As we close in on 10 years at war, the sacrifices of the American soldier and his or her family continue to be admired by the American public. The people’s respect and generosity, even in difficult economic times, remains one of the strengths of our nation.With the physical and emotional burdens on our Army and its soldiers and families increasing over the years, we must be vigilant and vocal if we are to secure a respectable future for those who have given so much for our liberty and freedom. We must also position ourselves to face the inevitable challenges in an era of persistent conflict.No...
Just four days after the New Year’s Eve tornado struck Fort Leonard Wood, the Army chief of staff, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., visited the installation to view the extensive damage, speak with the many families who lost their homes and give hope to the community as it begins its intense phase of reconstruction."I don’t remember an Army installation getting hit by a natural disaster of this magnitude," Casey said. "As I went around today I was just amazed at the resilience of our soldiers and families and amazed at the teamwork, not only on the installation, but from local communities."After...
The senior American military officer in Seoul, Korea, said the Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance will respond "rapidly, proportionately and decisively" to any future North Korean provocations.Army Gen. Walter L. "Skip" Sharp, commander of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea, delivered this clear message to the North Korean regime during his Dec. 15 speech to the East Asia Institute and Center for a New American Security at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul."We will not tolerate attacks against the civilian population and all provocations will be met with the utmost...
Seen as a rite of passage among the U.S. armed forces, the Initial Entry Training graduation brings a certain enthusiasm and anxiety to the day.That same elation was captured in Al Anbar, Iraq, recently as the passing of the flag from the senior graduating class of Iraqi Army soldiers to the junior class, symbolized change and the forward movement of troop now assigned to their first units while continuing their military service."Ten weeks ago you were civilians and now you are warriors for your country," Lt. Col. Jeffrey Shoemaker, commander, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Advise...
The Army chief of staff, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., and the Army Historical Foundation executive director, Brig. Gen. Creighton W. Abrams Jr., USA, Ret., unveiled designs for three 2011 Army Commemorative Coins during the 111th Army-Navy football classic Dec. 11, at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field."The designs for the 2011 U.S. Army Commemorative Coins unveiled today celebrate our magnificent Army’s storied history and heritage and signify a remarkable public tribute to every American Soldier who has served our nation in war and in peace," Secretary of the Army John McHugh said following...
The Defense Department will "move out carefully, deliberately and purposefully" to implement the repeal of the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law," a Pentagon spokesman said Dec 20.The Senate, on Dec. 18, repealed the 1993 law barring gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, and President Obama signed the bill into law Dec. 22.Marine Corps Col. Dave Lapan told reporters today that because the legislation includes a certification phase, he can’t predict when the repeal will take effect."Right now we are in the planning stages," Lapan said. "[We’re] starting to look at the implementation...
President Barrack Obama signed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 into law Dec. 22 before an audience assembled at the Department of the Interior auditorium in Washington."We are not a nation that says, ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell,’" the president said at the signing ceremony. "We are a nation that says, ‘Out of many, we are one.’"Adding, "We are a nation that welcomes the service of every patriot. We are a nation that believes all men and women are created equal. Those are the ideals that generations have fought for. Those are the ideals that we uphold today, and now it is my honor to...
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has recommended that President Barack Obama nominate Gen. Martin E. Dempsey to be the next Army chief of staff.Gates made the announcement at a Jan. 6 Pentagon news conference.The Army chief of staff is the highest-ranking soldier and serves as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.If nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, Dempsey would succeed Gen. George W. Casey Jr., who has served as Army chief of staff since April 2007 and will retire after more than 40 years of service.Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, USA, Ret., president of the Association of...
Military leaders and troops alike need more time at home between deployments to help diagnose and receive treatment for the "invisible" wounds of war such as post-traumatic stress (PTS), a senior Army officer said Dec. 26."It affects everything. It affects the divorce rate. It affects substance abuse. It affects everything. And we’ve kind of taken our focus and shifted it to ensure that we’re getting at that," Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff, said on ABC’s "This Week" with Christiane Amanpour."You want to get at these issues. We need more time at home before deployment,"...
Members of the Board of Directors and sponsors of The Old Guard Monument Foundation (OGMF) joined 60 friends and families Dec. 11 to present a wreath to the nation’s fallen heroes at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery.The Old Guard Foundation is committed to placing a monument to the 3rd U.S. Army Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) on the grounds of its headquarters at Fort Myer, Va.The delegation gathered under the Corinthian pillars of the Memorial Amphitheater to watch the traditional changing of the guard.At precisely 10:15, the sergeant of the guard led the seven...
USA’s Institute of Land Warfare has recently released two new Torchbearer publications.The first, "U.S. Army Aviation and Full Spectrum Operations" (Torchbearer National Security Report, December 2010), explores the evolving role and composition of Army aviation in the contemporary security environment.The second paper, "The Army National Guard’s Path to Greater Resilience" (Torchbearer Issue Paper, December 2010), examines the Army National Guard’s efforts to strengthen its soldiers physically and mentally to better adjust to the challenges of modern operations and conflict.The modern...
National Guard troops deployed to the U.S. border with Mexico are boosting Border Patrol agents’ efforts, a senior Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent said in early December."They’ve been hugely beneficial to us," Mark Moody, a patrol agent in charge who is serving on detail as operations division chief in CBP’s San Diego sector, said.Among other missions on this section of the Southwest border, California National Guard members are supporting civilian authorities by manning 17 Entry-Identification – Team sites, observation posts where guard members report suspicious activity for Border...
From my time in the Army to serving our nation in Congress, I have become increasingly concerned about the structural and cultural limitations on our ability as a nation to conduct national security interagency operations.A successfully integrated interagency process will empower the U.S. to more effectively deploy our non-military instruments of power abroad. In turn, this ability will allow the U.S. to more effectively fulfill our goals abroad while reserving the use of potentially lethal military force as a last resort.The bottom line is that our country’s national security interagency...
Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., was hit by a tornado Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve.From preliminary reports, hit the hardest was the family housing area where 52 homes were destroyed – 35 of which were occupied by military families.Twenty-five of those families have been relocated to other on-post housing. The remaining 10 families are on leave status and will be received by post authorities when they return to post and will also be relocated.As reported Jan. 4, there were only four minor injuries.There were 90 additional homes that were damaged and will be without water and power for at least four to five...
It is a familiar sight to any soldier: people waiting in line for deployment processing.Seemingly endless queues as personnel move though the stations – medical, check; dental, check; finance, check. And on the process goes.It is a familiar sight; nothing new here.Except these aren’t soldiers. Now, civilians are going through the mobilization process and deploying to conflict zones alongside soldiers.While the use of contractors is a commonplace in the military, these civilians are employees of the Department of Defense.The Civilian Expeditionary Workforce (CEW) is a Defense Department program...