the scientists with wound fluids, blood and tissue that otherwise would be discarded. Scientists at the institute study the wound and provide feedback to the attending physicians. Scientists also study metal and other fragments that are taken from the wounds.
Depending on the study, scientists work to determine the number of bacteria in the sample, and characterize them genetically. The degree of bacterial contamination in a wound affects how it heals. Providing doctors with the number and type of bacteria allows them to avoid treatments that won't work and target treatments that will.
Officials also plan to use the data gathered in the studies to develop tools, such as a computer program, that will help doctors make faster, more tailored treatment decisions.
About 150 wounded troops are participating in clinical trials now. Their samples are stored in a repository at the institute of pathology. They are frozen and can be stored indefinitely.
This repository also can be to provide wound data for conflicts generations from now, said Dr. Mina Izadjoo, a microbiologist and the division chief of the wound biology and translational research at the institute.
Besides providing research for the clinical studies and maintaining the repository, Izadjoo's division also tests promising treatments that will advance wound care.
Already, a field deployable "dipstick" kit that can detect types of bacteria in a wound is being tested. This will allow doctors in the combat hospitals to identify which antibiotic to use first, she said.
"The bottom-line goal is [quickly] providing enough background information that leads to faster recovery of the wounded soldiers," she said.
(If you would like to comment on or have questions about this story, contact Fred Baker at fred.baker@osd.mil.)
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Related Sites:
Special Report: Warrior Care
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
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Message: 4
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:40:06 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Proposed Leave Rule Would Provide for Warrior Care
Proposed Leave Rule Would Provide for Warrior Care
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:22:00 -0500
Proposed Leave Rule Would Provide for Warrior Care By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 - Defense Department federal employees could receive up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a military family member injured in the line of duty if an Office of Personnel Management proposal is adopted. The proposal would allow eligible federal employees to take 26 "administrative work weeks" provided for under the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for a servicemember wounded in the line of duty, OPM officials explained during a telephone conference call.
The provision would extend to families of National Guard members or reservists injured while on active duty, explained Jerry Mikowicz, OPM deputy associate director for pay and leave administration.
To qualify, the federal employee must be the spouse, child, parent, or next of kin of the servicemember declared medically unfit to serve, he said.
The OPM proposal also would allow agencies to advance up to 30 days of sick leave to federal workers who care for wounded military family members.
OPM also has recommended other sick-leave regulation changes to help agencies better plan for outbreaks of pandemic influenza or other serious communicable diseases.
The proposed rule would allow for agencies to advance up to 13 days of sick leave to care for a family member who has been exposed to a serious communicable disease and who health authorities say would jeopardize others' health. Federal employees also could receive up to 30 days of advanced sick leave if they are exposed to or stricken by a communicable disease that could be further spread in the workplace, Mikowicz said.
The OPM proposals were published in yesterday's Federal Register, and the public will have 60 days to comment on them.
OPM officials will review the comments before issuing a final rule, which will proceed through the regulatory process required before it is implemented, Mikowicz said.
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Related Sites:
Office of Personnel Management
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Message: 5
From: U.S. Department of Defense <govdelivery@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:03:00 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Kennedy Burial
Kennedy Burial
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:44:18 -0500
Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy will be buried this Saturday at Arlington National Cemetery.
Message: 6
From: U.S. Department of Defense <govdelivery@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:03:01 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: GEN Petraeus Remarks
GEN Petraeus Remarks
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:44:07 -0500
Commander of U.S. Central Command, General David Petraeus, was one of many who offered their sympathy and admiration for Senator Edward Kennedy who died on Tuesday.
Message: 7
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:22:54 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Face of Defense: Leader Mentors Deployed Soldiers
Face of Defense: Leader Mentors Deployed Soldiers
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:12:00 -0500
Face of Defense: Leader Mentors Deployed Soldiers By Army Spc. Cory Grogan
Special to American Forces Press Service VICTORY BASE COMPLEX, Iraq, Aug. 27, 2009 - Army Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Foesch of Portland, Ore., lights up with pride when he talks about the enlisted soldiers he leads. He is the voice of the enlisted members for the commander, but taking care of soldiers is the best part of his job, said Foesch, a National Guard member with the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team and the Base Defense Operations Center sergeant major here. "The soldiers who are most likely to be in a situation where they need help are the lower enlisted guys, and that's the bread and butter of the Army," he said. "If we don't take care of those guys, we won't be able to do our mission." He noted that deployments can and should be a positive experience for soldiers. Deployments are what people make of them, he said, and people will improve in a good command climate. A lot of hard work is involved, but soldiers can stay occupied through activities such as education and physical training, he added. "I look at it as an adventure," he said. "There's stuff that you never would have done if you weren't in the Army, and ... some it's not so great, but the vast majority of it is really good stuff. We're doing stuff to help accomplish America's goals and to help make America and the world a better place." Foesch cited good leadership as the key element for developing young men and women into mature adults on deployments. "Right now, we're their mom and dad and their brothers and sisters. That's huge," Foesch said. Foesch said he believes that 41st Brigade soldiers will be assets for the state when they come back home because of how they've developed their leadership and decision-making skills. "At home, you can sit around and play Xbox, and nobody's going to say a word about it," he said. Here, it doesn't work that way." And the growth Guard members experience in uniform carries over to their civilian lives, Foesch noted. Any employer who doesn't take a serious look at a Guard member who has been deployed is missing out, he said. Foesch, who has served in the Guard for nearly 23 years, said it has become a much more professional organization where junior soldiers and noncommissioned officers are capable of making huge decisions that used to be only in the officer's sphere of influence. "We're just cranking out a great product," he said. "The vast majority of our men and women are becoming wonderful citizens who are great soldiers and leaders." Foesch said his soldiers are busy learning new jobs and taking on new responsibilities, and that by doing so, they will be more capable of handling difficult situations when they get back home. "I have nothing but the utmost respect for these guys and gals that are out there every day with body armor on, carrying their weapons in very austere environments [and] having a positive attitude," he said. Foesch added that he hopes people look at the sacrifices young Guard members are making to ensure everyone back home is safe. "Truly, I feel like that is a part of this whole thing," he said. "Everyone should be proud of them. I know I am." (Army Spc. Cory Grogan serves with the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team.) |
Related Sites:
Multinational Corps Iraq
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Message: 8
From: U.S. Department of Defense <govdelivery@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:07:58 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Virtual Flag Exercise
Virtual Flag Exercise
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:40:13 -0500
Nearly 500 servicemembers will take part in this year's coalition Virtual Flag Exercise.
Message: 9
From: U.S. Department of Defense <govdelivery@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:07:58 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Pirates Attack U.S. Chopper
Pirates Attack U.S. Chopper
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:40:25 -0500
Military officials say no one was injured when Somali pirates fired a large caliber weapon at a U.S. Navy helicopter.
Message: 10
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:42:26 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Guard Troops Move Detainees in Southern Iraq
Guard Troops Move Detainees in Southern Iraq
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:27:00 -0500
Guard Troops Move Detainees in Southern Iraq By Army Spc. Tyler Lasure
Special to American Forces Press Service CAMP BUCCA, Iraq, Aug. 27, 2009 - Moving several hundred detainees across Iraq is a daunting task, but for two Wisconsin Army National Guard companies, it's just another day on the job. 
Army Sgt. Joseph Vanbuskirk, with Company A, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion, and a native of Glenbeulah, Wis., keeps an eye on detainees while they are prepared for transfer. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Tyler Lasure
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. | | The two companies -- Company A, 132nd Brigade Support Battalion, from Janesville, and Company C, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, from Fond du Lac, -- are responsible for transferring detainees from the camp here in southern Iraq to theater internment facilities farther north. These movements are part of the consolidation of internment facilities in Iraq and the eventual turnover of operations to the Iraqi government. Once transferred, detainees will continue serving their sentences or be released. "It's basically transferring the detainees from one base to another, so it [reduces] the footprint in the southeastern area of Iraq," said Army Capt. Anthony Klemme, commander of Company C, 2-127th Infantry, and a truck commander on the transfer missions. "The number of detainees in Iraq has dropped from an all-time high in the 20,000 range down to less than 12,000." Alpha 132 is responsible for outprocessing detainees and delivering them to transport, while Charlie 127 provides convoy security. Starting early each day, troops from Alpha Company ensure all goes smoothly by taking on tasks such as processing paperwork, feeding detainees, escorting them to latrines, providing water and quelling any problems that may arise. The soldiers make sure the detainees are under control and that are treated with respect, said Army Staff Sgt. Anthony Masseur. "They follow the three C's: care, custody and control." When the detainees are loaded onto buses at the end of the day, soldiers of Charlie Company take charge. The desert sun already is setting when soldiers perform the last precombat checks on their mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, known as MRAPs. They shovel down a meal, load their weapons and roll out. It is going to be a long night, and everything needs to go right. Charlie Company provides convoy security from the camp here to a military flightline. Soldiers must not only prepare for a convoy attack, but also be able to restore order if a disturbance erupts among the detainees. The soldiers pull security duty until the plane reaches its destination safely. While they wait, soldiers stretch their legs, read, or take in the quiet of the desert night. This is an opportunity to peace and quiet in an often hectic environment. As the sun rises over the desert the next morning, the soldiers return to camp and begin preparing for their next mission. With a decreasing number of detainees held here, these soldiers essentially are working themselves out of a job, but Klemme sees other opportunities for his company after all the detainees are transferred. "I think once we're done with this mission, we will pick up other missions and help out with the other companies," he said. Army Spc. Andrew Alexander, a gunner on one of Charlie Company's MRAPs, said he believes the mission is having an impact. "I find it rewarding that after we leave this country the people will have a sense of freedom." (Army Spc. Tyler Lasure serves with the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.) |
Related Sites:
Multinational Corps Iraq
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Army Sgt. Brad Smith supervises the movement of detainees at the theater internment facility on Camp Bucca, Iraq. The detainees will be transferred to other internment facilities in Iraq and continue serving their sentence or be released. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Tyler Lasure
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| Army Spc. Jonathan Gess guards detainees waiting to be transferred from the theater internment facility at Camp Bucca, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Tyler Lasure
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Download high-resolution
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Message: 11
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:25:40 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Somali Pirates Fire on Navy Helicopter
Somali Pirates Fire on Navy Helicopter
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:02:00 -0500
Somali Pirates Fire on Navy Helicopter American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 - Somali pirates aboard a hijacked ship fired at a U.S. Navy helicopter yesterday, Navy officials said. According to the Navy, the helicopter from the USS Chancellorsville was not hit, and there were no injuries. The helicopter did not return fire.
The chopper received fire while on a surveillance flight over a Taiwanese-flagged vessel that pirates had captured in April. Footage taken from the SH-60B helicopter shows at least one pirate opening fire with what appears to be "a large-caliber weapon," officials said.
Somali pirates hijacked the Taiwanese-flagged Win Far vessel April 6, and since have used it as a "mother ship" to conduct attacks, most notably on the U.S.-flagged Maersk-Alabama in April. The incident occurred in the Indian Ocean south of Garacad, Somalia, where the Win Far is anchored.
During the flight, the aircrew members observed pirate activity, but did not confirm they were fired on until their return to Chancellorsville and review of the infrared surveillance footage. The helicopter was about 3,000 yards from Win Far when it happened.
(From a U.S. Naval Forces Central Command news release.)
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Related Sites:
U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet
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Message: 12
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:26:14 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Center Works With Warfighters to Assess Systems
Center Works With Warfighters to Assess Systems
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:02:00 -0500
Center Works With Warfighters to Assess Systems By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nikki Carter
Special to American Forces Press Service SUFFOLK, Va., Aug. 27, 2009 - U.S. Joint Forces Command officials called on warfighters to help in evaluating the effectiveness of the command's high-technology systems and to offer suggestions for improvements. With assistance from sailors of Pre-Commissioning Unit Gravely, the command's Joint Systems Integration Center is conducting an assessment on how well the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's Image Product Library operates with the Global Command and Control System, or GCCS. GCCS-Joint is a command, control, communications, computer and intelligence system that provides worldwide connectivity for information resources. It fuses command-and-control capabilities into an interoperable system by exchanging imagery, intelligence, status-of-forces and planning information. Using Gravely's operators allows integration center personnel to assess how an operator uses the command-and-control system in a real-world situation and resolve any interoperability issues with the system in real-time, officials said. In turn, Gravely's crew members can familiarize themselves with an up-to-date system similar to one being installed on their ship. Using real operators will enable people at the center "to identify whether or not something is not so intuitive and see if people who are creating the system will have to take it back to the drawing board," said Air Force Capt. Dan Shinohara, the integration center's project lead. Navy Chief Petty Officer Dave Yee, operations department leading chief petty officer, said one of the challenges pre-commissioning units face is finding opportunities for sailors to see and use "new and exciting" equipment and technologies. "It gives our sailors a chance see what new technologies they'll be using as warfighters when the ship is commissioned and deployed, ahead of everybody else," Yee said. "It gives them that much more of a leg up so they're prepared when they do see these systems get fielded to use them and utilize them properly." The sailors said the imagery tools are an improvement over what they have experienced with other systems. "I got a chance to familiarize myself with the system before it actually gets put onto the ship," said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Floyd Bussey, a Gravely sailor in the operations department. "Hopefully, I will get to play around with it a little more, learn about it a little more, and share the information I learned here with my shipmates. I've never seen a GCCS system before where you can pull up an image and put it on a chart." Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Shane Gonzalez said she had some experience with the system, but had not used it since 2003. "Being here helped me refresh my skills with the system," Gonzalez said. The Joint Systems Integration Center provides combatant commanders, services and agencies unbiased evaluations of existing and emerging command-and-control capabilities, and recommendations to resolve interoperability problems that impede operations. Additionally, the center looks for opportunities to exploit new technology to give warfighters the tools they need for operational success. Shinohara said if center does find a problem while assessing a system, two out of three times it can turn around and work with the engineers in the building as well as engineers from the customers -- in this case, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency -- and fix the problem on site. "However, if we can't [fix it], we package up all the data and [the agency will] take it back to their labs and fix it," Shinohara said. "The intricate part of this particular assessment is making sure when the intel analyst and targeteers out in the field are trying to put bombs on target, this interface has to be fast and give good products, so the warfighters out in the field can achieve mission success. That is what these folks here are doing for us and doing for [the agency]." (Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nikki Carter serves in the U.S. Joint Forces Command public affairs office.) |
Related Sites:
U.S. Joint Forces Command
National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
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Message: 13
From: Pentagon Channel Update <pentagonchannelupdate@hq.afis.osd.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:37:07 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Pentagon Channel Highlights
27 Aug 09
(Eastern Times)
UPDATE: 1300 - Beacon Award: Tuesday's coverage of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ADM Michael Mullen presenting the Beacon Award of Courage and Dedication to SGM (Ret) Colin Rich at the 6th Annual World Congress for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. (19 min, VoD, Podcast)
1330 - Iraq Briefing: MG John Johnson, Multi-National Corps-Iraq Deputy Commanding General for Operations, speaks via satellite with reporters at the Pentagon, providing an update on ongoing security operations in Iraq.
(Live,VoD, Podcast)
Encore presentations at 0000 & 0600hrs.
1800 - Social Media Forum: Encore presentation of Wednesday's coverage of U.S. Coast Guard Commandant ADM Thad Allen delivering remarks about the impact of social media on the Coast Guard at the Potomac Forum, Washington, DC. (22 min, VoD, Podcast)
Message: 14
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:10:56 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Police, Special Ops Forces Arrest Terrorists in Iraq
Police, Special Ops Forces Arrest Terrorists in Iraq
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:58:00 -0500
Police, Special Ops Forces Arrest Terrorists in Iraq American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 - Iraqi police and special operations forces arrested 11 terrorism suspects in Iraq in recent days, military officials reported. Along with U.S. forces advisors, Baghdad's emergency response brigade -- an elite police unit -- arrested a suspected terrorist leader Aug. 25. The unit was operating under Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's authority, officials said. The suspect allegedly is involved with insurgent groups and attacks against civilians and Iraqi security forces.
Also operating with U.S. forces advisors, the emergency response brigade arrested another suspected terrorist in Baghdad the same day under the authority of a warrant issued by the Investigative Court of Resafe. The suspect allegedly is affiliated with insurgent groups and wanted for conducting bomb attacks against Iraqi and U.S. forces.
On Aug. 24, also in Baghdad, the emergency response brigade -- along with U.S. forces advisors and operating under the authority of a warrant issued by the Babil District Court -- arrested another suspected terrorist. The suspect allegedly is affiliated with insurgent groups and was wanted for weapons smuggling and bomb attacks against civilians and Iraqi security forces.
Also in Baghdad, Iraqi special operations forces, along with U.S. forces advisors, arrested five suspected terrorists Aug. 24 and 25 under the authority of warrants issued by the Central Investigative Court of Karkh. They allegedly are affiliated with al-Qaida in Iraq and have been responsible for terrorist activities against Iraqi government officials and security forces.
In Iraq's Salahuddin province, Iraqi soldiers with the 4th Emergency Response Battalion, along with U.S. forces advisors, arrested three suspected terrorists at their homes Aug. 25 under warrants issued by the provincial Central Investigation Court for suspicion of terrorist activities.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
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Related Sites:
Multinational Corps Iraq
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Message: 15
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:11:16 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Energy Efficiency Helps Environment, Saves Money in Iraq
Energy Efficiency Helps Environment, Saves Money in Iraq
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:05:00 -0500
Energy Efficiency Helps Environment, Saves Money in Iraq By Christen N. McCluney
Special to American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 - Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq officials are working to boost energy efficiency in the Iraqi infrastructure to help the environment and boost cost savings, command officials said. Energy efficiency affects the environment by reducing air pollution and the economy by reducing fuel costs.
"Since energy impacts the environment and the economy, it makes sense to ensure that the construction of the Iraqi security infrastructure is done in the most energy-efficient manner. This will properly set the conditions needed to encourage cost savings and employ sound environmental practices," Air Force Lt. Col. Thomas N. Williams Jr., chief of planning for the command's engineering directorate, said yesterday during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable from Baghdad.
The initiatives include training Iraqi forces to boost their environmental efficiency by performing proper maintenance on vehicles and power generators, Williams said. By doing so, he explained, they will burn less oil, which will increase cost efficiency and decrease pollutants in the environment. Other training includes fuel consumption reduction, load balancing, preventive maintenance, leak detection, proper collection and disposal of used oil and hazardous material handling procedures.
"Trying to manage resources and use them carefully has a positive impact on the economy and the environment," Williams said.
Iraqis are seeing the effects of drought on their agriculture, Williams said, and need to be attentive to irrigation. They also are beginning to realize the impact of dumping oil and waste products in water instead of recycling or properly disposing of them.
"Energy is a nonrenewable resource, so you do want to manage it as carefully as possible," he said. "The better we manage it now and the more energy efficient we are now, the longer we have it to set up more secure infrastructures."
Williams added command officials are working to train Iraqis to maintain facilities so their efforts continue long after U.S. forces depart the country. By keeping the focus on energy efficiency, he said, the work will have a long-lasting impact.
"When you look at the three E's --energy, environment and economy -- they are very interactive and complementary to each other," he said. "We think that concentrating on the energy aspect will have a bigger impact on the other two."
Along with helping to build Iraqi infrastructure, Williams said, energy efficiency also will help to keep the gains already made with Iraqi security.
(Christen N. McCluney works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
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Related Sites:
Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq
Special Report: DoD Goes Green
"DoDLive" Bloggers Roundtable
Related Articles:
'Green' Initiatives in Iraq Provide Multiple Benefits
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Message: 16
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:26:17 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Chairman Honors Wounded Soldier for Selfless Service
Chairman Honors Wounded Soldier for Selfless Service
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:16:00 -0500
Chairman Honors Wounded Soldier for Selfless Service By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff noted on a recent visit to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., that wounded veterans recovering there all had one thing in common. "These are individuals, without arms and legs at that point, who had one common desire -- and that was to get back with their unit," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said Aug. 25 at the presentation ceremony for the 2009 International Brain Mapping and Interoperative Surgical Planning Society's Beacon of Courage and Dedication Awards in Boston. "Their only concern was, 'How do I get out of here and get back with them?'"
A desire to serve again also was expressed by one of the award recipients, retired Army Sgt. Maj. Colin Rich, who recovered from two traumatic brain injuries and returned to active duty each time.
And while he was given top-notch medical care for each injury, Mullen credits Rich's wife with completing the healing process.
"While we honor Colin tonight, we do so only because he has been incredibly supported by Nancy, who represents thousands and thousands of spouses and children and parents who've made such a difference to those who've been wounded and who offer so much for the future of our country as Colin does tonight," Mullen said. "It is an honor and a privilege to recognize, introduce and be able to say for over 2 million men and women who serve, how special you are, Colin ... and now, have been and always will be."
Speaking off the cuff because his head injuries have made reading difficult, Rich thanked the chairman.
"Admiral Mullen's kind of stolen some of my thunder," he joked. "He talked about my wife and all the other countless spouses and family members out there that have borne the brunt of this war as much as any soldier has."
His said his wife, Nancy, has been his pharmacist, his neurologist, counselor and masseuse.
"She was the first thing I saw after countless seizures. She was the last thing I saw after trying to get to sleep when I was in miserable pain," Rich said. "I've told her on countless occasions, 'Nancy, have I told you I love you today and thank you for everything you've done for me?'
"Today, I want to say it publicly," he added. "Nancy, have told you I love you and thanked you for everything that you have done for me?'"
He went on to accept the award on her behalf.
Rich joined the Army Reserve on April 13, 1981, and was recruited into active duty June 28, 1985. By late 1986, as a private, he had been assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment as an infantryman. Eight years and four months later, Staff Sergeant Rich moved on to his next assignment and several schools, which led him to serve in the ranks of 1st Special Operations Detachment, also known as Delta Force, in May 1994.
Later that year, a .45-caliber bullet "bounced off the front of my head," he said. "If I'd been an inch taller, we wouldn't be talking here right now."
Fast-forward to Shken, Afghanistan, on Dec. 28, 2002, and Rich was shot a second time in the head.
"OK, this is no kidding," Rich told the crowd gathered for the award presentation. "A .308 bullet hit me in the back of the head. If I was one inch taller, again, we would not be having this conversation today, and that is no exaggeration."
Rich served on active duty for another four years before retiring in 2007 with full disability. He's faced multiple challenges since the injuries, and he has a guide dog primarily to help him overcome visual impairment, but he still hasn't let the challenges he faces slow him down.
He's training for a 300-mile solo venture on the Appalachian Trail.
ABC News anchorman Bob Woodruff, who suffered traumatic brain injury while reporting on hostilities in Iraq, also was presented with the Beacon of Courage and Dedication Award.
The award was part of the 6th Annual World Conference for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy, co-hosted by the society and publisher of scientific information, Elsevier.
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Biographies:
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen
Related Sites:
International Brain Mapping and Intraoperative Surgical Planning Society
6th Annual World Conference for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy
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Message: 17
From: U.S. Department of Defense <govdelivery@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:06:11 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Military Social Media
Military Social Media
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:16:38 -0500
Led by its Commandant, Admiral Thad Allen, the U.S. Coast Guard has embraced social media.
Message: 18
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:41:50 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Academy Offers Soldiers Second Chance at Diploma
Academy Offers Soldiers Second Chance at Diploma
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:02:00 -0500
Academy Offers Soldiers Second Chance at Diploma By Army Sgt. Robert G. Cooper III
Special to American Forces Press Service MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING CENTER, Ind., Aug. 27, 2009 - Army National Guard leaders from around the country converged on this remote training center yesterday for the dedication of the National Guard's first and only academy designed to help soldiers receive their high school diplomas. The Patriot Academy is a National Guard Bureau initiative allowing high school dropouts ages 17 through 20 a second opportunity to earn their diploma. Currently, 47 students from 16 states are attending the academy, which is staffed by a full-time cadre of active duty National Guardsmen. "The Patriot Academy can be described in two words: 'second chance,'" said Army Col. Perry Sarver Jr., the academy's commandant. "These soldiers are here because they have unfinished business, and they are getting a second chance to right a wrong. These young men have started down a path that will change their lives forever." The nine-month program was launched last June under the guidance of now-retired Army Lt. Gen. Clyde A. Vaughn, then the Army National Guard director, for high school dropouts who weren't able to finish high school for reasons other than disciplinary or legal. Students first attend basic training prior to arriving here, and then move on to their advanced individual training after receiving their diploma. Although the first class consists of all men, the academy will be tailored to accommodate coed students in the future. "Our mission is, very simply, to educate and train these young men to become the best citizen-soldiers in the Army National Guard," Sarver said. While at the academy, the student-soldiers receive a nationally accredited diploma through online courses offered through Liberty University. While Army initiatives are designed to award GED certificates to its students, the Patriot Academy is the only program that offers a diploma. Vaughn said the Patriot Academy is an investment in the Army's most precious asset. "It's a work force that's not going to be available if we don't get it right," he said. "It's someone that's not going to reach their full potential if we don't get that diploma early enough. We depend on this organization right here in this state to get it right." In addition to academics, the students are required to attend Army training and accomplish community service projects around Indiana's Jennings County. "The academy will be strengthening the connection of each student-soldier with that community service they provide," said Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman. "The culture of service has never been more important to our state and our nation. It's my hope that the graduates of this program return home with a real understanding of what it means to be a good neighbor as well as what it means to be a good soldier." One student-soldier attending the academy, Army Pvt. Ismael Ramirez Jr., said the academy has given him a chance to serve and to accomplish something he never thought he could. A native of Roanoke, Texas, Ramirez was unable to receive his diploma because Texas law requires high school students to pass a qualifications exam. "I had the credits I needed, but I didn't pass the final exam, so I wasn't issued a diploma," he said. After speaking with a recruiter and learning about the academy, Ramirez said that he wanted to join just because of the diploma program. "Just the fact that I could get a high school diploma rather than a GED sounded better to me," he said. "It just makes me feel and sound like I've completed my school. Like our sergeant major once told us, we're not going to get this chance again. If you get the opportunity to come to the Patriot Academy to have your second chance, you actually get paid to go to school and learn new things. "When it's all said and done, you walk out of here with extra knowledge," he said. "You walk out of here stronger." (Army Sgt. Robert G. Cooper III serves in the Indiana National Guard.) |
Biographies:
Army Lt. Gen. Clyde A. Vaughn
Related Sites:
Army National Guard
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Message: 19
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:45:31 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Leaders to Draw From Defense Board's NSPS Review
Leaders to Draw From Defense Board's NSPS Review
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:39:00 -0500
Leaders to Draw From Defense Board's NSPS Review By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 - Senior defense leaders will use a recently issued report on the National Security Personnel System when they decide what to do with the civilian personnel system this fall, a Pentagon official said here today. This spring, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III directed that a comprehensive review of NSPS be conducted to ascertain whether the system is fair and understandable to participating employees.
The Defense Business Board's task group report issued this week recommended a "reconstruction" of the NSPS. The group was chaired by former Deputy Defense Secretary Rudy DeLeon.
"The leadership of the Department of Defense is committed to fair, transparent processes and personnel systems," Brad Bunn, the Defense Department's program executive officer for NSPS, told Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service reporters.
Internal surveys indicated that some employees were unhappy with NSPS, specifically with regard to performance evaluations.
The board's report, Bunn said, will be used by senior Pentagon and other government leaders when they decide what to do about NSPS this fall. Other issues cited in the report include pay pools and their lack of transparency, as well as questions about the current pay band structure.
"This process of reviewing NSPS has gone a long way to helping inform leadership what those issues are," Bunn said.
NSPS has helped to tie employee performance goals to organizational goals, Bunn pointed out.
NSPS's pay-for-performance system replaced 50-year-old civil service rules that rewarded employees for length of service rather than performance.
The more than 200,000 defense civilians who have been transferred into NSPS since the system began three years ago, Bunn said, will be performance rated this fall under current NSPS policies and procedures.
The Defense Business Board's report on NSPS is available for public view on the Internet, Bunn said.
"I would encourage NSPS organizations, employees, supervisors and managers to read the report, particularly the leadership in those organizations," Bunn said.
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Related Sites:
Defense Business Board Report
Defense Business Board
National Security Personnel System
Related Articles:
Business Board Calls for Changes to Personnel System
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Message: 20
From: U.S. Department of Defense <govdelivery@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:03:06 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: H1N1 Update
H1N1 Update
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:50:12 -0500
The nation's top health officials are warning the public about what is expected to be an active flu season ahead.
Message: 21
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:11:29 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Chairman Cites Urgent Need for Brain Injury Treatments
Chairman Cites Urgent Need for Brain Injury Treatments
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:56:00 -0500
Chairman Cites Urgent Need for Brain Injury Treatments By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 - Time is of the essence when it comes to finding better treatments for traumatic brain injuries, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday at the 6th Annual World Congress for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy. "What I worry about the most is these young men and women who are sustaining these blast injuries are typically, most of them, in their 20s," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during his keynote address, which opened the congress in Boston. "There's 30, 40, 50 years of life out there, and just in my brief discussions with some of you, this doesn't get better with time.
"We don't have a lot of time," he added. "We need to have a sense of urgency and treatment that gets to solutions as rapidly as we can."
Another difficult challenge for the military is post-traumatic stress, Mullen said, which affects more than just those who fight on the front lines. It's emerging in military families, as well.
"We're seeing it in spouses, and we're starting to see it, or some version of it, in children," Mullen said. "Our system is very focused on military members, and so getting family assistance at [the Veterans Affairs Department], for instance, or family help at the VA, is not part of the law at this point."
In an effort to solve these tough challenges, Mullen advocated the integration of work being done in different fields as a "clear and compelling requirement" to achieving the urgent solution the military seeks.
There's much to learn, he said, citing the list of papers and subjects in the research area. As a Defense Department leader, Mullen said, he wants to be an asset and an advocate and to try to figure out, even inside the military, how to connect what he calls the "line leadership" with the medical side.
"I will tell you that these wars have done many things, and one of the things that they've done is accelerated the integration between medicine and medical leadership and line leadership, which was, in its own way, greatly stovepiped before these wars started," Mullen said. "It's just because of the way we built the system over time, and those things have to change."
That design could be a downfall for the military, he said. The military's future is embedded in its people, and part of the reason people stay in the military is because they know they'll be cared for, he said. If that promise isn't delivered every day, servicemembers and their families will go elsewhere.
"Time really does matter right now, because as you can just read the headlines today, we have young men and women who are sustaining these kinds of injuries every single day," he said.
The 6th Annual World Congress for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy is co-hosted by the International Brain Mapping and Intraoperative Surgical Planning Society and Elsevier, publisher of scientific information.
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Biographies:
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen
Related Sites:
International Brain Mapping and Intraoperative Surgical Planning Society
6th Annual World Conference for Brain Mapping and Image Guided Therapy
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Message: 22
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:19:38 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: 'Sons of Iraq' Gain Iraqi Government Jobs
'Sons of Iraq' Gain Iraqi Government Jobs
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:59:00 -0500
'Sons of Iraq' Gain Iraqi Government Jobs By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 - Several years ago, tens of thousands of Sunni fighters considered themselves enemies of the Iraqi government and its U.S. conspirators, but after switching allegiances, these former insurgents now are filling the ranks of Iraq's ministries and armed forces. Thousands of these "Sons of Iraq" -- the moniker given to those Sunni combatants who defected from insurgent groups to fight alongside U.S. and Iraqi security forces -- recently gained employment as government workers in Baghdad. Another 13,000 have jobs as Iraqi policemen or soldiers.
Though once part of the al-Qaida-aligned resistance in Iraq, these fighters left the insurgency in droves in 2007 amid the surge of U.S. troops, notably in Anbar province as part of a broader movement that was later dubbed the Anbar "Awakening," or "Sahwa."
"It started with the Sahwa movement where the Sunni Iraqis recognized the true nature of al-Qaida," Army Maj. Gen. John Johnson, deputy commander for Multinational Corps Iraq, told reporters in a news conference today. "They rejected that ideology and ultimately stood side by side with their countrymen and with U.S. forces to bring al-Qaida to the point they're at today."
All told, the Iraqi government hopes to hire the entire 89,000-strong Sons of Iraq force. Though less than one-fifth has been hired, Baghdad continues to integrate the forces into their ranks, Johnson said, providing a progress update on the Sons of Iraq today.
"There was the recent transfer of over 3,300 Sons of Iraq into 18 government of Iraq ministries," he said. "These examples help illustrate the maturing capabilities and strength of the government and its security forces."
About 20 percent, or nearly 18,000 Sons of Iraq, will enlist as members of the Iraqi security forces when the rounds of hiring are complete.
"It's pretty amazing when you think about the level of sacrifice that these men have made for their country," Johnson said. "And it's important to recognize that they're an integral part of the security for this country."
In the past, bureaucratic and budgetary issues created problems related to salaries paid to the Sons of Iraq. But Johnson said the Iraqi government has taken steps to rectify these lapses and reimburse wages lost.
"Here in this last month, the Sons of Iraq were paid double pay to catch them up from back pay to make sure that they have what they deserve for helping with the security of this country," he said.
Though many are still waiting for jobs within the Iraqi government, Johnson said, they see signs of progress with the hiring of fellow Sons of Iraq. He noted that the former insurgents are proud to take a stake in their country's security.
"They see that their brothers are moving into ministerial jobs," he said. "They also see that many of them have moved into the security forces. So I think that they see this progress, and they're willing to continue to participate in providing security until it's their turn to be moved into governmental jobs.
"From talking to the Sons of Iraq and from talking with our commanders who work with them daily, I think they're very proud of the job they're doing in assisting with the security here," he said.
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Biographies:
Army Maj. Gen. John Johnson
Related Sites:
Multinational Corps Iraq
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Message: 23
From: American Forces Press Service <afps@subscriptions.dod.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:20:10 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Missile Defense Technology Moves from Testing to Fielding
Missile Defense Technology Moves from Testing to Fielding
Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:09:00 -0500
Missile Defense Technology Moves from Testing to Fielding
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 - Boosted by a few strong years of testing successes, much of the United States' missile defense technology that once was questioned is now ready to be fielded.
The destroyer USS Hopper launches a standard missile 3 as it operates in the Pacific Ocean on July 30, 2009. The missile successfully intercepted a sub-scale, short-range ballistic missile launched from the Kauai Test Facility at Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii. The launch was the latest Missile Defense Agency test in conjunction with the Navy. U.S. Navy photo
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. | |
"A few years ago the question was, 'Could you even hit a missile with a missile?' We have proven we could do that well over 35 times," Army Lt. Gen. Patrick J. O'Reilly, the director for the Missile Defense Agency, said in an interview at the Pentagon today.
O'Reilly said that 39 of the last 45 tries at stopping a test missile were successful. The failures were mostly at the start of the testing, and in the past few years, all hit their mark, except one that had a manufacturing problem. It was fixed, and three weeks ago successfully hit its target in a test, O'Reilly said.
Most of the new technologies fielded will be to bolster missile defense for deployed troops. Right now, O'Reilly said, forward deployed bases are exposed to missile threats and there is a large gap in U.S. capabilities to protect them.
This summer, both Iran and North Korea tested their ballistic missiles systems. And several other nations have as many as a few hundred such missiles in their arsenals.
"We want to provide the same level of protection against ballistic missiles that we enjoy today against cruise missiles or against aircraft," O'Reilly said.
The Defense Department recently committed an additional $900 million toward fielding the Army's theater high altitude area defense mobile missile defense system. The agency has finished seven of eight required tests of the system, and O'Reilly said he expects to see it in the field next year. The Army also will get some new radar systems.
The Navy's
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