Saturday, November 03, 2007

Gates Honors Military Women During Memorial Celebration

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 3, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today paid tribute to women who have answered America's call to duty since the nation's founding during the Women in
Military Service for America Memorial's 10th anniversary celebration here. Located here at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, the memorial is the only major national monument dedicated to all women who have defended America from the Revolutionary War through current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The memorial was dedicated Oct. 18, 1997, and opened to the public on October 20, 1997.

Gates, who served as the celebration's keynote speaker, said that women's
military role has expanded since the memorial's dedication a decade ago.

"Consider that in 1997, when the memorial was new, few women staffed the crews of aircraft carriers. It is routine now," he told several hundred audience members gathered near the memorial's 30-foot high curved entrance.

"In 1997, women were new at
training to be fighter pilots. Within weeks of September 11, 2001, female pilots were in the skies above Afghanistan – a reality that must have been a grim and galling surprise for the Taliban, who would not let a woman drive, educate herself, or even walk down a public street unescorted," Gates said as the crowed cheered boisterously.

"In every war and in every generation, American women have served the cause of freedom, going all the way back to the Revolution," Gates said of the roughly 2.5 million women who have served in the
U.S. military. "A good deal has happened since the memorial went up ... (but) what has not changed is our respect for women throughout history who have stepped forward in defense of their families, their communities, and their country."

The secretary said women have "shared in the burdens and the tragedies of war," noting that nearly 100 women have been killed, and more than 550 wounded in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Dawn Halfaker, a retired
Army captain injured in Iraq, was one of seven female servicemembers who addressed the audience during a portion of the ceremony called "Voices of the Women." A rocket-propelled grenade severely wounded Halfaker in 2004 while she was deployed with the 3rd Infantry Division.

Speaking on behalf of female servicemembers wounded in current U.S. operations, Halfaker told the hundreds of former female
military members in the audience that the women of her generation are inspired by their great example.

Other women servicemembers joining Halfaker onstage were Lorraine S. Dieterle, a former member of the
Coast Guard who photographed the Victory in Japan Day celebration in New York City's Times Square, and who helped establish the women's memorial, and Marsha L. Four, who served in the 18th Surgical Hospital in Vietnam as an intensive care nurse with the Army Nurse Corps.

Navy Capt. Maggie L. Richard, a 22-year veteran nurse, Air Force Brig. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson, Air Force director of public affairs, and Lance Cpl. Sona P. Babani, a native Iraqi turned U.S. citizen, represented the other "Voices of Women" speakers. The niece of Esther P. Corcoran, a 101 year-old who was one of the highest-ranking female officers in the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, and who fell ill before today's ceremony, addressed the crowed on her aunt's behalf.

Gordon H. Mansfield, acting secretary of Veterans Affairs, said the Women's Memorial reminds the country that equality in America was forged in large part by the courage and perseverance of military women.

"Today, in this time of war, Americans know and understand that women in uniform are and have been, a vital part of our national defense," he said. "Every day, American service women are putting their lives on the battle line.

"And because of that fact," he continued, "there is no question that they have earned and deserve our nation's honor, respect and gratitude."

Becoming A Cop - The Blue And You

A police officer's world is populated by unsavory characters, regulated by laws, regulations and policies, and powered by spikes of adrenalin. A police officer's life is a balance between work and home, like every working person, but an officer's work is more than just their job—it is also who they are.

The uniform, badge and gear may come off when an officer reaches home, but the authority, sense of duty and commitment to community can never be laid aside. The training and dedication every officer carries with them is, and must be, ready to be put into action at a moment's notice—whether the officer is on duty or at home sipping a cool drink and grilling steaks.

READ ON
www.police-writers.com/becoming_a_cop.html

Mullen Discusses Initiatives, Progress in First Podcast

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 3, 2007 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff reported on progress in his three initiatives yesterday during an interview for his first "podcast" as chairman.
Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen had done regular podcasts when he served as Chief of Naval Operations and said he plans on continuing the practice as chairman. He assumed the position Oct. 1.

Developing a
military strategy for the Middle East is top priority, Mullen said, and the United States has clear vital national interests in stability in the region.

"That is clearly a part of the world that needs our continued focus," the chairman said.

"It's very important that we continue to focus on Iraq and Afghanistan, but it's larger than that," Mullen said. "Certainly there are significant challenges being continuously raised by Iran. There is this concerted effort on the part of our government to work the Israeli-Palestinian issue. We've had some challenges with Syria."

The chairman said any strategy for the region must encourage the moderate countries in the region and strengthen the important friends the country has in the Persian Gulf.

"The idea is to have a
military strategy across the full capabilities that we have and to do so in a way to stabilize that part of the world," he said.

The chairman's second priority is to reset, revitalize and reconstitute U.S. armed forces – especially the
Army and Marine Corps. The ground forces have been "very pressed" since September 11, 2001 and they will continue to be worked hard for the foreseeable future, he said.

The chairman said he will look for ways to relieve the stress the forces face. While people are paramount, there are other considerations, he said.

"It's not just about people," he said. "It's about training and equipping now, and in the future as well. So when I talk reset, revitalize and reconstitute I want to talk and focus on all three of those aspects: people, training and equipment."

The military cannot concentrate on the Middle East and Central Asia to the exclusion of the rest of the world, Mullen said. The
military needs to "balance or re-balance" the risks worldwide. The U.S. military has challenges and responsibilities worldwide.

"I want to look to balance these risks given the commitments we have and the challenging world that we're living in," he said.

The first trip the chairman took was to Iraq and Afghanistan. He said it was important to him that those were his first destinations.

"I found our troops just performing magnificently with good morale," he said. "(They were) carrying out their missions with great pride, making a difference. Yet they are tired."

The chairman met troops in the 14th month of a 15-month deployment.

"I can't overstate how great they've been in carrying out the mission they've been asked to do," he said. He said the 15-month deployments are long. Most of the soldiers will have a dwell-time at home for a year and then will go back to a
combat zone. "I believe, we've got to move from this 15-month deployment and 12 months back to 12-month deployments and 15 months back, as soon as possible," he said.

The chairman also traveled Fort Sill, Okla., and Fort Riley, Kan., to meet with soldiers, especially mid-level NCOs and officers.

"They are looking for a break. They want to spend time with their families. They love what they're doing, yet they have long-term concerns as to whether this is the right career path for them," the chairman said. "I tell them this is the most combat-hardened force that we have ever had. They are so valuable. They are the seeds for getting our Army and
Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force right for the future."

Mullen said he wants servicemembers to know that Defense Department leaders understand and acknowledge these problems and challenges exist, "and we're doing a lot to work on them to solve them, to get it right for their future so that we get it right for the future of our armed forces."

Families are a continued focus for Mullen and other
military leaders.

"We have to take into consideration families' needs when we move people around or we don't move people around," he said. "We have to give them more stability."

The
military needs to provide more stability and more predictability, "as best we can do that in what is a pretty unpredictable world," Mullen said. "We have to take families into account as we make career decisions about where we move soldiers. So many young officers I spoke to last week in Fort Riley and Sill had moved several times. That's tough for the families."

When Your Child is Missing: A Family Survival Guide.

What do to if your Child is Missing provides parents with the most current information on, and helpful insights into, what families should do when a child is missing. The first edition of this Guide was written in 1998 by parents and family members who have experienced the disappearance of a child. It contains their combined advice concerning what to expect when a child is missing, what needs to be done, and where to go for help. It explains the role that various agencies and organizations play in the search for a missing child and discusses some of the important issues that need to be considered. The Guide is divided into seven chapters, each of which is structured to allow information to be found quickly and easily. Each chapter explains both the short- and long-term issues and contains a checklist and chapter summary for later reference. A list of recommended readings and a list of public and private resources appear at the back of the Guide. This third edition of the Guide was published in 2004.

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Military Legal Resources

The U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Legal Center & School Library in Charlottesville, VA, holds extensive collections of primary source materials and publications in the field of military law. Selections from these collections are now being made accessible in full text PDF versions via the Library of Congress Federal Research Division (FRD) Web site. As more materials are converted to digital formats, they will be added to this page. Samples of the currently available, downloadable, documents are: Operational Law Handbook, 2007; Geneva Conventions; The Army Lawyer (1971-2007); War Crimes Trials Materials; Army JAG Corps Historical Monographs; Military Law Review (1958-2007); Manuals for Courts-Martial; UCMJ Legislative History; U.S. Army TJAGLCS: Selected Theses; U.S. Army Field Manuals; Ethics Handbook for Army Leaders; Army Regulations; and, Military Law Historical Monographs, Studies, Texts and Treatises.

You can access this material at:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/military-legal-resources-home.html