Navy Looking For Sailors To Serve As Recruit Division Commanders

GREAT LAKES, Ill. The Navy's only boot camp is looking for motivated, career-minded Sailors to shape the future of the fleet by serving as Recruit Division Commanders, or RDCs. RDCs are also known around the fleet as "red ropes" and are entrusted with the job of encouraging, training, molding, and teaching civilian men and women – and most importantly, transforming them into Sailors. "We prepare Sailors for service in the fleet," said RDC Cryptologic Technician (Technical) 1st Class (SW/AW) Thomas Dahlinghaus. "The job gives us the rare opportunity to have responsibility for and authority over 88 Sailors. We manage their training, their lives. By the time we go back to the fleet, we're ready for anything. It's a broadening experience, a time of real personal growth for RDCs." To be an RDC, a Sailor must be a warfare-qualified E-5 or above (E-5s must meet time-in-rate requirements) and be interviewed by a panel of one command master chief and two senior enlisted personnel. The training of RDCs is extensive. RDCs in training take a second trip through boot camp during a demanding 13-week training program that includes indoctrination, drilling, administration, physical training and leadership training. During this time, prospective RDCs wear "blue ropes" which they will later exchange for the more familiar red aiguillette of a fully trained RDC. "For the blue ropes, the training is critical," said RDC Chief Hospital Corpsman Marsha Burmeister. "Those 13 weeks are giving them the tools they'll need on that first push." Before donning the red rope, there is an important period when a blue rope shadows a red rope, watching what they do and gradually increasing their interaction with Recruits. A red rope is always with a blue rope during this phase, and there is a weekly performance and progress review. Even after RDCs earn their red rope and the Recruit Division Commander badge, the training is not done. New RDCs are paired up with veteran RDCs, allowing time to fully learn what is expected before taking control of their first Recruit division. It's a job that comes with high standards and high rewards. One of the best rewards is the increased promotion opportunity. Last year, the Navywide average for eligible candidates being selected for chief was 20.4 percent. The average for eligible candidates serving as RDCs was 32.8 percent. "These individuals are shaping our future force, and their demanding jobs are recognized by selection boards as developing senior enlisted leaders [who] can serve in the most challenging jobs in the Fleet," said CNO-Directed Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Tony Driver, command master chief for Naval Service Training Command. Storekeeper 1st Class (AW) Jose Rodriguez said the job is extremely rewarding because RDCs get to see the result of their efforts. "[Recruits] see the self respect they have gained," Rodriguez said. "When they finish Battle Stations, they're considered one of us. You see the tears and you know how much it means to them. After all the hours that you put in, it all comes together." Because Sailorization is a critical task and one that requires extensive preparation, RDCs can earn the Master Training Specialist (MTS) designator. This Naval Education Training Center-sponsored program recognizes outstanding instructors who demonstrate a high level of excellence in the field of education and training. Earning an MTS designation distinguishes Sailors in the fleet and can give Sailors an advantage in post-military career searches. The Navy offers several types of compensation to RDCs for their efforts. RDCs receive Special Duty Assignment Pay of $375 per month and they receive a $225 clothing allowance on top of their regular clothing allowance. They get head-of-the-line privileges for housing and day care, free dry cleaning for three uniforms each week, and are offered "choice of coast" when negotiating for their follow-on orders. Aviation Boatswain's Mate First Class (SW/AW) Maguel Lashoun Brooks appreciates those tangible benefits but said the real payoff of being an RDC is seeing the impact they make on the lives of new Sailors. "They look at you as a hero, father and a role model," he said. "I am proud to know I am giving back to the Navy. I've contributed something to my service, and I'd want to serve with any of the Sailors I've trained."

Family Of 4 Joins The Navy

An Alabama family of four has taken service to a new level; they've all joined the Navy. The mother, Seaman Recruit Angela McIntyre, 37, graduated from the 17-day Naval Reserve Accession Course on April 6. Despite the busy pace of the course, she was allowed to watch her daughter Seaman Recruit Brandi McIntyre, 18, when she graduated from Recruit Training Command last Friday. Her brother Jamie McIntyre, 19, who already graduated from boot camp, also attended the ceremony. Jamie's father, Utilitiesman Third Class Kerry McIntyre, 38, was unable to attend. He joined the Navy Reserve last year and is now deployed to Iraq. Kerry is assigned to Navy/Marine Corps Reserve Center Bessemer where he's attached to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 24. After Brandi's graduation, she got a call from her father and though lots of tears managed to tell him, "I'm a Sailor now, and it's so much better knowing that I'm a Sailor with you. Instead of thinking that you're out there alone, now I'm helping you." Brandi was the first in her family who decided to joint the Navy. Inspired by Brandi's decision, brother Jamie lost 70 pounds to meet enlistment criteria then signed on to go active-duty Navy. He said losing the weight was a family effort. "We all shared the diet," he said. "We did the low-carb thing and exercised. My father was on it pretty strict. He was on it until he left for Iraq. Their support helped a lot." Kerry, an Army veteran, was interested in serving his country again. His prior-military status allowed recruiters to waive age limitations so he could serve in the Navy Reserve without having to attend boot camp. Angela said that while the family's recruiter was helping Kerry with some paperwork, the recruiter offered a program that would allow her to go Navy. "I found out that there was a program for me, and there was no second thoughts," Angela said. "I thought, if they'll take me, I'll go in, too." The decision of this family from Locust Fork, Ala., to join the Navy got them some attention. CNN's Wolf Blitzer interviewed the family when they joined. Brandi's recruit division commander saw the interview and during boot camp referred to her as "CNN." Angela said she is often asked why she joined the Navy. It was a question she was asked again by her recruit division commander. "I joined the Navy to continue my family with my family," she said. "And, I know the friends that I make in the Navy will also be my family." McIntyre Family

Monkey Business

America has hit upon a novel new way of combating crime- monkeys. An elite American Swat team wants to train small monkeys as a cutting edge reconnaissance tool. The primates will be dressed in bullet-proof vests for the operations and will help officers with video and audio footage. It is suggested that the monkeys would be able to get into places no officer or robot could go and could help with all kinds of operations. "Everybody laughs about it until they really start thinking about it. It would change the way we do business," Mesa Officer Sean Truelove stated. The Department of Defence under the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency has already been contacted for funding. But with $100,000 needed to purchase, train and care for the monkey over a three year period, the project could face a potential banana skin.

Join The Military or Go To Jail?

My friend served in the Army during the Korean War and told me that many of the soldiers he served alongside with were in the Army as an alternative to prison. Several Vietnam-era vets have told me they've served with military members who were told by a judge, "Join the Military, or go to jail."Can courts still do that? Can a criminal court judge sentence a person to military service as an alternative to jail. Can a prosecutor mandate that someone join the military as an alternative to criminal prosecution? Well, a judge or prosecutor can do whatever they please (within the limits of the law for their jurisdiction), but -- that doesn't mean the military branches are required to accept such people and -- four out of five of the military services won't touch such applicants.

The Army addresses this issue in the Army Recruiting Regulation, Army Regulation 601-210, paragraph 4-8b: "Applicant who, as a condition for any civil conviction or adverse disposition or any other reason through a civil or criminal court, is ordered or subjected to a sentence that implies or imposes enlistment into the Armed Forces of the United States is not eligible for enlistment.."

The Air Force Recruiting Regulation, AETCI 36-2002, table 1-1, lines 7 and 8, makes an applicant ineligible for enlistment if they are "released from restraint, or civil suit, or charges on the condition of entering military service, if the restraint, civil suit, or criminal charges would be reinstated if the applicant does not enter military service."

The Marine Corps Recruiting Regulation, MCO P1100.72B, Chapter 3, Section 2, Part H, Paragraph 12 states: "Applicants may not enlist as an alternative to criminal prosecution, indictment, incarceration, parole, probation, or other punitive sentence. They are ineligible for enlistment until the original assigned sentence would have been completed."

In the Coast Guard, enlistment prohibition is contained in the Coast Guard Recruiting Manual, M1100.2D, Table 2-A.

Interestingly, the Navy Recruiting Manual, COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1130.8F, does not appear to contain any provisions which would make such applicants ineligible for enlistment. There may be a Navy Recruiting policy letter or NAVADMIN message that I'm not aware of.

Recruiter Participation in Criminal Proceedings:

All of the branch's recruiting regulations prohibit military recruiters from becoming involved in criminal proceedings for any military applicant. Under no circumstances may recruiting personnel intervene or appear on behalf of prospective applicants/DEPpers pending civil action with court authorities. Civil action is defined as awaiting trial, awaiting sentence, or on supervised conditional probation/parole. Waiver of this restriction is not authorized. The following are clarifications:
a. Recruiting personnel may not appear in court or before probation or parole authorities under any circumstances on behalf of any applicant or DEPper.
b. Informal conversations with defense attorneys or probation or parole officers must be limited to explaining the military's recruitment policies. Recruiting personnel may give no opinions or suggestions to enable an unqualified applicant to enlist. They must allow the normal course of civil action to occur without assistance or intervention.

Amputee Achieves Goal: ReturnsTo Iraq

An Army captain who lost his lower right ankle and foot to injury while deployed during the initial stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom has returned.
Capt. David M. Rozelle, commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo., is the first amputee to return to a combat zone. “When I deployed for the first time, I was the K Troop commander for 3rd ACR, and my area of operation was around Hit, Iraq,” Rozelle said. “While conducting an operation, I ran over an anti-tank mine with my Humvee. The mine destroyed both my Humvee and my right lower leg, causing the amputation of my foot and ankle. Rozelle said he was quickly evacuated to a combat support hospital, was flown to Qatar and then to Germany, where he underwent a operations at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center before being taken to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. “Like anyone who is injured in a war, an amputee has to come back and prove to the Army medical system they are fit to fight,” Rozelle said. “You have to be able to pass an Army physical fitness test, and basically you are re-entering the service.” Before being determined as “fit for duty,” he noted a list of things needing attending to, such as officer evaluation reports, letters of recommendation from the chain of command and job performance. Then there’s evaluation on potential to continue, lead and serve in a position, along with the obvious medical considerations. Rozelle received word through his chain of command that if he could recover from his injury, another position waited for him with the 3rd ACR, he said. His first goal was to be declared fit for duty when the regiment redeployed to Iraq. He said great leadership from his command gave him added incentive. Nine months after the injury, he passed muster. “I had many different job opportunities within the Army that would have taken me away and given me a lighter duty for a period of time, but I turned them all down,” Rozelle said. “I wanted to come back to Iraq and serve with my regiment.” “I have an enormous amount of respect for the captain’s decision to come back to Iraq,” said Pfc. Joshua Cartee 3rd ACR driver. “He is a good commander and leads by example.” Rozelle said he used to be in charge of 22 tanks, but now commands the regimental commander’s headquarters. Obviously it is a different kind of job, he noted. He said he will no longer be clearing houses on patrol, but he still has the responsibility to train his soldiers on how to fight and do all of the things required of them in the Army. He said he’s slated to command until June, “at which time I will return to Walter Reed to become a program manager for the new amputee center there. “I will take the knowledge of what is required to return to theater back with me to Walter Reed.” “The armed services are going to get used to seeing guys with mechanical parts,” Rozelle predicted, “because there are many others who want to continue to serve after suffering a serious injury.” At the amputee center, he said he will help the Army decide on programs that will allow soldiers to continue service after injury. “It will be a different kind of command, but it will still be a command,” he said. “I am showing the Army an amputee can return and be useful in a combat environment. I am showing other amputees who want to come back (that) it can be done.” “We will also help soldiers make the transition into civilian life if their injury is too serious to return to service. There are a lot of soldiers counting on me to give them the right advice,” Rozelle said. “I want soldiers in a similar situation as mine to know the only way to recover from a major injury or surgery is to take the physical therapy very seriously and never give up,” Rozelle said. “Meet your goals. The therapy is continuous and will be something you do every day to stay fit for your prosthetic device.” He doesn’t see these injuries any differently from someone who might have a bad knee or back and has to go through rehabilitation, Rozelle said. It is necessary to be conscious about the injury, to be prepared. “I can run, jump or walk on my leg, but obviously just not as fast as I use to,” Rozelle said. “I pass the normal APFT, so I think that speaks for itself.” Rozelle asks people not to feel sorry for him or others in his situation. They are not quitters and give just as much if not more than anyone else in the Army, adding, that is commitment. Since his injury, Rozelle has written the book, “Back In Action: An American Soldier’s Story of Courage, Faith and Fortitude,” as well as completing the New York Marathon.
Capt. David M. Rozelle

Marine Corps "Two Year" Enlistments

As do the other services, the Marine Corps participates in the National Call to Service Program. While this program is often referred to as "two year" enlistments, the actual required time on active duty is 15 months, following basic training and job training. After that, members must either re-enlist for two years, or spend at least two years in the active (drilling) reserves. It should be noted that the Marine Corps strictly limit the number of slots it allocates to this program, each year, to a very small percentage of their total enlistments. Test Scores Required: GT 100, EL 100, or MM 95. Applicant must have an AFQT (overall ASVAB) score of 50. No Test Score waivers will be considered for this program.
MOSs Authorized

0121- Personnel Clerk
0231- Intelligence Specialist
0311- Rifleman (male only)
2311- Ammunition Technician
2651- Special Intelligence System Administrator/Communicator
3043- Supply Administration and Operations Clerk
3531- Motor Vehicle Operator
3533- Logistics Vehicle System Operator
5711- NBC Defense Specialist
5811- Military Police
7382- Airborne Radio Operator/Loadmaster
Active Duty Term of Enlistment is defined as 15 months of service following formal MOS training.
Must be Tier I (High School Diploma or at least 15 college credits).
Must be a U. S. Citizen

NCS enlistees may also select only one (1) NCS monetary incentive: $5,000 Bonus, $10,000 Loan Repayment or 12/36-
month Education Allowance. Normal Color Perception. Must pass PIP (12 of 14 correct) or Pass Falant.
Must be eligible for a SECRET Clearance. In fairness to the applicant, an enlistee for this program should have reasonable assurance of being granted a Secret Clearance. To ensure a reasonable degree of success in attaining the applicant's guaranteed option, the following prescreening prerequisites will be used in assessing the probability of being granted a secret clearance.
A. No felony convictions.

B. No drug or moral waiver above the Recruiting Station Level. On an exception to policy basis only, MCRC may give consideration to applicants with serious offenses provided RS and District COs believe the offense would not disqualify the applicant from receiving a security clearance. This consideration is intended to be reserved for applicants that would be considered a "safe risk" for clearance application. For this reason, commanders will use strong discretion when determining if a waiver should be endorsed and forwarded to CG, MCRC (G-3) for consideration. Such waivers are expected to be infrequent. Since MCRC must coordinate these exceptions to policy with the Department of the Navy Central Adjudication Facility (DONCAF), the approval process will take longer than normal. Applicants who use drugs while in the DEP will no longer qualify for NCS (not waiverable).

Car Bomb In Iraq Video

In footage from Iraq, a convoy spots an explosion (off to the right) and flees the area. Click Image

Good Things Come In Small Packages

There are now dozens of different types of drones in the Pentagon's arsenal. But you'd be hard-pressed to find one smaller than this Wasp Micro Air Vehicle (MAV), now being tested aboard the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group off Southern California. "The Wasp has two cameras — one forward and one aft — that collect and feed live video or other information. It’s designed to follow a programmed or relayed route using Global Positioning System waypoints or other navigational systems". Last month, researchers on the Nimitz's ships "launched several of the 7-ounce, 13-inch planes." Sailors there will be taking "the Wasp along on its upcoming deployment, used it for several missions, including maritime interdiction and force protection. Micro UAVs might help in situations in which ships do not have helicopters available... 'It has the potential to save lives during boardings,' said Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Roth, the Nimitz group’s communications officer." Meanwhile, Darpa and Honeywell are teaming up for a second, slightly larger MAV program. Weighing in at about 12 pounds, the gallon-of-apple-juice-sized drone is meant to fit inside a soldier's (already overstuffed) backpack. The idea is that the MAV will give a small infantry unit the ability to see over the next hill, or around the next corner. That's pretty much what the hand-launched Raven and Dragon Eye drones do today. But this MAV uses ducted fan propulsion, giving it a helicopter-like ability to hover over a valley or alleyway -- or even land on a nearby rooftop, and watch a battle unfold. Wasp Micro Air Vehicle (MAV)

Army May Cut Iraq Tours In Half

The Army is considering cutting the length of deployments in Iraq from more than 12 months to as low as six months if conditions allow, a top official said Thursday. Decreasing the tour length of soldiers from about 15 months -- 12 months "boots on the ground" in Iraq plus time on either end for training and reorganizing at home base -- would improve morale, help families and help attract new recruits, said Lt. Gen. Franklin L. Hagenbeck, the Army deputy chief of staff for personnel. "We think length of tour does have an impact," Hagenbeck told reporters. "Multiple shorter tours is the ideal way to go about it." The Marine Corps has its troops in Iraq on seven-month deployments, a decision made at the beginning of the conflict to maintain the traditional rhythm of sea deployments with the Navy. Because the Marine Corps is so much smaller than the Army -- 175,000 versus 500,000 on active duty -- the Marine contribution to Iraq forces is also smaller, about at 25,000. Replacing 25,000 troops every seven months is a far easier task than the Army faces. The Army has about 125,000 troops in Iraq. The rotation last year of over 250,000 troops in and out of Iraq by air was hailed by the Pentagon as a massive logistical achievement. Pulling that feat off more than once a year would severely strain resources, Hagenbeck said. However, reducing the length of deployments in Iraq in half is highly conditional. The security situation there must improve dramatically enough to allow the number of forces, now at 145,500, to come down, and the Army must make progress in reorganizing its large divisions into smaller, more independent and self-sustaining Brigade Combat Teams, Hagenbeck said. "What we have now will be in place as long as we maintain the current level of effort," Hagenbeck said. The decision to draw down forces in Iraq is one that rests largely on the shoulders of Iraq forces commander Gen. George Casey and Central Command chief Gen. John Abizaid who are expected to make a decision toward that end in early summer. Any troop reduction in Iraq would not come until after the next elections there, which are scheduled for December, military officials said. Troop reductions are also dependent on the ability of nascent Iraqi security forces to manage the insurgent threat. Six-month deployments would be preferable for several reasons, Hagenbeck said. "Soldiers can take a deep breath and maintain focus and discipline for six months," Hagenbeck said. "Twelve month tours take a greater effort." He also noted year-long separations from families are difficult; more than 60 percent of the Army is married. On the other hand, military spouses like the tax exclusion that comes with a combat deployment. "The six month tax exclusion wives like," Hagenbeck said. Extending the tour -- and the tax benefit -- to 12 months, however, is not worth the longer separation, the spouses have indicated on surveys. But Hagenbeck said the year-long tours have not as yet had an affect on the Army's ability to retain soldiers. Just this week, there was a mass re-enlistment of 177 soldiers in the middle of their Iraq deployment. The Army has exceeded its re-enlistment goals so far this year. "Those brigades that all went in to (Operation Iraqi Freedom) have the highest re-enlistment rates," he said. The highest retention rate is in the combat arms field -- infantry, armor and Special Forces -- which are so heavily used in Iraq. They also suffer 84 percent of injuries. The Army has had around 8,000 wounded in action so far, according to Hagenbeck. It is having far more trouble recruiting, however. The Army missed recruitment goals in February and March and is expected to have trouble in April and May, Hagenbeck told Congress this week. "I go to bed at night concerned about recruiting and wake in the morning thinking about it," he said Thursday. One of the primary reasons for difficult recruiting, according to Army officials, is that "influencers" of potential recruits -- parents, teachers and coaches -- look askance at the continuing Iraq war and the possibility of an immediate year-long combat deployment. Changing to six-month deployments would blunt their apprehension, he added. "We think it would go down better with influencers," Hagenbeck said. The Army has cycled more than 900,000 soldiers in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan over the last three years, with about 375,000 of them deploying more than once.

US Army Deploys First Fuel Cell Truck

General Motors and the U.S. Army announced they are partnering to introduce the world's first fuel cell-powered truck into U.S. military service. The U.S. Army took delivery of the crew cab pickup at the GM research facility outside of Rochester, NY, where the vehicle's two fuel cell power modules were made. Marking the occasion was Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was instrumental in securing the funds in the 2005 Department of Defense appropriations on behalf of GM's experimental truck. "The work that GM is doing here in Honeoye Falls represents extraordinary promise for New York State and indeed the entire nation. Securing the funds to make this project possible was a critical step in the right direction. I'm thrilled to have helped and been able to play a role in today's announcement," said Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. The modified Chevrolet Silverado is equipped with two 94 kW fuel cell stacks, capable of generating 188 kW and 317 foot-pounds of torque, or roughly the motor torque generated by GM's 5.3 liter V-8 engine. "Fuel cell vehicles are a good match with U.S. Army goals," said Elizabeth A. Lowery, GM's vice president for Environment and Energy. "We are committed to the development of new technologies that will improve fuel consumption and reduce vehicle emissions. Fuel cell systems are both clean and quiet, and therefore, can provide a battlefield advantage. "Our partnership with the U.S. Army will familiarize the military with the next-generation of commercially-developed fuel cell technology, will help us drive down costs, create potential for future joint development of fuel cells and promote the development of a hydrogen infrastructure." The U.S. Army has the largest fleet of vehicles in the world. Improving fuel economy and reducing the logistics of the fuel supply chain could save millions of dollars. For example, it cost the U.S. Army up to $400 a gallon of gas to ship fuel to Iraq and Afghanistan. GM has a history of working with the military on their transportation needs. The automaker produces more than half of the non-tactical military vehicles purchased each year. The U.S. Army will evaluate the experimental truck until July 2006 at an Army base in Ft. Belvoir, Va. The vehicle will be used to deliver packages but will not be used in combat. Rigorous testing is planned in different climates and locations around the U.S. to assess performance and give the military first-hand experience with hydrogen and fuel cells. Despite weighing 7,500 pounds, the GMT800 accelerates in a similar fashion to a V-8 powered production truck, but produces no tailpipe emissions. Fuel cells chemically convert hydrogen into electricity and water. Three 10,000 psi compressed hydrogen storage tanks, provided by Quantum Technologies, will provide a range of 125 miles, even though the vehicle was not optimized for range. The modified Chevrolet Silverado is equipped with two 94 kW fuel cell stacks

Walking Bots

Darpa (The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the Pentagon's mad science division, wants to teach little mechanical puppies to think. Hopefully, that'll let the bots run around with soldiers on the battlefield one day. Getting robots to maneuver around rocks and trees and potholes is tough -- just ask any of the tinkerers whose bots bit the dust during last year's "Darpa Grand Challenge." That was the all-drone, off-road rally across the Mojave Desert, scheduled to last 150 miles. No robot made it past mile seven. One way to get the bots to go further, some drone-makers think, is to give their creations legs, so that they can maneuver just like a person or an animal would. But that's easier said than done. Walking, it turns out, requires a zillion tiny calculations to keep balance and avoid obstacles. It's so complex, Darpa notes, that "handcrafting the control laws and parameters" needed for robots to hike "may not even be possible with reasonable effort." So instead, Darpa would like to get the bots to figure out how to walk on their own. In the Learning Locomotion program, algorithms will be created that learn how to locomote based on the experience of a legged platform confronting extreme terrain. It is expected that the performance of these algorithms will far exceed the performance of handcrafted systems, creating a breakthrough in locomotion over extreme terrain. Further, it is expected that these algorithms will be broadly applicable to the class of "agile" ground vehicles.
Darpa is planning on handing out a series of $600-800,000 contracts to try to teach drones to walk. And the robots the agency wants researchers to train are 6.6 pound, 10.6 inch-long "Little Dogs." During the 15-month first phase of the "Learning Locomotion" project, Darpa wants the pooches to be able to travel .6 of an inch per second, and scale obstacles about 2.5 inches tall. For Phase II, those numbers should go up to approximately 3.8 inches and 5.7 inches, respectively. That may not sound like much. Bu the drones will have to be smart enough that that can "learn 'on-the-fly' how to traverse new obstacle types," Darpa tells researchers. "Government tests will measure the ability of the performer systems to learn from experience." "Learning Locomotion" is part of a series of Darpa efforts to come with computers and robots that can think for themselves. The agency is sinking $29 million into creating a "Perceptive Assistants that Learn" -- software-based secretaries that understand their bosses' habits and can carry out their wishes automatically. Lockheed got another $6.6 million from Darpa to develop algorithms that will "enable computers to leap ahead of traditional information-processing capabilities used to perform cognitive tasks, such as deduction, reasoning, and learning," according to a company press release. A third program-- "Learning Applied to Ground Robots," aimed at smartening-up wheeled drones -- is looking for interested researchers now. There's also more than one Defense Department project involving dog-like machines. Last year, the Army doled out $2.25 million to two robotics firms to prototype a big, mechanical pooch capable of carrying ammunition, food and supplies into battle. little mechanical puppy