By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 21, 2008 - Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates today toured the USS Russell, one of the three ships used for yesterday's shooting of the dying spy satellite orbiting earth. The ship's homeport is here, and ship officials said the crew went through the same drills as the USS Lake Erie, which fired the actual shot that hit the satellite. The Russell did not, however, load a missile or leave the port, the officials said.
Gates viewed some of the drills the crew went through to prepare for the shooting, he said, talking to the press shortly after the tour.
"(It is) Just another reminder, as with other ships I've visited, (of) ... the incredible quality and dedication and skill of the men and women in uniform that carry out these tasks," Gates said.
The secretary thanked the people of Hawaii for their support to local servicemembers and their families. "Without your help and support, everything would be a lot more difficult for them. So we really appreciate the local support," Gates said.
The secretary also commended defense and Navy officials for the successful shootdown. "Finally I would just like to congratulate (Air Force) General (Kevin) Chilton and those in strategic command, as well as the Navy for what appears to be a very successful operation yesterday," Gates said. Chilton is commander of U.S. Strategic Command.
The secretary also toured the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, which is responsible for searching for, recovering and identifying remains of Americans unaccounted for from all conflicts from World War II through the Persian Gulf War.
The secretary left here today for Australia, after a brief visit with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commander of U.S. Pacific Command last evening. The secretary dined with Navy Adms. Mike Mullen and Timothy J. Keating, the Joint Chiefs chairman and PACOM commander respectively, after arriving from Washington yesterday.
Australia is the second stop in a nine-day tour that includes Indonesia, India and Turkey.
Chief executive reading list reproduced this article.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
U.S.-Australian Meetings Ready to Begin
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 22, 2008 - U.S. and Australian defense officials will work to strengthen the alliance between the two countries as part of the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations here this weekend. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen arrived in Australia's capital today and immediately launched into meetings with his counterpart, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, the chief of the country's defense forces.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte arrive later today, and the formal ministerial gets under way tomorrow.
This year's AUSMIN marks the 19th ministerial meeting between the two close allies. The meetings are part of the Australia, New Zealand, United States Treaty signed in 1951. "This year's consultations afford us an opportunity to strengthen that relationship and renew the bonds of the alliance with the new government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd," wrote Robert D. McCallum, the U.S. ambassador to Australia.
Rudd's government took over Dec. 3. The Rudd government has ordered all Australian combat troops -- about one third of Australian forces in Iraq -- home by the end of June.
Australia will continue to train Iraqi troops in Australia, the air chief marshal said.
"The Australians have been great partners in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we understand the decision the people of Australia made in electing a new government with respect to Iraq," Mullen said during a news conference at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, Feb. 20.
Australian troops have fought alongside U.S. troops since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003. Australia also has supported Operation Enduring Freedom and is working with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. "We will continue to engage them, and my understanding is that they will continue to stay in Afghanistan," Mullen said at Hickam. "They are great partners, and we need partners like that to address the problems that we have."
The chairman said he looks forward to the meetings here and the opportunity to "talk with them about the challenges we face together."
This article was reproduced by the detectives reading list.
He said he is not disturbed about the Australian announcement on the country's forces in Iraq. He said Australian military officials have worked closely with Multinational Force Iraq Commander Army Gen. David H. Petraeus in the drawdown in the southern part of Iraq. "We've worked this with their Department of Defense," he said. "We will clearly be able to sustain the kind of progress we've made even as they depart."
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 22, 2008 - U.S. and Australian defense officials will work to strengthen the alliance between the two countries as part of the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations here this weekend. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen arrived in Australia's capital today and immediately launched into meetings with his counterpart, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, the chief of the country's defense forces.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte arrive later today, and the formal ministerial gets under way tomorrow.
This year's AUSMIN marks the 19th ministerial meeting between the two close allies. The meetings are part of the Australia, New Zealand, United States Treaty signed in 1951. "This year's consultations afford us an opportunity to strengthen that relationship and renew the bonds of the alliance with the new government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd," wrote Robert D. McCallum, the U.S. ambassador to Australia.
Rudd's government took over Dec. 3. The Rudd government has ordered all Australian combat troops -- about one third of Australian forces in Iraq -- home by the end of June.
Australia will continue to train Iraqi troops in Australia, the air chief marshal said.
"The Australians have been great partners in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we understand the decision the people of Australia made in electing a new government with respect to Iraq," Mullen said during a news conference at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, Feb. 20.
Australian troops have fought alongside U.S. troops since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003. Australia also has supported Operation Enduring Freedom and is working with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. "We will continue to engage them, and my understanding is that they will continue to stay in Afghanistan," Mullen said at Hickam. "They are great partners, and we need partners like that to address the problems that we have."
The chairman said he looks forward to the meetings here and the opportunity to "talk with them about the challenges we face together."
This article was reproduced by the detectives reading list.
He said he is not disturbed about the Australian announcement on the country's forces in Iraq. He said Australian military officials have worked closely with Multinational Force Iraq Commander Army Gen. David H. Petraeus in the drawdown in the southern part of Iraq. "We've worked this with their Department of Defense," he said. "We will clearly be able to sustain the kind of progress we've made even as they depart."
Mullen Wishes Kosovo Well, Says NATO Mission Won't Change
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Entry and Blog reproduced by Police Officer.
Feb. 20, 2008 - NATO will continue its mission in the newly independent republic of Kosovo, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on Feb. 17. The United States has a National Guard brigade deployed in the country now, and its mission will not change, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during a news conference here.
NATO put together its Kosovo Force at the end of a 78-day bombing campaign in 1999 to stop Serbs from driving ethnic Albanians out of Kosovo. NATO forces entered the Serbian province and ended the humanitarian catastrophe that was occurring. NATO took the mission under authorization from United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244.
Since then, NATO and partner nations have maintained 15,000 to 16,000 troops there to maintain security and stability for all citizens, irrespective of their ethnic origin, NATO officials said.
The United States has had 1,500 to 1,600 troops in Kosovo for some time. "It is a peacekeeping and peace stabilization mission in Kosovo, and they will continue to operate under UNSCR 1244 until the United Nations Security Council rescinds it," Mullen said.
"I am delighted that independence has been declared, and I certainly wish the people of Kosovo nothing but the best for the future," said the admiral said. "The security mission that will ensue as a result of this independence will transition to what it is now, to a (European Union) capability. We also want this transition to take place in a peaceful way so the people of Kosovo are the long-term winners here."
A NATO news release reiterated NATO's responsibility and capability to ensure that a safe and secure environment in Kosovo remains unchanged.
"KFOR will continue to execute this mandate in an impartial manner in accordance with its Operational Plan," the release said. "NATO will respond resolutely to any attempts to disrupt the safety and security of the population of Kosovo."
American Forces Press Service
Entry and Blog reproduced by Police Officer.
Feb. 20, 2008 - NATO will continue its mission in the newly independent republic of Kosovo, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on Feb. 17. The United States has a National Guard brigade deployed in the country now, and its mission will not change, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during a news conference here.
NATO put together its Kosovo Force at the end of a 78-day bombing campaign in 1999 to stop Serbs from driving ethnic Albanians out of Kosovo. NATO forces entered the Serbian province and ended the humanitarian catastrophe that was occurring. NATO took the mission under authorization from United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244.
Since then, NATO and partner nations have maintained 15,000 to 16,000 troops there to maintain security and stability for all citizens, irrespective of their ethnic origin, NATO officials said.
The United States has had 1,500 to 1,600 troops in Kosovo for some time. "It is a peacekeeping and peace stabilization mission in Kosovo, and they will continue to operate under UNSCR 1244 until the United Nations Security Council rescinds it," Mullen said.
"I am delighted that independence has been declared, and I certainly wish the people of Kosovo nothing but the best for the future," said the admiral said. "The security mission that will ensue as a result of this independence will transition to what it is now, to a (European Union) capability. We also want this transition to take place in a peaceful way so the people of Kosovo are the long-term winners here."
A NATO news release reiterated NATO's responsibility and capability to ensure that a safe and secure environment in Kosovo remains unchanged.
"KFOR will continue to execute this mandate in an impartial manner in accordance with its Operational Plan," the release said. "NATO will respond resolutely to any attempts to disrupt the safety and security of the population of Kosovo."
Mullen Visits Pendleton Wounded Warrior Battalion
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 20, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stopped in here yesterday to see how the Marines Corps treats its wounded warriors. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen visited the Wounded Warrior Battalion West facilities and spoke to wounded Marines in the program.
The battalion shows the wounded warriors that they are still part of the Marine Corps. "The focus is on healing and what to do with the rest of your life," said Marine Lt. Col. Charles Johnson, the battalion commander. "We have counselors that can help them with vocational-technical schools, higher education, how to write resumes, how to navigate the (Department of Veterans Affairs system), as well as a number of nonprofit groups like the Semper Fi Fund that helps these Marines."
The program is outside the medical environment, but is close enough to still get care to the Marines. For some of the Marines, the unit is a way station as they recover and return to their units. For others, the unit is a transition point as they move into the VA system and civilian life.
Thirty-three Marines are in the facility now, but there are another 125 at the Balboa Naval Hospital, 18 at the Palo Alto VA Hospital and 33 at Twentynine Palms, Calif. The unit has a staff of 33, but is building up to a total of 41 personnel, Johnson told Mullen during the tour.
While the primary mission of the Marines at the facility is to receive care, they are still Marines. There is a formation each day. They do physical training, they wear the duty uniform, and they conduct themselves as members of the Corps. The unit ensures the Marines get to their medical appointments, and it monitors treatment to ensure they receive the care they need and deserve. Johnson said the unit works closely with the military's Tricare health care program to find the best facilities for a variety of traumas and make sure the Marines get into them.
Post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries are two conditions that challenge medical professionals throughout the United States. "A significant proportion of those Marines with PTSD also have a substance abuse problem," Johnson said.
Marines with PTSD often self-medicate – mostly with alcohol – to try to relieve their symptoms, he explained. "The PTSD feeds the dependence, and the dependence feeds the PTSD," Johnson said. "It's a cycle we've got to break."
The military is trying to get ahead of the disorder by sending psychological teams to Iraq and Afghanistan to get servicemembers to deal with the symptoms early. "These young men will talk it out with each other if given the chance," said Debbie Paxton, a registered nurse who is a care coordinator at the unit. "This environment helps them, also."
Marines who go back to their old units in their same jobs are eased back to duty. "We plug them in gradually," Johnson said. Other Marines stay in, but the nature of their injuries means they cannot go back to their old specialties. Personnel in the unit provide counseling and advice as the Marines choose new military occupational specialties.
For Marines getting out of the service, there are personnel from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Labor and nonprofit groups to help. In one innovative vo-tech program, the Marines learn to be media specialists in movie-making. When they finish the program, they receive union cards.
The unit has a program with the California State University system to get the Marines into college, and wounded veterans from previous wars often come in and speak to the Marines about their experiences.
"Each injury is different, and each care plan has to be individualized," Johnson told Mullen. "We need to talk to these Marines about what talents they have and what their goals are in life. We need to help them to start looking forward, rather than focusing on what happened."
Lance Cpl. Rodrigo Guerra, whose left leg was shattered by an improvised explosive device in Iraq's Anbar province, will be getting out of the Marines. The unit has helped him with paperwork and with giving him a sense of purpose. "In the hospital, you never think you will get out," he said. "This allows you to look farther down the road."
Cpl. Ryan Draughn was a radio operator in Anbar province when an IED gave him traumatic brain injury. "I had planned on making the Marines my career," said the 21-year old native of New Orleans. "I don't know what I'm going to do now."
But the people at the unit are helping him and his wife cope with the decisions he must make.
"They are all helpful," he said. "They sit down with my wife and go over the treatments I receive with her. They are helping me with resumes and trying to decide what I can do. I know one thing: whatever I do I will approach it like a Marine and do my best."
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 20, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stopped in here yesterday to see how the Marines Corps treats its wounded warriors. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen visited the Wounded Warrior Battalion West facilities and spoke to wounded Marines in the program.
The battalion shows the wounded warriors that they are still part of the Marine Corps. "The focus is on healing and what to do with the rest of your life," said Marine Lt. Col. Charles Johnson, the battalion commander. "We have counselors that can help them with vocational-technical schools, higher education, how to write resumes, how to navigate the (Department of Veterans Affairs system), as well as a number of nonprofit groups like the Semper Fi Fund that helps these Marines."
The program is outside the medical environment, but is close enough to still get care to the Marines. For some of the Marines, the unit is a way station as they recover and return to their units. For others, the unit is a transition point as they move into the VA system and civilian life.
Thirty-three Marines are in the facility now, but there are another 125 at the Balboa Naval Hospital, 18 at the Palo Alto VA Hospital and 33 at Twentynine Palms, Calif. The unit has a staff of 33, but is building up to a total of 41 personnel, Johnson told Mullen during the tour.
While the primary mission of the Marines at the facility is to receive care, they are still Marines. There is a formation each day. They do physical training, they wear the duty uniform, and they conduct themselves as members of the Corps. The unit ensures the Marines get to their medical appointments, and it monitors treatment to ensure they receive the care they need and deserve. Johnson said the unit works closely with the military's Tricare health care program to find the best facilities for a variety of traumas and make sure the Marines get into them.
Post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries are two conditions that challenge medical professionals throughout the United States. "A significant proportion of those Marines with PTSD also have a substance abuse problem," Johnson said.
Marines with PTSD often self-medicate – mostly with alcohol – to try to relieve their symptoms, he explained. "The PTSD feeds the dependence, and the dependence feeds the PTSD," Johnson said. "It's a cycle we've got to break."
The military is trying to get ahead of the disorder by sending psychological teams to Iraq and Afghanistan to get servicemembers to deal with the symptoms early. "These young men will talk it out with each other if given the chance," said Debbie Paxton, a registered nurse who is a care coordinator at the unit. "This environment helps them, also."
Marines who go back to their old units in their same jobs are eased back to duty. "We plug them in gradually," Johnson said. Other Marines stay in, but the nature of their injuries means they cannot go back to their old specialties. Personnel in the unit provide counseling and advice as the Marines choose new military occupational specialties.
For Marines getting out of the service, there are personnel from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Labor and nonprofit groups to help. In one innovative vo-tech program, the Marines learn to be media specialists in movie-making. When they finish the program, they receive union cards.
The unit has a program with the California State University system to get the Marines into college, and wounded veterans from previous wars often come in and speak to the Marines about their experiences.
"Each injury is different, and each care plan has to be individualized," Johnson told Mullen. "We need to talk to these Marines about what talents they have and what their goals are in life. We need to help them to start looking forward, rather than focusing on what happened."
Lance Cpl. Rodrigo Guerra, whose left leg was shattered by an improvised explosive device in Iraq's Anbar province, will be getting out of the Marines. The unit has helped him with paperwork and with giving him a sense of purpose. "In the hospital, you never think you will get out," he said. "This allows you to look farther down the road."
Cpl. Ryan Draughn was a radio operator in Anbar province when an IED gave him traumatic brain injury. "I had planned on making the Marines my career," said the 21-year old native of New Orleans. "I don't know what I'm going to do now."
But the people at the unit are helping him and his wife cope with the decisions he must make.
"They are all helpful," he said. "They sit down with my wife and go over the treatments I receive with her. They are helping me with resumes and trying to decide what I can do. I know one thing: whatever I do I will approach it like a Marine and do my best."
Ability More Important than Disability, Mullen Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 20, 2008 - A person's ability is far more important than a person's disability, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to reporters while en route here after visiting the Wounded Warrior Battalion West at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He is on a six-day trip to California, Hawaii and Australia.
"Those who have been injured served so well," Mullen said. "One of the things they are asking is, 'OK, what am I going to do with the rest of my life?' They want to be as good and great as they possibly can be, given that their lives have changed dramatically."
The servicemember has to figure out what to do, the chairman said. "The system has a way of focusing on the disability side of this, and that's the compensation part," said he explained. "That's really important. But to me, while it is important, it is of secondary importance to us saying to an individual, 'What is your ability? What is your potential?'"
The system has to move wounded warriors seamlessly from Defense Department to Veterans Affairs health care, and right back to the communities, Mullen said, and has to "support someone getting to their potential, whatever it is."
"The words we choose are really important here," he said.
Disability, he said, is a term for monetary compensation. DoD and VA focus on a servicemember's disability for a rating or for medical retirement. It's compensation for what they can't do any more, and it flavors the way they are treated by the bureaucracy.
Thinking of ability rather than disability is a sea change, the admiral said, but that's how everyone in the wounded warrior system needs to think. "The VA ought to be about future employment," he said. "It ought to be about jobs, it ought to be about their futures."
Mullen said DoD and VA are working together better than ever before, but more remains to be done in that regard.
"I take my most precious resource – my people, who in many cases sacrificed a great part of their futures – and we take care of them medically, we put them through the system and we determine if they are going to stay in the military or not," he said. "If not, we then take them and transition them to another system, the VA system. I get no regular feedback," he continued, "and yet that's still my sailor or Marine or soldier or airman that I want to be well taken care of."
Beyond VA care, Mullen said, he is concerned about what happens when the servicemember returns to the community. "I believe there is a sea of goodwill out there for veterans," he said. "How do we tap that sea of goodwill to take care of these servicemembers?"
The United States is a rich nation and can afford to do right by these men and women, the nation's top military officer said.
"Write it off the top," he said. "The numbers are not overwhelming. These are young people who almost lost their lives doing something we, as a country, asked them to do."
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 20, 2008 - A person's ability is far more important than a person's disability, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to reporters while en route here after visiting the Wounded Warrior Battalion West at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He is on a six-day trip to California, Hawaii and Australia.
"Those who have been injured served so well," Mullen said. "One of the things they are asking is, 'OK, what am I going to do with the rest of my life?' They want to be as good and great as they possibly can be, given that their lives have changed dramatically."
The servicemember has to figure out what to do, the chairman said. "The system has a way of focusing on the disability side of this, and that's the compensation part," said he explained. "That's really important. But to me, while it is important, it is of secondary importance to us saying to an individual, 'What is your ability? What is your potential?'"
The system has to move wounded warriors seamlessly from Defense Department to Veterans Affairs health care, and right back to the communities, Mullen said, and has to "support someone getting to their potential, whatever it is."
"The words we choose are really important here," he said.
Disability, he said, is a term for monetary compensation. DoD and VA focus on a servicemember's disability for a rating or for medical retirement. It's compensation for what they can't do any more, and it flavors the way they are treated by the bureaucracy.
Thinking of ability rather than disability is a sea change, the admiral said, but that's how everyone in the wounded warrior system needs to think. "The VA ought to be about future employment," he said. "It ought to be about jobs, it ought to be about their futures."
Mullen said DoD and VA are working together better than ever before, but more remains to be done in that regard.
"I take my most precious resource – my people, who in many cases sacrificed a great part of their futures – and we take care of them medically, we put them through the system and we determine if they are going to stay in the military or not," he said. "If not, we then take them and transition them to another system, the VA system. I get no regular feedback," he continued, "and yet that's still my sailor or Marine or soldier or airman that I want to be well taken care of."
Beyond VA care, Mullen said, he is concerned about what happens when the servicemember returns to the community. "I believe there is a sea of goodwill out there for veterans," he said. "How do we tap that sea of goodwill to take care of these servicemembers?"
The United States is a rich nation and can afford to do right by these men and women, the nation's top military officer said.
"Write it off the top," he said. "The numbers are not overwhelming. These are young people who almost lost their lives doing something we, as a country, asked them to do."
DoD Succeeds In Intercepting Non-Functioning Satellite
A network of land-, air-, sea- and spaced-based sensors confirms that the U.S. military intercepted a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite which was in its final orbits before entering the earth's atmosphere.
At approximately 10:26 p.m. EST today, a U.S. Navy AEGIS warship, the USS Lake Erie (CG-70), fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) hitting the satellite approximately 247 kilometers (133 nautical miles) over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph. USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Russell (DDG-59) were also part of the task force.
The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the approximately 1,000 pounds (453 kg) of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel which could pose a danger to people on earth, before it entered into earth's atmosphere. Confirmation that the fuel tank has been fragmented should be available within 24 hours.
Due to the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris will begin to re-enter the earth's atmosphere immediately. Nearly all of the debris will burn up on reentry within 24-48 hours and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days.
DoD will conduct a press briefing at 7 a.m. EST to provide further information related to the operation. The briefing can be viewed live on www.Defenselink.com through the Pentagon Channel.
At approximately 10:26 p.m. EST today, a U.S. Navy AEGIS warship, the USS Lake Erie (CG-70), fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) hitting the satellite approximately 247 kilometers (133 nautical miles) over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph. USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Russell (DDG-59) were also part of the task force.
The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the approximately 1,000 pounds (453 kg) of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel which could pose a danger to people on earth, before it entered into earth's atmosphere. Confirmation that the fuel tank has been fragmented should be available within 24 hours.
Due to the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris will begin to re-enter the earth's atmosphere immediately. Nearly all of the debris will burn up on reentry within 24-48 hours and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days.
DoD will conduct a press briefing at 7 a.m. EST to provide further information related to the operation. The briefing can be viewed live on www.Defenselink.com through the Pentagon Channel.
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