Airman Missing In Action From The Vietnam War Is Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is Capt. Stephen A. Rusch, U.S. Air Force, of Lambertville, N.J. He will be buried on Nov. 30 at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

On March 7, 1972, Rusch was the weapons systems officer in an F-4E Phantom II aircraft attacking enemy targets in Salavan Province, Laos. The plane was the number two aircraft in a flight of two. When Rusch's aircraft was cleared to begin its second run over enemy targets, the flight leader of the number one aircraft lost sight of Rusch's plane and observed enemy ground fire followed by a large explosion. An immediate search was begun, but all attempts to establish radio contact and later search efforts were unsuccessful.

In 1995, a joint U.S./Lao People's Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident and interviewed several Laotian citizens. The team surveyed the crash site identified by one of the citizens and found aircraft wreckage.

In 2001, a U.S. citizen, acting as an intermediary for a Laotian citizen, turned over to U.S. officials a bone fragment and a photocopy of Rusch's military identification tag. The bone fragment proved not to be from Capt. Rusch.

In 2002-2003, joint teams conducted two excavations of the crash site. The teams recovered human remains and non-biological evidence including U.S. coins and life support equipment.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

One Sailor, 280 Soldiers Re-enlist Together in Iraq

By Renanah Miles
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 27, 2007 - Two hundred eighty soldiers and one sailor re-enlisted earlier this month in the Al Faw palace, one of Saddam Hussein's former homes. The palace was seized by 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga., in 2003. On the division's 90th birthday Nov. 21, soldiers under its command renewed their commitment to the Army and the war on terror.

When Sgt. Patricia Daniels, of Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, Support Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, re-enlisted during Operation Iraqi Freedom III, she didn't know the significance of the date at first. "Last time I was in Iraq, ... I re-enlisted on the 21st of November, not realizing it was the 3rd ID birthday," she said.

This year, Daniels' choice to recommit to the Army on the division's 90th birthday was intentional. Daniels is deployed to Baghdad again, under the command of the Multi-National Division Center. Still, Daniels, a native of Miami, said the decision is bittersweet. While she loves her job, said, the separation from her husband and four children is hard.

"I like the camaraderie, I like the teamwork," she said of the Army. "I don't like to deploy every other year."

This year, as the ceremony fell the day before Thanksgiving, Daniels had home on her mind. She said Thanksgiving trumps Christmas in her family, and she begged her husband and children to carry on the elaborate food preparation and holiday traditions in her stead. Despite the sacrificed holiday, her conviction to serve remains unshaken. "I'm re-enlisting for the needs of the Army," she said.

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Division Iraq, officiated over the ceremony.

"Re-enlisting soldiers is one of my favorite duties, one of the greatest honors I think any of us can perform," the general said.

"And it is a true honor to be with you to re-enlist 281 of you at last count, and that does include a 'Sailor of One,'" Petraeus said in a play on the Army motto.

Spc. Heidi McNeely, also with Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, re-enlisted in July. Her husband, food service specialist John McNeely, re-enlisted in a private ceremony last week.

On Nov. 21, John also joined other Multinational Division Center soldiers and affirmed his commitment. Husband and wife, both from New Orleans, joined the Army for similar reasons. "The biggest motivation was stability," McNeely said. "That's what keeps me and him going."

But being deployed simultaneously is a mixed blessing for the couple. "It's nice, ... comforting," McNeely said. "But kind of scary because we have two kids."

John's parents are taking care of the children while mom and dad are deployed. Their oldest daughter, 8 years old, is aware enough to wonder where her parents are and why they went away. McNeely said she gave her children a simple explanation. "I told them (it's) because there were people who needed help from us," McNeely explained. "I didn't go any further than that. She didn't question it. The only thing she questioned was if something was going to happen to me.

"I told her that God gave her to me," McNeely continued. "I'm not done taking care of her yet."

Both Daniels and McNeely say options for school are a factor in their decision.

Falling a day before Thanksgiving and on the day of the 3rd Infantry Division's birthday, the ceremony came as a poignant reminder of the tradition and duty that lie at the heart of soldiers' choice to serve their country.

"I don't know where this division, this great division, will be when it celebrates one century of service in 2017," Petraeus said. "But I can guarantee you that wherever it is, future 'Dog Face Soldiers' will celebrate the courageous contributions that each of you is making in Iraq today. They will proudly look at each of you the same way you look back at some of your predecessors."

(Renanah Miles is assigned to Multinational Division Center.)

Air Force Neurosurgeon Saves Afghan Child's Life

By BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 27, 2007 - An Air Force neurosurgeon assigned to Craig Joint Theater Hospital here saved the life of an 8-month-old Afghan girl earlier this month. The child, from Parwan province, was originally taken by her parents to El Salem Egyptian Field Hospital with symptoms including excessive head growth, eye abnormalities and irritability.

After Egyptian physicians referred her to the U.S. hospital, Air Force neurosurgeon Lt. Col. (Dr.) Randall McCafferty diagnosed a congenital brain abnormality called an "arachnoid cyst" at the base of the young girl's brain.

"The cyst had caused blockage of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, thus causing hydrocephalus (commonly known as 'water on the brain')," McCafferty said. "Left untreated, the condition could have eventually been fatal."

Thanks to the recent deployment of neurosurgical assets to Afghanistan, McCafferty was able to operate on the child Nov. 12 and again Nov. 20, removing the cyst and leaving the girl in good condition.

"I was happy that I could bring specialized training to this region that did not previously exist and that with those skills I was able to provide an opportunity at a future life for both the child and her family that likely would not otherwise exist," McCafferty said.

The doctor also said he felt fortunate to have the support of his command, colleagues and the intensive care unit staff at Craig Joint Theater Hospital.

(From a Combined Joint Task Force 82 news release.)

Keating: NORTHCOM Experience Lends Lessons to Bangladesh Relief

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 27, 2007 - After more than two years at the helm of U.S. Northern Command, Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating oversaw planning for military responses to the most devastating domestic disasters, and mobilized U.S. military support when Hurricane Katrina provided a real-life test of those plans. So when his staff at U.S. Pacific Command watched a fierce tropical cyclone make its way toward Bangladesh earlier this month, Keating, now the top U.S. military officer in the Pacific, kept a careful watch.

Even before the cyclone made landfall Nov. 15, Keating had already started talking with leaders at the Pentagon, State Department and U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, about a potential response in the event the Bangladeshis needed help.

"We began to look at assets that might be of assistance if the host nation asked for them," he told reporters today via teleconference from his headquarters at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.

Keating asked U.S. Central Command for permission to borrow one of its ships, USS Kearsarge, and its 1,200 Marines aboard who were operating in the North Arabian Sea in case they were needed to support relief operations. He got the Air Force to begin positioning heavy-life aircraft at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, so they'd be ready to deliver reverse-osmosis water purification units, if needed.

He kept his staffs' eyes glued on the storm, directing them to gather as much information as possible so they could quickly pass it, along with damage assessments, along to the U.S. Embassy.

"We got stuff moving," Keating said. "As the storm was ashore and clearing, we had assets."

When the cyclone passed, leaving vast devastation and more than 3,200 dead and more than 1,000 others missing, Pacific Command was ready to respond. All it needed was the Bangladeshi government to accept U.S. offers of help.

Keating called his lessons learned at U.S. Northern Command "of significant import to us in this situation," giving him the tools to look ahead of the crisis to help prepare a response. "The events of Katrina and humanitarian assistance disaster relief we learned at Northern Command were of significant value for us here."

As he was returning to Hawaii Nov. 24 after a Thanksgiving visit to Iraq, Keating stopped in Bangladesh to meet with Bangladeshi and U.S. officials to discuss the need there and offer help.

Keating said he made it clear that the United States has no intention of taking charge. "We are attempting the best we can to make sure the Bangladeshis understand it is their operation," he said. "We are in support. We will do nothing they don't ask for and when they are done with us, we will leave."

The Bangladeshis, desperate to get support into regions in the south where roads had been wiped out, accepted the offer "warmly," Keating said. "I got no sense of stepping on toes," he said.

Today, the U.S. military is rushing aid to the region, focusing on getting water and medical aid to areas in greatest need, Keating said.

"Water is the overarching requirement," Keating said, noting that the surge resulting from the Nov. 15 tropical cyclone left fresh-water ponds in Bangladesh tainted with salt. While ships in the region manufacture potable water, the Air Force has delivered three reverse-osmosis water purification units, he said. One is in Bangladesh, and two are in Thailand, awaiting direction from the Bangladeshis on where to place them.

The 1,200-member 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit operating from USS Kearsarge already has flown several dozen relief sorties to get water and other aid to outlying areas, he said. More than 50,000 pounds of aid have been moved into Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, U.S. medical personnel are on site, lending surgeons, corpsmen, anesthesiologists, nurses and other medical staff to the effort. Keating said the Kearsarge stands ready to offer its hospital facilities, but that they haven't yet been needed.

USS Tarawa also is headed to the region, but Keating said its services may not be required to provide relief support.

Keating said all support is being offered with an understanding of the diplomatic implications, and the fact that some in Bangladesh might have initially been "a little leery of U.S. operations" there. The United States is ensuring that the Bangladeshis understand "we are in support of them," he said. "And we will do nothing that is not at the behest of Bangladesh."

Keating Aims to Improve Communication with China After Port Call Rejections

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 27, 2007 - The top U.S. military officer in the Pacific said he's concerned that China recently denied U.S. ships' requests for port visits in Hong Kong and plans to take the matter up during a trip he hopes to make to Beijing early next year. Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said he found it "perplexing and troublesome" that the Chinese refused the Kitty Hawk Battle Group entrance to Hong Kong for a port call during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Hundreds of the sailors' family members had flown from Japan to spend the holiday with their loved ones when the Kitty Hawk carrier and several of its escorts were forced to abandon their port call.

By the time China reversed its decision, the U.S. ships had already turned around. "It was too late by then," Keating said.

The incident came on the heels of what he called an even more troublesome situation: China's refusal to admit two U.S. minesweepers into Hong Kong to seek refuge from a brewing storm.

The Patriot and Guardian were operating in international waters when fierce weather conditions drove them to seek shelter in Hong Kong, Keating said. China refused their request, forcing them to get refueled at sea so they could return to their homeport in Sasebo, Japan.

China's denial of their request violated "an unwritten rule among seamen that if someone is in need, regardless of genus, phylum or species, you let them come in -- you give them safe harbor," Keating said.

"Jimmy Buffet has songs about it, for crying out loud," he said.

Keating called China's actions "very unusual" and expressed hope they'll be the last. "We would certainly hope this is not indicative of future repeat denials," he said.

He called Hong Kong "one of the great liberty ports in the world" that gives sailors and Marines afloat an opportunity to meet with their families during a deployment.

Keating said he plans to bring the issue up if the Chinese agree to a meeting he's requested for January. Other topics will likely be China's weapons program, which Keating said includes weapons that indicate "a little more aggressive strategic goal" than the defensive posture the Chinese advocate.

The bottom line, he said, is that solid communication between the United States and China will help reduce the potential for misunderstanding. This will leave "less room for confusion that could lead to confrontation, to crisis," he said.

"That's our goal," Keating said. "To get there, we reduce the chance for misunderstanding."

Hewlitt Packard Employees to Help Colorado Families

American Forces Press Service

Nov. 27, 2007 - Military families in Colorado whose major breadwinners are deployed to the Middle East are getting help with seasonal yard tasks from an unexpected source. From raking leaves to hanging Christmas lights, Hewlett Packard Co. employees will pitch and help three military families Nov. 29 through a partnership with the Minnesota-based Project EverGreen Foundation.

"The HP employees are going above and beyond," said Den Gardner, executive director of the foundation, which matches volunteers and lawn or landscaping firms with military families in need of outdoor help. "In addition to helping the families clean up their yards, they are helping hang up Christmas lights and even helping one military family paint the walls inside their house."

The foundation is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

The foundation's "GreenCare for Troops" program was developed in 2006 to provide free lawn and landscape care for families who have a major breadwinner serving in the Middle East. Project EverGreen has signed up more than 1,000 lawn and landscape contractors and volunteers to assist in this effort to help the more than 4,300 military families currently registered with the foundation.

Gardner said the roots of this program go back to the basic mission of his organization. "Quite simply," he explained, "we are working to emphasize the benefits that green spaces provide to our environment, economy and lifestyles. At the same time, we realized that, for many service families, lawn and landscape care can become a burden when there are concerns for the safety of a loved one overseas."

There is no cost or obligation to families who apply to participate in GreenCare for Troops, Gardner said.

"Project EverGreen makes every effort to link families in need with local lawn and landscape firms or community volunteers who have indicated a desire to help," he added.

Gardner said the appreciation expressed by service personnel and their families has been gratifying. "We even had one soldier serving in Iraq ask us to send him a Project EverGreen banner to display -- and we were happy to oblige."

Hewlett Packard employees heard about the need for volunteers in the Colorado Springs area through the Center for Nonprofit Excellence and knew they wanted to pitch in. They contacted Project EverGreen and were matched up with three families in the area, HP officials said.

"We are thrilled to give back," said Tara Agen, Hewlett Packard Imaging and Printing chief of staff. "Lots of our employees volunteer individually, but to do this as a group and really make a difference is very special."

Agen said a lot of the employees involved really wanted to help military families. "I also personally had a sister and brother-in-law who served overseas," she said. "So the decision was an easy one."

Couple to Spend First Holiday Season Together in Iraq

By Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 27, 2007 - Army Pvt. Imani Tumbling and Pfc. Angelo Tumbling will celebrate their first major holiday as a married couple and their first anniversary here in a combat zone. Imani, of Valdosta, Ga., and Angelo, of Norfolk, Va., are both assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Imani, 20, a supply specialist, and Angelo, 23, a fire support specialist, met when he arrived at his new unit in March.

Angelo said he always saw himself as a family man, but, having just ended one relationship before he joined the Army, he said he wanted to "play the field" for a while before settling down.

"I wanted to come in for money for school, so I wasn't looking for anybody," Imani said.

"I didn't even like him when I met him," she said with a scowl. "I wanted to get out of the Army, go to college and after I got out of college, that's when I saw myself getting married."

Even though Angelo and Imani mapped their lives out one way, it seems fate had another plan. After a whirlwind courtship -- less than four months -- the two were married Aug. 2 and departed Fort Campbell, Ky., for Iraq in late September.

"It seemed like we knew each other more than we did; we got close real fast," Angelo said. "I figured if I'm already with her every day and I'm going to be with her and do whatever I have to do to be with her, then why not be married?"

When they decided to make the big step, Imani said, there was no fanfare -- no candlelight dinner, no romantic music -- nothing like that involved.

"He didn't even ask," she said with a laugh, looking at Angelo from the corners of her eyes. "He didn't get down on one knee, he didn't say, 'Will you marry me?' He said, 'You're going to be my wife.'"

Angelo laughed at Imani's recollection of his proposal and said he knew she would say yes.

Even though she tried to play hard to get, Imani said, she knew that she wanted to marry him.

Both said they never thought they would make the leap to marriage this soon, but regard it as an unexpected blessing. "Everybody says we got married too fast," Angelo said. "But we're going to shock the world."

The two harbor no illusions that their marriage will be free of obstacles, but they seem determined to make it work. They have minor disagreements and expect to experience the same bumps in the road as other couples do during the first months or years of marriage. Their road just happens to be in southern Baghdad.

The newlyweds say they feel fortunate to be together during what has been the breaking point of some marriages; but the deployment has turned out to be a benefit.

While it is difficult at times not having family and friends readily accessible to discuss a problem, Imani said, the distance from potential outside influences is making them stronger as a couple.

"I think it's good because we can't talk to everybody else about our problems, and he can't jump in the car and leave," she explained. "We have to sit here and deal with it versus going and running to tell somebody else."

The Tumblings do not claim to have all the answers for the perfect marriage. They just take things one day at a time and hope that this deployment will continue to strengthen what they already have.

(Army Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy serves with 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.)

Marine Unit Provides Cyclone Relief in Bangladesh

By Cpl. Peter R. Miller, USMC
Special to American Forces Press Service

Nov. 26, 2007 - In response to a request for help from the government of Bangladesh, elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked aboard USS Kearsarge traveled about 3,500 miles from the Sea of Bengal and are providing disaster relief to the cyclone-stricken country. On Nov. 15, Tropical Cyclone Sidr ripped across the coast of Bangladesh, killing more than 3,000 people, leaving several hundred thousand people homeless, and ravaging the local crops and infrastructure.

On Nov. 23, the MEU's relief effort began with the delivery of 700 gallons of bottled water to a small airfield in Barisal, Bangladesh.

"Today's mission was essentially a humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, mission to start providing the necessary materials," said Capt. Andrew M. Traynor, a CH-46E Sea Knight pilot with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261, who flew in the day's mission.

As the helicopters hovered over the airfield, children clad in colorful clothing watched and waved from a nearby roadside. Bangladeshi soldiers lined the tarmac until Nix greeted them and led them back to the aircraft.

"We got out there and said, 'Hey, this is what we need,'" said Nix. "I think they were just hesitant to jump right in because they didn't want to offend us."

The wary stares of the Bangladeshi soldiers quickly evolved into friendly embraces as they crowded around the rear of the aircraft to shake hands and chat with their visitors. They were soon working with the Marines to unload the water.

"We worked together, and the language barrier wasn't a problem," said Traynor. "The offload went very smoothly and quickly. It's all about the team, because that's how we work."

The crew chiefs did an excellent job by taking the lead and getting the water out of the aircraft, Traynor said.

"It was pretty cool," said Sgt. Mickael S. Clemann, a CH-46 crew chief, and Brandon, Fla., native. "A lot of the (Bangladeshi) soldiers smiled and showed what I'm guessing is their gesture of thank you, where they put their hand on their chest and bring it toward you."

The sight of two militaries, unfamiliar with each other, coming together was one of the most impressive things Nix had ever seen, he said.

"It was good to see those guys with smiles on their faces, even though they've lost some of their countrymen," said Nix. "It's good to be able to help them out."

(Marine Cpl. Peter R. Miller serves with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.)

Middle East Conference Won't Disrupt Naval Academy Classes

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 26, 2007 - The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., will operate pretty much business as usual tomorrow as national leaders gather there for the U.S.-sponsored international Middle East conference, academy officials said today. Normal class schedules will resume as usual, although some classes are likely to monitor news coverage of The Annapolis Conference, Deborah Goode, an academy spokeswoman, told American Forces Press Service.

The biggest signs of top-level discussions taking place at the academy will be a the closing of a few local roads and the academy grounds to general visitors today and tomorrow, officials said. In addition, some academy facilities will be restricted during the course of the meetings.

Navy Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler, academy superintendent, called it a privilege to host the conference, to which 49 nations, organizations and individuals have been invited. "We are honored that the Naval Academy has been chosen as the setting for the Annapolis Conference," he said.

Participants will include President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a Nov. 20 State Department briefing.

Also scheduled to participate will be "the Quartet," made up of the United Nations, European Union, Russia and the United States; as well as members of the Arab League Follow-on Committee, the Group of Eight major industrialized nations, permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, and other key international officials, McCormack said.

Bush will deliver remarks to participants at a dinner to be hosted tonight in Washington by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Tomorrow in Annapolis, Bush and the Israeli and Palestinian leaders are slated to deliver speeches formally opening the conference.

"The Annapolis Conference will signal broad international support for the Israeli and Palestinian leaders' courageous efforts and will be a launching point for negotiations leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state and the realization of Israeli-Palestinian peace," McCormack said.

Olmert, who met with Bush yesterday at the White House, expressed hope that the conference "will launch a serious process of negotiations between us and the Palestinians."

"This will be a bilateral process, but the international support is very important for us," he said, thanking Bush and Rice for making the conference possible. The goal, he said, is "to come to this point where from we and the Palestinians will seek together, in Jerusalem, and work out something that will be very good to create a great hope for our peoples."

Group Helps Vets by Helping Caregivers

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Nov. 26, 2007 - A Texas-based group is working to give caregivers of war wounded and military spouses the support they need as they transition from the military community to the civilian sector. "Our goal is to empower achievement, independence, and the assurance of renewed hope," said Tania Mercurio, an Air Force spouse who serves as executive director of Operation Life Transformed.

In working to help every caregiver or military spouse achieve that goal, the group provides virtual or classroom training and education. The training programs allow better job marketability and retention, Mercurio said.

The training focuses on fields that are flexible enough to accommodate the sometimes unpredictable schedule of the target audience. Medical transcription, for example, is 80 percent outsourced, she said.

Kimberly Ryusaki Marrerro, another executive director of Operation Life Transformed and a Navy spouse, said these types of positions work well for caregivers or military spouses.

"We have a talented, untapped pool of resources that needs temporary work," she said. "Operation Life Transformed works with the caregiver and corporation to provide temporary placement while the caregiver is supporting the injured at a medical facility."

Being able to find temporary employment while helping a wounded servicemember recover can help ensure the family's economic stability, Marrero said.

The organization, which has won the Newman's Own Award for excellence and innovation within the military community, has recently become a supporter of America Supports You.

America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

The credibility the affiliation provides groups like Operation Life Transformed in the military community is priceless, said Colleen Saffron, another executive director of Operation Life Transformed and an Army spouse.

She also hopes it will help the group network with complementary organizations.

"Operation Life Transformed realizes that no one group can meet all of the needs of all of these families, so it seeks to create partnerships with other organizations in order to create a network of support for our military families during this tumultuous time in our nation's history," Saffron said. "When someone comes to us needing help that's not part of our mission, we (want to be) able to send them to other organizations within our network that can help them."