Chairman Issues Holiday Message

American Forces Press Service

Dec. 18, 2007 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff issued his holiday message today, thanking servicemembers and families for their service and asking that others remember their sacrifices. "I thank each of you for your dedicated service as you defend our national interests around the world. Whether on the ground, in the air, on the sea, or under it, you are making life better and safer for millions of people. Please know you have your nation's deepest gratitude," the statement from Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen reads.

"As we count our many blessings, let us never forget our brothers and sisters in harm's way and the families with empty seats at their holiday tables. Theirs is the sacrifice, the great and noble service, that allows our comfort and our freedom this season. Reach out to them if you can. Let them know they are remembered," Mullen wrote.

The chairman is this week traveling with the 2007 USO holiday tour on the 15-stop, seven-country tour thanking the forward deployed troops for their sacrifice and service.

With Christmas a week away, Mullen passed along his holiday greetings in person during a stop in Kuwait yesterday.

"I'd like to express my appreciation for what you do, not just for the nation, but for the world," he said. "You are making a big difference in a very challenging part of the world."

Mullen said he knows the holidays are a hard time to be away from family.

"We know that, and we keep them in our thoughts and prayers, and we hope we can bring a little cheer during this holiday season for you as you serve on this deployment," he said. "You could not be as successful on this deployment without the support of those families, and we're extremely grateful for all the things that they do to make your service possible."

Mullen Shares His USO Memories on Holiday Tour

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 18, 2007 - Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen fondly remembers the smiles entertainers brought to the faces of his crews, and he is seeking to spread those smiles around Iraq. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff led the Chairman's USO Holiday Tour here today, and about 1,800 servicemembers roared their approval.

Robin Williams headlined the show. This is the star's fourth USO run through the combat zones. Joining Williams is actor-comedian Lewis Black, singer Kid Rock, Miss USA Rachel Smith and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Irish tenor Ronan Tynan will join the tour later in the week.

Mullen said his connections to the USO go back a long way. His first experience with the USO was in 1970. He had just married his wife, Deborah, and he moved from the West Coast to the East Coast.

"I went to New York City, and the first place I went was the USO booth because of their reputation and because of what I'd seen through the 1960s and 1970s," he said during an interview. "I saw how the entertainers made such a difference and uplifted those who were serving away from home in a tough environment."

Through his career, Mullen has spent many years at sea. "I have always sought to make sure that my crews got to see these entertainers whenever they could," the admiral said. "They always brought a smile, and that to me is what this is all about. This is a great group of entertainers who have taken time out of their lives to come here for the troops."

Mullen said he appreciates all that the USO has done to bring this show together. "I hope we can reach out to more entertainers to do this not just over the holidays and make it year-round," he said.

Mrap Vehicle Orders Top 11,900

The Department of Defense today announced a contract award for an additional 3,126 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles to be manufactured and completed by end of July 2008. Four manufacturers received the delivery orders totaling just under $2.66 billion.

MRAPs, with more than 1,200 in theater, have proven their value by saving the lives of warfighters by mitigating blast effects through the uniquely designed V-shaped hull and raised chassis. This contract award by the MRAP Vehicle Joint Program Office continues the rapid procurement and acquisition process for these life-saving vehicles with the release of four delivery orders resulting in a total of 11,941 vehicles in the life-saving fleet by mid-summer. The total approved acquisition objective for all services is 15,374 which includes vehicles produced for training and testing purposes.

Stewart and Stevenson Tactical Vehicle, a Division of Armor Holdings and more recently BAE Land Systems, received a firm fixed priced delivery order for the purchase of 668 Category II vehicles with Category I seat configuration. The company is now operating under the name, BAE-TVS.

BAE Systems Land and Armaments, increased their participation in the program by 600 bringing their total vehicle count to more than 1,730. The vehicles will be Category II vehicles.

Force Protection Industries, Inc. will add another 358 (178 Category I and 180 Category II) vehicles to their vehicle commitment.

The largest single delivery order to date has been issued to International Military and Government LLC for 1,500 Category I vehicles.

All four delivery orders include vehicles, integrated logistics support (ILS), sustainment items and engineering change proposals designed to increase vehicle capability.

Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va. serves as the lead contracting activity for the MRAP Vehicle Joint Program Management Office.

Conversations with Cops

Date: 12/19/07
Time: 2100 hours Pacific
Topic: Leadership in Law Enforcement
Guest: Captain Andrew Harvey, (ret.) Ed.D.

The Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting. During the first half-hour of the show, the host, a nationally recognized expert on law enforcement, interviews a subject matter expert on the topic. During the second half-hour the program is joined by two other cops who give a street-level perspective to the conversation.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement

The show is immediately available in the archive and shortly thereafter available as an ITunes Download.

Defense Travel System Maintains Customer Focus as Rollout Continues

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2007 - Halfway through the full rollout of the Defense Travel System, officials say it's accomplishing exactly what it set out to do: streamlining the travel process while improving service to travelers. The system, first introduced in 2005, processed 2.4 million temporary duty travel vouchers during fiscal 2007, Pam Mitchell, deputy director of the Defense Travel Management Office, told American Forces Press Service. That represents 84 percent of all the Defense Department's TDY travel, with only elements of the Army Reserve and Army National Guard not yet on the system, she said.

Now, a top Defense Department priority is to expand DTS to cover some 25 to 30 additional categories of official travel, including permanent-change-of-station moves and travel for medical care or training. Sheila Earle, principal director of Military Personnel Policy and the Defense Travel Management Office's acting director, said she hopes to meet that goal by 2009.

The result will be a universal system that replaces dozens of other disjointed systems, creating efficiencies and maximizing the government's buying power, Earle said. At the same time, DTS will eliminate some of the red tape and headaches federal travelers have long endured in arranging official travel.

Before DTS, federal travelers went one place to get their travel orders, to another for their travel advance, and to still another to make transportation, lodging and rental car arrangements. After completing their travel, they filed a travel voucher through one of myriad travel systems in use throughout the department. Many submitted hard-copy forms they filled out manually along with their receipts to be processed.

DTS, in contrast, enables travelers to complete all these transactions from the convenience of their desktop computers. "The bottom line is to make it easier for the traveler," Mitchell said. "We're focused on making the travel experience better."

Meanwhile, DTS is introducing efficiencies throughout the system as it consolidates DoD's processes for ticket reservations, authorizations, voucher processing and financial accounting.

"This gives one-stop shopping for the Department of Defense for all travel requirements," Mitchell said. "It allows us to leverage economies of scale and ensure standards of service and efficiency across the board."

It also enables better oversight of the department's entire travel enterprise -- one that amounts to some $12 billion to $13 billion a year -- and more universal enforcement of federal travel regulations, Earle said.

Mitchell described the department's vast travel operation as a spider web. "You literally have all these parts and pieces scattered all over the place, loosely attached together with these webs," she said.

DTS is part of the Defense Travel Management Office's effort to "take all those disparate things all over the place in this web and pull them into a more orderly universe so we can leverage what is best for both the government and the traveler," Mitchell said.

Earle said there's little doubt that, when fully implemented, DTS will save the government money. "If I am able to write a more efficient commercial travel office contract and I handle it in a more efficient way, that saves us an awful lot of money in the Department of Defense," she said.

But DTS is about more than just saving money, Earle emphasized "It's changing the way we do business," she said. "It's completely changing our emphasis."

The Defense Department has "put the bar quite high" in setting expectations for DTS, Earle said. "Make it make sense, and make it smart. Make it save money if at all possible. Make it more efficient and a better system for travelers," she said.

"The bottom line is, strike the best deal you can for the government, get the best service you can provide for the traveler and do it with efficiency," Earle said. "That's what we're trying to do."

Earle conceded that the department historically has focused more on the travel system itself than the person using it. "We are going to change that relationship," she said. "The upper hand now goes to the traveler. We are going to make that system as efficient for the traveler as possible, while maintaining all the other things that are important for good governance and oversight.

"But the voice of the traveler is going to trump the demands of any one area," she said. "This is the first time the traveler has actually been given a voice."

A usability review that began in October and is expected to continue through the summer is assessing exactly what travelers have to say about DTS and where it can be improved.

Initial feedback shows many DTS users like some of the most recent changes. They like the speed in which their travel vouchers are processed and the fact that their government credit cards get paid directly through DTS. They also have good things to say about the system's new "book as you go" feature that allows them to reserve an airplane seat while their travel order is going through the approval process. "We've gotten tremendous positive feedback about that," Mitchell said.

The challenge now is to continue DTS' evolution to make it a system people want to use, not one they have to use, Earle said.

To reach that point, Earle said, she's looking to all Defense Department travelers to lend their experience to make the system better. "Everybody has an opinion, and we have a million experts out there who have traveled and who know how to do this better," she said. "We want to hear from you, because we want to make the travel experience better."

Bush Vows Support for Wounded Troops, Condemns Iran

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2007 - America's wounded troops are getting the best medical care possible, and the country is committed to ensuring the bureaucratic system serves them equally well, President Bush said today in Fredericksburg, Va. Speaking to the Rotary Club of Stafford, Va., the president also told a questioner that Iran remains a threat to peace and needs to suspend its uranium-enrichment activities.

Bush told the Rotarians he feels "a particular sense of obligation to make sure that the man or woman I've sent into combat gets the very best care possible."

He called the doctors and nurses providing military health care "fabulous," noting that "the health care these troops are getting is excellent, no ands, ifs or buts about it."

"I can look the parents ... and loved ones of the troops in their eyes and say, 'Your kid's going to get fabulous health care, and they deserve it,'" he said.

The president conceded that problems like those that surfaced in February at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here detract from this care and said they won't be tolerated. Bush called the Walter Reed situation "a bureaucratic foul-up" and noted that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates moved to fix the situation quickly. "That should show you our intensity in making sure that our troops get the very best care," he said.

Bush said he and first lady Laura Bush will visit both Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., later this week. They'll visit for two reasons, he said: "One, to tell those troops we love them, and two, to tell those docs and nurses who are working overtime to give them fabulous care this country appreciates what they're doing."

Moving to questions about Iran, Bush pointed to the recent national intelligence estimate as proof that "Iran was a threat, Iran is a threat to peace, and Iran will be a threat to peace if we don't stop their enrichment facilities."

If Iran were able to produce a nuclear weapon, it would be a highly destabilizing force in the region, Bush said. He noted Iran's threats to wipe out Israel as an example.

Iran owes the world an explanation about its suspended nuclear program, Bush said. "They need to make it clear to the international organization, the (International Atomic Energy Agency), what the program was all about and why they hid it from the world," he said.

Meanwhile, Bush pledged that the United States will continue working with its friends and allies to apply diplomatic pressure aimed at convincing Iran to suspend its enrichment programs.

He noted that Russia is in the process of sending enriched uranium to Iran for use in its civilian nuclear reactor. "If the Russians are willing to do that ... (and) the Iranians accept that uranium for a civilian nuclear power plant, then there's no need for them to learn how to enrich," he said.

Face of Defense: Extra Effort in Kitchen Keeps Morale High

By Sgt. Brandon Aird, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2007 - "The Rock believes highly that food service support improves morale," said Army Sgt. Joseph Smith, from Jackson, Mich. Smith is the dining facility manager at Forward Operating Base Fortress and a member of 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), which is known as "The Rock."

Paratroopers in the battalion's Company D and a platoon from Company C live at Forward Operating Base Fortress, near the Chowkay Valley in Kunar province.

The base is named Fortress due to 30-foot walls and four guard towers that surround it. Luckily for the soldiers here, Fortress is home to three cooks from "The Rock's" support company, Company F.

The cooks prepare food for 150 to 200 soldiers who call Fortress home. The food comes in prepared packages, which are downloaded, prepared and cooked by Smith's team. Smith explained they could simply cook the same meals over and over again, but they choose not to. The leadership in "The Rock" gives the cooks freedom to use their imagination when preparing meals.

"We get to put our personality into our cooking," explained Spc. Jesse Ramirez, from Twin Cities, Minn. "Being able to add your own touch makes things more exciting."

Smith explained that their dining facility was able to receive extra cooking utensils, which enabled them to cook a bigger variety of food. "We can do omelettes, crab cakes, quesadillas -- pretty much anything you want," Smith said. "We even have taco night."

The three cooks work 12 to 16 hours a day, said Spc. Nicholas Krueger. "Not all our time is spent in the kitchen," Krueger explained. "We also help pull FOB security, download convoys and organize supplies."

Recently, Smith and his team stayed up more than 32 hours in the kitchen to make sure the soldiers' Thanksgiving meal was one to remember. "We take pride in our cooking," Ramirez said. "Thanksgiving is our time to show off."

"We work long hours, but we enjoy seeing happy soldiers, Smith said."

(Army Sgt. Brandon Aird is assigned to 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs.)

Travel Policy Change Benefits Military Families

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2007 - Military families now can access military-supplied air transport to travel to their official "homes of record" located outside the continental United States when their sponsors are deployed for 120 days or more, thanks to a recent policy change, a military official said today. Before the change, which became effective Dec. 6, family members only could use military space-available, or "Space-A," flights to travel to their homes of record in the lower 48 states, said Air Force Lt. Col. Michael R. Holmes, with the office of the assistant deputy undersecretary of defense for transportation policy.

"We have a significant number of military personnel whose spouses and extended families may not reside in the continental U.S.," Holmes explained. For example, he said, the states of Hawaii and Alaska, and the territory of Guam, fall under the criteria of the new policy.

Military families can save considerable money by using low- or no-cost Space-A flights instead of using commercial airlines to get back to their homes of record, Holmes pointed out. However, family members under age 18 must be accompanied by an eligible parent or legal guardian, according to Defense Department documents explaining the new policy.

Family members using Space-A transport under the new policy also require a verification letter signed by the military sponsor's commander verifying the servicemember's deployment, according to Defense Department documents.

The new travel policy was enacted to mitigate some of the stresses of deployment encountered by servicemembers and their families, Holmes said.

The Space-A travel program is a privilege, not an entitlement, and it is extended to military family members in recognition of their support to the mission being performed by their sponsors and to enhance quality of life for servicemembers and their families, according to Air Force Air Mobility Command documents.

Coalition Troops Kill Six, Seize 29 Suspected Terrorists in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2007 - Coalition forces killed six suspected terrorists, detained 29 others and destroyed five weapons caches in Iraq over the past five days, military officials said. During operations in Iraq yesterday:

-- Coalition forces killed four suspected terrorists north of Muqdadiyah. Two of the slain insurgents died while attempting to mount suicide-bomb attacks against coalition troops, military officials said. Coalition air support engaged and killed the two others as they attacked ground forces from inside a suspected terrorist safe house.

-- Troops killed one insurgent and detained four others in Mosul during an operation targeting an alleged al Qaeda in Iraq leader. Military officials have not stated whether troops killed or detained the targeted suspect, who allegedly helps al Qaeda cell leaders obtain weapons and improvised explosive device-making materials.

-- Coalition forces detained 15 suspected terrorists during coordinated operations southeast of Samarra. The synchronized raids targeted associates of al Qaeda senior leaders operating in Samarra and Salahuddin, military officials said.

-- Near Mahmudiyah, coalition troops killed an al Qaeda member with ties to senior leaders in the terrorist network's Baghdad cell. Troops engaged and killed the wanted individual when he advanced toward the ground force's position and failed to stop, military officials said. Coalition forces detained one suspect on site.

On Dec. 15, Iraqi army and coalition forces launched "Marne Roundup," an operation focused on flushing out al Qaeda extremists and weapons smugglers operating near Iskandariyah.

Marne Roundup is designed to defeat al Qaeda in northern Babil by denying them sanctuary and escape routes, Army Col. Thomas James, commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, told reporters during a Dec. 9 news conference. "The plan is designed to catch them as they egress," he added.

The operation is the latest in a series of combat offensives launched by Multinational Division Center soldiers to squeeze al Qaeda from areas south and west of Baghdad, officials said.

At the start of the offensive, troops fired 12 guided missiles and destroyed two buildings used by insurgents to store improvised explosive device-making materials, military officials said. Troops reportedly encountered no resistance as they moved through the target area by the afternoon of the first day.

After securing the area, coalition forces plan to build Patrol Base Khidr, a security outpost where Iraqi police will coordinate efforts with local citizens to secure major roads leading to and from Iskandariyah. Military officials said one intended effect of the operation is to demonstrate to local residents that Iraqi security forces are able to overpower al Qaeda.

In other operations, coalition forces captured an al Qaeda in Iraq leader north of Baghdad on Dec. 15. The leader's network is responsible for car-bomb and improvised-explosive-device attacks, and is involved in extortion, intimidation, weapons trafficking, and facilitating foreign terrorists' movement. Ground forces detained two suspected terrorists and found a cache of improvised-explosive-device materials during the raid.

On Dec. 14, coalition forces detained two suspected al Qaeda in Iraq members and destroyed four weapons caches in Arab Jabour and Buaytha. Local citizens detained two Iraqi males who they identified as members of al Qaeda and later handed over the suspects to soldiers of 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry, at Patrol Base Murray. The uncovered caches contained anti-tank mines, a variety of mortars, homemade explosives, mortar tubes, copper wire, and numerous boxes of ammunition.

Elsewhere in Iraq on Dec. 14, Multinational Division Baghdad forces arrested two men suspected of financing extremist activities and another suspected of killing coalition soldiers in the Doura region of the Rashid district.

In western Rashid on Dec. 13, Multinational Division Baghdad forces captured a suspected extremist leader during a targeted raid. The "Black Lions" of Company B, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, captured the alleged low-level extremist commander, who military officials said is responsible for improvised-explosive-device and explosively formed penetrator attacks in the area. The suspect is being held for questioning.

As ground operations continue to succeed in Iraq, an aerial operation ended in failure today when an Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crashed near Muqdadiyah. The primary mission of the remotely piloted medium-altitude aircraft is to conduct armed reconnaissance. A board will convene to investigate the incident, military officials said.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq and Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)

Entertainers Begin Holiday Tour of Overseas Bases

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 17, 2007 - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael G. Mullen is bringing United Service Organizations entertainers to visit with troops in seven countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe through the next week. "We want to thank as many servicemembers as we can," Mullen said. "The holidays are a tough time to be away from home, and we do not take their extraordinary sacrifices for granted or those of their families. They all serve so that all Americans can enjoy a safe and secure holiday season."

Then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers began the yearly chairman's holiday tours in 2002. Then, as now, Robin Williams headlined the show. This is the star's fourth USO run through the combat zones. Williams is joined by actor/comedian Lewis Black, singer Kid Rock, Miss USA Rachel Smith, and six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Irish tenor Ronan Tynan will join the tour later in the week.

The USO has been in the business of supporting troops and their families since Congress chartered it in 1941. Bob Hope and a myriad of stars of the 1940s visited combat theaters throughout the world during World War II, setting an example for later performers to follow.

And they have. Each year the USO produces more than 50 entertainment tours, bringing hundreds of individual shows to hundreds of thousands of American servicemembers around the world. The tours visit major military bases and a large number of remote forward operating bases. The entertainers volunteer their time.

The United Service Organizations is more than just performances. The group has 132 USO Centers around the world, including centers in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. Servicemembers and their families visit the centers more than 5 million times a year. The centers offer free Internet access, a quiet place in the hubbub of major airports, and a place to wait for that next flight.

The USO relies on the generosity of the American public. Currently, the USO has more than 1.5 million individual donors who make it possible to deliver services to men and women in uniform. The USO has an operating budget of about $100 million, with 300 full-time employees and 25,000 volunteers, according to USO officials